On February 23rd, the sky was heavy with rain clouds that were slowly dispersing, leaving the air more humid than usual.
Rhett, riding on Firew, descended into a border city. The faint scent of wet earth lingered in the air.
Due to the dim light of dusk, he could make out a row of about twenty grimacing pumpkinnterns hanging by the city gate.
It seemed this ce was White Pumpkin City. But what was with the eerie atmosphere? Could it be a special holiday today, or was this just how it always was?
Rhett approached the gate and tossed a gold coin to the knight standing guard.
The knight nced at Rhett, sensing the faint pressure around him and noticing the flying magic beast by his side. His expression turned serious as he extended his right hand in a respectful gesture that he usually wouldn''t show tomoners.
"Honored guest, wee to White Pumpkin City!"
Rhett’s expression remained unchanged. He maintained a silent and mysterious demeanor, leading Firew slowly into the city.
He had already gathered information beforehand—White Pumpkin City was the main city of a certain earl, much like Twilight City, which was established by Earl Nilo. The earl held absolute control over the city, providing protection while also taxing any outsiders who set up shops or conducted trade there.Walking along the main street, paved with white stones and red bricks, Rhett passed various shops—restaurants, inns, taverns...
In the alleys, scantily d women waved suggestively, seeking transactional love. Their seductive eyes seemed to want to devour any man passing by.
Near these alleys were often small, unmarked buildings or discreet inns.
Rhett hadn’t walked a kilometer before spotting several such establishments.
Hmm, White Pumpkin City… is quite weing...
He stopped looking around and focused on the red-brick road beneath his feet, contemting his next move. Even though he was a Level 5 Magister, he was in a foreignnd, unfamiliar with the area, and far from possessing world-dominating power. He couldn’t afford to act recklessly.
Moreover, this was an earl''s territory, and he had to tread carefully, at least on the surface.
He stroked his chin.
Hmm… I should gather some information first.
Unconsciously, Rhett found himself at a crossroads where the crowd had thinned significantly, and both sides of the street were shrouded in darkness. Clearly, this wasn’t the best ce to gather information.
So, he retraced his steps, recalling thergest and busiest tavern he had seen on the way here.
"It seems… it was the Rattlesnake Tavern? Let’s go check it out..." Rhett muttered to himself.
Those who owned magic beasts, especially flying ones, were seldom ordinary people. Rhett’s presence with Firew naturally attracted many curious gazes.
He stopped in front of the Rattlesnake Tavern.
At the entrance stood four scarred knights, wearing nothing but sleeveless vests that revealed their bulging muscles. They held swords or clubs, their faces menacing and intimidating.
Despite their fierce appearance, Rhett easily sensed that they were only Level 2 knights—enough to intimidate ordinary people, but to him, they were nothing more than ants.
As Rhett prepared to enter, the two knights nearest to him stared at Firew with barely concealed greed.
However, when Rhett''s cold gaze swept over them, coupled with a slight exertion of his spiritual power pressing down on their heads…
The four knights at the door froze as if struck by a paralysis spell, their pupils contracting sharply!
They held their breath, their muscles trembling, too terrified to even exhale.
In the presence of a Magister, they couldn’t flee fast enough—who would dare provoke such a person?
They even feared that if Rhett found them annoying, he might kill them on a whim. And if that happened, no one would avenge them...
Rhett entered the tavern smoothly, the bright yellow light washing over his face. The mixed smell of various alcoholic beverages assaulted his nose, and the noisy chatter filled the air.
Rhett’s expression remained calm, unfazed by the scene around him. He scanned the room, found an empty corner, and walked over to take a seat.
His entrance caused the noise in the tavern to drop noticeably.
After all, not many people entered here apanied by a magic beast.
Various curious nces were directed at Rhett, though the mix of greed and wariness was rtively low.
Since Rhett concealed his aura, those watching couldn’t gauge his strength. His unfamiliar face also made it difficult for them to determine his identity.
In short, the seasoned patrons of White Pumpkin City made one conclusion—he was a stranger.
