Chapter 373: Collecting Debts in the Imperial City

Chapter 373: Collecting Debts in the Imperial City

Ren's words echoed back to Greenwood, leaving him seething with anger.

For Greenwood, a scion of a high-ranking noble family from the Imperial City, this was an unprecedented situation. He had never been reprimanded by a 'country bumpkin' from the provinces before.

In the eyes of the Tamrielian elites from the Imperial City, all other provinces were considered 'backwater areas.' Many ordinary citizens in the capital held this belief, so it was no surprise that the noble heirs, who had grown up in the city, would feel the same.

If word of this incident reached the other noble heirs in the Imperial City, Greenwood would become a laughingstock among his peers.

"You!" Greenwood's face turned red with anger as he glared at Ren.

If it weren't for his trembling hands, which told him of Ren's formidable strength, he would have charged forward in a fit of rage.

"You're Ren, right? Do you know who I am?" Greenwood suppressed his anger and spoke in a deep voice.

"I don't know, but I only see someone who can't even take my punch and is spouting nonsense," Ren replied.

"How dare you! This is Young Master Greenwood of the Dram Family, your superior and a Mithril Rank Swordsman from the Imperial City's Swordsman Headquarters," Owen, the Dram Duke's butler, exclaimed, having just recovered from the shock of Ren's strength.

"You dare to raise your hand against your superior! Didn't Admiral Edward from the Minster Branch teach you to show respect to your superiors?"

At these words, both Vieri and Nero, standing nearby, furrowed their brows with concern as they glanced at Ren.

Indeed, this was a hurdle they couldn't ignore.

Within the Swordsman organization, a quasi-military institution, subordinates were expected to show utmost respect to their superiors. This included greeting them with a salute, a rule that everyone had to follow.

Without this respect, the entire combat system would fall apart.

If subordinates didn't listen to or respect their superiors, how could orders be conveyed and coordinated actions be taken?

Although their captain, Ren, was undoubtedly strong, and seemed to be even stronger than Greenwood in their brief exchange, his rank was two levels lower, which was a significant disadvantage.

"Evelyn, contact Admiral Edward at the branch and ask him to come over," Nero whispered to Evelyn, who stood nearby.

Admiral Edward had traveled with them on the same Imperial military airship back to Minster. Unless something unexpected happened, he should still be at the Swordsman Branch.

This was also the reason why they hadn't dared to attack first.

"Yes, I'll go right away," Evelyn nodded in agreement.

She understood Nero's intention. Currently, in the entire Minster Province, only Admiral Edward, as the branch leader, held a higher rank than their opponent.

As the leader of a provincial Swordsman branch, Admiral Edward's status was equivalent to that of an Electrum Rank Swordsman. Given his previous appreciation for Captain Ren, the situation wouldn't deteriorate further.

However, just as Evelyn was about to turn and leave, Ren suddenly laughed,

"A Mithril Rank Swordsman?"

"Respect for superiors?"

"Haha, sorry, but you're even less qualified."

Ren's words caused Greenwood's previously sullen expression to suddenly break into a smile.

"What? Do you think you can ignore the hierarchy just because you have some strength? Haha, I will report this to the Swordsman Headquarters. Don't think that having connections in the branch will save you," Greenwood said.

"Young Master Greenwood, the situation is clear. There's no need to engage in a verbal battle with them," Owen, the butler of the Dram Duke, said with a hint of cunning on his gloomy face.

Although Ren's strength had greatly exceeded his expectations, it was clear that he wasn't very intelligent. He had dared to defy the rules by demanding a Mithril Rank Swordsman, two levels higher than him, to bow to him, a Drilling Star Rank Swordsman.

In Owen's opinion, there was no point in staying any longer.

"Did you just say I'm ignoring the hierarchy?" Ren asked with a smirk.

"Yes!" Greenwood's expression turned grim as he sensed something amiss.

"Excellent, then I'm an Electrum Rank Swordsman, and you, as a Mithril Rank Swordsman, should be the first to salute, shouldn't you?" Ren said, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

Upon hearing this, everyone except Anna, who already knew the contents of the letter of appointment, was stunned into silence.

The atmosphere became so tense that one could hear a pin drop.

"Hahaha! This is the least funny joke I've heard this year. You, an Electrum Rank Swordsman?" Owen exclaimed, his face lighting up with laughter as he recovered from the shock.

"Now, you've added another charge. You all heard it, right? Your captain claims to be an Electrum Rank Swordsman. You're all witnesses, so don't lie or cover for him later," Owen's expression brightened, "You've all heard it, right? Your captain claims to be an Electrum Rank Swordsman. You're all witnesses, so don't lie or cover for him later."

