“P-Princess, please forgive him!” Velc pleaded, not for the slave’s life but for Kai’s, who was tied to Aether.
“Y-Yes, Princess. If Aether is harmed, it only affects Kai’s well-being!” Selene spoke with a mix of worry and mild fear, the consequences of the drink she had offered weighing heavily on her conscience. She shot a silent glare at Alfred, who bowed alongside Velc.
‘Tsk, I can’t believe I fell for their obvious trick… again!’ Selene’s heart filled with increasing hatred as she contemplated dealing with Alfred later. For now, Aether’s safety was more important to her than anything!
Kai, arriving on the scene, bowed deeply and pleaded, “I am sorry Your Highness. Please forgive me for failing to discipline my slave!”
“Tsk, Kai… Do you think a mere ‘Sorry’ is sufficient?” The Princess’s fury was palpable, her disgust at Aether’s actions still fresh. He not only disrespectfully touched her but also called her ‘Bitch’…. in front of her mother. That was truly a disgrace to royalty, yet she couldn’t behead the person…. all due to Aether’s fate being tied to Kai.
“I-I am truly sorry, Princess! Please give me another chance!” Kai’s face drained of colour, He already suffered a lot of pain due to his idiocy in his past actions whenever something happened to Aether…. He couldn’t bear the thought of enduring such suffering again.
“He dared to touch your future wife,” the Princess reminded Kai.
Kai clenched his teeth, knowing all too well how Aether had treated the Princess, “I-I…”
The Princess glanced at the Empress, who shook her head in disapproval.
With a sigh, the Princess composed herself slightly before continuing, “I cannot overlook the disgrace brought upon me by a slave who also insulted a ruler from another Empire” She directed a pointed look at the Archpriestess before returning her gaze to Velc and his family, “However, once he has suffered enough, I will consider this matter resolved.”
Velc’s expression shifted to one of relief, “T-Thank–” but the Princess quickly interjected, “But you must understand, this situation arose because of your decision to tie Kai… an Arcane King’s fate… to a mere slave.”
Velc lowered his head not wanting to delve into that matter, and the Princess turned her gaze to Selene for a brief moment before shifting her attention eagerly to the battleground. She longed to witness the broken hands that had dared to touch her face.
Back in the battleground, a voice shouted, “Hey, wake up!” at Aether, who lay motionless on the ground.
Noticing he wasn’t stirring, someone poured water over Aether’s body.
“sprrlllll”
“H-Huh!” Aether jolted awake suddenly, startled by the cold sensation of water on his skin. Wiping the droplets from his face, he muttered, “W-Where am…. I?” His mind was still clouded and hazy.
“Ah? You are in the place called… mercy that is if you want your life”
Upon hearing the response, Aether turned his gaze towards the source and beheld a bulky man standing before him, the weight of a humongous hammer resting casually on his shoulder.
“Who are you?” Aether inquired, attempting to rise but losing his balance and falling back down.
“Hahaha…”
“Look at him!! Hahaha”
“He’s a clown!! Hahaha”
The mocking laughter echoed around Aether as others couldn’t help but join in, finding humour in his pathetic predicament.
‘Why is the ground so slippery?’ Aether wondered, cautious as he tried to stand again.
“Man, you really messed up,” the bulky man remarked, his tone a mixture of amusement and disdain.
Aether, however, paid him no mind, focusing instead on his drenched coat. “Fuck! It was a good one,” he muttered, frustrated at the ruined attire, before discarding the red coat.
Silence fell like a heavy blanket as Aether removed the coat, revealing his drenched form.
[+10 Affection]
[+10 Affection]
[+10 Affection] freёwebnoѵel.com
[+10 Affection]
…
…
Aether found himself overwhelmed by the sudden influx of affection points.
“What’s happening?” Aether furrowed his brow, perplexed by the strange occurrences around him. Unaware of his own innate charm and its impact, he failed to realize that his mere presence was causing a stir among the onlookers, especially the lower levelled women who struggled to tear their eyes away from his drenched physique.
The majority of the women were genuinely taken aback by the slave’s impressive physique. The idea of having such a slave under their command stirred desires…. The women couldn’t help but gulp their dried throats.
‘Oh my~’
‘Shit, I want him as my personal toy slave~’
‘Fuck, I-I think I wet my panties~’
These unspoken sentiments simmered beneath their composed exteriors, hidden from public view but undeniable in their intensity.
