In the blink of an eye, Vladmund was surrounded by a city of towering buildings, with vines cascading from their beautiful facades; it was a stunning sight, but what caught his attention the most was a beautiful stone castle crowned with an enormous rose.
Snap! "What's wrong, lizard? Don't get distracted!"
A man of medium stature, with brown hair, lashed Vladmund with a whip. That man seemed to be a noble, dressed in luxurious clothing, yet what irritated Vladmund the most was his excessively arrogant expression.
"Bastard!!!!" Vladmund glared at that man and rushed forward to attack the man...
"Hi!"
However...
"Huh?" His arms were restrained by iron shackles and a steel ball chained to his left leg. A metal muzzle forced his mouth shut.
"What's that expression? Don't look at me like that, hideous creature; respect your superiors!" The man whipped Vladmund with brutal force.
"Ugh," the strike hurt, but it lacked the force to do any real damage.
Vladmund glared at that man with much more anger mixed with murderous intent.
"Hiiii, G-Guards, help!"
"Monster! What are you doing to Viscount Marshall!"
Three knights rushed to protect Viscount Marshall's and, to teach Vladmund a lesson, they beat him brutally. This time, their combined blows brought him to his knees.
Those three knights constantly tormented Vladmund. But one among them stood out, the leader of the group. A strong knight named Barlo, a muscular man with a square jaw, he exuded an aura of intimidation.
This had become his daily routine since he was transferred to the capital of Paldes: a slave to a viscount brutally attacked every day.
Those were dark days for him, devoid of any right or defense against his tormentors. Helplessness and despair took over and made him a victim of his own emotions. But he didn't forget the promise he made to his father.
Adding to his misery were the constant, contemptuous glances from the people around him; to them he was nothing but a monster, but in reality he also had feelings. Everyone walked by; no one offered help, and some even found his suffering amusing.
But, one day, everything changed, and his life took an unexpected turn.
One afternoon, as he endured the usual harassment on the streets of the city, a young man clad in white armor approached the knights, who seemed to be enjoying themselves while beating the lizard.
"Hahh~ I'm so bored right now.... Hey guys, how about we plan a duel? It would definitely Shakespeare things up and make things more interesting around here. Come on, entertain me~" He couldn't see the young man's face properly because his blond hair covered his face, but the childish tone in his voice was unmistakable. The only thing he could make out clearly was the emblem of his armor: a raven carrying a rose in its beak.
The rays of the setting sun bathed the young man; to Vladmund, who was watching on the ground, he looked like the personification of a deity who came to his aid.
"Huh?" And who are you, brat?" Barlo said with an angry face.
"He is...!"
"Huh?"
"It's the royal knight! Rulius Bisanto!"
"!!!"
The young man named Rulius Bisanto grinned in a friendly manner; his way of speaking suggested that he didn't take anything seriously, but despite his friendly way of speaking, those three knights trembled in fear.
A royal knight represents the highest rank a knight can reach; as the elite warriors of the kingdom, they serve the king directly. Few people could become one.
The boy knelt down to break the chains that imprisoned Vladmund.
Vladmund was taken aback by the sudden display of kindness: "You, why—?"
"You don't have any weapons, do you? Here, take my sword. Show me something interesting." Without giving Vladmund a chance to finish, the young man tosses the sword he was holding at him.
Vladmund held it hesitantly, but without further ado, he approached to duel against the three knights.
***********
"Gahhhh." The three knights lost in the duel against Vladmund and all fell down.
"Wow, I knew you were strong." Bisanto approached Vladmund with a chilling smile and continued, "Come on, finish them. Whoever wins in a duel has the right to take the life of their opponent. That's rule number one in this kingdom. Come on, do it~"
"Huh? No, I..." He was confused, unable to tell if the young man was joking or being serious, because the innocent smile didn't leave his face.
"Hey, what's wrong? Weren't they bothering you?"
"Well, yes, but..."
It's true that the Vladmund had a grudge against those three knights; however, he only had one person in mind, King Lombardo.
"Uh~, this is so boring~ it's not fun at all..." said the boy with a gloomy face.
The three knights, upon hearing Rulius's declaration, trembled with fear, but when they noticed Vladmund's indecision, they thought they might still have a chance. Especially Barlo, who spoke to the young Julius Bisanto.
"My Lord Rulius, give me ano—"
However,
Slashh!
Bisanto mercilessly killed the three men with a single blow.
"Those who lose to a mere slave do not deserve the title of knights." Scum like this have no right to bear the King's emblem," the young man declared with a serious face as blood dripped from his saber; then he turned to Vladmund again with a smile as his face was covered in blood.
That scene was terrifying enough that even the bravest knights would tremble.
"Hey, why don't you become a knight? You're strong; you're wasting all your potential."
Why is he interested in me? He thought. That young man with a friendly face disturbed Vladmund's senses.
"Why do you want to help me? You don't even know me and I'm just a slave...."
"Help you? Hahaha, no! I just thought it would be fun to watch you battle those knights, and of course, if you become a knight, that'd make things even more exciting. That's all~" Said the young man with a chilling smile.
Vladmund felt an icy coldness run through his entire body, and at that instant he understood how wrong he had been.
The boy's gaze made it clear to Vladmund that if he hadn't piqued his interest, he would have killed him just like the other three men.
The figure he had believed to be a saving angel turned out to be a bloodthirsty demon.
However, a light of hope shone for Vladmund: becoming a knight would bring him nearer to the king, and getting closer to the king meant he could fulfill his thirst for revenge. His plan was simple: pretend compliance until he could get closer, then kill the king without mercy.
With a look full of confidence, Vladmund answered as he bowed, "Then, in that case, I will show you something even more interesting."
The boy flashed an even more intense smile and answered, "I'll look forward to it, Mr. Lizardman."