Damon fell silent as he gazed at the child by his niece's feet, who bore a strong resemblance to himself as a young man.
'It was just a drunken accident…'
"Father intends to name Liya as his heir, and Onaya controls the castle's guards. Some of the Iseley Vassals have also sided with them. Without your help, I can't imagine what fate awaits Kao and me after they inherit the dukedom."
Penny continued, then pulled the seven-year-old Kao out from where he was hiding by her feet.
"Little Kao, this is your father."
"F-Father."
Looking at the tall, imposing figure of Damon before him, Little Kao hesitated for a moment before trying out the word.
Hearing himself called "Father" shattered Damon's composure, but he had no choice but to accept the reality of it. He took a deep breath and said in a heavy voice:
"Penny, I'll help you."
With that, he reached out and ruffled Kao's hair, a fondness for the boy growing within him the longer he looked.
This was a child with the pure Bloodline of the Iseley Clan. There would be no issue with him inheriting the ducal title.
His own bid for the title was only to prevent Kolon from falling into the hands of an outsider. He would not object if the heir was someone of pure Iseley Clan Bloodline.
Especially since this was his own son.
Just then, Damon sensed a gaze and looked up to see Panto standing at the doorway, offering a small, knowing smile.
'That old fox of Xilong's. He must have known all along that Kao was my son.'
In a flash, Damon understood.
'Penny could only have said those things because that old fox put her up to it.'
"Wait for me here. I'll make sure nothing happens to you!"
With that, he placed a hand on the hilt of the Longsword at his waist and strode out the door.
He had brought a personal retinue of one hundred cavalrymen with him to Kolon, who were currently stationed outside the castle. Besides, as the former commander of the Kolon Defense Team, he still held great prestige.
Even though he was no longer its commander, he could still mobilize the Defense Team.
Damon may have been impulsive and hot-tempered, but he wasn't a fool. He knew that in a situation like this, time was of the essence.
And so, once his mind was made up, he moved to execute his plan without hesitation.
Watching Damon's retreating figure, Penny felt a bit of her anxiety subside. She knew just how capable her uncle was.
If he truly wanted the ducal title, no one was capable of stopping him.
Now, with his help, the matter of the succession was practically a sure thing.
Still, just to be safe, she decided to seek help from the family of Kao's father in name.
That would leave no room for error.
...
On the bed, Xilong looked like a corpse. If not for the faint rise and fall of his chest, Onaya would have thought he was already dead.
"Grandmaster Panto, how is Grandfather's condition?" Liya asked, looking toward Panto with worry.
"There is no need to worry, Miss Liya. Lord Xilong has merely fallen into a coma. Barring any complications, he should awaken tomorrow."
Panto offered a faint smile, betraying no hint that he was lying.
Hearing this, Liya breathed a sigh of relief.
But the unease in Onaya's heart grew heavier, especially when she remembered that Panto—that old fox loyal to the Iseley Family—had just spoken with Penny alone.
She didn't know what they had discussed, but it was clearly something of great importance.
Panto had long been displeased with her, the eldest daughter of the Martel Family, especially after Xilong had shown his intention to name her daughter as his heir.
Combined with the sight of the half-dead Duke Xilong on the bed,
Onaya couldn't help but assume the worst.
"Liya, we're leaving."
Having witnessed her fair share of sordid affairs, Onaya decisively pulled Liya along, preparing to leave at once.
Ordinarily, staying by Xilong's side would have been the best choice; it would allow them to get firsthand information and seize the initiative, no matter what happened.
But the safest approach would be to mobilize soldiers, completely lock down the area, and then wait for Duke Xilong to awaken.
Whether Xilong woke up or not, the soldiers would give her leverage.
However, if she could think of this, so could others.
The fact that Penny and Damon had yet to appear was especially concerning…
"I hope it's not what I think it is," Onaya muttered worriedly to herself.
Without a doubt, she had already lost the initiative.
The twenty castle Guards she had brought in earlier were not nearly enough to give her an advantage in the impending bloodbath.
