Arrogance! This was true arrogance. Utter disregard for others, indeed!
“You…” The guard, reeling from Leya’s strike, heard her retort. He nearly choked on his own fury, on the verge of collapsing from sheer exasperation.
His rage instantly flared, eclipsing all thought. With eyes wide and bulging, he roared at Leya, “You f*cking want to die!?”
“Huh…” Leya, too, was startled by his outburst. ‘W-O-C! Big brother, could you please take a proper look at me?! With a face that could topple nations and outshine the moon, it’s one thing if you don’t appreciate beauty or show deference to a lady.’
‘But how dare you speak to me like that? Is this how your mother taught you to address a beautiful girl?! No wonder you look like a perpetually single dog; you deserve to be girlfriend-less for life, bah!’
‘And even if you’re a crude brute who thinks the only difference between girls and boys is one less leg down the middle—fine, I concede! But at the very least, before you act, shouldn’t you consider who I am!?’
‘Doesn’t it ring a bell? Don’t I look exactly like that angelic-faced, devilishly-figured girl who’s been frequenting this place these past few days? The flawless beauty whose renown has spread far and wide, the one specially taken as a disciple by President Edwin himself!’
‘Yes, yes, it’s me! It’s truly me! Why can’t your idiotic brain remember!?’
“Motherfucker, I’m talking to you! Are you deaf, or what!?” The guard’s roaring voice carried even further.
Leya stood in stunned silence.
Even Leya, renowned for her exceptional temperament, a new-generation paragon of youth celebrated for her boundless patience, now found her brows furrowed. Her expression grew increasingly glacial.
“Holy shit! Who gave you the guts to put on airs in front of me, you seeking death!—”
“Fine, fine, fine!” Leya’s lips curved into a sudden, eerie smile. ‘Excellent, my dear guard. You have truly succeeded in capturing my attention! You perfectly embody the exemplary conduct of a modern youth courting death, heh heh!’
“You say I’m seeking death?” Leya asked, her eyes narrowed into slits, a chilling smile playing on her lips.
Despite her smile, an inexplicable dread seeped into the hearts of everyone present.
“Nonsense! I’m talking about you! You goddamn…”
“Silence! Giles!—”
“Huh? Boss, what’s…?” Giles was momentarily stunned, completely bewildered. What was his boss doing? Usually, the boss would react even faster than he did.
But today… a sudden, tumultuous wave of realization crashed through Giles’s mind. He recalled his boss’s sudden change in demeanor, then glanced back at Leya.
“You’re their leader?” Leya merely cast a fleeting glance at the middle-aged man who spoke. A mere Level 2, he wasn’t worthy of her prolonged attention.
Although, it seemed someone had conveniently forgotten that she herself was only Level 1 at the moment…
“Uh… yes, yes, Miss Leya. My name is Dulu, and I currently serve as the guard captain at the Magic Association headquarters…”
“Oh? You recognize me?” A sly smile tugged at the corner of Leya’s lips, though outwardly she maintained an innocent, bewildered expression. ‘Ah… finally, someone who knows their stuff! It’s truly a rare occurrence!’
“Uh… Miss Leya, what are you saying? Who in the Magic Association doesn’t know of your esteemed name, renowned for both beauty and wisdom? Though I am but a humble guard, I have long held you in profound admiration…”
Dulu adopted the most humble and respectful posture he could, all while showering Leya with sycophantic praise.
Unlike Giles, whose intelligence seemed to have been devoured by dogs, Dulu had risen to his current position precisely because he was a seasoned, battle-hardened veteran of society.
He knew every single person who frequently entered and exited the Magic Association like the back of his hand. Naturally, he couldn’t possibly forget Leya, who had garnered so much attention in the past two days.
Her mysterious noble status went without saying. More importantly, her apprenticeship to President Edwin, her formidable ice magic talent, and her stunning beauty—these three points alone were enough for Dulu to realize she was utterly beyond his league, a figure he could never hope to emulate.
Especially given her noble standing, if Leya truly wished to make trouble for a few commoner guards, a single word from her would likely be enough for the Magic Association to dismiss these short-sighted guards without hesitation. Of course, all of this hinged on Leya actually being a noble, heh heh!
Moreover, Leya was President Edwin’s personal, most favored disciple. Tsk, tsk… If she wanted to get rid of these minor guards, it would be almost too easy! A single word from her, and the front desk manager would come scurrying over, guaranteed. As for what would happen next… heh heh heh…
“Enough with the pleasantries; I’ll get straight to the point,” Leya stated, her mood visibly brightening.
Clearly, Dulu’s flattery had been remarkably effective. Observing this, Dulu displayed an expression that said, ‘just as I predicted.’
‘Girls, especially beautiful ones, truly respond to praise, compliments, and flattery. That’s the undeniable truth for building rapport!’
