The night over Clover Kingdom was heavy.
In the royal capital of Astreon, King Augustus Nova lay awake upon his grand bed, eyes open, staring at the gilded ceiling as rage churned endlessly within him. Sleep refused to come. His mind replayed the same thoughts again and again how to tarnish the Crowell name, how to crush Presia, how to erase Jacob Crowell and his bloodline from Clover's history.
Every plan he imagined ended in violence.
And yet, unknown to him, every scheme he forged in the darkness was already collapsing before dawn.
This night was not the calm before a storm.
It was the last night before a new era.
Far away, in Ephor, Roman Crowell slept soundly.
The city was quiet not the silence of fear, but the stillness of relief. Fires had been extinguished. The riots had ended. Under Andrew's command, order had been restored with precision and restraint. Citizens had been gathered, reassured, and informed that Ephor was now under the governance of Presia Dukedom.
Rations had been distributed. Medical aid provided. Guards now stood not to extort, but to protect.
For the first time in years, common folk slept without fear of knights knocking at their doors.
Roman rested, confident.
Everything was proceeding exactly as planned.
Elsewhere, in the royal capital, Duke Noah Rockson did not sleep.
His chambers echoed with the sound of destruction tables overturned, porcelain shattered, documents torn apart. His face was twisted with fury, veins bulging as he roared into the empty room.
"USELESS! ALL OF YOU USELESS!"
He paced like a caged beast, breath ragged.
Rudolf Steiner—dead.
Merchant Arshan—dead.
Andreas Crew—dead.
Damon Jerom the strongest mage of Ephor dead.
"How… how can this happen?" Noah snarled, his hands trembling.
Tomorrow morning, the noble council would convene. The trials would begin. And yet every pillar that once protected him had already been wiped away.
He overturned another table in rage.
Suddenly, he lunged forward and seized his butler by the collar, lifting him off the ground.
"Tell me!" Noah shouted, fingers tightening around the man's throat. "How did this happen?!"
The butler struggled desperately until Noah threw him aside. Gasping, the man knelt and spoke with shaking voice.
"My lord… our intelligence suggests that Presia Dukedom has been orchestrating everything from the shadows. We cannot confirm it yet but the pattern"
Noah's eyes burned red.
"Crowells…"
He clenched his fists.
"I will kill you all," he hissed. "Just as I killed my dear sister."
The butler froze.
Noah's voice dropped into a venomous whisper.
"I tried to kill that brat while he was still in her womb. It should have ended there. That bitch always stood in my way—married my rival, stole my rightful succession."
He laughed darkly.
"I was pleased when she died."
His eyes sharpened.
"And now I will do it again."
Morning arrived.
The sun rose over Clover Kingdom, but the royal palace of Astreon buzzed with tension. Carriages lined the courtyard, bearing nobles from every corner of the kingdom. Even the smallest territory lords had been summoned.
Inside the grand courtroom, murmurs filled the air as nobles took their seats.
Then Noah Rockson entered.
Every gaze turned toward him.
Whispers spread like wildfire.
"So that's him…"
"The so-called strongest knight?"
"Couldn't even protect his own dukedom."
Soft laughter followed him as he walked to his assigned seat at the right hand of the king.
Noah clenched his jaw but said nothing.
Moments later, the doors opened.
King Augustus Nova entered.
All nobles bowed in respect as he strode forward and took his throne.
His gaze swept the hall.
"Where is Duke Jacob Crowell of Presia?"
The murmurs grew louder.
"How dare he arrive late?"
"The king is already furious."
"The Crowells are finished."
Then
A massive blue teleportation gate formed in the center of the courtroom.
The air warped. Mana surged.
From the portal stepped Duke Jacob Crowell, flanked by Selena Crowell and behind them, Roman Crowell.
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
Noah shot to his feet and hurled a scroll toward Jacob.
"This!" he shouted. "This treasonous declaration!"
Before it could strike, Roman calmly raised his hand.
The scroll ignited midair and turned to ash.
Jacob stepped forward.
"We greet you, King Augustus Nova."
The prime minister immediately intervened.
"Duke Jacob! You have forgotten protocol. You must bow before the king!"
Jacob's gaze snapped to him.
"I greeted the king," Jacob said coldly. "Be silent, Prime Minister. Do not cross your boundaries."
He paused, eyes flicking toward Noah.
"I will not bow while someone unworthy sits at the king's side."
He gestured for Selena to sit, then turned.
"I hand over the briefing to my deputy duke."
Roman Crowell stepped forward.
The hall went silent.
Roman's eyes locked onto Noah Rockson.
"Shall we begin?"
The judgment had arrived.