Chapter 37: A Challenge

A few minutes later, Kael faintly heard the noisy, hurried footsteps of a large crowd approaching their inn.

"Hmm? Why are so many humans suddenly rushing over here?" Xavier asked through their telepathic connection, casually stretching his little body after eating his fill of meat.

Kael quickly walked over to the bedroom window and cautiously peeked through the curtains. Outside, the narrow street in front of the inn was already packed with a sea of Vex City residents, all jostling against one another.

"It seems Grand Advisor Velde must have given an incredibly exaggerated speech in the town square, Kael thought with a heavy sigh, rubbing his suddenly aching forehead. For heaven’s sake... I really don’t want this much attention!"

Outside, the crowd began shouting hysterically, chanting praises and victory slogans in Kael’s honor.

"Long live the Hero of Vex City!"

"Our beloved Orc Slayer! We’re so proud of you, Sir Kael!"

"They say slaughtering those Dark Mages was as easy as cutting grass in a garden, while chopping down entire goblin and Orc armies was no harder than crushing little ants on the road! You’re truly an incredible warrior! You absolutely deserve to be appointed an official Royal Knight!"

Hearing such wildly exaggerated praise, Kael froze in place, blinking in disbelief.

However, what shocked him most wasn’t the absurd talk about slaughtering grass and ants, but the mention of his new title.

"Wait... What do they mean by saying I deserve to become an official Royal Knight?!"

A fleeting image of Princess Elara’s calculating face immediately crossed Kael’s mind.

"Could that cunning woman have... deliberately set me up?!"

Their previous cooperation agreement had never included any clause requiring Kael to become a Knight.

He had only agreed to serve as an independent combatant and supporter of the Princess’s faction in his capacity as a mercenary.

But now? These sensational rumors, deliberately exaggerated and spread on such a massive scale, had come out of nowhere. A chill crept down Kael’s spine. This situation was bound to bring an entirely new wave of trouble.

These wildly exaggerated heroic tales would attract ambitious knights, arrogant adventurers, and talented young Royal Knights from all corners of the kingdom. They would come to Vex City to challenge him to duels, hoping to boost their own popularity and reputations by defeating the Orc Slayer.

"Damn it! Whoever the bastard is who deliberately spread these ridiculous rumors... If I find out who it is, I’ll beat his face to a pulp!" Kael cursed inwardly.

After taking a long breath to calm his irritation, Kael decided he had to step outside for a moment and settle the commotion before the crowd grew bold enough to break down the inn’s door and disturb his sick wife.

The moment Kael slowly opened the wooden door, the crowd that had been shouting hysterically fell silent in astonishment. The atmosphere remained quiet for a brief moment before a wave of excited whispers broke out once again.

"Wow... He actually came out."

"Our hero has finally shown himself! Good heavens, I want to ask him for an autograph on my face!"

Kael stood with a calm posture, yet exuded an air of authority. He swept his gaze across the crowd before speaking in a flat but commanding voice.

"Please, everyone, calm down. Perhaps you don’t know the actual situation... My wife is currently seriously ill and resting in her room. That’s the main reason I couldn’t attend the ceremony in the town square earlier. I don’t know exactly what the royal delegation told you today, but... could you please disperse now and leave this place peacefully?"

Suddenly, Kael sharpened his gaze, releasing a faint killing intent honed on the battlefield. It sent chills down the spines of many townspeople, making their hair stand on end.

Frightened by the sudden change in Kael’s expression, the crowd immediately came to their senses and exchanged guilty glances.

"Eh? His wife is seriously ill...?" one resident whispered nervously. "Sir Kael must be in a terrible mood and worried about her. We’d better not disturb him. Let’s give him some time with his family."

"You’re right... Why didn’t the city officials tell us about this from the beginning? I feel terrible for making so much noise outside the home of a hero who’s taking care of his sick wife."

"He’s truly a loyal and responsible husband. The woman who gets to call someone as strong and kind as him her husband is incredibly lucky... I’m honestly jealous."

One by one, the residents began quietly taking their leave, orderly making their way out of the inn’s courtyard. The rest of the crowd soon followed, gradually dispersing as well.

