Reincarnated as the third son of the Duke

Chapter 149 149 By Steel, Not Words

149 By Steel, Not Words

William caught the unspoken message and nodded in appreciation. With unwavering confidence, he stepped forward.

"I am William Hern," he declared. "Grandson of Duke Klaus and rightful heir to his name."

Dane's breath hitched.

His eyes widened in shock, his mind racing to process what he had just heard.

"Impossible!" he sputtered after a moment, his voice rising. "The Lady of Grimaldi left the north decades ago! And now, suddenly, we are supposed to believe she left behind a grandson!?"

William smirked. Dane was so flustered that he didn't even know where to begin refuting the claim.

"What exactly are you denying?" William asked, tilting his head. "Are you saying I am not truly his grandson? Or are you arguing that, even if I am, I have no right to claim his legacy?"

Dane opened his mouth—

Then hesitated.

He had intended to reject both notions outright, but something stopped him.

The second argument was particularly dangerous. After all, Count Calix himself was a distant descendant of House Grimaldi's bloodline. If Dane openly dismissed William's claim, he risked undermining his own master's legitimacy as well.

"Then—" he stammered, grasping for a response. "Then prove it! What evidence do you have that you are truly Duke Klaus Grimaldi's grandson!?"

William's eyes glinted.

"Do you at least know where the Duke's daughter was married?" he asked.

"Who doesn't know?" Dane scoffed. "She married into one of the Empire's pillars, the Hern Dukedom—"

His words faltered.

William's lips curled into a smirk as Dane's gaze unconsciously dropped to the emblem on his chest.

A lion.

The symbol of House Hern.

The same symbol that every citizen of the Empire could recognize at a glance.

And William wasn't just wearing it—he had openly introduced himself as a Hern before the entire gathering.

Damn it.

A lie of this magnitude was impossible.

No noble of his stature would ever dare forge such a claim. The dishonor alone would be catastrophic.

Dane fell silent.

William's voice turned cold.

"What's wrong?" he murmured. "If you still have doubts, I'd be happy to clear them up for you."

Dane clenched his jaw.

This wasn't about titles or inheritance. This was about tradition.

If William won, then no matter what Calix declared, the people of the north would see him as one of their own.

It would be a devastating shift in power.

Dane gritted his teeth.

He was trapped.

"This conversation is over," Harald said, waving him off. "Take your men and leave. You're starting to ruin my appetite." Continue your adventure at My Virtual Library Empire

Dane's fists trembled.

"...Fine," he ground out. "But before I go—return the knights you captured. They may have aided the rebellion, but they are sworn men of Calix. We will deal with them ourselves."

Harald let out a short, amused laugh.

"They're already waiting for you," he said, smirking. "Their heads are on the wall. Right side of the gate. Should be easy to spot."

Dane stiffened.

His blood ran cold.

His knights... were dead?

Not just killed—displayed like trophies?

For a brief moment, rage flared in his chest, and he nearly shouted in protest—

But then he looked at Harald's face.

The old warrior's eyes held no mercy.

Dane's throat went dry.

Swallowing his fury, he forced himself to nod.

"...I see," he muttered.

Then, without another word, he turned and left.

"The Calix County will not forget this."

With those parting words, Dane turned on his heel and left the lord's hall.

Just before he disappeared through the doorway, Harald muttered under his breath.

"Of course, they shouldn't. Because I won't be forgetting it either."

William, who had been silently watching the exchange, allowed himself a small smile.

Now, he was beginning to see the cracks in the foundation of Calix's ambitions.

The moment Dane departed from the territory, Harald wasted no time in spreading the news.

He made sure that every nearby noble household heard the rumor—the rightful heir of Grimaldi would soon prove himself in combat by dueling Harald.