Cunning

"Your Highness!"

Facing the sudden turn of events, Abberton stepped forward, drawing his longsword in a flash to confront the Gnoll shaman while shielding the prince behind him. In that moment, he felt a profound regret for not bringing more guards; if this Gnoll caused a riot that resulted in any harm to Prince Alvin, he would be unable to atone for his failure even with a hundred deaths.

However, what happened next was completely beyond everyone's expectations—

Just as the young guard stood before Alvin, protecting the boy, the seemingly ferocious Gnoll shaman froze in place. It then abruptly dissipated the elemental lightning gathering in its hands, dropped to its knees, and prostrated itself toward the master and servant, shouting a passage in Common in an aged, peculiar tone.

"Noble Prince, Logul of the Maw-Claw Clan pays his respects to you. I am willing to swear by the Elemental Spirits to lead my kin in offering you our complete loyalty. I hope that one as merciful as you might take in my people and grant us a path to survival."

After saying this, the Gnoll shaman did not move from its spot, nor did it pay any mind to its kin nearby, who remained bound but were now stirring with excitement. It simply maintained its prostrate position toward the boy, exposing the black and purple fur on its back.

In the natural world, beasts typically expose their soft bellies when signaling submission to another; the Gnoll shaman's actions at this moment followed the same logic, as it used its own body to demonstrate its loyalty to the boy.

This was a gamble, one where the slightest misstep would lead to total ruin, but Logul trusted his observations: this child was a unique existence. From the boy's previous interaction with the Goblin, Logul had noticed the child's sharp wit and how he differed from most ordinary people—the gaze he directed at the Gnoll held only curiosity, devoid of the contempt and disgust common among most humans.

Originally, Logul had intended to wait until he regained his strength to lead his kin in an escape from this human town one night, but the disgruntled Goblin had interrupted his plans. That had merely forced him to accelerate his escape, but the identity of the child before him had prompted a different choice.

Alvin watched the kneeling Gnoll shaman with a hint of amusement in his eyes, casually waving a hand to cast a radiant light upon the fallen Goblin merchant—a zero-level spell, Minor Heal. Though it was little more than a drop in the bucket, it provided at least some relief.

This Gnoll was clever—clever enough to make him feel a touch of alarm.

The boy had seen the situation clearly: after the Gnoll shaman used its magic to leave the unfortunate Goblin half-dead, it hadn't stopped its spellcasting, but instead turned its gaze toward him and the royal guard behind him.

Because of the Goblin merchant's earlier bluster, this intelligent shaman had clearly deduced that his identity was not simple. Perhaps it had intended to take him hostage, though Alvin leaned toward another theory—it wanted to kill him and Abberton to create chaos in the crowd, facilitating the release of its bound kin and their subsequent escape.

With Alvin's keen perception, he could not have been mistaken about that murderous intent. Yet, before Abberton could rush forward to stop it, the Gnoll shaman had suddenly surrendered, even claiming it was willing to swear an oath in the name of the Elemental Spirits!

One had to understand that this world was not like the one from his past life, where oaths were cheap. If a shaman broke an oath sworn by the Elemental Spirits, the only result was to be forever forsaken by the natural elements, losing all shamanic magic. For any creature wielding extraordinary power, such an outcome was even more terrifying than death.

In Alvin's view, the only reason for this dramatic shift was the two words Abberton had shouted in his panic: "Your Highness."

Through this specific title and the Holy Light beginning to coalesce in his hands, it had actually deduced his identity. Even more surprisingly, the Gnoll shaman had abandoned its entire plan without hesitation, pinning all its hopes and the fate of its kin on a child it had never met before!

Such decisiveness and quick thinking were rare, not just for Gnolls, who were known for their savagery, but even among the noble classes of the various human kingdoms. Thus, the prince did indeed feel a spark of interest in the offered loyalty.

However, neither the time nor the place was suitable for an immediate response.

As his thoughts raced, he spoke to stop his guard: "Abberton, wait. The city watch should be here soon; let's wait until they arrive."

Regardless of whether the other party truly intended to submit, it was always better to be prepared. Although the group of Gnoll warriors remained bound, who knew if they might suddenly break free?

Even though Abberton was a highly skilled high-level warrior despite his youth, Alvin was not certain he could handle being swarmed by a group of desperate beasts, especially when there was a shaman of unknown rank in their ranks!

Therefore, waiting for the city watch was the optimal choice. His guard had already clashed with the Goblin merchant, and now a Gnoll shaman had appeared, causing localized chaos with its actions. Based on what he had learned yesterday from the local soldiers at City Hall regarding the security of Andorhal, the well-trained watchmen responsible for handling disputes in the dock district should arrive shortly.

As expected, about ten minutes later, a group of guards wearing light breastplates, carrying standard-issue iron swords at their waists, and draped in blue double-headed eagle tabards appeared at the end of the street, arriving at the scene of the standoff.

"Abberton, have them take these monsters into custody and bring them to the station. We'll notify the teacher once everything is handled," Alvin whispered to the guard in front of him. "And rescue that Goblin as well; take him along."

Though he felt a deep repulsion toward these monsters that looked so unlike humans, the loyal guard would never defy his master's orders. A sharp blade only needed to point toward the enemy according to its master's will; it did not need to overthink.

When the watchmen reached them, the young guard took a metal emblem from the pouch at his waist. With just a few words, he had the previously aggressive guards completely compliant, leading away all the Gnolls and Kobolds. As for the Goblin merchant, whose injuries had been eased by Alvin, he was hoisted up by one hand by the soldier at the rear and taken to the station as well.