Capítulo 9: Adolf's greed; the unexpected knights

"It was a youth! A black-haired youth with the strength of a third-tier Great Mage! He had a pair of purple eyes!"

"Yes! And he was holding a little girl around six years old in his arms! Lord Yeru died by his hand!"

"We saw it with our own eyes—Lord Yeru was turned to dust by that guy! Not a trace of him was left behind!"

All the elite guards were panicking, hastily explaining all the details of that day to Adolf with agitated voices.

Listening to their chaotic answers, Adolf's brows furrowed deeply.

"Black hair? Purple eyes? Holding a six-year-old girl? Could it be him!" A familiar figure emerged in Adolf's mind, causing his expression to darken.

Impossible! How could it be him! How could the scion of the Caesar family, a mere level 19, possess the ability to kill a level 56, second-tier Great Mage!

"Do you think I am so easily deceived!" Adolf's gaze turned icy as he placed the blood-stained sword back on the neck of one of the elite guards, speaking coldly.

"Spare us, young master! We speak the truth, it's absolutely true! Even if we were given ten thousand guts, we wouldn't dare to deceive you!" Watching the sword mere millimeters from his neck, the unfortunate elite guard was so terrified that he wet himself, frantically kneeling and begging for mercy.

Ignoring the pathetic figure begging for mercy in front of him, Adolf was filled with doubt and suspicion. If that damned brat Ryan really had the strength of a third-tier Great Mage, how could he just watch the Caesar family fall and allow himself to be humiliated! There must be some unknown secrets!

"Could it be…" Adolf's eyes flickered, feeling the thin magic fluctuations in the air around him, a vague answer gradually forming in his mind.

Adolf looked inquiringly at his knight followers, asking seriously,"Have you heard of any magical artifacts that can store magic power and temporarily enhance the user's strength?"

One of the knights spurred his mount forward from the group, speaking with certainty,"Lord, you must also noticed the depleted magic in the mine! I have read about similar scenarios in some ancient texts before! There are some extremely precious magical equipments that can absorb massive amounts of magic power to temporarily enhance the user's abilities!"

"Extremely precious? How precious?" Adolf asked with a frown.

"At least epic-level equipment! Or even... legendary!" The knight stated firmly.

"That brat has such a treasure on him, how have I never noticed before? If that brat seeks revenge on our Genis family, wouldn't we be in trouble!" Adolf's eyes showed a hint of puzzlement.

"You worry too much, my lord! Such equipment that greatly enhances strength requires a huge price to use, such as infusing unimaginable amounts of magic power into it. The depleted magic veins nearby are the best proof! Moreover, weak users forcefully enhance their strength will only cause irreversible damage to their bodies!" The knight laughed.

"No wonder that brat didn't directly return to the imperial capital; he must be powerless to act! He's fled!" Excitement flashed in Adolf's eyes.

Epic-level magical equipment that could greatly enhance strength? All would be mine! Thinking this, a greedy smile appeared on Adolf's face.

Then, Adolf looked disdainfully at all the mine guards present, coldly reprimanding,"You fools, didn't even think to chase after that brat! Utterly stupid!"

Hearing this, all the mine guards silently cursed in their hearts: Easy for you to say! You arrogant fool, expecting everyone to die for your words!

"Which direction did that brat leave in?" Adolf loudly questioned the elite guards standing on edge nearby.

"Young master... that brat is a demon! Please reconsider!" Out of goodwill, one of the guards, with a bitter expression, quickly advised.

Having witnessed Ryan's terrifying power firsthand, their souls were permanently marked with fear of him.

"You worthless lot!" Adolf laughed in anger, striking the guard who spoke out with a backhand slap.

Seeing this, the other guards, fearing they would be next, quickly pointed out Ryan's direction: south.

After learning the direction of pursuit, Adolf had no desire to linger any longer. He swiftly mounted his horse and, along with ten followers, galloped away from the mine, heading south with great momentum.

At this moment, the epic-level equipment seemed to be beckoning Adolf.

After Adolf's departure, the elite guard who had been harshly slapped by Adolf came forward with a dark expression, covering his swollen face. He spat a mouthful of blood mixed with a few broken teeth onto the ground, his eyes filled with hatred as he said,"I hope that arrogant brute dies at the hands of that demon!"

The others, seeing his sorry state, could only smile bitterly, sharing the same sentiment in their hearts.

After receiving the village chief's warm hospitality, having his fill of food and drink, Ryan stepped out of the house alone and found himself on the devastated streets of the village. It was a morning after a catastrophe; the villagers had just endured a harrowing night, fighting to extinguish the massive fire that ravaged their village and neatly arranging the bodies of those unfortunate souls who perished in the disaster on an open piece of land.

