Chapter 41
"How dare you assault my knight? Elliot shouted at Rose in front of the whole camp. In the background, a grown man in simple brown and white armor was groaning in pain while grasping his own crushed hand.
Not everyone, but those in close vicinity knew that it wasn't Rose's fault but no one could act. Although the silver knights could, they were under strict orders that they were not to interfere with anything internal, they were only there to deal with external threats.
So even though there were a few silver knights who knew the truth, no one interfered.
"He was trying to force me." Rose simply replied, no fear evident in her voice. No fluster. There was a small amount of worry about her master getting involved.
"You dare talk back to me!" Elliot roared and swung his fist at Rose who effortlessly dodged. Although it wasn't a big thing, when it was a prince and a subject, Rose's action was a great disrespect.
Burning with humiliation, he ordered his personal knights, "Break her legs!!!!"
Hearing his order, his knights moved in. There were a total of three knights. Since these knights would be following them in the academy, higher-ranked knights weren't allowed to be taken so these knights were at most at C rank.
They encircled Rose who just stood there motionless. She was worried about how to deal with this matter because it had suddenly become such a big matter.
The knight behind Rose moved in, trying to capture her from behind but before he even knew it, he was kicked in his chest so strong that his entire internals shook and he was sent flying back.
The rest of the knights who were also about to move in saw what had happened to their accomplice, how he was bleeding from his orifices and unconscious. But what really scared them was the crack in the armor on his chest.
Hurriedly, they withdrew their swords. Rose also turned her attention back to them. Exchanging glances, both of the knights moved in at once and swung their swords at Rose.
Alas, their swords hit nothing but empty air and before they could compose themselves, one of them screamed as a dagger pierced through his stomach.
The stabbed knight grasped his stomach from where it was pierced. Shortly, he fell and from the looks of it, it wouldn't be long before he died.
The last knight was now terrified. it wasn't terrifying that Rose was surprisingly very stronger than them. What was terrifying was that there was no hesitation in Rose's moves to deliver fatal attacks.
The last knight frantically yelled and swung his sword at Rose who effortlessly avoided it. He didn't stop but slashed his sword again and then a revered slash, all that was dodged easily by Rose.
As soon as there was a window, Rose drove the dagger in her hand through the knight's thigh. Another fatal wound out of which blood was flowing like someone had opened a faucet.
"How dare you! HOW DARE YOU!!!!!!!" Elliot yelled loudly seeing the fate of his knights. He wasn't concerned about them even slightly, what mattered was the humiliation he was currently feeling.
"Execute her, execu… Kugh!!!" Before he could continue, he was struck in the back of his leg by something. Pain coursed through his body. His leg was badly mangled and when after a brief moment of pain, he saw his assailant, he couldn't understand what was happening.
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"How dare you! HOW DARE YOU!!!!!!!" Elliot was screaming when the white-haired handsome boy closed in. He grabbed a sword along with the scabbard from a silver knight's waist. The knight was focused on the scene in front of him so he didn't become aware until Adrian had taken his sword along with the scabbard.
The knight was about to move when his superior placed his hand on his shoulder, signaling him to stop.
Adrian kept on walking until he was behind Elliot. Elliot was screaming something about execution when Adrian, with all his strength, struck Elliot's left leg with the scabbard sword in his hand.
Elliot screamed. His scream, even greater than the knight with a crushed hand, spread throughout the camp and beyond.
Adrian stopped. He let Elliot scream in pain for a while and when Elliot became aware of his assailant, Adrian struck him again, but this time, in the right leg, breaking it also.
Another bout of screams spread. Knights of Elliot moved in but Adrian conjured hundreds of magic bullets and shot them at the closing knights. No words were spoken. No anger was displayed. Adrian was simply breaking them.
The knights didn't die but they were certainly in pain. A great amount of pain.
Adrian turned his attention back to Elliot and when everyone thought that he would stop there, he started hitting Elliot with the sword.
Hit after hit, hit after hit in the vital spots where no damage would occur but the pain would be tremendous, and even when Elliot had lost consciousness from pain and blood loss, he kept on hitting him.
[Hp 30\860]
When he received a notification from the system, he applied heal skill on Elliot a few times. As Elliot's condition started to become better, his broken bones began to mend and then finally completely healed, his consciousness was returned too.
Too bad, Adrian wasn't one to stop. He grabbed Elliot by his hair and started dragging him. Elliot, now in very little pain shouted, "What are you doing!? Have you lost your min... Kugh!"
Adrian bashed Elliot's face into a tree. He kept doing it and kept doing it. Soon, Elliot's skull had been damaged to the point that small matters of his brain were visible. All the teeth in his mouth had been broken and fell on the ground.
But even at that point, Adrian didn't stop.
[Hp 12\860]
[Caution]
[Subject in extreme danger due to brain damage and facial distortion]
Adrian again started to apply heal on Elliot. Soon, he was back to full health. His consciousness had once again been regained.
But this time, he remembered. He remembered the beatings from before. But he wasn't given a chance to apologize. Adrian threw him on the ground and with his left knee, started strangling his neck.
