There were always some fools.
They would refuse to communicate properly, arrogantly positioning themselves as superior without any justification, and acting like complete idiots. They'd trigger other people's anger with inappropriate words and phrases.
Just as an fully automated factory can't avoid producing defective goods, the individuals I'm describing are an inevitable presence among crowds, engaging in repulsive, stupid actions.
Thus, the emergence of an absolute idiot with the aforementioned characteristics in this world was inevitable, irrevocable, and unavoidable.
No matter the circumstances, there would always be those bastards who abuse their power to bully you. Everyone has had similar experiences to a greater or lesser extent.
[Troublesome.]
Li Lin indifferently made a comment on the current situation.
The artificial being devoid of emotions saw himself as the unfortunate protagonist of this unexpected trouble, holding an attitude so straightforward it was almost wasteful to describe it in further words.
"Not interested."
He gave the sleazy man who had a contorted grin on his face a businesslike smile and rejected him curtly. He didn't even glance at the lackey, shifting his gaze forward, waiting for a chance to leave.
"Your interest is irrelevant, Mr. Monet's decision is final. I'm just informing you."
A scoff and a contemptuous voice prickled from behind. The surprise and curiosity in the eyes of others turned straight towards the young boy with deep blue hair. A measure of sympathy was present in the gaze of the whores who had been pestering the Elves before.
"The entire market belongs to Mr. Monet, who also owns many farmlands and tenant farms. Instead of struggling to make ends meet with small trades, if you properly serve Mr. Monet, you can live comfortably without work. It's as simple as that."
At the end of his declaration, a snap, cluttered steps, and shouts began to spread through the silent marketplace. Dozens of burly men surrounded two horse-drawn carriages. The bodyguards' clubs and the Elves' hunting knives pointed at each other's masters. The tense atmosphere exuded a dry, combustible scent.
"If you want to fail your business and deprive your family, or get your friends hurt, you can leave. If you don't want to run into misfortune, serve Mr. Monet faithfully!!"
The barefaced threat and the rough tone added a touch of ferocity to the monkey-like dignity of Needle's steward, enhancing his thuggish appearance.
[Lucky.]
Li Lin confirmed the previous arrangement. A hypothetical situation appeared in his mind.
[Assuming Nidhogg were present, the death rate of the marketplace crowd would be approximately 87%.]
Charred bodies and corpses scattered everywhere would make business impossible. Nidhogg's absence was indeed a fortunate occurrence.
At the same time, he found it unfortunate that the steward's threats were directed toward him.
"Fine."
Li Lin shrugged as if resigning himself, uttering a word of surrender.
The half-baked thug had a smug, lewd grin on his face. The Elves with expressions of surprise, scorn, blame, and anger directed their heated glances at the young man who had declared his surrender.
The second part of his statement - a nonchalant joke, turned everything upside down in an instant.
"When that pig Monet can see his own toes, I might consider it."
The not so mature Elves burst into laughter, Thor was laughing so hard he was practically rolling on the floor, slapping Li Lin's back with his bear-killing palm.
"However, I suspect that pig's brain is too far gone to comprehend this, right?"
A mischievous smile spread like a virus. Regardless of gender or age, unless they were particularly ill, below-the-belt jokes were always enjoyed by everyone. The merchants who had pinpointedly triggered laughter were chuckling, their faces flushed.
"What are you staring at?!! Teach that impudent boy a lesson! Don't hit his face, Mr. Monet still needs it!!"
The face of the steward, grey with mortification, was jumping and yelling at the startled and embarrassed bodyguards. That boy must pay a heavy price for his insolence! Even if his words were in fact true and acknowledged by most people.
Some things should not be spoken aloud, especially when it concerned significant figures. It's best to avoid even discussing such matters in private.
-- If the other party truly is a significant figure.
"Eeeeeeeeeeeeek!!!!!!"
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!!"
All the club-wielding bodyguards who had charged up abandoned their weapons, clutching their own fingers and wailing. As the body part most frequently used as a tool, fingers are extremely sensitive to heat and pain. The men screamed in agony as if they were bitten by a venomous snake, unable to hold onto the weapons meant to be used against the young boy. The whip twisted in the air like a snake, darting through the dropping clubs. Big and small circles described by the whip moved too fast to follow. As the final loop appeared at the end of the whip route, the right hand holding the whip twitched slightly. All the circles looped around the clubs tightened, and the yet-to-be-unleashed weapons were pulled away, lying placidly at the young boy's feet.
"Great!"
