Chapter 60: Prohibition of Pretentiousness Here
After bidding farewell to his beloved, Sztwan stepped outside and saw George, comfortably munching on a chicken leg at the end of a lower table.
That day, the scene of George wielding a giant sword to slash the bear-like creature seemed to replay in front of him.
His heated brain gradually cooled down.
Sztwan realized an important problem: how to make this crude and barbaric Barter knight leave?
A duel? He’d likely end up torn to pieces.
Directly telling him to leave? He wasn’t the host of the banquet. Besides, George had an invitation.
The more Sztwan thought about it, the angrier he became. How could someone like George exist?
He had prepared his studies and even specifically traveled to the North for a year. Although he didn’t participate in any adventures, he had heard plenty of stories at the tavern.
He could have won the heart of his beloved. Those ugly, filthy goblins should have highlighted his bravery. But George suddenly appeared and stole everything he deserved.
Now everyone laughed at him as a bragging fool, and his beloved had started to find him distasteful.
Clearly, he had no issues. Who knew George had superhuman strength? What was even more infuriating was that this arrogant guy dared to reject Liss’s love letter!
Suddenly, Sztwan had a brilliant idea.
According to the laws of Shalin City, George could be considered a criminal aiding a slave’s escape. He had even threatened Liss!
Uncle Chamberlain was a person who valued law and fairness, having personal connections with his father. If he asked him for help, there would be ample reason to make that barbaric Barter knight, George, leave the ship.
Let him swim back alone.
With this thought, Sztwan couldn’t help but smile. He turned around and walked back.
The upper table was bustling with activity; beautiful maids moved back and forth, serving noble guests. Sztwan felt refreshed; no matter how impressive George was, he was still sitting at the lower table, eating inferior food.
“Sztwan.” Liss smiled and waved at him, while some unknown rich kid shamelessly clung to her side.
Sztwan felt angry and strode over, glaring at the rich kid.
Liss apologized with a smile to the rich kid, “This is an old friend of mine; we need to have a private chat.”
The rich kid chuckled awkwardly and left amicably.
Liss and Sztwan found a quieter spot.
Liss said, “There are always people clinging to me.”
Sztwan, feeling happy, said, “Liss, sometimes you’re too gentle and polite. You need to put on a stern face for these shameless people.”
Liss smiled but didn’t reply and asked, “What about George?”
Sztwan’s expression soured, “I thought of a good way to get him off the ship and swimming back.”
“Ah?” Liss’s smile immediately vanished, “You need to calm down.”
“Don’t misunderstand, I’m not being impulsive.” Sztwan quickly explained, “Isn’t he aiding a slave’s escape?”
Sztwan explained his reasoning in detail.
Liss brushed her soft chestnut hair back.
She recalled George’s fierce combat style and found it hard to part with him.
She said, “But the banquet should be cheerful. Causing such a scene would make everyone unhappy. Others would say I was willful for driving away a guest.”
“Those gossips are ugly and love to talk behind your back.”
“Don’t say that.” Liss felt secretly pleased.
“I know.” Sztwan felt his beloved was still so gentle and charming, “Then I’ll personally talk to George. Should I give him a decent chance to leave quietly?”
“That would be good, but let him have a chance to apologize to me.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Sztwan felt his heart sink in jealousy. His brows furrowed, and his expression darkened.
Liss quickly said, “Others will notice, and you don’t want people to think badly of me, right?”
Sztwan’s heart softened, “I will handle it properly.”
Liss beamed, her eyes sparkling, “I’m counting on you.”
Sztwan strode towards the door, never imagining he would give a terrible guy a chance to get closer to his beloved.
If it weren’t for Liss…
“I’m truly a considerate man.”
He muttered to himself, crossing the threshold and walking straight towards George.
Jima, who was chewing on a sausage, suddenly had a bad feeling and looked up.
In Jima’s eyes, Sztwan was approaching with a pink vortex of jealousy almost filling his broad chest.
She also noticed Liss peeking subtly from behind the door.
“George.”
Sztwan reached the table, raised his chin, and spoke in a grim tone, rapping the table heavily.
George looked up at him.
“Do you know that aiding a slave’s escape is a serious crime in Shalin City?” Sztwan leaned down, “Coincidentally, the most just and fair officer in all of Shalin City is on this ship.”
“What’s his name?” Jima immediately asked.
“Chamberlain.”
Jima immediately understood what her earlier ominous feeling was about. This foolish guy with a big head and thick neck was coming to confront George directly.
Jima seemed to predict what would happen next.
If George didn’t submit, Sztwan would foolishly report him. Just in time, the eager Chamberlain would throw him back, trying to win George over.
Then Liss would be captivated by George’s pretentiousness and would naturally end up in his bed…
Jima was shocked by her own deductions.
No way! Even though I’m no longer a virgin, I will absolutely not allow a dead man to pursue women in front of me!
Jima felt envy rise and without hesitation, secretly used her pinky to poke at Sztwan’s chest’s pink vortex, pulling it with force.
Reverse teasing!
The conversation between Sztwan and George continued.
“I’m giving you a dignified chance to leave the banquet.” Sztwan said seriously, “As long as you apologize to Miss Liss, she is kind enough to possibly forgive you. Otherwise, be prepared to jump off the ship and swim away.”
