"Your only choice is to follow me and do as I say," Michael said.
But after a few seconds, Michael said nothing more.
"Is that all?" Lian couldn't help but ask.
Usually, when someone was given a choice, weren't there at least two options?
What kind of scam was this?
"What's the other option?" Ace stammered when the air suddenly grew heavy, suffocating them.
A chilling voice echoed in their ears.
"There is no other option. But if one did exist, it would only be death."
For a moment, they truly thought they were going to die.
Subconsciously, their eyes were drawn to Michael's. They didn't know if it was an illusion, but they seemed to glow green, casting an eerie light over the situation.
"We'll follow you, my lord."
Ace was the first to speak, followed quickly by Lian.
This was the first time either of them had shown deference to a noble.
Commoners weren't required to bow or kneel in the presence of all nobles—only the highest-ranked ones.
However, in front of nobles, basic respect was expected.
Of course, the level of respect a noble received could also depend on where they were.
Outside, even Hunters had to acknowledge a noble's status, but within the Hunter's Guild building, as long as they didn't openly insult a noble, they were free to act as they pleased.
Sitting in a noble's presence without greeting them, however, could still be considered an act of disrespect.
As for the noblest of nobles—those of the highest rank—they had to be respected everywhere, regardless of location, as long as their identity was recognized.
As for killing the two, Michael had no intention of actually doing it.
It was an empty threat—one he knew they wouldn't be able to recognize.
After all, technically speaking, as a 'noble', he did have the authority to decide their life or death without consequence.
Though Michael felt uneasy about the power structure of this world, he couldn't deny that a part of him liked it.
It wasn't about being evil or cruel. Anyone would enjoy having a special status—especially one that came with real privileges.
What would define him as evil was how he chose to use this status.
It was just like what he had told Lia and Ace—while corrupt nobles seemed to be the norm in this world, he didn't believe that was the case for all of them.
Earth's medieval history had shown far worse, revealing just how cruel humans could be to their own kind—and that was in a world without supernatural power.Nodding at their acceptance, Michael reached into his robe and withdrew his hand.
Though it had been empty when he placed it inside, a map now rested in his palm—the one he had obtained from the Hunter Guild.
Judging Ace to be the more reasonable of the two, Michael handed the map to him.
"Can you get to this place?"
Ace took the map and studied it carefully.
"I haven't been out of the capital that much, my lord, but I dare say I can point out the location marked here," he said with some confidence.
It seemed that after realizing his fate now depended on Michael, he was making an effort to fit into his role as a subordinate.
Michael couldn't help but smile at that.
A second later, however, his expression darkened.
As much as he wanted to move out immediately, there was an issue that needed to be addressed first.
Ace and Lia's hearts pounded in anticipation—only to feel utterly scammed and insulted by his next words.
Maybe his nose was just too sensitive, but standing this close to them was genuinely uncomfortable.
The same issue plagued the outer city, though the slums were far worse.
In contrast, the inner city even smelled different—cleaner, almost refined.
What Michael didn't realize was that most commoners didn't bathe daily.
And for those in the slums, it was even worse.
Lia blinked. "Excuse me?"
Ace, on the other hand, lowered his head slightly, as if he had already expected this reaction.
Michael pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm not trying to insult you. It's just a fact. If we're traveling together, I need you both to at least not smell like—" He cut himself off, shaking his head. "Never mind. Just clean up."
Lia then spoke. " We don't have money for baths, and even if we did, the bathhouses don't just let anyone in."
Michael frowned. "You have bathhouses?"
Ace looked up. "Of course, my lord. The nobles and the wealthy have private baths, but for commoners, there are public bathhouses. However, entry isn't free."
Michael considered this. He wasn't particularly stingy with money, but he also wasn't about to start handing out coins every time an issue arose.
"Is there a river nearby?" he asked.
Ace hesitated before nodding. "There's one, but it's mostly used by those who can't afford the bathhouses. And it's not exactly the cleanest."
"Of course, we could also boil the water to make it cleaner, but that's a waste of resources. Most commoners just wash a few parts of their body, wipe themselves down, and call it done."
He glanced at the two of them. "Fine. I'll cover the cost of a proper bathhouse, but don't get used to it."
Ace's eyes lit up, but Lia merely bowed slightly. "Thank you, my lord."
Michael waved off their gratitude. "It's not charity. I just don't want to suffer while traveling with you."
Lia said nothing. Ace, on the other hand, looked a little relieved.
"Before we go, remove those covers from your faces," Michael ordered, his voice leaving no room for argument.
Lia and Ace stiffened.However, they didn't take long to remove the covers from their faces.
From the moment they agreed to follow this noble's wishes, it was obvious that he would have to see their real faces at some point.
They just felt a bit uncomfortable having to take their masks off under these circumstances, especially given the original reason they wore them in the first place.