Lord: I can see loyalty.

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Vio held the exquisite letter in his hand, his brows furrowing slightly.

The envelope was of excellent quality, made of linen paper, a specialty of the North, thick and sturdy, with a silver sealing wax stamp pressed on the closure.

He examined the sealing wax closely—it wasn't the royal griffin, nor the emblem of the golden-maned griffin, but rather a white horse galloping with its head held high.

"For Jimmy? This is... the White Horse family?" Vio murmured the unfamiliar name from memory, then turned to Vincent. "Do you know anything about this family?"

Vincent shook his head. "My lord, I have only heard of a few families in the North who use horses as their emblem, but I don't know much about them."

"Then go investigate." Vio placed the letter on the table. "Call Cohen over, the sooner the better."

"Yes, sir." Vincent turned and left.

The study quieted down, and Vio leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest.

Jimmy never mentioned his family to him.

All he knew was that the leader of the Azure Peak Knights was a wandering mercenary in his early years, who was later taken in by his father and became his bodyguard.

He thought Jimmy was an orphan with no background, but he never expected that there was a family behind him.

Now that I think about it carefully, the other party does seem to have mentioned that he spent a few years at the Knight Academy, a place where most people are nobles.

"Go find Jimmy," he said softly, his gaze fixed on the window.

Gina stood behind him, as silent as ever. She didn't speak, but she loosened her hand from the hilt of the sword and clenched her fist slightly.

Less than fifteen minutes later, Jimmy pushed open the door and entered.

He had just arrived from the training ground, still wearing his training armor, his forehead covered in sweat, and his face flushed from training.

"My lord, you wanted to see me?"

Vio pointed to the letter on the table. "Your letter, from the North."

Jimmy paused, his gaze falling on the letter. His expression changed instantly, not with surprise, but with a complex, indescribable emotion. He stepped forward, picked up the letter, glanced at the sealing wax, and his hand trembled slightly.

"The White Horse Clan...!" His voice was a little hoarse. "How did they know I was in the Southern Territory?"

Vio didn't speak, he just watched him quietly.

Jimmy took a deep breath, tore open the seal, and took out the letter. His gaze swept quickly across the letter, his expression growing increasingly grim, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper.

Finally, he slammed the letter on the table and let out a long sigh.

"My lord, this is my old family." His voice was deep. "The White Horse family of the North, a middle-class noble family that made its fortune by raising horses and cavalry. They have been in the North for decades, always wanting to join the ranks of the great families."

Vio nodded, waiting for him to continue.

"When I was young, I was the second son in my family." Jimmy's voice was somewhat bitter. "The eldest son inherits the family business, while the second son either becomes a knight or a priest in the church."

"I didn't want to be a priest, so I went to the Knight Academy in the capital. After a few years, I dropped out because of my youthful arrogance. I returned to my family, but they felt that I wasn't good enough and couldn't help the family."

"Back then, I wanted to become a businessman with Luke..." He paused, his gaze falling out the window, as if recalling something from a long time ago.

"Luke?" Vio paused for a moment after hearing the somewhat familiar name before remembering it.

Isn't Luke the same bodyguard who attacked Jimmy back then?!

"That's right, Luke." Jimmy seemed to have overcome a mental hurdle, and he said the name with force, continuing, "Back then, he was a merchant's son, and like me, he had an adventurous spirit..."

"Then some complicated things happened... We left our family and wandered around. In the Blackwood of the North, we encountered bandits and almost died there. It was your father, Lord Odom the Dune Knight, who happened to be passing by and saved us. He took us back to the South and gave us a meal."

He turned around, looked at Vio, his eyes slightly red.

"My lord, I know what you're thinking. My family is asking me to return now simply because they've heard I've become a Grand Knight."

"They must have sided with the Golden Mane Griffin family. They heard that several great knights had emerged from the Southern Territory, so they sent people to investigate and found that one of them was me. They want me to go back to support them and help them gain status."

He took a deep breath, his voice becoming firm.

"But I am no longer a member of the White Horse family. I am from the Southern Territory, the Grand Master of the Azure Peak Knights, your knight, and I will not go back."

Vio looked at him, remained silent for a moment, and then smiled.

"Who said you can't go back?"

