Chapter 86

So, the nobles of this world have a habit of reciting the names of their ancestors before doing anything, as if that makes them seem more impressive.

But in front of true power, those titles and empty names are nothing more than illusions that can be shattered with a flick of the finger.

"Miss, and this Baron. I was just passing by and happened to witness a fight between stray dogs." Facing the two arrogant nobles, Gao Deng spoke lightly, as if the bloody battle that had just taken place was really just a few stray dogs fighting each other.

"Bastard! You lowly northerner, how dare you insult the Phoenix family!" The blonde young lady glared at Gao Deng, her wine-red eyes blazing like flames.

Gao Deng was very displeased by her arrogant attitude and sneered, "Are these dogs your pets? I regret their fate but have no sympathy. If the owner doesn't keep their dogs on a leash and properly disciplined, letting them run around causing trouble, then any accidents are their own fault."

The sarcasm in Gao Deng's words was obvious to anyone. The blonde young lady, Ji'er, was so angry that her chest heaved, and she was momentarily speechless.

In the powerful Phoenix family, she was the center of all attention. At a young age, she had received a fief and become a real female baron. The people around her, whether elders or friends, all catered to her every whim. This time, taking advantage of the autumn hunt, she wanted to travel to the Far Frost Province to enjoy the northern scenery, but she never expected to encounter such an incident.

She had never thought that her indulgence in her subordinates' arrogance and even their domineering behavior, to the point of monopolizing Dommor Iron River's time, was her own fault.

At this moment, looking at Gao Deng, who was calm and completely unbothered by offending the Phoenix family, the blonde twin-tailed young lady wished she could bite a piece of flesh out of the detestable mage.

"Miss Ji'er, I sense the residual energy of a mind-affecting spell in the air," the handsome warlock beside her suddenly said.

Gao Deng couldn't help but glance at the warlock, thinking that this guy not only had a handsome face but also had considerable skill in magic.

Gao Deng shrugged and said, "That's right. A passing mage saw that a group of stray dogs were blocking the road, preventing others from passing, so he slightly disciplined them. Then, the mage who did this good deed flew away using a flight spell."

You're trying to fool who with that lie!

The few people present rolled their eyes simultaneously. The victims lying on the ground were so angry that they even coughed, pulling at their wounds and almost fainting from the pain.

"Sarando, break this lowly northerner's hands for me!" The blonde young lady pointed at Gao Deng, almost grinding her teeth to pieces.

The warlock named Sarando elegantly bowed to the blonde young lady and then walked toward Gao Deng step by step. He wore a smile and was graceful, but Gao Deng could sense the killing intent in his every move.

At this moment, Koyan, who had been silently observing from the side, stepped forward. He stopped the warlock Sarando and said to the blonde young lady, "Miss Ji'er, I think it's best to understand some things before you act."

"What things?" The blonde young lady's tone was unfriendly, but she didn't dare to be too arrogant in front of Koyan. After all, the Grubres family's power was not inferior to the Phoenix family, and due to their monopoly on most of the maritime trade with Antoria, they were even wealthier.

"This mage is not someone your Phoenix family can easily insult. He is Baron Gao Deng Freeman, the personal magic assistant of the Scepter Lord."

"What?" Ji'er's eyebrows furrowed, and she paused, then called out to the warlock, "Mr. Sarando, come back."

Originally, she had seen Gao Deng in ordinary clothing with no noble emblem, so she had assumed he was just a common mage. Such a person, with the Phoenix family's power, could be easily dealt with, even if he had a high-level mage as a teacher. At worst, they could pay a large sum of money to treat his injuries.

The most important thing was to vent her anger first.

But if the other party was a noble and had the Scepter Lord, one of the three dukes of the empire and the master of the north, as a backer, it would be troublesome.

Noble status can sometimes be worthless, and sometimes worth a fortune.

Those private soldiers of the nobles, if they died, were just dead. They were, to put it bluntly, nothing more than slaves kept by the nobles. Even if Gao Deng had caused their deaths, what could be done? Without direct evidence or eyewitnesses, it would end with a payment.

But if Ji'er dared to attack another noble, the matter would not be so simple. She remembered that she was a guest from the south, and in this distant north, the nobles had their own circles of interest, and few would side with the Phoenix family.

