Not to mention, neither Joshua nor Val were in the wrong in this matter.
The instigator of the whole dispute was Seraphim. In a bid to impress a woman already betrothed to another, he challenged someone whose true capabilities he underestimated. He not only failed to win over the woman, but also suffered a resounding defeat, getting his ass handed to him in public.
It was nothing less than a self-inflicted humiliation!
And then there was Caelum, a mere servant who dared to plot the assassination of a noble’s son. But his ill-conceived scheme backfired, and he paid the ultimate price.
Basically, they reaped what they sowed, facing the consequences of their misguided actions.
If the Strouds were audacious enough to target the Whitemores over these incidents, they would have to confront the stern judgment of the Queen, a judgment that could be as deadly as the executioner’s blade!
Back in the training ground, Joshua turned his gaze to the Kendricks, his eyes as sharp as a hawk’s. The fierce intensity of his gaze made the Kendricks visibly uncomfortable.
He pointed towards Seraphim’s unconscious, battered form and said, “I’m leaving the fate of this boy to you. I suggest you utilize whatever healing resources you have to ensure his survival, unless you want the Strouds’ wrath directed at you.”
Hamilton Kendrick balked at the statement, defensive anger flashing in his eyes.
“Why the hell would we be targeted? We’ve got nothing to do with this mess!” he retorted.
Joshua scoffed at Hamilton’s feigned ignorance. “You know exactly what you did wrong. Trust me, it won’t take much to uncover your role in all this. A little bit of poking around is enough to reveal that you groomed the Stroud and his servant into helping your daughter break off the engagement with my son and fighting for your sake. If not for your meddling, Caelum would be alive and Seraphim wouldn’t be a breath away from death’s door. It’s pretty clear where the blame lies. Even I can see that. Do you think the Strouds won’t be able to?”
“Moreover,” Joshua continued, his tone adopting a condescending air, “considering that I am a high-ranked warrior and was in the right to kill Caelum for his audacious actions, and Val merely defeated Seraphim in a fair duel, the Strouds don’t have a legal reason to take up issue with us. If they dare to cross their boundaries, they will make a formidable enemy out of the Whitemores and be brought to the Queen’s court where “justice” always prevail. Just to avenge the death of a mere servant, I don’t think they will be willing to take so many headaches. But the same can’t be said about you, Kendricks.”
He gave them a knowing smirk as he said, “After all, you Hamilton, the lord of the kendricks, are only a level 5 bloodline user. The Strouds have servants as powerful as you! If something happens to their son, they’ll have a perfect excuse to come after your sorry ass. If you value your life, and the lives of your loved ones, you better do what I suggested.”
The reality of the situation was crystal clear, even for the simplest mind to grasp.
The Kendrick’s scheme had imploded right in their faces. 𝔬𝓋𝔩xt.𝒸𝑜𝑚
If Seraphim didn’t make it, they’d face the full wrath of the Strouds.
The Queen’s court wouldn’t intervene either; after all, the Kendricks had invited this upon themselves with their blind ambition, their devious plotting, and their overzealous courage.
‘Our scheme was perfect, but because of unexpected variables, it backfired. This time, we have truly bitten off more than we could chew!’
Hamilton Kendrick, his face ashen, realized the weight of the predicament they were in. Turning to his aides, he managed to choke out, “Save him. Do whatever it takes, just… save his life.”
Nods of compliance met his orders, and within moments, healers were at Seraphim’s side, carefully placing his bruised and battered body onto a stretcher before taking him away to be healed.
For injuries like him, it might take days to fully recover even with the help of several healers and precious healing resources.
The crowd began to disperse.
Soon, only the Whitemores, the Kendricks, and the Queen’s Guard were left in a charged standoff innthe Whitemore Training Grounds.
Joshua turned his attention to Hamilton and Adelina Kendrick and said to them, “Now that the duel has concluded, I believe it’s time to address the terms we agreed upon.”
Hamilton stiffened, an uneasy frown pulling at his lips. “What are you talking about, Whitemore?”
“The terms of the duel, Kendrick,” Val chimed in, his voice steady despite the fatigue caused by whacking Seraphim beginning to take its toll. “In case your memory fails you, let me remind you. If I won the duel, we would be the ones to break off the engagement. Moreover, you’d return everything we provided as betrothal gifts when I was still engaged to your unfaithful daughter.”
“You won by deceit.” Adelina scoffed, crossing her arms defiantly. “The duel was unfair! You hid the truth about your bloodline level, duping Seraphim into a challenge he was unprepared for. I refuse to acknowledge your victory!”
Val simply scoffed at her protest. “How convenient for you to forget, Adelina. When Seraphim challenged me, you were all too quick to accept on his behalf, believing I was a normie. Was it fair then? The answer is simple. No. It was not fair. A bloodline mage against a normie can never be a fair fight. Not in a million one. Yet, you didn’t utter a single word about fairness or deceit then. Now that the tables have turned, you cry foul? Do you think the world revolves around you? For your information it doesn’t! Your double standards might pass in your house, but this is our territory. Here, we respect the laws of the kingdom and the rules of a duel. And you better do the same or you’ll be getting it from us!”
The Whitemores respected their guests, but they also liked to run a train over their enemies, and the Kendricks were no guests of Whitemore. They once might have been their friends, but now they were just backstabbing bastards!
“You…” Adelina’s face turned red as she felt humiliated upon getting called out by her fiance.