welcome Hero

After a while, everyone's eyes turned toward a horse carriage approaching from a distance. Standing near Quinn and Natalia, Damien was so excited that he couldn't stand still. Seeing this, Quinn asked, "Why are you trembling so much?"

Hearing this, Damien replied, "Don't you know who's coming in this carriage? Oh, right, I forgot you're not from this kingdom, so how would you know? Sitting in this carriage is General Vincent, a soldier considered a hero. Every battle he participated in turned in his favor."

"Not just me, every warrior in this kingdom trembles like this when they're about to meet Vincent, the war hero. You have no idea—every warrior here dreams of meeting him at least once in their lifetime."

On the other hand, Ethan, reclining in his chair and picking his nose, remarked, "Hero, war hero! I don't understand why people think one man can win them a war, while they completely ignore the sacrifices of the countless soldiers who die on the battlefield."

"And in the end, people like Vincent come and take all the credit, or it's forcibly given to them, just to present them as role models for others. It's all just old political tricks—using someone for your benefit, then either raising them high or dragging them down."

Ethan watched as a man stepped out of the carriage. The man looked slightly old, and his face bore several scars, loudly proclaiming that this respect hadn't been earned easily.

The people in the castle quickly began chanting Vincent's name and rushing to welcome him. Seeing this, Ethan thought to himself, "They probably haven't shown this much devotion to their own parents as they're showing to this man."

Then Richard Kingswell stepped out of the carriage. Everyone bowed slightly to show him respect, but Ethan couldn't care less about who stood before him. Sitting in his chair, he cleaned his ear with his middle finger and flicked it toward Richard Kingswell.

Seeing this, the nearby butler said, "Young master, you should show some respect to your father! How can you still sit like that in front of a guest? At least show some courtesy to the visitors."

Hearing this, Ethan looked at him coldly and softly said, "Do I even have a father? That man doesn't deserve respect." Ethan had no regard for Richard Kingswell because, in his eyes, Richard had never done anything to earn the title of "father." Whenever a child needs a father, Richard was never there.

Over the years, any respect Ethan had for Richard Kingswell had gradually vanished, replaced by resentment and anger.

Ethan walked directly toward Vincent, extending his hand and saying, "Hello, my name is Ethan Ashford." Vincent, a bit confused, shook his hand and replied, "Nice to meet you, young friend, but Ashford? Shouldn't it be Kingswell instead?" Ethan smirked and said, "No, my mother's surname is Ashford. Do you have a problem with that?"

From behind, a servant holding an umbrella whispered, "Wasn't that the same hand the young master used to pick his nose earlier?"

Another servant whispered back, "Keep your mouth shut! If Vincent finds out about this, it won't end well. And God forbid he hears the master's devilish laugh—then you're done for."

Richard Kingswell shouted, commanding Ethan to stop, but Ethan yawned and walked away. The others in the palace, including Richard Kingswell's second wife and her son, watched everything unfold.

Alexander clenched his fists in rage, grinding his teeth as he said, "I'll settle this in the duel."

A while later, Ethan summoned his three personal guards and offered them juice. Seeing this, Damien said, "Was this really necessary?" Ethan, holding a glass of juice, replied, "You must win this duel at any cost."

In his mind, Ethan thought, "As I expected, nothing comes easy." Then he turned to Damien with a devilish grin. Seeing Ethan smile, the three guards felt chills run down their spines, their hair standing on end.

Quinn, observing this, thought to himself, "Just as the rumors said, this boy is no less than a demon. And I can't shake the feeling that something bad is going to happen—and Ethan will be behind it."

A short time later, preparations for the duel between Ethan and Alexander were nearly complete. Everyone in the palace—servants, maids, and workers—had gathered in the backfield where a stage had been set up. Ethan sat under the shade of a nearby tree, sipping his tea.

After some time, the butler climbed onto the stage and began explaining the rules. "This duel will take place between our two young masters, with their knights participating. Only swords are allowed—no other weapons may be used."

Hearing this, Quinn and Natalia rushed to Ethan and were about to speak when Ethan interrupted, "Don't worry. I've taken care of everything. Just sit quietly and watch the show."

The duel would consist of two phases. In the first phase, three knights from each side would fight one-on-one, with the side achieving the most wins declared the victor of this phase. The second phase would be a group battle, where all the knights from both sides would participate.

Hearing this, Nathaniel immediately ran to Ethan and exclaimed, "This is unfair! Everyone knows the state of your knights—they can barely run, let alone ride a horse or win a duel!"

Ethan replied calmly, "Don't worry." However, deep inside, he was seething with anger. The rules had been changed at the last minute—rules that were not in the original letter.