Chapter 284: The Power of the Noble Young Master.

Sometimes, the harder you tried to stay out of trouble, the more determined trouble seemed to find you.

Shu Li hadn't expected Hector to act so quickly.

The moment he'd heard Barat speak, he'd known something was wrong. The man's filthy intentions couldn't have been more obvious. Shu Li had been about to step forward and confront him when Hector beat him to it, sending the bastard flying with a single kick.

What a kick! Perfectly timed, beautifully delivered, and immensely satisfying.

Pedestrians stopped in their tracks, staring in astonishment at Barat, who had landed flat on his face. Never in their wildest dreams had they imagined someone would dare risk offending him, much less kick him across the street.

It was glorious!

Of course, the onlookers still feared Barat's influence. They didn't dare show their delight openly, so they suppressed their smiles and watched to see what would happen next.

Who were these people bold enough to offend the local tyrant? And would they suffer retaliation?

Hama, the restaurant waiter, wasn't worried in the slightest.

Who was Hector?

A young lord of the Snowo family, that's who!

His father might have passed away, but that didn't change Hector's noble status.

Hama remained perfectly composed. Even the restaurant owner, having heard about the commotion, came outside and stood nearby, smiling as he enjoyed the spectacle.

It took Barat quite some time to recover. He struggled to his feet, endured the pain, and exploded with rage.

"Who? Who dares kick me? Bill! Hans! What are you waiting for? Seize that damned bastard! I'll tear him limb from limb!"

Clutching his aching chin with one hand and his injured stomach with the other, he furiously barked orders at his two subordinates.

"Yes, my lord!"

Bill and Hans cracked their knuckles and glared viciously at Hector.

"You're dead, brat!"

"Do you have any idea who our master is? You dared kick him? You'll pay for that with your life today! Oh, and those two pretty little girls—"

Hans broke into a lecherous grin.

Hector frowned.

Before either man could approach, he moved like the wind, delivering two sharp slaps across their faces. Then he turned sideways and unleashed two successive kicks.

Bang! Bang!

Bill and Hans flew through the air like sacks of grain.

"Aaagh!"

"Aaaaaah!"

They landed even farther away than Barat had, hitting the ground with greater force. Both lay sprawled on their backs, groaning in agony.

Barat was horrified.

Pointing a trembling finger at Hector, he sputtered incoherently with rage.

"You damned bastard! How dare you run wild in Snowo family territory! You... you just stand right there if you've got the guts! I'll... I'll bring men to arrest you... all of you!"

It was hardly surprising that Barat was beside himself with fury.

For the past six months, he'd used his position to throw his weight around, bullying and exploiting people however he pleased. No one had dared resist him.

Yet today he'd finally met someone he couldn't intimidate. Not only had this stranger ruined his plans, he'd actually dared attack him and his men!

Unforgivable!

"So you do know this is Snowo family territory?"

Hector took a step forward.

At six feet one, he towered over Barat, who stood barely five feet three. His aristocratic bearing was unmistakable.

But what truly terrified Barat was the young man's silver-gray eyes.

They were like a wolf's—piercing, cold, and commanding, with an unfathomable depth.

He is...

Barat swallowed involuntarily. Cold sweat beaded at his temples as he scrutinized the young man's features.

The longer he looked, the more familiar they seemed.

"Y-you're..."

His mouth opened and closed as he desperately searched his memory. Unfortunately, his nervousness only turned his thoughts into a hopeless jumble.

He had definitely seen this young man before!

Absolutely!

Otherwise, why would he feel such an overwhelming sense of familiarity?

Even more astonishing was the fact that he couldn't summon the courage to meet the young man's gaze. Without realizing it, he'd already lost every shred of his earlier arrogance.

Just as he was growing frantic, Hama's eyes darted thoughtfully. The waiter deliberately stepped forward and announced in a loud voice:

"Goodness gracious, Lord Barat! Don't tell me you don't recognize Young Master Hector Snowo?"

He enunciated every word, placing particular emphasis on "Young Master Hector Snowo" so that everyone present heard him clearly.

At last, Barat remembered!

No wonder the young man had looked increasingly familiar!

It was Young Master Hector!!!

Barat was merely a minor steward, ordinarily responsible for managing affairs in the outlying territories. He returned to Snowo Castle only once every few years and had met Hector so rarely that he could count the occasions on one hand.

It was hardly surprising he hadn't recognized him immediately.

But now that he knew the young man was a member of the Snowo family, Barat broke into a cold sweat and completely lost his composure.

