Chapter 6

"Hahahah..." The man laughed heartily as he stretched out his left hand. "That's a good joke, sir. But seriously, pay me now."

Roan stared at the big man as if he had lost his mind. What joke? He wasn't joking at all. He was indeed completely broke. He had no money on him at the moment. Absolutely none.

"I apologize. But I really don't have any money to give you."

"Are you serious?"

The younger nodded. What was there to lie about?

The old man's expression hardened in anger. "Do you really think I'd stand by and watch you dine and dash?"

"I had no such thoughts" Roan directly refuted. "But if you let me go and give me half a day. I'll return with three times as much."

"Ha!" The man yelled. "Half a day? You think me a fool!!"

"It's true. I'm the son of a duke." A very powerful duke that was the Prime Minister of this Empire.

The man looked the youth up and down as if staring at a fool. He had on a cheap dusty cotton shirt, with a pair of brown trousers made up of itchy material. With shoes that were clearly too big on him. But he was the son of a duke?

What son of a duke?! It was all lies!

No child of noble blood would even attempt to stay at this inn less known, wear clothes befitting of a beggar. Did this young man think that because he was good-looking he could get away with highway robbery? Why was it that youngster's like this one was always trying to get one over on him?

He quickly beckon at a group of men with swords in his inn. It was the exact group that Roan had been listening to earlier.

"Quick, you guys come here."

"What is it this time old man?" One of the men asked in a voice full of familiarity. "Don't tell me your about to be robbed again."

He viciously pointed to the young man in front of him. "He's trying to leave without paying."

"Again?"

"Yes, again!"

The three looked at each other and shared one thought in unison. They clearly were going to be late and the commander was going to chew them out. But they were knights who worked for Orrin Empire, it was their duty to protect their citizens when need be.

"I got it." The man with a beard announced as he got up from the table and headed over to the front door. "I'll make this quick."

'Why must it come to this.'

He didn't want to kill anyone unnecessarily. He could disarm them but he wasn't taught that, he was taught to only kill. But he didn't want to do that right now, he didn't want to kill them. They seemed like such nice people. But if they attacked him he would have to end their lives.

"This isn't necessary. I'll pay you back." Roan truly meant it. If he wanted to he could have fled already. He wouldn't have even spared a single second explaining that he didn't have it to the owner. If he really wanted to dash and dine he wouldn't be here right now. "Believe me. I'll pay you even more for your troubles. Just let me go."

"Young man enough with playing around. Pay up or you'll be thrown into Rivern." The knight looked at Roan in pity. Such a pretty face but his behavior was bad.

For god's sake. Why was it that no one was listening to him? Did he have to commit murder in the middle of the capital?

'Maybe I should've fled after all.'

These men weren't getting it through their thick skulls. He had no money! Roan took a step back away from the two, he felt that a fight would soon break out.

The knight put a hand on his sword in a threatening manner. "Come on kid. Don't do anything crazy and just take the easy way out."

'Crazy? The easy way out?'

Roan found that funny but he wasn't laughing. In fact, those exact words were ironic. Wasn't he not trying to resolve this in an easy manner? Crazy? He wasn't the one who was picking a fight right now.

He carefully reached behind his back and slid his slender fingers around the handles of his daggers. He'd fight if he has to.

The owner saw what Roan was doing and got even madder. "You little rascal, you dare try to harm me!" He jabbed a finger in front of Roan's face. "I gave you a chance. And you still don't know what's right from wrong."

The bearded knight clicked his tongue in regret, seeing the younger reach for his weapon. "The hard way it is then." It seemed that he would have to put the kid down. He pulled out his sword and attacked.

But just right then before the tip of his sword could even reach over toward Roan. He was blocked by a tremendous power that sent him flying back a few meters.

*Clank!*

*Boom!*

The man crashed into a nearby cargo cart, a cold blade quickly appearing under his neck and threatening the very life he so cherished. "You move an inch and I'll have your head." A cold voice came from above him. The tone was dark and menacing. It was clear they meant every word.

'What the hell was happening?!!'

•`•`•`•`•

The sound of galloping horses shook the ground to its core. A group of a dozen horses appeared in front of the inn, followed by a carriage almost fit for a king. The small pumpkin inn was quickly surrounded by high military soldiers and powerful knights. They all seem to look at both the fallen knight and the Inn Keeper with eyes that leaked bloodlust.

The owner and the group of three knights were at a lost for words, especially the owner.

'Was he really a noble after all?'

He was stunned. He didn't know what to say for a while, everything was moving too fast.

The noble knight sheathed his sword and displayed his disgust. "Have you commoners finally gone mad?! Can you no longer tell the difference between heaven and earth?"

The commoners in questioned looked toward a certain youth with red eyes and blonde hair. 'Who the hell is this kid?!'

The knight tsk'd and bowed towards youth. "My apologies for being late Lord Roan. The Prime Minister has been very worried."

Roan watched the group of highly dangerous individuals bow to him in unison and address him as young Lord, one after the other.

Hearing the name of the Prime Minister being brought up, it frightened both the bystanders and culprits to the extreme. Following suit they also hurriedly bowed down towards Roan as if he was a god. Heads deep in the group and butts in the air like an ostrich. The sight was astonishing.

Roan sighed. If he didn't know any better he'd believe himself to be related to royalty by how everyone was acting. There was no need to make a seen. He could now finally go 'home.'

Pulling on the rains of a nearby horse, in one leap he quickly climbed on top. There was no need to bring a carriage. He wasn't a princess, he was born into a family with decades worth of military history. He could manage a single horse.

But unbeknownst to Roan his sudden action of riding a horse was out of character. The captain of the knights silently glanced at his Lord with a gaze that was unreadable.

When has the young Lord ever ridden a horse. He was a pampered youth who road in carriages fit for a prince with cushions soft as clouds and jewels shinier then the sun. He was the same person who whined to his father for new expensive heaters because the crown prince had better ones. The one who would rather die then touch the floor with his bare feet. The one who couldn't even stand one inconvenience.

This same young man, was now riding a horse as if he had been doing it all his life. This.... this was a miracle.

The two culprits tried raising their heads to look at Roan in remorse but the nearby knights kicked the back of their knees, making them once again bow their heads. The captain of the knights looked at them coldly. "Kneel. You have no right to stand nor seek for forgiveness. The penalty for a commoner attacking one of noble status is time in Rivern Prison. And the penalty for a commoner plotting to kill, attempting to kill or has killed a person of nobility is execution."

"Forgive us.... forgive us. We were wrong! We were wrong!" They shouted and pleaded. "We did not know that he was the Prime Minister's youngest son. We did not know! Please forgive us!"

The knight ignored their begging as they simply had no right to. His eyes were glued to the body of the knight he had attacked earlier. "You should be a shamed. A knight sworn to protect the citizens of Orrin Empire dare attack a noble? And not just any noble but the son of the 4th duke who's very close with his and her Majesty."

'Shit, shit, shit...'

He didn't know. He really didn't know. He heard about the youngest son of the duke, who pretty much hasn't. Upper society loved to talk and as a knight he had encountered many nobles who liked to gossip non-stop. But what he heard was that the youngest son of the Prime Minister was a spoiled brat who had hair the color of rose pedals and eyes the color of grass. The young man he had seen had hair the color of the sun and eyes a crimson red. And he looked like a commoner with clothes of a beggar.

Was it really his fault?!

And to add insult to injury he had never seen the young master before today. What he knew were only from the rumors, so how was he supposed to know!

He didn't! He didn't know.