***
The war against the Southern Kingdom was over.
It was a long war that had lasted over three years. It was the Knights of the Black Lion that ended the war, a half a year after they joined the Imperial Army.
The Knights of Morte became the greatest heroes of the Empire, and when they returned, they were met with great praise. They were majestically positioned at the forefront of the triumphal procession.
Carlz grumbled as they passed through a boulevard where petals were scattered.
“What have they done to get us to triumph? Without them, the war would have ended a year earlier.”
What Carlz was referring to were the nobles who made up command. Knights and lords, mainly from the South, were walking on the road beside them in triumph. Victor turned his head.
“It’s all over now.”
“Well, yes. We are never going to see them again.”
“You’re a Southerner, so of course you will see them again, right?”
At his master’s words, Carlz replied bitterly.
“What do you mean? I will live in the North for the rest of my life. Now I hate being hot and humid.”
“Weren’t you slowly getting more comfortable?”
“Does it matter? We’re going back to Morte.”
Victor laughed.
Actually, he didn’t really care.
It felt good to be back.
However, he was barely able to tell the story of Mortheon.
It was a name he couldn’t speak because it was painful just hearing it.
But Mortheon wouldn’t have wanted to be forgotten like that.
So he talked about his older brother, telling stories of their childhood their entire journey back. And he had hope.
If he remembered Mortheon like this and stayed with his colleagues and friends in his hometown, one day everything would be back to the way it was before. Peace would come again in his life.
Soon, the procession was over.
Victor Morte, of course, met the Emperor before anyone else.
Seeing the young Grand Duke, the nobles in the audience roared in surprise. They were voices of excitement, jealousy, and admiration.
Victor was not surprised.
He knew that his appearance looked quite dubious to others.
The Emperor greatly praised the new Grand Duke. He applauded him for his great work, and gave him a huge monetary reward. It was a small sum compared to the war reparations he would get from the Southern Kingdom, but Victor was still happy to accept it.
Then the Emperor asked what other reward he wanted.
Victor thought for a moment. He normally would have asked for an engagement to the Imperial family or more land, but none of that was necessary. He just wanted to live quietly in his hometown.
So he answered truthfully.
“I don’t need anything else. It is an honor to serve the Empire and to see Your Majesty.”
The Emperor chuckled as if he was satisfied.
“Sir is a true knight! Let me know if you want anything later. I’ll fulfill one request.”
Victor bowed respectfully and withdrew.
***
Invitations poured into Victor’s Capital mansion. They all wanted to meet the war hero, the Grand Duke of Death.
However, Victor didn’t stay long in the Capital, and headed straight to Morte. He brought only the belongings of his father and Mortheon, who had stayed in the Capital mansion for a time.
He felt much more comfortable on the way back than when he left. They were welcomed wherever they went, and were provided with sumptuous banquets and good beds. Victor let his knights rest.
They had suffered a lot. His knights needed time to laugh and relax.
He felt much better and he slept much better too. Eating and drinking every day, they slowly reached Morte.
His hometown was the same as before.
A cool wind blew through the tall trees. The march of the knights was a spectacle in and of itself. The knights entered the village, announcing their return noisily.
At the sound of the trumpet, villagers flocked to the side of the road and cheered. When he saw the colorful roofs and the pale skinned people of his estate, he felt a sense of familiarity.
Victor smiled and waved.
The war would remain in his memory like a wound that would never heal, but for now, all was well.
The vassals would bring him a lot of work, and his nightmares would be forgotten little by little in his boring life.
The knights proudly entered the castle.
The vassals who were waiting for him bowed their heads as soon as they saw him.
“We greet the new Grand Duke.”
Victor nodded, feeling suffocated. It was only then that he realized that he had taken the place of Mortheon.
He spoke to them sincerely.
“You have suffered a lot while I was away. I may not be enough compared to my older brother, but please help me in the future.”
“Of course, your highness.”
Victor smiled at his vassals.
He didn’t like them very much, but he knew how well they worked with Mortheon. In order to follow in Theon’s footsteps, he had to trust his vassals and work with them.
He wanted to take responsibility for the land his older brother loved.
Like Mortheon, he wanted to become a Grand Duke who was loved by his knights, his vassals, and his people.
