CHAPTER 65: ENCOUNTER

Back in the Barony of Thornsreach, even with Arthur’s absence for several days, the place was full of commotion, and the reason was one thing only the "public toilets". Unfortunately, the common folk struggled to accept them, and many didn’t understand their purpose to begin with.

Near one of the toilets that had been built a few days ago, an old man in his late years stood in confusion. He stared at the seat inside the toilet, and with hesitation, took a step inside.

But he froze in place, and after a whole minute of standing and thinking, he stepped back, turned around, and looked at Orin who was standing nearby and asked, "So, boy, you’re saying I should defecate inside?"

Upon hearing the question, Orin sighed in despair and cried internally,

’Calm down. Don’t get angry. I have to accept this punishment, so I learn that messing with powerful people has consequences.’

Before messing with Arthur, his life had been very quiet and free of noise and hassle. But now, everything had changed, and he was forced to do tasks he didn’t like and worst of all, he worked without pay. So he wasn’t any different from a slave.

He calmed himself and struggled to improve his mood, then looked at the old man and replied, "Yes, as I said earlier, all you have to do is sit on the chair and let nature take its course."

The old man nodded in understanding but didn’t move from his place. After another minute of freezing and thinking, he asked again, "But why? Isn’t the river better?"

’Damn it, are you kidding me?’ Orin resisted the urge to scream. He had spent the entire day explaining the benefits of the toilets to the people, and he had met many fools like this old man.

At first, he had done the job faster thanks to the Charming Words skill, but he had exhausted much of his mental energy and became worn out.

So in the end, he was forced to deal with them without any help. Unfortunately, their stupidity was unbelievable, and so he had to explain things multiple times before they understood.

Unlike the commoners, he understood how beneficial public toilets were for people’s health and the town’s cleanliness. At first, he had liked them, but the hassle he had to endure because of them made him hate their very existence.

’I can’t take this anymore. Damn all of this.’ His forehead wrinkled, and with frustration he snapped at the old man,

"Listen closely. Get your wrinkled behind away from me immediately, or I’ll drown you in that river you keep talking about. Got it?"

The old man’s expression shrank and he felt a bit of fear and also anger but he couldn’t argue back due to Orin’s high status compared to him. So he lowered his head and left, muttering,

"This generation is disrespectful. Young people these days have no respect for their elders."

Sigh!

Orin let out a long exhale, raised his head, and looked up at the clear sky.

"How long will that bastard keep bothering me? First, he made me spend two whole days sorting and calculating the census data, and now I’m stuck dealing with the fools of the land.

Does he think this will break my spirit? Damn him. My will is made of steel. I won’t let him win. Let him enjoy his victory for now."

Back when he finished organizing the census data as Arthur had requested, he thought he was done and was preparing for a long break.

He was going to use the time to think of a way to take revenge. But all of his ideas were in vain, for Arthur had prepared a "gift" for him before leaving—he ordered Octavia to make him the designated person to explain the purpose of the toilets to the public.

Arthur hadn’t chosen him for this job just to annoy him. In truth, he was the most qualified for it.

He was very smart, could persuade people easily thanks to his skill, and unlike many others, had great patience—so he usually wouldn’t yell at people.

After contemplating the sky for a moment, he lowered his head and looked around. When he found the place empty, he felt a bit relieved that he didn’t have to deal with more fools. But suddenly, he spotted a strange man coming from the direction of the forest.

Most of the toilets had been built several meters outside the town so they wouldn’t bother the people and would be visible from afar.

"That guy?" Orin watched the stranger with suspicion but decided to ignore him or that’s what he did at first, at least. For as soon as the stranger came close enough, he noticed how extremely handsome the man was, and his noble attire.

He stared for a moment at the beautiful sword at his waist and thought,

’This man is no ordinary person. Is he a noble? Or perhaps a knight from a powerful lineage?’

He felt some curiosity and wanted to ask the stranger and understand his identity. Fortunately, it seemed the stranger was heading his way. He stood calmly and prepared some questions in his mind. As soon as the man reached him, he greeted him.

"Greetings to you, stranger."

The stranger Novarian—replied, "Greetings."

Then he asked, "Is this the Barony of Thornsreach?"

"Yes," Orin replied politely. "Why do you ask?"

