At the sight of him, Ronin's heart couldn't help but beat a little faster.
This old man was the founder of this castle, the master of Wushan Territory, a powerful Meteor Knight, a Marquis of the Oduin Kingdom—Lurans Wushan.
Ronin hadn't expected this matter to alarm even the Old Marquis, who had stayed out of political affairs for more than a decade. It seemed the situation with the Hyde Clan was so serious that even the Marquis himself had to pay attention.
Standing to the Old Marquis's right was a burly, rugged-looking middle-aged man with a full beard.
He was Marquis Lurans's second son, the Count of Wushan City, the future heir to Wushan Territory, and Ronin's father—Wiggin Wushan.
As the Old Marquis's second son, Wiggin originally had no right to inherit the noble title. It only fell to him because his older brother, Gremes, died in battle thirty years ago. But he was clearly not prepared for the role.
At fifty-two, Wiggin was still only an Advanced Level Knight. Lacking in both strength and intellect, he was incapable of suppressing the restless vassals in these chaotic times.
Meanwhile, his predecessor, as Wiggin's eldest son and the next in line to inherit Wushan Territory, was just an ordinary person who hadn't even mastered Extraordinary Power.
With both heirs being so incompetent, outsiders naturally assumed that the Wushan Marquis' Domain would gradually fall apart after the Old Marquis's death.
This was the root of the instability in Wushan Territory.
Ronin glanced furtively at the three men on the other side. All were clad in armor and armed with swords, exuding powerful auras. The golden-haired man in the center, in particular, made Ronin deeply uneasy.
If he wasn't mistaken, this man was a Knight who followed the Border Count—Negan Golden Frenzied Lion, a Golden Level Peak Knight who was just one step away from matching the Old Marquis in combat prowess.
As Ronin approached, the five people in the hall wore varied expressions.
The Old Marquis on his high seat remained impassive, showing neither anger nor sorrow.
The three Knight representatives snorted coldly, their murderous glares filled with hatred.
Only Wiggin roared in fury, "You damned thing, on your knees!"
Ronin jumped, startled by the sudden roar. 'Are all Advanced Level Knights in this Otherworld this loud?'
Considering the man had killed his predecessor with a single punch, he could only obey, kneeling in the center of the hall.
"Heh."
Just then, a cold sneer came from above. The Hyde Clan's representative, the Golden Level Knight Negan Golden Frenzied Lion, shot Wiggin a disdainful glance.
"Now that the person in question has arrived, there's no need for the Count of Wushan City to put on this pointless act for us. Miss Selena died because of Ronin. The Wushan Clan must give our Hyde Clan a satisfactory explanation for this matter!"
"That's right!"
The Knight beside him chimed in, "And in the recent campaign against the Black Gold Brotherhood, it was your incompetent command that led to Baron Slant's death! You must pay the price for your mistake!"
"The Hyde Clan's eldest grandson and youngest granddaughter both died because of your Wushan Clan. If this matter is not handled properly, it will be the friendship between our two families that suffers!"
Adhering to the principle of "my vassal's vassal is not my vassal," the three Knights, led by Negan Knight, served the Hyde Count as their lord. They showed Wiggin no respect whatsoever, lashing out at him verbally and posturing as if they were ready to go to war if their price wasn't met.
Normally, in a situation like this, Wiggin would have yelled right back, even louder.
But now, he couldn't refute them, because he had indeed made command errors during the campaign to exterminate the thief gang.
His face flushed red with pent-up rage, he had nowhere to vent his anger but at Ronin, roaring again, "Damn you!"
But Ronin's heart sank to the depths.
He hadn't realized that the Hyde Clan had lost two of its grandchildren at once. The loss of a granddaughter was one thing, but even their eldest grandson, the heir, had unexpectedly died in battle.
And it was his predecessor's father who was to blame.
'They're not going to pin this on me too, are they?'
Ronin grew more and more uneasy. They were both the eldest grandsons of their respective families. Could it be that they wanted his life to pay for that Slant's life?
