Lord blessed by the elves

Chapter 51 Gap
Rezael's expression quickly shifted from astonishment to rage, and his hand instantly gripped the hilt of his sword.

Kruze's face instantly darkened to a grim degree. He stepped forward, shielding the somewhat frightened Elena behind him. His icy gaze, like two sharp swords, first glared fiercely at the arrogant brat, then fixed intently on the Knight Barto, whose expression had also turned ugly.

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable authority and a chilling murderous aura; every word seemed to spring from an ice cellar.
"Sir Barto, keep your little brat in check. I'll count to three—"

He slowly extended a finger, and an invisible fighting spirit seemed to flow around him, making the surrounding air feel oppressive.

"Make him disappear from my sister's sight immediately."

His gaze swept over Andy as if he were looking at an eyesore of an insect.

“Otherwise, I wouldn’t mind throwing him out of here myself. I think Sir Guus Hiddink wouldn’t mind if I helped him deal with this unruly guest.”

Kruze's merciless threat, along with the oppressive aura emanating from him that far surpassed that of ordinary apprentice knights, made Knight Barto's face turn extremely ugly.

He knew that he would not gain any advantage in a conflict at this moment, and more importantly, he would lose face in front of Sir Guus Hiddink.

He abruptly yanked Andy, who was still stunned on the ground, roughly knocked the little wildflower away, and almost gritted his teeth as he forced out the words: "Enough! Young Master Andy, stop making a fool of yourself here!"

Having said that, he didn't look at Kruze again, dragging the still struggling and shouting brat along, looking disheveled, and quickly walked into the castle.

The absurd farce has temporarily come to an end, but the feud between the two territories has clearly deepened.

Rezal watched as the Knight of Barto practically dragged the little rascal away in a hasty retreat, and let out a disdainful sneer. His voice wasn't loud, but it was enough for the few other servants who hadn't yet dispersed to hear clearly:

"Tch! A mere child who isn't even high on the line of succession dares to presumptuously call himself the future lord? Who gave him that audacity?" He deliberately raised his voice, the sarcasm in his tone almost tangible. "What? Is Wolfhair Territory planning to be divided into three parts in advance so that he can also get a share? Haha!"

These words were like poisoned needles, striking precisely at the greatest sore spot of Knight Barto and Wolfhair Territory!

The land of Wolfhair Knights Territory is indeed more fertile than that of Lion Fang Territory, but its territory is only about half the size of Lion Fang Territory!
The complex historical reasons for this are largely due to the fact that when the first Wolfhair Knights served under the Earl of Nou Camp, they were consistently outshone by the Lion Knights in terms of both military achievements and the level of trust they enjoyed, resulting in fewer fiefdoms being awarded to them.

With a small territory but many offspring, the issue of succession has always been a headache for Sir Haynes.

Rezal's words were like insulting a monk in front of a monk, revealing his shortcomings!

Knight Barto, who had already walked more than ten steps away, suddenly froze, his back muscles visibly tense, and his fists clenched tightly. He had clearly heard this insidious remark, and his face was so dark it was almost black. But he didn't dare to turn back to argue, and instead disappeared into the shadows of the castle portico even faster.

Ignoring the undercurrents, Kruse bent down and gently rubbed Elena's still somewhat dazed head, his tone gentle yet encouraging:

"Don't be afraid, that was just a spoiled brat. Just ignore what he said." He paused, a sharp glint in his eyes. "But if he dares to come over and be rude to you again, don't hesitate, just punch him in the nose with your little fist! If anything happens, I'll back you up."

Elena's initial fright was instantly dispelled by her older brother's words. She immediately tilted her head back, trying her best to make a fierce expression, and even waved her small, weak fist. In her childish but unusually firm voice, she said, "Yeah! I'm not afraid of him! I just... I just didn't expect him to act like that! If he dares to come near me again, I'll definitely beat him until he cries!" "Great! That's my sister, Kruze's sister!" Kruze praised with a smile, the warmth between the siblings instantly washing away the previous unpleasantness.

Just then, another carriage drove into the manor's parking lot.

The carriage looked slightly better than the one from Liontooth, but it was still far from luxurious.

The carriage curtain was lifted, and a sturdy young man named Dubritt, dressed somewhat ill-fittingly and sporting a cheerful smile, jumped out. He immediately spotted Kruze and his two companions and waved enthusiastically, shouting:

"Hey! Kruze! Rezael! Long time no see! Huh—?!"

The boy's name was Lista, the second son of Westin, the lord of the Boar Riders, and he was about the same age as Kruze.

Since the Boar Rider has always been the Lion Rider's most steadfast and reliable second-in-command, and the two families have had a long-standing and friendly relationship, these younger members of the family have grown up together and become playmates.

Lista strode closer, preparing to give Kruze a punch on the shoulder as usual, but suddenly sensed a much more concentrated and undeniable aura emanating from Kruze. His eyes widened in disbelief and surprise.

"Wait! You...you've condensed a vortex?! You've become a trainee knight?! When did this happen? Great! Haha! Now let's see who dares to look down on us!"

Lista's surprise and genuine congratulations were like a warm breeze, dispelling the gloom brought by the wolf-hair collar and making the atmosphere relaxed again.

The four exchanged pleasantries about their recent lives as they followed the attendant who was leading the way into the main building of Baron Merk's castle.

As soon as they stepped through the tall archway, Kruze and Rezael clearly felt the vast difference between it and their own Liontooth Fortress.

The size and grandeur of the Merck family's castle far surpassed that of the rather cramped castle in Lion's Tooth Territory.

The main building stands majestically, reaching a height of four stories. Its gray stone walls are riddled with arrow slits and observation windows, demonstrating its formidable defensive capabilities.

Its area is estimated to be more than three times that of Lion Tooth Fortress!
The wide corridor leading to the main hall alone is almost large enough to accommodate the entire main hall of Lion Tooth Castle.

When the servants pushed open the two heavy oak doors, inlaid with metal strips, and led them into the main banquet hall, even Kruse, who was somewhat prepared, couldn't help but secretly marvel.

The hall was extremely spacious and open, with several huge chandeliers hanging from the high dome, illuminating the entire space as bright as day.

The stone floor was as smooth as a mirror; the walls were adorned with exquisite tapestries and weapon ornaments; and the long dining table was already set with gleaming silver cutlery and crystal glasses. The size of this banquet hall alone was probably comparable to, or even exceeded, the entire residential area of ​​Lion Tooth Castle.

(End of this chapter)