Chapter 192: Castle Lucan

Chapter 192: Castle LucanSoutheast of the Unicorn Duchy, right outside the gates of Castle Lucan, three men rode in on the backs of terrifying, snow-white unicorns—so pristine they almost glowed. One wore a black cloak, another had golden hair, and the third, a short man gripping a green staff, looked like he didn’t belong anywhere near a battlefield. And yet, here they were, riding straight toward the castle gates like they owned the place. The moment people caught sight of them, panic spread like wildfire. Onlookers scattered in every direction, faces pale, hands trembling, doing everything they could to stay out of the way. No one wanted to accidentally draw attention from these guys—one wrong move, and it could be the end of them. Some folks, though, didn’t recognize what they were looking at. "Hey, what’s the big deal?" someone whispered, clearly confused. "Aren’t those just Tier-11 unicorns? We’ve seen those before. Why’s everyone freaking out?" "Tier-11? Are you outta your mind?" someone else hissed back. "Those are Tier-12 War Unicorns!" "Tier-12 War Unicorns?!" The guy who asked the question went stiff, his face draining of color. He shut up immediately. Sure, Tier-11 and Tier-12 might sound close on paper, but for players—and even the locals—that one-tier difference was massive. Game-changing, even. Castle Lucan was just a marquisate, not some grand capital like Dunmire. And yet, here were three Tier-12 War Unicorns, casually trotting up to the gates. Even in Dunmire, that kind of entrance would turn heads and send people scrambling. Here? It was downright terrifying. But the ones who had it worst weren’t the bystanders—it was the castle guards. They stood frozen, exchanging nervous glances, watching the three War Unicorns approach with slow, deliberate steps. Panic flickered in their eyes. No one dared move. Then, from inside the gates, a tall, broad-shouldered man with golden hair stepped out. His presence was commanding, his voice calm but firm as he addressed the riders. "Gentlemen, please stop right there." A quiet voice answered him, steady and composed. "Is there a problem?" The speaker sat atop the lead War Unicorn. He had brown hair and a youthful face. Look closely, and you’d recognize him—it was Ethan. Beside him, the golden-haired man was none other than Auremax, the Gold Dragon. Normally, only unit heroes had the power to take on human form. But Auremax was different. He wasn’t just any Gold Dragon—he was a named one, a rare and powerful being. He’d mastered all kinds of magic, rivaling even the archmages of the Tower faction. Shapeshifting? Child’s play for him. And the short guy with the green staff? That was Cicero, of course. After deciding to set sail, the three of them had left Emerald Castle without delay. It took them less than half a day to reach Castle Lucan—one of the four major marquisate cities in the Unicorn Duchy. And now, they were here. As mentioned before, the Unicorn Duchy had four major marquises, each ruling over their own stronghold. One of them was Castle Lucan, governed by the Lucan family. Castle Lucan sat in the southeastern part of the duchy, right along the coast. From here, heading east or south would take you straight into open sea. That’s exactly why Ethan and his group had come here—first, to set sail, and second, to borrow a ship. "May I ask what brings the three of you to Castle Lucan?" the golden-haired man asked politely, stepping forward. "Do you need assistance or someone to guide you?" He gave a slight bow and introduced himself. "I am Leon, a Two-Handed Sword Warrior under Marquis Lucan." A Two-Handed Sword Warrior—one of the Castle faction’s Tier-7 hidden elite units. And the fact that this Leon had a name? That meant he wasn’t just any unit—he was a hero-class unit. At the same time, a status window popped up in front of Ethan. [Leon] Vassal of Marquis Lucan, Unicorn Duchy Level: 47 Race: Human Tier: Blue Rare Hero Class: Two-Handed Sword Warrior Attack: ... ... Overall Rating: S-Rank Blue Rare Hero Ethan glanced at the stats—decent, but nothing to write home about. He smiled and said casually, "No need to be so tense. Marquis Lucan and I are friends. Could you take me to see him?" As he spoke, Ethan pulled out a gleaming insignia and held it up for Leon to see. It was his Light Alliance Earl’s badge. "A Light Alliance Earl?!" Leon’s eyes widened, pupils contracting sharply. He immediately straightened up and gave a deep, respectful bow. "Two-Handed Sword Warrior Leon, at your service, my lord Earl of the Light Alliance!" The words hit like a thunderclap. "A Light Alliance Earl?!" Gasps rippled through the crowd. Maybe the players didn’t fully grasp what that title meant, but the locals of Glory Lords X? They knew exactly what kind of weight that badge carried. To put it bluntly, a Light Alliance Earl wasn’t just some noble title you threw around. Even in the most powerful nations aligned with the Light Alliance, an Earl was a major player—someone who could rule entire regions, command vast armies, and decide the fate of millions. A person like that wasn’t just a noble—they were practically royalty. A sovereign in their own right. In fact, to many of the onlookers, Ethan’s status as a Light Alliance Earl made him even more formidable than Marquis Lucan himself, the current ruler of this region. Why? Simple. Marquis Lucan’s title only held weight within the Unicorn Duchy. Outside of it? Not so much. The duchy wasn’t exactly a powerhouse on the world stage—it wasn’t even considered a top-tier nation. But the Light Alliance Earl? That was a whole different story. Anywhere the Light Alliance held sway—whether in minor kingdoms or dominant empires—that badge meant the same thing: power, authority, and