Chapter 1270

isarm,wherethewhiphadlanded,burnedlikeitwasonfire.Kioleclenchedhisgriparoundthenoble’swrist,desperatelytryingnottolookattheinjuredspot.

’m...’maknighttoo!

herewasn’tasinglepersonherewithmoremartialskillthanhim.nthisplace,Kiolewastheonlyknight.

Aknight’sdutywastoprotecttheweak.ehadswornitaloudwhenhewasappointed.

hatwasall.hatwastheonlyreasonhehadsteppedforward.

“You—youinsolentwretch!Whatdoyouthinkyou’redoing?!”

henoblehowled,strugglingtofreehisarm.Whenhecouldn’tshakeoffKiole’sgrip,hiscoachmanandservantrushedoverinapanic.

“Youscum!ettheyoungmastergo!”

Kioleblockedthewhipandsticktheyswungathimbypullingthechainofhisshacklestautbetweenhishands.heironchainswereheavyandunwieldy,butforonce,theyservedapurpose.

ButbeforeKiolecouldproperlyexchangeblowswiththem,thecriesoftheotherprisonersbehindhimhaltedhim.

“Don’t!urtinganobleisaseriouscrime!Youwon’tgetoffwithjustlabor!”

“Stop!Please,juststaystill!”

heprisoners’voices,filledwithgenuineconcernforKiole,rangout.

ormally,hewouldhaveignoredsuchpleaswithoutasecondthought...buttohisowndisbelief,thosewordsmadehisbodyhesitate—likesomethinghadcaughthimbytheankle.

Andinthatinstant,thenoble’sservantstruckKioleontheheadwithhisstick.

—hunk!

Kiole’svisionspunviolentlyashislegsgaveout.edroppedtohiskneesandcollapsed.heworldwasspinningbeforehiseyes.

“rabhim!Quickly!”

“Yes,sir!”

Kiolewassubduedinaninstant.Ashelaypinnedtotheground,thenobleapproached,tremblingwithrage,andraisedhishand.

—CRACK!

hewhiplashedhisbody.hepainwassosharpitsnappedhisconsciousnessintofocus,despitethenauseaanddizziness.

“What’sthis?otevenascream?You’vegotspirit,huh?Fine.et’sseehowlongthatlasts—untilyou’rebawlingandbegging!”

twasn’tthathehadn’tscreamed—itjusthurtsomuchthatnosoundwouldcomeout.ButbeingtauntedlikethatonlymadeKiolemoredeterminedtostaysilent.ebithislipandwrithedlikeaworm,enduringthepain.

—CRACK,CRACK,CRACK,CRACK!

verystrikefeltlikeaboltoflightningslammingintohim.Shudderswrackedhisbodywitheachhit,andhisclenchedteethletoutonlystrangledgaspsofpain.

Damnit.thurts.thurtssomuch...!

oone—noteventhatdemonYuderAile—hadeverbeatenKiolelaDiarkalikethis.twasthefirsttimehe’dfeltpainthishumiliatinganddegrading.esqueezedhiseyesshut.

henoble,enragedbythesight,shoutedevenlouder.

“Youvilecreature!Youdaredefyme,anoble,whilewearingprisonchains?!Doyouevenknowwhoam?!”

edidn’t.AndthefactthatKioledidn’tknowmeantthismanbelongedtosomeinsignificanthouse.Whowashetodemandrecognition?

fonlyweren’tinthissituation...!

aspingforbreath,Kioleforcedhislipstopart.

“You...youshouldknowwho—”

“Please,pleasestop!Atthisrate,you’llkillhim!”

Aprisonerinterrupted,shieldingKiolewithhisbody.

“fyoukeepbeatinghim,hemightreallydie!”

“uroverseerwillbebackanyminute!alktohiminstead!”

“What’sthis?Areallofyouaskingtodieaswell?!”

henoblebellowedinfury,buttheprisonersdidn’tbackdown.

“We’rejustworkersdoingwhatwe’retold!hatyoungmandidn’tknowbetter—please,noblesir,showhimmercy...”

“e’sclearlylearnedhislessonnow—lookathim.Pleasebemerciful!”

“Please...”

Kiolesawtheirlegstremblinginhisblurryvision.heyweren’tunafraid.heywereterrified—morethanhewas.Buttheyhadsteppedinanyway,riskingpunishmenttoprotecthim.

heywerejustfellowprisoners,notevenacquaintances.Andyet...

Kiolestaredblanklyattheirbacks.hebitterresentmenthe’dfeltjustmomentsagoseemedtomeltawaylikesnowinthesun.

Andthen—

“What’sallthiscommotion?”

heoverseerreturned.

hesamemanwhohadworkedtheprisonerslikeademonnowseemedlikeanangel.eslowlysurveyedthescene:thenoblewiththewhip,thekneelingprisoners,andKiolecollapsedbehindthem.isfrowndeepened.

“Areyoutheoneinchargeoftheseprisoners?”

“Yes.”