However, not everyone left. Those who remained in the courtyard included Loyd, Cherry, Johan and his group of mercenaries, as well as the Imperial elite guards accompanying the newly appointed Vex City administration.

Kael narrowed his eyes, fixing his gaze directly on Grand Advisor Velde, who stood among the group.

"You..." Kael’s voice broke the silence, cold and piercing. "You deliberately allowed this crowd to come swarming over here, even though you knew perfectly well why I refused to attend your delegation’s meeting in the town square. Quite a lot of nerve for a royal bureaucrat, Velde!"

Velde was momentarily stunned before letting out a small laugh in response to the blunt reprimand. Although the old bureaucrat felt offended deep down and desperately wanted to tear Kael’s insolent mouth apart, he had to restrain himself with all his might to comply with the direct orders of the King and Princess Elara.

"Hahaha... Please forgive me, Sir Kael," Velde replied with his usual cunning diplomatic smile. "It’s not as though I possess the power or authority to hold back such a massive crowd of people driven by admiration. But... doesn’t this mean we still get to meet here in the end?"

Loyd, Cherry, Johan, and all the mercenaries who witnessed the exchange immediately held their breath in shock.

They hadn’t expected Kael to speak so bluntly and cynically to the Grand Advisor of the Kingdom, who was none other than the King’s direct right-hand man.

Of course, Kael’s provocative attitude wasn’t without careful consideration. Before officially entering into a working agreement with Elara, he might have chosen to avoid this kind of confrontation.

But the situation was different now. He held an ace up his sleeve and possessed a newly established reputation. By deliberately acting arrogantly in front of these royal officials, he was sending a clear warning to Velde’s young Knights: don’t try anything foolish or look for trouble with him.

Even so, his intimidation tactics weren’t enough to dispel all the tension. Velde might be willing to overlook the incident, but the royal guards, who held their military honor in the highest regard, certainly weren’t.

A young Knight clad in gleaming silver armor, standing at the very front beside Velde and leading the formation of elite royal Knights, suddenly stepped forward. He drew half his sword from its scabbard, his face flushed with rage.

"Watch your insolent tongue, you lowly mercenary!" the young Knight shouted angrily. "Don’t think that just because you’ve achieved a few insignificant feats in this miserable backwater, you can behave so rudely and disrespectfully toward Lord Velde!"

The atmosphere in the courtyard suddenly grew tense and oppressive.

However, before Kael could respond to the provocation, Grand Advisor Velde shot the young Knight a sharp look, his gaze cold and warning.

"Arthur... Watch your tongue and show some respect in front of the royal court’s honored guest..."

Arthur gritted his teeth, struggling to contain the wave of anger and resentment burning in his chest. Reluctantly, he bowed halfway and hissed, "Please forgive my insolence... Sir Kael."

Kael stared straight at Arthur, a faint, mocking smile curling at the corner of his lips.

Deep down, he knew very well that if he wanted to put an end to the endless stream of irritating duel challenges from the royal Knights in the future, he needed to nip the problem in the bud and set a harsh example so that not too many would dare challenge him.

Kael began playing his part. He took a single step forward, his intimidating gaze piercing straight into Arthur’s eyes.

"Forgive you? Just an apology, and that’s it?" Kael sneered in an openly mocking tone. "Listen here, you shiny-armored brat... Your cheap apology means absolutely nothing to me! I’d much rather beat that arrogant face of yours to a pulp and humiliate you in front of every citizen in this city. Only then might I consider forgiving you!"

Kael snorted disdainfully.

"If your courage is really as great as your boasting, then how about we settle this on an open field... Let’s hold an official duel in a few days, once I’ve finished taking care of my business!"

Hearing such an openly insulting challenge to his honor in front of the public and his own superior, Arthur instinctively raised his head.

The young man’s face turned red as a boiled crab, while the veins on his temples and slender neck bulged from an explosion of rage that had pushed him beyond the limits of reason.

Arthur gripped the hilt of his sword so tightly that his knuckles turned white, then bared his teeth in a vicious grin as he glared at Kael.

"Fine! Your cheap little challenge... I won’t refuse!" Arthur shouted, his voice filled with bitter hatred.