Chapter 197: 196 ‘But I still have to refuse! Chapter 197: 196 ‘But I still have to refuse! Barry was silent at the moment, but the rest of the nobles and knights present began to look at Shane with fear in their eyes.
Originally, from the moment Shane arrived, his commanding presence had already intimidated many scheming nobles, causing them only to seize the opportunity to kick someone when they’re down during Barry’s lead. Beyond that, many were already hesitant, daring not to blatantly do anything.
Now, after Shane’s reminder, their fear and apprehension intensified.
Here was a man who cared nothing for appearances, possessed considerable strength, and if he became ruthless, would undeniably be a disaster.
Was it really okay to offend such a person to death?
The nobles were both shocked and frightened.
It was Liyadella who couldn’t help but laugh, turning her head to look at her sister.
“No wonder you fancy this man; he really is quite amusing, much more entertaining than those tedious noble sons.”
Liyadella chuckled, looking quite pleased.
“He’s not the man I fancy, Sister Liya,” Luoqi replied, almost rolling her eyes but restraining for the sake of her image, she helplessly continued, “Elder Sister thinks he’s interesting? You won’t think so later.”
That guy was not amusing; he was infuriating.
(My naive and fun-loving sister, I beg you not to take interest in him, or you will surely regret it.)
Luoqi silently criticized in her heart.
Unseen by Luoqi, Liyadella too smiled dismissively, also muttering to herself.
(Uninteresting? Could such a man be so close to my sister who looks down on everyone, who wouldn’t even deign to become a resident of the Divine World, who looks down on nobles of the Kingdom, princes from foreign countries, and important figures from other races?)
Liyadella had never seen her sister treat any man this way before; she invited him to her chambers for private meetings lasting hours and even gave away a token from the Royal Family. When seen with him, the proximity was something she had never observed before.
That proximity even seemed closer than between herself and their father.
That’s why Liyadella was always curious about Shane, wanting to see what kind of man could provoke such special treatment from her proud sister.
“For now, let’s see how he handles this situation.”
Liyadella resumed her observation.
At that moment, the situation on the field changed again.
It started with a statement from Anxi.
“No matter what, if there are achievements, they must be rewarded. Even if there are many doubts, it can’t prove that it’s Lord Shane’s fault. If there is indeed a misunderstanding, and the person who has done great service is neglected due to unfounded suspicions, wouldn’t that be disheartening?”
Anxi thus posed this argument.
“Just as Lord Shane mentioned, if you gentlemen think there is something wrong with Lord Shane, then provide evidence; otherwise, empty words prove nothing, and my Kingdom cannot deny a meritorious official for this.”
Anxi’s statement made the nobles present look at each other in dismay.
Barry stopped speaking, realizing that continuing to oppose would be futile.
After all, they indeed had no evidence to prove Shane’s wrongdoing.
And with no evidence, in Anxi’s resolute attempt to win Shane over, who could object?
However, this naturally wasn’t the full extent of Barry’s methods.
In fact, Barry’s plan was just beginning.
“So, may I make a suggestion?”
It was as if something suddenly occurred to Barry, who spoke thus.
“What would you like to say, Brother Barry?”
Anxi gave Barry this face.
Barry then took a step forward, in front of everyone, and spoke out.
“I think, let’s put the reward on hold and give the Adventurer Shane a chance to prove himself.”
Barry made this statement.
“Actually, during this trip to the Royal Capital, I also have important matters to disclose,” Barry scanned the audience and said, “In my domain recently, there seems to be signs of activity from the Old Demon Clan Faction.”
At this revelation, the crowd uproarously burst into noise.
On the throne, Anxi’s gaze sharpened.
Beside him, Jiasinta also startled, and then his frivolous expression disappeared.
Yule furrowed his brows as well.
As for Shane, who was originally curious to see what this Barry was up to, he was caught off guard by the news.
“What? I thought the Old Demon Clan Faction was annihilated?”
Shane’s face was full of surprise.
Seeing Shane’s astonished expression, Vivian quickly whispered an explanation.
“Do you think that Beddo and Killian leading the Old Demon Clan Faction represents all of the Old Demon Clan?” Vivian whispered, “That’s not the case. There are many who don’t want to see the Demon Clan submitting to the Divine Race and Human Race, contradicting the Demon King’s will, and coexisting peacefully with the Divine and Human Races. The line of Beddo is just one of them.”
In fact, the Old Demon Clan Faction shouldn’t be considered an organization or a force but is more akin to a religious belief.
They didn’t agree to rebel against this world together; rather, each had their own ideas and schemes, recruiting and developing their forces independently, and some didn’t care about the so-called will of the Demon King at all. They wanted to destroy the current peace for selfish reasons and thus used the name of the Demon King to deceive others, letting them join for their own purposes.
Therefore, the Old Demon Clan Faction also consisted of multiple forces, with Beddo being just one of them.
“Ten years ago, Beddo’s lineage was the most dangerous among the many forces of the Old Demon Clan Faction, not only having many talented individuals and extensive influence but also each member being proficient in assassination and assault. It was the largest threat among all the forces of the Old Demon Clan Faction. But in the large-scale assassination that occurred ten years ago, Beddo’s line was severely damaged, becoming one of the weaker forces in the Old Demon Clan Faction. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have mobilized such a large force just to save one person, as their numbers had decreased significantly from the past.”
Vivian’s explanation clarified things for Shane.
“So, there are still other sects of the Old Demon Clan that exist, right?”
Shane seemed to understand what Barry was aiming for.
Indeed, it was as Shane had expected.
“Since Adventurer Shane claims there’s no problem with himself, why not let us witness whether he truly has the ability to suppress the Old Demon Clan Faction.”
“My suggestion is to let Adventurer Shane lead a team to Sterling’s Domain to launch another expedition against the Old Demon Clan Faction.”
“If he succeeds, it will prove his true capabilities, and at that time, combining the merits of the two actions, give him the reward.”
“If he fails, even though it might not prove there’s something wrong with him, the issue with the reward still needs to be reconsidered by your Majesty.”
“What do you think, your Majesty?”
Barry’s words prompted all the onlookers to exchange glances and nod in agreement.
Even Yule and Jiasinta appeared convinced, their eyes flickering.
Anxi remained silent and unspoken for a while before finally turning to Shane.
“Lord Shane, what is your opinion?”
Anxi inquired about Shane’s thoughts.
“It seems I can’t refuse.”
As Shane said this, everyone thought the matter was settled.
“I still choose to refuse!”