The Duke's Council Hall.
A seven or eight-year-old blond boy sat in the Duke's seat, while a woman in her twenties, dressed in a formal gown, sat in the chair to his left.
Damon, clad in golden Armor and holding a Longsword, stood to the right.
Penny looked down at the Vassals of the Iseley Clan, her delight plain to see.
Through her swift and decisive actions, she had seized control of the entire castle, and her son had naturally inherited the title, becoming the new Duke.
'After all, Duke Xilong is dead, I was the first one to enter the room, and Grandmaster Panto is on my side. Isn't it up to me to decide who the heir is?'
'Besides, my son should have been the rightful heir to the title, not Leia...'
"Your Grace, the chaos in the castle has been quelled. The rebels have all been beheaded, and Lady Onaya, who initiated the rebellion, has been thrown into the dungeon."
Grandmaster Panto, standing at the front of the hall, stepped forward to report on the current situation.
"Grandmaster Panto, you have done well," Penny promised with a smile playing on her lips. "The Iseley Clan will not forget what you have done."
"Lastly, in this perilous time of conspiracy and turmoil, we have conferred and agree that the security of Kolon and the Duke is of the utmost importance. Therefore, Damon shall take command of Kolon's armaments and serve as the Captain of the White-robed Iron Guard."
Panto recited what had already been decided.
Most of the Vassals in the hall were smiling, but a few wore grim expressions.
They were all supporters of Leia's succession. They hadn't even had a chance to see Duke Xilong before the matter was already a foregone conclusion.
They had only brought a few attendants with them to Kolon this time. Not long after the banquet ended, the White-robed Iron Guard had forcibly detained them.
Now, facing the soldiers surrounding the hall, they didn't dare to speak out against the decision, no matter how dissatisfied they were.
They were afraid of being made an example of to warn the others.
Moreover, Damon was watching them like a tiger stalking its prey.
"Has the rebel Leia Isely been found?" Penny asked.
"My Lady, that is what I was about to report. The rebel Leia, along with a Knight and a Beastman, broke out of Kolon and headed north."
Penny took a deep breath upon hearing this news.
In truth, Lady Onaya was less important than Leia. Most of the Iseley Clan's Vassals had heard Duke Xilong acknowledge Leia as his heir last night.
If Leia was allowed to escape, she might raise an army in the future to reclaim her title.
"The rebel must be captured! Her accomplices will be treated as rebels as well!"
Penny first set the tone, then looked to Damon beside her.
"Uncle Damon, I'll have to trouble you to bring these rebels back."
Damon gave a slight nod. With his hand on the hilt of his sword, he strode out of the hall, the metal of his Armor scraping with each step.
The success in seizing the title was largely due to her uncle. As she watched his broad back, a hint of adoration flickered in her eyes.
She had admired her uncle since she was a child and had later schemed to get him into her bed. But the good times didn't last. Her father seemed to have discovered their affair and had him transferred away from the castle.
「As Penny reminisced.」
The impromptu meeting came to an end.
...
Walking along Tulip Avenue, Levi glanced back at the shrinking Kolon City and happily hummed a little tune that no one else would understand.
He was carrying Leia on his shoulder. Though he was walking, his pace was faster than a run. Zat had to jog to keep up from behind.
This brought to mind a past incident in the Western Territory. He had offended a Powerful Count there, and to avoid being surrounded by cavalry, he had pushed his "Running" skill all the way to Max Level in one go.
After cutting down dozens of Armored Cavalry, he had coolly run all the way to the Southern Territory.
When he ran at full speed, he was faster than a horse.
"So, Duke Xilong was going to name you his heir tonight. You had such a clear advantage. How did you suddenly end up a fugitive?"
Levi patted Leia on the butt and asked with some curiosity.
Mmph~
Caught off guard by the slap on her bottom, Leia let out a muffled grunt. Her face flushed red, and she answered angrily.
"Penny and Damon teamed up and launched a sudden attack on my mother and me."
"That doesn't make sense. Those two should never be on the same side."
Levi stroked his chin, unable to figure it out. Penny wanted the title, and so did Damon.
Shouldn't they be like fire and water?
He had made a point of memorizing the notable nobles of Debei, so he knew about Penny. He knew she was Duke Xilong's biological daughter.
"Penny's son is also Damon's son," Leia revealed, dropping another bombshell.
"? Wait, you're saying that little brat is their son?" Levi was stunned.
"That's what my mother told me."
"Let me get this straight... If I remember correctly, Penny is Duke Xilong's biological daughter, and Damon is Duke Xilong's biological brother. That means Penny is Damon's niece... and her son is also Damon's son..."
After a long moment, Levi, having finally untangled the relationships, exclaimed:
"You nobles are a real mess!"
A niece and her uncle, sleeping together.
'No wonder Leia didn't even have a chance to fight back.'
'A whole family ganging up on you, a woman with only half Iseley Bloodline... how could you possibly be a match for them?'
No wonder that little brat at the banquet looked a bit slow. He was seven or eight years old and still being cradled in Penny's arms.
Turns out he's an idiot born from incest.
"Have you thought about where you're going?" Levi asked.
"I'm going to the Northern Territory to find my aunt Fulina. Then I'll rescue my mother."
Leia gritted her teeth.
The thought of her mother being captured and possibly tortured filled her with immense hatred for Penny and Damon.
Ever since her father died when she was a child, her mother had been her only family.
"Smart."
Levi gave her a thumbs-up, genuinely impressed.
He had thought the little girl would try to stay in the Southern Territory and use her status as heir to rally a force.
That would have undoubtedly been a stupid plan.
Damon and Penny were already in cahoots. With the help of a Rogue Knight like Damon, it was nearly impossible for any unrest to stir in the Southern Territory.
Staying here, it would only be a matter of time before she was caught.
The only way out was to seek refuge with the Martel Family in the north. After all, the current Duchess of the Northern Territory was Lady Onaya's sister—Leia's aunt.
Upon hearing of her sister's capture, the Duchess certainly wouldn't let the matter rest. Plus, Leia was the heir Duke Xilong himself had appointed.
If Leia managed to escape to her, the Duchess would have a legitimate reason to launch a military campaign against the Southern Territory with Leia under her protection.
Clearly, whether for the sake of family or for personal gain, the famous Duchess of Debei would not stand idly by.
This had been Levi's calculation when he decided to save Leia.
After all, how could Leia possibly have One Thousand Gold Coins on her? Only by escaping to the Northern Territory and returning to her mother's family, the Martels, would the payment be secured. To preserve the Martel Family's honor, they would definitely give him the One Thousand Gold Coins.
He had already been planning to head to the Northern Territory to seek new opportunities anyway, so it was on his way. After a brief calculation, he decided he might as well save her.
By then, even if he had made mortal enemies of Penny and Damon, he would be in the Northern Territory. With the Martel Family launching a military campaign against them, they would have no time to worry about him.
Everything was going according to his plan.