A steward was still a steward. No matter how much authority he wielded, he could never outrank a noble family's young master.

His knees buckled, and he dropped to the ground.

"Y-Young Master Hector! P-please forgive my disrespect and insolence!"

Barat trembled uncontrollably, inwardly cursing his rotten luck.

Of all the people he could have encountered, why did it have to be Young Master Hector?

Hadn't Hector gone to study at St. Velia Magic Academy in the Central Court two years ago?

Why was he appearing in a remote place like Puwa Town?

Could something have changed over the past six months?

Had Hector inherited Count Oraman's estate? Was Puwa Town going to be returned to him?

But Barat hadn't received any news about that!

Panic written all over his face, he turned and shouted at his two subordinates.

"What are you waiting for? Get over here and apologize to Young Master Hector!"

Bill and Hans were already petrified.

At Barat's furious command, they scrambled over on their hands and knees, prostrating themselves before Hector and begging for mercy.

Hector looked coldly at the three men kneeling on the ground.

The arrogance they'd displayed moments earlier had vanished, replaced by abject servility.

Even though he was a young lord who had fallen from favor, he still possessed the status and privileges of a noble. Servants were absolutely forbidden from showing disrespect toward the aristocracy.

After two years of living in the Central Court and spending so much time with the Little Fairies, Hector had gradually forgotten his own noble identity.

Fairies made no distinction between high and low birth. They believed in equality and harmony, treating everyone with the same consideration.

Their influence had changed many of Hector's formerly narrow-minded views.

Yet today's incident had forced him to confront a bitter reality: the only way to resolve the situation was to invoke his noble status.

If possible, he would rather not use his position to intimidate others. But against shameless scoundrels like these, it was the most effective approach.

He and his companions were merely passing through Puwa Town, and their schedule was tight. If he wanted to help the mother and daughter, the simplest solution was to frighten Barat into submission.

Once properly intimidated, the steward would naturally become more restrained in his behavior.

"Puwa Town was once under my father's administration. My third uncle is responsible for it now. As one of his subordinates, you should be helping him manage his affairs, yet instead you're using your position to bully men and prey on women. You're disgracing my uncle's reputation."

Hector's expression remained impassive.

"Y-Young Master Hector! I know I was wrong! Please forgive me! I'll never do it again!"

Barat curled his fat body into a ball, sweating profusely as he pleaded for mercy.

If his master discovered what he'd been doing here, [N O V E L I G H T] he would certainly dismiss him.

Cadimer Snowo might have been lazy, but he was fastidious about moral conduct and held his subordinates to strict standards of behavior.

In Cadimer's presence, Barat pretended to be an upright, respectable man. The moment he returned to his own territory, however, he became a tyrant.

Puwa Town was far from Snowo Castle, and news rarely traveled between the two places. Naturally, no one had exposed the hypocrisy behind his respectable facade.

Hector knew his third uncle's personality well. That was precisely why he'd seized on Barat's misconduct and pressed the advantage so relentlessly, leaving the steward no room to resist.

Barat's face turned ashen. Resentment seethed inside him, but he maintained a terrified expression.

"How much do they owe you?"

Hector pointed toward the trembling mother and daughter, who were still clinging to each other.

Barat waved his hands frantically.

"Nothing! Nothing at all! They don't owe me anything anymore! Ha ha..."

Hector demanded, "If they don't owe you money, then what exactly were you doing just now? Snatching someone else's child off the street?"

Barat wiped the sweat from his face.

"Her... her husband originally owed me money, but since you've intervened, Young Master, I'll... I'll forgive the debt."

Hector gave him a cold glance before turning toward the woman.

His voice softened.

"Is that true?"

The woman looked at Hector with gratitude, tightening her arms around her daughter.

In a hoarse voice, she answered, "He tricked my husband into going to a gambling house, where he lost money. When he couldn't repay the debt, they demanded Azhen as payment. I... I refused, so I tried to run away with her, but they cornered us here."

Hector glanced around and soon spotted a bag lying beside the woman.

It had been damaged, probably during the struggle. The torn opening had spilled several pieces of worn clothing onto the ground, leaving them covered in dust.

"How much does your husband owe him?" Hector asked.

The woman bit her lip.

"T-ten gold coins."

The nearby onlookers began whispering among themselves.

Ten gold coins, and he thought he could "buy" someone else's daughter?

How utterly heartless!

And who knew what horrible things he intended to do to the girl once he got his hands on her?

The other members of the Light Squad looked furious.

The innocent Little Fairies and young dragon, in particular, stared in disbelief.

