Karl Still in Trouble

"Please give me one more chance! I must cut off that tongue that insulted you!" Karl pleaded.

"Puhhahaha!"

The elder and his body guards laughed hysterically as soon as they heard Karl.

"So," the elder finally stopped laughing after a while and started to speak to Karl, "he was not your servant, but your master? Is he the Lord of Boswel or someone else? Well, it does not matter. You both cannot get out of here since you have seen me!"

"Ho?! An elder of an underground organization wants to detain the lord of the realm?" Huvel snorted.

"Are you Huvel Senebres?" The elder asked. "Do you think I won't dare to do anything to you just because you are the lord?"

"I see." Huvel replied as he leisurely stroked his chin. "It seems you have bought off most of the officials in the town, and maybe even some knight."

"Hmph! It seems the rumours of you being a lunatic is false!"

"I wonder… Are there such rumours?"

"Anyway, even if you are a little smart, I have to catch and make you my puppet. As you have said, your knight has no chance against my bodyguards. It's foolish of you to enter my place with just him alone!"

At the end of the elder's speech, his two bodyguards started to show off their skills. A faint glow slowly appears on their weapons and gradually enveloped the whole weapons.

"Aura?!" marvelled Huvel. "Some mere bodyguards of an underground organization are actually 3rd-rank weapon masters. Interesting! You guys are interesting!"

Aura coating that Knuckle Master and the other bodyguard used was something someone who was at 3rd rank in their weapon mastery could achieve. 'Weapon mastery' was something that had been existed a long time even before people awakened elemental prowess. Unlike prowess, weapon mastery could be obtained by anyone and the rank could be raised by diligently training their choice of weapon.

Karl was only at the 2nd rank 'spearman' and could only manifest a small amount of aura on his spearhead. Moreover, since he was using a sword that he was not proficient in, there was no way he could win against Knuckle Master, a 3rd rank in his knuckle mastery.

"It seems you are not completely clueless."

Huvel's thoughts were disrupted by Knuckle Master. He glared at Huvel and Karl as he rubbed his brass knuckles against one another.

"If you know what aura is, you should submit without resisting," he continued. "If you resist, my brass knuckles might break a bone or two since they don't have eyes. Kua haha!"

"I admit that I was a little surprised at your aura." Huvel spoke as he walked forward slowly. "You guys think I am foolish because I only brought one knight. I have to point you out that only real fools would think like that. The fighting force I have is not my knight, but myself."

"You? What can a good-for-nothing noble do against weapon masters? Hahahaa!"

"It would be difficult for me if there was a weapon lord here." Huvel's stares were colder as he spoke. "But just weapon masters like you guys are too easy for me!"

"How dare you! Who do you think…. ah….!"

Everyone in the room except Huvel and Karl fell on their knees. Their felt too weak to carry their bodies right up and lay down on the floor one after another. Huvel had already casted [Weakness] on them before he finished talking so it was taking effect. He also casted [Fear] as a backup spell. It would immobilize the bodyguards even if their physical strength was strong enough to withstand weakness.

Karl slowly raised from the place he was knocked down and watched the scene silently. He knew that magicians were absurdly strong but it still surprised him when he witnessed the power of his master. Huvel casted the light spell [Fasten Regeneration] so he recovered from his injuries in a short time. And two weapon masters that were far stronger were pinned on the ground by his master without any difficulty. As a 2nd rank spearman, he felt he was too far behind his master whom he pledged to protect. He was ashamed.

"Karl." Huvel called him. "You know that I didn't bring you to fight today, right? I can protect myself for now so you should also get stronger to be able to complete other missions I'll be giving you in the future."

"I… I understand. I will definitely train diligently and get stronger!"

"Good. There is something you can do now."

"Shall I kill them?"

"No, that's not it. They say there are three elders in this Black Python. If the other two elders hid after this one here died, it would be troublesome to catch them. So, I'll just make them see a reality like dream of you defeating these two weapon masters and"

"What?!" Karl interjected. "Me defeating two weapon masters by myself?!"

"Yes. You have to be more domineering and arrogant from now on so that they would see you like a master hiding his true abilities."

"How could I act arrogant when I am only a commoner acting like a knight and my spearmanship is only at the 2nd rank!"

"What bullshit is that 'commoner acting like a knight'! If I say you are a knight then you are! Things like commoner and nobility are not absolute. While a king can make anyone nobility, the younger sons of nobles gradually lose their status. The status of commoner or noble is just superficial. What matter is power; power of one's own and power of one's connections!

Since you have me as your master for your connection, you only need to improve your own strength! When you become a weapon lord, even the kings cannot look down on you."

"I understand now, master. I will do as you say!"

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In the next few days, Karl found himself to be the boss of Boswel underworld!