Novarian didn’t give him much attention and replied indifferently,

"Just asking. So that means that big stone castle is where Baron Arvan lives."

Although Arthur had already told him about the place and his identity, he still felt something strange in what was being said.

His question only made Orin more curious, but without showing it, he nodded.

"Yes, that’s correct. But Arvan is not the baron. More accurately, his status is a bit higher."

He quietly observed Novarian’s movements and expressions, trying to analyze his personality.

Then he said, "If you’re looking for him, I’m sorry to say he’s outside the barony. You’ll have to wait for his return."

"I know," Novarian replied.

The shallow response annoyed Orin a little, and without hesitation he activated the Charming Words skill and started asking the questions that were bothering him.

"Sir, you’re a knight, correct? Forgive me if my question is out of place. It’s just that I noticed your magnificent sword and unusual clothes. By the way, I’m Orin, you could say I’m an assistant to Lord Arvan."

But contrary to his expectations, he received no response just a cold, mysterious look that made him realize something was wrong.

’What’s going on? Normally, anyone would speak easily.’

But Novarian was no ordinary person. He had noticed that Orin was interrogating him using a mental skill. That made him feel a little angry. He showed killing intent and said,

"If you do that again, I’ll cut out your tongue."

Orin’s body trembled, as he felt a real danger surrounding him. Hesitantly, he took a step back before replying,

"No, no, sir. It seems there’s a misunderstanding. I didn’t do anything. I just asked out of curiosity."

Without hesitation, he canceled the Charming Words skill and apologized,

"If what I said offended you, then I sincerely apologize."

’How is this possible? Did he see through me? Wait—could he be someone extremely powerful?’

Thinking about that possibility terrified him. He didn’t want to provoke anyone who could turn his life into hell.

Novarian shook his head with a hint of mockery. "You’re not sincere."

Then, without a care, he punched him in the face and left, heading toward the castle. He hated annoying people—and unfortunately, Orin was one of them.

The punch was so strong that Orin fell on his back. But strangely, he didn’t feel much pain. Not because the punch was gentle—but because his mental shock was far greater. Only a few days had passed, and here he was now facing yet another wall, making him look like a fool.

’How? I was treated like a worthless idiot. Why? Are my skills not enough? Am I missing something? That can’t be... Something’s wrong with him.

I’ve never failed before—the baron, the official mages they always answered my questions and did what I asked easily and willingly. My skill worked on them. So why is it now useless?’

He kept thinking about it for a very long time. After several minutes, he sighed.

"I’ve become arrogant. Living in this poor place made me forget that the world is vast and full of monsters. No wonder the Radiant Pearl Academy rejected all my requests. To them, I’m just a villager and it seems they weren’t wrong."

He felt powerless, but his determination didn’t fade. On the contrary, he felt a strong urge driving him to improve himself. After a brief moment of silence, he decided,

"I need to develop my skills. I can’t stay like this. Over time, everyone will grow stronger I’m sure of it. Arvan is a wise man, and it’s clear he’ll change this barony for the better and maybe even the whole kingdom. As for that brute... He’s not ordinary, I can tell. I must not fall behind them, no matter what it takes."

The strong punch he received was enough to change the way he thought. It woke him up from the delusions of grandeur he had been living in, and made him realize his true place.

But at the same time, it made him make a decisive choice that would change many things in the future, though he didn’t realize it yet.

While he was still lying on the ground, the old man he had kicked out earlier returned, bringing with him a large group of elderly folks with scowling faces.

When they saw him, they headed straight toward him and began complaining.

"Boy, we heard you insulted our friend here. Don’t you have any respect for your elders? We know you’re an enthusiastic youth, but you should be more patient..."

Orin got up quietly and stared at them with an emotionless face. "What were you saying?"

The elders went silent and stared at him with strange expressions. He realized something was off and asked suspiciously,

"What? Why are you staring at me like that?"

One of the old men raised his finger and answered, "Your face... What happened to it?"

"My face?" He raised his hand and touched the spot where Novarian had punched him and at that moment, he felt a large swollen bruise. His face tightened and he cursed,

"Damn that brute."

He felt intense anger and wanted to let out some of his frustration. He turned to the group of elders.

"You came to complain about your friend? Get lost, you bags of bones, before I kick your behinds away!"

In panic, the group of elders left, all sighing at the same time.

"Young people these days have become more disrespectful."