Sam landed in the Duke Palace and the same attendant led him to the Court room.
All this time the attendant was nervous, because, Sam is wearing all the badges of his professions. Today, he is not coming here like the soldier or the candidate Sam who is a Late stage Novice.
He is here like the Rank 5 scholar Artisan, Pseudo rank 3 tailor and weapon artisan, Formation master and a rank 2 inscription master, who is also a Late stage Novice at sixteen years of age.
Both statements are his identities, but both identities are of completely different worlds.
When Sam entered the Court room, he saw that General is standing in front of a middle-aged man who is sitting in the main seat.
The man seemed to have just entered his late thirties. But since he is a Nascent, the appearances will be deceiving.
Sam walked towards the centre and stood in front of the Duke.
The first thing the Duke noticed when he saw Sam is how young he is and the second thing is the badges that are pinned on the left side of the coat.
They are too dazzling to ignore. That many professions, that many titles and that cultivation when he is that young. He really is a rare piece and the Duke understood why the conflict escalated.
A young man with those achievements is sure to be proud. Why would he endure the abuse of some old man?
Duke has a faint smile on his face which is pleasing to see and that face which resembled Nicholas Carton a lot is so bright and pleasant.
Duke and Sam exchanged some pleasantries then former came straight to point.
"Sam, I heard that you have a misunderstanding with our General here, May I know why you are damaging the whole military because of your conflict with an individual?" Duke asked with same smile.
His tone is not overbearing but there is still some strictness in it.
"Does Duke Carton know about the whole situation? Did General Spark elaborate on it from start to end?"
Sam asked instead of replying to the earlier question.
Duke didn't get angry instead he replied with the same smile.
"I have been told that General and you have some differences and you paid him back on the expense of the army and his disciples. Let us put the things about soldiers and the battles aside.
He said that you are even hindering his disciple from getting a treatment, may I know why you are doing this?"
Sam chuckled as soon as he heard Duke's words. He looked at the General who didn't dare to meet his eyes because of his guilt.
Even though, the general wanted to bury the hatchet with Sam, he really didn't want to lose all his dignity and pride. So, he spoke by playing down the whole situation and most of his words suggested that Sam is overdoing it.
He just wanted the Duke to end the matter by forming a truce. He didn't expect that he would ask all these things. Even then he hoped that Sam would just comply and end the farce, but judging from how Sam made an appearance with all his badges of his professions, clearly indicating his status, there is a very little chance that would happen and the situation went on just like that.
Sam looked at Duke seriously and said.
"Duke Carton. I think calling the grudge between me and General as some misunderstanding and slight differences will be seriously undermining it."
"If you say so, I would like to listen to your side of the story." Duke replied.
"Well, the General himself might not like it if I tell everything and who knows what would happen to me if I really did say it. I still have to stay in the southern star city for a while, right?"
This time, Duke clearly understood, how much General undermined the situation. Sam's words reeked with sarcasm. His words clearly meant that general could clearly do anything to Sam even if he complained to the Duke himself.
Duke turned a bit serious and looked at General Spark before speaking.
"General Spark. You are a senior to me as you served as general under my father and due to both of your friendship, he overlooked a lot of your shortcomings and he even helped you when you are at your worst.
I respected his decision and you since you are his friend, but that doesn't mean that you can make a fool out of me. I now demand that you explain the situation clearly without leaving a little bit of information.
Otherwise, I might have to remined you that I am the Duke Carton now and you are the subordinate working under me, with the hardest way possible."
As he said those words, Duke Carton released his aura of the Late stage Nascent, very close to peak.
If his father and General are of same generation, then he is of the same generation as Marquis Blue flame.
And right now, the Marquis blue flame is still in the late stage Grand realm while the Duke is in Late stage Nascent.
General lowered his head in shame and then took a look at his disciples. All of them are having completely disappointed expressions. This is the first time they saw how despicable their teacher can be.
