After hearing those arrogant voices coming from inside the inn, I didn’t even need to ask to know what had happened. I already knew exactly who was responsible for throwing Onyx out into the cold. And as if he were confirming my thoughts—
"They are so of the newly appointed knights who arrived here in the city a few months back."
Edgar said that in a low, tired voice.
The people I was hearing inside were most probably the sa knights that Kael told about earlier... this inn was near the dungeon, so it’s not far-fetched.
Every fiber of my being wanted to barge in right this second and punch their faces in, but I forced myself to stay calm for just one more mont.
"Can you tell a bit more about them first?"
I asked that to Edgar.
He stayed silent for a short while... but after a slow nod of his head, he began to explain the situation to . He didn’t just tell about the n inside; he told about the state of the entire city.
... ... ...
As it turned out, corruption had been rotting this city from the inside out for generations now.
Because Zore was located at the very edge of the empire and sat so far away from the kingdom’s capital, the place had quickly headed toward ruin while the public eye was looking elsewhere.
New knights were sent here every single year, but most of them were just the spoiled sons of noble families who were only here to gain so easy "experience" for their resus. With absolutely no one around to keep them in check, these n quickly beca drunk on their own power and their fancy titles.
With the silent backing of the City Lord, they had started a habit of harassing local shops, forcing the owners to serve them for free at all hours of the night.
They would wander from place to place, sotis hitting multiple taverns or inns in a single night just to cause trouble.
Even worse, they had set their sights on the local commoner girls, harassing them constantly without any fear of the law.
And if anyone actually dared to resist their demands or stand up to them— they would simply use their noble titles and family connections to pressure the victims until they were forced to shut up... or, more often than not, until those people died due to mysterious "accidents" or were driven to suicide.
"..."
My face remained perfectly straight and expressionless after hearing Edgar’s grim story.
I looked down at Onyx, who was just staring back up at , still wagging his tail despite the pain in his leg. I clenched my hands into fists to feel them out.
I took a deep breath, focusing inward to take a proper feel of my own body, my current capabilities, and my growing list of abilities.
Up until now, my plan had been simple: acquire as many skills as possible and beco strong enough so I could eventually live however I wanted. I wanted to enjoy a free and luxurious life this ti around.
I planned to do all of that while pretending to be a simple human knight from a fallen family just to avoid any unnecessary trouble.
But now, as I thought about it more— do I really need to pretend and mix in with the humans for that plan...?
The answer was simple... No, I don’t need to.
’I guess being a human in my previous life made think that I am still the sa as I was before.’
I thought to myself.
I looked back at the entrance of the inn, where the loud, grating laughter of those bastards was still echoing through the walls. I turned my gaze back to Edgar, and finally opening my mouth—
"I am going to leave Bong in your care for a while."
I told him that firmly.
"Huh...?"
He looked completely confused by my sudden change in tone. But without giving him any further explanation— TAP!
I turned on my heel and entered the inn, carrying Onyx safely in my arms.
I took a quick look around the establishnt and saw that the place was completely empty of other guests, except for the six bastards who were currently drinking and making a massive noise. They were all gathered around a long table in the middle of the lobby.
It looked like Onyx hadn’t been the only one kicked out of the plce.
"Hmm...?"
I recognized two familiar faces among the group right away. One was the guard from the city gate who had questioned my identity and doubted Elianna’s authority. It seed like he was the rat who had inford the others about the Saintess’ arrival.
The other one was the guard I had seen yesterday as well who was clearly in cahoots with those three bald idiots that tried to mug .
They were all so busy drinking and talking shit that they hadn’t even noticed entering the place. And so, opening my mouth—
"Ugh, it fucking stinks in here... why is there a bunch of rotten shits sitting inside the lobby?"
I said that with a deep frown of disgust on my face.
"Huh...?"
The six of them imdiately stopped what they were doing the mont they heard my voice full of contempt. They finally realized I was there and turned their heads to look at .
