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Chapter 349: Mistaken for a Scoundrel by the Knights
🕑 Added 2024-10-24 10:01:01 +0000 UTCPriscilla, unfazed by the nickname "Bloody Bride," made no effort to avoid the title.
In fact, her unfortunate husband's sudden demise might very well have been caused by her "Blessing of the Sun."
Because Priscilla desired it, events always adjusted themselves in her favor. Thus, her husband, whom she'd never even met, conveniently kicked the bucket.
As a result, Priscilla gained control of the Barielle family and became one of the five "Dragon Priestesses."
If she won the royal selection, she would become the new queen of the Dragon Kingdom, and she could finally enact her long-awaited revenge.
“Apologies, though I have a daughter this age, I’m not interested in widows,” Wood said, pulling Meili along. “You’re welcome to try stopping me, but while I can tell you have considerable magic power, I don’t think it would be easy for you.”
Wood delivered his unapologetic response as he bypassed Priscilla. She simply smiled and did not try to stop him again, showing no signs of displeasure.
After leaving Priscilla behind and heading to another street, Wood made sure to drill it into Meili’s head that she should now call him “big brother,” and after much grumbling, Meili finally agreed.
Just as Wood was about to strike up a conversation with another young lady, a group of knights in armor blocked his path.
The one leading them was a large, stern-looking middle-aged man with short pale green hair, wearing the armor of a knight. He introduced himself as Marcos Gildark, captain of the Royal Guard of Lugnica, the Dragon Kingdom.
The reason they approached Wood? They needed him for questioning.
At first, Wood and Meili assumed that their identities as part of the underground assassination group had been exposed.
However, when Captain Marcos began speaking, it became clear that the reason they had been tracked down had more to do with Priscilla.
Apparently, after Wood left, Priscilla had reported to the Royal Guard that she had been harassed by thugs in the capital.
Naturally, the Royal Guard took the incident very seriously. After all, the capital of the Dragon Kingdom was supposed to be a secure and orderly place. An event like this occurring in their jurisdiction was a stain on the honor of the knights.
But the real reason they had mobilized so quickly, and why Marcos himself had come, was due to Priscilla’s special status.
Not only was she now the head of the Barielle family, but she was also one of the five candidates eligible to become the next queen.
If Priscilla were to become queen, the idea of her being harassed by thugs in her own kingdom would be nothing short of outrageous.
To preserve their dignity, the Royal Guard had swiftly scoured the streets, rounding up every thug they could find in order to prevent any further incidents during the royal selection ceremony.
Though Wood didn’t look anything like a thug, and Priscilla hadn’t actually accused him of anything, he was still being brought in by the knights.
Their reasoning was simple: during their investigation, the knights had discovered that Wood had approached multiple young women in a single day, and they deemed his behavior suspicious. They wanted to question him about his motives.
They also suspected that Meili might have been kidnapped by Wood, and thus insisted that he come with them to explain his actions.
Officially, the knights made it sound perfectly reasonable, but in reality, they had mistaken Wood for a scoundrel and wanted to ensure he wasn’t causing trouble during the royal selection.
So, Wood was taken in by the Royal Guard for questioning, while Meili, due to her status as a child, received special treatment.
At first, Wood considered resisting, but then he remembered he had been looking for the Royal Guard’s headquarters anyway.
The process might have been different than he expected, but if it got him there, the result was the same.
However, upon entering the Royal Guard’s interrogation room, Wood was once again caught off guard—Priscilla was already there, ready to identify the criminals.
Since the Royal Guard had rounded up so many thugs, Marcos was unable to confirm which ones had harassed Priscilla, so they had brought her in to identify them personally.
As Marcos escorted Wood into the room, Priscilla spotted him from afar and smiled. “Didn’t I tell you? We would meet again. When I desire something, events always turn in my favor.”
She unfurled her red fan, concealing her lower face, and addressed Marcos. “Captain, would it be possible for me to take this man with me?”
Marcos glanced at Priscilla, then at Wood, quickly realizing there was a connection between the two.
Wood, however, felt the urge to refuse. Priscilla was dangerous—her “Blessing of the Sun” was absurdly overpowered.
This was the second time Wood had encountered such a broken blessing. He used to think his own two blessings were strong, but compared to this, they were nothing special.
Priscilla’s “Blessing of the Sun” wasn’t quite as overwhelming as Lainhardt’s “World’s Favor,” but it was still ridiculous.
Not only did it boost her combat strength, but it also gave her a daytime luck aura that adjusted everything in her favor. In cultivation novels, she’d basically be the chosen one with heaven’s fortune!
Before Wood could voice his rejection, Priscilla spoke again, her tone laced with amusement. “You should think carefully, dear sir. I’m currently identifying the thugs who harassed me. Should I feel startled or frightened, I might end up pointing the finger at the wrong person.”