The silent, oppressive, and suffocating atmosphere made Ronin's breathing ragged. He was just a recent graduate, new to the working world. How could he have ever experienced an ordeal like this?
But he knew the person who would decide his fate was not his father, nor the three representatives from the Hyde Clan, but the man who had remained silent on the high seat—Lurans Wushan.
The Old Marquis had once groomed his predecessor to be his successor—after all, his own son was a lost cause, so he could only place his hopes of revitalizing the clan on his eldest grandson.
But his predecessor's performance had disappointed him, especially since he had still failed to master Extraordinary Power in the last two years.
From his high seat, the Old Marquis slowly opened his eyes and finally spoke.
"Death is unavoidable in war, but I am deeply grieved by the death of Baron Slant. He was a brave boy!"
"Sir Negan, please convey my grief and apologies to Ossen and Barrington."
Hearing this, Negan stood up and placed a hand over his chest in a knightly salute. It was clear his attitude toward Marquis Lurans was completely different from his attitude toward Wiggin.
"Negan will certainly relay the message, but..."
The Old Marquis raised a hand and cut him off with a heavy sigh.
"The Wushan and Hyde families are related by marriage, yet two such unfortunate incidents have occurred. Wiggin is at fault for Slant's death in battle, and we should naturally offer compensation. But as for Selena..."
At this, he glanced at his grandson kneeling on the floor. Ronin's heart leaped into his throat.
'Whether I live or die depends on what he says next.'
"That child, Selena, took her own life. She did not die directly at Ronin's hand."
Hearing this, Ronin's heart, which had been caught in his throat, finally settled.
With the Old Marquis's words, he knew his life was finally safe.
'As long as I can survive, it's fine.'
But on the other side, Negan and his men grew anxious.
"My Lord, while Miss Selena may not have died directly at Ronin's hands, she died because he insulted her! You cannot simply dismiss this matter with a single sentence!"
As he spoke, he pulled a sheet of sheepskin from his pocket, his voice choked with emotion. "This parchment was written by Miss Selena herself! It records everything that happened after Ronin dragged her into his room! If you won't even punish him for this, then we..."
"Don't be hasty."
Marquis Lurans interrupted Negan once more.
"I merely said that Selena did not die directly at Ronin's hand. Therefore, I will not agree to your demand that Ronin pay with his life. But I never said I would not give the Hyde Clan a proper explanation."
Hearing this, Negan, who had been ready to argue further, held his tongue.
In truth, he knew it was impossible to have the eldest grandson of the Marquis's Mansion executed. But only by making such a demand would they get what they truly wanted.
After a long moment of silence, Lurans finally spoke slowly.
"Slant's death in battle cost the Hyde Clan an outstanding eldest grandson. His death, as well as Selena's, can be attributed to my Wushan Clan. Therefore, I will make a promise here and now."
Ronin held his breath, straining his ears to hear what came next. His fate rested entirely on the decision of the old man on the throne.
"I can promise this,"
Marquis Lurans said solemnly, "in the third generation, my youngest grandson, Bretton Wushan—the son of Wiggin and Dianey—will inherit the title of Marquis of Wushan. As for Ronin..."
He paused, glancing at the bowed head of Ronin. "I strip Roning Wushan of his right of succession!"
Although there was a system of succession through the eldest son and eldest grandson, it could be revoked if they made a fatal mistake.
And Ronin had just made such a fatal mistake—or rather, he had been caught in the whirlpool of one.
But would stripping Ronin of his right of succession be enough to improve relations? Would that truly count as giving an explanation?
It certainly would.
Because the mother of Bretton, the one who would now inherit in Ronin's place, was a "Hyde" by birth. She was the daughter of Ossen Hyde.
In other words, Bretton was the Border Count's biological maternal grandson.
Ronin's heart suddenly hammered in his chest. In that instant, he seemed to understand something.
'Could it be? Was Selena's suicide all a plot to strip him of his inheritance and transfer it to his half-brother, Bretton?'
'If so, the scheme behind it all was truly sinister.'
'No, I have to find a way to escape the center of this whirlpool!'