147 No Room for Weakness
William exhaled. "So you want me to prove myself—not through wisdom, or authority, but through raw might."
Harald grinned. "Now you’re getting it."
The older man polished off his drink and wiped the foam from his lips. Despite the absurd amount of alcohol he had consumed, his gaze remained razor-sharp.
"Of course," Harald admitted, "strength alone isn’t enough. No matter how powerful an outsider may be, the north will never respect someone they see as an invader. A threat can be feared, but it won’t be followed."
"But I’m not a complete outsider," William pointed out. "I am the grandson of Klaus Grimaldi—who was once respected in the north."
"Exactly," Harald said with a nod. "Even if you weren’t born here, the blood of Klaus Grimaldi still runs through your veins. And if his last heir values the traditions of the north, then no one can deny your claim to them."
Then his expression hardened.
"But," he added, locking eyes with William, "if you can’t even handle this, then even as Klaus’s grandson, you deserve no respect. The north belongs to northerners. It is not something to be taken by a weak southerner who doesn’t understand what that means."
William met his gaze.
There was no warmth in Harald’s eyes now—no gratitude, no camaraderie.
Just cold scrutiny.
This was no longer a conversation between an ally and his benefactor.
This was a test.
And if William failed…
Then every noble in the north would look at him with the same disdain Harald had in his eyes right now.
William took a slow breath.
"If I defeat you," he said, "will that be enough? Will I have the north’s recognition?"
Harald threw his head back and laughed.
"Boy, don’t flatter me too much," he said, shaking his head. "I’m just one man. Beating a single old warrior won’t suddenly make the entire north bow to you."
But then his gaze darkened slightly.
"But if you can’t even defeat me?" He scoffed. "Then you may as well pack your bags and go home, because you won’t stand a chance against Count Calix."
William didn’t need it spelled out.
Harald might have been laughing, but he wasn’t joking.
If William couldn’t even prove himself here, there would be no path forward.
There was only one answer to give.
William nodded. "Then I’ll fight you."
Harald’s grin widened. "Good," he said. "I like that confidence."
Of course, they weren’t about to step outside and start swinging swords immediately.
A proper duel—especially one meant to serve as both a test and a public spectacle—needed to be prepared.
This wasn’t just a fight.
This was an announcement.
Word needed to spread. The fight needed to be seen. If William wanted his victory to mean something, then there had to be witnesses.
"The rebellion was just crushed," Harald pointed out. "There’s still plenty of clean-up to do. If any remnants try to strike back while we’re busy dueling, that’d be a real pain in the ass."
William nodded. "Agreed. The last thing I need is for this duel to get overshadowed by some unrelated mess."
Not to mention—
Even with the potion, Harald’s wounds weren’t fully healed yet.
If the duel happened too soon, there would be excuses. People would claim Harald had been weakened, that the fight hadn’t been fair.
Better to wait.
William smiled faintly. "Take your time to recover, Lord Harald. I wouldn’t want you forcing yourself just to meet my schedule—only to end up embarrassing yourself in the duel."
Harald snorted.
"Ha! Big words, boy. You don’t even consider the possibility that you might lose?"
William shrugged. "What’s the point?"
Harald blinked.
"It’s a waste of time to sit around imagining how I’ll lose. I’d rather think ahead—plan for what comes after I win."
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"...Hah."
Harald chuckled, shaking his head.
It wasn’t mocking.
It was a warrior’s amusement—the kind that came from meeting an opponent who was just as eager for a fight as he was.
"Fine," he said. "We’ll wait a week. That should be enough time to wrap up the aftermath of this rebellion."
"A week?" William arched a brow. "Will that be enough?"
"Three days would be plenty," Harald admitted. "But clean-up takes longer."
William smirked. "Then I suppose I can be patient." Continue your journey at freewebnovel
They stared at each other for a moment.
And then—
"Ha!"
"Ha-ha-ha!"
A dry, humorless laugh passed between them.
Their words had been light.
But there was no mistaking it.
This was a challenge.
A thinly veiled battle of pride—neither man willing to acknowledge the possibility of their own defeat.
Harald stretched as he stood up.
"For tonight, stay here," he said. "I’ll have the manor cleaned up by tomorrow—you’ll be properly welcomed then. The innkeeper’s been informed, so ask for whatever you need."
Then he hesitated.
"And the prisoners?"
William gestured vaguely. "They’re yours. Do as you see fit."
Harald sighed. "Appreciate it."
With that, he turned and made his way toward the stairs.
For the first time that night, he looked tired—his broad shoulders slumping slightly, his steps just a little slower.
William watched him go.
A duel, was it?
He exhaled.
Well.
He supposed he’d better start preparing.
Even a warrior as unyielding as Harald couldn’t help but sag under the weight of his son’s betrayal.
William wasted no time.
He gathered his retainers in the upstairs room, summoning everyone except the ordinary soldiers of the Ten-Man Squad.
Once he laid out the situation, Raymond was the first to speak, his face grim.
"A test of strength to prove your worthiness," he murmured. "A classic approach. There’s no better way to earn recognition in the north."
William arched a brow. "You don’t sound too thrilled about it."
"Because I doubt this will be the last test," Raymond sighed.
The room fell into silence.
"I gathered some information from the commoners downstairs while we waited," Raymond continued. "It seems Count Calix has been active in the region. This wasn’t his first visit."
William’s gaze sharpened. "If they’ve extended their influence this far into northern territory, then they’ve likely already touched every major noble house."
Raymond nodded. "Yes. And some of those houses will have already sworn allegiance to them. If they hadn’t, they wouldn’t have been bold enough to openly back a rebellion like this."
It made sense.