Elliot started struggling but he couldn't breathe. His life was flashing before his eyes. However, Adrian still wasn't done. He grabbed Elliot's left arm and from his elbow, he broke his arm.
Even in a state of asphyxiation, Elliot felt that. He started struggling but unfortunately, he couldn't scream. And when he was just one step away from death, Adrian let go of him.
He coughed and gasped for air at the same time. Yet when he was in the middle of hungrily sucking air, he was struck in his face by Adrian's foot and lost consciousness again.
Adrian stood up and walked over to Rose who was simply standing at the same spot.
Adrian stopped in front of her and applied healing on the knights who had been injured by Rose because if they weren't treated soon, they would die.
Adrian maintained his eye contact with Rose who also didn't waver and kept her eyes fixed on his.
"Next time," Adrian spoke and continued when almost everyone in the camp who was terrified or shocked down to their core, had caught his attention, "Cut their balls off."
"Yes, Your Highness," Rose replied with a sweet smile. She was happy she wasn't in trouble and that her master wasn't angry at her.
"Pick him up and throw him into our carriage." Adrian turned to talk to a silver knight who was somewhat shocked at the calmness of the boy.
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Silence. There was complete and utter silence in the carriage traveling to the Leadnorm city right now. Hah! I would have done it sooner if I had known about it before.
[You call that peace?]
A bit terrified but ultimately peace and silence so yeah, I call it was a positive act.
But, there was one more thing to be done before the people in the carriage forgot about the scene from before.
"Think ill of me and hate me all you want," I spoke and garnered the attention of the golden-haired boy sitting next to me who flinched along with the three girls opposite us.
Once they were attentive, I continued, "But get in my way or try to get to me through my people, I will hurt you in very innovative ways."
All of them shivered as they simultaneously turned to look at the groaning Elliot who was grasping his broken arm. I had stopped others from treating him so he was dwelling in pain even now but he was too terrified to say anything.
[More like traumatized]
'Tomato, tamato.' As long as the buckled shoe fits. He can be traumatized, terrified, or in love, as long as he refrained from messing with me, I welcomed whatever term that could be appropriate to use.
The rest remained silent at my soft threat, even though I would have liked to receive an answer.
[Alicia mon Grante: Affection +50]
'The hell is this?' I asked Allison perplexed at the message I had received.
[Alicia likes it when you are assertive]
'Why would you know that?'
[I know everything]
'Then what is Alicia's current affection for me?'
[Alicia mon Grante]
[Current affection: 1000]
[Special note: Wants to tie you to a bed and love you all night]
Gulp!!! What the hell!!!
This girl is crazy. Even crazier than Laura.
I looked at her suspiciously and she flinched in return.
[Alicia is aroused]
How the hell is she aroused if she is terrified?
[Alicia is wet]
'Shut up!!!'
"Will…. Will that include me as well?" after a little while, Alicia feebly asked. I was about to say yes when I thought to try something, so I replied, "No."
Outwardly, she heaved a sigh of relief. But the message that showed in front of me was the complete opposite of that.
[Alicia is disappointed]
[Alicia turned off]
Crazy girl!
"I might, however," I began to speak and she attentively listened with a tense face as well, "I might strangle you a bit."
Fear appeared on her face again but once again, the notification was completely opposite.
[Alicia is turned back on]
Is she a light bulb?
[Alicia affection +100]
For what logical reason?
[Alicia is very wet]
[Warning!]
[Wetness level increasing drastically]
This girl is absolutely damn crazy.
But, are you sure you are translating correctly? Her face says otherwise.
[I know everything]
Not everything.
[I do]
Damn. She really might.
Anyway, my message was across these kids who were supposed to spend two years with me in an academy as big as Asia so I had little worry that we would cross paths.
[You will]
Of course, we will.
[Why did you go with their plan?]
Because I wanted to see what their feeble prattling little minds had prepared for me.
[But you didn't leave him capable enough to act on it]
'Exactly. Why do you think I went so far?'
In no way am I a violent man so my earlier assault wasn't because I was angry. The crown prince had prepared something for me. Either it was an innovative plan or it was the same old classic tactic of finger-pointing with logical and legal bull.
[I don't think he is capable of that]
He isn't. The crown prince I met wasn't smart. But I know who is pulling these strings. The mastermind behind all of this is Vanessa, the crown prince's first wife, also Elliot's mother.
It became apparent how she had stopped Harvey that day on the banquet table when he was about to erupt at me.
[But why did you go along with their plan in the first place?]
Like I said, I was curious. But in the end, I decided to have fun on my own. I didn't leave Elliot or any of his subordinates capable enough to relay this information back to the masterminds and by the time they find out, they would be too late.
Besides, it doesn't seem like the planers are so smart after all. If they were, they wouldn't have targeted Rose who was personally granted the title of a count by the emperor himself.
[Max?]
He's under the emperor's tutelage.
[Then who?]
Simple, Alicia. They should have used my history with Alicia to bind me more. This would have embroiled the first elder as well which ultimately would help them get rid of a prime obstacle.
I could be wrong, of course.