Chapter 81: Shrouded in the Haze of War

"What are you trying to do!"

Seeing those soldiers, Liam instantly knew that things had taken a turn for the worse. From the standardized armor they wore, it was clear they weren’t the mercenaries scattered everywhere outside, nor merely attendants trailing behind young noblemen. These men were the regular army—the official forces of Valkyrie Principality!

Now the situation was truly troublesome!

Liam clenched his teeth. He knew those pampered scions would never let matters rest. But he hadn’t expected them to mobilize the regular army... Damn it, when did these soldiers arrive at the outpost, and how did he not know? Did Lord Rox know about this?

"Are you Jan?"

At that moment, a raspy voice emerged from the crowd. Liam followed the sound and saw a gaunt old man dressed as a butler standing behind the soldiers. He wore a spotless black butler’s uniform, a pair of white gloves, and a slender sword hung at his waist. Shrouded in shadow, he resembled a venomous serpent, his eyes coldly fixed on Jan, exuding a chilling aura.

"So what if I am?"

Jan met the old man’s gaze without the slightest trace of fear, swirling the teacup in his hand and narrowing his eyes as he savored the red tea. The butler’s eyes flashed sharply at Jan’s answer, then he raised his hand and gave a decisive wave.

"Seize him!"

"Stop right there!"

Seeing Jan’s half-smile, Liam had no choice but to step forward. If he continued to stand by and watch, Jan would probably begin a massacre at any moment. Jan had promised him not to kill anyone, but Liam had seen firsthand what happened to Dorol— even the priest said that poor fool would spend his life bedridden, a useless cripple... Damn it, that’s not killing, but it’s close enough!

With that thought, Liam drew the longsword at his waist and stood before Jan, glaring at the soldiers.

"Who are you? What are you here for? This Mr. Jan is a guest invited by the Sanctuary Church—what do you intend to do with him?"

At the mention of the Sanctuary Church, the old butler finally turned to glance at Liam. Upon seeing that he was a young paladin, a hint of disdain curled the old man’s lips.

"We are the Leit Garrison. This man is suspected of murdering the servant of Viscount Barf. We are acting on the Viscount’s orders to apprehend him for investigation. This is a matter between Leit and Mr. Jan; it has nothing to do with the Sanctuary Church. Besides... even if he’s a guest of the Church, he cannot simply kill a noble’s servant! Sir Paladin, I hope you understand."

"You, you..."

Liam’s face flushed, but he didn’t know what to say. Jan’s actions in the street were indeed wrong, but Liam wasn’t standing here for Jan’s sake—he was trying to protect these foolish idiots. He had witnessed Jan’s terrifying strength with his own eyes, and experienced his reckless, arrogant character. When Jan said he’d deal with this group, he meant it; not just the local garrison, but even the royal guards wouldn’t deter him.

"Enough, Sir Liam. The old man’s right; this is between me and those fools—it has little to do with you."

Jan set down his teacup and nodded at Liam, a smile flickering on his lips.

"Don’t worry, these trash won’t be any trouble. Once I’ve dealt with them, I’ll go discuss the next matters with Lord Rox."

At this, the soldiers surrounding Jan turned deathly pale, and the old butler’s eyes burned with murderous intent. The tension thickened, the air taut as drawn steel. Sensing this icy hostility, Liam could only smile bitterly. Jan was truly skilled at stirring up trouble—with a single sentence, today’s situation was doomed to escalate.

"Seize him!"

The butler no longer hesitated, slashing his hand downward with force. At his command, the soldiers raised their weapons in unison, shouting as they charged at Jan.

Shing—

As they reached Jan, a strange, crisp sound of a blade being drawn echoed. A surge of silver light exploded around Jan, unfurling like a roaring mist, scattering into countless stars that enveloped everyone.

No!

Seeing the sword light fill his vision, Liam was terrified. He wanted to act, but at that moment, the fierce sword intent around him transformed into biting cold, howling continuously. It was as if an invisible giant hand pressed him down, completely stifling his movements. He felt as if he stood alone in the middle of the ocean, battered by raging waves, powerless to resist, helpless as the tides dragged him into an abyss, burying him forever.

Ding!

Just as Liam was about to collapse, the swirling sword light abruptly receded, and the chill that had enveloped him dissipated. Only then did he release a long breath, lowering his sword—but when he looked ahead, he was startled out of his wits.

In front of them, the soldiers who had surrounded Jan moments ago now lay sprawled on the ground, writhing in agony. Their arms and legs below the elbows and knees had been severed, blood spraying from their wounds and staining the earth. Their limbs were scattered everywhere, making it impossible to tell whose belonged to whom.

Hiss—

Liam sucked in a breath. He knew Jan was terrifying, but he hadn’t expected such ruthless cruelty—he had chopped off their hands and feet, rendering them cripples. With the men reduced to this state, whether they lived or died hardly mattered.

"You—you actually...!"

The old butler had not escaped unscathed. Now he leaned against the stone wall, his eyes wide with shock as he stared at Jan. As the strongest among them, the butler hadn’t even considered Jan a threat. Only when Jan struck did he realize the gravity of the situation—but it was too late. He hadn’t even managed to make a move; the starry sword light spread before him, icy cold invaded his body, and the next instant his limbs felt numb. He collapsed to the ground, utterly deprived of hands and feet.

