“And… you did all of that? Not the guardian monster?”

Seth, supported by another villager that managed to return in time that the grandma Bridget managed to prevent the premature death of the martial artist from the Raging Bull sect, asked in disbelief staring at the bundle of twenty-one people unconscious because of varying amounts of trauma.

“Oh, no, it was all me – except the youngest one. They got messed up by the guardian monster first… That said, we need to help that furball heal too – look, poor thing ripped out two claws and a tooth when it was in a frenzy and now needs healing. Oh, and I broke his leg too… Lady Bridget, will you be able to help with that?”

Zoemi shook his head, shrugging off the question, and pulled out the claws and fang he mentioned before asking the elderly woman making her way to the knocked-out group.

“I’ll do what I can, my boy.”

Grandma Bridget smiled benevolently and nodded her head as if receiving a request about healing a monster was a completely normal thing for her…

“This is… you… you are talking about a guardian monster of this area, right? The seven-limbed bear that already has its fur turning gold because it is on the verge of ascending to a golden eight-limbed bear? The same one?”

Seth started coughing, choking a bit on his own spit as he grabbed the monster’s parts from Zoemi’s extended hand and looked between them and the black-haired boy in utter bewilderment.

“Yeah, he had this golden glow on otherwise brown fur.”

Zoemi confirmed lightheartedly, not really bothered by whatever Seth was freaking out about.

“You do understand that to tank a hit from that beast you need at least fourth star level of the law of Aries, right? You, do right? And you are saying that you… you know, never mind. I have evidence in my hand. I will be reporting everything that you just said to my sect, so if you want to take anything back, this is your last chance, wanderer.”

The martial artist faltered and would actually fall if not for the villager supporting him. Seth had a very hard time taking it easy but it definitely seemed like he was at least feeling indebted to Zoemi.

If he wasn’t, he wouldn’t even mention reporting anything to his superior, much less actually suggesting that he would be willing to withhold some information on Zoemi’s behalf…

“I told you from the start that I’m at supernova level with the law of Aries. The only other laws I can practice are the law of Capricorn and the law of Libra – which makes only three I could ever learn. It makes things fair, don’t you think?”

Zoemi breathed out and complained, making it sound as if the marital artist was the one making trouble for him, not the other way around.

“No it doesn’t, there are plenty of people who can’t learn more than three laws anyway! And there is no supernova level! Aries constellation is made of six stars and there are only sixth star levels of mastery! Do you have any idea how dumb I will sound if I actually repeat something so outrageous as another star level to the guild leader?! I will get withdrawn from this spot for being too gullible!”

“Raging Bull boy, calm down or the law of Scorpius poison that I worked so hard to contain will start messing you up again.”

Seth growled in annoyance and got immediately scolded by the elderly woman.

“This time you aren’t completely right. Believe it or not, the moment that wanderer touched me, my mastery of the law of Aries broke to the fourth star level. I will be able to bicker around a lot more before anything happens.”

The martial artist declared confidently, even mustering enough strength to puff out his chest with pride.

“Oh, my. So that’s why you never reciprocated the affection of Mary, my boy? You had touching sessions with the Raging Bull boy – intriguing… I am ashamed to say that I never considered such a turn of events… so exciting~!”

Instead of being impressed, grandma Bridget let out a joyous giggle and her eyes shone like those of a young lass as she gasped.

“Pfft! Oh no, you got me there, lady Bridget.”

“Do not encourage the likes of her, wanderer! I swear, one day I will meet someone with proficiency in the law of Virgo who is not a degenerate… but obviously, it is not today.”

Zoemi snorted seeing Seth’s changing expression and nodded at the elderly woman before the martial artist rolled his eyes and scoffed shaking his head in annoyance.

“Stop derailing the conversation – no matter what, we have a huge problem on our hands.”

The marital artist assigned to protect the lumberjack’s village groaned and pointed at the bunch of tied-up people.

“Not really? They are all alive and they are the ones who got themselves deceived by a scum from a dark sect. I believe that at first when you were convinced that I was involved with a dark sect you did try to kill me. The ones in trouble are them, not us.”

Zoemi tilted his head and send Seth a confused look.

“Things only worked like that for you because you are a wandering martial artist without a sect. Of course that your ridiculous power at such a young age would raise a couple of brows.”

The martial artist from the Raging Bull sect graned, trying to bury the memory deep in his mind.

