Chapter 132: A Nobleman?

Hearing this crude voice, Jan raised an eyebrow and looked up at Ligia. At this moment, Ligia and her two maids had turned deathly pale. There was no need to ask; it was clearly the debt collectors returning. One had to admit, these people were quite diligent, showing up to demand payment early in the morning. If this were back on Earth, they would certainly qualify as competent lackeys.

"Go out and see what the situation is."

Thinking this, Jan spoke to Patilina, who was by his side. The little one nodded, then turned and skipped away—judging by her demeanor, it would be a miracle if she didn't cause some kind of trouble.

"This honorable guest..."

Seeing Patilina leave, Ligia’s expression shifted slightly. She looked up, speaking with anxiety and unease. "Please, there is no need to trouble yourself; this is merely a small internal matter for the Black family..."

"Say no more, Mrs. Black."

Before Ligia could finish, Jan waved his hand to interrupt her. "It would be one thing if I hadn't arrived, but since I am here and have encountered this, I cannot simply ignore it. This concerns my honor and reputation. Please, say no more; I assure you, I will resolve this issue."

With that, Jan turned and walked away. Seeing his departing back, Ligia’s expression changed drastically. She hesitated for a moment, then bit her lip, gathered her skirts, and followed him with her two maids.

When Jan stepped out of the gate, he immediately saw the source of the clamor—a dozen or so sturdy men. Judging by their uniforms, they were private soldiers belonging to someone. They were standing outside the gate, laughing and jeering, slapping the iron gate while loudly shouting Ligia's name.

"Mrs. Black! Come out quickly! The boys have been waiting a long time...!"

As they spoke, they glanced at one another, erupting into laughter, all the while tossing out lewd, masculine jokes. It seemed they thought this was a way to belittle the renowned beauty. Although the local militiamen stood nearby with pale faces and hands on their swords, they dared not act. It was clear that they feared the power behind these private soldiers; after all, they were actual nobles, not the sort of people commoners could easily provoke.

"Who are you people? Why are you screeching out here?!"

Just then, Jan and Patilina walked out. Remembering Jan’s order, the little girl immediately frowned and shouted angrily at the private soldiers.

The soldiers were taken aback by Patilina’s appearance. It was no wonder; her attire was truly bizarre. A little girl dressed in a full set of what looked like steel armor was eye-catching enough, but the way she came out ready to pick a fight made it hard for them to hold back their laughter. Seeing her appear, the soldiers burst into loud guffaws.

"Hey, this little girl has quite a temper!"

"Dressed quite nicely, are you pretending to be a knight, little one? Do you want me to play horse so you can ride me?"

"Hey, all of you, that's enough!"

Seeing his colleagues fooling around, a middle-aged man standing not far away couldn't help but bark a reprimand. Unlike those thugs, he was the captain of the guard for the Palwood family, a genuine warrior. He had been reluctant to get involved in this messy business, but he had been forced to follow these people to make a spectacle of himself due to his master’s orders.

However, the captain wasn't worried about losing face in front of so many people. In fact, the moment he saw Patilina, he realized there was something deeply wrong with this little girl. As a seasoned warrior, he knew that the armor she wore was no mere prop; it was the real deal. And that spelled trouble. A set of armor like that weighed several dozen kilograms; even a strong, adult man couldn't move flexibly while wearing it. Yet, this little girl could move with such ease and agility, and even had the strength to shout at them. He immediately sensed that her background was anything but simple. He hadn't noticed the magical carriage Jan had arrived in because it had been hidden in the shadows of the nearby woods with a mischievous intent, and with the aid of magic, most people wouldn't have been able to find it.

Precisely because of this, once he realized the girl was extraordinary, he spoke up to stop those idiots from seeking their own deaths.

Unfortunately, he was a step too late.

Hearing the soldier's remark, Patilina’s face darkened. In the next instant, she thrust her right hand forward.

A furious, howling gale swept past.

The already dilapidated iron gate was blown away by the intense impact with a thunderous crash. With her small face grim, Patilina charged out, shrouded in a whirlwind like a dragon descending from the heavens. She stood before the soldier who had just spouted the filth, her spear flipping as flexibly as a toothpick in her hand. Everyone saw that in the next instant, the fist-sized pommel of her spear struck the man’s crotch without the slightest mercy.

