Chapter 306: The Day The Broken Sword Was Reforged
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Christina was outraged.
Watson had shattered the Sky Severing Blade she was carrying. Not only was that sword one of the Holy Dragon Kingdom’s four great artifacts, but it was also a priceless gift from her father. Initially, she had wanted to find Watson to reason with him. Finally, the cathedral’s statue was broken, and the priests had lost contact with the gods.
As a partner in St. Antilles Cathedral, she was obligated to find someone to assist her in resolving that issue. Then, the problem she had been preoccupied with for half a day was mysteriously resolved, and Watson had vanished. She reasoned that Watson might have something important to attend to and thus had left. She went to the Golden Quill Pavilion to take a look. Watson, the kind young man, was assisting his subordinates in increasing their strength. He was in a meeting with them.
Whatever the case, Watson had broken her sword. He should, at the very least, speak with her about the compensation and express his apology. Why did Watson act as if nothing had happened?
“Christina, even though I broke your weapon, it was as the result of your attempt to stop me. I don’t believe I did anything wrong.”
Christina’s fury oozed when she heard Watson’s words. However, she rolled her eyes and stifled her rage.
“Watson, I know it’s difficult for you to compensate me with a platinum-tier item. Why don’t you find a way to repair the Sky Severing Blade? If you can repair it, I won’t make things difficult for you.” As she spoke, she took a broken sword from her waist.
Repairing a platinum-tier weapon was not significantly easier than forging it, which necessitated extensive knowledge in forging. She knew that Watson had created gold-tier armor for his subordinates. He appeared to be well knowledgeable in forging. However, making gold-tier armor was significantly less complex than forging platinum-tier items.
The latter was a hundred times more complicated than the former.
Watson was still so young. It was impossible for him to know how to repair the SkY Severing Blade. Of course, she did not make such a request so that Watson would fix it. It would be better if he could not do it. That way, she would have an excuse to make Watson do something else for her.
Christina’s mouth corners slightly raised in response to that thought. Her face lit up with a smile. At that moment, a voice rang in her ear.
“Just repair it? That’s too easy. System fusion, activate.”
Christina felt a lightness in her hand. She did not know when the broken sword she was holding had ended up in Watson’s hand. Furthermore, the broken blade had been reattached. The sharp and bright blade was like a mirror reflecting her face.
“Lady Swordmistress, I have repaired your weapon. If you require nothing else, please leave.”
Watson gestured for Christina to leave. Christina, on the other hand, had a blank look on her face. She took the Sky Severing Blade and looked it up and down. She rubbed her eyes and wondered if she had seen wrongly.
“Eh? What’s going on?”
How could a broken platinum-tier weapon be repaired so quickly? Had he really fixed it? However, she had never heard of any repair method that could be done so quickly. Furthermore, he did not require flames to reforge the blade. It was simply too amazing.
Cristina repeatedly confirmed the Sky Severing Blade in her hand. She discovered that that blade was not weaker than the one she had in the past. Instead, it was stronger. That made her even more puzzled.
Ignoring the dazed Christina, Watson returned to Clyde and the others and asked, “Where was I?”
“You were informing us about the underground city,” Annie said. When she gazed at Watson, her eyes were filled with admiration. Christina had not seen what happened because she had been talking. However, Annie was fully aware of what the young man had done.
Watson had taken the broken sword from Christina’s hand. Then, he twisted his ring, and a few similar weapons appeared in his hand. He turned them into flowing lights and fused them, repairing the Sky Severing Blade. That whole process only took a few seconds.
She was already shocked when Watson could create gold-tier weapons instantly. It seemed like that was not all. The more she understood Watson, the more she sensed his incomprehensibility.
“That’s right. Let’s set off now. First, we’ll get some supplies. Then, we’ll enter the maze.”
Watson waved his hand and turned to leave. However, someone stopped him.
“Watson, wait!”
The person who stopped him was Christina. Watson turned around and asked impatiently, “Yes, is there anything else you require?”
“If you want to go to the underground maze, please bring me along!”
Christina sheathed Sky Severing Blade. With a calm expression, she said, “Of course, Watson, I would not ask you to help me for nothing. In return, I will prepare all the supplies you need to enter the underground maze. The Holy Sword adventurer team has already cleared the 70th level and is moving toward the 80th level! We know what each level has and what needs to be prepared. What do you think? Are you willing to collaborate with me?”
“Sorry, I—”
Watson hesitated for a moment and wanted to refuse.
He entered the dungeon not to search for treasures but to improve his strength through training. If he were to cooperate with Christina, he would forfeit that purpose.
“Watson, just accept Lady Swordmistress’ invitation. Only the last level of the underground maze is useful to you. There is nothing special about the other levels, so it is alright to ask others for help. It is better as it will end quickly.”
