Wizard: I Have a Cultivation System-Chapter 39: The Curtain Falls

Leo’s sword glinted coldly in the wind and snow.

’It’s not that I haven’t considered pledging allegiance to Kelvin, but that bastard is capable of killing his own brother. Why would he ever spare me, someone who has received so much kindness from Sylvan?’

Leo remembered it clearly. Three years ago, when he had just become a follower, Sylvan himself had taught him Swordsmanship. When he was injured in training, Sylvan had sent precious medicines for him.

The list of such kindnesses went on.

’But in Kelvin’s eyes, these kindnesses are likely just proof of my guilt.’

’Better to follow Sylvan south than to be purged later.’

’Even if it means I’ll be a follower for the rest of my life, with no chance of ever becoming an Official Knight, it’s still better than being found dead in a ditch some dark night.’

He had also understood what Sylvan had left unsaid moments before.

Lawson was a follower that he had helped Sylvan personally train. Therefore, Lawson’s warhorse should have belonged to Sylvan. Furthermore, the warhorse had later been assigned to him, Leo. It was only natural, then, to destroy it all before Sylvan left.

As for Murphy, the groom...

A cruel glint appeared in Leo’s eyes.

’In his and Sylvan’s eyes, the man was nothing more than a traitor to be disposed of as they pleased.’

’Even if he had no choice but to serve a new master, to them, it was still an unforgivable betrayal.’

’This groom’s life will serve to wash away the shame of Norton’s death.’

’It isn’t about avenging Norton. The life or death of a mere groom is insignificant. The most important thing is to uphold our dignity.’

The dignity sullied by the murder and betrayal of one of our own!

SWISH!

The tip of his sword aimed straight for Murphy’s throat. Leo could already picture the blood that would splatter across the ground.

Yet, just as the tip of the blade was about to make contact, Murphy, seemingly paralyzed by fear, lost his footing and fell backward, somehow managing to narrowly avoid the fatal blow.

Leo’s brow furrowed, a flicker of doubt passing through his mind.

’I put a fair bit of strength into that thrust. There’s no way a common groom could have dodged it.’

But he had no time to dwell on it. With a flick of his wrist, his blade followed like a shadow, lunging toward the fallen Murphy’s heart.

But just in the nick of time, Murphy panicked and rolled aside. The sword’s tip grazed his sleeve, and he once again, by what seemed like sheer coincidence, avoided a fatal wound.

A cold glint flashed in Leo’s eyes. ’This groom’s luck is unbelievable.’

’Just as lucky as your master, Lawson,’ Leo sneered to himself, tightening his grip on his sword hilt. ’But this time, you’re dead for sure!’

He took a deep breath, concentrating all his strength into his blade.

He held nothing back with this strike, cutting off all of Murphy’s possible escape routes.

Such was the sharpness of the blow that it even sliced the falling snowflakes in two as it passed.

Just as the killing blow was about to land, an arrow shot forth from the archway behind Murphy. Its sharp whistle tore through the blizzard.

The arrow flew with precision toward Leo’s sword arm, forcing him to pull back his blade to defend himself.

The clash of blade and arrowhead rang out with a piercing screech of metal, the impact leaving the web of Leo’s thumb numb.

Murphy seized the opportunity to scramble away. He looked pathetic, but he had managed to save his own life.

Enraged, Leo spun toward the direction the arrow had come from. He saw Kelvin, longbow in hand, approaching slowly with Old Jimmy by his side.

Sylvan’s face turned livid, and he hissed the name through clenched teeth: "Kelvin!"

Kelvin approached at an unhurried pace, his gaze shifting between Sylvan and Leo. His voice was calm. "Are you about to kill someone in my presence, Brother?"

Old Jimmy followed close behind, his hand never leaving the hilt of his sword as he warily watched Leo’s every move.

Sylvan suddenly pushed himself up from his wheelchair, a sickly red flush creeping over his pale face. "You bastard son of a lowborn whore! You’ve already taken everything from me—my title, my lands, you’ve even stolen Father’s love! And now you want to strip away my last shred of dignity?"

His voice trembled with rage. "Come on, then! Kill me! I’d like to see you dare to defy Father’s orders!" 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Kelvin’s gaze lingered for a moment on Sylvan’s face, contorted with rage, before shifting to Murphy, who was cowering off to the side.

’He truly didn’t dare kill Sylvan. While the Baron had tacitly approved the transfer of power—and even some of Sylvan’s petty tantrums before his departure—he would never tolerate kinslaying.’

However, Kelvin had only just assumed power, and his authority was not yet secure.

As the illegitimate son who inherited the title, he had to make everyone see that even Sylvan had to submit to his authority.

He couldn’t allow Sylvan to diminish his future assets in the slightest before leaving.

Otherwise, even if the Lord Baron didn’t mind, he didn’t want to give other nobles an opportunity to find fault in the future by stirring up internal trouble within the Baron’s Castle.

Kelvin maintained a dignified smile. "Brother, you misunderstand my intentions. As the heir to the Duval Territory, I have a duty to protect every asset within it."

Sylvan let out a sharp, cold laugh. "How sanctimonious! He’s just a lowly groom. Since when did he become so important that you have to personally intervene?"

Kelvin said mildly, "For the sake of order in the territory. Father permitted you to vent your frustrations, but that doesn’t mean you can cause wanton destruction. Warhorses are vital assets to the territory, and a man who can care for them properly is a resource worth protecting."

Leo and Old Jimmy stood in a tense standoff, their hands gripping their sword hilts, looking as if they might draw on each other at any moment.

Sylvan raised his chin mockingly. "What? Is my dear brother going to steal even a groom from me? You’re not going to let him tend to the warhorses anyway, so why not let me deal with this traitor?"

Kelvin took a slow step forward, stopping three paces from Sylvan. "On the contrary. I hear Red Leaf has been in low spirits lately, and only this groom can properly care for her."

His gaze swept over the growing number of servants passing through the courtyard, as well as the other followers who had arrived with guards under the Baron’s orders. His voice carried clearly to every corner. "From this day forward, Murphy is to be Red Leaf’s sole caretaker. He is promoted to Upper-class Groom. This is an order from the heir to the Lord."

The words were like a resounding slap across Sylvan’s face.

Kelvin hadn’t just saved the groom; he had publicly asserted his right to inherit the territory.

Murphy pressed his right hand to the arm he’d scraped during his fall, his voice trembling and still shaken from the ordeal. "I will obey your command, Lord Kelvin. I will do my utmost to care for Red Leaf."

The flush had drained from Sylvan’s face, leaving it deathly pale. He gripped the arm of his wheelchair and took a shaky step forward. "You... you..."

Just as he was about to throw himself at Kelvin in a reckless rage, an elderly follower in a gray cloak emerged from the crowd.

It was Old Mark, Roton Knight’s most trusted deputy and a loyal confidant of the Baron.

Old Mark came to a stop before Sylvan and slowly shook his head.

It was as if all the strength had been drained from Sylvan. He staggered back and collapsed into his wheelchair.

Snowflakes fell silently, landing on his bowed head, on his trembling shoulders, and on his magnificent sable cloak, yet no one stepped forward to brush them away.