Chapter 16: Give Them What They Want to See, Part 1

The opponent’s grab was exactly as Dean remembered it.

However, back then, Dean had been lying in the snow, ill and weak, while the opponent had been arrogant and overbearing.

And now?

The opponent remained arrogant, but Dean had changed—

Slap!

Before the opponent’s hand could reach the longsword at his waist, Dean simply slapped the hand away. In the next moment, he delivered a power ful kick to the opponent’s lower abdomen.

Boom!

Even with the protection of cotton-padded clothes and a leather armor, this kick produced a dull sound. The opponent staggered backward and eventually sat down hard on the ground, which further proved the strength behind that dull sound.

However, it did not end there.

Dean followed closely as the opponent fell and sat on the ground. With a flick of his hand, he took the short sword from the opponent’s grip. Then, scabbard first, he swung the weapon to strike the opponent’s face.

Slap, slap, slap…

With loud striking sounds, the opponent’s mouth corner swelled up immediately, and several teeth mixed with blood fell out.

“You, a soldier, dare to attack an Apprentice Knight? Do you want to be hanged?”

Dean shouted this, striking harder in his hand. The opponent’s slightly bewildered expression clearly showed he was stunned and on the verge of unconsciousness—undeniably, Dean’s words were not directed at the person whose face he was beating.

As for who he was talking to?

It was obvious—those soldiers who had rushed out of the Military Camp buildings heard Dean’s shout. They immediately stopped their charge, looked at each other in confusion, and subconsciously turned their gaze to the person behind them: their Regiment Commander, Potts.

“Stop!”

Under the gaze of his subordinates, the Ferrchelen Knight Order Regiment Commander shouted, striding towards Dean.

“This is the first time, and it will be the last. If you do it again, I will hang you!”

Upon hearing the shout, Dean straightened up, looked at the opponent whose face was thoroughly swollen, and said sternly: “If you do it again, I will definitely hang you!” When everyone thought this was the end, Dean lifted his leg; the sole of his Boots made intimate contact with the opponent’s face once more. This strike caused the Guard to faint completely.

Seeing this scene, most members of the Ferrchelen Knight Order subconsciously shrank their necks. They made a decision in their hearts: never to provoke Dean easily from now on.

After all, no one wanted to suffer flesh injuries for no reason—look at poor Ryder. The injuries on his face would prevent him from going out for two weeks. Even after healing, he probably wouldn’t be able to eat meat and would only be able to drink porridge and soup. The more than ten teeth that flew out were still covered in blood, standing out particularly conspicuously on the snow.

But it felt so satisfying!

This nasty guy got punished just like this, it was really great!

Most members of the Ferrchelen Knight Order, who had such thoughts in their hearts, looked at Dean with a slightly different expression in their eyes—their fear was gradually transforming.

The remaining members of the Ferrchelen Knight Order did not look at Dean so politely. Their eyes seemed as if they wanted to eat people, which was enough to show their anger. After all, as formal members of the Ferrchelen Knight Order, their relationship with Ryder was quite good.

If it were not for the other party’s identity and seeing the Regiment Commander intervene personally, they would have swarmed him long ago.

Hmph, you ignoramuse who doesn’t know the height of the sky and the depth of the earth, you are bound to run into bad luck!

These formal members of the Ferrchelen Knight Order looked at Dean, sending vicious Curises in their hearts, and were also looking forward to it—they all wanted to see how their Regiment Commander would teach the other person a lesson.

“Excuse me, is this Ferrchelen Knight Order Regiment Commander Potts?”

Dean walked quickly towards the approaching Ferrchelen Knight Order Regiment Commander, gave a Knight’s Salute, and asked politely. If it were not for the scabbarded Dagger covered in Blood still held in his hand, anyone would be unable to connect the slightly tyrannical man from before with the person before them.

If the former was a Butcher, then the latter was a gentlemanly scholar, a poet, or even a Noble.

Seeing Dean unhesitatingly trample Ryder into unconsciousness before, a burst of anger had already risen in Potts’s heart. After all, that was his nephew. Therefore, he had already prepared to treat him in the same manner—Dean actually dared to punish his nephew with charges like ‘rudeness’ and ‘offense’.

