Aier's Battle

Linley and Aier locked eyes, sparks of intense friction igniting between their gazes. Both saw a deep, burning desire for battle in the other; they were both men who lived for the fight.

Aier was a former reserve knight of the Silver Hand and had once undergone advanced training at Udyr's Paladin Training Academy. It was common knowledge that those who studied there were the cream of the crop among the human race. Although Aier had ultimately failed to graduate, he remained a highly sought-after figure within the Flower Territory.

Linley caught the scent of Holy Light radiating from Aier's explosive aura—a presence filled with justice, benevolence, and valor. His Three Eyes told him that this was a true knight.

Linley held such a man in high esteem, which only made him more determined to give his all.

Drawing his Three-Pointed Double-Edged Glaive from his pack, Linley bent his legs slightly and stomped into the ground with immense force. Using the powerful recoil, he shot toward Aier at high speed.

Linley knew well that his raw strength was inferior to Aier's, so he had to seize the initiative; only by striking first would he have any hope of victory.

Aier stood expressionless on the arena, his right hand gripping a longsword that looked nothing like the steel blades he had used before. The azure blade emitted a dark, eerie glow; judging by its appearance alone, it was a formidable weapon.

Beyond that, he held a black shield in his left hand, roughly the size of a standard round shield, engraved with the pattern of an unknown Magic Beast. Aier was dressed in full knightly attire, prepared for both offense and defense.

"Bang!"

With a thunderous crash, Linley's Three-Pointed Double-Edged Glaive was blocked by Aier's shield. The air pressure generated by the impact whipped Aier's hair into a frenzy, yet he remained completely unmoved. It seemed Linley's full-force strike had been entirely in vain.

"Monster."

Linley cursed under his breath. Failing to land a clean hit, he leaped backward to evade Aier's counterattack, secretly rubbing his numb web between thumb and forefinger. He had suffered a hidden loss in this head-on collision.

Refusing to give up, Linley began to circle Aier slowly, like a leopard stalking its prey, searching for a weakness.

Aier, however, did not grant Linley much time. As Linley moved to find an opening, Aier launched a charge. Although he lacked the support of a warhorse, a knight could still execute a charge on foot; every knight possessed a powerful physique.

Aier's speed was immense, swift as lightning. Linley had no time to dodge and was forced to clash with him head-on once more.

After several exchanges, Linley, whose strength was far inferior, was pushed back repeatedly.

"Good, good..."

The soldiers watching from below were fully engrossed. As Aier suppressed Linley, forcing him back step by step, they began to cheer and shout excitedly, punctuated by the occasional whistle.

Among Alice's group, the town mayor Shengdelu was not optimistic about Linley, speaking bluntly to Alice.

"It seems Captain Aier will win this time. Linley has been completely pushed onto the defensive; there is no hope of victory left for him.

It looks like I shall have to congratulate Captain Aier shortly."

Alice, however, shook her head in disagreement, maintaining a cool, analytical demeanor.

"No, it is too early to call the victory for Aier. Although Linley has been retreating, look at his footwork—it remains steady and without a hint of chaos. Clearly, Aier will not be able to take him down so easily."

"Oh, is that so?"

Shengdelu's expression soured at being contradicted to his face, but he could only offer a laugh to ease his embarrassment. He said no more, turning his attention back to the match on the arena.

The situation on the stage unfolded differently than Alice had predicted. Linley was sent flying backward by a blast of Holy Light, losing his grip on his weapon as it clattered onto the arena floor.

"You've lost."

Aier stood in the distance, panting heavily. He did not believe Linley, now disarmed, could possibly defeat him.

"Lost? No, I haven't lost yet."

Linley struggled to climb up from the ground, his body hunched, his hands and face covered in dust.

Aier said nothing, merely watching him with a puzzled gaze, thinking to himself:

Still refusing to concede even in this state? Fine, I will beat you until you do.

Just as Aier prepared to strike again, he saw Linley's lips move. Before he could ask what he had said, a miraculous change came over Linley.

Linley revealed the eye that had been hidden within his forehead. The moment the extraordinary Three Eyes appeared, everyone around was stunned.

The rowdy soldiers had their mouths hanging open wide enough to fit a giant pear, falling into sudden silence. Even the well-traveled Alice wore a look of astonishment, like a cat that had just spotted a rat the size of itself.

The crowd below was stunned, but Aier on the stage was not. Though he was momentarily taken aback, he quickly adjusted; he never let his guard down in the face of battle.

Even without knowing the true function of Linley's third eye or the damage it could inflict, Aier remained calm.

"Heavenly Eye, open."