A man’s compelling voice rang forth. Antonio and Denise entered the room unexpectedly from the outside. Antonio smiled as he leaned on his shabby, bent staff.
“Who are you?”
Christina was initially taken aback upon seeing Antonio. Then, she opened her eyes wide in astonishment, as if she had discovered something. “Your face looks somewhat familiar. Have we met before?”
“I’m Watson’s master. As for whether we’ve met before, I can only say that we met two days ago when we were in the Adventurers’ Association.”
“So it’s you.”
Christina recalled the Adventurers’ Association; in addition to Nightingale and Clyde, there was a man with platinum hair and a lady with blazing red hair who resembled a flame elf. Those two people stood behind Watson, so she assumed they were Watson’s attendants. She had not anticipated that the white-haired young man would turn out to be Watson’s master.
At that point, she could not help but view the person in front of her in a better light. Watson was already so powerful, but what about his master?
“Master, does borrowing other people’s strength to pass through the maze not affect my training?”
Antonio said, “Brat, you don’t believe my words? Don’t you have your own adventurer team and improved their equipment and abilities as well? What’s the difference between that and you joining forces with the Holy Sword adventurer team?”
“If you say so.”
Watson determined that it was plausible and nodded to Christina. “I concur with your request, Lady Swordmistress. There is no time to waste. Let’s go now.”
The swordswoman led Watson out of the door. Before she left, she turned to look at the platinum-haired man because she felt that the man was very similar to someone she knew. Then, she heard him say, “The service at the Golden Quill Pavilion is excellent, especially the ladies here. All of them have good figures and are so gentle. I’ll enjoy them later.”
Then, Christina laughed at herself and turned away, no longer doubting the other party’s identity. The person she knew was a big shot in the kingdom. How could he say such words and appear there? She must have been wrong.
Chapter 307: Are You Trying To Make A Fool Out Of Me?
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
“Are those the Holy Sword adventurers’ materials? Indeed, they are unlike a small adventurer team like ours.”
Annie stood in front of the Holy Sword adventurer team’s building complex, watching the supplies unloaded from the carriages. She nibbled at the corner of her sleeve, her eyes glistening with envy.
Everyone followed Christina to the Holy Sword adventurer team an hour after leaving the Golden Quill Pavilion. Christina quickly assembled her team members for a meeting after placing the newcomers at the door. Christina chose 200 people to enter the underground maze with them.
Those 200 individuals comprised elites from the Holy Sword adventurer team. The weakest member was at the silver tier, and there were more than ten gold-tier elites. Apart from Christina, who had recently been promoted to platinum-tier, the lineup is quite fantastic.
“Indeed, the amount of items brought by the Holy Sword adventurer team is hundreds of times greater than what we would usually prepare. Additionally, there are other items that I have never seen before.”
Clyde continued to examine the materials that had been unloaded from the carriage.
Apart from the food and water, there was also an odd mask. A tube had been placed into the mask and attached to a massive airbag. Clyde had been an adventurer for decades, yet he had never seen anything like it.
“That is the gas bag. It is a tool that the Holy Sword adventurers developed based on the maze’s 50th floor. The boss on the 50th floor is a gold-tier monster called the Poison Explosion Tree. Its spores can leech onto people’s skin, and the poisonous gas it releases can cause people’s nerves to go haywire. Therefore, that instrument is vital.
“In addition to gas bags, we have waterproof air bags and folding binoculars that are more advanced than goggles! All these inventions were created after our fights in the underground city. Several of the items have been enhanced throughout a generation. Of course, those items are solely used by the Holy Sword adventurer team, and so no one else would have seen them before.”
Christina had suddenly appeared beside Clyde; she peered at everything in front of her while she said that. Her tone had a tinge of pride.
The Holy Sword adventurer team had paid more than anybody else to conquer the underground city, so they were at the forefront of the race.
“Lady Swordmistress, several of those goods are really advantageous to me. Can you sell them to me after the exploration?” Watson asked.
Other people might have thought that those were only auxiliary tools for clearing the maze, but they were different in Watson’s eyes.
Those gas bags were simplified versions of gas masks, and water-resistant gas bags were diving suits. Watson decided to purchase some of those items and bring them back to Mount Creation for the folks in charge of forging in Torch Town so that they could analyze them. Perhaps they could devise something that will aid in the advancement of future generations.
“It doesn’t matter. Those things remain classified under the terms of the Holy Sword adventurer team’s confidentiality agreement. We haven’t conquered the dungeon yet, so we do not want that knowledge revealed to other people. However, once we’ve conquered the dungeon, it wouldn’t have mattered anyway. You can have them then.”
“Miss Christina, I shall remember your words. Please don’t go back on your words.”