“You are lucky to get away so lightly after posing such a serious accusation.”

Zoemi pointed out, wagging his index finger at the suddenly grim Seth.

“You broke BOTH of my arms!”

The martial artist called out in disbelief.

“Honey, the last person who made a false claim under my name, begged me for forgiveness on hands and knees crying their hearts out, got expelled from her family, and banished from her homeland.”

“…just who are you exactly, wanderer…?”

Zoemi scoffed and let out a lighthearted but somewhat condescending laugh making Seth gulp down his saliva and back lose all of his gusto.

“…”

After the last question, Zoemi looked up at Seth with a somber expression and sighed.

“Just a guy who apparently saved the world and got punished for it – depending on how you look at it.”

The black-haired man said after a moment of silent hesitation.

“Speaking of punishment – I would really like to know why we are supposed to be in trouble for everything that occurred instead of them… and him.”

Zoemi shook off the melancholic expression and asked, pointing at the unconscious members of the Great Ram sect and the traitor amongst their ranks, Zoey, who was bound by metal chains at an appropriate distance from anybody else just in case.

“Because my sect and their sect are in close relation and one will want to cover the other’s back – even at the cost of wiping out one measly village. Having over twenty pupils beaten up by just a single nobody doesn’t make the situation better in the slightest.”

“…”

Seth explained with a bitter expression and the fact that grandma Bridget made confirmed that the martial artist was not joking around.

“Ridiculous, so are the supposed lawful sects so corrupted that they prefer to sacrifice innocent lives just to not be shown in a bad light?”

Zoemi straightened his back and asked in disbelief.

“Zoey would get interrogated and dealt with accordingly, but having someone as important as a gifted student betray the sect and turn to the dark sect… that would be such a heavy blow to the already weakened reputation of the Great Ram sect that they would never recover. If someone given the maximum support still ended up turning his back on them and started claiming innocent lives in pursuit of power, what would stop the others who were worse off from doing the same?”

The martial artist from the Raging Bull sect lowered his head apologetically while putting everything out clearly.

“…and what do you think about it, Seth? I believe that you spoke to that guy about honor. Does anything you just said support the idea of honor?”

“…”

The black-haired man asked making a sour expression while the martial artist lowered his head and said nothing as his answer.

That silence said more about his stance on the subject than any attempts at explanation ever could.

Of course, he disagreed, but he would follow the orders from his sect.

End of the discussion.

“Lady Bridget, can your law of Virgo heal multiple people at once?”

Zoemi sighed and shook his head looking disappointed before turning to the elderly lady with her back bent like a shrimp and asking.

“Most of them are about to regain their consciousness anyway, so I believe I could help those who would not.”

The old woman smirked, glancing over at the traitor who joined the dark sect – it seemed that she figured out exactly what the black-haired man had in mind when asking her about the level of proficiency in the law of Vigo.

“Wanderer, I have to report everything that happened to my guild…”

“And so you will make the report after what will happen here next. If Raging Bull is in good enough relation with Great Ram to keep want to wipe out the innocent village to protect their reputation, then they will shut the hell up after what will happen here next.”

Seth spoke up without raising his head but got interrupted by the annoyed Zoemi.

*WHAM*

“GU-HUAGH…!”

“!!!”

After explaining it, the black-haired boy approached Seth supported by a villager with a very worried expression and punched the member of the Raging Bull sect almost knocking him out and deeply shocking the other man.

“Luke, put him by that wall and return to the village. Thanks in advance.”

Zoemi smiled at the villager and pointed at one of the buildings.

“Lady Bridget, you know what I will ask of you now?”

The black-haired man asked the elderly lady while approaching the chained-up dark-blond-haired martial artist and freeing him from his bounds.

“Of course, my sweet boy.”

Grandma Bridget smiled benevolently and trotted her way to the middle of the scene where she lay down on the ground half distance between the bound martial artists and the member of the dark sect.

She grabbed some dirt and rubbed it into her clothes and face…

“The range of healing at my level isn’t all that great.”𝒪𝒱𝓵xt.𝗇𝓔t

“Thank you for the dedication, lady Bridget, it works out perfectly.”

She explained to the black-haired man who nodded to her with a cheerful smile.

“Law of Virgo~”

Grandma Bridget put her head on the ground and hummed in excitement, making her star power flow in two opposite directions, nourishing everyone back to health.