Victor made another promise.
***
He started work the very next day.
Although he received push back, he read the reports of the vassals and sent knights to kill monsters.
He also accepted the request of his vassals to arrange a beneficial marriage as soon as possible. Mortheon would have.
It was his childhood dream to marry someone he loved, but that became impossible as soon as he became the Grand Duke.
The names of women he had never heard before were thrown around in the conference room. They were ladies from prestigious families that would help the Grand Duchy.
Victor didn’t pay much attention. Whoever she was, they were all the same.
Weeks went by, day and night.
His insomnia, which had not fully disappeared, caused him to work late.
His knights were worried, but Victor didn’t care. If he worked a lot, the people of Morte would live better lives.
Then, one night, he secretly went out for a walk.
It was past midnight and he couldn’t sleep. When he completed work for that day, the moon was already high in the sky.
He wondered if he would be able to sleep if he walked around a little bit. So, Victor quietly walked down the hallway without a lamp.
Whispered gossip came from somewhere.
“…Lord Mortheon, you said the Grand Duke killed him?”
‘What?’
Victor stood still as if he had been struck by lightning.
Victor’s senses were very sharp.
That was the secret of his amazingly accurate swordsmanship. The whispering voices could be heard very clearly by the Grand Duke.
“…Our elders said that while everyone else was away, his highness Mortheon and his knights were annihilated. The only survivor was Victor. Isn’t that strange?”
“Hey, the Grand Duke is incredibly strong. So of course he survived.”
“But then why couldn’t he protect Lord Mortheon? Why did he let his brother die when he survived without a single wound?”
Every word pierced Victor’s chest like a blade.
Another maid whispered.
“The two of them were really close. Everyone in the castle knows it.”
“No. Before leaving, Victor was planning to take the position of Grand Duke with the help of Gillard.”
“No way!”
“Really! He said it out loud. Besides, now he’s bragging about how well it turned out!”
Victor tried to understand the situation.
They were probably maids, working in the castle and serving the vassals.
‘Gillard…’
Victor remembered the vassals he had talked to in the weeks before the war.
Those who said they would support Victor in order to keep Mortheon in check.
He had never had a proper conversation with them, except for that day in the hallway.
‘Why…?’
Their voices continued to gossip, like excited field mice.
“Wow, that’s scary. Is power that good?”
“How could we understand the minds of those of high ranks? He’s heartless, unlike his older brother who was so kind to us.”
“Hey, the one who died is a fool. What other nobleman has such a strong successor?”
“Yes, Mortheon was a fool.”
“Poor thing.”
Suddenly, his stomach churned.
It felt like darkness had swallowed his body whole.
He wasn’t even angry.
He was just empty.
Victor ignored the voices and slowly returned to his bedroom.
***
The next morning, he called Leonard and Carlz.
The Grand Duke, extremely sleep deprived, asked slowly.
“Are there rumors circulating that I killed him?”
Leonard was shocked, and Carlz had a sour expression. His reaction convinced Victor.
“That’s right, rumors are going around.”
“Your highness, all the knights know that its bullsh*t…”
“I’m not talking about the knights.”
The words of the servants were the words of the master. The people he heard yesterday were maids of the vassals. They said that they had heard the story from their masters. If the vassals were saying things like that, the rest of Morte must feel the same.
Victor looked over at Leonard.
“You’re probably in touch with your family.”
“My lord.”
“Tell me, Leonard Odo. What are they saying?”
The Odos were a Morte vassal, with a territory outside the estate.
They rarely traveled to the Capital, but because of their allegiances, they often accompanied other vassals to the castle. So they must have heard something.
Leonard bowed his head deeply. No matter how difficult it was to speak, he could not disobey his master’s orders.
“…The rumors have been circulating from the moment we announced Lord Mortheon’s death. They said that the reason his body was burned was to destroy the evidence.”
“Besides, it seems that the vassals, especially Gillard, have inflated the rumors. They say that they persuaded the new Grand Duke to take the seat… Unlike Lord Mortheon, they said you are not indecisive…”
“…”
“You know it’s all bullsh*t, don’t you? It’s just a rumor.”
Victor didn’t say anything for a long time.
***