Volume 3 Chapter 4: Part 5: (Patreon)

Volume 3 Chapter 4: Part 5:

"When I find those guys, I will give them a beating they never imagined before." Onyx crunches his fists, ready for a fight. Right now, Rena and Onyx are walking toward the guild hall.

After everybody left the inn, they got their rest. And they're ready for a battle.

So it's spread that far. Despite Onyx's thoughts, he notices something strange. As they walk on the streets, vendors look at him weirdly. This is due to those two fools.

A week and a half was plenty of time to spread the rumor around the entire city.

"Young man," Hearing a voice call out to him, Onyx turns around. A smile forms on his face when he sees who it is.

"What's up, Ben?" Ben is the stall vendor Onyx gave a gold coin to when he first came to Advent City. Onyx would go there for the most part, and they got to know each other from there.

"It's been a while since I've last seen you guys. Do you want some skewers? They're piping hot and ready to order." Ben laughs as he picks the skewers up to show them.

"We'll have some. It's been a while since we've eaten your skewers. I think I have forgotten the taste." Onyx jokes as he takes the food. As Onyx and Rena eat, Ben gets closer to the two and whispers,

"Onyx, you have to be more careful when going around the city. There's a strange rumor going around about you two."

"Oh, you mean that rumor." Onyx was relaxed as he talked.

Ben sighs, "So you know about it, thank goodness. And why are you so calm? You guys shouldn't be so relaxed right now. I think you guys noticed it already, but people are seeing you two in a different light with the rumor."

Advent City is a city of adventurers.

That means everybody living here is either an adventurer or affiliated with one. So for Onyx to use a fellow adventurer as bait, vendors and other owners will look at him in a dark light.

"You guys can't even walk covertly too. You stick out like a sore thumb too much." Rena's hair is a dead giveaway. And Onyx shouldn't be said.

His handsomeness is a dead giveaway. Ben continues, "You guys should wear hoodies until the rumors disappear."

Onyx smiles, "I'll keep that in mind. But do you believe that I didn't do it?"

"Of course! You're not the person to do something like that." Talking with Onyx for a while now, Ben knows the man in front of him is someone who wouldn't do something like that.

"Thank you for trusting me. Also, you don't have to worry about the rumors anymore. It's going to end in a few days." Onyx says with a smile.

"I see." Ben smiles, "Then take these skewers! Charge up and beat this rumor up!"

Onyx laughs, "You got it!"

As Onyx and Rena continue to walk toward the guild hall, Onyx has a gentle grin on his face,

Thank goodness some people didn't believe it. Mary, Rebecca, Burr, Stewart, and the rest of Scarlett Lynx. And now Ben. Despite being here for a short while, there are people who trust him.

When they arrive in front of the building,

"You bastards! How dare you cause a rumor like this behind our backs!" Even when they stand outside, the two can hear roars coming inside. The two look at each other, and Onyx nods,

"Well, it looks like we're late to the party." They walk in to find out what's happening. And frankly, it's not surprising to both of them. A group of adventurers is circling around the situation. And in the center of it is the situation.

Even with that many people around, Onyx can see what's happening. Nigel has returned from the Riqueza Kingdom. And he is being held back by his party members. And what's in front of him are Blaine and Vinnie.

From what he can see, Nigel got a clean hit on Blaine's face. Hmm, where is she? Onyx looks around and sees Madelyn in the back.

"Madelyn," Onyx calls out.

Hearing his voice, Madelyn quickly turns over; her face brightens, "Onyx, you've returned."

"Mmhmm. I returned yesterday. But enough about that, can you tell me what happened?"

Madelyn sighs, "I think you know what's going on as well."

"Of course, I know what happened right now. I want you to tell me what happened in the beginning."

"Blaine and Vinnie kept shouting about you guys using them as bait. They kept demanding for us to punish you guys. However, the guild refused. We won't do anything like that until we hear from both parties."

Just hearing from one side is not enough. With what happened, the guild will have to listen to both parties.

"Good choice there." As Onyx nods to this,

"How dare you twist the narrative, you asses!" "Nigel, cool it! I know you're angry, but you might get demoted from this!"

Despite Nigel's anger, Vinnie and Blaine didn't back down, "What?! We told the truth! You guys threw us out to the wolves! We had to fend for ourselves while you guys ran away!"

"I'll kill you!" The rage meter broke. The vein bulging on Nigel's forehead is about to burst like a balloon! He didn't care about anything anymore. He charges at them like a raging bull!

However, there's one person that stands in their way.

"Master!""Do you really think I would allow you to harm my apprentices?"

Blaine and Vinnie's faces brighten when they see who protected them. It's none other than Galven. He suddenly shows up and doesn't hesitate to punch Nigel in the face!

"Galven, what are you doing?!" The person who screams this is Nigel's captain. His face turns dark seeing his comrade go flying.

"What am I doing? Hans, you should really keep your vice-captain in check."

"What are you even saying? These two are the ones who slandered Nigel for no reason!" Hans isn't going to let that slide.

"Slandering? How are they slandering if they're telling the truth? Just look at what he tries to do. From what I can see, he's trying to silence them from telling the truth." Galven gives a dirty face as he says this.

"And aren't you doing the same thing as well?" Hearing his voice, Galven jolts a bit. It's a voice he's all too familiar with.

He never wants to hear it again.

Hearing his cold voice, everyone steps away to give Onyx, Rena, and Madelyn to walk up. Onyx has a smirk on his face,

"Onyx, I'm protecting my appre- Ughh!" Before Galven can even finish his sentence, what he got is a fist to his face! He went flying, smashing a table!

"And I'm just protecting my friend." Onyx sneers. Don't try to give that backward defense.