He had never expected the situation to take such a turn. Initially, he had planned to return to the Imperial City to report to Duke Dram and discuss the matter further. But now, with this new development, he felt like Lady Luck was on his side.

As Nero and Vieri stood by, their faces filled with concern.

They knew that their captain had been transferred to the headquarters of the Swordbearers, but if he had just gone there, he would only be a Ferrite Rank Swordsman. Yet, the Greenwood before them was Mithril Rank, even higher than Ferrite.

Could their captain have mistaken the rank of the headquarters' Swordbearers?

Did he confuse Ferrite with Electrum?

But that seemed unlikely.

Greenwood had just withstood Lord Rayn's attack, and he knew Rayn's strength was extraordinary. Normally, someone of Rayn's caliber wouldn't make such a mistake.

So, when faced with Rayn's words, Greenwood was cautious. "You claim to be an Electrum Rank Swordbearer. Where's your insignia?"

After all, every Electrum Rank Swordbearer at the headquarters was a well-known figure, even in the mighty Imperial City of Tamriel. They weren't nobodies, but Greenwood had never heard of Rayn.

"I didn't have time to exchange my insignia at headquarters, but according to the documents, I've been an Electrum Rank Swordbearer since the decree was issued."

"Hmph! Without an insignia, I might as well claim to be a Guardian myself." Butler Owen, growing impatient, saw Rayn as a stubborn duck, stubbornly arguing with them.

His intention was clear: he didn't want to back down in front of them.

"Lord Rayn speaks the truth. The Dram family's heir, Rayn, has been promoted to Electrum Rank Swordbearer by Marshal Alfred," Admiral Edward's voice boomed from the entrance of the manor.

"I have the original letter of appointment here. Would you like to see it?"

Admiral Edward strode in solemnly, followed by Colonel Stanley, Olenna, and several elite guards.

"What? Really?" Hearing Admiral Edward's words, Butler Owen's eyes widened, his face contorted as if he'd seen a ghost.

"How is this possible? To be an Electrum Rank Swordbearer at such a young age?"

Greenwood's eyes remained fixed on Rayn. He trained tirelessly daily, and the Dram family provided him with rare resources and guidance from renowned mentors. Yet, he was still a step away from Electrum Rank.

Unlike other ranks, one couldn't be promoted to Electrum Rank based solely on mission evaluation medals and merit points; strength was a prerequisite.

After all, Electrum Rank Swordbearers were the pinnacle of the Swordbearer hierarchy, representing the face of the Swordbearer institution and even the Empire itself. They wouldn't tolerate imposters.

Greenwood's pride, self-respect, and worldview crumbled in an instant upon realizing that this 'country bumpkin' before him was already an Electrum Rank Swordbearer.

Nero and the others were initially shocked, but their captain had skipped three ranks, directly becoming an Electrum Rank Swordbearer. The next moment, they rejoiced!

Apparently, what was once a weakness had become an advantage.

Now, it was the other man's turn to feel the pressure.

"Admiral," Rayn smiled slightly and bowed slightly towards Admiral Edward.

Then, he turned to Greenwood, "Now, what should be done about the intruder who broke into my manor and injured my people?"

For a moment, even the eloquent Butler Owen was speechless.

After all, everyone had witnessed Greenwood attacking and injuring Rayn's subordinate.

Moreover, the situation was entirely different from what they had anticipated.

If Rayn's identity weren't so sensitive, a minor scuffle like this could be easily resolved.

It was akin to a Marquis assaulting a servant in a Viscount's mansion—a trivial matter.

But now, it was different.

It was as if a Marquis had stormed into a Duke's mansion and attacked one of his people.

Would any Duke let this slide?

If they did, where would the Duke's authority stand?

Greenwood resented Rayn and was also annoyed with Butler Owen.

How could his investigation have such a glaring oversight?

It was as if they had mistaken a tiger for a kitten.

This was an Electrum Rank Swordbearer, not some random person.

Even a Duke should show respect to such a figure.

"My apologies, Lord Rayn," Greenwood hesitated briefly, then quickly bowed and turned to leave.

"Wait, a sincere apology is one thing, but you injured my man and think you can just walk away?"

"Either compensate me, or if you can withstand my attack, we'll call it even." Rayn knew that with Admiral Edward present, he couldn't kill Greenwood on the spot.

Even injuring Greenwood, a Mithril Rank Swordbearer, in front of Admiral Edward, would be inappropriate.

After all, Admiral Edward held him in high regard, and he didn't want to put the Admiral in a difficult position.

"You..." Greenwood felt deeply insulted.

Not only had Rayn's subordinate been healed by that Elven girl, but his status was far beneath Rayn's. Yet, he was being asked to compensate?

