“Leclair sir, after all, we are also citizens of this Seprus City. It seems that today we didn’t provoke anyone. If someone has made a mistake, shouldn’t they be allowed to correct it? Who is right and who is wrong in today’s matter, you can investigate, sir. Aren’t there still witnesses and those involved here? Just ask and you’ll know the truth.” Raising his thin face, Paul also replied calmly, his tone sinister and biting.

It was the first time seeing these three scoundrels of Seprus City so stubborn. Leclair was a bit surprised and glanced at the burly man standing silently to the side. Who exactly was this extraordinary fellow, and how did he get mixed up with these three ruffians? He didn’t seem like a trivial person, so why didn’t he speak up to refute the slander against him?

Seeing the stern officer’s gaze fall on him for the second time, the burly man realized that if he didn’t speak up now, he might be misunderstood. He straightened up and gave a polite salute: “Sir, Douglas of the Lema Knights greets you.”

“Lema Knights?” The armored officer’s face darkened, and his gaze quickly shifted to the group of drinkers not far behind the burly man, who had not come over. His attitude changed abruptly: “Oh, no wonder you dare to cause trouble in our Seprus City. So you’re from the Lema Knights under the Church of Light. Douglas, I’ve long heard of your reputation. But for you to act so recklessly in Seprus City, are you deliberately trying to break the agreement between our Grand Duke and your Church?”

Faced with the other’s aggressive words, the burly man secretly cursed. He hadn’t wanted to escalate the existing tensions between the two sides over this matter. He had only intended to question these three, but they turned out to be so cunning and unyielding, giving him no chance at all, and now the Knights had gotten involved.

His expression grew even more calm and serene, and the burly man was not intimidated by the other’s words: “Sir, you must be mistaken. We haven’t done anything excessive. I only wanted to ask these three if they had seen anything related to our investigation. If they have, we hope to learn about it; if not, we’ll leave right away. This doesn’t seem to violate any rules, does it? Besides, as far as I know, Grand Duke Philip hasn’t forbidden members of the Church of Light from entering the Homa region, has he? Is our behavior really against the law?”

“Hmph? Is that so? I seem to recall someone unreasonably blocking our way, insisting we explain something we knew nothing about. Isn’t that a blatant provocation against the laws of Seprus City? Or do you think the authority of your Church of Light already surpasses that of our Grand Duke Philip? We explained ourselves repeatedly, but you ignored us and didn’t give us any chance to clarify, did you?” Paul shouted viciously, his words full of provocation. “We know the Lema Knights are overbearing and no one dares cross you, but who are we, and where is this? Even if we broke the law, it should be our Grand Duke’s judges who decide our fate, not the Church of Light. Besides, we’re not even followers of your Church, so how dare you act so outrageously beyond your authority?”

Unexpectedly, this unremarkable, skinny fellow’s words were as sharp as knives, not only targeting him at every turn but also deliberately sowing discord and slander. The upright burly man was momentarily at a loss for words to counter him, a flash of anger in his eyes. Before he could reply, the armored officer had already placed his hand on the sword at his waist. “I’m sorry, Douglas, but I’m afraid I must ask you to come with us to the garrison headquarters. Our Knights usually don’t handle these routine security matters, but since we’ve encountered this, we have no choice but to trouble you. I hope you’ll cooperate.”

“I’m sorry, Leclair sir, but I’m afraid we can’t go with you. I haven’t done anything that violates the laws of Seprus. What right do you have to do this? Is Seprus City a place without law and reason? Can you really convict someone based on one side’s story? That’s simply absurd.” The burly man flatly refused, knowing this might anger the other side, but the honor of the Church of Light and the Knights was at stake—he could not back down.

“Oh?” His eyebrows shot up. He had expected the other to be difficult, but not to so decisively reject his proposal. The armored officer’s face grew even darker, a chilling aura slowly emanating from his imposing figure. The ten knights behind him quickly split into two groups, forming an attack formation. Their sharp lances were gripped tightly in hands wrapped in light armor, the silver tips glinting coldly under the lights.

“Douglas, I’m afraid this is no longer up to you. If you insist on this, you may provoke a conflict between your Church of Light and our Homa region. Can you bear that responsibility?” The armored officer’s lips twitched slightly, his half-smiling gaze as soft as silk, locking tightly onto the other’s face.