-367- Try not to offend me

The atmosphere at the scene immediately shifted from relaxed to heavy and tense due to the sharp opposition.

Rozen's expression on his face instantly became more serious as he gazed at the situation.

Asuna also wore a serious expression and turned to look at her bodyguard.

"Kuradeel."

Asuna addressed the bodyguard by this name.

It seemed that this was the name of the bodyguard.

"What do you mean by this?" Asuna asked with a furrowed brow.

The bodyguard named Kuradeel had a stern expression and spoke as if he had Asuna's best interests in mind.

"You are the Vice Commander of our Knights of the Blood Oath, and due to your well-known reputation, there are many criminals who have their eyes on you. In this world, there are plenty of people with malicious intentions toward you. That's why the Guild Leader assigned me as your bodyguard. Have you forgotten?"

Kuradeel spoke passionately.

Hearing this, Rozen began to understand.

(Perhaps Asuna has encountered some unpleasant situations?)

While Kuradeel's words were harsh, they were undeniably true.

In this world, there were indeed individuals who harbored ill intentions toward Asuna. Even ruthless guilds like "Laughing Coffin" existed, and there had been no shortage of "Orange" guilds and players in the past. It was only natural that there would be criminals targeting Asuna due to her appearance.

As a result, Asuna's situation had likely led to heightened concern within the Knights of the Blood Oath, prompting the guild to assign her a bodyguard.

However, facts were facts, and Kuradeel's argument didn't necessarily hold water.

The reason was simple

"Have you not recognized him?" Asuna stared at Kuradeel and continued, "This person is the leader of the Crimson Wing and the clearing group. Do you really think he's the type of person you're suggesting?"

Asuna was pointing out the obvious. Even in a world where there were individuals with malicious intentions towards her, Rozen was the leader of the most powerful guild and the leader of the clearing group. It was simply unthinkable that he could be one of those malevolent individuals.

Kuradeel, however, seemed unrelenting and didn't realize his misjudgment.

"It's precisely because I recognized him that I find your decision too reckless," Kuradeel looked at Rozen with a hostile tone, "Who knows what the Crimson Wing might do to you?"

If his previous words could be attributed to carelessness, this sentence clearly demonstrated that Kuradeel was maliciously fabricating the situation. His underlying message was that he couldn't trust Rozen.

As the Knights of the Blood Oath and the Crimson Wing were fierce competitors, what he's trying to say is that Asuna shouldn't be in the "enemy's territory".

"Besides, the Crimson Wing are filled with selfish, self-serving players. Asuna-sama should be cautious,"

Kuradeel is not even trying to hide it now.

This is clearly provocation.

Certainly, in the past, beta testers were often seen as self-serving players who were shunned and rejected by regular players. However, over the past two years, due to the extreme activity of the Crimson Wing on the front lines, players had come to recognize the contributions of beta testers to the game's progression. The notion of them being selfish and self-serving had long been left behind and should no longer be condemned.

Given the current circumstances, Kuradeel bringing up these past issues was clearly an attempt to provoke. Asuna's brow furrowed deeper as she thought about what to say.

However...

"Your name is Kuradeel, right?"

Rozen suddenly spoke up, interrupting Asuna.

"You must have recently joined the Knights of the Blood Oath, haven't you?"

This was an unexpected question, leaving both Asuna and Kuradeel somewhat perplexed.

"I did join the Knights of the Blood Oath not long ago," Kuradeel responded, glaring at Rozen, "What's the problem with that?"

This statement earned him a smile from Rozen.

"Nothing, I just find it strange," Rozen continued as if he was talking to himself, without even looking at Kuradeel, "You clearly belong to the Knights of the Blood Oath, yet you only recognized me after seeing my familiars and weapon. That itself seems a bit odd."

If he truly was a member of the Knights of the Blood Oath, he would have undoubtedly attended Rozen's clearing raids and should have recognized Rozen instantly. Kuradeel, on the other hand, recognized Rozen only after seeing his familiars and weapon, raising questions.

"It suggests that either your strength isn't enough to participate in clearing battles, so you were left behind at the guild's headquarters as a guard, or you're a newcomer who recently gained the ability to join the guild."

Rozen bluntly stated.

"You...!?"

Kuradeel finally realized that Rozen was mocking him and immediately became furious.

However...

"Since you've only recently joined the Knights of the Blood Oath, let me, as the leader of the clearing group, teach you something."

Rozen suddenly took a step forward, catching Kuradeel off guard.

"What...!?"

Startled, Kuradeel instinctively tried to step back but was held in place by Rozen who had moved up close and grabbed him by the collar.

"Try not to offend me."

Rozen said this with a smile, his face inches away from Kuradeel's.

Though he wore a faint smile, there was no hint of friendliness in his lazy eyes.

"If you really manage to offend me, and if you ever have the chance to participate in clearing battles, I'll make sure you have a very important role to play."

Rozen smiled playfully as he said this.

"For instance, I might have you serve as cannon fodder."

Hearing this, Kuradeel's expression froze.

Rozen then released Kuradeel's cloak, clapped his hands as if he had just touched something dirty, and spoke casually to Asuna, who was standing nearby.

"Help me pass a message to your Guild Leader. This bodyguard doesn't seem to be up to par. It might be a good idea to replace him next time."

Rozen's words were nonchalant, and he didn't seem to take the situation very seriously.

Asuna watched Kuradeel, who now looked contorted with anger, and contemplated the situation for a moment.

And then...

"Kuradeel, return to the guild headquarters for now."

Asuna issued an order in her usual detached manner.

"I'll report today's incident to the Guild Leader."

With these words, Asuna followed Rozen and left.

Kuradeel stood there, watching the scene unfold. He was trembling with anger.

Seeing this, Kuradeel attempted to follow them.

"Gu!"

"Gu!"

Saichou and Hanachou then descended from the sky, blocking Kuradeel's path. They cast him an adorable glare while gently flapping their wings, releasing a faint phosphorescent glow.

Kuradeel halted his steps at the sight of them.

"Damn it!"

Kuradeel's entire body trembled with anger.

"Why does it have to be him of all people...!?"

Kuradeel muttered bitterly under his breath.

But one thing was certain, even Rozen would never have expected Kuradeel to harbor such intense hatred towards him.

However, there was one thing Kuradeel made clear.

"This isn't over!"

Kuradeel muttered these words under his breath before turning to leave.