“I haven’t committed a crime.” George replied lightly.
So calm, he truly is a Barter knight.
Sztwan felt bewildered about why he would have such thoughts.
George continued, “If you can provide me with a ship, I would be happy to leave.”
He clearly had immense strength, yet chose to endure. He even saved us once, but I…
Suddenly, Sztwan felt a wave of guilt; he took a step back and said in a low voice, “Then forget it.”
He turned and left, leaving George looking bewildered.
George turned to Jima and asked, “Why did he leave?”
Jima looked at Sztwan, who had shrunk down to the size of a grain of wheat in jealousy, and let out a sigh of relief, “Maybe you’re just too handsome and strong; it made him feel inferior.”
“Lying again.”
“Don’t deduct points from me.”
Meanwhile, Sztwan stepped towards the upper table, feeling extremely insecure.
George was too handsome, too strong, and broad-minded; it was totally understandable that Liss liked him. I’m not only ugly, but I’m also using underhanded means to chase him away… I’m simply an ugly goblin in front of him.
Sztwan brushed past a maid and stepped over the threshold to Liss.
Seeing his awful expression, she asked, “What did George say?”
“He’s an excellent man.” Sztwan replied, “You two are better off together.”
“Ah?”
“He’s handsome and strong, with noble character.” Sztwan’s face drooped, “He saved me, yet I wanted to drive him away. I truly feel ashamed to face him.”
With that, he left Liss filled with questions and returned to his seat.
…
…
At the upper table.
A silver fork plunged harshly into a spiced sausage, fat dripping slowly down onto the plate.
Chamberlain held up the fork, aiming it at the grinning, rotund Fulis across from him, almost fantasizing about piercing through his belly with the fork.
Fulis smiled, his rolls of flesh forming a narrow slit. He looked like a big pig dressed in silk, his eyes gleaming as he lustfully eyed the maids.
A tall maid in lace gloves bent down to present him with a plate of roasted chicken. Fulis laughed and sneakily brushed his hand against the maid’s little hand.
“Tch.” Chamberlain snorted, “Someone is dragging this banquet down to the level of a dockside brothel.”
“I can’t compare with someone who knows how to enjoy. I have fourteen maids at home, but they’ve been lackluster lately. I wonder if it’s related to a bald pharmacist?”
“You!”
Fulis’s eyes, which formed a narrow slit from laughing, turned to Chamberlain, “Oh dear, private matters are no big deal. Just don’t delay public business. Recently, I’ve heard that people from Deep Water City have run to the outskirts to raise a bear-like creature…”
“If you had the omnipotence you brag about, my soldiers would have long since wiped out those bastards from Deep Water City.”
“Then why have the ships protecting our routes at sea recently been burned by a bunch of pirates?” Fulis continued, still smiling, “Who said that one of your soldiers could match three of mine?”
“You!”
Chamberlain’s rage was almost pushing him to the edge. That had been his ships surrounded by three pirate ships. He even suspected Fulis was selling him out.
“Fulis.”
Branxi, the lord of Shalin City, spoke.
Fulis immediately reined in his laughter, showing respect.
“My lord, one shouldn’t let a man of thieving origins sit at the banquet table.”
Chamberlain looked at the neatly groomed mustache on Branxi’s lips and said.
Branxi had a look of helplessness, saying, “They pressed too hard.”
“Deep Water City is just a bunch of fence-sitters.” Chamberlain said.
“The Temple is no fence-sitter.” Fulis laughed, “I have ample evidence to believe that the Temple has sent a powerful warrior to our Shalin City, who has killed several of your men and burned the scene.”
“Who are you trying to scare?”
“You don’t even know who killed your men.” Fulis’s face squinched into a narrow slit with fat, “Maybe he’s even on this ship, waiting for the right moment.”
“I heard that Temple champions can’t lie; do you want to ask them one by one?” Chamberlain mocked.
“Not knowing what the noble lord has done.”
“I’ve discovered a powerful warrior.” Chamberlain said, “He once decapitated that bear-like creature but is sitting at the end of the lower table. He is more suitable for the upper table.”
At this point, Chamberlain glanced at Fulis’s seat.
“He is a proud Barter traveling knight. If we can offer him the respect he deserves, he will surely not hesitate to showcase his bravery on the battlefield.”
“Who knows, he might be sent by the Temple.” Fulis laughed.
Branxi frowned, feeling a headache from the conflict between the two. Chamberlain was an old-school noble and naturally looked down on Fulis’s lowly origins, but now he needed Fulis’s loyalty.
These two were his left and right arms. To support Shalin City through this tough time, he couldn’t afford to lose either.
At that moment, a clear and graceful female voice rang out.
“Father, where is the brave warrior who decapitated that bear-like creature?”
Branxi’s furrowed brows relaxed at once as he looked at his daughter.
“How is your stomach?”
Liss’s mother was a young, brown-haired beauty, looking almost like Liss’s sister, with a gentle oval face.
She smiled and said, “I took some medicine; my previously swollen and hot stomach feels as if it was cut open by a knife. Now it’s much more comfortable.”
Chamberlain answered where George was sitting.
Liss’s mother smiled, “It seems Liss’s marriage needs to be settled.”
