Early in the morning, outside the corridor of the Red Blood Castle Palace, the calm butler of the Red Blood Castle was confirming the final matters with the black-haired wizard with great seriousness.

"According to Byrne's ancient custom, you are to enter the gate in front of all the knights present, and accept the allegiance of all the knights, especially the thirteen knight lords, at the round table. ”

"Finally, the eldest knight will serve you a golden cup full of wine—part of Byrne's tradition—to drink the wine from the cup and raise it above your head with one hand to the cheers of all the knights......"

When he said this, Charles frowned slightly: "May I remind you that this link is generally a small means used by the earls to express their dissatisfaction and test the duke himself. ”

"No matter how big the glass, no matter how strong the wine, it must be drunk in one go... That's tradition. ”

"Small means?"

"That's right, Roland, the 'Black Duke', met him once, when he succeeded to the throne, the Bosivar family of the Peak of Hope Forged a golden cup the size of a basin in order to express their dissatisfaction... Besides, the golden cup is still in the palace hall of the Peak of the Peak. ”

"......" Loren Turin.

"This year's drinker should be Count Angette of Mountain Rock Castle, considering the 'friendly' ......relationship between you and him at the moment," the butler shook his head and looked at him very sympathetically:

"Anyway... You'd better be prepared. ”

The black-haired wizard couldn't help but roll his eyes.

After saying that, Charles bowed and said goodbye, and as he left, he did not forget to glance at the little wizard sitting next to him, and then slowly turned to leave.

In the quiet and silent corridor, only Loren and Ain remained.

"So, you're going to be a duke?" whispered the little wizard who sat on a chair with his legs crossed, his blue eyes looking at the robed, heavily armed black-haired wizard.

"Hmm. ”

"Nervous?"

"It's ok. ”

"Are you scared?"

“...... Sort of,"

"Do you regret it?"

“......”

Loren, who frowned slightly, sighed, and a bitter smile appeared at the corner of his mouth: "Maybe you were right at the beginning... I shouldn't have promised Brandon to come to Byrne. ”

"We had a chance to go to Ebolden, or simply go back to Lothair, either Deeplimburg or Wimpal, and maybe visit Leah or ...... Morningstar Grove or something."

"Nonsense. With a sneer, the little wizard interrupted him:

"Even if you go back to the academy, you restless guy will still end up with a whole lot of things!"

The black-haired wizard spread his hands helplessly.

"There's nothing to regret, Loren, it's your path, and you should keep going. Slowly getting up, Ain raised his hands and gently pressed his shoulders:

"Abbot Peter would be proud of you if he knew all this, and Isaac would be mad with jealousy, right?And Leah, Ruwen, Master Freswalker, Master Corona, Ariel...... They'll all be happy for you. ”

"And no matter how far you go, you always... Never alone. ”

Looking at the stunned black-haired wizard, the little wizard with a cunning face hooked the corners of his mouth and took the opportunity to pat him on the cheek: "Don't let Charlotte down... She really sacrificed so much for you. ”

"Go ahead. ”

The black-haired wizard raised his eyes and strode towards the end of the hallway.

There was never a look back.

In the scorching summer sun, all the knights who had come to watch the ceremony were already standing outside the palace hall, and the road from the steps to the exit was packed with a tidal crowd.

Only a passage was left for two or three people to pass through at the same time, all the way to the palace gate.

Taking a deep breath, Loren Turin, with a solemn expression, unleashed his cloak and stepped onto the path to the palace hall.

The sonorous and powerful steps beat the crisp echo on the bluestone slab.

Countless eyes greeted him from both sides, constantly converging on his figure, from head to toe, every detail, every pore and movement, all being looked at by these eyes.

Tiny whispers permeated the crowd, like beasts lurking in the jungle, exposed to the sharpness of the black-haired wizard.

“... He was Loren Turin, the grandson of Sir Leonardo, who had been elected Duke of Byrne by the Council of the Round Table......"

