HMC 06

~Chapter 6~

A few minutes earlier—

Lukas and his group walked into the shop. Right away, they felt something was strange.

“How can I help you?”
One worker asked, looking them up and down.

The shop didn’t feel welcoming. The workers looked more like thugs than salespeople.

There weren’t any items for sale either. The only thing on display was a black panther statue in the window.

“I want to buy that statue,”
Lukas said, pointing to it.

The workers glanced at each other.

“Please wait a moment,”
one of them said, going through a door in the back.

Cain leaned toward Lukas and whispered:

“Your Majesty… this feels dangerous. Maybe we should come back with more knights.”

Lukas didn’t say anything. He folded his arms. Now that he knew the place was suspicious, he couldn’t just leave. These men were likely just underlings. If he wanted to find the real boss, he had to stay.

A moment later, the worker came back holding something in his hand. It looked like a red stone or jewel.

“What’s that?”
Cain asked.

No reply. The man stayed silent.

“Looks like the stone in the panther’s eye, doesn’t it?”
Lukas asked.

Still, the worker didn’t answer.

“Sorry, but we have nothing to sell,”
he said coldly and put the stone in his pocket.

He waved at them to leave.

Lukas laughed.

“A store that kicks out customers. Amazing.”

“Who owns this place? I want to speak to them.”

At that, the workers’ eyes changed. They looked cold.

“Do you have a referral?”
one asked.

“You need a referral to buy something here?”
Lukas replied calmly.

The tension grew.

“If you don’t have one, leave.”

Suddenly, the back door opened and several rough men walked out. They carried weapons and had scars. They looked ready to fight.

Burnet touched his sword. Cain looked nervous.

Lukas quietly unfolded his arms. He saw no hidden rooms or secret goods. This really was just a front.

But still, he couldn’t walk away now.

He smiled and said:

“Call your boss. Do that, and I’ll let you live.”

“You think you’re in charge?!”
one man laughed and pushed Lukas’s shoulder.

“You should—GAH!”

Burnet twisted the man’s wrist and growled:

“Don’t touch him.”

The man screamed and fell. The others pulled out their weapons.

Burnet stood in front of Lukas with his sword. Cain quietly stepped back.

Lukas didn’t draw his weapon. He just stood there.

“Get them!”
someone yelled.

Two men rushed in—Burnet cut them down.

Lukas calmly fought with his bare hands. He looked bored, like none of this was hard.

“Cain, move,”
Lukas said and tossed a man across the room. The man hit a pillar with a loud thud.

Screams and cracking bones filled the room.

Soon, many thugs were on the floor.

Just as things were calming down, one man tried to destroy the panther statue.

“No!”
Cain shouted—but it was too late.

The man threw it—

“Got it!”
A woman appeared and caught the statue gently.

“Don’t worry. It didn’t break,”
she said in a pretty voice.

She had long black hair in a ponytail and wore a white dress. Her red eyes sparkled.

The bloody room went silent. Everyone stared at her.

“Who are you?!”
the man who threw the statue shouted.

“Oh, you want my name?”
the woman blinked and smiled.

“I’m Rosedale. Rosedale Bell.”

Rosedale felt proud of her introduction.

“Someone already wants to know my name!”

She hoped it was Lukas.

And she had even saved the statue. Books said being kind helps you make friends.

She stood tall.

But the man who lost the statue looked annoyed.

“Who asked for your name?!”

Rosedale tilted her head.

“Should I say my age too? I just turned twent—”

“You’re crazy!”

He raised his hand to hit her.

But—SLAP!
She slapped him first. Hard.

“Oops. I didn’t mean to hit that hard,”
she said.

The man collapsed, unconscious. His cheek was red and swollen.

Rosedale looked down at him.

“I even caught your statue… and this is how you treat me?”

She sighed.

Then her eyes met Lukas’s.

Time stopped. His green eyes reminded her of a quiet lake in summer.

Her heart raced.

“Um…”

“Are you on their side?”
Lukas asked.

Before she could reply, more men came forward.

“Give us the statue.”

Even the man with the broken wrist stood again.

Lukas looked at them, then turned back to Rosedale.

“That statue you’re holding. Can you keep it safe for me?”

His voice was deep and calm. Rosedale thought it sounded like fairy music.

He didn’t smile—but Rosedale didn’t mind his serious face.

“Sure,”
she said.

Lukas took off his robe and gently wrapped it around her.

“Keep it on,”
he told her.

“Okay,”
she nodded.

The robe smelled like citrus—just like Lukas.

Then he turned back to the thugs.

“I’ll block them!”
Burnet said.

He was injured and tired.

“Stand back,”
Lukas said, drawing his sword.

“I’m done playing.”

Burnet and Cain moved away.

“Arrogant bastard!”
the men growled.

“Everyone attack!”

“Good. Easier to kill you all at once,”
Lukas said with a sharp smile.

He bent low and slashed.

SWOOSH!
Three heads flew. Then more blood splashed as he cut again.

Rosedale watched in shock.

“Wow… Cain wasn’t lying. He really is the strongest.”

She had thought Elpis was the strongest, but Lukas’s sword skills were incredible.

Soon, the fight was over.

Only one man was still awake, holding his bleeding arm.
Lukas put his sword to the man’s neck.

“Who’s your boss?”

“I-I don’t know!”

The man shook in fear.

“If you don’t know, you die.”

Blood started to drip from his neck.

“Talk.”

“I really don’t! I’m just a wor—GACK!”

Blood poured from his mouth.
Lukas stepped back. The man collapsed and died.

Cain checked for a pulse.

“He’s dead.”

“Did he kill himself?”

Lukas stayed silent.

The man had tried to speak but died first. It didn’t feel like a normal death.

Something bigger might be going on.

But for now, something else was more important.

Lukas turned back to Rosedale.

Their eyes met again.

She looked into his green eyes.
They reminded her of a lake fairies loved.

“Such beautiful eyes…”
she thought.

“This is my human. The first one I’ve blessed. More beautiful than any fairy.”

Hearing soft bell sounds in her heart, Rosedale smiled slightly.