Chapter 18: Lord Xia Is Kind—Send Him to the Slave Capital

"How dare you!"

As Mills’s filthy hand was about to touch Xia Mingyu’s shoe tip, the knight kneeling on one knee, Solin, could no longer hold back.

Swish!

Thanks to the enhanced physical strength granted by his ascension to a transcendent knight, Solin crossed the dozen meters in an instant, lunged behind Mills, and pinned the greedy merchant to the ground.

Because his act of maintaining order as a knight was legitimate, Mills’s fraudulent merchant ability to invoke improper divine protection did not activate.

"Your Highness, shall I execute this insolent wretch who dared to assault you?"

Solin pressed his hand on Mills’s thrashing neck, took the steel longsword handed to him by his attendant, and growled with murderous intent.

"Wait a moment, Sir Knight. Before that, I believe I must first explain the full story to you," Xia Mingyu said calmly.

"To hear Your Highness’s sacred words is my honor. I shall listen with utmost reverence."

Like a clown performing a face-changing trick, Solin’s icy murderous intent vanished instantly, replaced by a radiant smile, even the wrinkles on his face blooming like flowers.

"Not long ago, this Klayi traveling merchant paid a substantial deposit, swore an oath before the gods that he would return at the time of the red fruit harvest, on the condition that the villagers reject all other traveling merchants," Xia Mingyu said slowly.

Moments later.

"I see!"

Solin exclaimed in sudden understanding.

He finally understood why this noble prince had stooped to rob a merchant.

It turned out Mills had dared to break a vow sworn before the gods, just to make money—so utterly monstrous, even by Klayi standards!

Wait—Solin’s face suddenly darkened.

He seemed to understand now why several villages this year had failed to pay their taxes, and why all of them happened to be fruit-producing villages.

"You vile bastard—you’re a true Klayi!"

Solin gripped Mills’s neck with crushing force, veins bulging on his forehead, teeth gritted.

Watching the merchant’s face swell and flush from lack of breath, his inner killing intent surged—had it not been for the noble prince before him, he would already have carved several holes into Mills with his sword.

"Your Highness, if you give the order, I will kill this greedy merchant who disrespects both the gods and you—I guarantee he won’t die quickly."

Solin said solemnly.

He had learned a few techniques from the executioners in his lord’s domain: inserting the blade into non-lethal spots could make the victim suffer prolonged agony before bleeding to death.

"Please spare me, Your Highness! I’ll give you all my coins! There are two gold Solrs sewn into the soles of my shoes!"

Mills pleaded, his words slurred.

He hadn’t yet fulfilled his dream of becoming as wealthy as the sage Frankenstein, nor had he defeated his brothers to inherit his father’s vast fortune—he didn’t want to die anonymously like this!

Watching this, Xia Mingyu fell into thought.

He knew that Mills’s life now rested entirely in his hands—if he gave the order, this proud knight would instantly take the man’s life.

Killing might be satisfying, but—he was a socialist youth, a university student bearing the responsibilities of a new era—how could he commit such a cruel act?

Xia Mingyu smiled faintly.

"Sir Knight, in my homeland there is an ancient saying: ‘Reward virtue with virtue, repay malice with justice.’"

"Since Mills never intended to take my life, I shall not take his," Xia Mingyu said softly.

At these words, Mills burst into ecstatic joy, while Solin frowned slightly, thinking the prince seemed overly kind.

His own lord would have already stabbed the man through with his sword.

"Therefore, please help me send him to the Slave Capital," Xia Mingyu said calmly.

Mills: "???"

His smile froze instantly; Solin’s gaze toward Xia Mingyu now held a trace of awe.

Whoever harbors strong vengeance, regardless of time or status, most readily earns the awe of those around them—even if born of fear.

"No, no! I don’t want to be sold into slavery!"

"Kill me! Please, kill me!"

Mills wailed in tears—he had once researched the slave market of the Slave Capital for profit, and knew full well the torment slaves endured there; calling it hell was no exaggeration.

Especially after touring the collection of a fellow Klayi slave merchant, even this bold man had spent days afterward vomiting and unable to eat.

His cries sounded heart-wrenching—but the crowd surrounding him were villagers who had nearly lost their families and homes because of him.

Thus, no matter how pitiful his pleas, he received only the villagers’ hatred-filled stares; some even threw rotten red fruits at him.

Under the eyes of all, Mills was bound hand and foot, a rag stuffed in his mouth, and thrown onto the cart.

"Respected Highness, please tell me your name. Before long, my lord, Viscount Hughes, will come personally to pay his respects."

After everything was settled, Solin and his attendants knelt before Xia Mingyu, bowing respectfully.

"Xia Mingyu," Xia Mingyu said calmly.

"May the gods bless you, Prince Mingyu."

Solin devoutly traced a circle over the wolf emblem on his breastplate, then rose and mounted his horse with his attendants, riding away.

Clip-clop.

Beneath the setting sun’s afterglow, the knight’s figure faded into the distance amid the rapid pounding of hooves.

Meanwhile, the village erupted in celebration.

"Your Highness, may the gods bless you!"

"Your Highness, thank you for your mercy—please accept this flower wreath I woven for you!"

"Your Highness, thank you for punishing that damned Klayi merchant! My husband, deceived by him, fell into madness and died falling from the tree while picking red fruits—thank you!"

The villagers, having escaped the tax crisis, surrounded Xia Mingyu, cheering and offering heartfelt gratitude.

"Boge, you bastard—get over here!"

At that moment, Chief Robert’s roar shattered the air like thunder.

He glared furiously at Boge, his expression terrifying, his snow-white hair seeming ready to stand on end.

"Y-yes, sir!"

Boge had never seen the chief so enraged—he immediately ran over to Robert’s side.

"You fool! How dare you reveal the prince’s identity? Have you forgotten the village’s agreement with the prince?"

Robert slapped Boge hard across the face—the boy’s youthful features instantly swelled red.

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(End of Chapter)