The Empire had a total of five ducal families. Most of these families were prestigious and had been around since the founding of the empire. The founders of these ducal families were mostly the children of the first emperor.
When Ivanar La Orr, the first emperor's eldest son, ascended to the throne, the remaining four siblings each received a duchy and became dukes.
Kishiar, who held the title of Duke of Peletta, was a very rare case. It was extremely uncommon for someone who inherited the title of duke within the Empire to bear the surname 'La Orr'.
There was only one reason this was possible: because Kishiar's father, the previous emperor, had personally granted him a new ducal title while he was still alive.
According to imperial law, a prince who received a ducal title would be stripped of their succession rights, and could never vie for the emperor's position again. This precedent had been followed since the first emperor, and it was a good system for preventing bloody power struggles among siblings.
However, such conferred ducal titles were often temporary, and the recipients did not receive proper territories. Most of these dukes had no power, and for various reasons, they remained unmarried until they died. They quietly bowed their heads and lived in the corners of their territories until they disappeared from history.
The nobles believed that there must have been a significant problem with Kishiar La Orr, even if they didn't know what it was. Rumors circulated that he was outwardly fine, but impotent and of low intelligence.
Kishiar did not deny these rumors and enjoyed playing along with them.
He was famous for his love affairs since his days as a prince, but there was not a single person who claimed to have had his child, so the rumor was treated almost as fact.
The emperor's leniency towards his younger brother Kishiar was also believed to be because of this. It was thought that he was simply indulgent towards his only full-blooded sibling, who had not caused any significant accidents.
So, when Kishiar first revealed his abilities and founded the Cavalry unit, and became its leader, some people believed he was just a playful duke who had awakened his powers and wanted to play as a commander for a while. It didn't take long for this misconception to be shattered.
Even if it appeared to be the first meaningful Awakener group founded by a duke from the imperial family, it wasn't as beautiful from the inside.
Nevertheless, the fact that Kishiar, bearing the surname 'La Orr', could take charge of a military group without causing any significant disruption, despite the image of challenging the emperor's authority, meant there was a hidden power structure that ordinary people could not see.
Yuder only learned of this fact after becoming the Commander. There might be even more circumstances he didn't know about, but those could not be known with both Kishiar and the previous emperor dead.
Thus, Yuder became even more curious about the real reason Kishiar had founded this organization. He knew that Kishiar was neither as foolish nor as impotent as some people claimed.
Was the noble reason Kishiar La Orr had mentioned really true? Was that all there was to it?
"...You seem to be so surprised upon hearing my name that you can't even speak?"
Yuder, who had been deep in thought, snapped back to reality at the sound of Kiolle da Diarca's chuckling.
The Diarca Ducal House was related by blood to the Crown Prince, who was to become the next Emperor. So, it was understandable that the young knight from that family would be quite arrogant upon hearing Kishiar's name.
However, the question was why someone with such a background had disappeared without a trace in the past.
It was evident that he wasn't a successor to the Ducal House since he had joined the Order of Knights. Among the four Ducal Houses, there wasn't a single one that focused on martial arts, so they preferred to make their children chancellors or priests rather than sending them to be knights.
Yet, despite this, he had become a knight, which meant he must not have been significant in his family. It seemed that his position had more to do with his family's name rather than any real skill since his inner power didn't appear to be exceptional.
'He probably lived like that, accumulating resentment, and was assassinated.'
Yuder thought this eerie notion quite casually as he opened his mouth.
"The Diarca Ducal House. Of course, I've heard of it."
"I thought so. Now, step back accordingly. This is not a place for people like you."
"That won't be possible."
"What?"
Kiolle's cold face contorted.
"Are you daring to defy my orders?"
"Should I drag him out right now?"
One of Kiolle's subordinates asked, unable to conceal his displeasure.
"Our Commander instructed us to come here for training. Do you think you could proceed with such a matter without consulting the Commander of the Imperial Knights?"
Yuder implied that if the commander of the Imperial Knights had already given permission, there was no reason for Kiolle to intervene.