"Onyx! You said you would diffuse the situation! Not cause more!" Madelyn's face twitches. Onyx told her she would diffuse the situation. Never did she expect him to punch him!

"I did diffuse it. I stop the two from fighting." Onyx shrugs his shoulders and looks at Nigel, "You good?"

"Going to feel that for a few days. But all in all, I'm good." Nigel rubs his jaws a bit. But then he jokes, "Why didn't you jump in sooner if you're going to do that?!"

Onyx scratches his head, "I wanted to see what these idiots were going to pull." He thought something else was going to happen. But he guessed wrong.

Are you serious? Nigel gives him a strange look. So he let me get punched because he wanted to see what happened? He felt kinda wronged.

"Onyx! No more punching." Madelyn warns.

"Don't worry, I won't go over the limits." Onyx nods. There's no need for me to use my fist.

"You bastard!" Getting off of the broken table, Galven screams out in anger and fury.

But Onyx ignores him. He turns to Vinnie and Blaine, "You guys really like to mess around, huh?"

"..." Vinnie and Blaine don't answer Onyx. Instead, their faces turn pale! They're alive! They couldn't believe it! How could they survive the attack from the stone lizard!

The two understand that Nigel and Cyrus would survive the horde as they're C-ranks. But not Onyx and Rena! They got their rank from favoritism and nothing else!

"What? Cat got your tongue? Did you think we were dead too?"

"What are you talking about?!" "You guys threw us to the wolves!"

"So you guys will be broken records till the end." Onyx shakes his head, "I think before I say anything about this, there are some things I need to ask. Show of hands; how many people here have done a rank-up exam before?"

"?" The adventurers around are confused as to why Onyx asked this. But 50% raised their hands.

"That's a good number. And let me ask this; when you guys did it, did you come late or arrive early at the exam?"

"Of course, we arrive early."

"Yeah, that's rude to the other members."

"I-I arrived late, but I apologized to my members."

Each adventurer gave their answer to Onyx. All of them were the same; come early to not keep the others waiting.

Onyx smiles and turns around, "Hear that? You guys should really take notes when to come EARLY to the exam."

Vinnie's and Blaine's faces turn red. It feels like someone slaps them in the face.

"Shut up! We were only an hour late." "And not counting for the fact that we have to change the wheel and you guys are screaming in the forest too. You guys didn't even apologize."

Onyx gave a mocking expression as he said this. Hearing all of this, the adventurers look at the two strangely? You guys came an hour late. Wait, isn't it more because they changed the wheel?

"But you guys treated us like garbage! Even in the carriage, we were isolated from the group!"

"That's your own fault. You two didn't even apologize and pointed your weapon at a party member. Who wouldn't treat you as garbage?"

"She has white hair!" Blaine blurts out.

And that sealed the deal.

Onyx looks at Rena and smiles, "So? It's just hair, and I find it beautiful. Also, what's this about you guys pointing your sword?"

He caught them.

Blaine notices his mistake too! But it's too late,

"I-" "And now said the part about us using you as bait. You guys changed the whole thing, so I'll tell the truth;

These two fools were supposed to keep watch at night as punishment for pointing their weapons at Rena. But they didn't do the job properly, and when a horde of stone lizards came, these guys were the first people to run."

"!" The moment Onyx finished saying this: the stares on Vinnie and Blaine grew even more. The shiver. The coldness went up a notch.

"Lies!" "He's talking rubbish!"

"They're right. How can we be sure what you said is true? Do you have any proof of all of this?" Galven kept his cool as he sneered at Onyx.

"Oh, wow. You didn't actually punch me." Onyx laughs at Galven.

"Pff." Hearing his words, other adventurers start to laugh as well. And the redness on Galven's face turns into a volcano.

"Stop joking around, brat. If you don't have anything useful to say, then just admit the truth."

"Tsk, you're just mad because you're getting embarrassed." Onyx shakes his head, "But can't I say the same thing too? They have no proof of what they said too.

Also, no proof? We have proof. In a few days, a messenger from the guild at the Riqueza Kingdom will be coming here." Onyx looks at the other adventurers,

"You guys don't need to believe the words I said right now. But believe it when the messenger comes."

The other adventurers nod to this. And Onyx stares at Vinnie and Blaine.

"..." That settles that. Vinnie and Blaine's expressions dropped. All the blood from their faces disappeared after hearing Onyx's words. A messenger will come. Just hearing that alone is enough to make their skin crawl in fear.

"!"

"Nah, you guys don't need to say anything else. If you guys still think what you say is true, just what for them to come. Am I right?!"

Hearing his questions, the other adventurers shout,

"Yeah!"

"Put the coins where your mouth is!"

Onyx smiles even more, "You two better not be running away either. Because Rena and I are not going to. I'll be staying at the crescent moon inn. What about you, Nigel?"

Understanding his thought process, Nigel smiles, "Of course, I will be staying at my inn as well. I won't be running away from this. I'll wait for the verdict to come down too."

"That's nice. Tell Tricia and Willa about this too." Onyx says and continues, "What's wrong with you two? Why are you cowering like this?"

Onyx tilts his head, questioning why they liked that.

"N-no! We won't be running away either!" Vinnie screams, "You guys will see that he only got this rank because of favoritism! You'll see! You'll see!"

He continues to scream out until he leaves the guild hall with Galven and Blaine. But Onyx adds in,

"You should really wipe that sweat off before leaving." Vinnie is sweating like no tomorrow.

Realizing this, Vinnie almost trips in the air by accident. But they left the guild hall luckily.

"Now that we got them-Hmm? What's wrong?" Onyx turns to see Madelyn and Rena giving him a strange look.

Nigel's the one who explained, "Onyx, you really are sadistic."