Chapter 24: So-Called Justice (Please Keep Reading)

Such a shameless excuse left Fernando and all his knights staring at each other, their morale unconsciously deflating by a significant margin.

Could it be... that he truly hadn't broken the law?

Clearly, as semi-enforcers, these knights had never seriously studied the law.

Damn it, this can't go on!

The boy’s shameless expression made the Minotaur knight shout in silent fury, his head jerking to the right in an attempt to escape the threat of the gun barrel. But the moment he moved, that menacing muzzle pressed firmly against his right eye socket.

As a Tier 3 knight blessed by the "Temple," Fernando would not usually fear the threat of a firearm. However, this did not apply to having one pointed directly at his vulnerable forehead and eye.

"We are executing an order from the Knights' Order to search for a witch!"

"You are obstructing official business—how is that not breaking the law?"

The Minotaur knight bellowed, attempting to use dark tactics to force Ron to back down.

To this, the blond-haired boy simply curled his lip.

You think you’re in the right while doing evil deeds?

Those knights never called themselves shameless when they were bullying the weak, but once he gained the upper hand, they all acted as if they were messengers of justice.

Sure enough... the more the enemy opposes me, the more it proves I’m doing the right thing!

How is this even a matter of me being shameless?

Ron scanned the wreckage near the apartment, not believing for a second that these knights would restore the damaged property after their search. In his previous life, he had heard a saying: to deal with corrupt officials, a clean official must be even craftier than the corrupt ones.

In this context, it meant that to deal with agents of "dark justice," one must be even darker than the darkness itself!

Ron shifted the muzzle of his gun and, with his left hand, pulled the badge Olivia had given him upon his hiring from his pocket.

"Sir, I am quite certain there is no witch here."

"Furthermore, I believe your tastes are quite different from those of a normal person. It seems you have been influenced by a cursed object."

"I think this matter should be confirmed with your colleagues, lest there be any misunderstandings between us."

"If it is merely confirmed that you have unique tastes, I shall remind them to be very careful in protecting their own mothers."

"However, I don't think you would want..."

As Ron spoke, a look of distress appeared on his young face, as if he had encountered a great dilemma. The knight's personal reputation and the physical safety of the other knights' mothers had left him in a difficult position.

Hearing Ron's words, the Minotaur knight's face flushed a deep red. He recognized the badge as belonging to an investigator of the Stardust Society, and he also realized that this fellow was actually threatening him.

At this very moment, Fernando could not even imagine the consequences of his "preferences" being exposed to the public.

How can you be so despicable!?

Realizing this, the Minotaur knight wore a ferocious expression, yet he lowered his proud head. His tone, tinged with unwillingness and regret, asked:

"What do you want to do?"

Hearing this, the blond boy breathed a silent sigh of relief and gestured to the surrounding chaos.

"Restore this place to its original state, and then compensate the landlady and the neighbors for their losses."

Ron’s tone was calm, his blue eyes as clear as if they held not a trace of impurity.

[You have successfully upheld justice. Your Holy Swordsmanship proficiency +10.]
[Holy Swordsmanship (Proficient 192/300)]

Looking at the notification popping up on the proficiency panel, Ron felt a sense of satisfaction. At that moment, he noticed that the hand-cannon in his grip felt slightly lighter than before, and his understanding of longswords seemed to have deepened. A master of swordsmanship no longer seemed far off.

'Doing good deeds really does have its rewards.'

For the next hour, the knights, under the roared commands of their captain, were forced to submit to the boy's overbearing might. They quickly restored everything they had broken, and for what could not be repaired, they left money as compensation.

When the final coin—a gold lion that had been tipped out of a boot and smelled faintly of sour sweat—fell before the boy, the expression on Ron's face turned slightly sour.

These poor wretches; forget about compensating for his magic notebook, they had barely managed to cover the losses to the apartment.

Suppressing the urge to blow the Minotaur knight away with a shot, the boy withdrew his hand-cannon and gave a patient warning:

"Mr. Fernando, do not do such things again in the future!"

The knight’s attitude was icy; he let out an unwilling, angry snort, cast one last lingering look at the landlady, and then fled in a panic with his subordinates.

Watching his retreating back, Ron, having been treated so coldly, suddenly felt a bit sad. Advising others to be good should be a virtuous act, so why did Fernando seem to have such a big problem with him?

"Little Ron, thank you so much for this."

"If it weren't for you, I truly wouldn't have known what to do. You... you have really grown up."

Under the setting sun, Caroline approached the boy, filled with emotion. She took hold of Ron's hand and, before he could react, quickly pressed a money bag into it.

"Ms. Caroline, this is..." Ron shook his blond head and quickly stepped back. How could the light of justice be tarnished by money?

"This is everyone's way of thanking you."

As she spoke, the landlady gestured toward the apartment tenants. Ron looked in that direction and saw old men, children, neighbors he knew, and local residents he didn't. At this moment, every one of them was looking at the boy with gratitude.

"Take it, it is a reward for a hero," Caroline added, forcefully stuffing the bag into Ron's pocket with an air that brooked no refusal. "From now on, stay in Room 301 as long as you like. Consider it your own home."

The landlady patted Ron on the shoulder, filling the boy with a sudden sense of sentimentality. What a simple, honest group of people...

However, amidst the emotion, Ron felt he had forgotten something important. Suddenly, his eyes twitched, and he quickly looked toward Miss Cypris, who was lying over a dozen meters away.

"Ms. Caroline, Miss Cypris is still lying on the ground!"

No sooner had the boy spoken than the landlady's face changed instantly, as if she had only just remembered she had a daughter.

"Cypris! Cypris, are you alright?"

She rushed to her daughter's side, calling out for help to carry the four-hundred-pound Miss Cypris into the clinic.

Under the sunset, the breeze brushed the blond hair past the boy's ears, and the quiet, peaceful Morning Mist Alley was once again stirred to life.

—

New Capital Fortress.

Inside the brightly lit quarters of the Knights' Order, Fernando sat slumped on his bed. The scenes of being toyed with this afternoon echoed in his mind. It made him feel that the more he thought about it, the angrier he became; the more he stepped back, the more he felt he had lost.

Who could have imagined that a duel filled with honor would be won through such despicable means?

"Damn commoner!"

"Why couldn't he just乖乖 listen to me!?"

If it weren't for the circumstances at the time, Fernando was certain he would have torn Ron into two pieces and thrown him into the barracks to feed the dogs!

Knock, knock, knock...

At that moment, the wooden door was suddenly rapped, and the voice of a guard echoed from outside:

"Captain Fernando, Lord Luwen wishes to see you."