“I will never retract anything I have stated. I can provide those items to you for free, but the stipulation is that you assist me in surviving the dungeon.”
Christina’s opinions were different from Watson’s. The young man was motivated by self-improvement, while Christina desired passage through the dungeon. No matter how many people passed through it, she needed to do that to prove herself.
Perhaps it seemed a little conceited.
However, she was powerless to do anything about it. Expectations had encircled her life since she was a child due to her relationship with the sword saint family. Of course, if she wanted to clear the dungeon, she also needed to compete with her father.
Her father was the only person who had managed to pass the dungeon’s 100th floor, and he had revealed some details about that particular floor to her. So, she knew that everything else she did before the 100th floor was irrelevant. The real treasure was on that floor. That was also the reason why she had spared no effort to form an adventurer team.
Christina snapped back to her senses and looked at the young man beside her. He was avidly inspecting the contents in the carriage and even circling it. Her eyes shifted.
‘Watson, that young man, is truly unpredictable. He gave away gold-tier weapons freely, but he is extremely interested in those ungraded items. He is incomparably different from the average person! However, it is irrelevant. As long as he can help me, it’s fine.”
Christina acknowledged Watson’s skills, but not everyone had the same thought.
At that very moment, not far from the gate, several members of the adventurer team got together and whispered among themselves.
“Brother Blake, which of the adventurer team is assisting Lady Swordmistress? Why is she so excited about them? She doesn’t usually smile, but she is grinning during the meeting. She even said that she would conquer the dungeon this time. We won’t live this down if we don’t get it this time.”
As one of the members talked, he shot an unflattering gaze in the direction of Christina, Watson, and the others.
They feel insulted that Christina thought so highly of Watson.
Another member said, “Those people are from the Blood Rose adventurer team. They had just found fame in the City of Steel. According to what I’ve heard, they had advanced from bronze-tier adventurer team to gold-tier in just one day!”
“I’ve heard about that news too. They advanced because they had another new member, who even survived Lady Swordmistress’ sword attack. It was that youth in the distance. He is a gold-tier elite.”
“To have such talent at such a young age is just remarkable. However, regardless of his strength, is he stronger than Brother Blake? Brother Blake is our team’s strongest gold-tier fighter. Additionally, Blood Rose was a simple bronze-tier team before this. It means that except for their newest member, everyone else is a bronze-tier elite. I am not sure how much assistance they can provide her.”
The others continued to talk about the situation. Most of them had entered the dungeon solely to follow Christina’s lead to the 70th floor. The swordswoman was prepared to descend another 30 floors with the addition of a few bronze-tier warriors and a gold-tier elite. Was not that a joke?
Blake said, “All right, stop this conversation. This is Lady Christina’s command. She must have her own reasons for doing this. I am heading to the dungeon.” Then, he turned around and walked into the depths of the Holy Sword adventurer team’s building. “If you’re not chosen for the expedition, please remain at the entrance and refrain from gossiping lest Lady Christina hears what you say.”
“Brother Blake, we don’t want to do that either. However, Lady Christina’s order this time is too strange. We don’t want to follow those idiots from the bronze-tier adventurer team to our deaths! Once we enter the dungeon, we’ll immediately report to Lady Swordmistress if we find anything amiss.”
Several members of the adventurer team expressed their dissatisfaction. Blake shook his head and remained silent. Then, he turned around and strolled through the buildings’ vast halls. He entered a room that had been shut and opened the wooden boards on the floor. He descended the dungeon’s stairs.
Despite the dampness, the dungeon was well illuminated. The entire dungeon was deafeningly silent, and there were few guards. The dungeon was only sparsely populated. One could vaguely hear a man’s cough from the fence at the end of the dungeon.
Typically, a Holy Sword member would immediately be expelled if they committed a grave error. Only those who have made significant contributions and were not eligible for expulsion would be imprisoned to reflect on their actions. Only one individual had been arrested in recent days. It was Claude, the adventurer team’s former vice-captain.
“Isn’t that Blake, commander of the guards? Are you here to watch me make a fool of myself?”
Claude, who had lost a significant amount of weight, raised his head. Two ruthless emerald eyes appeared through the fence’s opening.
Chapter 308: Finding Trouble Deliberately
“Claude, it has been a few days since I last saw you. I didn’t expect you to be so energetic.”
Blake said faintly, “I did not come here to mock you. I came here to ask for your help.”
“Ask for my help? Is that what the Lady Swordmistress wants? ”
Claude’s eyes lit up. He could endure being locked up in the dungeon. What he could not tolerate was the change in Christina’s attitude toward him. Everything he had worked so hard for as the vice-captain was because of Christina. How could she not see it?
“No, this is my idea. Lady Swordmistress is currently preparing to enter the underground city with the Blood Rose adventurer team members. She didn’t mention you.”