To ruin an innocent girl's entire life over a mere ten gold coins!

What a thoroughly despicable, irredeemable scoundrel!

Hector kept his temper under control and asked the woman another question.

"Where is your husband?"

Her face flushed with shame and anger.

"He... he ran away three days ago. I haven't seen him since."

Hector considered this for a moment.

"If you want to divorce him, I can help you."

The woman's eyes lit up.

She gazed at Hector hopefully, her voice trembling.

"R-really?"

Divorce was difficult for commoners. Without legitimate grounds, obtaining official approval was nearly impossible.

Moreover, a woman raising a child alone faced countless hardships. Many married women who suffered abuse at their husbands' hands simply lacked the courage to seek a divorce.

The woman had long since lost all hope in her gambling-addicted husband. Unfortunately, unable to divorce him, she'd had no choice but to endure her miserable existence.

This time, he'd actually used their daughter to settle his debts.

She'd been so furious she'd wanted to stab him to death.

Now that Young Master Hector was offering to help her obtain a divorce, she couldn't have asked for anything better.

"Young Master! Please help me!"

She pulled her daughter down with her and knelt on the ground, her expression resolute.

"I want a divorce! I want to live on my own with my daughter!"

Hector nodded and bent down to help them up.

"Don't worry. As long as that's what you want, I'll help you get divorced. As for the debt your former husband owes, he can repay it himself."

Let the wicked deal with one another.

Everyone ought to bear the consequences of their own mistakes.

"Barat, do you understand what needs to be done?" Hector asked sternly.

"Yes! Yes, of course!" Barat answered repeatedly.

Hector adopted an arrogant expression.

"You may get lost."

"Yes, yes! We'll leave immediately!"

Hearing that he was finally allowed to go, Barat breathed a sigh of relief and struggled shakily to his feet.

He'd been kneeling so long that his legs had gone numb.

Supported by his two subordinates, he bowed deeply and slowly backed away.

Hector issued one final warning.

"Remember your place. Don't disgrace my third uncle!"

"Yes, yes! I'll never dare do anything like this again!"

After promising repeatedly, Barat departed with his two subordinates, thoroughly humiliated.

The moment they were gone, excited cheers erupted from the surrounding crowd.

The residents of Puwa Town had suffered under Barat's tyranny for so long that this was the first time they'd ever seen him put in his place.

They were overjoyed, and everyone expressed heartfelt gratitude to Hector.

Hama even gave him an enthusiastic thumbs-up.

Hector blushed faintly under the barrage of praise. The intimidating air he'd maintained earlier disappeared, immediately revealing his usual shy demeanor.

"Hey, Hector! That was amazing!" Dixio said, waggling his eyebrows at him.

"I only did what needed to be done."

Hector scratched his burning ear.

"Um... I'll take them to complete the divorce paperwork first. Would you mind waiting at the restaurant for a little while?"

Shu Li smiled.

"Let's all go together!"

Why sit around the restaurant getting bored when they could accompany him?

Hector looked at his companions' bright, eager eyes and couldn't help laughing.

"All right!"

And so the entire group set off with the mother and daughter toward the office responsible for handling divorces.

Along the way, Shu Li turned curiously to Kumandi.

"What were you writing in your notebook earlier?"

While Hector had been dealing with Barat, Kumandi had taken out a notebook and begun writing furiously.

Kumandi answered solemnly, "I was recording everything that happened. I'm going to submit it to the newspaper."

"Huh?"

Shu Li was surprised and glanced at Hector.

Wouldn't that damage the Snowo family's reputation?

Hector waved a hand dismissively.

"It's fine. Go ahead and submit it."

He couldn't care less about the Snowo family's reputation.

An ancient family that had existed for generations would inevitably accumulate its share of corruption. If it wanted to preserve a good name, it needed to put its own house in order, discipline its members, enforce proper conduct, and purge the rotten elements within its ranks.

The Snowo ancestors had chosen the snow wolf as their family crest to embody courage, loyalty, perseverance, and justice.

The Snowo family of today had long since strayed from those ideals.

Seeing that Hector didn't mind, Kumandi said, "I'll make sure the account is completely factual."

"Thank you," Hector replied sincerely.

Half an hour later, the woman successfully obtained her divorce certificate.

With Young Master Hector of the Snowo family assisting her, the officials responsible for marriage and divorce registrations didn't dare neglect the matter.

Even though her husband wasn't present, the divorce was granted without difficulty.

Holding the certificate in her hands, the woman alternated between laughing and crying. Once again, she pulled her daughter down to kneel before Hector in gratitude.