The blonde young lady took a deep breath after hearing Koyan's words, and her chest heaved. She ultimately abandoned the idea of disciplining Gao Deng and said to the warlock, "Sarando, take care of these injured. Take them to the temple. I have matters to discuss with Master Dommor."

The warlock Sarando had been stunned when he heard the name "Gao Deng Freeman" earlier. He came to his senses when he heard Miss Ji'er's call.

He found that everyone's attention was on Gao Deng, and no one had noticed his moment of shock, so he breathed a sigh of relief.

"I understand, Miss Ji'er." He nodded to the blonde young lady, still graceful.

"Hello, Mr. Freeman." After Ji'er left, Koyan nodded to Gao Deng, "We meet again after parting at the Sun Elf Castle. It's fortunate that you survived that disaster."

Gao Deng felt there was something more to Koyan's words. He glanced at Koyan and noticed that both of his arms were intact.

"Did I suspect wrongly?"

Gao Deng had always had a vague feeling that the black-armored warrior in the Sun Elf Castle, who had fought him and had one arm cut off by Reina, was the Koyan before him.

The black-armored warrior had covered his face and altered his voice, but his build and mannerisms were somewhat similar to Koyan's.

Although Koyan's limbs were intact, Gao Deng noticed that he was wearing a pair of leather gloves for some reason. It wasn't cold winter, and there was no need for such gloves. Moreover, with Koyan's knightly abilities, he didn't need gloves for warmth.

Gao Deng remembered this detail carefully.

"Hello, Knight Koyan. I'm glad to see you 'unharmed.' How did you survive the disaster at the Sun Elf Castle?"

Koyan blushed, "It's a shameful thing to admit. After the party started, I became dizzy and lost my memory. I only remember waking up naked, with several other naked women lying beside me..."

"Thank you for helping me just now." Koyan was acting, and Gao Deng didn't want to be outdone, putting on a sincere face to thank the handsome knight. But how sincere his gratitude was, only he knew.

"It was nothing. It's quite amusing to see the pampered third daughter of the Phoenix family get a taste of her own medicine," Koyan smiled.

At this moment, the short, fat man, who had been silent, walked over, "Brother, let's go. We still have matters to discuss with Master Dommor."

He glanced at Captain Hana lying on the ground with disgust, "This waste, let him fend for himself."

Gao Deng secretly shook his head. The young lady of the Phoenix family was annoying, but at least she stood up for her subordinates. But this guy was truly cold-hearted, treating his subordinates like trash, ready to discard them at any time.

Koyan walked to the side of the short, fat man and whispered, "Brother, I think we should go back today. Gao Deng has a special relationship with Master Dommor. Since he's here, Master Dommor probably won't have time to entertain us today."

Koyan had lost face with Master Dommor last time and didn't want to lose face again.

"Alright, let's go. Anyway, I came to the Far Frost Province for the Sun Elf mage Alavi Shengyang's legacy. Everything else is unimportant. But this Gao Deng not only obstructed us in the last ritual but also killed my men today. If I get the chance, I won't let him off," Ship Grubres said with a sinister tone.

But when he thought of the Sun Elf stone tablet in his dimensional bag, he couldn't help but smile smugly. The family had gone to great lengths to obtain this tablet, which was said to be the key to entering the Danze ruins and obtaining Alavi Shengyang's legacy. Once he obtained the Sun Elf mage's legacy and greatly increased his strength, his position as the family heir would be more secure, and his status in the Three Saints Baptism would be further elevated.

Ship knew Gao Deng's background. He had heard from his brother Koyan about the events at the Sun Elf Castle and was deeply impressed by the young mage's strength.

But this was just a minor issue. On the path to the family's rise and the completion of the Three Saints Baptism's great mission, enemies like Gao Deng would continue to appear. Ship couldn't afford to spend special effort on Gao Deng. But once he gained great strength, he would be more than happy to crush him casually.

As for Koyan, although he had been harboring resentment over the loss of his arm, after Zantaba used the power of the Pale Lord to repair his arm, the knight temporarily suppressed his desire for revenge. His current goal was to help his brother obtain the Sun Elf mage's legacy. Later, he would find an opportunity to kill Gao Deng.