"Hey! What do you think you're doing?"
The youth who had been kicked into the bushes scrambled up with difficulty, his face twisted in confusion and rage as he spat out the words through gritted teeth.
"What am I doing?"
Liam lifted his chin, his crimson eyes glinting with dangerous light, his posture one of supreme arrogance.
His voice was low and cold.
"You frightened my dear little Celia. Not only did you fail to apologize or show restraint, but you pushed your luck even further."
"Was I wrong to hit you?"
When dealing with the gentle and harmless elves, Liam might show some leniency.
But if the other party was a greedy, disgusting human—his approach would be no different from when he was among the demons.
"This..."
The youth was seething, but found himself momentarily speechless.
After a moment, he retorted, "I came over to ask you a question without any ill intent! I didn't say a single rude word from start to finish! I just wanted to know where you caught this elf!"
"Besides... I didn't even touch your pet! She's the one who's timid!"
"If you were unhappy or felt bothered, you could have just told me to get lost! You... did you have to go this far?"
"Have to?"
Liam's voice rose, his tone dripping with condescension, as if addressing a creature lower than a beastkin slave.
"A piece of trash not even Tier 3—do I need to explain myself to you, sentence by sentence?"
"Ultimately, it was you who frightened my little Celia."
Celia, hiding behind Liam, felt her legs go weak from the youth's earlier words.
She just hung her head, a faint smile touching her lips—not one of smugness, but a reaction to Liam's act of protecting her.
She felt... a little turned on.
Humans hunted and enslaved her elven kin.
While Celia felt fear, she also harbored a deep-seated hatred for them.
And Liam... he actually stood against the humans, protecting her.
This action made Celia like her husband even more...
Just as Celia thought, as long as Liam was here, even humans couldn't harm her.
He's so amazing~
"Kid, you'd better apologize quickly."
A middle-aged adventurer sincerely advised.
"This gentleman has a kind heart. He just kicked you. If it were someone else, they'd have twisted your head off like a pretzel by now."
Clad in heavy armor and wielding a broadsword that likely weighed a hundred pounds, he was exceptionally tall and was the captain of the adventuring party that included the red-robed female mage who had spoken earlier.
This middle-aged man had seen his share of the world.
Anyone who could keep a high-quality elf as a pet, even if their level wasn't apparent, just judging by their attire, was not someone to approach recklessly.
Most likely, they were either a high noble of esteemed status or one of those rarely seen, profoundly powerful experts.
"This... you people...?"
The youth's pupils contracted slightly.
He scoffed at the middle-aged man's words, utterly unable to understand why everyone was siding with the aggressor.
Just because he was stronger?
Unable to swallow his anger, he turned to the guards, hoping for help.
But what infuriated him more was that even the guards impatiently looked away, tacitly approving this act of violence.
"Fine. You're all just great. 'East of the river in thirty years, west of the river in another thirty.' I'll remember you."
The youth spouted arrogant words, glaring coldly at the lofty Liam and the timid elf hiding behind him.
Then he brushed the dust from his clothes and walked slowly towards the city gate.
But just then, an icy, heavy voice called out from behind him.
"Hey. Did I say you could leave?"
"What?"
"Fine, I apologize."
After a moment's pause, the youth slowly turned back, his gaze revealing a stubborn refusal to admit defeat.
"I'm sorry I scared your pet."
"No, no, no. I'm not interested in your apology."
Liam's tone was dismissive.
"I happen to be a bit short on funds. Hand over all the money you have on you. Consider it compensation to me."
"What did you say?"
Upon hearing this, the youth finally lost it, jumping up in anger.
"You want to rob me?This is outright robbery!"
He turned and shouted at the guards, "Did you hear that?He's robbing me! Robbing me in broad daylight! Aren't you going to do anything?"
The city gate guards remained silent.
One simply pulled down his helmet's visor, covering his entire face, clearly having no intention of intervening.
The guard on the other side said languidly, "Robbery isn't our jurisdiction. You should take that to the Knights' Order."
While the youth was frantic,Liam, holding Celia's hand, had already begun walking slowly towards him.
Dressed in a black overcoat that fell to his knees, he carried himself with the bearing of a noble.
He stood a full head taller than the youth, exuding immense pressure.
Celia looked at that broad, straight back and listened to his lines...
A bad feeling crept over her...
Wasn't this just like the villain in those stories?
"Steelblade Adventure Group! I'll give you all the money I have on me!"
The youth, truly desperate, shouted towards the middle-aged man spectating by the gate.
"Just help me deal with this!"
"No," the middle-aged man shook his head helplessly and said calmly, "I can't beat him."
Liam's tone grew heavier, almost suffocating.
"Give, or not?"
"Fine! I'll give it to you... Just take it..."
.......
The streets were bustling with people, the cries of vendors and laughter mixing with the rumble of cart wheels over cobblestones.
It was a stark contrast to the elven lands, where you wouldn't see a soul for hundreds of meters.
Liam fiddled with the purse in his hand.
Before leaving the Kingdom of Silverdew for the elven territory, his funds had been completely depleted.
He had just been wondering how to find an excuse to get some money, and unexpectedly, this fat sheep had delivered himself so quickly.
And so, he had stripped the youth clean, leaving him with nothing, not even the clothes on his back.
He felt no guilt whatsoever.
After all, someone young yet already involved in keeping slaves—what good character could they have?
They wouldn't be worth sparing even if killed.
Not like Liam, who was already over twenty-five.
Only now, pressured by his age, had he reluctantly come out to cause trouble, seize others' assets, eat without paying, threaten the elves for the crystal ball...
Although the youth was indeed poor.
The money in the purse was barely enough for an ordinary person's monthly expenses.
But judging by the youth's initial words, he wanted to buy an elven girl.
Especially one as young as Celia—that would cost at least ten million to start.
Only high-level adventurers or nobles could afford it, and even then, they were scarce.
His approach had been incredibly ignorant, making it seem like he was just looking for trouble.
Moreover.
A mere novice adventurer daring to approach someone of the fifth tier was an utterly foolish act in itself.