Rhett leaned back in his seat, intending to quietly listen for any useful information.
Suddenly, the scent of rose perfume wafted over him.
A scantily d woman with heavy makeup and a seductive smile swayed her hips as she approached Rhett.
Instead of sitting down, she leaned forward, revealing a deep cleavage.
Then, in a sultry voice, she whispered into Rhett’s ear:
"This gentleman, you must be new to our Rattlesnake Tavern. I’ve never seen your face here before…"
Rhett raised an eyebrow and scrutinized the red-haired woman before him—she appeared quite young.
However, her being a Level 3 knight meant her strength helped maintain her figure and appearance, making her true age hard to discern.
After a moment’s thought, Rhett asked bluntly, "Are you… the owner of this ce?"
"Oh no, I’m the owner, not the owner’s wife!" The red-haired woman chuckled, emphasizing her point with a yful smile.
"Heh," Rhett chuckled as well.
"Do you need any services, mysterious… Magister?" The red-haired woman’s smile turned more seductive as she reached out, intending to ce her hand on his shoulder.
But under Rhett''s cold gaze, she hesitated and withdrew her hand...
At that moment, a waiter dressed in a ck and white suit approached, carrying a tray. He ced a ss of deep blue liquor with a faint fragrance in front of Rhett.
"Sir, please enjoy." The waiter bowed and then left.
"Hey, look, that hussy Lilith is trying to charm another man," a mocking, high-pitched voice suddenly called out from across the room.
Rhett nced over to see an older man with a bushy beard, wearing a jacket with his half-gray hair slicked back. His face was full of arrogance, a demeanor matched by the gang members surrounding him.
Why did Rhett confidentlybel them as gang members?
Because the group of young men around the older man, about twenty of them, all had lecherous and sinister looks in their eyes as they ogled the red-haired woman.
In one corner, several of them were openly harassing and teasing young women.
But more importantly, Rhett could sense that the older man, who seemed to be the leader of these thugs, was a Level 3 earth-element Magister?
It matched perfectly with his simtion!
"Ah, so that''s how it is… Normally, I woulde here to gather information… and it turns out that this tavern just so happens to have that earth-element Magister leading the gang?" Rhett rubbed his chin, a smile slowly forming on his face.
Lilith nced at the old man, a sh of disdain crossing her eyes.
But when she looked back at Rhett, who had suddenly started smiling, she paused for a moment before saying:
"Magister, you don’t need to pay attention to them. That’s the leader of one of the two major gangs in White Pumpkin City, the Mod gang. He’s a Level 3 earth-element Magister, butpared to you, he’s far inferior." As she spoke, Lilith carefully observed the expression of this mysterious and powerful man.
As a Level 3 knight, she couldn’t sense his aura at all.
In fact, she hadn’t even noticed him until he walked into the tavern. It wasn’t until she scanned the room with her eyes that she saw him.
Such a situation could only mean one thing—this man was undoubtedly a Magister.
"If that’s the case, maybe… he could help me," Lilith thought, sighing inwardly as she recalled the pressure from the earl.
Rhett pondered Lilith''s words, then asked, "A gang? Does that mean the nobles here don’t care about the city''s security?"
In other ces, Rhett wasn’t sure, but in the Kingdom of Giln, most noble territories wouldn’t tolerate gangs or criminals interfering with their domains, disrupting normal operations and development.
"Oh?" Lilith’s eyes shed with surprise at his question. "You… must havee from far away, right?"
"Seems like this touches on something that’smon knowledge around here," Rhett nodded slightly but didn’t respond further.
"No wonder…" Lilith murmured, then exined.
After listening to her exnation, Rhett suddenly understood.
It turned out that White Pumpkin City was indeed under the control of Earl Fenan, but the earl was rather indifferent to managing his territory.
In the Kingdom of Rem, nobles frequently went to war against the orcs. As a result, new nobles were often created, but the casualty rate was also very high. A noble might die on the battlefield at any time.
