“How anticlimactic…” Those words leave my mouth as I watch the backs of the group called Wing. I blocked any sound around me, so no one should be able to hear me; one of them might have some powerful auditory ability.
I know that person. I know who their leader is. I’ve heard about that group on two occasions before. One was when I saved that small town from the minotaur and that fire mage; the people there mentioned that a few years ago, a group had helped them without asking for anything in return.
The name Wing remained etched in my mind. It’s always good to remember groups that do charity without expecting anything in return; they’re difficult to find.
The next time was with the twins. Brak was reading some papers sent by her family; they were about groups or people she needed to keep an eye on. When she saw me approaching curiously, she shoved the papers in my face and simply said, “Read. Summarize. Please.”
I couldn’t refuse her request. Brak looked like a sad little puppy. It ended up being quite educational for both of us, and I learned a few names I needed to keep in mind for the future. Among them, the group called Wing appeared again, along with their leader, Rocky.
A man born in the darkest alleys, someone who knew how to take advantage of every opportunity. He never had anyone backing him, only the desire to devour the world and the fierce determination not to die in the corner of some freezing alley.
He is a true Diamond rank, one forged through effort and harsh experiences. His power was earned through training, unlike some other people capable of reaching the top thanks to the support of great noble houses or organizations.
What could the Wing group want? I can’t think of anything in particular. Their clothing is a little strange, but I’ve never heard anything bad about them. In the summary I read, the only negative comments came from nobles, and the document itself clarified that those people held grudges against the group.
I’ll leave it to my grandmother and Ritmo. My intuition tells me I won’t contribute anything useful to the meeting. I already informed both of them. They were quite surprised when they heard the news, but at least they seemed happy and thoughtful.
I feel bad for continuing to pile more work onto them. They already have plenty on their hands, and now I’m giving them something else to think about. The territory has hired more staff and trustworthy people… but we’re still understaffed.
The three girls helped quite a lot during their vacation. Marga and Sol actively participated in meetings and had good ideas and opinions about every situation or plan. Arisa, on the other hand, was very active in training the new soldiers and accompanying expeditions, although I’ve heard that quite a few people had to visit the doctor after Arisa’s lessons.
Every day, they show more interest in permanently moving to my territory. They’re even looking into building a town, which the four women want to manage together. My family probably won’t refuse. After all, they want to give me complete authority over that new town.
It would be a way for them to put everything they’ve learned at school and throughout their lives into practice. My grandmother could help them with advice whenever they reach a dead end.
“Young Maki… excuse me.” One of the guards runs toward me, and I can tell from his expression that something isn’t right.
“What happened?” I ask without beating around the bush.
“Two people are asking for you in Puntsal. According to the description, both are Diamond rank; one of them appears to be a noble and the other his companion. Lady Rita just contacted us. She has delegated you to go welcome them,” the guard explains.
“Again? Thank you. Where exactly are they? I’ll go right away.” I didn’t expect two similar situations to happen on the same day.
“Near the main square in the eastern district. Lady Rita mentioned something at the end. They seem to be special. Be careful.” The guard says the last part with some hesitation, as if he doesn’t understand the context.
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“Oh.” A surprised sound escapes my mouth. “Thank you, I’m leaving now.” The guard gives me a farewell salute as I rise into the air. It isn’t just him; all the guards make the same gesture to see me off.
“Special…” It’s a special code we agreed upon for people who might come to our territory looking to cause trouble, directly or indirectly.
How should I handle this situation? If they’ve come with clear hostile intentions, I could drive them away if I wanted. It doesn’t matter if their family outranks mine. I have the card called Brendu, and I could even ask Uncle Julio to give me a hand.
I fly as fast as possible. Morning dew covers all the vegetation around me, the sky is clear, and it looks like today will be a little hot. It’s the perfect day to relax, and instead, I have to go deal with more problems.
When I arrive at the designated location, I can see them from a distance. Both have noticed my presence and are looking at me. Their gazes are very different; one seems somewhat angry, while the other simply observes me carefully.
I can faintly sense their intentions even from this short distance. The person dressed in a white and light-blue suit that probably costs more than what a hundred people in this town earn throughout their entire lives seems irritated, as if he wants to hurry me along with his green eyes.
His black hair looks silky and moves slightly in the wind; his face radiates arrogance and superiority. You could say he’s quite handsome, but I hate his gaze, as if he wants to look down on me.
The man beside him has eyes as black as obsidian, and his black hair has streaks of white along the sides. He seems calmer, as though he’s deeply analyzing me with his gaze.
I descend calmly, but not slowly. I use gravity to control everything around me so I don’t kick up any dust when I land. I look both of them directly in the eyes, trying to maintain a serene gaze, neither acting superior nor inferior.
“Good morning. I’m Maki Vichag, third son of Baronet Jarrid. I was informed that you wished to speak with a representative of the territory. Is there anything I can help you with?” My greeting is formal enough to display my noble origins.
“My name is Prito, second son of Viscount Weus. I’ve come with the intention of proposing a deal. I would like to speak with someone capable of making decisions.” The noble in front of me responds as if he has no interest in speaking with me.
His attitude is already horrible, and his response makes a vein throb in my forehead. Does this bastard have no manners, or does he simply not care about showing them because of my rank? Who the hell is Viscount Weus? I don’t remember any noble in the Empire with that surname and rank.
I look at the person behind him. My gaze turns cold, and a trace of irritation leaks through my Imra. “What do you think you’re doing?” My words are cold. This person tried to bypass my defenses very cautiously, thinking he could establish a connection without me noticing.
My senses are quite sharp, and my control over Imra is highly refined. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have noticed. The man is quite skilled. Any other Ruby rank wouldn’t have realized it. His Imra moves silently, searching for tiny openings to slip through unnoticed.
His eyes widen in surprise. “I didn’t mean to offend you. It won’t happen again.” His response is somewhat curt, which only makes me angrier.
“Don’t you intend to apologize? Do you think you can come into my territory and try to inspect me?” That kind of inspection is fairly normal, whether to confirm that the other person is who they claim to be or to search for anything unusual, but this person crossed the line. Even I inspected them without their knowledge, but I never attempted to bypass their defenses.
The man makes a slight grimace, almost imperceptible. I only notice because he’s so close within my Personal World. “I’m sorry…” The man’s hoarse voice is cut off when the noble raises his hand.
“His inspection was necessary. I am the son of a viscount, and he is my bodyguard. He must ensure that the people around me do not harbor hostile intentions. I don’t believe an apology is necessary.” His shrill voice completely exhausts the little patience I’ve had since early this morning.
I stare directly into his eyes. He seems to genuinely believe his own words, looking at me as though there’s no possible way I could refute his response. The man beside him seems slightly hesitant, but after a moment, he simply accepts everything and returns to his previous serious expression.
“Are you telling me that because you’re the son of a viscount, you can come into my territory and do whatever you want?” I allow my anger to seep into my words. “It seems you either don’t know who I am or simply don’t care. Maybe you only came here to provoke me.” I rub my temple.
I can see their expressions change. The bodyguard looks ready to react at any moment, while the bastard in front of me turns red with fury. I can feel his body strengthening, and I respond in the same way.
When his arm shoots forward at incredible speed to grab my shoulder, it’s stopped dead by my own hand. “What do you think you’re doing?” His eyes seem unable to believe that his arm was stopped so easily.
These two idiots never had any intention of coming here to negotiate anything. I could sense their desire to cause trouble from the moment I was above them. Sometimes people simply know exactly how to piss you off. I wouldn’t mind teaching them a lesson right now.