When Knight Commander Varken received word that Caleb of the North was allegedly planning a rebellion, he could barely contain his delight.
Caleb had long been a thorn in Varken’s side. People throughout the kingdom constantly compared the two of them, yet every comparison seemed to end with Caleb’s name placed above his own.
Ever since Varken lost to Caleb in the tournament held to determine the kingdom’s greatest swordsman, he had never forgotten the humiliation of that day.
The moment he was forced to his knees before a vast crowd.
The looks of pity and ridicule directed at him.
Varken had sworn that one day, he would repay that debt.
At last, the opportunity had arrived.
This time, the outcome would not be decided by swordsmanship.
Caleb would be branded a traitor to the kingdom, while Varken would stand as the loyal Knight Commander sent to arrest the rebel.
It was a battle Caleb could not escape, no matter how skilled he was with a blade.
Varken was already certain of his victory.
As he imagined Caleb, still completely unaware that he had been betrayed, Varken let out a quiet laugh.
Yet there was something else that pleased him even more.
He believed that even a man as steadfast as Caleb would collapse once he learned who had revealed the information about the rebellion.
What expression would Caleb make when he realized he had been betrayed by the person he trusted most?
Would he be consumed by rage?
Would he fall into despair?
Or would he lose the composure he had always taken such pride in and finally break apart?
Varken headed north to witness that moment with his own eyes.
This time, he did not intend to break Caleb’s sword.
He intended to destroy his honor, his life, and everything he had left.