Chapter 10: Rose Lounge (3)
The middle-aged man didn’t want to cause any trouble in this city, which was highly sensitive to the Holy Church, especially on such an occasion. But the other party kept pressing forward relentlessly. Judging by their appearance, these three weren’t kind-hearted either. If trouble arose, though he wasn’t afraid of anything, it certainly wouldn’t be a good thing. But it seemed he had no choice now. A surge of sword energy rushed toward him. If he didn’t confront it head-on, the flower bonsai behind him would surely be damaged. Moreover, the middle-aged man had no intention of backing down. As a core member of the Rema Knights Order, he refused to take actions that would disgrace him by retreating. With a light whistle, he stepped aside, formed a strange gesture with his left hand, and muttered a spell. Immediately, a huge colorless water shield appeared in front of him, separating the two of them. At the same time, his right-hand dagger also lunged forward.
The sword barrier and the water shield collided, generating bursts of mist, like two tornadoes mixing together. After a series of impacts, the water shield shattered and scattered. But the intense vibrations weakened the sword’s sharpness, reducing its offensive power. Just as Ilot was about to make another attempt, the dagger in the other party’s right hand had already broken through Ilot’s defenses and pointed easily at his neck.
Komer took a deep breath secretly. Though he pretended to be drunk, he was constantly watching the fight between Ilot and the other party. Ilot’s excellent performance had already surprised him, but the other party’s formidable strength filled him with fear. The moment the dagger controlled Ilot, two sleeve arrows suddenly flew out unexpectedly from Puber’s wide sleeves, like two streaks of silver light. In a moment of desperation, the middle-aged man didn’t have time to think much. He swiftly raised his dagger, and at that instant, the tip of the sword grew an extra foot long.
“Who dares to be so presumptuous here?” A clear and loud voice came from the top of the corridor, accompanied by rapid footsteps. Komer’s blurred eyes suddenly lit up as he gave Ilot, who stood beside him with a wary expression, a subtle glance that no outsider could notice. Ilot understood immediately and quietly stuffed back what he had reached for with his left hand, while Puber promptly reverted to his listless, exhausted appearance.
The first man stepped in boldly, followed by several others who all appeared imposing, clad in sturdy leather armor. Through the gaps in the armor, one could see their dark red underrobes. They had broad faces and large ears, fierce eyes beneath thick brows, wide mouths beneath high noses, and thick linen beards covering their chins completely. Komer and the others exchanged glances before immediately putting on a timid demeanor. The frail Puber even took an exaggerated step forward and cried out, “Lord Leclerc, you must stand up for us! A group of foreign bandits suddenly appeared here and tried to harm us. Thankfully you arrived in time; otherwise, the three of us would have been killed by them.”
Frowning slightly, Leclerc’s sharp gaze swept over the composed middle-aged man. The armored officer, called Lord Leclerc, then turned his gaze back to Komer and the others. The corners of his mouth twitched, revealing a sarcastic smile. “Oh, and who am I? It turns out to be you three. Why is your skin itching again? What’s the matter? Even Sepulus’s famous Three Wolves have times when they’re outmatched?”
“Lord Leclerc, we are still citizens of Sepulus City. It seems we didn’t provoke anyone today. Just because someone makes a mistake doesn’t mean they can’t correct it. You can investigate who’s right and who’s wrong in this matter. There are witnesses and parties involved here—just ask, and you’ll know what really happened,” Puber replied calmly, his face expressionless, with a sinister tone.
Seeing these scoundrels from Sepulus City so stubborn for the first time, Leclerc was also surprised. He glanced at the middle-aged man who had remained silent on the side. Who was this imposing fellow, and how was he connected to these rascals? He surely wasn’t an ordinary person. Then why didn’t he speak up to refute their false accusations?
Seeing the stern-looking officer turn his gaze toward him again, the middle-aged man realized that failing to explain himself soon might lead to misunderstandings. With a serious and polite bow, he said, “My lord, Douglas of the Rema Knights orders his regards.”
“The Rema Knights?” The armored officer’s expression darkened, and his gaze quickly shifted to the group of patrons not far behind the middle-aged man. His attitude changed abruptly. “Hah, no wonder you dare cause trouble in our city of Sepulus. So you’re from the Rema Knights under the Light Church. Lord Douglas, I’ve long heard of your reputation. But by acting so recklessly in Sepulus, are you trying to undermine the agreement between our Grand Duke and your church?”
Faced with the aggressive words, the middle-aged man inwardly groaned. He hadn’t wanted to escalate the existing tensions over this matter. He had only intended to ask those three men a few questions, but they turned out to be so cunning and stubborn, giving him no chance at all, and now the Knights were involved.
Keeping a calm and composed expression, the middle-aged man wasn’t intimidated by the officer’s words. “My lord, you must be misunderstanding. We haven’t done anything excessive. I merely wanted to ask if these three have seen anything related to our investigation. If they have, we’d like to know; if not, we’ll just leave. It doesn’t seem to violate any rules, does it? Besides, it seems Grand Duke Philip hasn’t ordered that people from the Light Church are prohibited from entering the Homer region. Is our behavior illegal?”
“Hmph? Is that so? I seem to have seen someone unreasonably blocking us and demanding we explain things we originally didn’t know. Isn’t that an open challenge to the laws of Sepulus? Or do you think your Light Church holds more power than Grand Duke Philip of Sepulus? We’ve explained repeatedly, but it seems you ignore us completely, giving us no chance to explain.” Puber roared fiercely, his words laced with provocation. “We know the Rema Knights are powerful and untouchable, but who are we, and what place is this? Even if we’ve violated any laws, it should be the judges of our Grand Duke who judge us. It shouldn’t be up to your Light Church to interfere. Besides, we don’t seem to be followers of your church. How dare you act so arrogantly and overstep your authority?”
I never expected this unimpressive, thin man to have such sharp words as a knife—targeting me at every turn and deliberately sowing discord and slander. The usually upright middle-aged man couldn’t think of suitable words to retort, a flash of anger crossing his eyes. Before he could respond, the armored officer already placed his hand on the sword at his waist. “I’m sorry, Lord Douglas. I’m afraid we’ll have to ask you to come with us to the fortress. Although our order isn’t in charge of these daily law enforcement matters, since this has happened, we have no choice but to ask for your cooperation.”
“I’m sorry, Lord LeClair. I’m afraid we can’t go with you. I haven’t done anything that violates Sepulcus’ laws. What right do you have to do this? Is Sepulcus a place where justice doesn’t matter? Can you convict someone based on mere words? That’s utterly absurd.” The middle-aged man firmly rejected their proposal. Though he knew this might anger them, it came down to the honor of the Light Church and the order, and he couldn’t back down.
“Oh?” His eyebrows raised instantly. Though he knew the other party wouldn’t be easy to reason with, he hadn’t expected such a resolute refusal. The armored officer’s expression darkened further, and a menacing aura began to emanate from his robust frame. The ten knights behind him quickly split into two groups, forming an attack formation. Their sharp knightly lances were tightly held in hands covered by light armor, their silver tips gleaming with a cold light under the light.
“Lord Douglas, I’m afraid it’s beyond your control. If you insist on this, it could provoke a conflict between your Light Church and our Homer region. Can you bear that responsibility?” The armored officer’s lips twitched slightly, his smile-like gaze like silk entwining itself, fixed firmly on the other man’s face.
“I’m sorry, but if a conflict arises, the responsibility should lie with you, not us,” the middle-aged man said, shaking his head unshaken. Faced with the immense pressure from the other side, he also began to channel his spiritual energy to counter it, his dagger quietly sliding down into an attacking stance.