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With every movement Norman made, purple energy burst from his sword, sending out energy slashes that destroyed the surroundings. His cold eyes glimmered with indifference and ruthlessness.

In response, Alfred’s legendary Sun Magic revolved around him, forming a protective layer. Thanks to this, the Duke evaded every attack.

When Galatine, with a swift turn, slashed forward intending to cut Norman’s shoulder, Norman swiftly twisted his sword, blocking Galatine.

Seeing an opening in Duke Alfred’s defense, Norman lunged forward with a merciless gleam. He raised his sword to his right shoulder, lifting the hilt to shoulder height and angling the blade toward Alfred’s shoulder.

With a quick thrust, he aimed to pierce the Duke’s shoulder.

"Good try," Alfred said calmly, his eyes tracking Norman’s blade, "but it won’t work!"

Suddenly, a pillar of fire erupted from the ground like the fierce flame of the sun, searing Norman’s armor and making him grimace.

Yet Norman didn’t stop; he quickly lunged forward, releasing a purple mana beam from his sword. Alfred’s yellow barrier flared up, blocking the attack.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

As the swords clashed, the metallic sound resonated with a loud hum. The two knights ruthlessly tried to cut each other down, with Norman pressing forward mercilessly.

His strikes were not graceful for a knight but were powerful. In contrast, Duke Alfred displayed more finesse. He parried Norman’s relentless blows with skilled agility.

When Norman noticed the Duke’s sword approaching, he quickly sidestepped and swung his sword horizontally. Despite the incoming attack toward his stomach, the Duke stood motionless. Then, in an instant, his sword was engulfed in the flames of the sun and struck Norman’s shoulder.

As Norman’s sword cut Alfred’s abdomen, Galatine left a gaping wound on Norman’s shoulder, but Norman seemed to feel no pain.

Both Alfred and Norman stepped back, gazing at each other with respect. Although enemies, they acknowledged the other’s skill.

The Duke calmly examined his wound, narrowing his eyes slightly. As the wound began to heal slowly, curiosity flickered in Norman’s eyes.

"The legendary regeneration ability of the Thornvile lineage..."

For a brief moment, admiration shone in Norman’s eyes. While many tales, both good and bad, existed about Gawain, one of his greatest stories was his ability to heal under the sun.

"Today, we are stronger and better than even those who see themselves as heirs of King Arthur, Norman." The Duke’s eyes shone with calm. As Norman’s mana surged, the Duke coldly continued, "Now, what must be done will be done."

"Destroying the king and the kingdom without mercy?" Norman asked in a conflicted tone. Alfred sighed, lowering his gaze to the ground. "This kingdom was already doomed to collapse. Arrogant and indifferent nobles, ignorant people, fanatical clergy..."

As Alfred plunged Galatine into the ground, the sun behind him seemed to shine brighter. A gentle light radiated from him, making him appear almost like a holy saint.

This was the power of Gawain’s lineage. Unlike the royal bloodline, the Thornvile house descended from an honorable and powerful knight. Rather than inheriting less than 10% of King Arthur’s strength, the Thornvile lineage lived up to its name as an elite.

"I thought you were a reasonable man, Alfred," Norman said, closing his eyes as his mana churned, his aura seeming to shift.

The Duke remained cold-blooded, gazing calmly at Norman. "I don’t care what you think. You’re just a simple fool. You have no thoughts or ideas of your own. You can’t see people for what they truly are; you’re just a strong knight..."

Alfred’s eyes grew colder as he grabbed the Galatine embedded in the ground, his wound fully healed, and his gaze turned steely. He looked down on Norman with disdain.

"You’re a good knight," Alfred said, "but you’re a fool. Learn humanity, and only then will you understand, Foolish Knight. I bestow this title upon you. Be honored."

Norman’s eyes flickered with confusion at Alfred’s words. Although he didn’t understand why Alfred spoke this way or insulted him, there was no time to think.

As the Duke raised his sword once again, this time swinging it twice as fast, Norman reacted, and the two knights clashed once more.

Clang!

"I don’t understand you! Why are you betraying the kingdom?" Norman shouted as their swords pressed against each other, sparks flying from the friction.

Norman’s eyes flashed with anger for a moment, as if he had lost his former composure. In contrast, the Duke remained calm. As Alfred pushed Norman further back, Norman gritted his teeth.

"You don’t have the capacity to understand me, Norman," the Duke’s voice remained calm. The incredible purple mana from Norman’s sword clashed with the yellow mana radiating from Galatine.

The mana kept growing to a level unbearable for an ordinary person. The Duke pressured Norman, forcing him to retreat.

Dashing forward, the Duke launched a series of swift, nearly unblockable strikes. As his mana surged violently, Norman used his spark spell to strengthen his legs, cracking the ground beneath him as he leaped toward the Duke.

The mana in Norman’s sword expanded suddenly, transforming into a beam as he slashed the air, sending powerful energy slashes toward Alfred.

Norman swung his sword horizontally and then, with a sudden flick of his wrist, raised it horizontally above, releasing a second wave of energy slashes.

The Duke calmly faced the attacks, moving his sword. The Mana emanating from Galatine halted the attacks with a gentle sweep, sending out a large Mana beam that caused a massive explosion.

At that moment, the Duke’s eyes narrowed when he suddenly felt something grabbing his leg. Looking down, he immediately freed his foot upon seeing a piece of earth wrapped around his ankle.

