Chapter 321: The Representatives Arrive [2.]

The priest didn’t seem particularly bothered by the insult. Even after being called a brainwashed religious lunatic by two people at once, the serene smile on his face remained completely unchanged.

Instead, he simply shook his head. "Haa..." A soft sigh escaped his lips.

The expression on his face was almost identical to that of an elderly man watching two troublesome children misbehave, and there was even a faint trace of pity in his eyes, as though he genuinely felt sorry for the two men standing before him.

And somehow, that reaction was even more irritating than anything he could have said.

The muscular man’s forehead twitched. "You..."

Beside him, Azreal’s expression darkened as well. For once, the two men seemed to share exactly the same opinion.

This priest was incredibly annoying.

If he’d simply insulted them in return, they might have found the exchange somewhat entertaining. But the way he looked at them, as though they were ignorant children who had yet to grasp the wisdom of the world, was almost unbearable.

The muscular man clenched his fists. Azreal adjusted his glasses, though this time the motion was noticeably less composed than before. Still, despite their irritation, neither of them made another move.

They weren’t fools.

Starting a fight on another Safe Zone’s territory wasn’t something that could simply be dismissed as a personal disagreement. Depending on the circumstances, such an act could be interpreted as deliberate hostility. And if matters escalated far enough, it might even be regarded as a declaration of war.

Naturally, neither the muscular man nor Azreal was willing to create such an enormous problem over a petty argument. They might dislike each other, but that didn’t mean they were willing to drag their respective Safe Zones into conflict simply because someone had offended them.

As for the priest...

Well, he seemed perfectly content to keep smiling at them.

The muscular man clicked his tongue. "Tch!" He turned his head away.

Azreal gave the priest one final look before adjusting his glasses and glancing elsewhere.

With that, the soldier standing nearby finally relaxed. Thank goodness. For a moment, he’d genuinely worried the situation might spiral out of hand. Fortunately, the representatives seemed to understand the consequences of causing trouble.

However, just as he was about to return to his position, another figure approached from behind.

"Alright, everyone."

The voice wasn’t particularly loud, but it immediately drew the attention of everyone gathered near the Rift entrance.

A man dressed in a military uniform stepped forward. Unlike the ordinary soldiers stationed around the area, his uniform carried several additional insignias, making it clear he held a higher position. His posture was straight, his expression composed. He appeared to be in his thirties, with neatly arranged hair and the calm demeanor of someone accustomed to dealing with important individuals.

The soldier who had intervened earlier immediately stepped aside.

The newly arrived man glanced briefly at him before turning his attention toward the three groups. A polite smile spread across his face.

"Good day, everyone." He gave a slight nod. "My name is Elvis." His gaze swept across the gathered representatives. "On behalf of the Southern Safe Zone, I’d like to formally welcome all of you to our territory."

The members of the three groups looked toward him, some nodded in acknowledgment, others merely observed him without responding.

Elvis didn’t seem bothered by their varying reactions. He simply continued with the same professional smile.

"We understand that you’ve traveled a considerable distance to participate in the upcoming tournament, and we hope your stay here will be a pleasant one." He paused briefly. "The Association has already made the necessary arrangements for your accommodation. From this point onward, I’ll be responsible for escorting you to the lodging facilities prepared for your respective groups." He gestured toward a road leading away from the Rift entrance. "Transportation has also been arranged, so if you’ll please follow—"

"Pfft!"

A loud snort interrupted him.

Elvis paused, his gaze shifting toward the source of the sound. As expected, it was the muscular man, the large warrior staring at him with an openly dissatisfied expression.

"Seriously?"

Elvis maintained his smile. "Is there a problem, sir?"

The muscular man folded his arms across his chest. "Is the Southern Safe Zone looking down on us?"

The atmosphere grew slightly tense, several nearby soldiers exchanging glances.

Elvis, however, remained composed. "I’m afraid I don’t understand what you mean."

The muscular man snorted. "Don’t play dumb." He looked Elvis up and down. "You people invited representatives from the other Safe Zones, and this is the kind of welcome you give us?" He gestured toward Elvis dismissively. "Sending some weak trash to receive us?"

A few soldiers frowned at the insult, though none of them spoke. Elvis, meanwhile, kept his smile perfectly unchanged.

The muscular man continued. "Hey, kid." He pointed toward the military officer. "Go fetch someone with a higher rank. Someone actually qualified to welcome people of our status." He sneered. "Don’t tell me the Southern Safe Zone doesn’t have anyone better to send."

For a moment, silence settled over the gathering. Azreal watched the exchange with mild interest, while the priest, as ever, maintained his usual peaceful expression.

Elvis looked at the muscular man, seemingly unoffended by his words, and instead gave a slight bow of apology.

"My apologies, sir." His tone remained perfectly polite. "Unfortunately, there isn’t anyone else available to receive you at the moment."

The muscular man’s expression darkened. "What?"

Elvis continued calmly. "The individual originally assigned to welcome the representatives encountered some unfortunate circumstances and is currently indisposed." He paused. "As a result, I’ve been instructed to take his place."

The muscular man narrowed his eyes.

Elvis smiled. "I understand this arrangement may not be what you were expecting, but I assure you the Southern Safe Zone has every intention of treating our guests with the respect they deserve."

The muscular man stared at him for several seconds. Then he clicked his tongue. "Tch!"

It was obvious he wasn’t satisfied with the explanation, in fact, he wasn’t entirely convinced Elvis was even telling the truth. For all he knew, the Southern Safe Zone might have deliberately sent someone of lower status to receive them, perhaps using the arrangement to subtly assert its superiority over the others. But there was no way for him to confirm whether that was actually the case.

And even if it was, what could he do about it? Start a fight? Demand the Southern Safe Zone’s leaders personally come to greet him?

Elvis had already offered a reasonable explanation, and whether it was true or not, pursuing the matter further would accomplish very little. With that, the muscular man eventually looked away.

"Whatever." He waved his hand dismissively. "Just get on with it."

Elvis nodded. "Of course." He turned toward the remaining representatives. "If there are no further objections, we’ll proceed to your accommodations."

No one spoke. Azreal merely adjusted his glasses, while the priest nodded peacefully.

Seeing that nobody intended to cause any more trouble, Elvis smiled. "Excellent." He stepped aside and gestured toward the road. "Please, this way."

With that, he began leading the representatives away from the Rift entrance. The three groups gradually followed as Elvis guided them toward the waiting vehicles, the surrounding soldiers continuing to maintain order throughout.

And just like that, the representatives from the other Safe Zones officially began their stay in the Southern Safe Zone.