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Jason slapped him repeatedly, the sharp sound echoing throughout the hall.
The king's head bobbed like a marionette, with cheeks swelling up once more at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Whether it was Motoyasu, Ren, Itsuki, or the surrounding soldiers, they were completely stunned, jaws dropped, eyes unblinking.
Jason was ruthless. This was the king of the country, a figure of immense power, being treated like livestock.
Now the three heroes understood why the soldiers obeyed Jason's orders, why they feared him, and why they went to great lengths to please him. Because, clearly...
Even the king was at the mercy of Jason; the soldiers stood no chance.
The three heroes exchanged glances, feeling chills down their spines.
They said nothing, but their eyes conveyed: whatever Jason wants to say next, none of them will dare to oppose it.
Suddenly, the king's feet twitched, then stopped moving.
This happened several times until a soldier couldn't bear it any longer and said, "Master Shield Hero, His Majesty the King has actually woken up."
"Yeah?"
Jason finally paused his slapping and looked at the soldier.
"Yes... that's correct."
The soldier trembled with fear. "If I'm not mistaken, His Majesty woke up three times, but you made him faint again."
"Did I make him faint again? Does he have to be so fragile?"
Jason casually tossed the king to the ground, mumbling under his breath.
The observers all wore expressions of disbelief: each of Jason's slaps was so forceful and swift, no one, not even a king, could withstand them. Wait... Jason's strength was such that he must have known the king had regained consciousness—he did it deliberately.
Of course, they dared not say this aloud, not wanting to end up like the king.
The king, sprawled on the ground, finally came to. His face was swollen to several times its normal size, like he had stuffed two coconuts in his mouth, evenly swollen on each side.
"#@...@#"
The king tried to speak, but his words were incomprehensible.
Jason ignored him, confident he'd awaken soon, and began speaking.
He detailed the plot about the Pope to the heroes and the king. Regarding the issue with Lex hiding the gold ring in the throne, he adapted the truth slightly.
The Pope had stolen the king's gold ring, placed it in the throne, and manipulated the baron to shoulder the blame.
"So, we were all used by the Pope as tools. Such a cunning strategy to eliminate threats!"
"Indeed, that explains why His Majesty's promise ring, Jail, was found inside the throne."
"But why would the Pope frame you? There's no grudge against you."
After hearing Jason's account, the three heroes pondered deeply, raising their own questions.
"It's likely because the Pope thinks I might hinder his ambitions if left unchecked. Better to eliminate me before I become a bigger threat. I'm still relatively weak, after all."
Jason shrugged, appearing relaxed despite the gravity of the situation.
The three heroes' facial muscles twitched: Jason was already monstrously strong and still described himself as weak. If that's his idea of weak, what did that make them? Useless waste?
Despite their inner critique, they dared not voice it.
"If you put it that way, it makes sense."
The three heroes expressed agreement with Jason's account.
In truth, they weren't fully convinced; they simply conceded to Jason's overwhelming power.
Jason was aware of their doubts. Total belief wasn't his goal; all he needed was to plant a seed of mistrust between them and their leader.
So they might turn on their leader when the time came.
"Although I've been to the church, the Pope fled in fear of punishment. I have no idea where he might be hiding. Issue an order to search for the Pope nationwide."
With the heroes dealt with, Jason turned his attention back to the king, ready to squeeze out whatever power and value he'd held.
"You might not fully grasp the influence of the 3 heros church in this country. Even if I oppose the Pope, there'll be significant resistance."
By now, the king was slightly accustomed to the swelling in his cheeks, speaking word by word, barely audible.
"Do you think I'm asking for your opinion?"
Jason looked at him coldly, surveying him from head to toe. "It seems you haven't learned your lesson yet. Guess what might happen if everyone in the country learned of your secrets?"
"I... I understand."
The king's lower body tensed; faced with the threat to his vulnerability, he had no option but to comply.
"Very well, and regarding my visit to the church today, only the four of you are aware of it. If you let a fifth person in on this, don't blame me for being ruthless."
Jason nodded in satisfaction, and as the king breathed a sigh of relief, Jason's voice rang out again: "Now, let's address the matter of you sending Motoyasu and the others to deal with me."
