Alan suddenly seemed to remember something and rose from his seat in the dining area. Moments later, he returned carrying an exquisitely crafted wooden box covered in dust. When he opened the lid, a silver necklace engraved with ancient runes lay quietly inside.
He carefully placed the necklace around Luosen's neck.
"What is this?" Luosen spoke.
To everyone's astonishment, they could suddenly understand his words.
"Don't be surprised," Alan explained with a smile. "This is an ancient magical artifact. Wearing it is equivalent to casting a permanent language spell, allowing the wearer to communicate normally with anyone."
Luna and the others widened their eyes in amazement. "Captain, why didn't you bring this out sooner if it's so useful?"
Alan scratched his head sheepishly. "It's usually quite useless in daily life. That's why I left it in the airship's storage room and only just remembered it."
Turning back to Luosen, he continued warmly, "Hello, I'm Alan E. Nightfall, Captain of the Crimson Empire's Royal Knights. May I ask your name?"
"Hello, I'm Luosen," came the reply in a voice so magnetically pleasant that Luna unconsciously blushed - the necklace seemed to have enhanced his vocal charm.
Nearby, Keth smirked meaningfully. All his previous taunts had been wasted on Luosen who couldn't understand the common tongue, but now they could finally have a proper "conversation."
Alan performed a solemn knight's salute. "Luosen, we owe you our thanks for your assistance in defeating the Abyss Serpent earlier."
"It was nothing," Luosen replied politely.
Keth suddenly interrupted, "If it was nothing, shouldn't that crystal core be returned to its rightful owners? After all, we had already severely wounded that serpent." His tone carried clear provocation.
Luosen frowned, finally understanding why this man had been hostile all along - he believed Luosen had stolen his rightful spoils.
Just as Luosen was about to respond, Luna cut in first, "Keth! Without Master Luosen's help, your arrows alone could never have killed that serpent!"
Her voice immediately softened when she turned to Luosen, "Master Luosen, thank you for saving my life that time."
Luosen felt somewhat embarrassed and was about to offer them the crystal core when Keth sneered, "Can't you see that serpent was already at its last gasp? We would have succeeded without him. Boy, if you know what's good for you..."
"Keth!" Alan sharply reprimanded. He had intended to discuss the core matter later, but now the situation had become awkward.
After scolding Keth, Alan turned apologetically to Luosen. "Luosen, I apologize for my subordinate's rudeness."
Luosen chuckled lightly. "It's fine. To me, he's just a clown seeking attention, hardly worth getting angry over..." Then his tone shifted, "However, I can give you the core - on the condition that he can defeat me."
Keth snorted contemptuously. "Savages only know brute force. I'm not foolish enough to engage in hand-to-hand combat with you."
"Then how do you want to compete?"
"We'll go into the forest, three hundred meters apart. If you can get within fifty meters of me within half an hour, you win." A sinister glint flashed in Keth's eyes as he plotted to use his enchanted arrows to cripple this savage's limbs.
Luna urgently tried to dissuade them, "Don't agree! His arrows are enchanted by archmages - they can pierce through solid rock!"
"No matter, I accept," Luosen said calmly.
When Luna tried to intervene further, Alan held her back. Having fought the Abyss Serpent himself, he knew exactly how terrifying its defenses were. In this contest, Keth would likely be the one humiliating himself. As for the serpent core, that could be discussed later.
"Good, let's go now," Keth said eagerly, standing up.
"Wait," Luosen added. "If I win, the core is yours. But if you lose, shouldn't there be some consequence?"
Keth's face darkened. "What? Want me to be your slave?"
"Hah...you're not worthy of that," Luosen said bluntly, waving his finger dismissively.
"You!"
"Here's my proposal: I just want you to kneel and kowtow in apology for your previous... disrespectful behavior," Luosen said indifferently.
Keth gritted his teeth. "Fine! But you dare demand such a gesture from me? You've got nerve!"
Hearing this, Alan frowned slightly. After all, Keth was of his clan, and such a wager concerned family honor.
But with things having gone this far, mediation would have to wait until afterward.
The airship slowly descended onto an open area, and Luosen followed Keth's group down the gangway.
"Go find a suitable position," Luosen said flatly, yet with an undeniable air of command.
Keth curled his lip disdainfully, thinking to let Luosen have his moment of pride. Even without Luosen's instruction, he would have chosen a location with clear visibility - after all, how could he shoot what he couldn't see?
Before long, a white smoke pillar rose in the distance, signaling the start of the match and indicating that the other party was ready.
"Whoosh—" With a piercing whistle, an arrow instantly pierced through the rock beside Luosen - just a warning shot.
The arrow's speed secretly startled Luosen. He had expected Keth to be fast, but not this fast - just a flash of silver, and the arrow was already deeply embedded in the shattered boulder. Had it hit an ordinary person, bones would surely have been broken.
[Master, shall I capture that fellow for you?] A familiar voice sounded in Luosen's mind - it was Carol.
"Carol? You've recovered?"
[Just regained some strength when I sensed you were in a bit of trouble. I can use Shadow Grasp to bring him here now.]
"But aren't you still back at the original location? How can you help?"
[Through our master-servant contract, I can cast magic around you.]
"Good, bring him here."
[As you command.]
Suddenly, a gigantic shadowy hand emerged from the ground, shooting forward like lightning. This abyssal shadow hand firmly grasped Keth's shadow, dragging him through the forest, smashing through trees and crushing rocks in its path. When the bloodied Keth was flung before Luosen, his eyes were filled with terror. "Impossible... you... you know magic?"
"Just a little family trick," Luosen said offhandedly, having prepared this excuse beforehand.
The scene fell into stunned silence. The duel had ended far too abruptly, the gap between their abilities as vast as an unbridgeable chasm.
"I don't accept this!" Keth roared, only to be met with a headbutt from Alan.
"Luosen, you've won," Alan declared while signaling his attendants to bandage Keth's wounds.
"Wait," Luosen said with mocking laughter, "Keth still has a wager to fulfill." He was certain this arrogant noble would find it unbearable to admit defeat to a "savage," especially one who had cheated with magic.
Alan attempted mediation. "Luosen, I apologize on his behalf. But Keth is imperial royalty, and by protocol, royalty only kneels to the Emperor. Even if he fulfills the wager, it would likely bring you much trouble in the future."
"What do I care?" Luosen said dismissively. "I'm not a subject of your empire."
"This..." Alan pondered briefly. "If you're willing to let this go, I can recommend you for membership in the Imperial Royal Knights, with generous compensation."
His words caused an uproar. Though they followed Alan's lead, only Alan, Luna and Keth were actual knight members - the rest were merely support staff. To become a full member required not only noble birth but exceptional combat skills. Every retired member received a noble title and lands, the dream of all imperial knights.
And now this savage, inferior even to slaves, could gain entry so easily? The support members were torn between envy and jealousy.
Keth remained silent. He had never imagined he could lose, having been certain that a single hit from his arrows would leave Luosen incapacitated - the Abyss Serpent could withstand dozens of arrows due to its innate monstrous physique. He refused to believe any human could keep moving after being shot, let alone that this "savage" possessed magic. Had he known, he would have gone all out from the start...
Just as everyone thought Luosen would compromise, he said calmly, "The wager... must be honored."