“Since it’s not Lady Swordmistress’ idea, then you should leave.”
“Well, that is what I need your help with.”
A hesitant expression appeared on Blake’s face. “According to my investigation, other than the youth named Watson, the rest of the members of the Blood Rose adventurer team are only bronze-tier. I can understand why Lady Swordsmistress thinks so highly of Watson. After all, that youth had once withstood her sword in the Adventurer’s Association! However, the others don’t have the same strength. If we use those people as teammates to raid the dungeon, we might incur some danger.”
He felt that the Blood Rose adventurer team might have deceived Christina. Otherwise, why would she think that she could successfully raid the dungeon with the help of a bronze-tier adventurer team?
“What do you want me to do?” Claude asked.
“I want to let you out and create some trouble for the Blood Rose adventurer team. I want to stop their exploration of the dungeon! As far as I know, that boy named Watson isn’t from the City of Steel but a noble from the border. He’s also related to the border count. Two of his followers are currently living in the Golden Quill Pavilion. I think that as long as something happens to those two followers, he won’t be able to continue exploring the underground city.”
Blake had only hostility toward Watson. On the one hand, it was because Watson’s team was weak. On the other hand, it was also because Watson was from the border. Most of the people in the kingdom knew that the king and the border count were not on good terms. They did not know whether Watson had other motives for getting close to the swordmistress.
“If you let me go free, aren’t you afraid that Lady Swordmistress will blame you when she finds out and lock you in the dungeon?”
Claude’s face was close to the railing gap; he smiled sinisterly.
Blake was silent for a few seconds before he said, “Everything I do is for the sake of the Holy Sword adventurer team. Just like you. Even though I don’t like you, I have to say that sometimes people like you make the team stronger.
“I’ll leave the key here. Before anyone finds out that I’ve accidentally left that key here, it’s up to you whether you pick it up or not.”
Then, Blake took a bunch of keys from his waist and threw them on the ground. After that, he walked out of the dungeon without looking back.
Claude chuckled. “Well, since you’ve asked so nicely, how could I say no? I just happen to have a score to settle with that annoying brat. If it weren’t for the fact that the Holy Sword adventurer team had already advanced to platinum-tier, I’m sure that Lady Swordmistress would praise my achievements. This is all his fault. I won’t show mercy to his companions.”
As he bent down to pick up the keys, Claude’s face revealed a cruel expression. “How should I torture them later? Killing them too easily won’t count as revenge.”
His words echoed in the empty dungeon tunnel; it caused Blake, who was leaving, to shudder. However, he did not stop. Blake was still unsure of Watson’s character. If he were cold-blooded and did not care about his companions, then it would be very difficult for that plan to succeed. Therefore, Claude’s overreaction was good. That would ensure Watson would stay there.
....
At the Golden Quill Pavilion.
“Achoo, achoo.”
Antonio sneezed twice in a row and sat up from his chair.
“Master Antonio, what’s wrong? Have you caught a cold? ”
Denise, who was making tea for him, heard the sneeze and looked up in puzzlement. It was already March. Although the kingdom had entered spring, the climate still retained some of the winter’s cold breeze.
“Don’t know you know my strength? How can I be infected with such a minor illness? Someone must be gossiping about me! Have I left the royal city for too long? Perhaps His Majesty and those nobles are anxious?” Antonio muttered softly.
“Perhaps it is not the people from the royal city who are talking about you, but Lady Swordmistress. I think she must have recognized you when she was here.”
Denise placed the teacup on the table, poured some hot tea, and handed it to Antonio.
When she mentioned Christina, Denise’s expression was a little sad. As a bodyguard, she had the honor of meeting the daughter from the sword saint family more than ten years ago. At that time, Christina was only a ten-year-old child. So many years had passed in a flash, Christina could not even recognize her.
“That child is bright, indeed. Even though I’ve reverted to my younger appearance, she still had doubts about me. However, I don’t think she recognized me. When she stared at me, I deliberately mentioning some young ladies to accompany me. The way she looked at me immediately changed. She probably felt that I was not the person she knew.”
“To avoid being recognized, you’ve said something that lowered your status, Master Antonio. Your benevolence is really admirable. All of that is for Young Master Watson, right?”
“As long as Watson can clear the underground city successfully and break the sword saint’s record, everything I’ve done will not be in vain! Furthermore, I’ve changed my appearance now. No one in the City of Steel knows me. When I return to the royal city, I’ll use magic to change back to my original appearance. Who would know what I was the one who said those words?”
Antonio picked up his teacup and took a sip. He stroked his nonexistent beard with a smug look on his face. “When I reach the capital, I really want to see the look of surprise and envy on the sword saint’s face when he sees Watson. That would be very interesting, indeed!”
