NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 405: Chapter 405: Bullying
"Don't get excited, Leon," Duke Muria said with a chuckle, shaking his head. "My summoning of talents to form the Demon Hunter Knights is purely out of necessity. As a Demon Hunter, you must have sensed it—the malevolent and violent aura permeating the air."
"I have sensed it, the stench of the devil," Leon said, looking around with a furrowed brow. "A very powerful devil, and it has been here before."
"How come I don't sense any devil's aura?" Duke Muria eyed Leon suspiciously. Though he had summoned Maelstrom here many times, Maelstrom had always been very cautious to conceal his presence, and Muria would purify the area after he left, leaving no trace behind.
"If we were only to rely on scent to hunt demons, then we Demon Hunters would be quite pathetic."
"What do you rely on, then?" Duke Muria asked curiously.
"Instinct!"
"Like a sixth sense?" Muria was surprised. This was akin to an animalistic instinct, which most humans had lost over the long course of evolution.
Only those who embarked on the path to transcendence could reawaken such abilities. However, Leon's sensing capability was far beyond that of any beast, considering Muria himself had cleansed the area, and he could no longer detect any trace of the infernal demon Maelstrom.
"That's right. It's a perceptive ability granted by our Demon Hunter armor," Leon responded.
"Hmm, I think I understand."
"Duke Muria, I think it's crucial to thoroughly investigate this powerful devil that appeared here. It might have already gleaned quite a bit of confidential information."
"Cough, Leon, no need to investigate. This powerful devil is my servant, and its life is in my hands," Muria coughed dryly, somewhat reluctantly explaining. It would be quite awkward if Leon, driven by his professional instincts, followed his bizarre intuition to Maelstrom and then decided to hunt down the nearly legendary demon with his sword.
"You employ a devil as your servant?" Leon's brow furrowed deeper. He was a person of strong moral principles and found it hard to comprehend why a noble gold dragon would have such a being as a servant.
"I am half a mage," Muria explained, lifting his palm as golden dragon flames surged, forming a soccer-ball-sized fireball with lightning crackling around it, "Is it so strange to enslave a devil?"
Muria felt his role as a dragon mage was already quite restrained. He knew many mages with the power to summon demons who were far less scrupulous, such as those who summoned succubi or lust demons for personal service.
"But that's a devil known for tempting intelligent beings into corruption."
"Under my command, it's merely an obedient hound that follows all my orders."
"Fine, but if it ever breaks free from your control, I will ensure it is slain, no matter what," Leon said, accepting the compromise. The Demon Hunters of today were not as rigid as those from the age of old—they had learned to adapt and compromise, understanding that it was unrealistic to impose their standards on others.
"There will be no need for you to act. If it acts against my orders, I will be the first to not spare it," Muria hummed lightly.
...
Under the watchful eyes of many, the grand martial contest, which took one and a half months from announcement to registration, finally reached its finals after two months of preliminaries and semifinals.
Four months after Muria began preparing for the tournament, he fulfilled his promise. Each battle of the finals was broadcast live to every city in the Lockman Kingdom, allowing all to witness.
The event was as grand as the ceremony held when he took office. Though initially, it was just a day-long celebration, now it involved nearly two thousand competitors in a massive tournament broadcast live—truly a lavish expense.
Luckily, the resources of the Lockman Kingdom could support such extravagance, though at a considerable cost. Muria, who did not mind spending what was not his, did not care for frugality.
The finals continued with a one-on-one knockout format. Lose once, and you're out, with no second chances. The system Muria devised was ruthlessly straightforward.
Winners rise, and losers leave. Some might be unfortunate to face powerhouses like Leon in their first match and get eliminated early.
Aside from attributing some of their defeat to bad luck, the primary reason was a lack of strength. If one had the power to dominate their peers, who they faced would not matter.
Take for example Enidra, who Muria placed in the under-ten age category; she didn't care who her opponents were. She knew she just had to step up, throw a punch, and her task would be complete.
Because of her overwhelming strength, no child under ten in the Lockman Kingdom could stand against
Enidra.
The only thing Enidra needed to be cautious of before entering the ring was to gauge her opponent's strength to ensure her punches didn't accidentally kill a 'naughty child'.
If Enidra were to unleash her full power, it would result in a massacre, something Muria would never allow.
Initially, there were some complaints about Muria directly placing Leon and Enidra in the finals, but as the tournament progressed and both continued to win dominantly, those voices quieted down. However, another complaint arose.
Some argued that as the Lockman Kingdom's martial contest was meant for its residents, outsiders like Enidra and Leon, who were Muria's people, should not be allowed to participate.
Muria, of course, ignored these voices. Essentially, some people were intimidated by Enidra and Leon's prowess, believing they had no chance of winning on the field.
They hoped to disrupt them with various schemes off the field, ideally persuading Muria to disqualify them.
Regardless of the outsiders' thoughts, Muria ignored them all, focusing solely on ensuring the smooth conduct of the "Golden Dragon Cup" martial contest, free from external disturbances.
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