Ruthless and Merciless!
The young man stood before them, no more than sixteen or seventeen years old, with a square jaw and an appearance that radiated youthfulness. Yet, he towered at over two meters tall, and the heavy golden armor he wore accentuated his imposing stature and fierce presence. What drew the eye most, however, was his thick, flowing brown hair, reminiscent of a lion's mane, shimmering brilliantly in the sunlight.
At that moment, he stood quietly, eyes half-closed, hands resting on a massive cross-shaped sword, as if waiting for something—an unmistakable air of anticipation surrounding him.
"Wow, what a hulking figure..." Link murmured, taking in the young man's features and involuntarily gasping. He instinctively lowered his voice to Ron beside him, "Ron, this guy looks tough to handle. If things go south, remember to run!"
"Young Master!" Ron was deeply touched, never expecting Link to think so highly of him. However, Link's next words extinguished the flicker of gratitude in Ron's heart.
"But don't drag me down with you!" Link added hastily.
"Young Master, you!" Ron shook his head in exasperation.
Link paid no mind to Ron's thoughts, his gaze fixed on the imposing youth not far away. "Are you the representative sent by the 'Wolsen' family?" he called out loudly.
"Ugh..." Before the young man could respond, the bound and gagged Ryan seemed to recognize him, struggling desperately against his restraints.
"Shut up!" Ron said, not hesitating to deliver a punch to Ryan's gut, causing him to double over, veins bulging on his forehead, collapsing to the ground in a heap, too weak to continue his struggle.
"Hmm?" The young man's pupils constricted, a flash of unmasked anger crossing his face at Ron's actions. However, he quickly suppressed it, replying coolly, "Let him go."
"Of course, we can let him go, but about the ransom we agreed upon..." Link said, extending his hand with a calm demeanor.
With a swift motion, the young man produced a bulging pouch of coins from behind him and tossed it at Link's feet without a word. After completing this, he closed his eyes again, seemingly too indifferent to even glance at Link.
Fortunately, Link was too focused on the ransom to care about the young man's arrogance. "Come forth!" he snapped his fingers, summoning a skeleton soldier.
For safety's sake, he didn't dare approach to collect the money himself, instead commanding his undead minion to do the task. Throughout this process, the young man remained with his eyes shut, as if the skeleton soldier didn't exist at all, exuding an air of supreme pride.
Finally, the skeleton soldier returned with the pouch of coins in hand. As Link took it, he felt its weight and instinctively opened it. In the next moment, a dazzling golden light burst forth from the pouch, nearly blinding him.
"So many gold coins!" Link exclaimed in delight. After a quick glance, he felt the amount was correct and didn't bother to count further, waving his hand decisively. "Ron, let him go!"
"Yes, Young Master!" Ron responded without delay, quickly yanking the rag from Ryan's mouth and giving him a kick in the rear. "Get lost, and don't let me see you again!"
With a thud, Ryan stumbled but quickly regained his footing, scrambling toward the young man while shouting frantically, "Cousin! Leo! Hurry and kill these two bastards!"
"Leo? Is he the 'Golden Lion' Leo that Erin spoke of?" Link raised an eyebrow at Ryan's words.
Just then, a sudden turn of events unfolded. "You disgraceful waste who brings shame to the family, you don't deserve to live!"
With a swift motion, Leo drew the massive cross-shaped sword embedded in the ground and, without hesitation, swung it at the oncoming Ryan.
Boom...
A crescent-shaped wave of golden energy, three meters long, shot forth, hurtling toward Ryan in an instant.
Ryan, caught completely off guard by the betrayal of his once-revered cousin, had no time to react. With a sickening sound, blood sprayed as his body was cleaved in two at the waist, viscera spilling onto the ground in a gruesome display.