When Orion and the maid left the room, the king turned to Lilian.
"Did you manage to verify whether everything that boy said was true?"
"I used my Justice Eyes on him," Lilian replied. "He appeared to be telling the truth."
The king fell silent once more. After a full minute, he finally spoke.
"To think there is someone capable of consuming magic stones raw…"
He shifted his gaze to Lilian. "You do understand what this means, right?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. Consuming magic stones raw grants tremendous strength. If word spreads, everyone will come after him to learn how he does it."
"And do you believe his claim that he doesn't know the recipe for the medicine that helps him consume magic stones raw?"
"Yes. I do."
"Hmmm…" The king sank into deep thought once more, still not fully convinced by Orion's claim. He wanted to be sure whether Orion knew the recipe or not. The king knew the potential of consuming magic stones raw—and he would not let such power slip through his fingers so easily.
The king raised his hand. Three shadowy figures—similar to the ones Orion saw before—appeared instantly.
"Keep an eye on that boy. Inform me immediately if anything seems suspicious."
The figures nodded and vanished.
"But Your Maj—" Lilian began.
The king's aura suddenly surged, crushing the air itself. Lilian froze, overwhelmed.
"Do you doubt your king's judgment?" he asked coldly.
"No, Your Majesty," she said quickly, bowing deeply.
Then the king's gaze softened. "It's not just that he can consume magic stones. I believe there is more to him. First of all, I couldn't sense any odor coming from him…"
The king's eyes narrowed. "And when the boy first looked at me, it felt as if he were trying to peer into my very soul—my power, my secrets…"
Lilian was shocked by the king's words. "I understand Your Majesty's concern. I felt it as well—he is no ordinary person."
"Good. Now, tell me about your business in Andoria."
*******************
"Young Master Ryan, I don't think this is a good idea—"
"Shut up!" Ryan snapped before Joana could finish. "Since when do you lecture me?"
"I'm sorry, young Master Ryan." Joana bowed her head and stepped away, giving Orion one last glance before leaving.
Orion clenched his fists in frustration.
He looked at the gloves, then at Ryan.
"What are we—eight years old?"
He scoffed. "Can't handle our egos?"
The surrounding young nobles were displeased. A commoner disrespecting a noble was an insult to all of them.
"Are you really going to let that slide, Young Master Ryan?"
A sly-looking youth with sunglasses smirked, clearly trying to provoke him.
It worked.
"I don't care if you're too much of a coward to accept a duel," Ryan sneered. "I'll put you in your place anyway."
He drew his sword.
It wasn't ordinary—an aura as powerful as Lilian's surged from it.
Laughing, Ryan slashed.
Orion ducked beneath the blade. Though Ryan was also C-rank, his movements were slow.
Orion drew his own sword.
The crowd gasped.
"Where did that come from?"
"Does that commoner have a storage pouch?"
"No way. He must've looted some weak noble."
"Disgusting thief."
Orion ignored them.
He lunged. Ryan dodged. After several exchanges, Ryan realized he couldn't win in pure swordsmanship.
So he switched tactics.
"Fire Bolt!"
A streak of flame shot toward Orion. He rolled away, but part of his clothing burned.
"That's it! Finish him!"
"That's where you belong—face-down in the mud, you filthy commoner!"
Cheers erupted.
Orion's blood boiled.
Alright… to hell with staying low-key.
Ryan fired bolt after bolt, but Orion weaved through them. In an instant, he closed the distance and smashed Ryan's head with the blunt side of his blade.
Even in his rage, Orion knew killing him would bring disastrous consequences.
"Aaagh—my head!"
Ryan collapsed, clutching his skull.
Silence fell.
A prodigious noble… beaten by a nobody.
Orion approached with a dangerous, almost sadistic grin. He mounted Ryan and began punching his face relentlessly.
"Stop him!"
"Young Master Ryan—get up!"
Ryan gritted his teeth, humiliation burning hotter than pain.
"Magic… Burst…" he choked out.
BOOOOOM!
A huge explosion went off and threw Orion across the field. The nobles in the crowd were also affected by it.
"Ouch… has Young Master Ryan gone crazy?"
"Using attacks like this in the royal palace?"
Orion lay on the ground, barely able to move. Magic Burst didn't just explode—it also disrupted the mana inside the opponent's body.
Ryan staggered to his feet, blood pouring from his nose and mouth.
"Not so tough now, huh?" Ryan laughed madly. "You filthy fucking commoner."
He kicked Orion. Again. And again.
"I can't kill you—you're a guest of the Hero Candidate…"
Ryan smiled psychotically. "But I can take a limb."
He raised his sword, aiming for Orion's right arm.
"Flash Movement."
Ryan slashed—but it was too late. Orion was already gone. He reappeared behind Ryan.
Gasps erupted.
"An assassin?"
"Assassin or not, no one that young should be that fast!"
Orion didn't care about laying low anymore.
Orion reappeared behind him, eyes burning with killing intent.
Thud.
Ryan collapsed as Orion struck his head again. Orion grabbed him instantly, slamming his face into the mud and choking him.
"Mmm—gh—!"
Orion felt exhilarated.
Then—
"What the hell is going on here?"
A cold female voice cut through the chaos. The temperature seemed to drop.
Orion released Ryan instantly and looked up.
A woman with snow-white skin and frosty hair stood there, her icy blue eyes piercing the crowd.
Exactly like an ice princess.
"…Damn," Orion muttered.
Her gaze snapped to him.
"Care to explain?"
The nobles rushed to speak,
"This filthy commoner came out of nowhere and attacked young Master Ryan."
"Yes, yes, young Master Ryan didn't see his attack coming."
They twisted the truth to favor Ryan. His loss to Orion had wounded the pride of the young nobles.
She turned to him.
"Is what they said true?"
Orion snapped back, "What do you think?"
She frowned. "Regardless of fault, beating a noble carries severe consequences."
"So that's how it is…" Orion muttered. He was so furious that he had already started planning how to burn the entire kingdom down.
"Then what's my punishment?"
"Come with me. We'll discuss it with the others."
Orion said nothing. If the punishment seemed too severe, he would use Flash Movement to escape. So he wasn't worried.
"Hang him!"
"Throw him into the Primordial Jungle!"
Demands flew from the spoiled nobles.
"Lady Selen, where are you taking him?"
Lilian had arrived.
"He assaulted a noble," Selen replied calmly. "He's to be punished."
"Is that true?" Lilian asked Orion.
Orion told the entire story.
"There," Lilian said sharply. "It was Ryan's fault."
Selen narrowed her eyes.
"That's not how it works. A commoner beating a noble—"
"I was a commoner once," Lilian cut in. "Yet the Goddess chose me over thousands of nobles." She smirked at the end.
She stepped forward.
"Are you dishonoring my lineage by insulting a commoner in front of me?"
Selen clenched her jaw.
"… Then we'll take this to His Majesty."