The Windwalker family had completely withdrawn from the Darkwind family over two months ago.

In the wake of their retreat, the Windwalkers allocated significant financial resources to those affected by the invasion, hoping to buy favor from the Darkwind family. However, the distribution of wealth proved ineffective in changing the sentiment of the common folk. Money, it seemed, was powerless to alter the deeply rooted resentment they harbored. For them, the Windwalkers were a symbol of the pain they had endured, and no amount of coin could erase that.

Among the nobility, however, the financial compensation was more readily accepted. It served to quell the immediate calls for vengeance and temper the lingering animosity. Kaelith himself had played a crucial role in convincing his peers that the time for open conflict had not yet arrived. As a result, while relations between the two families remained strained, the threat of war, for the moment, was averted.

Marquis Windwalker regarded the outcome with a sense of quiet satisfaction. He had not expected much more—avoiding war was, in his view, the most favorable result he could have hoped for. In his estimation, a few million silver to prevent open conflict was a highly economical solution. While he could not say with certainty whether the Darkwind family would have launched an attack had it not been for his financial intervention, the risk had certainly been present.

Meanwhile, Kaelith had dedicated himself to the arduous task of restoring unity within the Darkwind family. His efforts had proven successful, and the family was beginning to regain its strength with each passing day.

While the Darkwind family was a Marquis family without any Golden Knights, they were considered the dominant force among local nobility when it came to the number of Silver Knights they possessed. The internal divisions that had once weakened them were now a thing of the past. With the family unified once more, they were able to wield their full power to exert influence, secure trade advantages, and gain other benefits from their neighbors.

The Darkwind family had dispatched trade representatives to all their neighboring noble families—except for the Windwalkers. Despite their desire to avoid further conflict, they still could not bring themselves to reestablish trade relations with the Windwalkers.

After all, it had only been a few months since the Windwalkers had attacked them, and seeking trade with them under such circumstances would have been absurd.

Even if a trade agreement were to be struck, neither the nobility nor the common folk of the Darkwind family would engage unless the terms were heavily in their favor. The Windwalker family was unlikely to accept such terms, making any attempts at reconciliation pointless.

If the Windwalkers were desperate for trade relations, they would have to approach the Darkwind family and beg for them.

While the absence of trade with the Windwalkers had certainly affected the Darkwind family’s finances, the Windwalkers had suffered far more. The Darkwind family had enough resources to weather the loss, but the Windwalkers felt the blow much more acutely.

The Darkwind family had a far larger economy, with a greater population, a broader consumer base, and stronger production capacity—though much of this had been severely depleted by the war. Despite these setbacks, however, the family was regaining its strength at a pace much faster than the Windwalkers had anticipated.

Marquis Windwalker, despite his concerns, was powerless to alter the situation. So, he decided to step back and allow time to heal the rift. Matters like these could only be mended with patience.

He had also attempted to convince Kaelith to publicly reveal that it had been Valdrin who was responsible for the deaths of the common people of the Darkwind family. However, Kaelith had refused to cooperate, unwilling to further damage his brother’s already tarnished reputation. Unless the leadership of the Darkwind family had a genuine interest in improving relations, little could be done. And there was little Marquis Windwalker could do about it.

...

Everything proceeded as expected until an unexpected event changed the entire region’s dynamics.

No one could have foreseen the monumental event that would shift the balance of power in the region. It was an event so explosive that no one could ignore it.

The patriarch of the Stonefist family had broken through to the Golden rank!

The entire Bloodstone Kingdom was left in shock. Fewer than twenty Golden Knights existed in the kingdom, and it was extraordinarily rare for such individuals to emerge from less affluent regions like this one.

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Yet, it wasn’t entirely impossible. A person with legendary talent could rise to the Silver Knight rank through sheer skill and rigorous training, even without abundant resources. However, breaking through to the Golden rank was an entirely different challenge. Legendary talent alone wasn’t enough; significant resources were required to reach that level.

That said, although the Stonefist family resided in a resource-scarce region, obtaining the necessary resources through trade was not beyond the realm of possibility.

It was said that the Stonefist family had spent nearly all of its resources acquiring precious medicinal materials from foreign sources, nearly driving themselves to bankruptcy in the process. They had gambled everything on the patriarch’s potential to break through to the Golden Knight rank. Had he failed, the family would have been left with nothing but a mountain of debt.

