Her Grandfather’s Promise

“You little b*stard! I don’t care what Grey Wolf King you are on some Northern Frontline! You have to go to Rheinfeld and marry the daughter of the Hartmanns, Helena! “Her grandpa saved me ten years ago, and I promised him you would marry her! The half piece of jade is the token for the marriage. I’ve written the Hartmanns’ address on the letter and put in Helena’s picture and phone number. You’d better go there and marry the girl! “If you don’t bring me a healthy grandson next year, I will kick your ass in front of your men!” Konrad looked at the crumpled letter in his hand and could not decide whether to laugh or cry. He had read it on the plane, sent by his master. Old Brandt was the only man in all of Eldmark with the nerve to kick the Grey Wolf King in front of his men, the Steelfangs. Konrad was an orphan. His birth parents had abandoned him in a cradle, and it had drifted down a rapid river until Old Brandt spotted it and fished him out. The boy was taken back to Falkenberg and raised as Old Brandt’s only disciple. The old man treated him like his own son and taught him everything he knew. After eighteen years of relentless training, Konrad had become a man of many talents. When war broke out on the Northern Frontline, he was drafted and sent to serve his country. He charged alone into a million enemy troops, and his iron fists crushed their arrogance. He beheaded their leader single-handedly. That battle made him famous. He served another ten years after it. In that time he built the most elite force in the country, the Steelfangs. A million of them now guarded the border, and Konrad was granted the title of Grey Wolf King. He had never expected that, on his return from the frontline, his master would try to set him up with a woman. He rubbed his temples. His stern face was full of helplessness. His master was a stubborn, odd old man with a temper, and once he decided something, nothing could change his mind. He had arranged this marriage, so Konrad had to obey and marry Helena Hartmann in Rheinfeld. Three hours later, the plane landed at Rheinfeld Central Airport. Konrad took a deep breath the moment his feet touched the ground. “The air here is much better than the blood-soaked air at the border.” When he walked out of the arrival gate, he saw a large crowd outside the airport, peering in. Word had spread that someone important was coming to Rheinfeld, and people had gathered for a glimpse. They could not get anywhere near, because the military had sealed off the airport. Soldiers with live rounds stood at the entrance keeping order. Even the richest man in the city had been turned away. Konrad scanned the area and finally spotted a familiar face: the mayor of Rheinfeld, Dieter Weber. Dieter saw him as soon as he stepped out of the arrival gate. He bowed solemnly and said with the deepest respect, “Grey Wolf King!” Konrad smiled. “Dieter, it’s been three years. How is your recovery going?” “Thank you for asking, Grey Wolf King. I’m fine now.” Dieter respected the young Grey Wolf King wholeheartedly because he owed him his life. He had been a captain on the Northern Frontline back then, and the battalion he led was ambushed by enemy forces during an assignment. When the young Grey Wolf King heard about the ambush, he led a company of soldiers himself and carried the dying Dieter off the battlefield. After that, Dieter was discharged because of his injuries. He moved back to Rheinfeld and was elected mayor. Knowing the Grey Wolf King was coming, Dieter had sealed off the airport just to welcome him. “Grey Wolf King, please get in the car.” Dieter opened the door of a Mercedes-Maybach and gestured for Konrad to enter. The crowd outside was stunned. “Am I seeing this right?” “Mayor Weber sealed off the airport just to welcome a young man?” “Mayor Weber has always thought highly of himself, yet he’s treating that young man with this much respect. He must be some big shot!” “Is he a young master from a famous family in Kaiserstadt?” Under countless curious stares, Konrad climbed into the Mercedes-Maybach. Dieter bowed again. “Grey Wolf King, I’ve prepared a feast to welcome you. Let me take you to...” “That’s all right.” Konrad waved a hand to stop him. “Dieter, can you drive me to Black Forest Cafe?” “Sir, why are you going there?” “An arranged marriage...” Konrad put a palm to his face. Dieter’s eyes flickered in bafflement. What? The Grey Wolf King, who had led a million Steelfangs into war, who held the highest power and authority and had wealth without end, was being forced into an arranged marriage? Dieter could not take it in. Still, he followed orders and drove Konrad to Black Forest Cafe. The cafe stood in the city center, where every inch of land was worth a gold bar. Living costs there were high, so the people who spent time there were no commoners. A woman in a tailored white dress, with a lovely figure, sat at a table inside. Her striking eyes had a frosty look as she gazed out the window. Sunlight lit her long hair where it fell over her shoulders. She looked like a goddess, with beauty, poise, and wealth, perfect in every way. This was Helena of the Hartmanns. Konrad compared her with the picture in his hand and went over. Helena noticed a man approaching. She lifted her chin and looked Konrad over with an arrogant gaze. “Are you Konrad Ashford?” “I am,” Konrad said with a nod. “Where’s the token?” Her voice was cold, as though she were trying to push him away. Konrad took out the half piece of jade and set it on the table. Helena picked it up and examined it, then put it back down. “Let’s cut to the chase,” she said flatly. “I’ve read your file. You’ve lived in the mountains all your life, and you’re poor. “I’m the daughter of the Hartmanns and the CEO of Silver Dawn Corporation. You’re out of my league!” She was frosty and disdainful. As the goddess CEO of Silver Dawn Corporation in Rheinfeld, she did not belong in the same world as the poor man in front of her, yet her grandfather was forcing her to marry him. Why? Konrad was stunned. Royals and nobles had once competed to marry their daughters to the Grey Wolf King. Now, in this woman’s words, he was a poor man. Helena took his silence as proof that he understood the gap between their stations, and the disdain in her eyes deepened. “I don’t know why my grandfather wants me to marry you, but we’re not from the same world! I’m not going to marry you!”