The morning sunlight illuminated the earth and the sorrowful faces of the villagers. A sudden attack by monsters had robbed them of their loved ones, leaving each person's face etched with grief. At that moment, gathered in front of the deceased, they prayed silently, wishing for peace for the departed souls.

Ryan paused, silently observing the villagers engulfed in sorrow, unwilling to intrude upon their mourning. The scene deeply impressed upon him the fragility of life and the helplessness of the vulnerable. It also solidified his resolve to become stronger; he swore to never allow such a tragedy to befall him!

Just then, a small figure emerged from behind him and tugged at the hem of his clothes. Turning around, Ryan saw a little boy, about five years old. The boy's face was covered in dust and soot, with tears still fresh in his eyes. His hair was messy, with parts of it singed by flames, making him look exceedingly weary and fragile. At that moment, his tiny hand clutched Ryan's clothing as if holding onto the last thread of hope.

"Child, why are you alone here? Where are your parents?" Ryan asked gently.

"They're all dead..." the boy's tender face showed even deeper sorrow as he glanced toward two charred bodies not far away,"My mom and dad, to protect me... died at the hands of that monster." He choked up, every word seeming to carry the immense weight of his young heart. Tears once again flowed down his cheeks, leaving clear tracks through the dirt and soot.

The boy's words struck Ryan like a hammer, tightening his throat and making his speech feel unbearably heavy. He took a deep breath, searching for the gentlest and most empowering voice to comfort him, but found himself at a loss for words.

Looking up at Ryan, hope flickered in the boy's eyes. With a longing for the future and a plea for safety, he quietly asked,"Lord mage, will you stay in our village to protect us, right?"

Ryan looked into the boy's pure, expectant eyes, and his heart tightened. Moved by the boy's innocence and vulnerability, he was silent for a moment, filled with reluctance and guilt, knowing the protection he could offer was limited and that he and his sister could not stay here forever.

Finally, crouching down to meet the boy's gaze, Ryan gently patted his shoulder and responded softly,"I'll do everything in my power to avenge your parents! I promise you that! But I can't promise to stay forever to protect you all! Because I can't even protect myself..."

After speaking, Ryan let out a self-deprecating sigh. In this world where the strong are revered, the weak are destined to be marginalized and forgotten. Only by becoming stronger can one break free from the cruel shackles of fate!

Ryan's expression complex, he tenderly stroked the boy's head, earnestly encouraging,"Promise me you'll survive and strive to become stronger! That way, you can protect everything you cherish!"

The little boy, somewhat bewildered, listened to Ryan's words, etching them deep into his heart.

As they were conversing, the tranquility of the morning was shattered by the sound of chaotic hoofbeats coming from outside the village, immediately putting Ryan on high alert.

Ryan, with a look of astonishment, stood up, enveloped his body with magical power, and flew into the air. He looked down solemnly at the village's outskirts, observing the unexpected visitors.

They were a group of soldiers clad in silver armor, bearing the knight's crest unique to the Kingdom of Arnold on their armor, signifying their identity and status.

Relieved to learn that the arrivals were not from the Genis family, Ryan descended back to the ground.

The arrival of this group of silver-armored knights soon caught the villagers' attention, who cast curious and worried glances their way. The elderly village chief, upon receiving the news, hurried over, supported by Anne and Alice.

Ryan then got a clear view of the knights' faces: five robust men and one enchanting woman. Judging by the magical fluctuations emanating from them, they were all around level 31 mages.

The knights surveyed the devastated village, their faces showing a hint of frustration.

"Damn it! We're too late!" The leader, a young man with brown curly hair, despite wearing thick silver armor, couldn't conceal his noble aura.

Behind him were four middle-aged knights with sharp gazes, appearing to be veterans of many battles.

"Lord Kris, when will you ever change that damn habit of yours! If it weren't for your dawdling on the road, we would have arrived here much earlier!" A knight with a prominent scar on his face complained.

"Exactly! Now it's going to take us even more time to find that monster!" another knight with a beard chimed in.

The other two knights, looking remarkably similar and possibly twins, remained silent, observing coldly.

The four middle-aged knights on horseback expressed their grievances towards the noble youth named Kris.

" WTF? Me? You're blaming this on me? Man, who could've guessed that jerky you made would be so gnarly and rank, had me running to the bushes like, way too many times, dude!" Kris shot back, looking totally bummed.

"Oh shit! That's indeed my fault! Had I known it would turn out like this, I wouldn't have given it to you in the first place! Even though you, you fool, lost all the food you brought!" the scar-faced knight replied with a cold laugh.

"Ah man, totally my bad! If I'd had even a hint we'd end up like this, I wouldn't have tossed you that jerky, no way! And that's even after you went and lost all your own grub, genius!" the scar-faced knight shot back with a sarcastic snicker.