Chapter Sixty-Nine: The Little Tyrant, What Boundless Joy

Seeing someone blocking his path, Janen paid it no mind. He didn’t even spare the person a glance, simply turning to walk in another direction. But his adversaries were clearly not willing to let things go so easily. With a sly grin, another burly mercenary quickly stepped forward to block Janen’s way. Soon after, four or five others approached, encircling Janen and his companions with mocking smiles.

At the sight, Janen merely reached up to adjust his glasses, not bothering to utter a single word. Elise only frowned slightly. Only Bix seemed uneasy, edging closer to the other two. After all, gnomes were not exactly known for their fighting skills, and she had little fondness for these humans. Seeing the leering faces, fear pricked at her, but the presence of her master by her side soon steadied her nerves. Fixing her gaze on the mercenaries, she demanded in a low voice, “Why are you blocking our way?”

“Heh, heh…” The lead mercenary chuckled at her question, his eyes widening as he leered at Bix, baring a mouthful of yellowed teeth. “Nothing much, miss. We just thought you two ladies were quite the beauties and wanted a closer look, isn’t that right, boys?”

“That’s right, that’s right,” the others chimed in, their twisted smiles brazen as they eyed Elise. It was hardly surprising—women were a rare sight here, let alone a beauty like Elise. Though most of her face was concealed beneath her hood, leaving her features unclear, her graceful figure alone was enough to stir the imagination.

“This young lady is really quite lovely. By the way, what brings you to the Underdark? If you need anything, the Unicorn Mercenary Company is at your service. Whatever you need—even slaying dragons or demons—just give the word…” As he spoke, a mercenary even reached out, attempting to grab Elise’s arm. “What do you say, miss? Why not join us for a drink—”

Before he could finish, as his hand reached Elise, ripples of magical sigils surged before the girl, and a faint crimson light flashed. Instantly, the insolent mercenary’s right hand burst into flame, scarlet fire leaping hungrily, devouring half his arm in a blink. Screaming in agony, he collapsed, writhing on the ground, desperately smothering the flames.

“Brother!” The others were stunned, rushing to his side, only to recoil in horror at the scene before them—the mercenary’s right arm, up to the elbow, had been seared to the bone, a lonely, white remnant. The rest, shriveled and blackened by the heat, was now a useless, ruined limb beyond all hope of healing.

“You bastards!” the burly leader roared, drawing his sword and leveling it at Janen. “It was just a joke, and you go this far? Do you really think the Unicorn Mercenary Company is so easily bullied?”

His shout drew the attention of those nearby. In truth, they’d all noticed the Unicorn Company harassing the trio, but none had intervened. Janen and his party’s ostentatious attire was like Armani in the slums—no one expected a warm welcome. Many had even smirked, eager to see a pampered noble get his comeuppance. No one anticipated such ruthless retaliation—a single spell, wordlessly delivered, had crippled the company’s vice-captain. Such contempt was hard to swallow.

Yet, Elise’s expression remained unchanged as the leader bellowed, her cold gaze locked on him. Don’t be fooled by her bashful demeanor before Janen—that was reserved for the dungeon lord, whom she dared not provoke lightly. These humans, in her eyes, were no more significant than goblins. If Janen hadn’t expressly forbidden casual killing, she would have reduced them to cinders without a second thought. After all, when facing the patrols of the Sacred Church, she had slain without so much as a blink, her speed astonishing. Even elite knights meant little to her—how could these mercenaries possibly compare?

“Boss!” At that moment, a thief-like mercenary, his face stricken, tugged urgently at the leader’s sleeve. “Stop it! She’s a mage!”

“A mage?!” The leader froze, scrutinizing Elise. At once, his face paled. Her attire gave it away—no leather armor like an adventurer, no weapons like Janen, yet she dared venture into the Underdark. Clearly, she was a mage. The outer cloak might suggest a lady of quality, but beneath it was surely a mage’s robe.

A closer look would have revealed the truth, but the mercenaries had been too distracted by Elise’s beauty to notice—until disaster struck. Only now did they use their heads.

“Tch…” The leader was no fool. Warned by his subordinate, he was already reconsidering. On the continent of Clyne, above or below ground, mages were the last people to provoke. And the girl’s earlier magical shield made it clear she was no mere apprentice. Such folk were not to be trifled with; mages were notoriously temperamental, and one mishap could spell doom not just for himself, but his whole company.

Most who came to the Underdark were down-and-out, and the Unicorn Company was no exception. He had no wish to court disaster by antagonizing a mage. Grudgingly, he glared viciously at Elise, then gestured his men to lift the unconscious mercenary and leave.

With the excitement over, the onlookers averted their gazes. Mages were not to be trifled with. Few truly understood their power, but legends of their mysterious abilities abounded. Elise’s display only confirmed the truth of such tales, and those who had hoped for a spectacle now shrank back, fearful of attracting her notice and perhaps being cursed without ever knowing how they died.

“Wait!” At that moment, a young knight stepped from the crowd, striding up to Janen and again blocking their path.

“Don’t you think you’ve gone too far? Yes, these mercenaries were rude, but they didn’t deserve such treatment! This is the territory of the Sacred Order, not a place for nobles to act with impunity!”

“You don’t look like a mercenary,” Janen replied, his gaze flicking to the emblem on the young man’s breast—the insignia of the temple. “So, honorable knight, why do you speak for a pack of low, vulgar, crude mercenaries? You should know they are but rabble, while I am a noble, bearing arms and a crest. If they dare block my way, they should be prepared for the consequences. The noble bloodline must not be sullied or insulted. In truth, they should be grateful this is Sacred Order territory, or I would claim their blood and lives as recompense for dishonoring my house and myself. More to the point…”

Here, Janen adjusted his glasses.

“When these base creatures tried to insult my fiancée, I did not see you step forth in the name of justice, Sir Knight.”

“I…” The young knight flushed red. In truth, like the others, he had been distracted by Elise and failed to react in time. Only after the hapless mercenary was wounded did he realize something was amiss—too late to intervene.

“As a paladin sworn to honor, I hope you will judge our actions with fairness and impartiality.” With a soft snort, Janen glanced at the other mercenaries, now keeping their distance. “I hope such incidents will not occur again. I have come a long way to the Underdark in answer to the call of the Nine Saints, to vanquish evil and darkness lurking here. You must understand, paladin, I am far more capable than these drunken louts.”

“Far more capable?” The young knight frowned, confused, watching Janen.

Janen nodded. “Indeed. My ancestors and I have ventured deep into the Underdark for exploration and adventure. Believe me, I know this sunless hell better than any of you. Those idiots only court death and attract the monsters of the deep. I am different—I know what dangers await here and how to avoid or destroy them. That is why I am here.”

With that, Janen drew a pass from his coat. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to meet with the person in charge. I’m sure he’ll find it of great interest.”

His face all but declared, “You should be grateful I deign to grace you with my presence.” His arrogant tone drew cold snorts from the surrounding mercenaries.

What a tyrant, they thought.

PS: For those asking where to claim the Sanjiang tickets, let me explain again—click on the Sanjiang channel, then on the bottom right of the main Sanjiang feature, select [Click to claim] for your ticket. Then scroll to the bottom to vote. Please keep the votes coming—I’ll do my best, and I hope you will too!