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At night, the palace glows with brilliant lights.
The meeting hall, which was once filled with an array of delectable dishes, has drawn together the high society of this nation, nearly all of whom have gathered to indulge in the festivities.
Adorned in extravagant attire and clutching glasses of red wine, the guests chatter animatedly in small clusters, discussing matters both significant and trivial.
Suddenly, the entire hall erupts into a lively atmosphere.
"Wow... so much food!"
Despite the many changes she has undergone, Raphtalia's love for food remains as strong as ever. Her eyes gleam with excitement at the sight of the tables laden with exquisite delicacies.
"If you want to eat, go ahead and indulge. After all, we have a tough battle ahead. You need to be well-fed to fight effectively," Jason says with a slight smile, not wishing to deter her enthusiasm.
He himself picks up a chicken leg, consuming it in just a couple of bites. It was mealtime, after all, and he needed to regain the energy he had expended during the battle against the disaster wave.
Before long, Raphtalia has piled her plate high with food, approaching it like a mountain before her, and begins digging in with great fervor.
"Be careful, eating so much every time; you might gain weight," Jason warns, picking up another chicken leg and shaking his head playfully.
"Um?" With her mouth full, Raphtalia glances up at Jason, her expression one of curiosity, then hurriedly attempts to swallow. "Master Jason, do you prefer slim girls?"
"Uh... I think it's nicer if there's a bit of meat," he replies.
"Oh, I'm relieved to hear that," she responds, eagerly returning to eat.
"Master Jason, these dishes are fantastic~~~" she exclaims while munching, her words somewhat garbled.
"They really are quite good," Jason nods in agreement, taking the opportunity to scan the room, speculating about the king's impending confrontation.
Just then, Motoyasu approaches, his presence filled with indignation.
"Jason… you bastard! You actually had the audacity to step on my face with something so filthy!"
Motoyasu grips his holy spear tightly, his anger palpable. Strangely, he appears much paler than usual—it's as if he has taken so many baths that he's scrubbed away his color.
"Filthy? What do you mean by that?" Jason feigns innocence, putting on a confused expression.
"Of course, I mean… well...," Motoyasu stammers, realizing everyone in the hall is now staring at him, rendering him speechless. If people were to hear about the incident he'd be humiliated beyond redemption.
"What on earth are you talking about?" Jason presses, maintaining his facade of ignorance, which causes Motoyasu to grow even paler.
"Hmph... Jason, this time, Master Motoyasu isn't here for idle talk but to bring you to justice."
Just then, Myne steps forward from behind Motoyasu, affirming the accusation.
"That's right! I initially thought your personality was just unpleasant. I never imagined you would stoop so low as to steal the promise rings of His Majesty the King and the Queen!"
Motoyasu, caught in a bind, insists that Jason is the thief. This lack of intelligence astounds Jason, who ponders, Is it only those with poor mental faculties who are designated as heroes? This seems unfair, given that I am also labeled as one.
"Jason… you should return the ring at once, or don't blame my subordinates for their ruthlessness," Motoyasu declares, with an air of forced confidence.
Jason remains silent, and Motoyasu interprets this as tacit agreement, escalating his threats.
"Hey, hey… What gives you the courage to challenge me and threaten me with your subordinates?" Jason asks, surprised by Motoyasu's boldness. Doesn't this fool fear the consequences?
"Of course, I'm not a match for you alone, but my companions…" Motoyasu trails off as two figures emerge from the crowd, one wielding a long sword and the other, a long bow.
It's Ren, the Sword Hero, and Itsuki, the Bow Hero.
As they make their entrance, the nearby guests quickly disperse, sensing that something significant is about to unfold.
"Ding! Please choose!"
"1. Bow your head and plead guilty. Why confess if you're innocent? Cowards earn no rewards."
"2. Killing the spear Hero, the Sword Hero, and the Bow Hero will increase the difficulty of the disaster wave by 20 times, with a reward of 2% completion of the Garp template."
"3. Defeat the spear Hero, the Sword Hero, and the Bow Hero to clear your name, earning 3% completion of the Garp template and a 6-hour triple experience card."
At the same moment, the system's voice rings out with the selection options.
The first option comes with no rewards and is easily dismissed.
Though the second option presents a chance to alleviate his frustrations, it would drastically enhance the challenge of the disaster wave, and the rewards aren't particularly enticing. Moreover, the death of the three heroes would likely diminish future mission opportunities. Ultimately, the results could be akin to "killing the goose that laid the golden eggs."
"It seems that the third option is my best bet. Along with that triple experience card, achieving 30% completion of the Garp template sounds worthwhile. That means I can learn three of the six styles of the Navy, which is a solid deal," Jason quickly concluded in his mind.
"Jason... you've really disappointed me. You've acted like a thief, ruining the reputation of us heroes," Ren said, looking down at him contemptuously.
"You either return the king's promise ring today, or we will fight until you do." Itsuki added smugly by his side.
The confidence they wielded was bolstered by the throng of adventurers that trailed behind them, all eager to witness the confrontation.
"Since you want to fight, then let's get started," Jason responded, uninterested in explaining himself to what he deemed mentally challenged. Even if he tried, he doubted they would listen. It was time to get straight to the point; he had made his choice, and now he intended to fulfill the task.
"Very well, then. Don't say I didn't warn you... Meteor spear!" Motoyasu declared first, raising his holy spear, which suddenly ignited with a blinding light. Regardless of its power, the spear's luminescence was highly attention-grabbing.
Yet before he could thrust the spear forward, Jason appeared in front of him, awakening the deep-seated fear that lay buried in Motoyasu's heart.
"Glaxy impact!"
With an echoing roar, Jason's fist met Motoyasu's face once more. The sheer force of his punch sent the taller hero's nose crunching inward, and he was sent careening backward, blood spraying like a fountain from his nostrils. Just like that, his health bar had plummeted to zero with a single blow.
Before the two other heroes could react, they found themselves being knocked aside by Motoyasu's flying body.
"Meteor Bow!"
"Meteor Sword!"
Ren and Itsuki unleashed their abilities almost simultaneously, the holy sword in Ren's grip glowing brightly as Itsuki fully drew back his bow, releasing an energy arrow that shone with blinding light.
However, in the blink of an eye, they realized Jason had vanished from their sight.
"What?!"
Ren Amaki's eyes widened as he felt a trickle of blood escape from the corner of his mouth, followed by a growing haze clouding his thoughts. Just as he prepared to strike, Jason had already closed the distance, landing a punch directly into Ren's abdomen.
At the same time, Jason swung his left hand, launching a dark projectile towards Itsuki.
Seeing the shadowy object speeding towards him, Itsuki instinctively tried to evade, but it was impossible; the projectile was far too fast.
"What the—?!"
Itsuki felt a jarring thud as the projectile struck him, reeling backward and losing his balance. With a sharp pain shooting through his face, he fell hard to the ground, the object now stuck firmly to his skin.
Upon closer inspection, he discovered it was a half-eaten chicken leg that Jason had pitched at him.
"You… you're insulting me!" he sputtered, irritation rising.
But before he could finish his sentence, his vision filled with Jason's fist—faster than the eye could follow.
With another crushing blow, Jason sent Itsuki hurtling away, who crashed into several tables before blacking out amidst a mess of dishes.
Having dispatched his foes, Jason surveyed the surrounding adventurers with a fierce intensity.
"Who else wants to try?" he challenged, his eyes gleaming with determination.
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If you enjoy please support me on my patreon Future 80+ chapters at patreon.com/Darkphoenix11
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