"Lad, mark my words. Should you ever dare to repeat such actions as you did just now, I will track you down and sever your ears and tongue. Do you comprehend?"

Upon hearing Glen's menacing words, the boy's lips quivered, and he nodded vigorously, his eyes wide with fear.

Glen then cast the boy to the ground and approached Bana.

Disregarding her wailing, he seized her collar and said,"Cease your cries. I know you are conscious."

Bana gradually fell silent, though her body continued to tremble from the pain. Her eyes bored into Glen with malevolent hatred.

"Do not regard me in such a manner. I have already vanquished more than one third-level mage like you. Even a fourth-level mage would prove no match for me. Do you truly believe you have the audacity to look at me with such a glare?"

Glen's words were uttered with such conviction that Bana's eyes widened in consternation.

Observing that the female mage had lowered her head, Glen rose to his feet once more and addressed the surrounding throng,

"And as for those of you who were involved earlier, do not assume that you can evade my notice by hiding amidst the crowd. Exercise caution in your words next time, or no one shall be able to extricate you from trouble."

Those words were, of course, heard by the very individuals they were directed at.

In truth, at best, they had a third-level mage as their backer. How could they possibly provoke Glen?

"What are you still gawking at? Be about your business. Do not squander public resources here."

Glen raised his hand as if to shoo them away, and the crowd dispersed in a desultory manner.

Bana, along with the crowd, slunk away, accompanied by her apprentice.

Glen once again made his way towards the display platform.

The stand remarked,"So, you are not merely a magic apprentice but also a warrior."

Instead of responding, Glen inquired,"Is there no security here? I had anticipated that there would be guards brandishing swords and axes to maintain order."

This time, the display platform replied,"Such trivial altercations do not warrant the involvement of security."

Indeed, it was but a minor skirmish... Glen understood this and nodded slightly. Picking up the previous topic, he said,

"Then inform me, what is the price of the most affordable prop you have here?"

"Two gold coins and fifty silver coins," the stand responded forthrightly.

That amounted to two hundred and fifty silver coins... Glen's lips twitched, and he turned on his heel and departed.

He did not have an immediate need for these items at present, and he was not one to squander his coin.

After Glen's departure, the display platform whispered to the stand,"Did you overstate the price?"

The stand seemed to deliberate for a moment."I made an error in my recollection..."

Upon exiting the exchange, Glen was on the verge of saying something to the brown-haired youth who was awaiting him outside when a piercing screech suddenly rent the air.

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Behold, a raptor, as massive as a fighter jet, sliced through the sky and vanished into the distance in the blink of an eye.

"Knight Rez？Where is he bound?" the brown-haired youth murmured softly.

Glen caught the words and turned to inquire,"Who is Knight Rez？"

"Ah!?" The brown-haired youth started, not expecting Glen to have such acute hearing. After a moment's thought, he replied candidly,

"Knight Rez is one of the four guardian knights of Kaeladria. He is also the sole mighty knight who has an 'Air Lord' as his steed."

"An 'Air Lord'? Do you refer to that colossal bird just now?"

"Yes, sir."

Receiving an affirmative response, Glen smiled."I wonder if they obtained the consent of the dragons when they bestowed such a name?"

"The term 'Air Lord' does not connote the Overlord of the skies. Hence, the dragons have raised no objections," the brown-haired youth explained.

"Fair enough." Glen dropped the subject and instead asked,"I noticed that the 'Air Lord' was flying with great haste. Is there a conflict somewhere that requires his assistance?"

"Alas, I am unaware of that," the youth shook his head.

Glen was merely mildly curious and did not pursue the matter further. Instead, he said,"Well, that concludes our business for today. Thank you for your efforts."

"Sir, you have only just arrived in this place. There must surely be many other matters in which you require my assistance, such as where the housing is more affordable, or where the..."

"Unnecessary," Glen interjected."I have no need for any of that. I do not intend to reside here."

The brown-haired youth fell silent. Subsequently, he said,"Two silver coins, thank you, sir."

Glen, who was on the verge of reaching for his money, hesitated. He had only engaged this guide for a little over two hours, and the cost should by no means exceed sixty copper coins.

He regarded the youth and saw that the latter still maintained a respectful demeanor, yet there were several individuals clad in work attire approaching them.

Glen sneered inwardly. He had noticed a few people shadowing the youth from the start and had already surmised their intentions.

Sure enough, their true motives were now laid bare.

Just as the individuals in work attire were about to encircle Glen, he suddenly stomped his foot on the ground!

Boom!

The ground cracked instantaneously, and the fissures radiated one or two meters outwards from Glen.

The brown-haired youth and those in close proximity felt their bodies jolt.

"Apologies, there was a bug just now," Glen smiled at the youth."What did you say the price was again?"

The nearby individuals froze for a moment and then turned and fled.

The brown-haired youth's legs trembled violently, and he felt an overwhelming urge to urinate. With a mixture of a laugh and a sob, he stammered,"Twenty... no, it's gratis. No charge..."

Glen approached him, slapped twenty copper coins into his palm, patted him on the shoulder, and then walked past him.

Originally, Glen had intended to inquire about the local housing prices. However, considering the price of the cheapest prop quoted by the stand earlier, he surmised that the housing prices here would not be particularly low.

It would be wiser to wait a while and return... With this thought in mind, he hired a carriage and set off towards the city gates.

...

Dude Town.

The tumultuous din of the crowd seemed on the verge of piercing the heavens.

The police officers were confronted with a formidable challenge - persuading the townsfolk to evacuate.

Despite the police officers having conveyed the gravity of the situation to everyone, there were still those who remained skeptical or were reluctant to depart.

Most of them were hesitant because all their worldly possessions were here. Leaving would mean relinquishing everything and starting anew, a prospect that was enough to make them abandon all reason.

In response, Dogli had exhausted every conceivable means but to no avail. He could only hope that the influential figures who could restore order would arrive post-haste.

And just like in Dude Town, the surrounding towns were in a similar predicament.

The local police stations lacked the credibility necessary to carry out such an operation.

In Hank's farm.

Several police officers were engaged in a heated altercation with Hank.

"Sir, please evacuate without delay! Safety should be your paramount concern!"

"These can be rebuilt if lost, but if you lose your life, you lose everything!"

The police officers were already sweating profusely.

"No! You have no inkling of how much I have sacrificed for all this! I cannot abandon it!" Hank shoved the police officer in front of him.

His two children were wailing on the side, and the nanny was unable to soothe them, no matter how hard she tried.

Just as the commotion was reaching a crescendo...

Rumble...

The ground shook violently several times, and the bickering individuals fell silent instantaneously.

Perhaps one of the police officers had endured it for too long. He turned and strode away, saying,"Damn it! If he wishes to court death, let him! I, for one, do not intend to perish!"

With someone taking the lead, the majority of the remaining police officers ceased their arguing and chose to follow suit.

Only a few, perhaps out of genuine concern, still endeavored to persuade Hank and his employees.