Seemingly understanding the meaning, Kiolle's eyes reddened with anger. Yuder thought he would order his subordinates to chase him away, but Kiolle proved to be more immature than Yuder had anticipated.
The young knight immediately drew his sword and aimed it at Yuder's throat.
"Come out. If you're one of those bastards who are overconfident in their power, I'll make sure you know your place today."
"Yuder!"
From behind, Gakane rushed forward, trying to block Yuder's path.
"I've heard that the Imperial Knights don't draw their swords for no reason. Escalating this situation won't be good for you either."
"You're all so careless with your words."
Kiolle's aimed sword didn't waver. Yuder grabbed Gakane's shoulder as he tried to step forward in defense.
"Gakane, it's fine. Step back."
"Yuder? Surely you're not…"
"The Cavalry members are not much different from the Imperial Knights in terms of legal status. If both parties agree, a duel is acceptable."
A duel between a commoner and a noble was not normally possible. However, the situation was unique. As Yuder quietly pointed this out, the Cavalry members, who were standing behind him, opened their mouths in unison. Gakane's expression was the same.
"There's no way it's alright, Yuder. Even so…"
"It's alright."
Yuder spoke with certainty. Upon hearing his resolute voice, the strength momentarily drained from Gakane's green eyes. Yuder tilted his head as he stepped aside.
"It's perfect since we're in the training grounds. I accept your duel request. However, I don't have a weapon, so you'll need to provide me with a sword."
"…Ha!"
Flames sparked in Kiolle's eyes.
"I have truly never met such an insolent fellow in my life. Congratulations. You've made me curious about the name of a commoner. What is your name?"
Didn't he just hear it? Yuder subtly pitied his intelligence and opened his mouth.
"It's Yuder."
"Good. You, give your sword to that man."
"Eh? But my sword is a family treasure passed down from my father……."
As Kiolle gestured and spoke to one of the servants standing behind him, the servant made a grimace and lowered his head. The sight was so amusing that laughter broke out momentarily among the Cavalry, forgetting the serious situation they were in.
"Pfft! What on earth is he, he's not even a five-year-old kid. Even the kids in our village wouldn't play like that."
"Give me yours! No! Waaa!"
"Who is babbling nonsense now!"
At Kiolle's thunderous shout, the Cavalry members fell silent again. However, once the mood had changed, it could not be reversed, even with his shouting.
Even the Imperial Knights, who had surrounded them with the intention of watching the Cavalry take a hit, couldn't hide their smiles. They mostly saw Kiolle as someone who strutted around relying on the power of his family.
Kiolle, noticing this, turned redder. He turned around and slapped the servant's cheek.
"You who dared to tarnish the honor of your master, leave the group immediately. Go back and pack your things right away."
"Eh? No, no. I will give you my sword, Lord Kiolle!"
"I don't need it. Didn't you hear me tell you to leave? Or should I kill you right here?"
As Kiolle's sword pointed towards his throat, the servant fell to the ground, screaming.
"I made a mistake!"
Most of Kiolle's servants seemed to be in their mid-teens. They knew how to use a sword to some extent, but they were still young.
To wield a sword so recklessly against such a child. Yuder thought about such a personality and became more confident in his speculation that Kiolle had probably been assassinated by someone he had offended in the past.
'Annoying brat.'
Yuder raised his hand and swung it slightly. Then, as if caught by an invisible hand, the sword Kiolle was holding stopped and twisted towards Yuder.
"Ugh! Wha, what!"
"Lord Kiolle!"
Fortunately, Kiolle didn't lose his grip on the sword. However, he couldn't withstand the force of the sword moving on its own, and he fell forward.
"…"
Dust rose over the splendid training ground, where the eagle's pattern had been engraved with white powder on the tightly packed soil.
Everyone was in shock. Kiolle himself, his subordinate knights, and the others surrounding them were all so shocked that they couldn't say anything. The only one not surprised here was Yuder himself.
