Chapter 25: Greed

"Young man, do you have a problem with the Kingdom's Laws?" Atlan asked, not a single trace of smile on his face.

If there was an ordinary boy before him, they could've even fainted before this gaze. But Raven stood still, looking back at Atlan.

The Count was slightly surprised by the bravery of Raven. Atlan had thought that even if the boy didn't faint, he would've been filled with fear. But that wasn't the case.

Seeing Raven's calmness, Atlan couldn't help but smile. "You have courage. Why don't you become a Knight? I can write a recommendation."

"My Lord...?" The staff member exclaimed, stunned. He had heard that Atlan hated people who broke the laws. But instead of getting angry, he was offering a recommendation?

The man couldn't help but gulp heavily. Becoming a Knight with Atlan's recommendation wasn't the same as simply becoming a Knight. Just being associated with the Round Table candidate was in itself an achievement.

If Raven actually became a Knight with this recommendation, his position was going to be higher than an ordinary knight. The man couldn't help but worry about his future in case Raven returned for revenge. He couldn't let it happen.

"My Lord, they broke the rules. Isn't it a Knight's duty to uphold the rules? He doesn't deserve to be a Knight!"

"Well, everyone makes a mistake. But there are very few people who are born with this kind of courage that a Knight needs," Atlan answered the man before turning his attention to Raven. "So what do you say? Just apologize for breaking the rules and I'll give you my recommendation."

The staff member could see that Atlan had really taken an interest in Raven. An apology was just an excuse to bury this matter. Atlan was being biased towards Raven.

Unfortunately, he knew he couldn't do anything about it. He couldn't stop Atlan. In this moment, he regretted not kicking these people out before Atlan arrived.

Raven didn't answer Atlan. It was almost impossible to understand what he was thinking. On the other side, Zephyr was prepared to fight at the slightest sign of danger to Raven.

To Atlan's surprise, Raven didn't answer. Instead, he reached out his hand towards Leira. Leira moved closer, placing the tickets in his hands.

Raven brought the tickets before Atlan, handing them over.

Frowning, Atlan took the tickets and went through them. After checking the tickets, he turned to the man in the distance. "What rule did you say they broke?"

"T-they..." The man didn't know why Atlan was asking such a question after seeing the tickets. At that moment, he started having some suspicions. But he stood firm in his ground.

"They entered without being authorized to. They used passes for other trains to enter this train and refused to leave when asked nicely. Instead, they started arguing with me," he stated. "Moreover, everyone knows that this train is used by Nobles only. So it doesn't make sense for them to be here."

Atlan understood everything that happened. He couldn't help but get angry. He wasn't just angry at the man but also at himself because he didn't even ask if the boy had broken any rule. He had simply believed it.

"Can you tell me which rules in Camelot state that commoners can enter this if they have a valid pass?" Atlan asked, trying really hard to control his anger.

"I-" the man stuttered. "There is no rule, but-"

"Apologize." Before the man could even finish his sentence, Atlan spoke.

"What?" The man was taken aback. By now, he understood that he had made a mistake. The passes were actually genuine. But he still didn't understand why he had to apologize to these people.

"Apologize before I'm forced to do something that you'll regret forever." Atlan spoke, his voice low and threatening.

He would've already taken drastic steps if he hadn't wanted this train to not be delayed. He knew who was about to enter and who he had to protect. He couldn't cause any delays and that's the only reason he was still so impatient.

"I'm giving you this last opportunity. Are you going to?" he asked again.

"I'm sorry. It's my mistake." The staff member clenched his fists. Although unwilling, he apologized to Atlan.

"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to." Atlan stated, his meaning clear.

The man turned to Raven and the others. With clenched teeth, he apologized. "I'm sorry! I was prejudiced against you. I won't do it again!"

After he finished speaking, he turned around and left, hiding the anger on his face. At the same time, an announcement was made. It was time for the train to move.

"The world is filled with biased people. I hope you don't mind his behavior," Atlan told Raven. "Anyway, back to our topic. Do you want my recommendation?"

As he finished speaking, a realization dawned on him. "Oh wait, since you're on this train, it means your destination is... No wonder you're not taking my recommendation. But young man, one shouldn't be too greedy."

"My apologies, but my son isn't interested in becoming a Knight. So please forgive us." Zephyr interrupted Atlan, taking the seat next to Raven. Leira also took her seat.

Seeing their reaction, Atlan could feel that he wasn't welcome. In the end, he could only sigh. He thought Raven had what it took to be a Knight, but now he felt that maybe he was wrong since greed wasn't something for a Knight to have.

In the end, he didn't insist anymore. He turned and left. He had his own task at hand after all.

"I hope you won't regret it in the future." Only one last sentence was left behind from him as he disappeared.

Raven didn't pay attention to him. His mind was only thinking about the person who Atlan was here to protect. And as far as regret was concerned, even Arthur himself couldn't make him regret, let alone a mere Count aspiring to join the Round Table.

As the train started moving, Raven looked out the window, lost in thought.