"A bunch of useless fools, daring to trouble me?"

Jan snorted contemptuously, glanced at the butler, then turned to Elise.

"Elise, throw them out."

"Yes, Master."

Elise had already prepared herself. Hearing Jan’s command, she nodded briskly, turned to the invaders, and swept her right hand. With her motion, a fierce gust of wind arose from the earth, whirling their bodies and severed limbs out of the cave. Moments later, heavy collisions sounded outside, followed by a chorus of screams and wails.

"Mr. Jan, this is simply too..."

Liam could only stare, at a loss for words. He glared at Jan, but couldn’t utter any harsh retort. Jan noticed Liam’s conflicted gaze and smiled slightly, setting down his teacup and motioning for Bix to refill it as he spoke.

"Don’t worry, Sir Paladin. I assure you, this matter is much simpler than you imagine. And you see, I kept my promise—didn’t kill anyone... Instead of glaring at me, you’d be better off helping those fools outside. I may not have killed them, but if they’re left unattended, they won’t survive much longer... Rest assured, Lord Rox will have no trouble with this."

Hearing Jan’s words, Liam had no choice but to turn and leave. Though Jan hadn’t killed them, the soldiers were gravely injured. Without swift treatment, their lives would be at risk. As for the developments here, things had already spiraled beyond Liam’s control, so he could only report to Paladin Captain Rox and see what solution he might devise.

The outpost was small, and the fact that the garrison soldiers had gone to confront Jan in full view meant word had spread throughout the entire base. Thus, when they were thrown out—limbs severed—everyone was stunned. Jan had already demonstrated his ruthless nature more than once, but those were isolated incidents involving one or two people. Now, without so much as blinking, he had crippled fifteen fully armed soldiers and even turned Viscount Barf’s butler into a human stump, leaving many gasping in terror. Most mercenaries were commoners, naturally deferential to nobility—especially someone like Viscount Barf. They might grumble behind his back, but would never dare voice any dissatisfaction to his face. Yet Jan had done the unthinkable: he had crippled the Viscount’s men without hesitation. Was he mad? What was he planning?!

"Outrageous!"

With an angry shout, Viscount Barf slammed his palm onto the table, his face dark as iron. He had already learned what happened from his attendants—his men had been crushed without resistance, leaving him furious. At first, he hadn’t taken Jan seriously—a fallen noble was nothing, what trouble could he cause? But the rumors about Jan had always irked him.

As a noble scion, only twenty-five years old, he had already reached the pinnacle of advanced swordsmanship and inherited the family legacy, becoming a sword fighter with great confidence in his abilities. When he first heard the reports about Jan, Viscount Ralph was displeased. The outpost’s reports were accurate, but the problem was they lavished praise on Jan’s strength, even claiming he possessed legendary power.

That was what truly irritated Viscount Ralph. In his view, reaching the advanced pinnacle at twenty-five made him one of the most gifted in Valkyrie Principality. Now, suddenly, a younger, stronger upstart appeared—a fallen noble, no less? Legendary power? Impossible!

With these thoughts, Viscount Ralph had brought his team to the outpost, intent on seeing what Jan was capable of. He instructed his men to provoke Jan, but hadn’t expected such ferocious arrogance—Jan not only killed his men, he had crippled his soldiers!

As the rising star of Valkyrie Principality, Viscount Ralph had never suffered such humiliation. Thus, when he learned his attendants had been reduced to helpless stumps by Jan, his rage erupted.

"That bastard—how dare he harm my men! This is contempt for my family’s honor, a declaration of war against the entire Valkyrie Principality! Someone, relay my command: mobilize the entire guard! I want that bastard captured—dead or alive!"

"Milord."

At that moment, a voice sounded. Viscount Ralph turned coldly to face Cotton, who stood nearby.

"Have you something to say?"

"Yes, milord."

Seeing Ralph’s expression, Cotton quickly lowered his head.

"This is the Sanctuary Church’s domain. If you mobilize your troops so brazenly, it will cause a stir. Besides, Jan may be arrogant, but his strength is undeniable. Even if you eventually capture him, you will surely suffer heavy losses."

"Hmm..."

Ralph’s expression grew grave at Cotton’s words. Indeed, Jan’s strength was formidable—even his butler couldn’t withstand a single strike. Capturing him would not be easy.

"But I have an idea."

"What idea?"

Upon Ralph’s inquiry, Cotton smiled softly before speaking.

"This place belongs to the Sanctuary Church; the Temple of the War God will not sit idly by. We should request the Temple’s assistance in apprehending that criminal. Moreover, we can ask the Temple to find a pretext to arrest the two ladies at his side. With their capture, no matter how arrogant Jan is, he would never dare oppose us."

"Hmm... That’s a good plan."

Ralph pondered for a moment, then nodded approvingly. He slapped the table and stood.

"Excellent. I will go find Paladin Captain Rox right now—let’s see what explanation he intends to give!"