"Lord Rayn, how much compensation do you want?" Butler Owen asked with a stern face.

"I heard that the Dram family is a major shareholder in the Arcsen Auction House's branch in the province of Manstir. So, transferring 10% of the shares should suffice."

"What! 10% of the shares!" Even 10% of the shares in the Manstir branch was no small amount, with annual dividends reaching a staggering 100,000 gold.

Owen's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Lord Rayn.

"Oh, wait, I remember now. You must be here regarding the Sam's Group incident."

"Indeed. Last time, Sam's Group attempted to abduct Anna. Considering that, I believe that the Dram family should compensate with all their shares in the Manstir branch as a bare minimum." Lord Rayn said with a smile.

Upon hearing these words, Owen was left speechless.

Lord Rayn's audacious demand had rendered him speechless.

At this moment, both Butler Owen and Greenwood were certain that Lord Rayn was intentionally making things difficult for them.

However, with the situation having progressed this far, Greenwood, a near-legendary expert, remained calm.

He carefully sensed Lord Rayn's strength and realized that he hadn't reached the legendary realm.

There was no aura of knightly willpower or the overwhelming presence of a Tier 3 Crystalized Wizard; this gave Greenwood a sudden realization.

It indicated that Lord Rayn's previous attack was most likely executed using some sort of advanced martial arts technique.

Read the uncensored version at 69shuba! 6=9+shu_ba, the first to publish this novel.

Additionally, considering Lord Rayn's recent promotion to the Electrum Rank Swordbearer, his strength might have just entered the legendary realm.

In other words, the gap in strength between him and Lord Rayn before him might not be as significant as he thought.

Understanding this, Greenwood suppressed the anger in his heart and looked at Lord Rayn, saying, "Lord Rayn, you said I couldn't even withstand a single attack. I'd like to test that."

"Oh, so you've chosen to take my attack?"

"No mistake."

"Clang!" Greenwood drew the knight's longsword from his waist.

"Young Master Greenwood has been studying sword techniques under the Tide Sword Saint for many years. With a sword in hand, it's a completely different concept from fighting empty-handed." Butler Owen, upon seeing Greenwood draw the knight's longsword, couldn't help but regain confidence.

Although Lord Rayn's previous punch was astonishing, Owen believed that even if Lord Rayn was stronger, he wouldn't surpass Greenwood by much.

Winning with a single attack was almost impossible.

The Tide Sword Saint?

Upon hearing this name, Admiral Edward's eyebrows furrowed slightly.

As an imperial admiral, he was well aware that there were only seven individuals in the empire with the title of Sword Saint, all of them being guardians of the empire.

The Tide Sword Saint, also known as the Leon Sword Saint, was one of them, having achieved the title by practicing sword techniques in the sea. Even among the seven Sword Saints, he ranked third, with numerous disciples and a formidable reputation.

As for Vieri and the others, hearing the title of Sword Saint caused their expressions to change. Although they didn't have as clear an understanding as Admiral Edward, they knew what it meant to be called a Sword Saint.

"Since you're ready, I'll make my move." Lord Rayn smiled slightly, showing no change in attitude despite Butler Owen mentioning the Sword Saint.

The next moment, he opened his lips!

"Metal Transformation!"

"Cutting Net!"

"Sharpening Technique!"

Before them, three tightly arranged metal nets appeared, and in an instant, the nets glowed with silver light.

"Magic Skill: Multi-Cut Net!"

As Lord Rayn waved his right hand forcefully, the three nets, shimmering with dense silver light, rushed towards Greenwood!

The intense magical glow left Greenwood stunned.

He never expected that Lord Rayn, who had just repelled him with an advanced martial arts technique, was actually a rare metal-type wizard.

Moreover, what did he mean by a magic skill?!

Damn!

A rare metal-type magic skill even had a finishing move!

He had never heard of such a thing, not even at the Swordbearer headquarters.

Butler Owen, witnessing this, was equally stunned, exclaiming, "You're not a knight, you... you're a wizard!"

Admiral Edward, observing this scene, was also momentarily taken aback.

This was quite different from Lord Rayn's previous reliance on metal transformation to quickly shape various weapons and execute extraordinary combat techniques.

Although he had used magic skills, the essence of his combat style was still based on martial arts techniques. But this time was different; Lord Rayn's magic skill displayed the power of a true wizard.

The others, including Nero, had a similar thought. They couldn't understand why their captain's combat style had suddenly changed.

They had underestimated Lord Rayn.

Lord Rayn's dragon transformation was acquired after defeating the corrupted dragon, Agnes. Subsequently, he headed to the tundra to face Coraxus, and it was during this first battle that he gained his transformation.

