249 Absolutely No

Supreme Elder Haldir was disappointed the moment Leon refused the challenge. Not only was he interested in Leon's true strength, but he was also curious about how humans fought.

Princess Faelyn on the side, had her brows scrunched together. In Elvengarde, she had encountered this scene numerous times.

In order to impress someone, people would not hesitate to put down others and step on them to stand out among the masses.

This is something she abhorred. Only people with a weak heart would behave like that.

She wanted to immediately stop the matter from escalating, but she hesitated and ultimately gave up. The Supreme Elder was here for official matters and this was a dispute between two humans. 

General Marquis Hendrick sighed with relief when the prince refused the challenge. He was still boiling with rage inside and glared at his son. "His Highness is magnanimous and doesn't take your disrespectful behavior to heart. You might be my son, but that doesn't make you above royalty. Now, step down!"

Being admonished by his father, grievance boiled in Rowan's heart and a stronger repulsion exploded out.

"I won't"

Don't you see it?! He refused my challenge because he is afraid of being exposed. Look at him walking away!

"Are you running away?" 

The question was directed at Leon.

Leon was walking back to pocket the five Interspatial Rings on the worktable, but hearing this, he paused.

"You're too weak to challenge me." Leon turned his head back and said coldly. 

Just because a lion doesn't show its might, do you think you can take it to be a sick cat? I was giving your father face!

"Hmph!"

Leon turned around and continued to pocket the Interspatial Rings with his back towards the general's son. He was allowing room for the general to handle his own son.

Rowan was completely ignored.

He was already not thinking straight, but after hearing Leon's contemptuous words, he lost all reasoning. The real reason for picking a fight no longer mattered. He just wants to teach this person a lesson.

Me? Too weak to challenge you?! I'll show you who the real weak one is!

Sitting in his wheelchair without any movements, wind condensed in front of Rowan and shot out a wind blade at Leon's back.

Everyone's expression changed at this moment. To attack behind someone's back was the lowest of the low!

A wind blade from a 9th step Awakener was fast and sharp. Even Transcendents wouldn't dare to take such an attack with their bare flesh!

In such close proximity, no one expected the general's son to be so daring to launch a sneak attack nor could they react in time. 

The general marquis looked completely grim at that moment. What the hell was wrong with his son?!

Everyone summoned their protective layer of elements to shield themselves, but few forgery equipments was blown away and some benches were riddled with small cuts.

Before Rowan didn't think much about what just happened and was already summoning up another wind attack, but the general marquis had already exploded with fury.

Hendrick knocked his son unconscious and turned towards the prince for forgiveness while kneeling on one knee.

"Your Highness! I beg you to magnanimous and spare this useless son of mine!"

What his son did was nothing short of treason and deserved nothing short of death if it was pursued by royalty. 

Even if it wasn't, his son had thoroughly offended the Lancasters for making a mess in their workshop and assaulting their future son-in-law.

"It's fine. No one was hurt. discipline him properly" Leon said coolly. 

His hand was completely unscathed.

If it wasn't for Rowan being the general's son, a different result would have befell him.

Amelia and Ignis had their expression eased up when they saw that Leon was alright, but then everyone was soon shocked.

How could his hand be unscathed?

While everyone else was wonder what the heck Leon's hand was made of, the general was feeling gratified that he did pursue his son's matter. If his mother hears about this though… 

"Thank you, Your Highness. I will be sure to educate him well, so he does not make the same mistake again!" Hendrick said firmly. 

"Hmph!" Amelia and Ignis grunted with displeasure.

"I'm sorry for my son's lawless conduct. I'll be sure to repay you both for the damages later." Hendrick said to the Lancaster couple, before turning to the envoys, "Sorry, you had to see such an unsightly thing."

After that, Hendrick excused himself and sent his unconscious son back to the airship and tossed his son over to his men.

"If he wakes up, make sure he stays on this airship until I get back! If he doesn't obey, you may punish him according to the military!"

Hendrick slam down those words and returned to the ground floor. He had been too lenient with his son. It was time to administer some strict discipline.

The soldiers on the airship smiled bitterly. This was a difficult task. The general's son had a higher cultivation than them. If Rowan wanted to leave, they wouldn't be able to stop him. The only way was to watch him and make sure he doesn't wake up.

Back on the ground floor, after some further apologies, the general marquis was prepared to take the envoys to meet the king, but they realized that they had spent too much time in touring the workshop. 

It was nightfall. 

It was no longer an appropriate time to visit the king as visitings hours as close off. This was a time when everyone usually gets off work, have dinner, and relax.

After some discussions, they decided to find some accommodation in the Upper District to settle the envoys in and seek the king's audience tomorrow morning.

As they left, Leon didn't follow them. 

