Chapter 1776 - 495: Colin Family's Genealogy Is Even Harder to Guess Than the New Testament

On the first weekend after the civil war ended, the dungeon of Glanton Castle was bone-chilling cold.

The towers of the castle were already flying the Campbell Royal Family's banner, and the bayonets beside the parapet reflected the cold winter light, proclaiming the end of an era.

The victorious sunlight shone on the faces of every patrolling soldier, while opposite them, the servants lining up to leave the castle wore expressions of confusion.

Meanwhile, in the dungeon of the castle.

The air was filled with a damp, moldy smell, along with the silent flow of despair.

The traitors who betrayed the Royal Family were imprisoned here, among them accomplices like Baron Lukeville and the Family Head of the Granston family.

Jelock Campbell sat quietly on the pile of straw in the corner of the cell. He wore no noble knight armor, just a thin prison uniform.

Moreover, heavy silver alchemy shackles were fastened to his wrists and ankles, with faint rune glows on their metal surface, completely sealing the Extraordinary Power bestowed on him by Saint Sis.

At that moment, the heavy iron door was suddenly pulled open, and the harsh screech echoed between the narrow stone walls.

Hearing footsteps, Jelock slowly raised his head and saw that the visitor was his elder brother—the lord of the Duchy, Edward Campbell, Your Majesty.

Edward stopped at the door of the cell.

He didn't bring any guards, only stood alone outside the cell, looking at his brother, who shared the same blood, with a cold gaze.

"Do you have anything to say to me?"

The voice revealed no emotion.

Similarly, Edward couldn't detect any remorse, fear, or the pleading he had hoped for on that silent face.

In the brief silence, only the flickering candlelight swayed over their faces.

The silence was finally broken by Jelock, his voice calm and hoarse.

"If our father was still alive, he would certainly have done the same thing."

Edward's lips tightened.

He did not doubt what his brother said, and this was what he hated the most.

It was undeniable that those nobles had contributed to the Campbell Duchy, but their stubbornness and conservatism were becoming shackles at the feet of the Campbell Duchy!

He didn't hate his brother, nor had he ever hated Earl Derek; instead, he hated his father, Aaron Campbell!

If that sword had been in his hand, perhaps his life would have burned in sacred duty, but there would certainly have been no fraternal strife today!

And Erin wouldn't have been dragged into a war that didn't belong to her; perhaps her life would have been much happier than it is now...

"Very well."

Edward nodded, feeling that this conversation was no longer necessary.

He turned to leave.

And just then, the stubborn Jelock suddenly spoke.

"When do you plan to execute me?"

Edward's steps halted.

He slowly turned around, letting out a cold laugh.

"You want to die so badly?"

Jelock didn't answer, just stared intently at him.

"According to Imperial law, you have the right to do so. And… I hope you do."

During this time, he had been reflecting on his mistakes. He shouldn't have naively thought he could handle everything.

That was something even the Divine couldn't do.

When he stationed himself at Glanston Castle with the knights' loyalty and a longing to return to the past, people would call him Your Majesty.

Even if he had never intended to usurp his brother's throne, he merely hoped to use his leverage to pressure his brother into slowing down the reform process to alleviate the increasingly intense confrontations.

And reality proved that his naivety was laughable.

His brother would never compromise, and those knights would not be content just being pawns on the scale.

Earl Derek only had to blow gently, and the war machine roared into motion, uncontrollable by anyone's will.

Perhaps, his death was for the best.

His elder brother would no longer be troubled by issues of orthodoxy, nor would ambitious people gather around him.

Though the future of the Duchy might not be what his father wished for, at least no more Campbell people would die for trivial reasons…

Looking at Jelock, who wore an expression of serenity, Edward's face suddenly broke into a cold smile.

"It seems your reflection isn't thorough enough."

This guy had once again cast himself as a savior, falling into self-indulgence as an imaginary martyr sacrificed for ideals.

At this moment, he wasn't humiliating a defeated man as a Monarch; he was lecturing his foolish brother as a sibling.

Perhaps…

A naive knight like him really should be sent to an uninhabited island to awaken from those unrealistic dreams.

Edward turned, hiding the fatigue in his eyes, and threw down a cold yet slightly warm sentence as he faced away from Jelock in the cell.

"I won't kill you. No one but the Monarch of the Ryan Kingdom would find joy in your death."

"But I won't pardon you either. I will exile you to Krant Island. It's far from the coast of the Duchy, with a thousand-year-old castle and a monastery. You will spend the rest of your life there and watch the Campbell Duchy rise like the morning sun."

"Then, you will realize just how ridiculously wrong you were."

After deciding the fate of the defeated, Edward, with the little warmth he had left, left the corridor that seemed to swallow all light.

Jelock silently watched his brother's departing figure, accepting his fate with tranquility.