From a Broken Engagement to the Northern Grand Duke's Son-in-Law

The knight Paul watched Venom with the corners of his mouth curled into a satisfied smirk. He never expected things would unfold this smoothly.

With this man, he was certain he could finally achieve his heart’s desire.

I can even get rid of that bastard Lancelot!

After all, Venom was a member of the Praha Guard. He’d been belittled, but the fault lay with Louis Berg—not with the knight himself.

This is a far cry from my initial plan... but it’s not bad.

Paul nodded, a cruel smile spreading across his face.

When the commander of the Praha Guard had first arrived, he had honestly expected him to seize command from Louis Berg. And why wouldn’t he? This was the Praha Guard. The order every knight in the North dreamed of joining.

The leader of such a group should hold command, not some noble brat who’d lucked into a title. It made no sense.

It might fly in the capital, but not in the North.

But what had happened?

Far from taking command, the commander had been humiliated by Louis Berg and had even bowed his head.

Paul couldn’t make sense of it. He’d looked up to the commander his entire life.

And then, to make matters worse, Lancelot had thrown him a mocking glance, igniting a fire in his chest.

Just when I thought my chance for revenge was gone...

It seemed the gods were on his side after all, for a new path had opened.

Sir Venom.

The man held tremendous hostility toward Louis Berg. Even from behind, Paul could feel the sheer intensity of his gaze—an Aura that promised to kill Louis even if left completely to his own devices.

He’s the perfect tool for my revenge.

Paul curled his lip into a smirk and offered another note to Venom.

If you approve of my plan, please nod. I will handle all the preparations. The details are written on the back.

The note contained his proposition and a plan for what came next. If this scrap of paper fell into the command’s hands, his head would be on the chopping block.

But that wouldn’t happen. No, the fury in Venom’s eyes was undeniably real.

And just as he expected...

Sir Venom looked at him and nodded.

A grin spread across Paul’s face.

Satisfied, Paul took the note back. He stuffed it into his mouth and swallowed with a gulp. His eyes burned with malice as they settled on Lancelot.

The fool was still grinning stupidly, completely unaware of what was to come.

Laugh all you want. You’ll be meeting your end soon enough.

Paul’s hand tightened around the hilt of the sword at his waist. The time to eliminate his target was fast approaching.

* * *

They’re planning something.

I glanced sideways, eyeing Paul and Venom. I saw them pass a note back and forth.

They seemed to think they were being discreet, but that was a delusion they shared alone.

I can see everything.

To be fair, their actions were subtle enough that even the surrounding knights didn’t notice.

The problem for them was that my eyes were a little different from everyone else’s. My Aura sensitivity was already superior to my master’s, and my Clairvoyance had only enhanced my vision.

It was absurd to think I wouldn’t notice.

Besides, I was already keeping a close eye on them.

I had watched, waiting to see what they would do. And sure enough, they were moving exactly as I’d predicted.

Still, I wonder what their scheme is.

It was clearly a plot to stab me or Lancelot in the back, but I couldn’t discern the exact details. Not that it mattered much.

It’s not like I’d fall for a trap set by fools like them.

Of course, my current inability to use my Aura could make things a little strenuous.

The demonic energy said to be used only by Demonkin had encroached upon my Aura Heart. If I were to use it now, I might sow anxiety among the knights. They might even brand me a pawn of the Demonkin and turn on me.

I didn’t think I would lose, but infighting within the Demonic Realm was hardly a sound strategy. Besides, I would need them as bait, at the very least, so it was best to keep my demonic energy hidden as much as possible.

I’ll have to lie low and fight carefully.

Well, I was confident in my power to support my unit, even using only my physical abilities.

I pulled my attention away from Paul and Venom and nodded to myself.

Just then…

“Enemies ahead!” a scout shouted. In an instant, the other knights assumed combat stances.

“All units, prepare for battle!”

“Prepare for battle!”

Their response was swift. As expected of the North’s strongest knightly order, the Praha Guard moved with a discipline that set them apart.

They formed a protective formation around their commander, a seamless arrangement clearly forged through countless hours of brutal training.

“Exterminate the Demonkin!”

“Hraaaaaaaah!”

At the commander’s cry, the knights roared as one.

Just in time, the enemy revealed themselves. Demonkin, mounted on monsters, charged toward us.

“You all get ready, too,” I murmured to my unit.

And so, the first battle in the Demonic Realm began.

* * *

“Ke... Kergh...”

“Die, you bastards!”

The knights plunged into the Demonkin ranks, weaving a tapestry of blood.

Surprisingly, the battle was completely one-sided.

Lancelot and my other unit members tore through the enemy lines, while Kai and Hans moved at the right place and the right time, opening paths for the attack. 

Thanks to them, the Praha Guard was able to fight with much more ease. In every critical moment, Mihaila’s divine power poured forth, protecting their lives.

This is insane.

