Chapter 19 Human Swine

"Ah, it's actually not that serious."

Hearing Noah's question, the boy's tone suddenly became hesitant,

"I just cut off his limbs, but they were reattached in time, so it's just like before."

"You cut off a prince's limbs in the capital?"

Noah was shocked. He had to take back his initial judgment of the boy; what kind of reckless brute could do such a thing?

"He had murderous intentions toward me, and his realm was higher than mine, so I had to fight with all my might. Simply cutting off his limbs without going for his neck was already showing mercy.

Besides, there were many priests in the arena at the time. Cutting off limbs wasn't a big deal; isn't that useless guy still alive and kicking now?"

The boy repeated, even now he still believed he did nothing wrong.

"The fact that you could cut off his limbs shows that your true combat strength far surpasses that prince's, so don't try to fool me with that excuse.

You might have felt invigorated striking those blows, but it brought a lot of trouble for your uncle, didn't it?"

"Indeed there was some trouble. The royal family lost but refused to accept it, showing no dignity!"

As the boy spoke, there was no resentment in his expression, instead, it was filled with longing and admiration,

"It's a pity you weren't there. You missed seeing how imposing my father was when the royal guardian knight tried to attack me; his show of strength swept through the arena."

"I saw it all."

Noah appeared unconcerned, but inside he was murmuring. He had seen with his own eyes how that adoptive father performed astonishingly against an opponent in the same realm.

"After I cut off that useless prince's limbs, from the royal family's stand..."

Tidel, now full of energy, vividly recounted his father's dominance over the capital skies.

While the boy was telling his story, a large group of little elves quietly gathered around, hiding behind flowers and grass, ears perked up, listening to this real-life legend-like event.

"In the end, a legend actually ambushed my father, how shameless!"

As the boy lamented indignantly, the story reached its conclusion. Noah also became serious because what happened afterward was unknown to him.

"However, even with the legendary attack, it didn't bring down my father; his counterattack actually wounded him."

"Was the attacking legend part of the royal family too?"

"Yes, at that time only royal family members would act. Later, I heard that it was a follower of a legendary royal mage. However, the legend merely delivered one blow to my father and didn't continue, otherwise it would be uncertain what might have happened."

Tidel sighed slowly. Though merely a spectator in the battle two months ago, he was more nervous than anyone.

"It seems the royal family still has some limits, but it's hard to say what might be deterring them."

Noah nodded. This resolution could barely be considered reasonable.

The foolish boy here in the capital reduced the most promising heir to the throne to a mere stump; even if a fair and legal duel, not responding at all would indeed make the royal family appear too weak.

Having a legend tidy up the end is about right, but the adoptive father was also unwilling to yield an inch and even injured the legend.

If the legend didn't continue to attack, it might have been to avoid escalating the situation further because aside from the identities involved in the duel, it was just a conflict between two young men, and continuing would have been pointless.

Another possibility is that his adoptive father had something even a legend would fear, and compared to lost face, the royal legend preferred to keep intact the essence.

Meanwhile, his adoptive father had already demonstrated sufficient strength and even more frightening talent, making the honor and disgrace of a mere heir to the throne insignificant by comparison.

Noah leaned towards the possibility that all these factors were present; the royal family did not want to further escalate the conflict, and his adoptive father likely possessed treasures like a Dragon Clan Covenant.

The holder of the Dragon Clan Covenant, be it an individual or a force, could choose to sacrifice a certain amount of gold and silver treasures as a cost to summon a Giant Dragon, with the highest level being an Ancient Dragon from the otherworld.

If an Ancient Dragon truly descended, even a legendary mage would be daunted.

"After this event, weren't you and your uncle famous nationwide?"

"How could I compare to my father? He became truly famous. Now many people say he is the greatest under a legend, and several nobles say my father will become the thirteenth legend of the kingdom."

Tidel seemed well aware of his limits. He was certain of his own talent, but more certain that compared to his father, he was nothing.

"With your uncle's strength, these titles are well-deserved but being too high-profile could bring trouble if he doesn't reach legend status quickly."

Despite his adoptive father's rising fame, Noah felt little joy because he could see the hidden dangers lurking behind such immense recognition.

"There's no need to worry about that. My father said he already knows the path to becoming a legend."

Hearing Noah's words, Tidel lowered his voice, revealing a piece of news that made Noah rejoice.

"That's the real good news. As long as uncle can become a legend, many issues will cease to be problems."

In the face of absolute power, all schemes and calculations are mere jokes.

"It won't be long, don't worry."

The spirited boy patted his chest to assure the Golden Dragon, then began chucklingly showcasing an ancient ring on his hand,

"Come, look at the capital's special items I brought back for you. They're all treasures, and you'll love them."

Under the astonished gaze of the Golden Dragon, the boy took out various Spirit Light-adorned trinkets, their exquisite designs and dazzling brilliance instantly capturing Noah's attention,

"Where did you get so many magic treasures?"

"They're gifts from new friends I made; see if there's anything you like."

"Friends? Gifts? Heh."

Noah sneered slightly, and the dragon species' innate Identification Skill activated.

With one glance, he identified the most valuable among them, a crystal jug inlaid with seven gemstones of different hues, each of flawless quality.

The Golden Dragon extended a claw to pick it up, gently shaking it to hear the sounds of liquid sloshing. As the lid opened, a unique fragrance wafted out, revealing a milky liquid inside.

"Healing wounds, restoring strength, accelerating Fighting Spirit recovery, dispelling mental fatigue... for close combat professionals below Gold Rank, it's no less than a divine artifact."

With a sniff, Noah identified the several effects this white milk possessed, but the most precious part was not the white milk in the crystal jug but the jug itself,

"What's truly rare is that this crystal jug influences external magic power to constantly produce this white milk."