With a loud shout, the previously closed third eye snapped open, firing four consecutive beams, each with the power of a Silver-rank Tier 1 attack.

Aier held his shield before him, intending to tank the damage, but his reaction speed had dulled after the intense battle with Linley. He failed to defend in time, and all four rapid rays struck him squarely.

Aier was sent flying, landing outside the arena and falling unconscious.

After unleashing the rays and seeing Aier collapse, Linley also fell unconscious from the massive expenditure of energy. The revealed Heavenly Eye, lacking magical support, faded back into hiding.

In his haze, Linley felt as if someone had whispered something in his ear, but he had no energy left to hear what it was.

"Where is this?"

The next day, Linley woke with a start. Sitting up and looking around, he recalled the events that had transpired.

"I came to the Lord's Mansion... then I fought Captain Aier, and then I used the Heavenly Eye and passed out."

Linley didn't have to think long to remember everything from yesterday. He looked down at his clothing, noting the fine fabric that was clearly different from his usual coarse hemp garments.

"This is the Town Hall. Where is my Ah Huang? Ah Huang, Ah Huang..."

Linley hurriedly put on the clothes laid out nearby, retrieved his Three-Pointed Double-Edged Glaive—which someone had picked up and placed by the bed—and shoved it back into his pack. Ignoring the soreness in his body from overexertion, he walked out of the room.

"Woof..."

A chorus of barking drew near, and soon a large yellow dog trotted in from outside, tail wagging. It rubbed against Linley's pant leg as it approached—who else could it be but Ah Huang?

Linley smiled, and just as he was about to crouch down to have a word with Ah Huang, Mayor Shengdelu walked in from outside, accompanied by several servants and a face full of smiles.

"Since Mr. Linley has awakened, I shall return the items I was keeping on your behalf."

With that, Shengdelu took a bag brimming with gold coins and a white token carved with flowers from the person beside him, handing both over to Linley with great solemnity.

"This is?"

Linley looked at the items Shengdelu had given him with some confusion, unable to recall the wager he had made with Alice the day before for a moment.

Shengdelu knew that Linley was about to transform from a low-status freeman into a Centurion commanding the lives of a hundred men. He understood that a Centurion in Flower Territory held a military rank equal to his own, but in these times, a military post far outstripped a civil one of the same level. Thus, Shengdelu was naturally very patient in his explanation.

"This is the money from Miss Alice for the purchase of your Magic Beast, as well as the Centurion token she promised you. You may take this token to find Miss Alice and serve as a Centurion in Flower Territory."

"Where is Miss Alice?"

Linley was somewhat puzzled; logically, she should have presented these to him personally.

"Miss Alice has other towns to inspect and could not afford to be delayed in Wheat Town for too long. She could only treat Aier briefly last night before rushing off overnight to the next town, Soybean Town. However, Miss Alice said she admires you greatly and looks forward to your arrival in Flower Territory; a person like you should not be a mere farmer."

Shengdelu showed no impatience whatsoever at Linley's series of questions, continuing to act as an encyclopedia, answering everything asked of him.

"I see..."

Linley suddenly felt a sense of loss. Although he had met the young and beautiful Alice fewer than four times, he had still been captivated by her.

What are you thinking?

Linley dismissed the unrealistic thoughts that had suddenly sprouted in his mind and gave a self-deprecating smile.

Beside him, Shengdelu watched Linley with a smile, not waking him from his reverie.

After a while, realizing he had been standing there like a fool for quite some time, Linley apologized profusely to Shengdelu and walked out of the town hall with his money bag and token.

As Linley stepped out of the town hall, the wide-open doors slammed shut behind him, and the bustling crowd appeared before his eyes once more.

As Linley walked, the people around him kept their distance, not a single one daring to draw near.

"What is going on? Does everyone already know I'm the one who killed the Earth Demon Bear? It's only been one night, how could it spread so fast?"

Linley inadvertently looked down at his attire: an Ivory White Snow-Rolled Gauze Robe on his upper body, Honey-Colored Gold-Thread Jade River Silk Trousers on his lower, and Quiet Red White Rabbit Boots on his feet. Judging by his appearance alone, he was not someone an ordinary commoner could afford to bump into.

When Linley left the town hall, he had forgotten to ask who had provided this outfit—was it Miss Alice or Mayor Shengdelu?

Linley rubbed his chin and muttered to himself.

"The outfit the Mayor wears isn't even as fine as this one, so it couldn't be him. It must be clothing provided by Miss Alice."

"Linley, is that you?"

While Linley was lost in his deductions with his head bowed, a timid voice drifted over from the crowd. He looked toward the source of the sound and discovered a youth from his own village, Shaqima.

Linley waved his hand and called him over.