There were very few people using this route, and those that were tried their hardest to get as far away from the events that were happening as possible because they didn't want to get caught up in anything. There were a few houses around, and some people peeking through the windows of these homes to see what was going on. Mane could hear the murmurings of these people. Although they weren't close, he could still hear what they were saying since he was a Scholar. And from their murmurings he picked up a lot of useful information.
"Young Master Twain is at it again"
"Just because his father is a Predator he thinks he can do whatever he wants?"
"What do you mean by saying he thinks he can do whatever he wants? He can actually do whatever he wants. When has Young Master Twain ever wanted something that he hasn't been able to get it? After all, the Predator Houses are all very influential and few people can afford to offend them."
"These people might be in trouble"
"I don't think so. Didn't you see their mounts? I grew up raising mounts and selling them with my father. So I can recognize those horses. Those are Red Maned Horses. They are even more expensive than Gold Hoofed Horses. Young Master Twain is blind to not see that."
"That is true. Plus these people are also allowed to ride in the city. No ordinary person would have such a privilege."
The one the Thrasher referred to as Young Lord was actually called Twain. He belonged to a prestigious family in Asher City. It seemed that Predators in Asher City weren't as tightly regulated by the City Lord as how Old Fan had kept all his Predators in check during the village's golden age. They were treated like nobles, and had their own 'Houses'. They had quite the influence in this part of the world, but just as Mane thought, they weren't at the top of the food chain. This was because the strength each House possessed revolved around the power of the Predator who was their head. So once that Predator dies, that House would lose everything: their standing, their power, and their prestige.
Mane found it strange that a Predator had such a useless son. Mane could feel the instability of Twain's aura. It was highly unstable, suggesting that Twain didn't have a good foundation, and it was highly likely that it was by taking the New Type Potion and other important drugs that he was able to become an Animal Hunter. Otherwise he would be completely useless. But Mane could feel that Twain's actual combat ability was below Animal Hunters. He could probably only deal with Fighters based on how unstable his Outer Energy was, but any more than that and he wouldn't be able to handle it.
"Let's see how you deal with this now," Ivor thought to himself when he saw how things were going.
"Don't infuriate me," Mane coldly stated, and a majestic aura pressed down on the three Animal Thrasher who didn't know their places. They fell to their knees immediately as sweat poured down their foreheads and onto the ground. Their faces were pale from fear, for they recognized the aura that was pushing down on them.
Predator's Might!
They knew this was the aura of a Predator, and couldn't help but curse their luck and their Young Lord for putting them in such a position. The Gold Hoofed Horses kept neighing and fidgeting in discomfort until Mane restricted his pressure to just the Animal Hunters and the Young Lord.
"And you – shut up!" Mane commanded coldly, and the face of the Young Lord that had already turned pale in fright was filled with even more fear. He found out to his dismay that he couldn't speak, and he was terrified.
"You are getting more skillful as a Scholar," Hildegarde praised Mane upon witnessing the effect of his words. When he told the Young Lord to shut up, Mane had infused a skill of Scholars called 'Words of Power' into his voice. Right now he could only issue simple commands, and they worked against people who were far weaker than him – people like the Young Lord in front of him. However, Mane would keep training so that he can master the skills at his disposal. The skills of Scholars and Spiritualists were like glows. The more one used them, the more proficient one got with them. The only way to grow stronger as a Scholar or a Spiritualist was to continuously use the skills of each path so that one would grow very proficient in them. It was the level of proficiency that a Scholar or Spiritualist displayed with their skills that determined what grade of power they were at.
"That boy is strong!"
"Do you think he's a Predator?"
"Of course not. How could a Predator be so young?"
"But a Thrasher doesn't have the ability to force Animal Hunters to kneel with just a command. Even Peak Thrashers who are so close to the Predator level have no such ability"
"So you're saying it is very likely that this boy is a Predator?"
"It is very likely."
"It seems Young Master Twain has kicked a steel plate today"
"I guess it was about time. He has been rampant for too long. Our Asher City has several outstanding geniuses who are his age and belong to powerful families as well, yet they aren't as arrogant as he is."
Once again, Mane could hear the murmurings from the spectators who watched from their homes. He didn't really want to hear them, but because he had extended his senses for training purposes and didn't retract them, he could hear everything. This art was a basic Scholar skill called Scouting. It allowed Mane to perceive anything within a 100 meter radius. It was one of the three Scholar Skills he had learned to so far. The others were Lock-on and Words of Power. Words of Power has already been explained. Lock-on was the skill Mane used to send his voice to someone without others hearing what he was saying. That wasn't its only use. But right now, that was all Mane could do. Mane pushed the thoughts about his skills aside and brought his wandering mind back to earth.
