The atmosphere grew tense.
Everyone had expected Luosen to accept Captain Alan's mediation gracefully - after all, a mere kowtow held no real value and might only invite endless trouble.
Keth stood nearby, a mocking smile playing on his lips, clearly pleased with Luosen's response. Now he only needed to wait for Alan to turn against Luosen. With a single command, he could rightfully teach this savage a lesson - not only was the man lowborn, but he also carried precious sixth-tier monster cores.
As royalty, Keth was certain his cousin would never allow the Nightfall lineage to be humiliated.
Sensing the heavy atmosphere, Luosen sighed softly. "If even a simple wager can't be honored, I see no reason to stay." He understood human nature well - the first concession would invite more demands, until it became too late to stand firm when boundaries had already been crossed.
Alan contemplated for a moment before locking eyes with Luosen's resolute gaze. Suddenly, he barked, "Keth! Kowtow and apologize to Luosen!"
Keth, who had been reaching for his magic sword, froze mid-motion. "What? Captain, you want me to apologize to this savage?"
"I won't repeat myself - kowtow and apologize!" Alan's roar even startled Luosen. Until now, the middle-aged man had always appeared as a gentle elder; this sudden fury was truly intimidating.
"Cousin, I..." Keth blurted out in panic, reverting to familial address.
"Don't make me do it myself."
Cold sweat trickled down Keth's forehead. He knew exactly how ruthless his seemingly mild-mannered cousin could be. Ultimately, he could only reluctantly store his magic sword back in his spatial ring and shuffle forward. With visible humiliation, he dropped heavily to his knees before Luosen and forced out through gritted teeth, "I apologize!"
In the strictly hierarchical empire, kneeling to a savage was no different from bowing to a slave. Overwhelming shame flooded Keth as he felt his lifelong dignity crumble in this moment.
Unable to bear the awkward scene any longer, Alan turned and returned to the airship. Luosen remained standing, suddenly questioning his own decision - should he still proceed to the Crimson Empire? He unconsciously touched the artifact around his neck, a pang of guilt surfacing: after all, it had been freely given by the other man's cousin.
"Master, why trouble yourself with such insects?" Carol's voice echoed in Luosen's mind. "Once I recover my strength, I could erase this nation from the map for you."
"Silence!" Luosen mentally snapped. "No more of this demonic talk!"
This was his genuine feeling. Partly out of obligation to Alan, but more importantly, he never wanted to return to that isolated existence again. His month of solitude had taught him one truth: humans divorced from society were no different from beasts. If Carol destroyed the empire, wouldn't he just be repeating that mistake?
Carol persisted, "Master, this continent has countless empires. Even if I destroyed one daily, it would take years to—"
Luosen's lips twitched. The demon spoke of nations like they were livestock pens. He warned sternly, "If you're following me, never mention destroying countries again. Understood?"
"As you command," Carol replied reluctantly.
A breeze swept across the open sandy ground, stirring up dust. The area had emptied, leaving only Luosen, Luna, and the kneeling Keth. Those who had considered currying favor with Luosen now avoided him like the plague - in the imperial capital, such behavior was tantamount to suicide.
"Master Luosen... would you still accompany us to Crimson Capital?" Luna asked nervously, genuinely hoping he would join them to experience the outside world's splendor.
"I'll go, if you'll still have me." As he spoke, Luosen produced the purple crystal core and offered it. "Consider this my passage fee."
The still-kneeling Keth gaped in astonishment. The sixth-tier Abyss Serpent core - given away just like that?
Had he known the man would be so accommodating, why would he have humiliated himself? Overcome with regret, he suddenly spat blood and collapsed unconscious.
...
In a luxurious cabin aboard the airship, Alan had regained his composure. His earlier outburst had been partly performative for Keth's benefit - as family, he had to maintain appearances to avoid repercussions from the elders upon their return.
Now, Alan, Luosen and Luna chatted casually. Alan naturally wanted to learn about Luosen's background, while Luosen sought information about this world.
Ultimately, Alan received only a flimsy tale: Luosen claimed to be a hunter from deep in the Endless Sea Forest, his magic inherited from a deceased grandfather. In turn, Luosen learned this was a world where swords and magic coexisted, with mages holding esteemed positions. The Crimson Empire, bordering the forest's northwest, primarily cultivated physical combatants, hence their superior physical attributes compared to mages.
Hearing this, Luosen re-examined their status panels and gradually understood that [Spirit] and [Mana] likely corresponded to magical aptitude - hence their universally lopsided distributions.
He also realized why attribute growth varied: it stemmed from something called "cultivation manuals." Different nations' manuals emphasized different attributes - the Crimson Empire's physical training barely enhanced mana or spirit, while greatly boosting strength and stamina.
Contemplating this, Luosen decided to acquire a manual later, given his alarmingly low speed, spirit and mana values.
"I mentioned recommending you for the Royal Knights," Alan said seriously. "Your physique is exactly what we need."
Luosen shook his head. "I must decline."
Alan had extolled the knights' benefits with obvious ulterior motives. But benefits without responsibilities only made Luosen more wary - in his mind, privileges demanded equal obligations. Unless...
Clearly, he wasn't some privileged connection. More likely, they wanted a scapegoat.
"I can secure you a noble title, lands and immense wealth. Won't you reconsider?" Alan pressed anxiously.
"No," Luosen said firmly. "Unless you're honest."
Seeing his resolve, Alan sighed. "I should've known better. Luna, explain it to him."
Luna elaborated, "Master Luosen, our full name is actually the Platinum Knights. Though one of Crimson Empire's five royal orders, we've consistently ranked last. At the annual Crimson Festival, the top five orders retain royal status. We've fallen short four years straight. If we fail again this year, we'll not only lose royal privileges but, more importantly... our honor forever."
She paused, meeting his gaze sincerely. "The Captain invited you hoping your strength could help us break into the top five this time."
Alan grasped Luosen's hand earnestly. "Luosen, Keth is shortsighted, but I recognize your capabilities. Having fought that Abyss Serpent, I know its power. Without your timely intervention, we'd have suffered heavier losses. I ask you to join, even temporarily, to help us at the festival. Name your terms."
Withdrawing his hand but sensing genuine sincerity, Luosen finally relented. "If it's temporary... perhaps. Just provide room and board."
Alan blinked, then laughed heartily. "Of course! I'll pay you ten times a captain's salary too!"
Luna stared in shock. She never imagined the Captain would offer ten times his own substantial pay - an amount the empire would never approve, let alone fund. Unbeknownst to her, Alan intended to pay from his personal savings.
"Very well, I agree. Other requests... I'll mention later," Luosen said.
"Thank you!" Alan immediately stood and gave a formal knight's salute.
"How much longer to our destination?"
Luna unfolded a map, pointing. "We're close now - about ten more days to the capital."
"That long?" Luosen frowned.