“t’sbeenaweeksincerequestedrepairsoutsideBaronRadmozel’svillaintheMiknondistrict!Yetinsteadofanswering,you’vegoneandfixedsomeinvisiblesideroadfirst!owcanyouclaimthiswasn’tadeliberateinsulttoourhouse?!”

isroarwasenoughtomaketheprisonersflinch—buttheoverseerdidn’tevenblink.ejusttiltedhisheadslightly,likesomeonelisteningtoadogbarking.

“Soyoupunishedtheprisonersoverthat?Beatingonebloody?”

“hatwasnomerepunishment!heyinsultedme—andthisonedaredtolayhandsonmybody!edeservesthisandmore!”

“Youagreewiththat?”

heoverseeraskedKioledirectly.heunexpectedquestioncaughthimoffguard.

“Whyareyouaskinghimanything?Justtendtomyrequest—”

“’llgettothat.Butfirst,needtoassessthesituation.Pleasebequiet.”

“What?!Areyouseriously—”

“So,iswhathesaidtrue?”

heoverseerignoredthenobleandrepeatedthequestiontoKiole.Slowly,Kioleshookhishead.

“...ewasgoingtohitsomeonefirst,sosteppedin.Alldidwasgrabhisarm.othingmore.”

heblunt,insolenttonemadetheotherprisonersgasp.

“-verseer,sir...hemaysoundrude,buthe’sagoodlad.emeansnoharm,really—”

“Sothat’showitwas.Understood.”

heoverseernoddedcoolly,armscrossed.henheturnedtothesurroundingprisoners.

“Andtherestofyou?ellmewhatyousaw.”

hestunnedprisoners,seeinghopeinhiscalmdemeanor,rushedtospeakup,eyeswideandvoicesquivering.

“e’stellingthetruth!Wewerejustworkinglikeusual,butthenthatnoblemancameoverand—”

heoverseerdidn’tstopthem.eletthemsayeverything.

Watchingitallunfold,Kiolefeltthatoddsenseofdéjàvuagain.

’vedefinitelyseenhimsomewherebefore...

ehadn’tspokenprivatelywiththeoverseerevenonceduringhistimehere,soithadslippedhismind.Butnow,thefamiliaritywastoostrongtoignore.

Whoishe?Wherehaveseenhim...?

“nough!Whatisthiscircus?!fyoucontinuetoignoreme,’llreportyou,verseer!”

“oahead.”

heoverseerrepliedinatonemorefittingforaback-alleythugthanapublicofficial.henobleblinked,stunnedbywhathe’djustheard,whiletheoverseersteppedforwardandsmiledwithamenacingglintinhiseye.

“heseprisonersaren’tjustdoinglabor.hey’rerestoringtheSeventhWallofuma—piecebypiece,instrictorderandplacement.isMajestythemperor,theChancellor,andeventhePalaceMagefficearecloselymonitoringthis.Andyouwantmetothrowallthatawaytoappeaseyou?m?”

“W-What...?”

“Soyou’resaying,noblesir,thatyourauthorityexceedsisMajesty’s?sthatwhatyoumean?m?”

“—neversaidthat!”

“h,didn’tyou?henwhyareyoubeating{•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t}uppeoplewhoarecarryingoutthemperor’sordersandgettinginthewayoftheirwork?Soundsliketreasontome.fanyoneshouldbereported,it’syou,don’tyouthink?”

“...!”

“Yoursectionisn’ttheonlyonethat’snotdone.venthemostprominentducalhousesarequietlywaitingtheirturn.Youthinkthey’redoingthatbecausetheyhavenothingbettertodo?”

henoblewasatalossforwords.nfact,helookedmoreshakenbythementionofducalhousesthanthemperorhimself.heoverseer’slipcurledintoacrookedsmirk.

Withacasualmotion,heapproachedKiole,liftedhiswrist,andgaveitagentleshake.

“ookslikethisarmmightbebroken.onnacostafortunetotreat.e’soneofthefewprisonersherewhoactuallydoesgoodwork.AndthankstoBaronRadmozel’sinterference,everyoneelse’srepairswillbedelayed.Shouldpassthatalong?”

“Y-Youdaretrytothreatenme—?!”

“m?”

Andthen—ithappened.Kiolenoticedtheexpressionsaroundhimshift.

“hatyoungman’sface...!”

“ishaircolor’schanged!”

“What’sgoingon?!Whathappened?!”

Kiolehadn’trealizedit,butduringthescuffle,thecuffonhiswristhadloosened.thadsustaineddamageduringthewhipping,andwhentheoverseerhadshakenhisarm,ithadfurtherdisruptedthemagicaldisguisebracelethiddenbeneath—enoughtobreakitseffect.

heoverseer,Debranartude,feigneddramaticshockasheshouteduponseeingKiole’srealface.

“Whatthe—whoareyou?!”

“...”

“Couldhebe...anundercoveragentsentbyisMajestytoinvestigatethelaborsystem?!”

Kioledidn’tevenneedtoanswer.

hatresoundingshoutechoedbeyondthealley.