Poison

The dinner at Glimmering Sand Castle has begun.

Music rang out from the private room; the orchestra was even playing music during the banquet. Maids stood by, but there were very few guests. Samuel sat in the main seat and raised his glass to the guests.

"It is an honor for the Good Family that Your Highness has graced Glittering Sand with your presence. We originally planned to hold a grand banquet and invite prominent figures from the Viscountry to pay their respects to Your Highness. However, Your Highness has had a long journey, and Kang De is not quite accustomed to the etiquette here on the mainland. Therefore, I have taken the liberty of reducing the number of guests at the banquet to just the Good Family to welcome Goth's guests."

He raised his glass to Tina, saying, "I hope you won't think we've been rude or disrespectful."

Tina smiled and said, "No, this is for the best. You know, Uncle Samuel, I've never liked these kinds of formalities since I was a child. In fact, neither has Teldrassil."

"Yes, yes."

Samuel chuckled, "Your whole family is like that, including His Excellency the Grand Duke. We were young and adventurous together. As for him... haha, it's too impolite to talk about a father's shameful deeds in front of his children."

Everyone laughed.

A joyful and harmonious atmosphere.

Kang De was not very happy.

Because sitting opposite him was none other than the Knight Lost.

To be fair, Kang De's seat was the second most honored guest's seat after Tina's, and in terms of etiquette, the Good Family's hospitality was impeccable.

But he felt it was not a coincidence but intentional, as the Knight Lost sat opposite him.

This guy had been watching him the whole time.

What made Kang De even more uncomfortable was the other person's gaze.

There was no personal emotion mixed in; there was no anger, no jealousy, no hostility, no disdain in those eyes—nothing at all.

Only through examination.

The gaze is devoid of any emotion, like a deity looking down from the clouds, observing the mundane lives of ordinary people, watching their joys and sorrows, and seeing through everything about them.

That's exactly how the Knight Lost looked at Kang De.

It was as if they wanted to see through everything about him.

That look in your eyes... it's kind of disgusting.

This is especially true for modern humans from Earth.

When the concept of equality takes root in people's hearts, this kind of gaze and attitude will be despised and hated. Anyone who looks at others with this kind of gaze and attitude on modern earth will inevitably be labeled as a fool.

Kang De, in any case, couldn't stand it.

Because of Hong San's reminder and Cleveland's warning, his opinion of this Lost had plummeted to negative levels. Unable to bear the man's gaze any longer, Kang De coldly said, "Is that how you always look at people?"

Knight Lost spoke, his voice calm and unwavering. "Not used to it?"

Kang De sneered at him.

Lost said calmly, "You'll get used to it again."

Kang De raised an eyebrow and asked, "What do you mean?"

Lost sat gracefully and said quietly, "I've heard that compared to the imperial noble fiefdoms, Cathay upholds a stronger monarchical power and a closer relationship between ruler and subject. The hierarchy is clearly defined and cannot be transgressed. This is especially appreciated by the Crown Prince... Since Mr. Kang De comes from Cathay, he must also live within a strict and orderly system of rules. Isn't he used to being watched like this by those in power?"

Kang De looked him straight in the eye. "I'm not used to being stared at like that by a self-important, lowly person."

Lost remained unmoved, picked up his glass, and took a small sip. "How rude of me."

Kang De said calmly, "Where did this mad dog come from?"

It was already strange that this idiot had inexplicably targeted him, but for him to publicly provoke him at the banquet was even more bizarre. Kang De sneered, but his body subtly tensed up.

Out of caution, even when attending banquets, he always carried a stun gun, pepper spray, and a pistol for self-defense, as well as three bottles of enhancement potions. Even if someone suddenly attacked him during the banquet, he could take the guy's life with a single Ashina Sword Style. Therefore, he was not worried at all—damn it, who's afraid of who?

With a gun in hand and a calm mind, Kang De met the gaze head-on without backing down.

"Huh..."

Knight Lost noticed his gaze, a ripple of emotion flickering in his eyes. "Interesting..."

"Wait a moment!"

Tina had witnessed the argument between the two earlier. Seeing that Kang De had already retorted, she stopped trying to intervene and waited until Kang De's counterattack subsided before stepping in.

She looked at Knight Lost, her tone calm yet sharp. "Sir, Mr. Kang De is my distinguished guest. Regardless of your gaze, don't you think it's far too arrogant of you to declare yourself superior in his presence?"

The knight turned to look at the princess, and surprisingly, his gaze held no trace of affection, only respect. He nodded and said, "Excuse me, Your Highness, but if I may be so bold, you are too kind and too easily trusting. Of course, for a woman, this is not a flaw."

"Lost!"

Viscount Samuel shouted, "I've already said it, the matter of Knight Glenn is over. If you still harbor any thoughts of standing up for him and provoking Kang De, then get back to the capital now!"

Upon hearing this, Knight Lost bowed to his father and said, "Understood, Father."

Seeing the awkwardness at the banquet, Lynch, sitting at the lower end of the table, rolled his eyes and said with a grin, "Speaking of which, Father, His Excellency Kang De mentioned something interesting to us today..."

It seems the little boy is quite favored in the family. Not only Samuel, but even Knight Lost looked at his younger brother with patient eyes.

Lynch spoke of Kang De's good deeds today, the little beggar named Lister, and many others in need of help, as well as his collaborative plans.

He said, "If Your Excellency Kang De has a great plan and sufficient funds, could I do this with my sister?"

Samuel hesitated for a moment, about to reply, when Lost said, "Lynch, it's not surprising that you have such naive thoughts because you're still young, but I'm now following His Highness the Crown Prince, and perhaps you will inherit your father's title. As the future head of the Good Family, you shouldn't waste your extra kindness on those lowly people."