“You done?” The bulky man asked, his annoyance evident as he eyed Aether’s appearance.
“Yes?… !!!” Aether responded, but his expression shifted to one of alarm as he saw the hammer hurtling towards him.
Reacting swiftly, Aether crouched to avoid the incoming attack.
“BOOM!”
“W-What’s your wrong with you?” Aether questioned cautiously, eyeing the massive crater left in the ground by the powerful impact of the hammer.
“Hmm? Seems you’re quicker than I gave you credit for,” the bulky man remarked with a smirk, “Anyway, since you’ve disgraced our Princess, everyone here wants to teach you a lesson.”
“Princess?” Aether’s brows furrowed as he glanced towards the haughty figure of the Princess observing the spectacle.
His lips twitched “You bitc–” but before he could voice them…
“You should pay attention to me, boy! Or else, you won’t see how you meet your end,” the bulky man warned before swinging his hammer again.
“BOOM!”
Once more, Aether narrowly evaded the attack, frustration evident in his expression as he retorted, “You Fucker,” before delivering a swift punch towards the man’s jaw.
“Thud!”
However, the bulky man barely flinched, his eyes reflecting pity for Aether’s punch felt like a little mosquito bite.
“Hmm?” Aether tilted his head in confusion, surprised that his punch didn’t have enough impact to break the bulky man’s jaws.
Grabbing Aether’s hand effortlessly, the man taunted, “You’re weak, boy. If you beg for mercy and grovel before me, I might go easy on you.” With a forceful motion, he threw Aether back.
“THUM!”
The sound reverberated through the arena as the bulky man hurled his hammer at Aether without hesitation.
“BOOM!!”
“!!!!”
“!!!!” A collective gasp echoed through the crowd as they witnessed the bulky man’s ruthless action, taking Aether’s life without a moment’s hesitation, contrary to Princess’s initial intent of teaching him a lesson.
“NO!!!” Selene’s cry rang out in despair, reflecting the shock and horror that rippled through the onlookers.
As the dust settled, the crowd saw the hammer slam on the ground just inches… Just a few inches away from Aether’s head, a chilling reminder of how close he had come to death.
The bulky man, wearing a smirk of triumph, remarked, “Next time… it’ll be your head,” a threat that hung heavy in the air.
Aether remained motionless, his gaze fixed on the hammer for several long moments… no one knew what he was thinking… most likely, no one cared.
Seeing him not getting up,
“He wet himself! Hahaha…”
“I bet he’s missing his mommy right now! Hahaha”
“It looks like he’s learned his lesson!”
The crowd’s taunts and jeers filled the arena, adding insult to injury as Aether lay defeated on the ground.
The bulky man’s smirk widened, his satisfaction evident as he reflected, ‘Thank goodness I acted decisively; otherwise, I might have missed out on this easy reward!’ With a commanding tone, he ordered, “Announcer, it seems our little slave has been thoroughly traumatized. Remove him from the arena!”
The Announcer turned towards the Princess, who wore a dissatisfied expression at this unexpected turn of events. Just as she was about to nod in agreement,
“Weak…” A lonely voice came.
All eyes snapped to the source….. finding Aether standing up slowly, his hand reaching out for the handle of the hammer.
“Weak…hehe Me?… hehe” Aether’s laughter carried an eerie tone, sending a chill down the spines of those present.
“!!” Even the Empress turned alert, recognizing the unsettling laughter she had heard before. It wasn’t just her; others who heard that uncanny laugh couldn’t shake off memories of the…. dark entity.
“Hmm? What’s all this mumbling?” The bulky man questioned, surprised by Aether’s audacity in attempting to lift the massive hammer.
“Kid, you must be joking! Do you think you can wield my hammer?” The bulky man couldn’t help but laugh, “Hahaha…. You can’t even scratch me and you…hahaha… Yet…haha… Yet, Do you think you can lift that?!!…ahaha”
But Aether paid no heed to the mockery. His mind echoed with the words “Weak” and “Grovel,” triggering a painful memory.
‘Slap’
“You should grovel before your brother! You wretched failure!” His second father’s harsh words echoed in Aether’s mind, accompanied by the sting of a slap.
Turning his gaze to the smirking bulky man, Aether’s lips curled into a small, uncanny smile as he muttered, ” Hehe… Let’s see who ends up grovelling ~” His words sent a shiver down the spine of everyone present.
!~Ding~!
[Survival rate: 5.5↑%?]