Without warning, the man drew a short sword from his waist. In one swift motion, he locked his left arm around Kazien's neck, while his right hand pressed the cold blade against the young man's throat.
"If you resist, I will kill this weakling right now!" the man shouted triumphantly, his eyes glaring sharply at Alvin.
The atmosphere in the lobby became instantly tense. However, the response that came from Alvin was truly unexpected.
Instead of panicking, Alvin's shoulders began to shake. And the very next second...
"Pfft... Hahaha!"
Laughter broke out, crisp and genuine, as if he had just seen the funniest joke in the world.
The burly man, along with everyone else in the lobby, stared at Alvin with confused faces.
"Hahaha... Ouch, my stomach..." Alvin held his belly, tears of amusement gathering in the corners of his eyes. "Are you sure? You're really pointing your sword at my future husband like that? Hahaha! By the World Tree, you are truly the most foolish human I have ever met!"
"Future husband?" muttered the crowd, shocked by the revelation.
"Stop laughing or I'll kill him!" threatened the man, his face turning red with embarrassment and rage. He pressed the blade harder against Kazien's neck.
Alvin ignored his words and continued to laugh uproariously in the man's face.
"Go ahead and laugh, and you'll regret your decision!"
And sure enough, the man lost his patience. With killing intent, he flexed his arm muscles to slit Kazien's throat. However, just as his brain commanded his hand to move, his body refused to obey.
"Eh?" The man's eyes widened. He couldn't move his hand. His legs, his shoulders, even his neck felt stiff. A bone-chilling cold suddenly spread from the tips of his toes up to his chest.
"Hahaha. What are you going to do with a body that's frozen up to the shoulders?" mocked Alvin, who was now walking closer casually.
The man looked down in horror. Unnoticed by anyone, a layer of clear ice as hard as steel had encased his body, locking him in the hostage-taking position.
Kazien sighed softly, then with a casual motion, swatted the man's frozen hand away from his neck. He stepped away as if nothing had happened.
"My future husband is far stronger than me, a High Elf! I don't even dare to challenge him to a contest of strength. Hahaha," Alvin continued.
"High... High Elf, you say? Not an ordinary elf?" the man's voice trembled.
"Yes, I am a High Elf!" Alvin exclaimed proudly. "But my future husband is hundreds of times stronger than me!"
Zap!
In the blink of an eye, Alvin had relocated again, standing right in front of the frozen man's face.
"I really want to punch your face. But he has forbidden me from touching trash like you. As his intended, I must obey my husband!"
"Don't toy with me, you damn elf!" cursed the man, though his courage had already shriveled.
"Why would I joke with you? Before him, you are just a pebble not worth touching! The proof is your own body! Do you realize that he has already frozen your body like this? You didn't, right? Hahaha."
Alvin's gaze turned sharp, a terrifying murderous aura radiating from him. "To an ordinary adventurer, you might be strong. But before someone from the Altavis family like him, you are just a sheet of wet paper easily torn apart!"
Silence...
The name echoed through the room like a death spell. Altavis.
The faces of the adventurers around them turned pale instantly. The frozen man's eyes nearly popped out of his head.
Is this brat a descendant of Altavis? The family of Duke Elgard Altavis, the strongest and most influential noble in the entire Kingdom of Garveon? the man thought with deep despair. If that's true, I've been digging my own grave from the very beginning!
"Who are you actually?" the man asked hoarsely.
"Ah... It seems I've already introduced myself. Let me say it once more!" Alvin smiled coldly. "My name is Alvin, a High Elf and an S-Rank adventurer from the city of Lazavis in the Altavis territory."
He pointed toward Kazien. "While he is my future husband and the strongest S-Rank adventurer in the Altavis territory! His name is Kazien Altavis! Nice to meet you, you scum!"
The people in the lobby fell silent, their jaws dropping. Two S-Rank individuals? And one of them was the son of Duke Altavis? The frozen man felt his world collapsing.
Dammit! I really messed with the wrong people! he cursed internally.
Alvin turned to face the crowd. "My future husband is indeed very strong, and he is also a noble. But he never flaunts his power or noble status in front of everyone."
Alvin's voice rose, full of authority. "Why did you become adventurers? To oppress the weak or to protect them?"
Those words slapped the pride of everyone there hard. The frozen man looked down, his face showing an expression of regret.
"Forgive me..." he whispered.
However, Alvin lifted his necklace. "You dare show a regretful expression like that in front of me?"
The man was startled.
"Do you see this necklace?" Alvin showed the gem that was now blinking bright red. "This necklace can detect a person's evil intent. And it is still reacting to you! You still harbor grudges and killing intent in your heart!"
"Don't be ridiculous! How could such an absurd magic tool exist!" the man shouted in panic.
"Believe what you want! Even your King acknowledges this necklace created by my future husband. Thanks to this necklace, the crimes of a corrupt noble were exposed, and he was executed before the King!"
The man fell silent. Everyone was speechless. Kazien's reputation as a creator of magical artifacts began to creep into their minds.
"Alvin, that's enough!" Kazien's voice sounded flat, cutting through the tension. "Don't say unnecessary things. Just finish your business with him."
Kazien turned and walked toward Emma, who was still dazed. He seemed to no longer care.
"May I do what I have to do to him for insulting you?" asked Alvin.
Kazien didn't look back. "Do whatever you want! I will take responsibility! I am in a bad mood!"
Hearing that, Alvin's expression changed drastically. His cute face was now filled with explosive anger. He looked at the frozen man with a deadly gaze.
"Because of you... my beloved future husband isn't showing his smile to me!" Alvin hissed terribly. "You must die!"
Alvin raised his hand. A small but high-pressure whirlwind appeared around the man, lifting his frozen body into the air.
"I beg you, please spare me!" screamed the man, pleading for mercy.
Alvin was deaf to the plea. Around him, six blades of light appeared, shining blindingly.
Crack! Crack! Zrash! Zrash!
The sight that followed was a nightmare. The frozen man's body was not just cut, but shredded by the wind and swords of light. The sound of shattering ice mixed with the sound of tearing flesh made everyone hold their breath in horror. Even his head was smashed into pieces.
Blood and fragments of the man's body swirled within the vortex of wind, not touching the floor in the slightest.
Alvin raised his palm again. A pitch-black dot appeared—a mini black hole.
Vwoom.
In seconds, all the remains of the body, blood, and ice were sucked into the void without a trace. The guild lobby was clean again, as if the man had never been there.
"Repent for your deeds in the afterlife, for you dared to put my future husband in a bad mood!" Alvin exclaimed to the empty space. "Because of you, I have to try my hardest to make him smile again! You stupid man!"