However, Dulu would soon regret thinking that way.
Just then, Leya’s expression suddenly turned frigid, and her voice became icily detached. “You are merely a few guards. Who granted you the authority to block guests at the entrance, hurl insults, and even threaten violence? Do you truly believe the Magic Association is your personal domain!?”
“Ah? This…” Dulu truly learned today what it meant for a woman to turn her face like a page in a book. ‘Alas, a woman’s heart is unfathomable!’
“And this fellow…” Leya pointed to Giles, who was already drenched in cold sweat, his legs trembling uncontrollably. “This man disregarded proper procedure and openly violated discipline! How do you intend to handle this? Should I summon the front desk manager, or will you resolve it yourselves?”
“Uh…” With the situation laid out so plainly, even Dulu, however dull-witted, understood precisely what needed to be done next.
Moreover, Leya was only addressing Giles, leaving the others unmentioned. This undoubtedly strengthened Dulu’s resolve.
Instantly, his face fell, and he declared with a grim expression, “Giles, you’re fired!”
“Ah? Th-this… Miss, Miss, I beg you, please spare me! I truly cannot afford to lose this job!”
Seeing his own captain surrender and betray his teammates, Giles finally grasped the gravity of the situation. He rushed to Leya, wailing and pleading, tears and snot streaming down his face as he poured out his repentance. “I have an eighty-year-old mother above me and a three-year-old child below. My entire family depends on this job… I beg you, please, I beg you…”
“Heh heh…” ‘You’re truly putting on a show, you master of pretense! Someone like you, with a wife? Who are you trying to fool? Do you believe it? I certainly don’t! As for an eighty-year-old mother, you’re only around twenty, goddammit! Did she give birth to you at sixty? Leya found herself speechless at the audacity. ‘Ah… I’m profoundly impressed!’
‘Moreover, to show off in front of Leya, and then expect to walk away unscathed after your performance? If a tiger doesn’t bare its fangs, they truly think it’s just a Hello Kitty!’
Completely disregarding Giles, who was wailing as if his father had died, Leya decided the matter was settled. She intended to enter the Magic Association and continue her magic studies.
As she passed Dulu, she paused, then produced five gold coins. She tossed them into Dulu’s hand, saying coldly, “Don’t let me see you behave like this again. Otherwise… I can’t guarantee I’ll be so understanding next time.”
To deliver a slap, then offer a sweet—this was the timeless art of governance, and Leya believed it was the most effective long-term strategy for dealing with such individuals.
And just as expected, Dulu’s face immediately lit up with joy as he received the gold coins. The previous unpleasantness was instantly forgotten, cast to the winds. Heh heh, after all, a single gold coin was equivalent to half a month’s salary for him!
‘If he played his cards right… he might even manage to pocket an extra one or two coins from these five, wouldn’t he?’
With that thought, Dulu’s smile grew even more radiant. He eagerly patted his chest, promising, “Yes, yes, absolutely! Please rest assured, Miss. Such incidents will never happen again!—”
“Hmm… I hope so…”
She nodded. While Leya didn’t truly believe they would change, what did it matter? Her intervention this time was simply because she didn’t wish to witness such an incident unfold before her eyes.
As for why she only punished Giles and not their instigating captain, or simply dismissed them all, there was no other reason than Leya’s sheer reluctance to deal with such trivialities. What good would dismissing them do? Another batch of similar individuals would simply arrive and continue the cycle, endlessly repeating. Would she ever get to live a pleasant life then?
By now, after so many incidents, Leya had come to understand a certain truth: the fault lay not with them, but with the societal system itself. It wasn’t that they inherently wanted to look down on commoners, but rather that they were constrained by the limitations of the current era, forcing their values into such a mold.
She sighed faintly. Just as Leya was about to enter the Magic Association, another voice reached her ears.
“Miss… Leya! Could you please wait a moment…?”
Oh? Following the sound, Leya realized it was none other than the adventurer captain who had been so timid earlier.
Leya held no particular affection for him; he was simply too cowardly, not at all like a true man.
She spoke with a hint of coolness. “Is there anything else? I’m rather busy.”
“Uh…” Upon hearing her, the captain inexplicably scratched his head, his face flushing crimson. The words were on the tip of his tongue, yet he found himself unable to utter them.
“Tsk, what in the world are you doing, Captain? Let me handle this!”
The straightforward and decisive red-haired archer, Gilbert, stepped forward. He bowed respectfully before Leya. “We are truly grateful to you, Miss Leya! You’ve helped us immensely!”
“Oh, alright. Is there anything else? If not…”
“Um… if it’s possible, would you consider joining our adventurer party!—”
Leya merely stared.
[Ding-dong—Join the adventurer party and slay the Netherworld Wolf King! Mission reward: One low-level transformation card…]
‘Uh… it seems… I can’t refuse this matter now!’