Chapter 2

I am Michael Heylain and I might have been the next duke of Las Veganza if last year hadn't happened. Las Veganza is a duchy where the duke is chosen by the people if there is more than one scion of the Heylain clan.

Being far more popular with the masses than my elder brother, Jonas the duchy was supposed to be my responsibility.

But, my once dear brother, Jonas...accused me of killing the Grand Vizier whom he had murdered, disowned and banished me. Ever since then, I have been living on the streets with the children who grew up in them. At first, they didn't want to be caught dead with me. After all, the label of a murderer is a weighty cross to bear.

Thus, it took time but I convinced them of my innocence and befriended them. It’s difficult to survive on the streets...thievery was something new to me but I had to adapt.

Half a year ago, my brother passed the order to execute anyone committing even the smallest crime in his duchy on sight.

His reason? A philosophy that he had always maintained and now put into action- the poor were a plague on mankind; leeches with no right to live. So, to justify his actions, he began with awarding capital punishment to those who committed thievery,

But I knew, this was only the beginning.

Many died following this proclamation. The losses were especially heavy among the ranks of the street-children. They wanted to revolt. And knowing Jonas, I understood only too well that an uprising was the only way.

We broke into storehouses and stole weapons. We retaliated when we spotted guards about to murder people on sight. But the executions did not stop.

With time, even more commoners flocked to us.

Our group "The Oppressed Knights" infiltrated and assassinated those guards and ministers we knew to be corrupt and ruthless. My knowledge of the ruling class in the duchy made me the ideal choice to formulate the strategies.

Normally, since Las Veganza was just a small duchy in the United Feudal Lands of America or UFLA, this issue wouldn't be given much credence by the Feudal Council and was expected to be solved by the duke himself. But...to gain my brother's attention and give credibility to our revolution, I unveiled myself and declared that I, Michael Heylain was the rightful duke and that Jonas Heylain was a murderer.

My claims were supported by the commoners who had suffered long under Jonas's rule. They rioted.

The UFLA ordered Jonas to bring peace back to the duchy and warned that if he failed, dire consequences would follow. So, he gave his word that peace would return.

But...my name was enough to launch my brother into taking an avid interest himself. And he brought peace...in the most brutal way possible. A mercenary company was hired and given free rein. They indiscriminately slaughtered people and soon the commoners’ revolt was suppressed.

The Oppressed Knights hijacked a media centre at the dead of night and issued a challenge to the mercenary captain, Markus von Steinus to meet us in battle at the Crooked Lands.