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nEven so, the road leading to the village wasn’t completely abandoned yet.

nA knight in black armor and a helmet covering his face came from the shadows of a nearby tree and carefully looked around.

nSince it has already been a few weeks, he decided that it would be best to use actual armor and not the shadow one – after all, if by any chance he would have to switch the mana he was using, he would have to deactivate the shadow armor, leaving himself more vulnerable than necessary.

n…indeed – once again, it was the last capture target…

n”There it is~!”

nArisu ended up finding what he was looking for and snickered in satisfaction.

nEverything was working out perfectly.

nAn old wagon pulled by a scrawny brown horse was approaching the spot the young man was at.

nAnd when the wagon was passing by him…

n”Wind blade!”

n”NEIGH!”

nArisu’s hair and eyes turned green under the armor and he waved his armored hand diagonally, unleashing a wind attribute spell – and the scared horse galloped away, free from the shackles bounding it to the wagon.

n”What in the…!?”

nThe hooded man on the wagon stared at the, now useless, remains of the reins left in his hands.

nArisu donning the black armor didn’t use the man’s confusion to surprise-attack him, instead, he proudly marched in front of him and stopped around four feet in front of the wagon, straightening his back and puffing out his chest.

n”Where are you going in such a hurry?”

n”…!”

nThe young man asked and the man clenched his fists in anger.

n”What is the meaning of this? Is this a robbery?! I’ll have you know that I don’t have anything worth…”

n”Pffft…! That – that’s a good one!”

nThe man complained but the knight just laughed at him.

n”No, no, no, my good man.”

nArisu extended his index finger and wagged it left and right,

n”I know that you are returning home after a long day of selling slaves.”

nThe young man’s hair and eyes returned to their natural white color as his voice grew cold – he was getting better and better – he was still being overly dramatic, but it wasn’t as theatrical as before.

n”…I have no idea what you talking about…”

nThe hooded man on the wagon flinched and muttered, clenching his fists on the remains of the reins…

n”You don’t have to tell me – I leady know… I know both of the likes of you and the conditions in which the slaves live, far too well…”

nArisu gritted his teeth and clenched his armored fist just in case he was being observed.

n”I’m here to remind you that slavery is illegal in the Bellcephora Kingdom, my good man. And the punishment for trading people as if they were merchandise is severely punished.”

nWhile saying that, Arisu’s face wasn’t visible, but he has been smiling, and the hooded man tensed up.

nIt was in his voice – Arisu was enjoying it, and what would come next.

n”Sir knight, of course, I know that! I would never stoop so low as to commit such a despicable act! I-I swear – I have no idea what would you even suggest that I would do that…!”

nThe man on the wagon gulped down his saliva and started explaining.

n”I’m but a lowly commoner, a farmer living off of selling the crops he grew through hard work! I would never dabble in the slave trade! How could I? I barely leave my village and know only a handful of…”

n”You are awfully eloquent for a lowly commoner that barely leaves his village, don’t you think?”

nThe young man crossed his arms and tilted his head while interrupting the man mockingly.

n”Maybe next time you will consider growing some stubble to cover your smooth pale skin that hasn’t been much in the sun, kind sir? O are you trying to tell me that you tend to your crops at night?”

n”…!”

nThe man froze at the armored youngster’s accurate observations.

n”Oh? Did you perhaps think that this puny hood would completely mask your identity or something…?”

nThe knight giggled.

n”Water spear!”

nThe man on the wagon dropped the act and extended his hand towards the knight.

nA blue spear condensed out of the thin air and shoot at the unprepared knight.

n”Water bubble!”

nArisu’s response wasn’t even a millisecond too late.

n*SPLASH*

nThe offensive water spell came in contact with the defensive water spell and dispersed on its surface.

n”Impossible – weren’t you a wind magician?!”

nThe revealed slave-trader became agitated and stood up from the driver’s spot.

n”What trickery is that?! A new artifact or something?! You have the guts to flaunt wealth in front of me! I shall not be disrespected like that! Water spear! Water spear!”

nThe man shouted furiously and two more spears materialized and shoot at the black knight.

nBut the knight didn’t even flinch or activate more protective spells, since, in the first place, the water bubble spell would remain active until the user’s mana had run dry.

nAnd the difference in power between the two opponents was simply too big or Arisu to bother with doing anything else.

nWater spears were useless, thanks to the – now blue-haired and eyed = young man’s spell, they couldn’t even leave a scratch on the black armor.

n”…! Aaaaargh! No, I don’t accept this! Water spear! Water spear! WATER SPEAR!”

nThe man grew desperate and his fury his hood has fallen off showing long blue hair and a pale aristocratic face, now contorted in anger.

nThe man’s piercing blue eyes were full of disbelief when his spells, one after the other, turned completely useless.

n”…ah, I recognize you…”

n”…!”

nArisu – who already knew who was driving the carriage long before he showed up on the countryside road, spoke with disappointment, making the blue-haired man flinch.

n”You are the third son of lord Mezzaro, Imoner Davec Mezzaro… Your father’s territory is directly neighboring Banemor territory, isn’t it? Say, does your father know that you are selling off his subjects? I guess not. He treasures the honor and well-being of his people. Oh my, how could such a great man spawn an offspring so disappointing…?”

nArisu shook his head and his voice was brimming with rehearsed disgust.

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