Abusing authority, suppressing the weak and powerless, lying, unfounded pride. He is an absolute embarrassment.
Those expressions made the General himself feel disappointed in himself. He took a deep breath and looked at the Duke before spilling everything out.
Everything from how Zeke attacked Sam, how the latter retaliated. How the general used his authority and people to make trouble for Sam and his teammates. Even, how he involved the army.
When Duke heard all these things, he couldn't even meet Sam's gaze. This is a great embarrassment.
Everyone, knew that this competition is a really important one, but Duke trusted General Spark and gave him all the responsibility.
But the General broke all the rules which he himself made and troubled a youngster who is participating in the competition.
And that youngster is not any normal candidate. Just based on his battle prowess he might have been seeded by the people behind the scenes and now that he knew that he is adept in so many professions. It would be a miracle if they ignored Sam.
So, the situation is more serious than he thought.
He has simply put too much trust in Spark. He shouldn't have done that just because of his seniority.
Seeing the silent Duke, Sam said.
"Duke Carton, with all due respect, can I ask if you really even care for your army. Your General is an abusive psycho who uses his authority just for his selfish motives.
Not only that, I heard that he even suppressed the actions of Deputy general who had tried to improve the welfare of the soldiers.
Your regiment soldiers are full of trash and nobody has a moral bottom line. Your regiment commanders are hypocritical people who only fears the strong and bullies the weak.
In the fifteen days, me and my teammates suffered in the camp while my remaining teammates suffered in the city. Not a single person came to my rescue.
I only retaliated in the same way they did to me and I didn't even break a single rule unlike them who treated the rules like a pile of shit and now I am being questioned here.
I had very good impression of you from your son Nicholas, but I might have to change my opinion.
If not for the fact that I am strong enough and I have some special identities, who knows what would have happened to me. I would have been killed in cold blood for all I know.
A grandson who thinks that everything has to go his way and ambushed an injured person with twenty people and a grandfather who has his back by breaking every fucking rule in the military and a Duke who doesn't see it unless that grandfather himself confesses it. I really feel like a new world opened up to me."
Hearing Sam's outburst, the general and the Duke are thoroughly embarrassed and that embarrassment became anger.
Even if it true being lectured by a young brat is not a thing they can easily bear.
"Sam, you might be a victim here, but you should watch your words. It is not a good thing to be this disrespectful. You might not be able to bear the consequences."
These words didn't come from the general or the duke, rather a Great mage who is the full- time commander of the Thunder wolf squad was the one who spoke those words.
Sam just looked at him and said.
"Who the hell are you to talk to me? Is it even your place to talk here?"
The squad leader was angry. Even if Sam is great in the Novice but he himself is a Great mage in middle stage, where did Sam has found the guts to talk to him like that?
The squad leader is so self-centred that he forgot that Sam is picking a fight with his teacher who is Nascent much less a Great mage.
"I am the squad leader of the thunder wolf squad. The conflict involves our squad as well. You crippled the spine of one of our soldiers and I can ask you for an explanation."
"Thunder wolf squad? Leader? In my eyes you are just a bunch of overrated soldiers and you particularly are the leader of these pathetic life forms.
Explanation? you guys better thank your lucky stars that I didn't start a massacre in your squad. If I wished so, even your teacher has no way to stop me and you have balls to demand an explanation?
If you dare to utter a word again, I will visit your squad again and trust me, this time not a single novice can stand in their whole life. They can only crawl with their hands."
Sam threatened directly. He didn't like to talk much, but there is a hidden agenda in this conversation he is making.
In actual fact, Sam could have dealt with these guys the very second day, but why did he wait for fifteen days patiently and deal with all the regiments there are some reasons.
Like taking the revenge on General psychologically, making some quick buck and the third and most important reason, points he has to earn.
Who has so much time and patience to finish the tasks assigned by their instructors?
He waited fifteen days to see if any instructor is normal, since all of them are against him and after revenge no one will support him or mess with him. So, he has to find a quick way to get his hands on those points.