The Elven Princess's beauty was too dazzling. Even after the envoys left with the general, the blacksmiths were still spellbound on her fading silhouette. 

Leon did not doubt that more trouble will follow them while they are booking accommodations in the Upper District where there are countless young nobles and young masters. Perhaps, even the nobles will be tempted.

He did not want to be a part of such troubles and allowed the general to deal with it.

When he could no longer saw the silhouette of the envoys in the distance, Leon finally took out the Interspatial Rings and gifted each one to Amelia and Duke Ignis.

"These are Interspatial Rings. You can store items inside by using spirit energy." Leon explained. 

If they sink their perception inside, they will find each ring to have a space of 30 cubic meters. Not a very big size to be a portable treasury, but more than enough to carry daily necessities. 

Although, he said that runic circles were important, but if he actually had some material with spatial elements, he would have been able to forge Interspatial Storages with much larger storage capacity.

"So this is an Interspatial Ring… How miraculous." Amelia was beaming as she tested. Since it was a gift from her son-in-law, she would naturally not shy away and accept it forwardly.

The Lancaster couple had both practiced the breathing technique before and had some stored-up spirit energy in them. 

It wasn't much since the cultivation technique he gifted before was revised for awakening cultivation. 

Nevertheless, the little spirit energy they had cultivated on their own with the widespread breathing technique was enough to use the Interspatial Storages.

After some small talks, Leon bid them farewell. He had three Interspatial Rings left, not enough gift everyone but he would be back to forge more.

Leon went to find Aria's family, who had moved into the Upper District to live to check up on how they were doing. 

They were doing very well. Nobles were willing to befriend them and even suck up to them with extravagant gifts.

Everyone knew that one of the two 'Saintess' was their daughter and that the Saintess and the prince were a couple.

By now, everyone also knows that the missing prince was a commoner named Leon Bradford. It was just a difference in the last name. 

However, not everyone had seen what Leon looked like, so some would still fail to recognize him or even offend him.

Leon also had a preference over wearing common attire rather than royal and noble attire. Commoner attires wasn't as appealing and even uses cheap materials, but its selling point was comfort.

After visiting Aria's parents, he went to visit the Cromwells. 

The guards knew who Leon was and didn't stop him from entering. 

Inside the villa, the Cromwell family of three with the exclusion of Lynne was currently having dinner. 

"Boy, so you still remember to visit this old man, huh? Come, sit down and join us for dinner." Dwight said with a pleasant surprise.

"Sebastian, please bring out another bowl and set of cutleries for my grandson-in-law." Dwight ordered.

"Right away, my Lord." Sebastian complied with a smile.

Looking at the lavish meal, Leon did not reject it. The long hours of forging and sweat had made famished again. 

He had already changed into a new set of common attire, but there was still a faint odor surrounding him that wouldn't go away unless he washes up.

However, it wasn't strong enough to earn the Cromwell's displeasure as everyone looked at him with smiling faces.

He wondered if the relationship between Dwight and Lynne's father, Bromley had improved for them to be siting at the dinner table together.

"Don't hold back and eat as much as you want. We still have plenty more in the kitchen." Bromley said to Leon.

Leon glanced table filled with dishes and smiled wryly.

"With so much food, I don't think it's possible to finish it all with just the four of us. Isn't that too wasteful?" 

"Not at all. Our servants and maids usually dine in after us and finish it for us." Bromley said as a matter of fact.

Eating leftovers?

Leon didn't know how the servants would feel about that, but then again, everything on the table were rare delicacy that regular people wouldn't be able to afford to eat on a consistent basis.

Everyone at the dining table were filled with smiles as they watched Leon devoured his food with great relish and even urged him to eat more.

As they talked over dinner, Leon stated the reason for his visit and in the blink of an eye, he had given out all the Interspatial Rings he had just forged for the day.

Everyone was delighted and amazed by the invaluable gift. Lynne's mother in particular was very happy with the gift.

"Boys your age are still in the growing period. Let me tell you this, girls do not like boys who are shorter than them. Although you are quite tall right now, it'll be a disaster if our Lynne ends up growing taller than you. Here, eat some more." Lynne's mother urged with enthusiasm.

"Please spare me, I really can't eat anymore…" 

Leon didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Out of respect, he had eaten everything Lynne's mother had placed into his bowl, but he is finally at his wit's end. 

He had already eaten more portions than the three of them combined.

Rumble…

Leon grabbed his stomach and looked Dwight for a split second before skipping the old man and turned to Lynne's father instead

"Can I use the toilet?"

Dwight's body trembled at the question.

"Just go for it. This isn't something you need to ask."

Bromley was taken aback but he recovered quickly and smiled.

At the same time, Dwight had stood up abruptly and slammed the dining table strongly.

"Absolutely… NOT!!!"