“... I was also present that night, in the cathedral, and I saw him in the blink of an eye bring down six heresies, and alone with a spear, and rush into the altar......"

“... What's so strange about that, he's a Byrne Knight, a Byrne Knight who came back from the north of Broken Mountains, isn't that enough......"

The black-haired wizard continued to move forward without squinting, his vigorous steps as he stepped up the stairs, each step as if he were tapping on the steps under his feet.

“... I've heard that he's a wizard, and a spellcaster who is quite famous in both Ebolden and the Imperial Capital......"

“... Not only is he famous, he is the wizarding advisor of the royal family of the Heavenly Dome Palace, and the president of the Wizards Association of the Red Blood Castle......"

“... Holy Cross, shall we choose a wizard to be the Duke of Byrne......"

“... So what, it's not like we haven't chosen a knight king who doesn't believe in God, not to mention that there is a precedent for the Black Duke, so why can't we ......"

Without saying a word, the expressionless Loren continued to move forward, and he passed through the surging crowd outside the gate to the palace gate.

Seeing him coming, the captain of the Euron guard immediately bowed and saluted, and together with the knights of the Red Blood Castle behind him, respectfully made way for the black-haired wizard.

Among the knights guarding the gates, Loren also found Luson and McAfee.

With a slight bow to them, Loren stepped into the palace hall.

The moment the black-haired wizard's figure appeared, the entire hall was shocked!

The oppressive atmosphere was like substance, and the hall was silent.

The dark gaze swept over the faces that looked at him with different expressions, and Loren was still silent.

This is not something that I asked for, or even what I wanted, and I didn't choose it.

But since fate has to stand on its opposite, then accept its challenge calmly.

Who made me the "Shackler of Fate"?

Right?

In the dead silence, Loren Turin stepped forward, passing the nobles, knights, and counts.

The sound of heavy footsteps was the only sound he and everyone else could hear.

Expressionless, Loren stood under the heraldic banner of the golden lion on a black background and slowly turned around.

Greet all eyes that look at him.

Under the coat of arms, the knights in the hall bowed their heads, and the thirteen counts sitting at the round table rose one after another, turning their solemn gazes to him.

"In the name of the Holy Cross... In the name of the most pious servant, I proclaim ......"

A young priest stepped forward tremblingly, his right hand holding the Holy Cross scripture still trembling, as if frightened by the atmosphere in front of him.

Because of the destruction of Byrne Cathedral, the bishop himself and hundreds of clergy of the Red Blood Castle were unfortunately called by the Lord that night, and for a time the Red Blood Castle could not even find a decent priest who could be a witness to the Holy Cross.

And the counts who came in the dust obviously did not expect this situation... In the end, Charles, who was helpless, could only choose the eldest probationary priest from among the survivors of the cathedral, and stuffed the oath and scripture into his arms to replace the position that originally belonged to the bishop.

Forced by the threat, the powerless probationary priest could only cry and agree...... In a sense, this is fine, because if the bishop himself was still alive, he would never dare to agree without the orders of the Heavenly Dome and the archbishop.

“...... Born of the Turin family of the Red Blood Castle, descendant of the ancient knight kings, Loren Turin, blessed by the Holy Cross and Brünnhilde, are you willing to swear with your soul and dignity to defend the glory of Byrne?"

Holding the scriptures in the clergyman's palm with his left hand, Loren, with a solemn expression, pressed his right hand against his chest:

"I do. ”

"Are you willing to protect your subjects, your followers from calamity, oppression, humiliation, and encroachment?"

"I do. ”

"Will you be a role model for the Knights of Byrne, defending the ancient traditions and the tenets of the Knights?"

"I do. Loren said word by word, and he said it categorically.

The trembling priest turned around, his expression ten thousand times more nervous than Loren: "The Duke has already sworn an oath, and the knights of Byrne ......"

"Please offer your loyalty!"