The commander of the Praha Guard sliced off a Demonkin’s head, shaking his head in amazement.

Honestly, until this very moment, he had believed his Praha Guard to be the strongest knightly order in the North. Every member was a knight who had reached the rank of Master, and their synergy was born from countless shared experiences and relentless training.

That conviction shattered in an instant.

Poison deployed at the perfect moment, divine power that drove back demonic power, and an assassin who created breathing room for their allies.

Even the members classified as simple combatants were on another level entirely. A swordsman on the cusp of becoming a Master and a spearman who had just entered the early stages of Aura Master.

Men who could command any other knightly order were here, acting as mere soldiers under Sir Louis’s command.

I don’t know why Sir Louis isn’t moving himself, but his eye for talent is the real deal.

Every time an ally was in danger, an arrow would fly in, making the battle flow effortlessly. It was like a well-oiled machine.

The commander’s shock was giving way to genuine admiration.

If… if a unit like this were to serve directly under His Grace the Duke... We could probably crush the Imperial Knights with ease.

They would never actually rebel, of course. But he could say with certainty that the Imperial Family would never dare to look down on the North again.

Is this a blessing?

The commander of the Praha Guard looked at Louis Berg, his expression complicated. He couldn’t decide whether to be relieved that this man was the North’s future son-in-law.

He still hadn’t forgiven him for bringing Lady Lea to this dreadful place, yet in every other respect, there was no knight quite like him.

After all, wasn’t this entire unit his creation?

A stablehand, a neighborhood kid, a squire, and a knight who had perpetually ranked last—who would have ever thought they would grow into this?

His eye for talent must be extraordinary.

And the woman wielding divine power was a former criminal. To gather such individuals in one place surely meant that there was something special about Louis Berg himself.

Perhaps enough to entrust his own position to him.

If I make it back alive, I should seriously propose it.

The commander nodded and cut down another Demonkin.

Squelch. Thump.

Just as the battle seemed to be winding down, he heard it.

Click.

A faint, sharp sound rang out nearby.

It was a sound that didn’t belong here. One he’d heard dozens of times during Demonic Realm training drills.

It can’t be…?

The commander’s head whipped around, his eyes scanning the area.

Then he saw it. A tiny button lying at Louis’s feet that was no larger than a thumbnail.

A monster lure. The kind the Praha Guard used in training.

It released a scent undetectable to humans, but irresistible to Demonkin and monsters. The lure activated when its center was pressed.

What the hell was it doing here?

Did someone bring it? For what reason?

As suspicion flooded his mind, a new sound pierced the air.

Awooooooo!

In the distance, he saw them: wolf-like monsters, charging straight for their position.

“Dammit!”

The commander of the Praha Guard bit his lip and swore.

The Praha Guard often used this device to hone their practical skills, but only when they were in peak condition and fully supplied.

In other words, never when they were in a compromised state like this.

“All units, retreat!”

The commander roared at the knights around him. Startled by the sudden order, the knights stared at him with blank expressions, but he paid them no mind, just kept shouting.

“Move your asses, now!”

Only then did the knights grasp the severity of the situation and begin to pull back from the battlefield. The commander took up the rear, retreating while fending off the monsters’ attacks.

Awooooooo!

The wolf-like monsters swarmed toward him. Corrupted by demonic energy, they seemed stronger than normal, and thanks to the lure, their numbers were staggering. It was like watching a sea of monsters.

They would all be slaughtered by staying together. The commander looked at Louis and yelled, “How about we split into five groups?”

If it were up to him, he would have acted independently, but the supreme commander right now was Louis Berg. He had to follow his orders.

The commander worried that Louis might let his pride get in the way and order them to fight.

But his fears were unfounded. Louis simply nodded and said, “Do it.”

It was a relief. At least the man had some common sense.

“All units, scatter in five groups! Regroup at Point B in the Demonic Realm! If you understand, move now!” the commander bellowed. The knights moved with perfect discipline, breaking off into five distinct parties.

“We’ll see you at Point B!”

With those last words to Louis, the commander of the Praha Guard and his forces split off from the Special Taskforce.

Snarl!

Watching the commander disappear, Louis remarked, “They’re finally gone.”

Now, only his Special Taskforce remained behind him.

Which meant he no longer needed to hide his power.

Louis’s Aura flared to life, swirling with demonic energy as he faced the monsters.

He made arrows materialize in the air and uttered a low command.

“Kill them all.”

Swoooosh—!

Dark energy spun at the tips of the arrows, amplified by the Demonic Realm.

A moment later, the arrows rained down, slaughtering the entire horde in an instant.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Corpses fell, one after another.

Louis stood amidst the blood-spattered ground, eyes flashing. Then he noticed something smeared on Hans’s side.

Cold fire ignited in his chest.

“…They’ve really done it now.”

It seemed this was Paul and Venom’s plan all along.