Whether it was activists like Thor and Freya, or the ordinarily dignified Tyr and Brynhild, they all shed their preparation of joining the rescue and combat. Like a group of ordinary young boys who love excitement, they shout with joy. The surrounding merchants and guests do not have the courage to join the noise, they just tightly clench their fists. They no longer stare at the ground like convicts, their eyes full of surprise and admiration shift between the wailing bodyguards with bitter faces, the clubs on the ground, and the proud young man. Finally, their gaze settles on the face beaming with modest smiles.
"You...you, you, you, you...!!!"
Not understanding the situation, unable to adapt to the situation, and unwilling to accept the situation, the steward's face turned pale green. He points at Li Lin, his finger and lips trembling as he speaks.
"Do you know what you are doing? Do you know what you have done? We belong to Lord Monet! How can you do this?! How dare you do this?!!"
He breaks free from reality. Immerging in past pride and a certain kind of obsession sparked by the inability to accept reality, he repeats the nonsensical words that make the surrounding audience feel disgusted, puzzled, and ridiculed.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"
In response to the broken tape recorder's repetitive boring questions, it's not a disjointed verbal statement, but rather, the reptile-like purplish bruises left on the steward's face. It is a clear answer, pressing down on the STOP button.
The steward, who is clutching his face and howling, shoots a resentful glare from between his fingers. The traders in the market have always shown deference to him, even if they don't want to, they still have to put on a placating smile to send him off with the money and goods he's taken.
Could it be that Nieder the steward, who is hated, cursed privately, and feared by people, was thoroughly slapped in the face, both mentally and physically, by a newcomer in this marketplace that's like his back yard?!
Unforgivable, unforgivable, this boy must not be let off.
The burning pain reminded the steward of the reality of his insult and beating, resentment grew uncontrollably, stimulating the swelling pain with each breath, heartbeat, and twitch of the facial muscles, becoming more vivid and intense.
"Slaughter him! Slaughter this bastard!!"
He covers his still painful wound on the face, shouting like a mad dog. The bodyguards, clutching their whipped fingers, glance at each other and then at that "bastard".
His gentle smile, which was neither a warning nor a mockery, made it impossible to relate his previous actions to this smile. However, his completely unsmiling eyes and the fingers throbbing with pain were clear reminders for the bodyguards - provoking a formidable adversary will result in more than just a small fight.
"Are you ready to lose your lives?"
The cold amber eyes wink warnly, men rich in survival experience and violence, instantly understood the information that could be directly understood by the brain and instinct without words. At the same time, they realize that the boy is the type who would make threats a reality.
To survive or to perish?
Faced with the simplest question of antiquity, the bodyguards suddenly found themselves trapped. The answers on both ends of this multiple-choice question are "die now" and "die later". Either way, the result would be the same. They look at the easy-going Li Lin, then at the screaming Nieder steward. His usually aggressive demeanor is nowhere to be found, leaving only a bitter expression.
"What are you standing there for? Hurry up and kill this little … ow! Ow!!!"
The whip makes a "crack" sound in front of the steward. Although it didn't actually hit the vulgar face again, the reflexes of covering his face and howling are indescribably ridiculous.
Again, the crowd of onlookers didn't dare to laugh out loud. They just kept their facial muscles twitching unnaturally, trying not to show they flirt were basking in Schadenfreude. The gaze at the newcomer boy is somewhat more warm than before. Their eyes being hide laughter, looking at the steward who used to bully people, holding him in disdain.
Several bold prostitutes no longer cover their smiles. Although Li Lin doesn't look at their heavily made-up faces, the seductive eyes bombard the young man with the whip without rest. The unfriendly stares from the carriage are automatically ignored by the prostitutes.
The bustling atmosphere with murmuring stopped suddenly and returned to the previous heavy silence. The crowd sucked in a cold breath, the prostitutes lost their sultry smiles, terror and self-danger dominated the marketplace.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Mini-theatre Time:
Nidhogg: Mr. Li Lin, can you tell me what "Oh my God", "Ah-Ya" and "Darn" means?
Li Lin: Haha, those are key lines from action movies.
Nidhogg: What kind of action movies, are they intense? Are they starring Bruce Lee? (His dragon eyes sparkling, flickering with adoration)
Li Lin: Of course they're intense action movies. Otherwise why would so many people watch them?
Nidhogg: Can I watch it? Can I? Can I? (Excitedly exhaling sparks and smoke from his nostrils)
Li Lin: If you watch that, the purity attribute attached to a dragon will disappear.
Nidhogg: The more you say that, the more I want to watch it...
Li Lin: How about this, to save your purity attribute, and for you to watch the action movie, I will help you do a small operation to solve the problem once and for all.
Nidhogg: ...WWWWWWWW, you're bullying me!!