He spoke in a flat tone, as if he were stating something perfectly natural.

"One day you'll understand that ignoring them is the greatest act of kindness; their early demise is a relief for themselves and for the world."

Lynch looked at Kang De with a surprised expression.

Kang De said coldly, "Knight Lost, don't forget that the exquisite plates you use, the delicious food you eat, and the luxurious clothes you wear are all made by those you call the lowly people. Without them, what would you eat and what would you wear?"

Lost nodded and said, "You're right. Without these lower classes to support and serve us, the world would be in a lot of trouble. That's their reason for being. But that doesn't mean I need to thank them, much less take care of them, does it? On the contrary, they should be grateful to me. It is someone like me, a superior being, who gave them the opportunity to serve me and to survive. Isn't that right?"

He seemed disdainful of discussing these matters with Kang De. The knight turned to Lynch and said, "You must remember, the commoners are the commoners. They have no dignity, no honor, no sense of honor, and are opportunistic. They are like tools; use them when they are useful, and discard them when they are not. If they dare to resist, kill them all. They are like weeds on a plain; cut one crop, and another will sprout."

"As long as there is land, there will never be a worry about no one to cultivate it."

Lynch's expression grew increasingly bewildered and conflicted.

It seems their values have been challenged...

Kang De sneered.

He was too lazy to argue with this so-called knight.

Because you can never wake someone who is pretending to be asleep.

Sometimes, words are powerless; only facts can convince people.

Knight Lost looked at Kang De with a nonchalant expression. "Mr. Kang De, you seem to have some objections. I've noticed that you, as a nobleman from Cathay, hold great sympathy and goodwill towards the common people."

Kang De coldly replied, "So what? Is it any of your business?"

Just then, Samuel ended the conversation, using a string of witty remarks to introduce another topic.

However, Kang De's interest had been completely ruined.

The reason he didn't leave was because he was mindful of Tina's apologetic look and didn't want to put her in a difficult position. In addition, the Knight Lost stopped provoking him, which allowed Kang De to remain seated.

He left his seat and returned to his room as the banquet drew to a close.

Lying on the soft bed, Kang De stared blankly at the ceiling, feeling very uncomfortable.

I felt out of place... I couldn't get along with these so-called aristocrats at all.

Oh shit.

Just then, there was a gentle knock on the door.

Who is it? Tina? Or Cleveland?

Kang De sat up, opened the door, and a head of honey-colored hair came into view.

It's Hannah.

The girl hadn't changed out of her banquet attire. Her face was slightly flushed, and she looked somewhat apologetic and uneasy. She said softly, "Your Excellency... Mr Kang De, I've come to..."

Kang De guessed her purpose. "... An apology?"

Hannah's face stiffened, and she almost cried, "Yes... yes, I'm so sorry. My brother changed completely after his trip to the capital... he wasn't like this before..."

Kang De welcomed her in, and after the girl sat down, she kept apologizing to Kang De: "Really, I really don't know how to say it. My brother used to love us very much, but after he went to the capital to serve as the eldest prince's attendant, his personality changed drastically after he came back. He became cold and indifferent. If it weren't for the fact that he still loves us, I would suspect that some evil spirit has possessed his mind..."

She talked about how wonderful her brother used to be and how strange he is now, even reminiscing about her childhood. By the time she came to her senses, she had been talking for a long time.

I'm so sorry!

She apologized again. "In short, Lynch and I fully support your idea. We were born into wealth and live a much more comfortable life than them, so why not help them? They are human beings too, and they haven't done anything wrong... Therefore, if you think of any way to help them, please be sure to tell Lynch and me, and we will definitely help..."

As she apologized, she got up to leave, and Kang De noticed a wine bottle in her hand.

"This is..."

"Aaaaaaah!"

Hannah exclaimed in surprise, "I almost forgot! This! This is my apology! It's a gift from my heart! I brewed it myself! It's delicious! Please have a taste!"

She seemed ashamed of her impetuousness, her face flushed. She put down the wine, backing away while apologizing, "Please try some! If you don't like it, you can secretly pour it away. They all think my wine is a bit strange, but I really tried my best, really..."

The girl darted out of the room like a startled rabbit, only peeking out last to whisper to Kang De, "Your Excellency Kang De, I share your views. I also pity those commoners, and sometimes I really envy you for being able to speak frankly with my father and brother."

After saying that, she jogged away.

The girl's fragrance still lingered in the air.

Kang De paused for a moment, then chuckled.

Indeed, one cannot judge a group based on a single arbitrary assessment.

There are fools among the nobility, but there are also kind-hearted people.

He opened the bottle, took a sniff, and a fragrant and pleasant aroma wafted out, invigorating him.

Just one whiff is enough to make your mouth water and make you want to drink it.

Kang De was about to make a move when a thought suddenly flashed through his mind, and he hesitated.

Glimmering Sand Castle made him feel somewhat uncomfortable.

He was wary of everything in this other world.

When the topic of the siblings came up today, Hong San hesitated to speak.

Lynch said that Hannah liked to mix up strange things.

As if by some strange twist of fate, Kang De poured the wine onto the table.

A little bit.

Then touch it with your finger.

Element, Extraction.

Blue Element, fiery red Element, and various other Element decompose and drift away, forming beams of light of different colors.

Kang De's expression changed.

Under the combined influence of various Element, he saw a dark green, almost black, Element sphere.

It gleams with a deadly, dangerous hue.

This is...

Poison.

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PS1: Second update!