Jimmy was taken aback.

"I'm letting you go." Vio stood up, walked to the map, and pointed to the northern border. "But not to go back to acknowledge your ancestors. Go to the northern border to see what's going on in the capital."

"We'll go together too. As your current lords, they can't possibly refuse our visit, can they?"

Jimmy was stunned. "Your Excellency, you..."

"This is actually a good opportunity. We'll have to go to the North sooner or later." Vio turned around, his eyes sharp. "The Golden Griffin family has already made its move. The king is trapped in the capital, and all the other major families are watching and waiting."

"We have soldiers, great knights, and territories in the south and west. No matter which side we stand on, we cannot remain uninvolved."

He paused, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"Since the Hakuba family wrote to you, it means they might be trying to win you over, or even to win over the power behind you. In that case, why not take advantage of it?"

Jimmy frowned. "You mean...?"

"Go to the North and see what House Whitehorse's attitude is, see if they really want to pledge allegiance to the Golden-Maned Griffins, or if they're just putting on a show. See just how bad the situation in the capital really is." Vio's gaze deepened. "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated."

Jimmy remained silent for a long time, then slowly nodded. "I understand."

"However, there's no rush." ​​Vio sat back in his chair. "Before that, I need to find out the details of the White Horse family. Cohen is already investigating. We'll decide on the next step once we have the results."

Jimmy nodded and was about to turn and leave when Vio called him back.

Jimmy.

"exist."

"No matter what your family does," Vio's voice was calm, "you will always be a citizen of the South, as long as you wish. That will never change."

Jimmy looked at Vio, his eyes slightly red. He didn't speak, but simply knelt heavily on one knee, then stood up and strode out of the study.

…………

A few days later, Cohen walked into the Earl's Castle with a thick stack of documents.

"My lord, I've found it." He spread the information on the table. "The White Horse family, full name 'White Horse Villar,' shares the same lineage as the Golden Saddle Horse family, but they branched off over a hundred years ago."

Vio raised an eyebrow. "Same lineage, same origin?"

"Yes. Their ancestor was a bastard who was given the title of 'Knight of the White Horse' and allocated a territory in the North."

"For hundreds of years, the White Horse family has remained mediocre, neither producing any great figures nor falling into complete ruin. Their wealth and military strength are average, placing them in the middle class of the Northern nobility."

Cohen turned the page and continued, "But in recent years, the White Horse family has been making some moves. They've started acquiring warhorses on a large scale, training cavalry, and forming marriage alliances with several mid-sized families in the North. It's said they want to take advantage of this civil war in the capital to join the ranks of the great families."

"Which side are they on?" Vio asked.

Cohen shook his head. "It's not certain yet. But it's said they have a past relationship with the Golden Griffin family, though they haven't completely offended the king. According to our information, the White Horse family is currently neutral, neither sending troops to help the king nor siding with the Golden Griffin."

"Neutral?" Vio sneered. "They're waiting."

"What are you waiting for?"

"They'll wait for whoever wins, or for us." Vio stood up and walked to the window. "Whoever wins, they'll side with them. These opportunists are the most unreliable, but also the easiest to exploit."

He turned around and looked at Cohen.

"Keep an eye on the Hakuba family. Report to me immediately if anything happens."

"Yes."

…………

Nighttime, on the training field.

The moonlight, like water, spilled onto the sand, gleaming with a cool, clear light.

Jimmy stood alone in the center of the training field, slowly swinging his longsword, the blade whistling softly as it cut through the air.

He had been swinging his sword here for who knows how long, but he was just swinging it in vain.

He had already broken through to the next level, but his mind was in turmoil.

The letter from the Bai Ma family was like a thorn stuck in his heart.

Jimmy thought he had long since severed ties with that family and that he could stay in the Southern Territory in peace, helping Count Vio conquer the world.

But the letter reminded him that some things cannot be severed just because you want to.

How did they know they were in the Southern Territory?

How did they know that he had broken through to the Great Knight level?

What do they really want?

Jimmy swung his sword, sheathed it, and swung it again. His movements grew faster and faster, the wind from his sword more and more fierce, but the restlessness in his heart grew heavier and heavier.

Images of old acquaintances even began to surface in my mind.

