Chapter 61: Ruthless Kill

The Princess Royal did not care about the female warrior Susan’s reminder. She smiled and said, “What difference does it make to me whether he gives up or not? Do you really think Zherkov had good intentions when he sent Shemark to follow Prince Torbinsky? In my opinion, it’s good that he died. It saves me the trouble of having Grand Knight-Captain Roman do it himself! Haha, besides, the one who killed Shemark wasn’t me—it was King Alexander of Shampoo City!”

Upon hearing this, the female warrior Susan was immediately stunned.

……

In the center of the square.

The fierce killing intent pressing toward him felt like something tangible. Prince Torbinsky was horrified to discover that, even with his strength close to that of a Two-Star Warrior, he could barely stand under such pressure. Still, even though it was hard to breathe, he gritted his teeth and firmly held his ground, not taking a single step back.

Sun Fei stepped closer, one step at a time.

Right at that moment, everyone’s vision suddenly blurred. In the next instant, a tall figure appeared out of nowhere in the circle, placing himself between Sun Fei and the young prince.

“Who are you?” Sun Fei frowned slightly.

The Barbarian’s sharp senses let him detect danger. The tall warrior who had suddenly appeared—with his long golden hair and a faint smile on his face—instantly gave him a kind of pressure he had never felt before. This guy was at least a Three-Star expert or higher.

“Grand Knight-Captain Roman Pavlyuchenko of the Zenit Empire,” the golden-haired warrior replied with a smile. He did not have the arrogant, superior attitude of Shemark and the cavalry. When he spoke, he even bowed his head slightly as a sign of respect for the king, giving off a gentle and friendly impression.

The corner of Sun Fei’s mouth lifted slightly. “Oh, so it’s Sir Roman, the Grand Knight-Captain… What, have you shown up here to stop me?”

Pavlyuchenko still wore a smile and raised his eyebrows. “Your Majesty Alexander, to be honest, I would very much like to fight you. Out of all the kings I’ve seen in the Zenit Empire’s vassal states, you are the one I respect the most… However, today the Princess Royal has given an order. I cannot make a move; I am only here to take the young prince away.”

“Oh?” Sun Fei was a little surprised by this answer.

He looked at the young prince Torbinsky in the distance, who was drenched in sweat under the pressure of his killing intent but still gritted his teeth and held on. A thought crossed his mind, and he nodded. “I’m not a mad killer. Of course you can take him away… However, that maggot called Shemark must stay. He insulted Shampoo City first, so he must die!”

Grand Knight-Captain Pavlyuchenko shrugged, turned around, grabbed the young prince’s shoulder, and moved slightly. Everyone saw a flash of golden flame, and their vision blurred. The ever-smiling warrior and Prince Torbinsky vanished from the center of the circle as if they had never been there.

Sun Fei’s pupils contracted.

Even with his strength as a Level 12 Barbarian, he had not been able to track Pavlyuchenko’s movement just now. And this golden-haired, smiling man had been carrying another person. “It seems my earlier estimate was wrong. His strength is probably even more terrifying than I thought—definitely not just Three-Star, at least around Four-Star.”

At that moment, Sun Fei once again felt the urgency of increasing his strength.

“It looks like after I finish dealing with these trivial matters, I need to hurry into the World of Diablo, work hard to level up, and boost my power. It seems this so-called suzerain state is nothing but a tricky bunch. A mere Knight Commander with only Two-Star strength actually dared to flirt with the future queen at a vassal king’s banquet! If later on, other higher-status characters show up and get greedy, who knows what disasters they might bring to a small country… To live like a human in this continent ruled by the Law of the Jungle, fists and power are the only real principles!”

Sun Fei made up his mind.

He raised his head, a cold smile on his face, and slowly advanced toward Knight Commander Shemark. Sun Fei did not kill him right away but took one slow step after another. The clear sound of his footsteps echoed steadily, as if stepping on Shemark’s heart. He wanted this shameless fool who didn’t know any better to fully experience the torment of fear before death.

“No… no!! I am a Knight Commander of the Zenit Empire! I am Prince Zherkov’s trusted aide… I can’t die, you can’t kill me!” Seeing that the young prince and Grand Knight-Captain Pavlyuchenko, whom he had seen as his saviors, had left without paying him any mind, and now this king, who was like a star of death, was approaching step by step, Shemark fell into despair. Death had never felt so close. He was on the verge of breaking down, roaring madly like a hyena backed into a corner, baring his teeth and snarling threats.

But the figure walking toward him did not pause in the slightest.

“No, no, no… I apologize, I’m willing to kneel and kiss your leather boots… Please, I beg you, spare me…” Shemark knelt on the ground and pleaded.

But it was no use at all.

Sun Fei continued to advance coldly, step by step. Even the commoners of Shampoo City surrounding the circle had their blood ignited by their king’s dominance. The crowd grew excited, waving their fists and shouting, “Kill him, kill him… kill this bastard!”

Shemark begged, looking at the angry faces illuminated by the distant bonfire. These weak ants he had once scorned now gave him unprecedented fear, making him tremble uncontrollably.