Liya was confused at first, but seeing the firm yet anxious look in her mother's eyes, she was smart enough to simply nod and not object.
The two of them hurried away.
Panto watched them go, a glint in his eyes. He then began clearing the room of the remaining people, using the excuse that "Duke Xilong needs his rest."
Duke Xilong would not be waking up again. Of this, Panto was certain.
All he had to do now was stop anyone from entering until Penny and Damon arrived.
"Mother, why didn't we stay by Grandfather's side?" Liya asked, confused, as they walked.
"Liya, I'm afraid your grandfather isn't going to wake up. Penny and Damon have likely joined forces. If we don't prepare ourselves, we will face unbearable consequences."
This time, Onaya didn't hide anything, briefly explaining the current situation.
"Grandmaster Panto was lying? But why…?"
Liya was very clever; after only a moment's confusion, she figured it all out.
'Clearly, Grandmaster Panto is also unhappy that the heir is a woman, so he's stalling to create an opportunity for Penny.'
Soon, the two of them reached the Old Castle. Onaya breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Kevin and the twenty castle Guards he had with him standing watch.
"Miss Onaya." Kevin stepped forward to greet them.
"Kevin, I need you to gather all the castle Guards and lock this place down," Onaya said quickly.
"I'll see to it at once."
Seeing Onaya's urgency, Kevin was startled. The situation was clearly more dangerous than he had imagined.
Just then, the sound of rhythmic footsteps and clanking metal echoed from the corridor behind them.
A group of soldiers in Silver Armor and White Robes rushed out of the hallway.
Their movements were perfectly synchronized, and they radiated a fierce, bloodthirsty aura. With drawn swords in hand, they were none other than the Iseley Clan's White-robed Iron Guard.
Leading them was Penny, who had changed into Leather Armor. A One-Handed Sword hung at her waist, giving her a valiant and competent air.
"Penny, what do you think you're doing?!" Onaya demanded, shocked that Penny had acted so quickly.
"Onaya, a member of the Martel Family, gathering so many soldiers in the Old Castle… are you planning a rebellion?"
Penny's expression was ice-cold as she immediately leveled the accusation. "Iron Guard, seize these traitors!"
The White-robed Iron Guard charged forward without hesitation.
They swore fealty to Duke Xilong, but with him in a coma, his daughter Penny could also command them.
And their duty was to protect the castle.
"Miss Onaya, I'll hold them off! You have to get away!"
Kevin moved to block their path without a moment's hesitation.
His hair was streaked with gray, and he was over forty years old. Though time had sapped some of his stamina, his Swordsmanship had only grown more exquisite.
Facing the charging White-robed Iron Guard, Kevin remained calm and composed, like a cobra waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
SWISH!
A silver gleam flashed through the air.
The charging White-robed Iron Guard's sturdy body collapsed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. His young head, sent flying into the air, still wore a look of disbelief.
Such was his masterful Swordsmanship that Kevin had decapitated him with ease.
In the next instant, the two sides clashed. Blood and viscera flew, and the small room was instantly transformed into a slaughterhouse.
Having never witnessed such a bloody scene, Liya felt her stomach churn.
But before she could react, Onaya pulled her through a hidden passage behind them.
Three castle Guards followed close behind them.
"Go, bring them back!"
Penny sent five of the White-robed Iron Guard in pursuit.
The remaining castle Guards were quickly slaughtered by the White-robed Iron Guard.
The castle Guards were mere soldiers recruited from the common folk, while the White-robed Iron Guard were all hand-picked Knights proficient in Swordsmanship. The two forces were on completely different levels of combat prowess.
Furthermore, the White-robed Iron Guard wore Iron Armor, while the castle Guards were only equipped with Leather Armor.
The vast disparity made the fight completely one-sided.
The White-robed Iron Guard lost only four men while taking down the castle Guards—and three of those four were killed by Kevin.
However, the valiant, middle-aged Knight now had a Longsword buried in his chest. His eyes were vacant. He was dead.