Because of this, some nobles became indulgent, paying little attention to the long-term development of theirnds, focusing instead on recruiting powerful enforcers. Many of these gang members were actually knights under Earl Fenan. When they weren’t on the battlefield, they lived lives of luxury and excess.
Rhett thought this behavior was quite simr to the pirates of his previous world—every time they returned from a voyage, they would indulge themselves, knowing that they might not survive their next journey. So, while they were still alive, they sought to enjoy life to the fullest.
"Hey, woman, why don’t you just ept Lord Fenan’s invitation?" Rhett’s thoughts were interrupted by a discordant voice.
Rhett''s expression darkened as he nced coldly at the gang leader, thinking, "Since this guy is connected to the local earl, I need to act quickly.
The longer I wait, the more likely something unexpected will happen."
He turned to Lilith and asked, "Did Earl Fenan invite you to join him?"@@novelbin@@
Lilith shook her head, her red hair swaying. "He invited me… to be his woman."
"Hey, what are you two whispering about?
That woman has already been chosen by Earl Fenan." The white-haired old man’s eyes gleamed as he lowered his voice and said:
"I’ve got plenty of other women here for you to enjoy, but I suggest you stay away from this one..."
"You talk too much."
Rhett, now visibly irritated, took a sip of his drink, the cool taste washing over his pte. When he looked back at the Mod gang leader, he regarded him as though he were already dead.
The white-haired old man faltered, unable to gauge Rhett’s strength. A sh of fear crossed his eyes.
But then he remembered that this was Earl Fenan’s territory, and he couldn’t believe someone would dare cause trouble here.
Still, for his own safety, he held back his anger and asked cautiously, "May I ask, where are you from?"
"Me?" Rhett stood up, a look of disdain on his face. "The coastal waters near East Lan. Sea Cow Ind. The captain of my ship is a great pirate."
He lied without a hint of shame.
After all, he remembered clearly that in one simtion, that pirate on Sea Cow Ind had killed him…
So why not sling some dirt now as payback?
East Lan coast? That sounds familiar…
The white-haired old man frowned in thought. But before he could piece it together, a spike of earth magic shot from behind, piercing his skull and exiting through his forehead, leaving a bloody hole from which blood slowly trickled.
"Ugh… ah…" He let out a groan, his body convulsing before falling lifelessly to the floor.
The sudden turn of events left the Rattlesnake Tavern in dead silence.
Ah! Then came the screams of panic, rising and falling in waves.
Rhett had unleashed his terrifying power, easily killing a Level 3 Magister.
The tavern patrons quickly realized that this was no ordinary person—he was a powerful Magister, at least.
Fearing for their lives, they instinctively assumed the worst and, believing Rhett to be a dangerous man, began screaming and scrambling to escape the tavern.
Within seconds, the tavern was emptied, leaving only overturned chairs, spilled drinks of various colors staining the floor, and the eerie silence.
"This…" Lilith gasped, her eyes wide with disbelief.
She had never expected this mysterious man to kill the Mod gang leader without hesitation.
"You… should leave quickly. Once Earl Fenan arrives, there will be trouble," Lilith advised, trying to hide her fear. "Even though you may not fear the earl, this is the Kingdom of Rem, not the ocean. It’s not your territory!"
She really thinks I’m from East Lan’s coast… Rhett nced at her, considering his options, but said nothing.
East Lan and the Kingdom of Rem were far apart—one in the southeast corner of the Kingdom of Giln, the other in the northwest. They were almost on opposite ends of the map.
Given the distance, it would be nearly impossible for anyone to verify the identity he had made up.
Blood from the corpse slowly spread across the tavern’s wooden floor…
Now that the man was dead, Rhett didn’t waste any more time. He grabbed the body by the cor and used water magic to freeze the wound, stopping the bleeding.
Outside, the street was in chaos, but Rhett, having killed a notorious gang leader, felt no guilt whatsoever.
He mounted Firew with the corpse in tow, gave it two pats, and said, "Let’s go, Firew!"