Soon, a second noble lady approached, and he had to oblige her by asking for a dance.
Leech was quite curious about this. 'Are these noble ladies different from what I imagined?' He had already told them the unvarnished truth about Porcupine Territory, but they still flocked to him like moths to a flame, shamelessly showing off their cleavage.
Some even tried to press themselves against him, but with the combat experience of a Warg Slayer and razor-sharp reflexes, the noble ladies' little tricks never succeeded.
Yet they were relentless.
Aside from the heirs of a few major nobles, he was one of the most sought-after bachelors.
After finishing a dance, these noble ladies would turn and leave without a second thought.
"Sir, perhaps you could ask me for a dance?"
Leech, who had just stolen a moment to take a sip of wine, was once again approached by a noble lady.
'Charming' Becky Simon.
"Of course," Leech said, his lips curling into a smile as he tried his best to stop them from twitching.
In a gentlemanly manner, he placed a hand on her waist, taking care not to get too close as they began to dance to the music.
Becky said, "They say you're a gentleman, unlike those ravenous beasts with their wandering hands who look like they want to devour every lady they see."
She was very alluring. If he didn't know her story, Leech might have actually felt his heart flutter for a moment.
'Now Leech understood why the noble ladies were approaching him one after another. It was their damnable sense of competition, a contest to see who could use their "abyss" to capture a backwater Baron who'd never seen the world. But that was underestimating him. Leech was, by his own account, a man of vast experience. A little cleavage was nothing.'
'Even if they got completely naked, he still wouldn't concede.'
"The pelt of that Flame Bear you killed is in my room," she whispered. "You're an honorable Knight. Your valor is captivating."
"Thank you, but to be honest, my mentor was the one who killed it," Leech said. "Though he's dead now."
'He died before he could do anything, though,' Leech added silently.
Becky said softly, "I'm so sorry."
Leech realized she was an expert at getting close to men. If he hadn't been baptized by countless 21st-century articles on how to spot a "green tea bitch," he would have been blushing furiously and completely smitten with her.
While he wouldn't mind a night of passion with a noble lady, it certainly wouldn't be this one.
"Sir, perhaps you could come to my room? You could recount your heroic exploits in front of the bearskin."
'She might as well have just dragged him into a dark corner, pulled down his pants, and gotten to it.'
Leech refused immediately. "My apologies, but entering a lady's chambers unchaperoned would go against my principles as a Knight."
Finally, the dance ended.
Becky was far more tenacious than the other noble ladies. She was relentlessly flirtatious, and from the looks on the other men's faces, it was clear that more than one of them wanted to go to her room and "admire the bearskin."
But Leech was probably the first to refuse her.
"You're quite popular with the ladies," Sidor Sea Water remarked teasingly as he walked over.
"I'd prefer a different kind of popularity," Leech said, glancing to the other side of the room. Many sons of nobles stood near Baron Simon. They were the sort who understood their own positions and harbored ambitions, choosing to pledge allegiance to a powerful lord rather than simply marrying a noble lady.
Unfortunately, Leech wasn't having much luck with the men tonight and failed to gain their "favor."
The ball went on for a long time, and Baron Simon finally concluded his business. He didn't accept fealty from just anyone. Unlike the talent-starved Porcupine Territory, Iron Stone City had all sorts of skilled people, master craftsmen, and sufficient funds and resources. He could afford to pick only the best.
'After the ball, I'll still be in Iron Stone City for a few days. Maybe I can recruit a few talented people then?'
"Everyone, if I may have your attention,"
Baron Simon raised his voice.
"Today is my daughter Becky's coming-of-age celebration. Thank you all so much for coming," he said. "I hope you all remember this evening fondly and have pleasant dreams…"
CRASH!
A figure was suddenly sent flying, spewing blood as they crashed heavily onto the floor like a sack of flour.
It was the first noble lady who had danced with Leech. Her abdomen was caved in and her eyes bulged wide as blood and viscera gushed uncontrollably from her mouth.
"AHH!" The ladies screamed and scattered.
The men stared nervously at the colossal figure.
He was a giant of a man, over two meters tall, with short blond hair and a brutish, fleshy face. Those nearest to him had already scattered the moment he'd lashed out with his foot.
His mental state was clearly not right. He was howling, "Stomp the bugs, stomp the bugs, stomp the bugs, stomp the bugs…"
'Is he on a drunken rampage?'
There were many Knights present, including some of considerable power, but all of them were in formal attire. Without their longswords or armor, not a single one had the courage to rush forward and confront the two-meter-tall giant.
"Damned Ox-hoof!" Baron Simon roared in fury. In his own castle, one of his own Knights had gone berserk. "Guards!"
Soldiers armed with poleaxes rushed in. Compared to a longsword, a poleaxe was better suited for wide, powerful swings, and its top spike could easily pierce iron armor.
Longswords were for duels between Knights; in war, many weapons were far more practical.
A poleaxe thrust toward the giant, who was still chanting, "Stomp the bugs, stomp the bugs, stomp the bugs…" His arm shot out and snatched the weapon's shaft before it could connect. Against the giant's terrifying strength, the Soldier was like a helpless chick, easily flung aside.
Worse, the giant was now armed with a poleaxe.
The Soldiers were quickly routed.
In his frenzied swinging, a few unlucky nobles had their arms hacked off.
The crowd was like cornered chicks in a coop, shivering as they awaited their doom.
'The nobility might get wiped out here,' Leech thought, turning his head to glance at the window.
'This is the second floor. A jump would mean a broken bone at worst. Of course, I could also kick the unlucky bastard in front of me toward the giant. While he's being killed, I could use the opportunity to escape through the door.'
But then he saw Sidor Sea Water and noticed his calm expression.
A Knight who had been standing in the corner stepped forward. After a nod from Sidor, the Knight charged, alone, toward the crazed giant wielding the poleaxe.
BOOM!
It sounded like a shockwave. Leech stared in disbelief. The Knight had actually caught the giant's wrist with his bare hand. 'Was that a flash of light?' In any case, he had blocked the attack. A moment ago, Leech had been wondering if the man would be smashed into a meat paste by a single swing of the axe.
"Stomp the bugs, stomp the bugs, stomp the bugs…" the giant was still muttering. He raised his foot and kicked at the Knight's chest.
This time, Leech saw it clearly. A golden light flashed across the Knight's chest, successfully deflecting the giant boot.
"Take my sword!" Baron Simon shouted, tossing his own longsword.
The Knight kicked the giant but failed to send him flying. It seemed the vast difference in size wasn't so easily overcome. The Knight used the recoil to leap back, catching the longsword in mid-air and drawing it from its scabbard. He even gave the blade a leisurely inspection before turning his attention to the crazed giant now charging him.
He swung the sword once.
A golden light flashed.
SCHLICK—
Blood sprayed through the air as the giant collapsed to the floor.
With a light flick of the blade, droplets of blood scattered across the floor like blooming red flowers.
In that moment, all eyes were on him.
After returning the longsword to Baron Simon, the Knight walked over to stand behind Sidor Sea Water, making his allegiance clear.
"Damned Ox-hoof! Iron Ox-hoof! I should have killed you long ago!" Baron Simon bellowed. "Someone, find a Taven Scholar, quick! Get him here to save the wounded!"
Everyone could see that Miss Freckles was beyond saving, but the other wounded nobles might still have a chance.
Leech still remembered his dance with her, her sweet smile. But life was just that unpredictable, that fragile.