Chapter 159: Meeting Old Acquaintances
SWISH!
Duane suddenly yanked his fishing rod. It instantly bent into the shape of a drawn bow as the fish below struggled violently, refusing to leave the water.
With Duane’s current strength, pulling up a fish was no problem. The problem was the rod and the line.
If he pulled too hard and they snapped, all his effort would be for nothing.
So, Duane began a battle of wits and strength with the fish. He tugged it left and right, spending several minutes before finally pulling it to the shore and lifting it up.
"It’s huge!"
Duane couldn’t help but weigh it in his hands. The fish was at least three or four pounds.
[You have successfully caught a red-headed carp. Skill Level +2]
A look of delight appeared on Duane’s face. ’A big fish indeed,’ he thought. ’The Skill Level bonus is even higher.’
He knocked the large fish unconscious and tossed it into his fish basket.
Just as he was about to cast his line again, he suddenly heard the sound of disorderly footsteps and noisy shouts from behind him.
He couldn’t help but glance over.
He saw the group of Warriors who were supposed to be guarding the church all walking in his direction, followed by a crowd of followers.
Duane frowned slightly. ’Why do I have a bad feeling about this?’
He looked at Clear Water Lake. ’This place isn’t private property. I should be allowed to fish here, right?’
Besides, no one was guarding it, and no one was charging a fee. Fishing should be fine.
Soon, the group surrounded him, trapping Duane by the water’s edge.
"Knight Commander, that’s him!"
The follower in Light Armor pointed at Duane, a triumphant look on his face. "He desecrated the Radiant Sanctuary! He’s a heretic!"
Duane almost laughed. ’Good grief, I just rode a horse in front of the Holy Hall and now I’m a heretic?’
The Warrior in Armor addressed as "Knight Commander" stepped forward. His brows were tightly furrowed, his face a mask of vigilance and scrutiny.
His intuition told him that the young man before him was no ordinary person.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t be so calm.
He asked in a deep voice, "Tell me your identity, and why you are here."
Duane gestured with the fishing rod in his hand. "To fish, of course."
He glanced at the at least five or six armored Warriors behind the man and couldn’t help but ask in return:
"I hear the Holy Radiance Court preaches light and justice. Honesty should be one of the tenets you believe in, right? What, just because someone calls me a heretic, you’re going to arrest me?"
He was a Kingdom Baron. Moreover, he was completely different from when he had left Lakefront Manor; he had no reason to fear this group.
Hearing this, the Knight Commander’s expression faltered, clearly caught off guard by Duane’s retort.
The followers behind him began to whisper among themselves. Some of them thought he had a point.
"Your faith is not pious enough! The Saint Master will not protect you!"
The follower in Light Armor jumped out again, berating those who were wavering while pointing at Duane.
"I saw you with my own eyes, galloping on horseback in front of the Holy Hall! Not only did you ignore my warning, but you even shook your head with a smile, mocking my piety! Is that not desecration of the Holy Hall?"
Duane sneered but paid him no mind, putting away his fishing gear.
He walked to the side, picked up his fish basket, and at the same time pulled the Longsword that was stuck in the ground beside him.
Although he wasn’t afraid of them, Duane decided to leave, based on the principle of not wanting to cause trouble.
"Sir, just leaving like this wouldn’t be right, would it?"
The Knight Commander’s voice was displeased. He knew the man before him was not to be trifled with. The fact that he was carrying a Storm Greatsword showed he was at least an Advanced Warrior.
However, with a crowd of followers behind him, it would be difficult to explain if he just let the man leave.
"Regardless of the truth, you had best return with me to the Holy Hall to be questioned by Saintly Priest Lucien. If you are truly innocent, you will naturally be released."
Duane shrugged, showing he didn’t care. "And if I don’t?"
He finally understood why he felt an inexplicable aversion upon hearing the name "Holy Radiance Court."
Seeing this, the Knight Commander’s face darkened. He drew his Longsword, and at the same time, the Warriors behind him also drew their weapons. The atmosphere instantly became tense, like a drawn bowstring.
At this moment, the followers who had rushed over—whether because they enjoyed watching a good spectacle or were swept up by the atmosphere—grew excited. One by one, they began to clamor for the heretic to be captured.
Duane scanned the crowd, starting to feel annoyed.
"What’s your name?" he asked.