Denise fell into silence because Antonio was a person who cared about his reputation. Everyone in Mount Creation knew that. She had thought that Antonio, who could sacrifice his reputation for Watson, had changed his personality, but she realized that she had misunderstood.
“Sir, I’m sorry, but the room is for other guests. You are not allowed to enter without permission.”
Just as the two of them were talking, a commotion suddenly broke out outside the room.
Boom!
A muffled sound was heard immediately after that, and someone kicked the door open. More than a dozen Holy Sword members rushed into the room, clothed in white robes and wielding longswords in their hands. They formed two rows at the entryway, and Claude entered the room from the center. A maid from the Golden Quill Pavilion was in his grasp.
The beautiful maid’s hair was disheveled, and her cheeks were red and swollen. It was apparent that those men had abused her as she tried to stop them.
“This room is not bad at all. It feels even better than our room here! Not long ago, the Blood Rose adventurer team was only a bronze-tier adventurer team. In addition, there are a few barbarians from the border who’s actually living in such a high-standard place. It looks like the Golden Quill Pavillion’s standard has decreased significantly,” Claude said with interest as he looked around the room. Then, his gaze finally landed on Antonio and Denise.
“Especially the two of you. Your master is currently exploring the underground city, but you are here enjoying tea?”
Claude walked quickly toward Antonio and Denise. He raised his right foot and kicked the table. Then, he bent down and looked down at them. “Drinking tea is a noble’s activity. Do you deserve to do it?”
As the table fell, the tea splashed in all directions and stained Antonio’s clothes.
“How dare you treat—”
Denise stood up abruptly. She was about to say something when she suddenly remembered that Antonio did not want to expose his identity. She quickly changed her words. No matter what, rushing into someone’s room and kicking over someone’s tea is definitely not a good thing. Tell me, who sent you here to find trouble with us? If you tell me honestly, I can give you a decent death.”
“Brothers, did you hear that? That woman is threatening us. She seems to be a little confused about the situation.”
Claude cracked his neck. The corners of his mouth curved into a teasing arc as he waved behind him. “Brothers, go ahead. As long as you don’t kill that woman, you can do whatever you want.”
Chapter 309: Is He Qualified?
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
“Lady Swordmistress, I think everyone is almost ready. Should we set off now?” Watson asked Christina at the entrance of the Holy Sword adventurer team.
At that moment, the 200 adventurers were ready to set off. Those adventurers wore armor ranging from bronze to silver-tier, which was considered quite luxurious in the City of Steel. In addition to the 50 horses responsible for pulling the carriages and the second echelon waiting outside the maze for rescue, more than 500 people were there.
The sound of people’s discussions, the neighing of horses, and the sound of movement—it was very lively.
“Wait a moment. In addition to these people, I also have to bring another person with us. You know that person too. It’s Claude, who might have had a conflict with you in the Adventurers’ Association.”
Christina held her hair when the wind blew. Her face was shining brightly under the sunlight. “Claude is my military advisor. He had many ideas when I was raiding the maze. With him, we will have more confidence in raiding the dungeon! I know that you guys have had some misunderstandings, but I have already taught him a lesson. For my sake, can you forgive him?”
Claude had also been locked up for two days. Christina felt that it was enough.
“Well, since you say so, then I have no objections.”
Watson shrugged; Claude was not worth his attention. He was just a clown. He did not even have the desire to be angry with such a person.
“Blake, come here.”
“Lady Swordmistress, what’s the matter?”
Blake rushed toward her when he heard her voice. Dressed in golden armor with a holy sword icon embroidered on the breastplate, he looked majestic. He went to Christina and bowed his head respectfully.
“Go and get Claude.”
“That—”
As soon as Christina’s voice fell, cold sweat broke out on Blake’s forehead. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. Claude has only been locked up for two days. It’s too light a punishment for him if we release him now. If the other members knew about that, they might think that you are prejudiced by giving him a light punishment because he is the vice-leader.”
“I can use Claude’s help in the dungeon exploration. I’m not prejudiced, but I want him to have a chance to atone for his sins.”
“I still think we should detain him for a longer period. Let’s not bring him this time, and I’ll take him to you after the raid is over. Is that okay?”
Blake was in a panic. He was not nervous because Claude was not there, but because of why Claude had not returned yet.
He glanced in the direction of the dungeon. He had sent Claude to the Golden Quill Pavilion half an hour ago to stir trouble. He should be done by then. He only wanted some problem for Watson’s companions; he wished to prevent Christina from entering the dungeon. Even if Christina were to learn the truth later, he was okay with that.
“Captain Blake, you seem to be hiding something.”
Watson stared at Blake. His tender eyes seemed to pierce through his soul; it made Blake’s mouth dry. Just as he was about to explain himself, a loud shout came from the street outside.
“Are you looking for Claude? He’s here.”
