That morning, Kleios is carried out by two Holy Lake Knights and notices the inn’s main hall is already filled with people.

  They’re dressed finely, radiating the aura of high-ranking figures, clearly not here to stay overnight.

  They gnce briefly at Kleios, then shift their attention toward the stairway.

  Moments ter, their expressions change abruptly, turning respectful and deferential.

  Kleios knows Henwell must appear.

  A middle-aged man steps forward, bowing solemnly. “I am Daryl, Viscount of the Duchy and head of the Torch Guild. I’ve long heard the great name of the Lord of Blood Hill. Meeting you today proves the reputation is well-earned!”

  From Daryl’s damp clothes and tired look, Henwell can tell he’s come here after a long overnight journey.

  Henwell waves his hand. “No need for formalities. Let’s get straight to the point.”

  He pulls up a chair and gestures for Viscount Daryl to sit.

  Once seated, Daryl hesitates briefly before speaking. “Lord of Blood Hill, due to some instigation by others, there was a misunderstanding between your subordinate and my son. I happened to be passing through and thought it best not to let myself be used. I wanted to expin the situation. Your subordinate had a minor dispute with my son…”

  Henwell interrupts with another wave. “That’s not important. I said, let’s focus on the matter at hand. We’re all adults, arguing over right and wrong wastes our time. Now, let’s quickly discuss how to resolve this.”

  Daryl falls silent for a moment. “So, what does Your Lordship propose?”

  Henwell asks back, “Did anyone die?”

  Daryl gnces at Kleios. “No.”

  “Then it’s simple. Let’s talk compensation.”

  Daryl replies, “Ten thousand gold coins.”

  Henwell lowers his gaze and raises an eyebrow. “Isn’t that a bit low?”

  Daryl pauses, then offers, “Twenty thousand gold coins.”

  Henwell looks over at Kleios. “What do you think about this compensation?”

  Kleios gestures emphatically. “Sir, this is extortion. I didn’t seriously injure him. The wounds on that man were deliberately inflicted afterward to frame me. We shouldn’t have to pay so much!”

  Henwell doesn’t respond to Kleios but turns back to Viscount Daryl. “We’re all decent people here. Let’s show each other some face and settle this at your amount.”

  Daryl stands. “Thank you for understanding my difficulties, Your Lordship. The twenty thousand gold coins will be delivered shortly.”

  Then he bows deeply to Kleios. “Apologies for my son’s fault and the trouble it caused you. I hope my compensation satisfies you. Consider this matter closed, with no ill will between us from now on.”

  With that, Viscount Daryl and his men leave the inn.

  Kleios stares bnkly as the group’s backs disappear from view.

  Only now does he realize the so-called compensation was meant for him—not the noble scion he supposedly injured.

  He finds it hard to believe. This is a powerful viscount, after all!

  A man with his own private army and guild, wielding considerable influence.

  The ordeals Kleios faced these past days already proved the viscount’s formidable methods.

  Yet now, the man actually apologizes and offers compensation.

  Seeing Kleios’s confusion, Henwell chuckles softly. “Heh… What, did you really think I’m just some knightly lord?”

  Over these days, Kleios has learned a bit about Henwell.

  But it’s all hearsay, gathered from low-level intelligence channels.

  He knows Henwell holds nd and commands an army, a knightly lord among the nations, a noble with real fighting power.

  Compared to Henwell’s military strength, Kleios is more curious about Henwell’s personal prowess.

  He never expected Henwell to have such influence even in foreign nds.

  Besides, this is Lumir Duchy.

  Strictly speaking, Lumir is an enemy of Peace Haven!

  Naturally, enemies try hard to smear each other, never praising Henwell’s strength.

  Whether to sway public opinion or weaken Henwell’s influence,

  Lumir’s upper echelons do their best to belittle him.

  But no matter how much they downpy it, Henwell’s power remains undeniable.

  So, much of what Kleios has learned is heavily filtered and censored.

  At this moment, Henwell continues, “I do have some reputation, so people grudgingly give me face. If you injure someone, that’s not my business. But if someone harms you, especially after I’ve spoken up for you, and then someone else still makes a move, that’s no longer about you.”

  ”That’s a direct challenge to my personal honor. The twenty thousand gold coins? That’s me showing respect to the host. You think my face is cheap? If I refuse that compensation today, he’ll have to come to Peace Haven himself and expin.”

  Kleios looks at Henwell, puzzled, and gestures again. “Sir, just how big is your influence?”

  Henwell doesn’t answer directly but asks back, “How big do you think my power is?”

  Kleios guesses Henwell controls thousands of square kilometers, commands a few thousand elite troops, and leads a team of professionals.

  Henwell chuckles and shakes his head. “Heh… If I only had that strength, I’d have died on the road long ago! Soon enough, you’ll see just how vast my influence really is. You can see it with your own eyes.”

  ”Also, I want to remind you: you live near the Western Federation. Because of the environment there, you might look down on the continental nations. But I advise you, Western Federation isn’t the strongest country on the continent.”

  ”Without counting the top-tier forces, Western Federation can’t even beat the weakest Duchy of Lumir! The continent is huge, full of people and hidden talents. There’s never a shortage of geniuses. You need to learn to respect the other nations.”

  Kleios is smart, and Henwell believes he’ll gradually realize that the Western Federation is just a caretaker—a prison warden, nothing more.

  Next, Henwell begins teaching Kleios sign nguage.

  He can’t keep communicating through mental power forever!

  Just one day ter, Viscount Daryl’s compensation arrives.

  Two days after that, Kleios is already walking on his own.

  That’s the physique of a professional, combined with the healing effects of extraordinary potions, recovery is remarkably fast.

  By now, they’ve reached Livos City.

  Count Lierul, who had long been informed, has arranged for people to meet Henwell and the others outside the city.