Chapter 4

As Leoard resolved to go on a diet, the story progressed.

Leoard's father, Beluga, was summoned by the king and was on his way to the castle. By this time, the news of Leoard's duel had spread throughout the kingdom, and Beluga had heard the rumors as he walked through the castle.

Various rumors were flying around. Some said he had treated his fiancée rudely and had her attacked by his subordinates. Others claimed he had used his status as a duke to threaten a teacher into altering his grades. Still, others said that when he lost the duel, he squealed like a pig.

The rumors that reached Beluga's ears made him want to hold his head in his hands, but most of them were true, with a few exceptions. That said, Beluga was not entirely inactive. He had used his intelligence agents to verify the rumors and knew the truth.

Therefore, no matter how much the foolish nobles who heard the rumors tried to mock him, Beluga remained unperturbed.

Finally, the time for the audience arrived. Beluga understood the reason for the summons and had already decided how to handle the situation. This audience could be called a confirmation of intentions.

The throne room, which could be described as opulent, was where King Alberion Algabein, the sixty-fourth king of the Algabein Kingdom, sat on his throne. At the age of forty, he still had a youthful and handsome face.

He was a man of such appearance that one could say he was drawn by forty-eight illustrators. However, his appearance and political acumen were at opposite ends, and in combat, he was as fragile as paper armor and could be killed with a single blow.

However, he had a personal guard, the royal knight, who was considered the strongest in the Algabein Kingdom, though his name was not mentioned here.

Upon reaching the king's presence, Beluga knelt on one knee, showing his loyalty.

"Raise your head."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Beluga, who had been looking down, raised his head as the king commanded. Once Beluga raised his head, the reason for this audience was explained.

"Beluga Harvest. I have summoned you here today regarding the matter of your son, Leoard Harvest, losing a duel under the kingdom's law. This matter has already been resolved between the parties involved, Leoard Harvest and Siegfried Zekxia. The victor, Siegfried Zekxia, made two demands of Leoard Harvest. The first is a ban on contact with Claris Vanessa, to whom Leoard Harvest was engaged. The second is Leoard Harvest's expulsion from the academy due to the ban on contact. Is this correct?"

"Yes, it is."

The prime minister, who was in the throne room, loudly explained the situation. Since this information was already known to most, the nobles gathered in the throne room were not particularly shaken.

Beluga, who had a full understanding of the situation, calmly responded without panicking. The prime minister, having heard Beluga's words, took a step back.

From this point on, it was the king's job. As this was a kingdom with a monarchy, the king made all the final decisions. In this case, Beluga was not responsible. One might think that as a parent, he should bear some responsibility, but in a duel, responsibility lies only with the parties involved.

This is because in a duel, the winner takes all, and the loser loses everything.

However, even so, Beluga, as a duke, and Leoard, being of the same family, could not overlook the fact that Leoard had lost to the heir of the lower-ranking Zekxia baronial family.

The hierarchy in the noble society is very strict. It would be unacceptable to display a breach in this hierarchy, so Leoard needed to be punished.

In other words, as a parent and a member of the ducal family, Beluga had to punish Leoard. This was the reason and duty for which he was summoned.

"Harvest. The sin your son has committed this time is grave. How do you intend to take responsibility?"

The king's heavy words pressed down on Beluga. However, Beluga had already prepared his answer. All that was left was to declare it grandly in the presence of many nobles.

"For my unworthy son, Leoard, I will strip him of his qualifications as the next head of the family and confine him to a remote land as punishment."

This decision effectively meant exile from the ducal family. Leoard did not understand how severe this punishment was, but for a noble, it was a disgrace worse than death.

It meant the loss of all honor, glory, and fame. In other words, it meant social death for a noble.

"Is that so. Then, what about the next head of the family?"

"That is not a concern. I have already decided on my second son, Regulus."

"Hmm. I have heard the rumors. Unlike his foolish brother, he is said to be excellent. Is that true?"

"Even without the bias of a parent, I can say so."

"Is that so. However, it is a pity. Your son Leoard was hailed as a prodigy of martial prowess, and to meet such an end..."

"I am deeply ashamed. I must have failed in his education."

"Perhaps. Your son Regulus is different from Leoard, is he not? Then, the fault must have been with Leoard."

"If that is the case, I am even more ashamed. I failed to see my son's true nature."

"Everyone makes mistakes. Well, let us conclude the matter of Leoard's punishment here. Lastly, Harvest, this must not happen again, understand?"

"Yes, Your Majesty! I am grateful for your leniency!"

With that, the audience ended. The gathered nobles dispersed and returned to their prepared rooms. Similarly, Beluga returned to his room, sat in a chair, and rested.

After a while, a guest arrived. Beluga, who had anticipated this, instructed the maid to open the door.

"It's been a while, Beluga."

The visitor was the king himself. Since it was a private visit, Beluga dismissed the maid and spoke to Alberion alone.

"I apologize for the trouble this time."

"Don't worry about it. You and I are close. More importantly, are you alright?"

"I was very worried. When I heard that he had lost the duel, I felt like my hair was falling out. I thought my son was dead."

"In that case, you were lucky. If Siegfried had ordered him to die, it would have been the end."

"I am truly grateful to him."

"Let's put that matter to rest. Let me vent a little, will you?"

"Of course, as much as you need."

The two, who were close friends in private, complained about work and politics, losing track of time. However, their faces were filled with bright smiles.

Even if the conversation was filled with complaints, it was enjoyable to talk with a long-lost friend.