“Claude, you’re finally—”
As he turned his head, Blake was about to say something in surprise, but his face froze when he saw who it was. The person walking across the street was not Claude but a man with a wooden cane. It was a middle-aged man with platinum hair and a gorgeous flame elf.
The flame elf had a rope in her hand, and the rope was tied around a few Holy Sword adventurer team members. They were all badly bruised and bound.
Only one person dragged more than ten people on the ground, but the flame elf did not seem to find it difficult. In just a few minutes, they had arrived in front of everyone.
“This is Claude, the one you’re looking for!”
After throwing the dozen or so severely bruised men on the ground, the flame elf snorted coldly, “You people from the Holy Sword adventurer team are quite daring. You said that you wanted to cooperate with our young master to explore the underground city, but on the other hand, you sent people to the Golden Quill Pavilion to ambush us.”
That flame elf was Denise, and she was furious at that moment.
Obviously, the Holy Sword adventurer team was not sincere in cooperating with them. She even suspected that Christina had planned to lure the tiger away from the mountain. She might have wanted to distract Watson so that she could take revenge.
“The Holy Sword adventurer team did that?” Clyde’s group stood near Watson; they were shocked. Nightingale, who had been following Watson like a shadow, rolled her sleeves and said coldly, “Young Master Watson, just give me the word, and I’ll kill these people cleanly and neatly.”
“Miss Christina, what’s going on? I hope you can give me an explanation! I’m sincere in cooperating with you, but it seems that you’re not sincere with me.”
After he stopped the impulsive Nightingale, Watson’s eyes turned cold. He valued his family the most; he would make them pay if they dared to touch his family.
Fortunately, before he left Mount Creation, he had helped everyone to advance to the platinum tier. His master was a diamond-tier elite, so he was not afraid that something like that would happen. He did not expect that to happen at all. If Antonio and Denise were not platinum and diamond elites-tier, he dared not imagine what those criminals would do to them.
He had just noticed that the man named Blake had a strange look on his face. It seemed like he had sent someone to do that. He did not know if Christina knew about it. He would remove the Holy Sword adventurer team from his list if she did, let alone cooperate with them.
“Blake, explain yourself.”
Christina gritted her teeth and turned to look at Blake. Her gaze was sharper than a sword. She was in the mood to kill. After witnessing Watson’s ability, it was not easy for her to get Watson to help her. However, such a thing had happened. If Watson were to leave in anger, how long would it take for her to clear the dungeon?
Plop!
Blake could not bear the pressure. He knelt on one knee and lowered his head in shame. “I’m sorry, Lady Swordmistress. I don’t understand why you would cooperate with a bronze-tier adventurer team. That would bring us danger. I suspect that you were deceived by those people, so—”
“So you did that behind my back?”
“Yes, Lady Swordmistress. I made all those decisions on my own. Please punish me.”
Christina rubbed the space between her eyebrows. Her body swayed as she turned to look at Watson. “Young Master Watson, I know you might not believe me now, but I did cooperate with you in good faith! I did not manage my subordinates well when this happened. I can compensate you. I hope you can abide by the agreement—”
“Agreement? What agreement? You guys played tricks on us first, right? If something really did happen to Young Master Watson’s master and Denise, how would you compensate them?” Nightingale retorted disdainfully.
She had never liked Christina. She should have gone to the hot spring to serve Watson that day, but that woman had beat her to it. She had endured it because of Watson, but she could not bear it any longer.
“Miss Christina, you said that you didn’t manage your subordinates well. That makes it hard for me to trust you. What if your subordinates act on their own again after entering the underground city? Forgive me for saying this, but I won’t go down the maze with your team anymore.”
Watson shook his head with a serious expression. “As for compensation, forget it. My people did not suffer any losses. We just hope that you can keep a close watch on your subordinates in the future.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the group of more than 500 people from the Holy Sword adventurer team outside were displeased.
“Brat, your words are so arrogant. You don’t want to go down the maze with us? Well, we don’t want to go down there with you anyway.”
“You’re right. Even though it was wrong of Captain Blake to do such a thing behind the swordmistress’ back, it was also for our own good.”
The other adventurers’ words stirred the crowd. Blake, who was kneeling on the ground, also raised his head and said, “Lady Swordmistress, I deserve to be punished for my mistakes. However, you can’t team up with those people. I don’t think they’re worthy.”
“Blake, how could you say such a thing? I told you that Watson is a platinum-tier elite. Have you forgotten that? Is that not enough reason for me to invite Watson?” Christina clutched her heaving chest as she looked at Blake, her eyes filled with sadness.
“Lady Swordmistress, you are only guessing that he is a platinum-tier elite. Furthermore, even if he is a platinum-tier elite, he won’t be of much help in exploring the maze. Otherwise, the current sword saint would not have been the only one to have passed through the maze for hundreds of years.”
