Sweat Will Not Be Betrayed; An Unintended Outcome

An entirely unexpected person!

The man he had fought with all his strength in the finals of the Kingdom's Royal Tournament—Brain Unglaus.

That unimaginably fierce clash still surfaced in his mind at the sight of Brain's sudden appearance. He looked even more disheveled and languid than before.

Decadent?

No!

That sharp edge was merely hidden beneath his laziness. It meant that this man had grown even stronger than before.

"It really has been many years since our last match." Brain looked at Gazef before speaking with the same nostalgia. Then he shrugged. "You seem to have improved as well. Becoming the nation's one and only Warrior Captain hasn't made you slack off in your training and cultivation."

"Of course."

The tension in Gazef's nerves eased, and a smile like one shared between old friends appeared on his face. "It's good to see that you're all right. I've heard quite a few rumors about you."

For example, that Brain had joined an evil mercenary group.

Or that he had clashed with the Adamantite Rank adventurer team Free Will, with only him surviving—stories that painted a rather miserable picture.

"None of them are good rumors, are they?" Brain replied calmly.

"Ha, haha..."

Gazef's expression turned awkward. His bearded face forced out a laugh as he reached up and scratched his head.

He truly felt that he was not very good at talking. He only hoped Brain would not be angry.

"By the way, why are you here?" Gazef hurriedly changed the subject.

"I came with a friend."

Brain crossed his arms over his chest, a hint of amusement appearing on his face.

"I see."

Gazef nodded and instinctively looked behind Brain. When he did not see this friend, his smile slowly vanished.

Though he had not interacted much with Brain, he knew