In the presence of the crowd, all except Anna, were unaware of Lord Rayn's hidden ace—a powerful Dragon-Human General form.

As they stood in awe, three massive silver nets, each the size of millstones, swiftly approached Greenwood.

"Sword Art, Wind-Cleaving Cross Slash!" Greenwood channeled his Force, infusing the gleam of willpower he had grasped into the knight's longsword in his hand.

With lightning-fast swings, a sword beam several meters long, crossing in a cruciform shape, appeared before him, colliding with the incoming silver net.

"Sizzle!"

To Greenwood's astonishment, his first sword beam failed to withstand the cutting power of the first silver net, disintegrating instantly.

Only the second sword beam managed to cancel out the first net.

However, the remaining two nets were already upon him, mere inches away.

In an instant, his razor-sharp knight's longsword was cut into small pieces, followed by the gauntlet-clad right hand that held it.

"Ahh!" Greenwood cried out as he realized his sword-wielding right-hand fingers had been severed by the net's precision.

Butler Owen, witnessing this, was horrified. If Greenwood, the prized heir of the Dram Family, perished here, Owen's fate would be sealed. He would likely lose the Duke's trust and face certain death upon their return to the Imperial City.

The reason was simple—Owen had been solely responsible for the investigation into Lord Rayn's background.

Misjudging Lord Rayn's strength, leading to the death of a prized family heir, would be a fatal mistake for Owen.

Now, with Greenwood merely injured, a quick trip back to the Imperial City for magical treatment would ensure a swift recovery, minimizing the potential fallout.

"Lord Rayn!" Admiral Edward shouted with concern.

Greenwood's identity was highly sensitive. Not only was he a Mithril Rank Swordsman of the Tatus Academy, but he also had connections with the Leon Swordmaster, a Guardian of the Empire.

Edward's worry wasn't for himself but for Lord Rayn. If Lord Rayn killed Greenwood on his way to the Imperial City, it wouldn't be a favorable outcome.

The sharp metal cutting net halted just centimeters from Greenwood's widened eyes.

Greenwood, a well-trained Mithril Rank Swordsman, broke into a cold sweat, his forehead beading with perspiration. He began to breathe heavily.

"The Dram Family is willing to transfer all shares of the Arcsen Auction House's Manstir Branch to Lord Rayn."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course. Thank you for your mercy, Lord Rayn. However, the final decision on the share transfer still rests with the Duke. I'll need a few days to report back to the Imperial City before the transfer can be made." Butler Owen, drenched in cold sweat, quickly spoke up.

"Agreed!" Lord Rayn nodded.

Soon, Owen supported Greenwood as they hastily left, their previous arrogance vanished.

"Captain, do you think they'll really transfer the shares to you? That butler's eyes seemed cunning; he doesn't seem trustworthy." Nero frowned slightly.

Since Nero's promotion to Wizard, his senses had become much sharper. He felt that Owen's agreement was too quick and easy.

"If they don't transfer the shares, it might be better. I'm heading to the Imperial City soon, and I can personally collect the debt from the Dram Family. And my interest rates are quite high." Lord Rayn smiled faintly.

Lord Rayn had another reason for this move, which he didn't voice. He suspected that the disappearance of Anna's mother might be connected to the Dram Family, a suspicion partially confirmed by the evidence he had gathered from the Mountain Company previously.

This time, he was leaving a backdoor open, partly to have a legitimate reason to confront the Dram Family later. After all, the Imperial City of Tamriel was teeming with powerful individuals.

Having a justifiable reason was crucial.

"Hmm?" The rest of the team, including Nero, looked at their captain in surprise.

To go to the Imperial City of Tamriel and demand debt repayment from a ducal family was, in the eyes of the people of Manstir Province, the act of a madman.

But when it came to their captain, Lord Rayn, who had accomplished countless miracles, they couldn't bring themselves to voice their doubts.

Their past experiences had taught them that no matter how formidable the enemy, in front of their captain, they were mere paper tigers.

At that moment, Admiral Edward stepped forward, sighing as he spoke, "Alas, Lord Rayn, the Dram Family is deeply rooted and influential, even in the Imperial City."

"About this..." Admiral Edward hesitated.

"Never mind that. Lord Rayn, I never imagined you'd cause such a stir in Frostwind Tundra within just half a month!" Admiral Edward said with a smile.

Hearing this, Evelyn and the others looked at Lord Rayn with curiosity, wondering what earth-shattering event had he orchestrated in Frostwind Tundra during their brief separation.

In just half a month, their captain had not only advanced three levels but also undergone a significant transformation in his combat style.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end