A Black Armored Knight, one of the light cavalrymen behind Duke Tarrenno, bellowed.

His martial skill might have been average, but his voice was certainly thunderous.

Fang Zhen could hear a slight commotion stir within his own army behind him.

’It seems Duke Tarrenno’s authority in this region is still quite firm.’

Fang Zhen didn’t let the commotion continue. Instead, he suddenly raised his hand.

The army behind him instantly quieted, the noise gradually dying down.

After quelling the unrest in his ranks, Fang Zhen looked toward Tarrenno. He decided he couldn’t be outdone, not even in volume, or he would appear to lack presence. But screaming his lungs out would be pointless.

An idea struck him. He suddenly channeled his power, infusing it into his vocal cords.

"I am Fang Zhen."

"Count Henry was killed by a meteor. From now on, I am the master of Nottingham City," Fang Zhen declared.

The moment the words left his mouth, even he was surprised, his eyes widening in astonishment.

His voice was magnetic and deep. Though it didn’t sound like he was exerting himself, it boomed like thunder across the entire field. It seemed to come from all directions at once, carrying an incredible authority and persuasiveness that resonated deep within one’s soul.

This single sentence, with its unique, thunderous quality, caused a stir in both armies.

Extraordinary people always draw attention. The effect of Fang Zhen’s pronouncement was so unusual that it stunned the more than five thousand soldiers on both sides.

This was especially true because Fang Zhen had a permanent skill called "Persuasion," which already boosted the influence and credibility of his words. Now, spoken with vocal cords infused with his power, his voice carried a natural authority that compelled belief.

"Hmph. Smoke and mirrors." The voice that spoke was deep, like the low growl of a wild beast.

It was Duke Tarrenno.

Tarrenno pushed up his visor and looked at Fang Zhen.

Fang Zhen saw a pair of bloodthirsty red eyes, ignoring all other details of the man’s face.

As that aggressive gaze fell upon him, Fang Zhen narrowed his eyes.

Fang Zhen hated being looked at like that.

"Henry is dead. And who are you to take over his territory?"

"I am Henry’s Lord. All of this should be mine."

"I have met every noble of Baron rank or higher in the Duchy, but I have never heard of you."

"What is your background? How dare you call yourself the master of Nottingham City?"

Tarrenno spoke slowly, but even his normal tone carried an undercurrent of rage, making him sound utterly murderous.

Tarrenno scanned Fang Zhen and sneered. "You aren’t some arrogant commoner who crawled out of the woodwork, are you?"

"Remember this, commoner. The fact that I’m even speaking to you is the greatest honor of your life."

At these words, Fang Zhen narrowed his eyes at Tarrenno.

’The man was clearly looking down on him.’

Tarrenno’s words were filled with a contempt that could make anyone’s blood boil.

’Was the man always like this, or was he deliberately trying to provoke him?’

Before Fang Zhen could speak, Tahar, at his side, grew displeased.

Though there had been no formal ceremony, Tahar already considered himself Fang Zhen’s vassal.

The Kingdom of Zambein had similar knightly codes and tenets—that a vassal must die for an insulted lord—and a number of old-fashioned Knights still adhered to them.

Tahar was righteous, but not witless. He knew his station wasn’t high enough to join the conversation between Fang Zhen and Duke Tarrenno, but he could certainly rally support from the sidelines.

Tahar suddenly bellowed, "Soldiers! What is our lord’s family name?"

"Augustus!"

Many of the soldiers at the rear grew excited and roared the name.

They showed no signs of stopping, repeating the family name in a continuous chant.

The waves of sound rolled out, leaving the soldiers of the Tarrenno Legion uncertain and alarmed.

It wasn’t just the soldiers; even Tarrenno himself was visibly affected.

Tarrenno’s brow furrowed, his lips tightening into a thin line. He said nothing.

Amid the soldiers’ chants, Fang Zhen rode forward.

He stopped about seven or eight meters away, just as Tarrenno adopted a guarded stance.

Tarrenno’s brow was knitted tightly as he stared at Fang Zhen.

"Your family name... is Augustus?"

"A descendant of Sword Saint Augustus?"