Hector helped them to their feet and gave her twenty gold coins.

The woman didn't dare accept his money and hurriedly tried to refuse.

The young master had already helped her so much. How could she possibly take his money as well?

"Take it," Hector said. "Bring Azhen to the Mages’ Guild and have her magical aptitude tested. If she has the potential to become a Mage, make sure she receives proper training."

Only by becoming a Mage could the girl change their fate.

"C-can I really become a Mage?" Azhen asked incredulously.

"You won't know until you try."

Hector bent down and gently stroked her dry, yellowed hair.

"I think you can do it. Believe in yourself."

Once someone became a Mage, they developed an additional sensitivity to magic that allowed them to sense whether another person possessed magical potential.

Shu Li had the highest magical rank among them, and his perception was the strongest.

He nodded in agreement.

"Hector's right. You need to believe in yourself."

Azhen wiped her tear-streaked, dirty face, which looked like that of a little kitten.

Determination shone in her large eyes.

"Mm!"

She was going to become a Mage!

She was going to give her mother a better life!

The woman finally accepted the twenty gold coins. After thanking Hector over and over, she happily took Azhen to the Mages’ Guild.

Hector's expression relaxed into a smile as he returned to the restaurant with his companions.

This was as far as he could help them.

The path ahead was one they would have to walk themselves.

Only by obtaining the protection of the Mages’ Guild could they ensure that Barat wouldn't dare trouble them again after the Light Squad left.

Before departing Puwa Town, Hector also spoke with the restaurant owner, asking him to keep an eye on the mother and daughter and offer them whatever assistance he could.

He promised to return after his adventure was over.

The restaurant owner nodded repeatedly and readily agreed.

The Light Squad climbed back into their carriage and leisurely departed Puwa Town, continuing north.

Meanwhile, at the main residence of the Snowo family's local steward, Barat was furiously smashing teacups.

"My lord, are we really going to let this go?" Bill asked.

"Of course not!" Barat snarled through clenched teeth.

"Exactly!" Hans curled his lip. "Once Young Master Hector leaves, we can just go back and take Azhen. He won't be around to interfere."

"Idiot!"

Barat slapped Hans across the back of the head.

Hans stared at him, bewildered.

"M-my lord? Was I wrong?"

"Of course you were, you moron!"

Barat's expression darkened.

"Mia is divorced now. We have no grounds to demand repayment from her. Azhen is off-limits."

Hans looked disappointed.

"But I really liked Azhen's pretty little face."

Barat kicked him.

"This isn't the time to be thinking about women! Think about how we're going to deal with our master!"

Their master was the real threat.

If he learned what they'd been doing in Puwa Town, everything they'd worked for would be ruined.

Bill and Hans turned pale.

"M-my lord... what should we do? Young Master Hector will definitely tell our master."

Barat clasped his hands behind his back and paced back and forth, his fat face growing increasingly sinister.

After a long while, a cold gleam flashed through his eyes.

"Kill him."

Bill and Hans froze.

"As long as we silence him permanently," Barat said coldly, "our master will never learn what happened."

Bill swallowed hard.

"My lord, you mean..."

He raised a hand and drew it across his throat.

Hans's eyes widened in horror.

Their master was actually contemplating something as outrageous as murdering a noble of the Snowo family!

Barat slammed his palm against the table.

"Young Master Hector's father is already dead, and he's lost his right to inherit. He's nothing now! If he dies while out adventuring, it won't cause much of a stir."

Bill and Hans exchanged glances before hurriedly flattering him.

"You're absolutely right, my lord!"

Barat ordered, "Go. Take some money and hire mercenaries. Make sure they kill Hector."

Bill hesitated.

"What about the others?"

There had been more than ten people traveling with Young Master Hector.

Were they supposed to kill all of them?

"Kill the men. Keep the women alive," Barat replied.

Hans asked, "Won't that be expensive?"

Hiring mercenaries wasn't cheap. Their fees depended not only on the number of targets but also on the difficulty of the assignment.

Bill voiced another concern.

"What rank is Young Master Hector now? And what about his friends? We don't know anything about their abilities!"

Barat smacked them both on the back.

"How did I end up with such stupid subordinates? Young Master Hector was only a Mage Apprentice two years ago. No matter how talented he is, he couldn't be more than an Initiate Mage by now. And those friends traveling with him are all young. How powerful could they possibly be?"

Bill clutched his head and raised a thumb.

"My lord, your wisdom is unmatched!"

"Then get moving!"