But he succeeded.

With extraordinary talent, a wealth of resources, and a stroke of luck, he achieved the coveted breakthrough to Golden Knight.

Legendary talent did not guarantee a legendary life. It was not a guarantee of inevitable success; it simply indicated the potential to one day wield power comparable to that of a Legendary rank. The reality was that even those with legendary talent often failed to reach the Golden rank in their lifetime.

In fact, statistics revealed that most individuals with legendary talent never succeeded in breaking through to the Golden Knight rank. Achieving such a feat required vast resources, rare medicinal materials, and rigorous training.

A person with legendary talent might have an easier path to the Silver rank, even without substantial resources. But reaching the Golden rank demanded tremendous resources—and, crucially, a great deal of luck.

Conversely, someone with mythic talent would likely find it easier to ascend to the Golden rank, but would face immense challenges in reaching Legendary status. Doing so would require vast resources, considerable luck, and years of relentless effort. As for breaking through to Mythic rank, that would be an almost inconceivable achievement, requiring resources beyond measure, luck that defied all odds, and a determination that few could imagine.

In the end, the Stonefist family’s gamble paid off, defying the expectations of many.

Most had doubted their endeavor, well aware of how rare Golden Knights were. If it had been an easy feat, the kingdom would have seen far more of them. Yet, against all odds, the Stonefist patriarch succeeded—shocking the entire kingdom.

...

The emergence of a Golden Knight in the region altered the power dynamics completely. It was widely anticipated that the king would soon elevate the Stonefist family’s title to that of a Duke, granting them control over the unincorporated territories in the area.

Technically, the king could not simply seize land from the existing Marquis families and bestow it upon the Stonefist family.

However, with the Stonefist family now boasting a Golden Knight and rising to the status of a Duke, their influence would undoubtedly overshadow that of smaller families, such as the Darkwind and Windwalker families.

This region was, in all but name, becoming the Stonefist family’s domain. Though not official, the shift in power was so pronounced that it might as well have been.

When Edric learned of the development, a surge of worry washed over him. Despite being a Golden Knight himself, the thought of facing another Golden Knight unsettled him deeply. He had grown accustomed to dealing with Silver Knights and other lower-ranked powerhouses. But fighting another Golden Knight was an entirely different matter—one that came with the very real threat of death, a prospect he was unwilling to entertain. "Damn it," he muttered to himself, frustration lacing his voice. "Why did they have to break through now? Why couldn’t they wait just a few more years, until I reach Legendary Knight? After that, no Golden Knight, no matter how strong, would stand a chance against me. But now… now I have to worry."

...

Just one month after the patriarch of the Stonefist family had ascended to the rank of Golden Knight, representatives from the family arrived to renegotiate all trade agreements.

However, their visit carried more than just business. They also proposed a grand ceremony—one in which Marquis Windwalker had no choice but to participate. At this event, he would be expected to swear an oath of alliance with the Duke of Stonefist.

It was a deeply uncomfortable prospect for Alaric Windwalker to swear fealty to one of his most formidable rivals, but he found himself with little recourse.

The oath was carefully worded to ensure that it applied only to the Windwalker family’s relationship with the Stonefist family. It did not, could not, and would not infringe upon their obligations to the Royal family, no matter the circumstances.

Marquis Windwalker, Kaelith, and the other neighboring nobles were all shrewd individuals. They understood the gravity of the situation and the importance of attending the ceremony. And so, they appeared at the grand event, offering their congratulations to Duke Stonefist and expressing their support for his newly-formed alliances.

With this ceremony, Duke Stonefis became the unofficial ruler of the local region, an elevation that considerably shifted the power dynamics.

The support of a Duke brought the kingdom's attention.

With the weight of this title, the region now held a significantly higher vantage point, one capable of influencing the kingdom's national politics. This shift could result in greater resources and opportunities flowing into the hands of all those living within the area. In the long term, this development could prove beneficial for everyone involved.

Yet, there was also the looming possibility that Duke Stonefist, now armed with such immense power, might seek to eliminate any potential rivals. If he moved to suppress opposition, the consequences could be dire for the local area.

The future remained uncertain. Some viewed the Duke’s rise as an opportunity for growth, while others feared the ramifications of the power he now wielded.