Even an idiot could hear the threat in her words, and Captain Marcos wasn’t pleased either.
However, there was nothing he could say. After all, the Royal Guard had failed to prevent this incident in the first place, and as the victim, Priscilla had every right to decide who the culprits were.
Wood’s plan to join the Royal Guard, which would activate his other blessing, would be derailed if he were branded a criminal. So, for now, he had no choice but to go along with it.
Once they left the interrogation room, Wood’s patience ran out. He grabbed Priscilla by the throat, his voice cold. “What do you want? I don’t care if you’re a ‘Dragon Priestess’—that title means nothing to me. If you push me, I’ll kill you.”
Though Priscilla finally showed a hint of discomfort, just as Wood was about to let go, his Observation Haki suddenly warned him.
Wood dodged to the side just in time to avoid a strike, as a sword slashed through the space where he had just been standing.
Standing before him now was a towering, muscular man wearing a green vest and a knight’s helmet, missing an arm.
“Hey there, handsome,” the man said casually. “Mind staying away from this lady? I’m doing you a favor, trust me. Anyone who gets close to her ends up with a bad fate. If I weren’t stuck as her knight, I’d have run off long ago.”
Though the man had attacked, Wood didn’t sense much hostility from him. Still, a sneak attack was a sneak attack, and Wood wasn’t about to let it slide. He leapt forward, delivering a punch in retaliation.
A simple straight punch, yet it caused a sonic boom in the air. The knight’s pupils shrank as he hastily raised his sword to block.
Clang!
The impact of Wood’s punch against the sword rang out like the clash of metal, and to the knight’s shock, Wood’s slim frame managed to bend the sword with his fist.
The immense pressure traveled down the man’s arm, and the next second, his body was sent flying like a cannonball, crashing into the wall and leaving a huge dent.
“I appreciate the warning,” Wood said calmly. “But the real problem here is that your master won’t leave me alone. I don’t usually hit women, but consider this a warning—if you keep coming after me, I won’t be so polite next time.”
Priscilla, watching her knight get sent flying, was left speechless, her mouth slightly agape in surprise.
She had known that Wood was strong, but she hadn’t expected him to be this strong.
She knew the capabilities of her knight, Aldebaran—he was once a “Sword Slave” in the gladiatorial arenas of the Vollachia Empire.
Before she rescued him, Aldebaran had defeated countless opponents in the arena.
Despite having lost an arm, Aldebaran was still one of the most formidable warriors in the Vollachia Empire, a far cry from the street thugs they’d encountered earlier.
Yet, even with his guard up, Aldebaran had been sent flying by a single punch from Wood. This only reinforced Priscilla’s belief that her instincts about Wood had been right, and she called out to him once more.
“Do you have more business with me?” Wood asked, his voice icy. “Your knight was holding back, I’ll give him that, but I wasn’t even using my full strength. If you want to fight me together, I wouldn’t bet on your chances.”
Wood was quickly realizing that while the overall power level of this world wasn’t particularly high, there was a surprising density of strong individuals.
Priscilla and her knight, Aldebaran, were no ordinary people. The magic power Wood sensed from Priscilla, coupled with Aldebaran’s skills, indicated they weren’t weak.
Compared to Lainhardt, maybe there was no comparison, but Wood doubted even "Mother" could have defeated Priscilla in a straight fight.
“I have no intention of making you an enemy,” Priscilla replied. “I only stopped you earlier because you piqued my interest. My blessing directs events to benefit me, and a voice told me to get to know you. So, I followed that instinct.”
She smiled. “And as always, my blessing was right. You are no ordinary man. So, now I ask—are you interested in working for me?”
Wood’s expression softened slightly, but he still shook his head. “Sorry, but I’m not interested in serving anyone right now. I also have no interest in the royal selection. Besides, you already have a capable knight by your side—you don’t need me.”
Becoming a personal knight might have activated his “Knight’s Honor” blessing, but Wood found Priscilla’s personality… difficult. She might have the looks and the figure, but high-and-mighty princesses weren’t his type.
“Becoming a knight of the Royal Guard won’t be easy for a commoner like you,” Priscilla said, her voice teasing. “However, if you buy me that cup of tea you promised, I could put in a good word for you.”
Wood stopped in his tracks at her words.
“You mean, I don’t have to become your knight or servant? Just a cup of tea?” he asked.
Priscilla nodded, her smile widening. “Of course. No one ever refuses my invitations. Besides, some people seem to enjoy running away after they’ve already succeeded in their flirting attempts.”
Priscilla was sharp. The moment she laid eyes on Wood and Meili, she knew they couldn’t possibly be father and daughter.
Meili had only called Wood “father” because she was worried Priscilla might steal him away. But Priscilla saw through that in an instant.
With Meili taken away by the knights, this was her perfect chance to get to know the mysterious man standing before her.
