It was a heavy punch. A dragon's strength was absolutely not something an ordinary person could withstand. Merlin's facial features were twisted by the extreme external force, revealing a grotesque expression.
But this was only the beginning. Ian's next punch followed swiftly. Another spray of blood flew out. Merlin staggered backward and fell to the ground in a pathetic heap.
But Ian didn't stop. On the contrary, he began to walk step by step towards Merlin.
Thud—Thud—
Each of Ian's steps was like a final death knell.
As he was the court magus, after seeing Merlin get punched twice by Ian, knights quickly came out to protect him. They held silver blades, shielding Merlin on either side.
"Stop! Stop right there!" the knights shouted, but were surprised to find it had no effect. Ian had no intention of stopping. He only spoke when he reached the knights.
"Get out of my way. Or else—I'll beat you up too."
"..." "..."
The knights were men of spirit too. Hearing Ian's words, their tempers flared. "How dare you be so rude!"
In an instant, two blades thrust towards Ian. The next moment, they broke. To be precise, they were twisted apart. That's right. Ian, the silent boy before them, had grabbed both swords. And then—the blades snapped, clattering to the ground with a crisp sound.
"What kind of monster is this?" such astonishment couldn't help but fill the knights' hearts. But in a flash, it turned into fear. Because the boy's gaze fell upon them. His blood-red eyes held a killing intent that wasn't there before.
"Now... are you still not getting out of my way?"
"..."
The knights wanted to resist the pressure, but their bodies began to move against their will. Soon, a path to Merlin was cleared.
"Thank you," the boy said politely, and then continued to walk forward. Once again, he stood before Merlin.
"Do you know what you're doing?! Do you know who I am?" The once-frivolous magus now had a touch of fear. Normally, no one would dare to lay a hand on him. But now, not only had this boy done it, he had done it with no restraint.
"Of course I know what I'm doing," Ian said, raising his fist. "And I know who you are—that bad-smelling guy."
"What?"
Before Merlin could say more, he was hit squarely with another punch. But Ian soon discovered something. He grabbed Merlin by the collar, his brow furrowed. "I can't just beat you to death? What a disgusting being."
"..." Ian's words made Merlin's eyes widen. He realized the boy could somehow see through his immortality. This guy... is not as simple as he looks!
Back with Artoria. Needless to say, she had not expected Ian to throw a punch so directly. Before... he would at least say a few words to her first. Wait. Artoria realized something. Ian wasn't the type to show such violence towards just anyone. His reason for deciding whether someone was worth hitting was their "scent."
Artoria looked at Merlin's head, which was swaying from side to side from the force of Ian's punches, and understood. In that case... this magus named Merlin had a very bad scent? Come to think of it, that did seem to be the case. He was the magus sent to greet her, yet he had such a flippant attitude. When Artoria first saw him, she had also felt more or less uncomfortable. Ian going up there was actually incredibly cathartic.
"My King—" a knight's voice sounded by the girl's ear. "Shouldn't we do something? If he kills Merlin, then..."
The knight's words snapped Artoria back to reality. That's right. This was only the first day. If things got this out of hand right from the start, there would probably be more trouble later.
"I understand." Artoria dismounted and walked towards Ian. She took his hand. "Ian."
Hearing the familiar voice, the boy turned his head, and upon seeing it was Artoria, he stopped. The girl knew this was temporary. He was waiting for her to give him a reason.
"Don't do this. You'll scare the others. If—" the girl bent down, pretending to pull Ian back but actually whispering in his ear, "—you really hate him that much, we'll find another chance to beat him up later."
"..."
Though he didn't really want to stop, Ian didn't object to Artoria's suggestion.
Merlin, beaten to a pulp, finally managed to get up. He thought Artoria had come to save him, but the next second, he heard words that made his head spin.
"Disappear from here at once."
"..." Merlin thought he had misheard. But reality was right in front of him. Artoria said once more, "Do you not understand what I mean? Leave this place right now. Merlin, I appreciate you coming to welcome me. But—" Artoria glanced meaningfully at Ian, who had stopped for her sake. "—my most important friend does not wish to see you. So, disappear immediately. Otherwise—I'm afraid I won't be able to stop him next time."
"..."
Merlin looked at Artoria, then at Ian. After confirming that their attitudes were absolutely in sync, he bit his lip. In the end, the only answer Merlin could give was, "I understand."
Fleeing in a pathetic state, Merlin indeed vanished from Ian's sight.
Artoria turned back and said, bracing herself, "Everyone, it's alright now. The welcome ends here. I... will not fail your expectations. I swear on this sword!"
Artoria's voice wasn't loud, but it was very inspiring, especially when paired with the ceremonial Caliburn. Cheers erupted before the castle once more.
But at this moment, Artoria discreetly tugged on Ian's hand. She whispered, "Come to the top of the castle tonight. I have something to tell you—"
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