"What proof do you have? Prove you’re not a fraud."

Fang Zhen didn’t speak, but raised the Double-headed Eagle Badge high.

From this distance, Tarrenno could see the badge clearly.

Fang Zhen infused his power into the badge, and it instantly erupted in a brilliant golden light.

On both sides of the battlefield, gasps rippled through the ranks, unable to be suppressed even by military discipline.

The reaction was even greater among Tarrenno’s troops, with more sounds of astonishment and whispers repeating the name Augustus.

The golden light gradually dissipated.

Tarrenno’s expression soured.

Tarrenno stared intently at Fang Zhen, as if comparing his image to that of the legendary Sword Saint Augustus.

Having proven his identity with action and fact, Fang Zhen put the badge away.

Tarrenno snorted coldly but no longer questioned whether Fang Zhen was a commoner.

"So, your family name is Augustus, and your given name is Fang Zhen?"

"How strange."

Tarrenno looked at Fang Zhen. "You want control of Nottingham City? Fine."

"But you must repay the money Henry owed me."

"If you can do that, I might consider granting you the right to rule Nottingham."

"If you can’t, then get lost. Go back to whatever nameless hole you crawled out of."

Fang Zhen shook his head.

’He could hear the trap hidden in Tarrenno’s words.’

’Agreeing wouldn’t just be about the money. It would mean placing himself a step below Tarrenno. Even if he later managed to become a Duke of the Kingdom, he would always feel as if he had received a handout.’

’Tarrenno might have been telling the truth. The man probably didn’t want the territory itself—he was no good at managing it anyway—he just wanted to bleed it for resources.’

’But if I agreed, I’d be nothing more than a fat sheep, and Tarrenno, the tiger, could come and take a bite—or devour me whole—whenever he pleased.’

Naturally, Fang Zhen couldn’t let him have his way.

"I took Nottingham City with my own strength. Why would I need your permission?"

"Remember this: whatever I, Fang Zhen, want, I take for myself. I fight for it and seize it with my own two hands, not through anyone’s charity."

"Henry is dead. A man’s debts die with him. If you have a problem with that, go talk to Henry. His debt has nothing to do with me," he said.

At these words, a savage, predatory gleam appeared in Tarrenno’s eyes—the look of a beast singling out its prey.

A murderous aura began to radiate from him.

Fang Zhen ignored the killing intent Tarrenno was releasing.

The savage light in Tarrenno’s eyes became less overt, but it remained, making him seem even more terrifying.

"Fang Zhen... I believe I’ve heard that name. Are you the one who helped that woman from the Cristin Family subdue the Knights of the Ashton Territory?"

"It seems you have a connection with the woman from the Cristin Family."

"Fine, then. I’ll kill you here today and then march on the Ashton Territory. That woman from the Cristin Family fabricated a fake descendant of Augustus, and she deserves to be punished as well."

Tarrenno’s eyes glinted with unconcealed malice. He sneered, launching a psychological attack at what he perceived to be Fang Zhen’s weak spot.

"Oh, and I hear the woman from the Cristin Family is quite beautiful. I’ll be sure to put her to good use."

Tarrenno said, letting out a demonic laugh.

Fang Zhen remained expressionless.

’He couldn’t let Tarrenno see any flicker of emotion.’

’The one who reveals their emotions first is always at a disadvantage.’

’But inside, rage and killing intent were already stirring in his heart.’

Tarrenno was still laughing.

"Coward."

Fang Zhen’s tone was flat, as if he were simply stating a fact as he spoke the single word.

Tarrenno’s laughter died in his throat.

Tarrenno glared angrily at Fang Zhen.

"I thought the so-called ’First Warrior of the Kingdom’ would be someone impressive. Turns out you’re just a coward, strong on the outside but hollow within. Your reputation precedes you, but the reality is a disappointment," Fang Zhen said mildly.

With a placid expression, he removed the Plate Armor Iron Glove from his left hand, pulled out the soft liner from within, and tossed it toward Tarrenno. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

"Here is the proof of your cowardice."

"Do you dare accept my challenge to a duel? Or are you just a pathetic creature who only knows how to use his power to bully others and threaten women?" Fang Zhen sneered.