The Knight Commander was still somewhat wary, but as far as he could recall, there was no young nobleman in the Royal Capital who looked like this.
As for the other Nobility, he knew a fair bit about them, and none had a son who was such a young Advanced Warrior.
"Manny Haydon!"
He stated his name cautiously. "Sir, I’ll give you a piece of advice: put down your weapon!"
"Manny Haydon?"
Duane sized him up, quite surprised. "What? The heir of the Haydon Clan is actually serving the Holy Radiance Court?"
The reason he knew so much was that this was a declining Viscount Clan.
An undevelopable Secret Realm had appeared in the Viscount Haydon Territory, and the Demons that swarmed out of it brought a plague that devastated the territory.
As a result, the Haydon Clan had not recovered even after so many years.
But as the saying goes, a starved camel is still bigger than a horse. Duane never expected the heir of this clan to be serving the Holy Radiance Court.
’How long has Mage Clement been in the Kingdom? And he’s already recruited a Viscount’s heir?’
On the other hand, Manny Haydon also showed a look of astonishment.
The fact that this man knew his background so quickly, and had remained so composed from start to finish, once again proved that his identity was anything but ordinary.
"May I ask your name, sir?"
Knight Commander Manny’s tone softened. "If there has been a misunderstanding, it would be best to clear it up on the spot."
He no longer had any intention of dragging Duane to the Holy Hall.
Duane smiled faintly. "You should have heard my name before..."
Just as he was about to speak, the fierce sound of hooves approached from the distance, kicking up a trail of dust.
Duane looked over. That direction led to the Lakefront Secret Realm.
Soon, six horses arrived before the crowd, all ridden by armored Warriors.
"Eh?"
The leader was very surprised. He reined in his horse. "What... are you all doing?"
"Lord Harrison!"
Manny Haydon performed a Knight’s salute. "There’s been a bit of a dispute here."
He glanced at Duane, hesitated for a moment, but still said, "Someone has accused this man of being a heretic."
"Oh?"
The expression on Harrison’s face immediately became animated. He eyed Duane, the corner of his mouth twitching into a slight smirk.
"Whether he’s a heretic or not, won’t you know once you arrest and interrogate him?"
Manny’s eyes instantly lit up.
’Even Lord Harrison doesn’t recognize this person. That means my worries were unnecessary; I was just scaring myself.’
’In that case...’
The aura around him suddenly condensed. He immediately lunged at Duane, his Longsword thrusting straight for the latter’s shoulder.
According to intelligence reports, Manny was no cultivation genius. His current strength was at the Human Tier at best.
Duane’s figure flickered, and he slipped past the edge of the blade with an incredibly refined Body Skill.
At the same time, without even drawing his Longsword, he merely tapped the man’s wrist with his scabbard and then sent him flying with a kick.
THUD!
Manny slammed hard against the shore. He was in a state of utter shock, not even clear on what had just happened.
His subordinates, the Holy Temple Guard Knights, were about to charge forward, but seeing their Knight Commander so easily repelled, they all froze, unsure for a moment whether to advance or not.
"Heh, slandering a Kingdom Baron as a heretic in public!"
"I don’t care if you’re a Count’s heir. Even if Earl Orlando himself were here, I would still report your crimes to His Majesty!"
Duane looked at the young man on horseback.
When he had left his castle back then, this person had come to provoke him for no reason.
Now they meet by chance today, and another conflict arises out of nowhere. ’It’s never-ending.’
Harrison was also a little confused about the situation.
His subordinate had only just delivered the news to the Secret Realm that Count Kais had arrived in the Royal Capital with Duane. He didn’t know the full details, much less what had happened to Duane himself.
’Manny is considered a fairly seasoned Advanced Warrior. How was he defeated in a single move?’
’And this Duane now... why has his whole aura changed?’
Faced with such an accusation, and the threat of being reported to His Majesty, Harrison felt a little unnerved.
"Baron Duane, you’re wronging me!"
Harrison gave a dry laugh and dismounted. "I was just joking! I never thought Lord Manny would move against you so quickly. I didn’t even have time to stop him!"
As he spoke, he looked with displeasure at Manny, who was still on the ground, and demanded:
"How could Baron Duane possibly be a heretic?"
"Lord... you..."
Manny’s mind went blank for a moment, and beads of cold sweat broke out on his forehead.