Finally—

“Die! [Rock Splitting Burst], go to hell!”

Cornered, Shemark picked up the longsword previously discarded by his subordinate cavalry from the ground. His earthy-yellow Battle Qi surged wildly as he erupted into action, leaping into the air. His Aura Skill raged forth, the overwhelming force like a tornado roaring toward Sun Fei.

“Hmph, a cornered beast’s struggle!”

Sun Fei simply swung the [Storm Piercer Short Sword] in his hand.

The result was hardly in doubt. Shemark flew backward like a ragged sandbag, vomiting blood, and smashed hard into the giant stone idol in the distance. The sound of cracking bones echoed. This time, the high-and-mighty Knight Commander couldn’t even get up.

Whoosh!

Sun Fei’s figure flickered, and he instantly appeared in front of Shemark. Having lost his patience, he grabbed the Knight Commander by the hair, lifted him up, and pointed the sword at Shemark’s throat. He lowered his voice and spoke into Shemark’s ear, “You bastard, want to watch a round-table dance? Let your mother dance for you!”

Thud!

The [Storm Piercer Short Sword] easily pierced through Shemark’s neck as if it were tofu, under Shemark’s terrified, desperate gaze. The bloody tip of the sword emerged from the back of his neck. With a swing of the short sword and a flash of cold light, Sun Fei directly severed the arrogant Knight Commander’s head.

“Those who offend Shampoo City… die!!”

The head was thrown onto the altar of the square’s idol. Sun Fei raised the bloody short sword high and shouted, pumping his arm. His figure was grand and tall, like a deity. The words “Those who offend Shampoo City, die!” struck the hearts of the countless people around like lightning. Both commoners and soldiers trembled with excitement. In this war-torn era, they seemed to feel a sense of security for the first time.

“Long Live King Alexander!!”

All around Sun Fei, the subjects of Shampoo City humbly knelt and bowed their heads, like stars surrounding the moon, shouting “Long Live the King” and pressing their heads tightly to the ground at Sun Fei’s feet.

……

On the stone steps of the palace north of the square.

The handsome elder Best and Shampoo City’s top expert Lampard stood side by side. At that moment, neither of them spoke, but their eyes shone like stars under the flickering bonfire light.

As the royal steward and Angela’s father, the handsome elder Best should have rushed to the scene immediately to mediate the conflict. But after seeing Sun Fei appear, he held back his impulse to run out. Later, when Sun Fei drew his sword in anger and killed the Zenit Empire cavalry in a shocking scene, Best was first greatly startled. His initial reaction was the terrifying consequence of offending the Empire, and he started to rush out to stop Sun Fei’s reckless actions… However, after taking two or three steps, he suddenly thought of something and stepped back.

By now, Best’s heart was calm.

He even saw the two cloaked figures beside Prince Torbinsky and Grand Knight-Captain Roman Pavlyuchenko at the edge of the square. As a competent steward, Best’s eyes lit up, and he instantly guessed the true identities of those two figures. Remembering how he had groveled and tried to read that woman’s mind on the way to Shampoo City… But at this moment, Best suddenly felt that all his flattery was unnecessary. He straightened his back.

“Best, you worked hard this time,” Lampard, who had been silent all along, suddenly said. “Even though the soldiers and commoners in the city still misunderstand you and aren’t friendly, I believe Alexander will eventually understand your good intentions.”

Hearing this, Best turned his head with a proud smile. “Frank, you’re wrong this time. We don’t have to wait until later—I think Alexander already understood my meaning long ago!”

……

At the edge of the square.

Looking at the figure in the center of the square who had unhesitatingly killed Shemark with one sword strike, and watching the crowd prostrate themselves at that figure’s feet, the Princess Royal, who had been silent all along, suddenly sighed. Then she turned and left.

“Let’s go. Let’s treat this matter as if it never happened. No member of the mission is allowed to discuss it privately!”

This was her second order of the day.

……

The victory celebration banquet for the defense of Shampoo City continued until the sky began to light at dawn, despite the interruption of the killing incident. Only when the horizon showed the first light of dawn did the commoners and soldiers reluctantly leave. The entire square was left with messy traces of the wild revelry.

Sun Fei ended up getting completely drunk, knocked out by the crowd of soldiers and commoners who swarmed around him. Staggering, he was helped back to the Royal Palace by Angela and Gemma, where he fell into a deep sleep, oblivious to everything.

However, the steady and prudent Brook did not dare to relax like his king. Since Sun Fei had killed the Zenit Empire officers and soldiers during the banquet, to guard against retaliation, he personally led several hundred elite soldiers and kept a close watch on the Royal Coronation Mission’s quarters, observing their every move.

City defenses and patrols within the city also operated in an orderly manner under Brook’s command. Pierce and Drogba, along with others, took the night watch on the city walls despite their exhaustion. Except for Sun Fei, the incompetent king who was dead drunk, no one let their guard down even after the great victory.

Finally, the sun rose over the mountains in the east, its light shining across the land.

A new day had begun.

In the King’s Hall, Sun Fei, feeling his buttocks unusually warm in his groggy state, finally rubbed his eyes and woke up.