Chapter 488 322: Queen of the Sith Kingdom

If Epic powerhouses are the backbone of every faction, then Legendary Powerhouses are influential enough to determine a faction's very rise or fall.

Especially now, as the elemental tides of the entire Middle Ages Continent have only just begun to rise. The Metal Dragons are still recuperating on Dragon Island, with sightings of them being few and far between. The Five-Colored Dragons are holed up in the Wilderness, carving out their own fiefdoms like local tyrants.

The Dwarves are scattered across the Seven Kingdoms, working as Blacksmiths, while the Elves remain hidden in the forests, aloof from the affairs of the world.

There are very few publicly known Legendary figures on the entire Middle Ages Continent. Therefore, unless absolutely necessary, no one would want to make an enemy of a powerhouse with strength comparable to the Legendary realm.

"But…" Harland unhurriedly refilled his cup with wine.

If it had been anyone else trying to build suspense like this, the Lord would have already smacked them upside the head. As it was, he could only wait quietly for what came next, getting a taste of the same torment the Barbarians of High Cliff Castle once endured.

"Phew." He downed the wine in one gulp and let out a long breath before continuing, "But in recent years, both Talisi and the Holy Sith Kingdom have seen their national power grow at an astonishing rate."

"They say that His Holiness the Pope of Talisi has already reached the Legendary Peak, just a single step away from the next realm. And the Holy Sith Kingdom's creation from last year, the Fasting Elephant Gold Man, is said to be powerful enough to rival a Legendary Powerhouse."

"And now that you've appeared out of nowhere, it's inevitable that they'll want to test your mettle."

"If they want to test me, let them try." The Lord scoffed. "Does a giant elephant care about being challenged by an ant?"

Coming from anyone else, those words would have sounded like blustering bravado. Only when Levi said them did they carry a genuine, ruthless conviction.

It wasn't hard to understand, really. Imagine three Evil Dragons infighting on their own turf, when suddenly, a Giant Dragon of unknown origin barges in.

No matter what, their first move would be to probe the newcomer's strength before deciding on their next course of action.

Originally, Talisi and the Holy Sith Kingdom were both stronger than Debei and frequently clashed. But now that Debei suddenly has a Legendary Powerhouse in its corner, the entire dynamic has changed.

Levi himself had little interest in these political struggles. As long as he wasn't provoked, he couldn't be bothered. But if someone was truly foolish enough to cross him, the Lord wouldn't mind teaching them a lesson they'd never forget.

"Damn right!" Harland's face was flushed and his spirits were soaring. He took a huge swig of hard liquor and swore with a laugh, "Now *that's* how a real man talks! Levi, let me tell you, that's exactly how you have to deal with those types!"

His bushy beard was soaked with liquor, making him look exactly like a great bear sitting in a chair.

"You know, when I was young, I couldn't have cared less about all this damn power. I was desperate to become a Sword Saint, to represent the very Peak of Combat Qi."

"I wanted to wander the Seven Kingdoms with just my sword, slay Evil Dragons... I served as a mercenary with merchant caravans, even formed an Adventurer party with a group of friends. Thinking about it now... what a time to be alive." It was clear that Harland grew excited talking about the past; the corners of his mouth crept up into a smile without him even noticing.

"To be honest, we were all young back then, and we dared to stand up to any injustice."

Levi was slightly astonished. Rumor had it that this King was an illegitimate son who was found by the Royal Family while drinking in a tavern one day, and then, inexplicably, he became King.

The common belief was that this bastard king had used extraordinary measures, secretly assassinating his own brothers to secure the throne.

But seeing him now, it was clear how baseless many of the world's rumors could be.

He could sense that the fluctuations of Combat Qi coming from Harland were quite strong, perhaps even on par with Mandela's. Frankly, he was far stronger than the court knights who guarded him—the gap was by no means small.

Aside from the spiritual path unique to the Panda Man race, there are no shortcuts when it comes to cultivating the elements, and this is especially true for Combat Qi. This proved Harland wasn't lying; he had devoted an incredible amount of effort to his Combat Qi in his youth.

"Alright, that's enough reminiscing. Let's get back to the matter at hand." Harland clapped his hands, and a young, blond man entered from outside. It was none other than Prince Bedoyel, whom Levi had met on two prior occasions.

The Prince looked rather nervous, a stark contrast to his demeanor at the city gate.

"Levi, I now understand the full story. For his part in this, Bedoyel owes you an apology." The King of Harland looked toward the Prince, the Commander of the Gonda Security Team.

In front of the bear-like King, the tall Prince was as meek as a lamb. With his arms hanging straight at his sides, he gave Levi a full ninety-degree bow. "My sincerest apologies. It was my failure to manage my subordinates that caused you so much trouble. I will take full responsibility for the treatment costs of the injured members from High Cliff Castle. Please accept my apology and forgive my mistake."

"My men aren't seriously hurt, and their verbal barbs only warranted a small lesson." Levi nodded, deciding not to press the matter.

After all, the incident had been fabricated from the start, and the Prince was dragged into it. With apologies coming from both the Prince and the King, continuing to press the issue would be counterproductive.

Now that his objective had been met, it was time to let it go.

The Prince, however, declared loudly, "The crime of insulting a Duke can only be cleansed at the gallows!"

"Correct. These wretches who don't know how to respect the nobility have no reason to remain in this world!" With those words, Harland sealed the fate of the three knights still suffering back at High Cliff Castle.