Lord Odom, the Knight of Dune... and his childhood sweetheart... Luke...

"Can't sleep?"

A steady voice came from the edge of the training field.

Jimmy stopped what he was doing and turned around.

Under the moonlight, Alec, the great knight of the West, stood on the sidelines, holding a glass of wine in his hand, looking at him calmly.

"Great Knight," Jimmy sheathed his sword, "you're not asleep either?"

Alec walked over and handed him a glass. "I couldn't sleep, so I came out for a walk. I saw you here, so I came to check on you."

Jimmy took the glass, took a sip. It was strong liquor from the West, spicy and burning his throat.

How did you know I was upset?

Alec didn't answer, he just looked at him.

Jimmy was silent for a moment, then sighed. "Your Excellency, have you ever encountered... a situation where you were powerless to make a choice?"

Jimmy always felt at ease in front of this great knight, and he became much bolder in his speech.

Alec's gaze drifted into the distance. "You mean the White Horse family?"

Jimmy nodded.

"I was trapped in the West for five years," Alec said softly. "At that time, I thought this was how my life would be, bound by contracts, controlled by pirates, with no freedom and no dignity."

"I've thought about what I would do if I were ever free. Would I leave the West and fly far away, or would I stay and rebuild the Knights?"

He paused, then continued, "Later I realized that no matter where I go or what I do, the most important thing is not which side I stand on, but why I stand on that side."

He looked at Jimmy, his gaze sharpening.

"Why did you stay in the Southern Territory? It wasn't because the Earl saved you, or because he did you a favor, but because you trusted him and believed he could lead you to a better future."

Jimmy fell silent.

"The White Horse Clan is looking for you because you've become a Great Knight. They value your strength, not you," Alec said calmly.

Jimmy gripped the wine glass tightly, his knuckles turning white.

"Just follow your heart." Alec patted him on the shoulder. "I believe in the Earl, and I believe in you. You will make the right choice."

He turned and walked out of the training field, the moonlight casting a long shadow over him.

Jimmy stood there, watching the departing figure. After a long while, he lowered his head and looked at the wine glass in his hand.

He remembered the first time he met Master Vio.

At that time, Vio was still a boy, not an earl, but a typical lazy nobleman.

But soon, the southern border fell into war, the master died, and young Vio also tried to commit suicide by poison, though he failed.

But since then, young master Vio has become more mature, perhaps because of the shock brought by the death of his master, or perhaps because he has become enlightened after experiencing a life-or-death situation.

He wasn't sure if this young man could support this land, but he had no choice.

He recalled his first time on the battlefield, protecting young Vio as he broke through the encirclement.

I remember the first time I broke through to the advanced level of basic swordsmanship... the first time I became a true knight...

And the sword-presentation ceremony personally held by Count Vio... At that moment, he felt that he had not made the wrong choice.

"Luke, if you had chosen to believe Master Vio back then... no, if you had been as arrogant as your younger self, instead of thinking of killing him and running away..."

Jimmy looked at the moon in the sky, feeling a pang of emotion, recalling when Luke and he left the North together, swearing an oath before Lord Odom...

Jimmy lowered his head; in the shadows, only his pupils were visible, and there was no longer any confusion in them.

He knew what he had to do.

……

The next morning, Jimmy walked into the Earl's Castle again. The irritability of the previous day was gone from his face, replaced by a calm and composed demeanor.

"Your Excellency," he knelt on one knee, "I have made up my mind."

Vio just looked at him without saying a word.

"I will follow your arrangements regarding the White Horse family. If you tell me to go, I will go; if you tell me to stay, I will stay." He raised his head, his gaze resolute. "I will always stand on the side of the Southern Border as your knight."

Vio looked at him, smiled, and nodded.

"Get up." He reached out and helped Jimmy up. "The White Horse family's affairs are not urgent. You should practice your swordsmanship and solidify your breathing technique first. When the time is right, we will go to the North together."

"Yes, sir!"

Jimmy stood up, turned and walked out of the study. His steps were light and firm, without the heaviness of yesterday.

Vio stood by the window, watching the departing figure, the smile on his lips gradually fading.

"The North..." he murmured, his gaze fixed on the distant horizon.

The real conflict is about to begin.