The middle-aged man didn't want to cause any trouble in this city that was particularly sensitive to the Holy Church, especially on such an occasion, but the other party was relentless and kept advancing.
From their appearance, these three fellows didn't look like good characters either; even though he wasn't afraid of stirring up trouble, it wasn't something desirable.
But at this point, it seemed beyond his control. A surge of sword Qi rushed toward him, and if he didn't face it head-on, the flower and plant arrangements behind him would suffer, not to mention the middle-aged man had no intention of backing down.
As a core member of the Thunderhorse Knight Group, he didn't want to display the behavior of shirking away that was unbefitting of his status. He let out a faint whistle, stepped to the side, and formed an odd hand gesture with his left hand. As he silently recited a spell, a huge, colorless water shield formed in front of him, separating the two men, and at the same time, his right hand thrust his stiletto sword out.
The incoming swordscreen collided with the water shield, stirring up sprays of mist like two twisters intertwining. After a clash, the water shield shattered and dispersed, and under the violent tremors, the sword shadow also faded, losing its original sharp aggressiveness. Just as Ilot was ready to strike again, his opponent's stiletto sword had already pierced through his defenses and touched his neck with ease.
He took a silent, deep breath. Although pretending to be in a drunken haze, Komer was constantly paying attention to the confrontation between Ilot and his opponent.
Ilot's impressive performance had already surprised him, but the formidable strength displayed by his opponent sent chills down his spine.
In the moment when the opponent's stiletto sword had Ilot under control, Puber, who had remained silent up until now, suddenly shot two sleeve arrows without warning from the wide cuffs, flashing past like two streaks of silver light.
In a moment of quick-wittedness, the middle-aged man didn't have time to think further. He rapidly swung his stiletto sword upward, and just as the sharp sleeve arrows were about to hit, he struck forcefully and finally made contact with them. The clear collision sound was even audible throughout the whole bar, and the deflected sleeve arrows continued to glide upward, embedding themselves directly into the wooden column above, still buzzing non-stop.
At the instant his ally waved his hand, Ilot had already crouched and slid back, swiftly switching the roles of host and guest. Not only had he escaped the opponent's control zone, but his hand was also feeling for something at his waist, evidently some vicious hidden weapon.
The middle-aged man, sweating profusely and consumed by extreme anger, had been in an advantageous position yet had shown mercy. Unexpectedly, this bunch of thugs were all cruel and vicious, aiming to take his life at every turn. Raising his stiletto sword, in an instant, the gleam at the tip of the blade elongated by a foot.
"Who dares to be reckless here?" A clear and resonant voice came from the top of the corridor, accompanied by the sound of rapid footsteps. Komer's hazy eyes suddenly brightened; he discreetly gave Ilot, who stood next to him on guard, a look that an outsider couldn't detect. Ilot got the hint and quietly stuffed back whatever he had touched in his left hand, while Puber immediately reverted to a ghastly, exhausted look.
The first person strode in with robust steps, followed by several men who carried themselves with an air of dignity. They were clad in agile and sturdy leather armor, with the red linings visible through the gaps, broad-faced with large ears under thick brows, and tiger-like eyes that shone. A high nose sat above a wide mouth, and a dense, flaxen beard masked his jawline securely.
Komer and his companions exchanged glances and immediately feigned timidness. The skinny Puber even exaggeratedly lunged forward a step and cried, "Sir Lecler, you must stand up for us! A bunch of foreign bandits suddenly came here and wanted to take advantage of us. Luckily you arrived in time, otherwise the three of us would have likely fallen victim to them."
Frowning slightly, his sharp gaze swept over the composed middle-aged man before returning to Komer and his two companions. The corner of the leather-armored officer's mouth twitched, revealing a smile that was more sarcastic than welcoming, "Ha, I was wondering who it was. Turns out it's you three. Is your skin itching again? What's the matter, has the renowned Three Wolves of Cyprus also had their share of setbacks?"
"Sir Lecler, after all, we are citizens of Cyprus City. It seems today we haven't provoked anyone. Is it that once someone makes a mistake, they're not allowed to rectify it? As for what happened today, who is right and who is wrong, you could investigate it, Sir. Aren't there witnesses and the people involved here? Just asking them should clarify everything." Lifting his gaunt face, Puber's expression remained calm as he sinisterly retorted.