respect. No one in their right mind would dare underestimate it. Especially many years ago... The Lucan family—the ruling house of Castle Lucan—once clashed with a certain Earl from the Light Alliance out on the open sea. That battle was a turning point. The scale of destruction was massive—casualties piled high, the dead could’ve blanketed the land, and the blood spilled could’ve formed rivers and oceans. It was that brutal. And because of that one war, the Lucan family’s power took a nosedive. They went from being the top among the Four Great Marquises of the Unicorn Duchy... to third place. For those who live and serve in Castle Lucan, their fate is tied to the Lucan family’s. When the family rises, they rise. When the family falls, they fall with it. So yeah, that battle left a deep scar on them. To this day, just hearing the name "Earl of the Light Alliance" is enough to make them break into a cold sweat. "Gentlemen, please follow me..." At that moment, the Two-Handed Sword Warrior named Leon took a deep breath and spoke respectfully. Honestly, if it had been anyone else, he wouldn’t have dared to bring them into the castle without first reporting to Duke Lucan. That would’ve been way out of line. But this was the Earl of the Light Alliance. A man of that caliber? Leon didn’t have the guts to stop him. And he sure as hell wasn’t about to make him wait outside. Besides, Castle Lucan was the Lucan family’s stronghold. Their home turf. Whether the Earl came in peace or with hostile intent, the Lucans had no choice but to meet him face-to-face. If they didn’t even have the courage to do that, word would get out—and they’d be a laughingstock. And in their world, reputation—face—is everything. Sometimes, it matters more than life itself. "Alright... lead the way," Ethan said with a calm smile. He wasn’t here to cause trouble, after all. He nodded and followed Leon into Castle Lucan. Before long, they reached the heart of the fortress—Lucan Manor—where Ethan came face-to-face with someone he’d met once before: the head of the Lucan family himself, one of the Four Great Marquises of the Unicorn Duchy—Marquis Lucan. "Count Valkarion? It’s really you? What an unexpected guest!" Marquis Lucan let out a visible sigh of relief the moment he saw Ethan, his face lighting up with a warm smile. "Please, sit—make yourself at home!" he said, gesturing enthusiastically. To be honest, when he first heard that a noble from the Light Alliance wanted to see him... Marquis Lucan had been caught off guard. His first thought? An old enemy had come knocking—probably looking to settle the score with another fight. But now, seeing who it actually was, he let out a breath of relief. Thank the gods, it wasn’t that. "Marquis Lucan, it’s been a while..." Ethan said as he took a seat, his eyes casually scanning Lucan’s face. Then, with a half-smile, half-smirk, he added, "Looks like things haven’t been going too well for you lately, huh?" Lucan froze for a second. Then gave a bitter chuckle. "You noticed, huh? Yeah... things have been rough for the Lucan family lately. No denying that." "What happened? Is it because of the war between the factions?" Ethan asked, genuinely curious. Lucan nodded, his expression turning grim. "The Inferno faction has officially declared war on the Light Alliance. Right now, our territory is crawling with Inferno units. Just a while ago, a group of Legendary-ranked Inferno Devils even tried to assassinate me." He paused, then gave a helpless shrug and joked, "Good thing I was prepared. I’ve got ten Legendary-ranked Angels guarding me around the clock. If I hadn’t... well, Count Valkarion, you probably wouldn’t be sitting here talking to me right now." "Inferno Devils tried to assassinate you?" Ethan blinked, then let out a low laugh. "Damn... that’s rough." Assassination was a classic Inferno Devil tactic during wartime. And honestly? It worked. Why? Simple. Whether it was a Tier-13 Legendary Inferno Devil or a Tier-14 Mythic Inferno Arch Devil, they were all born with a natural affinity for spatial magic. They could teleport. And teleportation—spatial movement—was basically the holy grail of assassination techniques. All it took was one moment of carelessness, one second of letting your guard down, and boom—you were done. Dead. The Inferno Devil’s bloodthirsty scythe didn’t play games. If it was aiming for your head, it wasn’t going to politely stop at your neck. That’s why, in the world of Glory Lords X, there’s a saying: Among the three major evil factions—Inferno, Necropolis, and Dungeon— If you go to war with Necropolis, you’re dealing with the most mysterious and unpredictable enemy. They’ve been around longer than any other faction. Time has made them enigmatic, ever-changing, impossible to fully understand. If you go to war with Dungeon, you’ll suffer the heaviest losses. Because they’re all lunatics. They don’t fear death. They throw themselves into battle like it’s a game of chicken with their lives on the line. If you don’t match their madness, you’ll die even faster. Doesn’t matter if you fight back, surrender, or beg for mercy—Dungeon doesn’t care. They don’t negotiate. They wage war for the sake of war. Violence, slaughter, death, destruction... That’s what brings them joy. And Inferno? Fighting them is the most exhausting. Because while they’re arrogant and prideful, they’re also the smartest of the three. They use their brains—and they use them well. Once war breaks out, Inferno unleashes every dirty trick in the book. Schemes, traps, backstabbing, psychological warfare—you name it. They’ll do anything to win. No shame. No limits. And now, the Light Alliance is stuck fighting both Inferno and Dungeon at the same time. You can imagine the kind of pressure they’re under...