"Who the hell do you think you are...?"
One of them asked with an angry look on his face. He was the only one wearing a suit of full-plated armor.
"Ah...!"
The two guards I had recognized earlier seed to rember instantly, as their eyes widened the second they saw my face.
"He was the guy traveling with the Saintess’ group!"
"He is also the guy I was telling you about— the arrogant one!"
They shouted while pointing their fingers directly at . The other four, who appeared to be the actual knights, just smiled at their words. Then, seeing Onyx resting in my arm—
"Ah, are you the owner of that little bastard?"
The man who had just asked for my identity spoke up again. And without missing a single beat—
"Sorry for kicking him out of our sight, but it is just that animals make the whole place sll bad, you see."
He followed up with that, sounding not sorry at all. It was obvious that he was trying to provoke .
"Are you sure it isn’t just your own breath? Try shutting the fuck up for once and see if the air clears."
I imdiately shot back at him. The others at the table looked at the man who had been talking, their eyes going wide at my blunt words.
"Haha... now that is actually funny."
He said, his voice dropping an octave.
"Really? Because I wasn’t joking at all— I can sll your rot from all the way over here and it is about to make puke."
I replied coldly.
"Just so you know who you are talking to... I am the eldest son of Count Auden."
He declared that with a haughty, superior smile on his face. But it was so obvious that he was about to explode in anger.
"Am I supposed to know who the fuck that is? And so what if you are? What are you going to do, call your daddy so you can go and suck his dick?"
I casually responded, the frown on my face deepening.
"..."
The entire area went deathly silent at my lsat words. Everyone turned their heads to look at the one I was talking to— I could practically feel his rage seething and boiling over. Then, after a few tense seconds—
"FUCKING KILL HIM!!!"
He scread that command and unsheathed the sword hanging at his waist.
FWIP—
At his direct command, the others all stood up and drew their weapons as well. They all glared at with murderous intent, and without a mont of hesitation— BAM!
They rushed at , clearly intending to end my life right there.
However, maybe it was because they were just inexperienced knights, or because the two were just common guards... or maybe they were all just pieces of shit— but their movents were nowhere near as good as Kael and his squad.
SWOOSH!
Soone swung their sword at , but I just took a simple step back and let the blade miss by a hair’s breadth.
FWOOSH—!
The two familiar guards thrust their spears at at the sa ti, but I just spun my body around and dodged the attacks effortlessly.
FWISH— WHOOSH!
Then ca a combination attack from the other two; one swung his blade horizontally from behind while the other attacked from the front... but they were incredibly slow in my eyes.
BAM!
I ducked down low and kicked off the floor, propelling my body forward like a spring.
"...?!"
I arrived instantly in front of the guy who had ordered the others to kill — SWISH!
He swung his sword down vertically in a state of pure panic. And with Onyx still held safely in my arms— TINK!
I deflected his heavy attack with total ease using only my left pauldron. Then as a swift counter-attack— THUNK!
I kicked him square in the middle of the stomach, the force of it actually denting his thick tal armor.
BOOM!
"GURGH...?!"
The guy was sent flying backward, crashing through several wooden tables. And while he was still down on the ground— TAP-
I walked over to him and placed my right foot directly on top of his left knee.
"Huh...?"
He looked up at with a look of pure confusion. Then, while looking down at him—
"This is the first part of my payback for what you did to this little guy."
CRACK!
I declared that as I stomped down as hard as I possibly could, completely destroying his knee to make sure he would be a cripple for the rest of his life.
"GRAAAHHHHHH!!!"
He scread out in agonizing pain as he began rolling around on the floor. I just ignored his cries; then, turning around— I saw the other five guys standing there, looking at with wide, terrified eyes after seeing what I had just done.
"Don’t worry— I am going to handle the rest of you now as well."
I told them that. I honestly don’t know what kind of expression was on my face at that mont.
"AAARGH!!!"
But after hearing that, they all desperately rushed at again.
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