Not understanding what was happening, the Duke’s gaze narrowed further when he saw the mage standing behind Norman and the Royal Guards.

Then he called out to Miguel. "Miguel, deal with the Royal Guards! Kill the mage!"

The fight, no longer a duel, turned into chaos as the army charged. The battle began.

The Duke attacked Norman, striking swiftly without mercy and with the intent to kill. As Norman retaliated, the Sun Knights plunged into the Royal Guards with their horses at full speed.

Despite their previous slaughter, this time the Sun Knights were not overwhelmingly strong. As they advanced, their horses were killed under the spears of the Royal Guards.

The Sun Knights drew their swords and fought on foot against the Royal Guards, both sides spewing hatred at each other.

"Ah!" a Royal Guard groaned in pain as a Sun Knight mercilessly slashed his chest and attacked another guard.

As the two armies brutally tried to slaughter one another, some of the Sun Knights began to crush the Royal Guards with terrifying strength.

Meanwhile, as the Duke and Norman grew more vicious, Norman’s sword hummed and flashed fiercely. He then swung it upward from the ground, aiming to sever Alfred’s neck.

But the Duke stepped back, dodging the strike. Seizing the opportunity, the Duke landed a heavy punch on Norman’s kidney.

Norman groaned in pain, and the Duke’s knee was about to collide with Norman’s chin. Reacting quickly, Norman tried to guard his chin with his hand, but it was too late.

With a brutal kick, the Duke sent Norman to the ground. His chin was bloodied, and blood dripped from his lips.

"Agg..." Norman, trying to stand up, froze as he felt the Duke’s sword at his neck. He looked up into Alfred’s cold eyes.

Alfred stared coldly at Norman as the Sun Knights and Royal Guards fought to the death, yet the Duke and Norman had come to a standstill.

The Duke’s sword, Galatine, shone ominously, making Norman tense. Though he wasn’t afraid of death, he knew he would die in such a humiliating way.

Unable to swallow his pride, Norman gritted his teeth.

"You’re a good knight," Alfred said calmly, "but as I said, you’re still a fool. You have much to learn. Never forget—no matter how special you think you are, someone will always be able to kill you. Don’t be naive. Draw your own line. Don’t be a puppet of others."

"What are you trying to say? I am a good knight," Norman said, almost hesitantly. At only 23 years old, despite his special training by the Royal family, he couldn’t understand why Alfred continued to mock him.

Why would protecting the kingdom, and defending honor, be dishonorable? Norman, who only wanted to protect the kingdom he grew up in, thought the Duke didn’t understand him.

"For a long time, I thought you’d be a talented, but now I see you’re just a rumor," the Duke scolded harshly, his eyes regarding Norman like garbage.

Norman involuntarily pursed his lips. He still didn’t understand.

"I’ll give you some advice," the Duke said calmly. His gaze shifted to Norman’s dark eyes. "Find yourself a family. Meet someone who loves you not for your power or appearance, but for who you truly are."

"Love?" Norman questioned.

"No, you fool."

The Duke scolded Norman as if he were a child. Norman’s eyes narrowed in confusion as he stared at the Duke. "Then what is it?"

"Family," the Duke explained calmly. "There is nothing more important in this world than family. They are the ones who love you, who push themselves for you, who work tirelessly until nightfall, and who make sacrifices for you."

"I already have a family!" Norman quickly objected.

"Who is your family? Tell me."

"Sister Jessica, Father Artvin, Sister Cessie—"

Before Norman could continue, the Duke’s sharp voice cut him off, his eyes displaying rare anger. "That’s not a family. They are your caretakers. They cannot replace a real family."

"But—"

"I told you," the Duke sighed, his eyes briefly losing their coldness. "If you still don’t understand, then you are a fool. Your strength, your fame, your titles—I don’t care about any of it."

Norman’s eyes flashed uncertainly, showing his confusion. Duke Alfred withdrew his sword and sheathed it.

"Aren’t you going to kill me?" Norman asked in surprise as the Duke was about to leave. The Duke paused, narrowing his eyes slightly.

"Today, you are spared by my mercy."

Norman exhaled in relief.

"I won’t kill you, but that doesn’t mean I won’t hurt you," the Duke calmly explained. Before Norman could grasp what was happening, the Duke’s Mana-infused fist struck his face with immense force, cracking the ground along with Norman’s skull.

As Norman fell unconscious, Alfred exhaled deeply. He was a bit tired, but it wasn’t time to stop yet.

His eyes shifted thoughtfully to the knights still fighting. The Royal Guards were starting to retreat in disarray.

The Sun Knights had suffered some losses, and Miguel had already killed the mage. The remaining mages had fled, having no loyalty to the kingdom.

As the Royal Guards tried to take refuge in the royal palace, dozens of them began to fall.

Duke Alfred sighed in relief. As long as he killed the king as soon as possible, the task would be complete. Either he would capture the king and force him to surrender, or he would kill him.

If the king had already fled, however, the situation would be much harder.

Even if he didn’t want to, Alfred would have to engage in a large-scale war, which would lead to the destruction of thousands of families and plunge the kingdom into chaos again.

Though it was tragic, Alfred had no regrets. As long as Morrigan was safe, he didn’t care how many families were destroyed or lost.

Perhaps his ancestors would condemn him for his sins. He might be a stain in Thornvile’s history or be remembered as the greatest traitor after Mordred.

But to Alfred, it was worth it...