The man looked at Zatiel, Sophia, and Ezequiel maintaining his view on them for a while, before focusing on Clive and John making the duo tremble, especially John when he remembered the words he just said and guessed the identity of this person.
"Clive of the Tribus family greets his Highness!"
Clive stands up from his chair and kneeled immediately as he saw this man, leaving his prideful facade aside.
"John of the Tribus family greets his Highness!"
John was shaking, and he kneels so much that his head was touching the floor, not daring to look at the man in his eyes.
"Clive, did you fulfill the part of the contract for which you were asking the runes?"
The tone of the man was indifferent, as if, independent of the answer, his actions were already decided.
Clive would want nothing more than to lie and say that he did everything he was asked, but he knows that it was not true and if it was any other Rank 1, he was sure that he could intimidate them so they will follow along, but in his short interaction with Zatiel, he already knows that fear would not work, so he just sighs and answered.
"No, your Highness, my man failed to carry my orders and didn't provide the protection that was specified in the contract."
Although he admitted the failure, he put all the blame on John, implying that if any fault was committed, it was not his but of his man.
When John heard this, he felt a great injustice was committed to him, since it was the direct order of Clive that they should just let Erick do whatever he wants with them, but he didn't show it on his face and also didn't dare to argue with the words of the Rank 2 Magus.
If he were to do it, it wouldn't be weird if he ends up dead tomorrow.
To the man, even though John tried to hide it, he was able to realize his state immediately, easily discovering the truth, but to him, there was no difference how much guilt either party had.
"Since you fail to fulfill your part, the contract is null. And because you tried to extort the payment, you will have to pay him something of equal price as compensation."
The words of the man were direct and carried a might that made those who hear it not dare to defy them.
"Tell me your name, and what do you desire as compensation?"
The man looked at Zatiel and spoke, but he was a little surprised, as he was the most composed in the room, and his two companions although a little nervous they were miles ahead of the Rank 2 Magus.
"My name is Zatiel Daybreak, your Highness, and these are my companions Sophia and Ezequiel," Zatiel made a small bow as he presented himself, followed by Sophia and Ezequiel.
"Answering your Highness, what I need right now is a sword, I don't care about special abilities but it is essential that it can resist high temperatures and is of durable material."
The man was a little surprised at the request of Zatiel, but he focused on Clive again and commanded him.
"Take your best magical equipment that fulfills those conditions, I guess I don't need to tell you what will happen if you try to trick me."
Clive was thinking of just giving a simple weapon to Zatiel, but when he heard the words from the man, he didn't dare to test his luck and with a face full of reluctance, he took a one-handed sword from his spatial ring.
The sword looked very ordinary, just like a sword from the mortal world would, but both the man and Zatiel were able to realize that it was indeed special.
The man moved his hand, and the sword flew from Clive's hand to his own. Once in his hand, he started to wave the sword and despite carrying neither strength nor energy, any slash had more than enough power to kill a Rank 2 being.
"Not bad, it doesn't have any sort of inscription or special ability but the metal that is made can withstand great amounts of energy going through it. It should be a rank 2 magical equipment, but just in durability, it can compare to some weaker rank 3. Take it," The man throws the sword to Zatiel before looking once again at the duo, this time focusing on John.
"You were the one to say that the codes and laws of my family do not matter."
John started to tremble and when he was going to try to give an excuse, he saw the man make a slashing motion with his finger.
No blade of energy, of any kind, came out, but John started to scream as thousands of small cuts started to appear on his right arm until they pulverized it.
Although it didn't seem like a great punishment since most Magi can regrow a limb with ease, this attack carried the power of the laws, and the wound was affected by them, so unless John could get the help of someone at the same level that the man with the sword, that arm will never regrow.
"Everything here is done, accompany me."
The man waves his hand, and a portal appears in front of Zatiel before he disappears into the broken space from which he arrived.
Zatiel finished assessing the sword before keeping it into his space ring and looked in the direction of Clive and John, the two of them looked at him with poisonous hatred but it didn't make any difference to him, at most it made him mark them to be killed at the first opportunity presented.
He enters the portal together with Sophia and Ezequiel vanishing from the house.
When they were alone Clive looked at John for a moment before speaking, "Do you blame me?"
John stares at the Magus and although his face didn't show anything he knows that if he doesn't answer correctly, then he will surely be recalled to the family territory and suffer an 'accident' on the road.
"I don't blame Master, as I would have done the same in your position. But that person, no matter what, I must repay him for all the humiliations he gave me."
John's hatred was obvious, making him forget the pain of his amputated arm.
Clive looks at John for a while before nodding, "Don't worry, If I allow an insignificant Rank 1 to take my possessions and live to tell, then I will be failing my title of Butcher Shadow, but we must not speak here."
....
Zatiel, Sophia, and Ezequiel arrived at a room filled with all sorts of decorations, from pictures of strange creatures to scenes of warriors clashing with their swords.
On one of the walls, all types of swords were hanging, and in everyone was some amount of damage and small cuts proving that they were not mere decoration but weapons used to kill all sorts of beings.
What calls most attention was a wall that had nothing on it but marks made by sword attacks, and despite the materials of this room being the same as the exterior of the Tower, the attacks made cuts one meter deep.
When the man saw them, he used his consciousness, and after a moment he spoke.
"The three of you don't follow any of the paths of power of the Magi World."
The statement was simple but made both Sophia and Ezequiel startled.
They know that it is impossible for any being present in the Magi World to see their cores and their energy had the same feeling that spirit power would give so they don't understand how this person could discover their secret.
But contrary to the two, Zatiel remained calm.
It is true that to most of their energy and body are the ones of someone who follow the Magi path, but if someone was strong enough, they could realize that their bodies were too powerful for someone did not focus on Body-Refinement and the amount of energy in their bodies was too much for a new advanced Magus, plus other small details.
Even so, the number of paths to power in the universe are countless so having one that was not present in the Magi World was not a big problem, so he answered naturally.
"No, we don't, but neither does your Highness?"
Zatiel's attitude was respectful but extremely calm.
The man was a little surprised before concentrating on Zatiel and trying to see through him, but all he got was a feeling of profundity, unlike anyone other men he had met.
"I'm very surprised that a Rank 1 being has information about my path. My name is Heinz and I am a prince from the Empire. Can you tell me what you know about my path and how you found it?"
Speaking as an equal to a Rank 1 being may be considered weird to someone of his power, but for some reason, Heinz felt that it was correct.
"Answering your Highness, the information I got is from the libraries of the towers I have visited and also from some ruins I explored. Your Path should be that of those called Cultivators, and for your style, I can say you follow the branch of Sword Cultivator. According to what I know, a cultivator must enhance their energy just like any other path, but the special part about this path is that they produce something called Dao Heart, that is a set of beliefs and ideas developed by the cultivator along his path of power," Zatiel chose to end the explanation here, as any more information could be suspicious.
The information about Sword Cultivator was not very weird and was present in most of the libraries, but when Zatiel spoke about the Dao Heart, he surprised Heinz greatly, as that was something generally only those that follow this path knew about.