Seeing these three scoundrels of Cyprus City being so defiant for the first time, Sir Lecler was also somewhat astonished. He glanced at the middle-aged man who had been standing by the side, silent the whole time. Who exactly was this dignified fellow, and why would he get involved with these three scoundrels? He seemed not to be someone trivial, so why didn't he speak up against the false accusations and explain himself?
Seeing the stern-faced officer looking his way for the second time, the middle-aged man knew he had to speak up to avoid further misunderstanding. He respectfully and formally greeted, "Sir, Douglas of the Thunderhorse Knight Group at your service."
"The Thunderhorse Knight Group?" The armored officer's expression darkened, and his gaze quickly moved to the group of bar patrons who had not approached, his attitude changing abruptly, "Heh heh, no wonder you dare to cause trouble in our Cyprus City. It turns out you are from the Church of Light's Thunderhorse Knights. Sir Douglas, I have long heard of your reputation. But to act so recklessly in Cyprus City, are you trying to undermine the agreement between our Duke and your Church?"
Confronted with such aggressive words, the middle-aged man secretly lamented. He truly did not wish to intensify the existing discord between the two sides over this incident. His original plan was to ask these three men a simple question, but they were so cunning and firm that they didn't even give him a chance, which had drawn the Knight Group's scrutiny.
His expression becoming even more peaceful and serene, the middle-aged man was not intimidated by the officer's words, "Sir, there seems to be a misunderstanding. We haven't done anything excessive. I only wanted to ask if these three had seen something related to our investigation. If so, we hoped to understand more; if not, we would simply leave. That wouldn't violate any laws, right? Besides, it seems that Duke Philip has not banned members of the Church of Light from entering the Homer region. Would such behavior be against the law?"
"Hmph? Is that so? It seems to me that someone was unreasonably blocking our way, insisting that we clarify things we didn't know in the first place. Isn't that a blatant challenge to the laws of Cyprus City? Or do you believe the power of your Church of Light supersedes that of our Cyprus' Duke Philip? Despite our repeated explanations, it seems you turn a deaf ear and do not give us a chance to explain at all?" Puber barked viciously, his words laden with instigation.
"We know that the Thunderhorse Knight Group is oppressive and nobody dares to provoke them. But who are we and where is this place? Even if we did violate some law, it should be our Duke's judges who determine that, not your Church of Light, right? Besides, we are not followers of your Church of Light; how dare you act so brazenly and overstep your authority?"
To his surprise, this unimpressive and weak-looking man spoke with such a piercing sharpness, targeting him at every turn and deliberately agitating with slander. The consistently upright middle-aged man found himself unable to find the right words to counter, a flicker of anger flashing in his eyes. Before he had a chance to reply, the armored officer had already rested his hand on the hilt of his sword at his waist.
"I'm sorry, Sir Douglas, but I'm afraid you'll have to accompany us to the garrison, " the officer stated. "Although our Knight Group doesn't deal with these routine public order affairs, since we've stumbled upon this, we must trouble you a bit. I hope you will comply with us."
"I'm sorry, Sir Lecler, but I'm afraid we cannot go back with you. I haven't acted in violation of Cyprus's laws. What authority do you have to do this? Is Cyprus City a place without regard for the law? Do you judge people solely on one side of the story? That's far too absurd," the middle-aged man firmly declined, knowing it might provoke the other party, but it concerned the honor of the Church of Light and the Knights, so he could not back down.
"Oh?" The officer's eyebrows raised suddenly. Although he expected that the other party would be difficult, he didn't anticipate such a firm and decisive refusal to his proposal. The armored officer's expression grew even more sinister and somber, an imposing aura slowly rising from his robust frame. The ten knights behind him quickly dispersed into two groups, forming an attack formation. The sharp Knight Spears were tightly grasped by hands wrapped in light armor, the silver tips reflecting a faint, cold radiance under the light.
"Sir Douglas, I'm afraid you don't have a choice in this matter. If you act like this, you might provoke a conflict between your Church of Light and our Homer region. Can you bear such a responsibility?" the armored officer's mouth twitched slightly, his gaze mockingly soft as silk, tightly locked onto the other man's face.
"I'm sorry, but if a conflict arises, the responsibility should lie with you, not with us," the middle-aged man shook his head, unwavering. Facing the enormous pressure emanating from his opponent, he too began to enhance his own spiritual power to counteract it, his stiletto silently sliding down, ready in an attacking stance.