Barat kicked him in the backside.

Bill grabbed his aching bottom and hurried out of the hall with Hans.

Barat settled onto the sofa, a sinister smile spreading across his face.

"Young Master Hector, don't blame me when you're dead. You should have minded your own business. Heh heh heh..."

After traveling for another half day, the Light Squad's carriage entered a desolate stretch of mountains and wilderness.

As darkness began to fall, they had no choice but to stop and find a sheltered spot out of the wind to make camp.

There wasn't a village ahead or an inn behind them.

They would have to spend the night outdoors.

Everyone was experienced at camping. They quickly built a fire, pitched their tents, and began preparing dinner, each person handling their tasks with practiced ease.

Falm leaped out of the Fire God's Mark, transformed into a streak of red light, and flew toward the distant Magical Beast Forest to hunt for food.

With his enormous appetite, the provisions the Light Squad had brought wouldn't even be enough to fill the gaps between his teeth.

His only option was to fly to the Magical Beast Forest as quickly as possible and find his own dinner.

Shu Li set an iron pot—an essential item for any adventure—over the campfire. Using water magic, he filled it with clean water, then added oats, milk, honey, and sugar.

Ace helped him by taking out some bread and toasting it over the flames.

He was quite skilled at the task, keeping the bread at just the right distance from the fire and turning it constantly to prevent it from burning.

The others were busy with their own preparations, everything proceeding in an orderly fashion.

Suddenly, Ace set down the bread and looked up toward the dark forest.

Shu Li glanced at him in confusion.

"What's wrong?"

Ace frowned.

"There might be wild animals nearby."

"Don't worry," Shu Li replied. "If any come over, we'll just chase them away."

With Falm gone, the wild animals had apparently grown bold enough to approach their camp.

But given the Light Squad's abilities, ordinary beasts posed no threat.

In fact, any that attacked them would probably end up becoming part of their dinner.

Amanda loved eating meat, after all.

Ace lowered his gaze.

"Let's eat dinner first. We'll need our strength if there's going to be a fight."

Shu Li chuckled.

"You can say that again!"

Once dinner was ready, everyone gathered around the campfire.

They happily drank their warm oat-and-milk soup, ate slices of toasted bread spread with butter, and munched on delicious fruit.

Conversation and playful teasing flowed freely, filling the campsite with laughter.

In the distance, ten mercenaries concealed in the undergrowth watched them coldly.

Go ahead. Laugh while you still can. Once you're dead, you won't be laughing anymore.

"Boss, when are we making our move?" one of the mercenaries whispered to their leader.

"Once they're sound asleep."

The leader bit into a piece of cold, tough beef jerky, his mood foul.

Here they were, lying in the bushes feeding mosquitoes and chewing on dried meat, while their targets sat around a cheerful campfire enjoying hot soup and freshly cooked food.

"I heard there are two beauties in that group. Heh heh... Boss, once we've killed the men, how about letting us have some fun with the women?"

The second mercenary spoke with a lecherous grin.

The leader spat out a mouthful of beef.

"Pah! None of you had better fight me for them!"

"Of course, of course!" the second mercenary hurriedly agreed. "You get first pick, Boss! I'll go second!"

The first mercenary curled his lip.

"I don't care about the beauties. Just give me a bigger share of the money and valuables."

The leader sneered.

"All of you, shut up and wait quietly!"

The mercenaries immediately fell silent.

They remained sprawled in the grass, enduring the mosquitoes' relentless bites as they waited for the Initiate Mages at the distant campsite to fall asleep.

But after quite some time, the group was still sitting around the fire chatting.

The mercenaries grew increasingly miserable.

If those damned Initiate Mages didn't go to sleep soon, the mosquitoes were going to carry them away!

Just as the leader was considering whether to abandon the plan and attack immediately, a childish little voice suddenly sounded above their heads.

"Hey! Who are you guys? What are you doing lying around here?"

Every mercenary went rigid with terror.

What the hell?!

Where had a little child come from in the middle of this desolate wilderness?

With their abilities, how could they have failed to detect anyone approaching?

Unless...

Had they encountered a ghost?

"B-Boss! D-did you... did you hear something?" the first mercenary asked, his teeth chattering.

The leader tightened his grip on his weapon and snarled.

"Who's there? Come out! Stop playing tricks!"

"Tch! Look at you cowards!"

A streak of red light appeared before the mercenaries.

Flap, flap, flap!

The sound of beating wings filled the air.

The leader stared at the little round, red baby beast hovering in front of him.

He was utterly dumbfounded.