He dared to punish the other person with the same charges—Dean’s arrogant demeanor gave Potts considerable confidence in this punishment.

But, seeing Dean greeting him politely at this moment, Potts’s original plan clearly failed.

“Hmm, who are you?”

Potts, whose plan had failed, was not disappointed but instead asked seriously with a stern face. The burly and tall Potts was born with a serious face, and it was this seriousness that made people mistakenly take him for an upright and honest person; for example, Baron Tier and the previous life’s Dean.

In his previous life, if the other party had not actively exposed his true face, the simple Dean would never have thought that Potts, whom he regarded as ‘fair’ and ‘strict’, was a thorough hypocrite and a mean person. However, that was memory. What about the current Dean?

Cunning was the best evaluation.

Of course, no one minded adding another one: ruthless and cruel.

Dean stood up straight, calculating in his heart whether there were any omissions in the plan to kill the person before him, while pulling out the appointment letter and speaking loudly: “Dean Ken, Apprentice Knight of the Central Knight Order, reporting to you!”

After the words fell, Dean gave a Knight’s Salute again.

Respectful and speaking appropriately, giving Potts not a single excuse to ‘punish’ him.

However, when he heard Dean’s name, the Ferrchelen Knight Order Regiment Commander’s heart moved—he thought of the letter that appeared before him fifteen days ago, the letter from a Big Shot in the Capital of Emerald.

Is this the boy?

Potts carefully examined Dean—his clothes were clean and neat all over, with no signs of fatigue or messiness from a long journey. The padded jacket worn over the military uniform obviously brought extraordinary warmth; especially his upright posture standing before him seemed to be explaining something to him. Common farmers or merchants would not dare to do this.

The other party was from a small Noble family!

Potts guessed very certainly—

You knew that traveling from the Capital of Emerald to Tier Territory on foot, even without sleeping or resting, would take two months. This could only be completed by a physically fit young person. If he were a bit older, he would definitely fall ill on the road due to the journey and climate differences.

To arrive early, there must have been the help of horses. How could ordinary families have horses? Of course, only wealthy families could. Among these wealthy families, merchants facing a local Knight Order’s highest commander like him would never be so calm.

The servile feeling of merchants, no matter how well hidden, Potts had the confidence that it could not escape his eyes.

Therefore, the other party was a small Noble!

As for why a small Noble?

The letter from the Big Shot in the Capital of Emerald had not deliberately mentioned the other party’s identity, which obviously suggested it was not worth mentioning. Moreover, the other party’s appearance here ‘without the power to resist’ had already explained enough—Noble born, but not prominent, wealthy family, able to maintain the demeanor of a Noble, but facing the crushing power of a real Big Shot, obviously having no power to resist at all.

Obviously, this was very good news for Potts.

He could not only climb the high branch of the Big Shot in the Capital of Emerald through the other party, but also make a fortune—yes, this Regiment Commander Potts had already confirmed Dean’s status as a small Noble and was preparing to squeeze some profit out of Dean. You knew that Nobles usually had one or two family heirlooms.

And recently, ‘Wild Fox’ Meeter in Janel Territory had been buying these things.

It seemed… he could sell for a high price!

As for the so-called responsibility for attempting to murder a Noble?

It wasn’t him who did it. It was those hateful Barbarian bandits. He, as the Knight Order Regiment Commander, felt very sad about the loss of an excellent young person and swore that he would definitely find those Barbarian bandits, didn’t he?

Thinking of this, this Regiment Commander Potts, like a real Knight Order Regiment Commander, revealed a extremely generous smile. He took the appointment letter from Dean, checked it, confirmed there were no errors, and then spoke loudly: “Knight Dean, as the Ferrchelen Knight Order Regiment Commander, I accept your report—from now on, you are a member of the Ferrchelen Knight Order!”

“This is my honor, Your Excellency!”

Dean nodded with a smile as well. That smile, like the role he was playing at the moment, carried a sense of reserve, but actually showed arrogance—an expression of a smile that perfectly fit the demeanor of a Noble.

Of course, this smile also contained a little joy. After all, Potts, just as he thought, saw everything he wanted the other party to see.

At this moment, both people were smiling.

However, who would ultimately be the one to laugh last seemed to be the most important thing.