“Let’s go.”
Watson was too lazy to waste his breath on them; he turned around and waved at Clyde and the others. Then, he walked down the street with Nightingale and Denise behind him.
At that moment, the commotion had attracted the attention of many passers-by.
“Do you know what happened?” A passer-by asked the people around him.
“It seems like the swordmistress wants to take the newly promoted gold-tier Blood Rose adventurer team down the maze. Most of the people in her team, led by the vice-captain, are against it,” another person said.
“That Blood Rose adventurer team is too arrogant. Lady Swordmistress promoted them for their talents, but they think too highly of themselves. I heard that the rooms arranged for them in the Golden Quill Pavilion are the best. They’re clearly taking advantage of Lady Swordmistress.”
“Maybe it’s not the Holy Sword members who are against them going down the maze. Instead, perhaps they’re afraid and deliberately find an excuse not to do that. Otherwise, why wouldn’t they fight back when others insult them? Why would they only run away dejectedly?”
The rumors spread very quickly and became more and more outrageous, causing many people to look at Watson and his team members with disdain. Many people still wanted to curry favors with the Blood Rose adventurer team just a day before that. However, at that moment, they had become street rats everyone despised. Many Holy Sword adventurer team members also joined the commotion to spread more rumors about the Blood Rose adventurer team.
Watson sighed when he sensed changes in the crowd’s expressions. He had wanted to live a low-key life, but things had turned to that. He could only show his skills to eliminate the rumors.
Just before he made his move, someone walked forward. That person held a cane, and his platinum hair fluttered in the wind as he slowly walked in front of Christina.
“Christina, I had not wanted to meet you in this way, but your people have done a very outrageous thing to my disciple. I can’t just stand by and watch! Are your subordinates confused about why you want to team up with Watson? Well, my name is Antonio, and he is my outstanding disciple. When you know this, I just want to ask if he is qualified to team up with the Holy Sword adventurer team?”
Chapter 310: No Longer Keeping A Low Profile
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
“Antonio?”
Upon hearing that name, everyone there, be it the Holy Sword adventurer team members or the passers-by, had puzzled looks on their faces. Almost everyone in the entire kingdom knew that name because Antonio was the name of the greatest mage in the kingdom.
However, the young man with platinum hair was somewhat different from the image of a great mage that everyone had in mind. Could that person be pretending to be the astrologer or simply sharing the same name as Antonio?
“Are you really Master Antonio?”
The swordmistress, Christina, was also a little surprised. When she saw Antonio at the Golden Quill Pavilion, she suspected that he was that person. However, Antonio’s behavior made her give up on the idea. Then, he admitted it on his own initiative.
“Why? You don’t believe me?”
Antonio smiled as he raised the ancient staff in his hand and gently knocked on the ground. His face suddenly became distorted from a handsome young man to an older man—it was his original appearance.
Christina was speechless.
Her mouth was wide open, but she could not make a sound. That was the Antonio that she remembered.
“Lady Swordmistress, don’t be fooled by that person. He said that he did not want to explore the dungeon with the Holy Sword adventurer team, but he pretended to be Master Antonio. He clearly wants you to keep him here.” Blake’s voice sounded from the side.
“Yes, Captain Blake is right. That person is definitely not Master Antonio,” a member of the Holy Sword adventurer team said.
“He is pretending to be the greatest mage in the kingdom. That person is too bold. Is he not afraid of being punished by the kingdom?” More people jeered at him.
“Not only did he pretend to be Master Antonio, but you also attacked our team members. Do you know what sins you have committed?”
Then, Blake took the opportunity to look at Claude, who had been tied up and beaten severely. “Vice-captain, please tell me about the atrocities that this person has committed against you.”
Even though he had made up his mind, Blake was still worried that his actions would be exposed and Christina would severely punish him. Coincidentally. However, Antonio’s arrival had allowed him to divert the conflict. He could blame it on the other party.
“Blake, you idiot! He is Master Antonio. I should not have listened to you and come out of the dungeon. Otherwise, I would not have become so miserable.”
To Blake’s surprise, Claude raised his head with difficulty. His swollen sausage-like lips moved as he answered him.
As he spoke, Claude recalled when they went to the Golden Quill Pavilion to look for trouble half an hour ago. Fear flashed through his eyes, which were black and blue like a panda’s eye.
Half an hour ago, he had used his foot to kick the tea table and ordered his subordinates to attack. He had planned to let his underlings torture Denise and Antonio for a while before stripping Denise’s clothes in front of Antonio. He would be the one to humiliate Denise. Even though Denise was a flame elf, she was also a rare beauty. It would ease the hatred in his heart and infuriate Watson when he learned of it.
