The Battle Between 'Father and Son'

Yveta, the Old Witch, Black Wolf, and Branton lunged at Baron Moro. The baron had clearly underestimated the combined strength of the four.

Yveta's physical strength was almost equal to the Hearthstone Great Witch's.

Black Wolf was a brawler through and through, and Branton was strong, too.

Baron Moro was knocked straight into the Wooden Door, and its bolt snapped with a crack.

In the broad hall, Anger had been having the maids serve drinks when, without warning, the Wooden Door was smashed open.

The baron and Yveta's group came tumbling out, still grappling with one another.

Anger froze in place. An absurd thought suddenly popped into his head. Are the adventurers unhappy with the baron's reward, so they started fighting him?

What kind of ridiculous adventurers are these?!

But our leader is standing in for the baron. With strength like his, how could five nobodies have shoved him out the door?!

Nearly all the knights of the Moro Family rose to their feet at the sight and drew their Knight Swords.

"What happened? Did the adventurers attack the baron? Here, in our own castle?! They've got some nerve. Come on, let's help our lord."

"Wait, the one attacking the baron seems to be... Baron Moro's only son, Branton."

"Is this a Father and Son fight?"

"Hahahaha... Good! Branton's finally showing some backbone. I've watched him since he was a boy, all mild-mannered, and worried he couldn't hold up the Moro Baron Territory. This is more like it! Nobody get involved. It's a family fight—what are we butting in for?"

Only then did Baron Moro realize something was wrong. He tried to get up, but Yveta and the others pinned him to the ground.

His eyes widened, a murderous glint in them.

This was wrong. These people weren't ordinary adventurers.

They were far too strong.

Fury welled up in him. He was a baron, sprawled helplessly on the ground, while his vassals stood by and laughed instead of lifting a finger.

"What are you doing? Get over here and help me kill these rebels—"

Yveta cut in at once. "My lord, didn't you agree in the side hall that you'd step down in favor of Lord Branton?"

"What, you're taking it back as soon as we come out?"

"If you keep the oath you swore to God, we'll stop right now. You won't even have to send out a single soldier!"

Branton caught on, too.

The knights watching the spectacle hadn't intervened because they'd seen a father and son fighting and wanted to wait and see how things played out.

He had to make the whole thing look like a farce.

Then, before anyone realized what was happening, he'd expose the true identity of the Children of the Forest.

And this was also his chance to avenge his family!

Branton glared down at Baron Moro. "Step down and give the title to me!"

Baron Moro stared at him, utterly bewildered.

I couldn't care less about your worthless title.

To him, the whole thing was absurd and baffling. Their plan had been disrupted by a rebellion so ridiculous it was hard to believe.

What kind of nonsense was this?

Yveta had the Old Witch and Black Wolf get up and release the baron, leaving only himself and Branton to hold him down.

That would make the onlookers even less wary.

After all, Yveta looked young.

The knights of the Moro Family burst out laughing.

"Baron, don't tell me you can't handle two kids. If you really can't, you might as well hand the title over to Branton."

"Show Branton the spirit of the Western Wild Wolves!"

Tawil, a middle-aged knight and an old comrade of Baron Moro's, laughed. "My old friend, it's been a long time since I've seen you fight."

Baron Moro was at a loss for words.

The humans had obviously mistaken this seemingly farcical rebellion for a joke.

But never mind that useless Branton.

This half-grown boy called Yveta really was far too strong.

Black Wolf tossed the Broken Steel Sword to Yveta. Yveta caught it, then ripped off the cloth wrapped around the blade.

The Broken Steel Sword gave off a faint glow in the hall.

The knights and Knight Attendants nearby could all tell the sword was extraordinary. They whispered among themselves, marveling that such a fine blade could be in an adventurer's hands.

As the Broken Steel Sword's true form was revealed,

Baron Moro's pupils abruptly contracted. He recognized it.

This was the Broken Steel Sword that had fallen into an ogre's hands.

It had once belonged to Ambrose, the Great Viscount, the "Landless Airlan."

More than two hundred years ago, "Landless Airlan" had led a campaign against a centaur tribe of the Children of the Forest in the upper reaches of the Bo River Basin. While mounted, he had been shot through the heart by a Centaur Marksman. The Broken Steel Sword, stained with the blood of the Children of the Forest, had fallen into the Bo River Basin and eventually been found by an ogre tribe living beside the Dark River.

Baron Moro realized there was a serious problem.

His pupils contracted, then dilated. For a moment, he lost himself in shock. They didn't find just one ogre. They found that ogre's entire tribe.

If they have the Broken Steel Sword, then the ogres must already be wiped out.

Only then did he understand. Yveta and that useless Branton had deceived him. "This isn't a rebellion. You know the truth!"

Baron Moro roared, glaring at Yveta. "Who are you?!"

"You can't possibly be an adventurer!"

"Are you from the obsessive-compulsive [Winchester]?"

"Or a mercenary hired by Ambrose City's council?"

"Are you from Gapanya—the Florentine Republic—or the Arthas Kingdom?"

Yveta looked at him in confusion. "The Arthas Kingdom? I thought it was a long way from here."

"Ah-ha..." Baron Moro glared at Yveta. "Stop pretending. You've come all this way, so don't tell me you don't know that the Viscount Ambrose's Independent State is on the verge of splitting apart over the conflict between the Capital Faction and the Aristocrat Faction! You don't know the nobles invited Crown Prince Jielong into the Viscount Country? If you know nothing, why are you opposing me?"

Yveta frowned. What great deed had the Old Witch's apprentice gotten up to?

Why did this feel like a trap?

And she'd said she wanted to welcome him. Maybe she'd just wanted him to take the fall.

"I didn't make you my enemy. You made an enemy of humanity. I'm from Arthas, but right now, I'm just an adventurer." He thrust his sword at the baron.

Baron Moro kept shouting for the knights to help him.

But the knights still thought it was all a farce. Even those who sensed that something was off hesitated, watching to see what would happen.

In their minds, a baron who had spent his life fighting on the battlefield couldn't possibly lose to two kids.

Besides, even if he were going to lose, surely it would take some time.

So they could keep watching.

The maids who tried to help were held back by Black Wolf and the Old Witch.

And so Baron Moro was left completely alone, scrambling to dodge the sword.

Yveta taunted him. "Go on, shout all you want. You could scream yourself hoarse, and no one would come to save you."

"How does it feel to be betrayed by your own family?"

"You put on the baron's skin."

"You thought it would give you every advantage, but you forgot: it's easy for a father to stab his son in the back."

"But it's just as easy for a son to stab his father in the back."

"You've made your own trap!"