Brian fixed his gaze on Shane as the latter stroked his fingertips along the grips of the handguns and hammer he was holding.
After swallowing hard, Shane forced himself to say, "What do you say? Are you threatening me?" Shane then forced his face back up to meet Brian's eyes.
While staring Shane down and glaring at him from head to toe, Brian firmly gripped one of the handles of his pistols and said, "You haven't stopped looking at my back since we got together."
Brian took a step away from Shane as he said, "Your finger hasn't lifted from the trigger, and you can't stop looking at Armin while you carry the rifle in your hands and not by the leash."
While clearing his throat and smiling, Brian grasped the rifle he was carrying and said, "So, answer my question."
Shane released the weapon that was hanging around his neck by its strap before looking down at it.
He then began to speak while simultaneously extending his hands and making fists, "You don't have a last name."
Looking up again, Shane said, "On this side of the new world, from the lines to the sea of ice. All people like you choose the last name. Whether it's your profession or the name of one of your parents."
The wine-colored glint in Brian's eyes cast a shadow over his face and caused him to cease smiling as he frowned in silence.
While Shane raised his voice, yelling, "Even orphans put a simple 'Solo' after their name!"
Shane let out a cry as he flashed his fiery eyes and relieved the strain that had been on his chest, "The only ones who remain nameless are the renegades of the wild or southern isles! Renegades whose existence is a crime in itself for rejecting the king and the order!"
Brian took a step to the side, and then he started walking slowly back and forth as his eyes fixed on Shane while he whispered, "Yes, I'm a renegade."
The tone of Brian's speech did not alter, and it remained low and relaxed even after he grinned once again while exposing his fangs.
"And you? Let me guess. You are either a bastard from a good house, or you are the son of a disgraced family."
The sparkle that had been in Shane's eyes vanished as he took another step backward.
Brian repeated what he had previously said while observing his facial expressions, "Oh, guess. The family fell into disgrace."
He said it while putting one finger into one of his pistols and supporting the other hand of his chin with the other hand as he spoke, "Up here, they dishonor the noble families for grave acts, not like in the old continent where their Houses are killed for prestige and dishonor for anything."
Shane began to choke up as the pressure in his chest caused his heart to begin beating more quickly. At the same time, Brian's remarks dug into his chest and caused him to feel increasingly uncomfortable.
Raising his voice higher but without shouting, Brian said, "In the colonies, for there a disgrace can only be cowardice, open corruption, or treason."
Turning his head, Brian said, "But if it was treason, surely you would have been banished to the south. So, tell me, what is your family?"
"Corrupt or cowardly?"
Shane forced himself to swallow and raised his face to scream once more while he steadily gripped his weapon, "Don't you dare talk about my family!!"
Before Shane could even raise his own weapon up to his shoulder, one of Brian's pistols was shoved up his nose and lodged in his face.
While Brian's hand was firmly grasping the barrel of the gun, an audible sound that sounded like the metal was being pressed together could be heard.
During this time, Brian's voice was cold; rather than speaking out loud, it was more like he was whispering, and Shane was the only one who could hear it.
Let's see, you bastard, you insult my birth," Brian pressed his gun against Shane's nose, "But if I mention your family as corrupt or cowardly, you act offended."
Shane heard a giggle that was clearly not from a human being in his ear. The sound of Brian's voice remained unruffled as he set down the rifle and lifted the gun from his nose. It sounded like a snarl.
Brian said, "If you're going to have that attitude, you better have more balls."
Moving away while his face returned to normal, he said, "You're lucky I can't kill at will, but if you give me an excuse. You can be sure that in the blink of an eye, you will see your miserable ancestors."
Shane was in tremendous pain in his septum, and the muscles in his legs were jerking involuntarily.
He took a few long, calm breaths before slowly dropping the rifle to Bryan's feet while maintaining a steady look at the ground below.