As the three noble families met in the middle of the town square, things quickly became tense, and the townsfolk started chattering among themselves.“We don’t remember inviting you. Surely, as residents of Stonewell City, you have no role to play in today’s election,” Aurelia said.Lord Lucius smiled at her words and straightened his tie. “But my Lady, you forget that I am a businessman, and this town presents quite an attractive business opportunity. I am not here to make friends. I am here to support Lord Wilhelm and his family.”“You have no business interfering in this election,” Aurelia retorted. “You may be a Vice Patriarch of Dragon Claw, but you are still not welcome to influence the results of the general election.”Lord Lucius ignored Aurelia’s remarks and turned to look at Ezra. “I am not here to interfere in the elections. I am here to ensure that your dear brother keeps his promise.”“What promise?” Aurelia asked.“Lord Ezra Romanov promised to duel with Lord Jasenki More
When the people of Aranor had gathered in the town square they had never expected a quarrel to break out among such powerful noble families. On any other occasion, the townsfolk would have never allowed an outsider to drag Lord Sebastian’s name through the dirt, but things were different here since Lord Wilhelm chose to support the Rodels.Although the people of Aranor would have liked the election to reach a peaceful conclusion, the prospect of a duel between the two young rivals made them excited. A few months ago, no one would have bothered to support Ezra due to his disastrous training performance. However, a lot had changed over the past few weeks.Ezra had impressed the miners by slaying the Heragore hiding in the Kasari mines and earned the respect of the dwarves. And this was only the beginning of his heroic endeavors.By slaying the undead Behemoth and rescuing Count Gressil’s only daughter, Lady Tanya, Ezra had caught the attention of not only the commoners but the most aff
Lord Cornelius put his finger on the trigger and started counting aloud so that everyone standing there could hear the timer.“Five….four….three….two….one!”On the count of one, he pulled the trigger, firing a magic round into the sky.Bang!As soon as they heard the gunshot, Ezra and Jasenki spun around and turned to face each other. Jasenki was a little slow to react, allowing Ezra to score the first shot. Ezra fired his enchanted six-shot revolver, greeting his rival with a hail of normal bullets.“Is that the best you got?” Jasenki mocked as he activated his Bulletproof Armor skill to block the bullets. “Come on, Ezra! Try again! Surely you can do better!”Ezra reloaded his revolver with magic rounds and unleashed six quick shots in Jasenki’s direction. The pale blue barrier erected in front of Jasenki buzzed and distorted as the magic rounds struck its mid-section. But Jasenki clenched his fist, pooling all his magic energy into his arm to fortify the shield.Once more, Ezra’s s
Jasenki pooled all his magic power into his right hand and transferred it into the gun, gradually charging the blunderbuss rifle. Its muzzle flashed as it reached its magic threshold, and he fired without a second thought.A massive fireball the size of a melon was launched in Ezra’s direction. “Get down!” Lord Cornelius shouted before ducking like a timid hare. The rest of the crowd shrieked and scampered to safety.Swoosh!As the magic fireball struck Ezra, it erupted into flames, spewing embers in every direction and engulfing him in dense black smoke.“Ezra!” Lord Sebastian shouted.Aurelia could not hold back any longer and rushed to her brother’s aid, but Lord Cornelius got in her way, stopping her in her tracks.“Let me go! Get out of my way!” she yelled at the top of her lungs.Lord Cornelius spread his arms apart and shook his head. “I am sorry, but I cannot let you do that. No one is allowed to interrupt the duel. It is against the rules.”“Screw your rules! If you don’t get
The crowd erupted into cheers, with Ivan shouting at the top of his lungs and pumping his fist in the air.“I told you Lord Ezra was going to win! He is going to become the best Gunner in all of Valaria someday!” the dwarf cried out ecstatically.“He is truly a force to be reckoned with,” another lauded.“We should have never doubted Lord Ezra after he won the hunt,” another added.Even with all the cheers and shouts of support around him, Ezra’s uncle did not seem too pleased by the outcome of the duel. “I swear that cripple could not even hit a sack of grains before. How did he become so powerful so suddenly?”Lord Sebastian and Aurelia applauded the loudest, their faces colored with proud smiles.Aurelia walked up to Ezra and shook him by his shoulders. “You did it. You really showed that proud dog where he belongs. It was a stunning performance, brother. Your powers are really at their peak.”“But it’s not over yet. Jasenki and his family still have a lot to pay for,” Ezra replied.
Ezra’s demands stunned the Rodels, shocking them into silence. Ten thousand Sovereigns was no small amount even for a factory owner, and on top of that, Ezra had also asked for the motor wagon which had cost Lord Lucius well over five thousand Sovereigns.What was even more unbearable was the humiliating idea of walking all the way back to Stonewell City like desperate commoners. It was an affront to their pride and an insult to their family legacy.“We are not peasants,” Lord Lucius muttered, clenching his fist and glaring at Ezra. “You cannot treat us as if we were commoners. Your poor town should be grateful for my visit!”“You should be grateful if I let you walk out of here with your clothes still on your back,” Ezra whispered back in a cold voice, his eyes staring into Lord Lucius’. “Your power and your money mean nothing here. This is not Stonewell. This is my home. And you are an unwelcome guest.”Lady Lillian could not stand her husband being insulted like that, but looking ar
Lord Sebastian took charge as the new mayor of Aranor with Aurelia at his side as his chief aide. The town was now firmly under Lord Sebastian’s command, but he still could not make any major civil or military decisions without the support of the three noble houses.After the Great Rebellion, during which the commoners sought to overthrow the landed gentry, the king was compelled to make several changes to the administrative setup. The old feudal system of government with the king as the head and the nobles under this command had worked fairly well for over five centuries. But now, Valaria had adopted a pseudo-democratic form of government. Even though the nobles retained their positions, the administrative officials were now chosen through elections.However, since the nobility still held on to their lands and titles, they exercised considerable power over the cities and towns, and not even the mayors and ministers had the authority to pass new regulations and decrees without consult
Magaravia, the capital of the Valaria, was six hundred miles away from Aranor, and the only way anyone could get any messages delivered from that far was by using teleportation portals or avian familiars. The Red-tailed Falcon which had brought them the scroll with the royal seal was also one such familiar spirit summoned by the court mage. After delivering the message, the bird disappeared into a wisp of red smoke, leaving behind a tuft of spotted red feathers.Lord Sebastian split the seal with a paper-knife and unfurled the scroll. It contained a message straight from the Chief Gunner of Magaravia.With quick and impatient eyes, Lord Sebastian read the note, and as he reached the end, his brow furrowed, and beads of sweat gathered on his forehead. “What does it say?” Lord Wilhelm enquired.Handing the scroll to Aurelia, Lord Sebastian replied, “The mining villages near the capital were attacked by wyverns last night. Fifty people have been killed and thirty injured. The Imperial M