It might not have been an illusion, but in that moment, everyone heard a faint "pop," as if something had been crushed. The next second, the soldier flew into the sky, screaming in agony, before disappearing from everyone’s sight.

Including the captain of the guard, everyone felt a sudden, sharp tightening in their own groins.

"Fxck you everything!"

The little girl raised her middle finger at the unlucky guy who had transformed into a shooting star, cursed viciously, and then scanned the surroundings with a menacing glare. This time, no one dared to tease her. Instead, sensing Patilina’s fierce gaze, the other soldiers took a few steps back, wishing they could tear their hearts out to prove they had nothing to do with that idiot. *Please, Miss, look clearly—do not come looking for trouble with us...*

Patilina, however, seemed to have no intention of bothering the others. She merely glared at the soldiers, and when she turned back to look at Jan, the dark, murderous intent on her face vanished entirely, replaced by the aggrieved expression of a little girl seeking comfort from a parent after being bullied.

"Master, they bullied me..."

*Good grief, who would dare bully you!*

Hearing Patilina’s "complaint," everyone trembled. For a moment, they even wondered if they were dreaming. But the iron gate that had been completely smashed to pieces told them clearly that what they had seen was no illusion; it was reality.

"Well done."

Faced with Patilina’s act of spoiling, Jan nodded and reached out to pat her little head. Receiving his praise, Patilina immediately "broke into a smile," displaying an expression befitting her age.

The others, however, were left speechless with terror as they watched this scene, including Ligia and her two maids who had followed Jan out. They had noticed Patilina before but never imagined that this girl, who looked like a mere child, possessed such overwhelming power.

For a time, the scene was deathly silent, until Jan coughed, breaking the eerie stillness.

"Who are you? And why are you here?"

Seeing Jan, the captain of the guard knew things had turned troublesome. He hadn't met Jan before, but from the luxurious attire and the man's demeanor, he recognized his status—this was certainly a noble.

But who was he?

The captain frowned. He clearly remembered his master telling him that the Black family had no backing. Black himself was a fallen noble, and Miss Ligia was merely a merchant's daughter. Neither of them possessed high status, but the man before him was clearly different. Just standing there, he exuded an incredibly heavy pressure, as if it were difficult to even speak in his presence. He hadn't felt such trepidation even when standing before his own master.

However, since the other party had asked, he had to bite the bullet and answer.

"We... we are private guards of the Palwood family. Mr. Cotton Black borrowed money from us and has yet to repay it, so we have come to collect the debt."

"How much?"

Hearing this, Jan reached out to adjust his glasses and asked. Facing Jan’s question, the captain hesitated, but ultimately decided to do his duty.

"Five thousand gold coins."

"You lie!!"

Hearing this, Ligia’s face turned pale, and her maid, Molly, jumped up, pointing at the man and cursing angrily.

"Our master bargained with you for a long time before you agreed to lend him five hundred gold coins! How did it become five thousand? We have the IOU!!"

Facing Molly’s accusation, the captain couldn't say much, only mumbling something about "including interest" before falling silent. Truth be told, he hadn't thought much of the mission to begin with, and now, finding that the targets had a powerful new backer, he felt even more uneasy.

"Five thousand?"

Jan raised an eyebrow. He reached into his coat, took out a pouch of coins, and tossed it. The pouch landed squarely at the captain’s feet with a crisp clatter.

"There are one hundred gold coins in there. You can take them back to satisfy your master. Mr. Cotton has fallen in the Underdark; I advise you best not to trouble his widow again."

"B-but... sir, there are only one hundred gold coins here?"

Picking up the pouch, the captain’s expression turned bitter. He looked at Jan with unease, having no idea what this meant. Even if five thousand gold coins in interest was excessive, paying back the principal was expected. Debts must be paid; that was the law of the land. Judging by this man's attire, he wasn't short on money, so why only one hundred? When he returned and his master asked, what was he supposed to say?

"Giving you one hundred gold coins is an act of charity."

Hearing the captain’s question, Jan glanced at him coldly, his sharp, sword-like gaze instantly cutting off whatever else the man was about to say.

"Tell your master: if he thinks his life is only worth four hundred gold coins, I don't mind him coming to find trouble with me."