"What do you say?" Mane turned to the struggling Thrasher and asked, totally ignoring the others around him.
The Thrasher was baffled by what he was seeing. One second his Young Lord's Animal Hunters were rushing at the young boy who was speaking to him. And in the next, they were all kneeling on the floor from his words alone. He also felt the aura of dominance that the boy exuded, and was aware of the boy's power.
This young man was a Predator!
He couldn't remember Asher City having such a young Predator, which most likely meant that they weren't from the city. But to be allowed to ride horses in a city they didn't come from showed that they weren't of ordinary status. This was because Predators were only given special treatments in their own city or in cities that wanted to recruit them.
"I am sorry. I cannot abandon my Young Lord." Although the Thrasher was swayed to accept the offer, in the end he sighed and rejected Mane. He didn't like the Young Lord, but he owed Twain's father his life, for the man had saved him once, and serving his son was the only way he could repay him.
"You are indebted to his family," Mane saw the complex expression on the face of the Thrasher and concluded that the man was likely repaying a favor.
"I am. My life was saved by his father when I was younger." The Thrasher nodded his head and confessed.
"I see," Mane rubbed his bearded chin with a small smile. "This makes things easier then," Mane smiled and said. The Thrasher was confused by Mane's words. What did he mean by saying it made things easier? Ivor and the twins were also confused since they didn't know what Mane was thinking.
"I just have to kill your Young Lord, and there would be no reason to reject me anymore," Mane stated plainly with a smile and slowly rode towards the carriage. However, the Thrasher felt a chill go down his spine when he heard Mane's words. Coupled with the nonchalance with which Mane spoke about ending a life, the Thrasher was painfully aware that Mane could easily do what he said.
Lily grew pale, and so did Lam. However, Ivor only furrowed his brows. He realised that things weren't as they seemed. As for Young Lord Twain, he grew panicked and started to seat profusely. He tried to say something, but that strange energy was still wrapped around his jaw, and he couldn't say a word. All he could do was look at the Thrasher pleadingly. He understood that he had offended someone he wasn't supposed to offend. And all that was on his mind was how to escape the giant hole he had personally carved out for himself.
The Thrasher saw Twain's pleading look, and he sighed. He hurriedly stood before Mane and bowed.
"Why are you in my way?" Mane asked
"Please spare his life. I beg you."
"Then trade his life for yours. Follow me, and I'd spare his life," Mane responded with a crafty smile.
The Thrasher was dumbfounded for a while. He didn't expect Mane to agree so easily. However when he lifted his head and saw the sly smile on Mane's face, he smiled bitterly knowing that he had fallen for Mane's schemes. He realised that Mane was as intelligent as he was strong.
"Then my life is yours," the Thrasher humbly stated.
"You can leave," Mane waved his hand at Twain and said. Twain looked at the Thrasher gratefully, and the force that kept his jaw shut disappeared, allowing him to speak. He quickly left with his guards as if his pants were on fire.
"Such a villain," Hildegarde giggled. Even she wasn't sure of what Mane was plotting until now. But once she heard his words, she understood. Since the Thrasher claimed that Twain's father saved his life, Mane hatched a devious plan to nullify that debt. He threatened Twain so that the Thrasher would have to plead for his life, and then Mane would spare his life. By doing this, the Thrasher would have paid back the favor he owed Twain's father by saving Twain's life and wouldn't have any other reason to stay. But to make sure that he would definitely follow him, Mane forced him to swap his life with Twain's. So not only would he have saved Twain's life, he would have to enter into servitude under Mane as well and this meant that he was doing more than what was required. In other words, he had repaid his favor, and done more. So now, it was Twain's family that owed the Thrasher.
"Smart lad," Ivor sighed to himself. He didn't feel good about Mane because the boy's origins were a mystery, but even he had to admit that Mane handled the case flawlessly and much like he, Ivor, would have if he didn't want to spill any blood.
Lam and Lily were smart as well. Their faces recovered their ruddy expressions when they understood that Mane wasn't planning on doing anything and only wanted to get the Thrasher on his side. And to be honest, they admired the way he went about it.
"How may I address my new master?" the man asked politely once Twain and his guards were out of sight.
"I'm Mane. This is Lily and that's Lam. This man here is our leader Ivor. What is your name?" Mane smiled at the Thrasher. Since he was on their side now he had to know his name.
"I am Tucker, Master Mane."
"Well it is nice to meet you Tucker. And you can just call me Mane. I'm your employer, not your master."