It was a good idea, but unfortunately, there were some mistakes in implementing the plan.
He had brought some silver-tier elites with him to complete the mission. Those people were so proficient in their teamwork that not even ordinary gold-tier warriors might be able to curry favor with them. However, Denise only needed to stretch her finger to beat them to the ground. It was as if they were ants in comparison to Denise.
What happened after that could only be described as misery.
Denise had trampled each of them; they did not even get the chance to retaliate. The elf was powerful, but she was still very respectful toward the platinum-haired young man beside her. Denise had wanted to kill them and throw them out to feed the dogs, but the platinum-haired young man had stopped her.
Claude claimed that he was not a good person. However, he was not stupid. No one could say that he was ordinary as he could even get those at peak gold-tier to respect him. Therefore, no one would doubt him if he said that the platinum-haired young man was the greatest mage in the kingdom.
At that moment, he hated Blake terribly. If he had known that those people at the Golden Quill Pavilion were elites, he would not have sought death, no matter what the other man said. According to Lady Swordmistress, Blake seemed to have known that those people were not ordinary people. If that were the case, why did he not tell him?
Claude was still puzzled, but Blake looked at him with pity. “Claude, did they threaten you? Blink if they are threatening you.”
‘Threaten, my *ss.’
Claude cursed in his heart. Those words came from the bottom of his heart. Just as he was about to explain himself, Blake seemed to interrupt him deliberately. He said, “Lady Swordmistress, Claude has obviously been threatened by those people, so we can’t trust his words.”
“Christina, is this your subordinate? He looks very loyal, but I don’t know who he had pledged his loyalty to.”
Antonio glanced at Blake with a meaningful expression. His words caused Blake’s face to change drastically.
Antonio ignored Blake and said, “Since they don’t believe me, I’ll give you further proof!
“Christina, do you still remember the gift I gave you on your tenth birthday? The magic book that can sing? And your father? Has he been drinking every day? I remember that he likes to go to the roadside taverns in the royal city. He says that he likes to enjoy the lively atmosphere, but he doesn’t dare to go openly out of consideration for his identity as the sword saint...”
After he said a few words casually, Antonio stopped the conversation. “Do you want me to continue? If you still don’t believe me, then I can only say something that no one else knows. For example, when I was holding you in the bath when you were young, I found a birthmark on your body.”
“Stop talking. I believe you.” Christina looked a little embarrassed and annoyed.
She had believed Antonio when he told her the first few things. Very few people would know about those things, especially the gifts and her father’s hobbies. The fact that he knew about her birthmark sealed the deal for her. However, she could not let Antonio tell others about that because her birthmark was on her right buttock.
“Lady Swordmistress, is that information accurate? Perhaps he collected them from somewhere?”
Blake was still trying to fan the flames, but Christina interrupted him. “That’s enough, Blake. No matter what your motive is, I’ll settle the score with you later for what you’ve done. But if you slander Master Antonio again, don’t blame me for being impolite.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Christina knelt on one knee toward Antonio and bowed her head respectfully. “Christina of the Sword Saint family pays her respects to the Lord Astrologer.”
“No way. Is that man really the mage from the kingdom?”
There was a commotion from the crowd. They might not have believed Christina’s words, but since she had knelt in front of the man, it seemed like his identity was beyond doubt.
“Greetings, Lord Astrologer.”
No one knew who took the lead, but soon, the Holy Sword adventurer team and the crowd around them all knelt on the ground, their eyes filled with excitement. They had never seen such an influential figure in their entire lives; they did not expect him to visit the City of Steel. It was such an honor.
Blake moved his lips, but he could only lower his head. He was speechless.
“Christina, even if I already know the answer, I still have to ask you one more time. As my disciple, is Watson qualified to explore the underground city with you?”
Of course, he was qualified.
Before Christina could say anything, everyone else already had the answer in their mind. They looked at Watson with envy and hatred. It was no wonder that the youth could block the swordmistress’ sword attack—he was Antonio’s disciple. That was not strange, but they did not expect him to take in a disciple while he was at the border. After all, the man had not left the Temple of the Stars in years.
“Of course! Watson is more than qualified to explore with me. This is my fault; I haven’t managed my subordinates properly. I will teach them a good lesson, and then—”
“There’s no need, Miss Christina. After this matter, I find it very difficult to trust you. So, I will explore the underground city by myself.”
Watson’s voice was soft, but it had an unquestionable tone. He extended his right hand toward the sky and said, “I had wanted to keep a low profile while I am in the City of Steel. However, since Master has already revealed his identity, I guess there’s no need for me to keep a low profile.”
Since he had revealed his identity, there was no need for him to pretend anymore.
A thunderous rumble echoed outside the City of Steel in response to his words. It felt as if something had erupted from the ground, shaking the entire city.