Chapter 159: Ludwig the Great.

Chapter 159: Chapter 159: Ludwig the Great.

Chapter 159: Ludwig the Great.

The pressure wasn’t physical, yet it felt as though an enormous weight had suddenly descended upon his body, making it difficult for him to maintain his composure.

Even the Alpha Lightning Wolf beside him lowered its body slightly, its growling becoming noticeably weaker as it struggled against the pressure.

As a magic user himself, Osborne could sense the sheer amount of mana emanating from the old man, and compared to him, his own magical power seemed more like a firefly going up against a lightbulb.

It wasn’t even a competition.

The difference between their mana reserves was so great that Osborne couldn’t help but wonder just how many magic circles the old man possessed.

Unfortunately, since he wasn’t particularly well versed in magical knowledge, he had no way of accurately determining the man’s level, and even if he wanted to make an educated guess, the difference in their magical power was simply too great.

All he knew was that if this old man willed it, escaping from here would probably be impossible.

’What a troublesome situation...’

Osborne inwardly clicked his tongue, briefly glancing towards the Alpha Lightning Wolf beside him before turning his attention back to the old man.

He had no intention of provoking someone he couldn’t defeat, especially when he had already invested considerable time and effort into collecting the Moonlight Grass.

Losing the herbs would be unfortunate, but losing his life over a few plants would be downright foolish.

With no other option, Osborne cleared his throat.

"Forgive me, sir, but I have no idea what you’re talking about."

"You bastard! Want to deny it?!"

The old man’s eyebrows shot upwards, and the expression on his face became even more furious as he stared at the armoured figure below him.

"What do you mean you have no idea what I’m talking about? Do you think I’m blind?!"

He pointed towards the herbs scattered across the ground, while his other hand remained behind his back.

"Look around you! The entire field has been disturbed, and you’re standing right in the middle of it with a good amount of my herbs beside you, yet you still have the nerve to pretend you know nothing about it!"

Osborne followed the direction of his finger before looking back at the old man.

"Ah, you mean these?"

"Of course I mean those!"

The old man’s beard trembled slightly as he spoke, seemingly struggling to contain his anger.

’He’s got a point. This situation doesn’t exactly look favourable to begin with.’

’But I can’t just let it go like this.’

Osborne looked down at the herbs in silence for a moment before raising his head again.

"Then I’m afraid there’s been a misunderstanding, sir. I was simply gathering some herbs that happened to be growing in this area, and I had no idea this field belonged to anyone."

"Misunderstanding?"

The old man repeated his words, his expression becoming increasingly unpleasant.

"Do you take me for an idiot? You think I wouldn’t know when someone has been harvesting the herbs I’ve spent years cultivating?"

He slowly descended a little, although he remained suspended in the air, his eyes never leaving Osborne.

"Not only did you ignore the restrictions I placed around this field, but you’ve also been taking my herbs as though they were growing in some abandoned wasteland, and now you want me to believe that you simply happened to stumble upon them?"

Osborne remained silent for a moment.

’Restrictions?’

He hadn’t the slightest idea what the old man was talking about, and considering how carefully he had followed the scent of the Moonlight Grass, he couldn’t recall encountering anything that suggested the field was protected by a spell.

However, before he could make sense of the situation, the old man suddenly released another wave of mana, causing the air around them to tremble slightly.

"You little thief, do you really think I’m going to let you walk away after taking so much of my hard-earned work?"

Meanwhile, inwardly, the old man was thinking something else entirely.

’What’s with this kid...?’

He narrowed his eyes as he examined the armoured figure standing below him, paying particular attention to his posture and the way he had reacted to the sudden appearance of himself.

’He can clearly sense the difference in our magical power, so why isn’t there any sign of despair or fear in him?’

The old man had encountered countless people throughout his long life, including nobles who believed their status could protect them from anything, arrogant young geniuses who thought the world revolved around them, and even powerful knights who refused to bow their heads before a mage.

However, the moment most of them experienced the difference between their strength and his own, their attitudes would change almost immediately.

Some would beg for mercy, others would attempt to bargain, while a few foolish individuals would try to fight despite knowing that they stood no chance of winning.

Yet this young man was different.

Although he had clearly been startled by his sudden appearance, his reaction was rather restrained, and even after experiencing the pressure of his mana, he hadn’t shown any obvious signs of panic.

There was no trembling voice, no desperate attempt to flee, and certainly no expression that suggested he was preparing to beg for his life.

’Is he not afraid of death?’

The old man couldn’t help but wonder, while his gaze briefly shifted towards the Lightning Wolf standing beside Osborne.

The beast was clearly a demonic creature, and judging by its size and the amount of mana contained within its body, it wasn’t particularly weak either.

However, even with such a creature accompanying him, the old man doubted that the young man would stand a chance against him.

’Perhaps he’s simply too ignorant to understand the situation he’s in.’

That was the most reasonable explanation he could come up with, although he couldn’t help but feel that there was something unusual about the young man.

After all, someone who could bypass the restrictions surrounding his garden and casually harvest so many herbs without triggering an immediate response wasn’t exactly ordinary.