"A whole three heroes, around twenty adventurers, and hundreds of elite soldiers were dispatched just to confront me. I was thoroughly frightened and seriously injured, so I expect you to cover my medical expenses."
As Jason spoke, he spread his hands toward the king, ready to exploit the royal treasures.
The king was taken aback.
Frightened? He was the one scared out of his wits!
Seriously injured? The blush on Jason's face didn't look like that of someone who was hurt!
The king internally complained. Just as he was about to refute Jason, he caught sight of Jason's smiling expression, which felt far more terrifying than his usual stern demeanor.
"How much do you need for medical bills?"
The king blurted out, his mind racing.
"100 gold coins."
Jason stated casually.
100 coins! Do you have any idea how much that is? I can't possibly come up with that amount! At most, I might be able to muster 10 gold coins.
Hearing this figure, the king's eyes widened, almost feeling faint again.
"Alright, then 80 gold coins. That's my absolute minimum."
Seeing that the king struggled to agree to Jason's demand, Jason decided to lower the amount accordingly.
"Even that is beyond my means."
The king continued to shake his head.
"Not possible? Then even if you need to sell your pants, you need to scrape that amount together for me."
"Look at me; do I look like I have any pants to sell? Even if you tried to sell me, you wouldn't acquire enough gold coins!"
The king spread his hands out, appearing completely unbothered, but it was evident he didn't have any spare cloth to sell.
"In that case, I will just send you to the slave merchant to sell off your stock as suggested, until you can produce 50 gold coins."
Jason said while tugging on the king's hair, preparing to exit.
After being subjected to humiliation once, the king had no desire to experience it again, so he shouted, "I understand! But please, give me a little time."
"Alright, I'll wait for you for an hour, and make sure you also issue an order to search for the Pope while you're at it."
About an hour later, the king, who had hastily donned some clothing, held a small stack of coins. During that time, he had also prepared the paperwork for searching for the Pope throughout the kingdom.
"Um... I'm still 3 silver coins short of the 80 gold coins. Could you give me just a little more time?"
The king's expression was nearly tearful; he seemed to have rummaged through every box and cabinet, even dipping into his own savings to procure these gold coins.
Just as Jason accepted the pile of coins from him, a voice echoed in his mind.
"Ding! Selection conditions completed. Rewards: Navy Six Style Shaving and the extended use of Iron body!"
In an instant, Jason felt a surge of information flooding into his mind, detailing the techniques related to the rewards.
Now that the selection task was complete, it signified that he had fully drained the king of his resources.
"It's just a few silver coins. I don't understand why people can be so stingy. Forget it."
Jason smiled lightly, deciding not to linger any longer and walked away cheerfully.
Watching his back, the king sank to the ground, torn between wanting to cry and feeling relieved. The evil star had finally left; he couldn't help but wonder why he had summoned the heroes in the first place.
"Your Majesty, you gave all the money to Jason. What will happen to our support funds?"
Motoyasu, still present, asked. According to their agreement, the king was supposed to regularly provide financial support for the heroes' endeavors.
Now, it seemed the king was financially drained, and not just Motoyasu; Ren and Itsuki began to worry too.
The king, already on edge, jumped up at Motoyasu's question: "Get out! Get out of here as far as you all can! A bunch of useless fools, three of you can't even defeat a single opponent! Are you really heroes? Do you even deserve to receive support money? Even if I had it to give, do you have the nerve to ask for it?"
The king vented his frustration on the three heroes.
"After all, you were the ones summoned by me."
"If you're unhappy with it, then just send us back. I certainly didn't choose to stay here voluntarily."
"This is different from what we agreed upon. Just because we aren't Jason's opponents doesn't mean we can be insulted at will!"
The three heroes exchanged glances and raised their weapons toward the king.
What transpired next remained uncertain. It seemed that another force intervened to de-escalate the tension between the heroes and the king.
Meanwhile, as Jason stepped out of the palace, Raphtalia appeared behind him. "Master Jason, thank you for your hard work."
"It's alright... is that person standing in front?"
Jason smiled at Raphtalia, and at the same time, he noticed a figure not far away—it was the slave trader.
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