Bruce and Arthur, both laughing at their earlier conversation, left the guild house.

“Ah, I drank too much,” Arthur said as he stumbled along, clearly affected by the alcohol.

“Yeah, we only had fifteen cups, and you’re already this drunk,” Bruce teased, though he wasn’t as affected.

Bruce, being a good friend, offered his support to help Arthur walk straight as they made their way home.

Three men, all dressed in black with their faces concealed, were positioned at the top of the guild house roof.

They were deep in conversation.

“That’s them,” one of the men remarked.

“Yeah, we’ve been waiting all night. How much ale can they drink? They’ve had too much,” another responded.

“It’s good that they’re drunk; we won’t need to put in much effort,” the third man noted.

“Just make sure you don’t harm the prince, just that other guy. We don’t want trouble with the royals; it’s too troublesome,” one of them cautioned.

“Yeah, that noble has put quite a bounty on that man.”

“They’re on the move. Let’s go.”

As the three men discreetly followed Bruce and Arthur, the prince was too drunk to walk straight, and Bruce was doing his best to assist him.

Arthur felt the urge to vomit but desperately tried to hold it in.

The last thing he wanted was to bring more shame upon himself, so Bruce guided him to a nearby alley to avoid any public embarrassment

As Arthur vomited, Bruce’s face twisted in disgust.

He quickly turned away to spare himself from witnessing his friend’s disgusting act.

“You finished?” Bruce asked once Arthur’s retching had ceased.

“Not yet. I think there’s another wave coming… Blegh!” Arthur’s stomach revolted again, much to Bruce’s chagrin.

“Yeah, that’s disgusting,” Bruce remarked, his face scrunching in response to the unpleasant sounds.

The dark alley remained eerily silent, only the unsettling noises that Arthur was making you could hear.

The air hung heavy, and there were no other souls in sight, only the two of them.

Bruce couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being watched, though the surroundings appeared deserted.

His instincts went into overdrive when he heard a faint clicking sound, as if someone were moving on the roof above.

Without hesitation, Bruce leaped to Arthur’s side, his protective instincts kicking in.

He shouted, “Whoever you are, reveal yourself!”

“He’s onto us,” one of the concealed men whispered.

Then, with a sudden burst of action, three figures jumped down from the roof.

Dressed entirely in black, their faces hidden, they cast an imposing presence.

Bruce couldn’t help but express his amazement, despite the situation.

“Wow, are you guys some kind of assassins? That’s pretty cool!” His fascination with their mysterious appearance briefly overshadowed the danger they posed.

But Arthur, who was still struggling to stand straight, cut through the fascination with a stern warning.

“Be careful, Ghost. These are bounty hunters. I knew this day would come.”

Bruce’s carefree demeanor shifted as the realization dawned.

“Ah, I get it now. You were hired by that dog face nobleman, right?”

The situation In the dark alley had taken a perilous turn, and the bounty hunters remained resolute.

Facing the unexpected, Bruce couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement and adrenaline.

He turned to the bounty hunters, ready for the unexpected confrontation.

But Arthur, ever mindful of his status, delivered a pointed warning.

“Hey, whoever you are, you have no idea who you’re dealing with. I’m Prince Arthur. If the Queen learns of this encounter, you’ll find yourselves in deep trouble.”

“We know you’re Prince Arthur, but we’re not here for you. Our target is that man.” The bounty hunter pointed towards Bruce, his intentions clear.

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“Sorry, kid. It’s nothing personal,” another bounty hunter added, addressing Bruce.

Bruce’s response was surprisingly enthusiastic.

“Wow, this is really happening. I can’t believe this!” He couldn’t contain his excitement, as if he were living out a scene from a movie.

The three hunters exchanged confused glances, unable to comprehend why Bruce seemed so delighted despite the impending danger.

Unfazed, Arthur issued a solemn warning. “I’m advising all of you, you’ve picked the wrong guy.”

As they drew their weapons, one of them wielded an unusual blade emitting a red glow.

Arthur recognized the weapon’s origin and urgently cautioned Bruce, “Ghost, be cautious. That weapon can only be found in the dungeon.”

Bruce nodded, fully aware of the need to tread carefully, given his lack of familiarity with the power balance in this world.

One of the bounty hunters, armed with a short sword, made a move on Bruce, intent on delivering a lethal strike.

Bruce stepped back, securing Arthur’s safety by pushing him out of harm’s way.

The short-sword-wielding hunter relentlessly pursued Bruce, thrusting his weapon forward.

But Bruce sidestepping, narrowly evading each deadly blow.

With fierce determination, the hunter launched a flurry of strikes, the air whistling with the speed of his attacks.

Yet Bruce remained composed, jumping, sidestepping and dodging every attempt.

Frustration mounted as the short-sword-wielding bounty hunter paused to catch his breath. “How can you evade every attack?”

Bruce’s reply was nonchalant. “I’ve been consuming more meat lately. You’re simply too slow.”

Meanwhile, the other two hunters exchanged whispers. “How is he moving like that? He’s been drinking all day!”

One of the hunters spoke up, realizing the urgency of their situation. “We need to assist before the guards show up.”

With their weapons raised, the remaining two hunters made a rush toward Bruce, aiming to reinforce their allies and take down their opponent.

Bruce, ever alert, jumped onto the rooftop, leaving the hunters momentarily stunned by his incredible leap.

They had underestimated him, thinking he was just an ordinary man befriended by the prince.

Amidst the fight, Arthur’s voice cut through the tension. “All of you, be careful!” he warned.

The enemy bounty hunters exchanged perplexed glances.

Bruce on the rooftop, overheard Arthur’s words and shouted back at him, “Whose side are you on!”

Bruce landed among the bounty hunters.

He faced the one wielding the unique, dangerous weapon.

The enemy panicked and tried to slice him up but Bruce ducked dodging it and the enemy weapon slice through the air, producing sharp sounds and causing cracks in the walls it struck.

“Oho! You have interesting weapon there,” Bruce exclaimed as he continuously dodged the weapon’s devastating attacks.

In a swift and unexpected move, Bruce seized the man’s arms and expertly twisted them until he released his weapon.

“STOP… STOP… STOP! THAT HURTS!” The man cried out in pain.

Observing the effectiveness of Bruce’s maneuvers, the two remaining enemy decided to pool their efforts and launch a coordinated assault.

They lunged at Bruce, attacking from different angles, but Bruce’s agility made him untouchable.

Every strike they attempted was effortlessly sidestepped by Bruce.

The two of them stopped from attacking and stepped back.

With an air of confidence, Bruce also ceased his movements and smirked at the baffled attackers.

“You know it’s futile. I’m too fast for all of you,” Bruce taunted while fixing his hair.

“You’re a monster!” one of the men exclaimed.

“Yeah, I’ve heard that one before,” Bruce replied nonchalantly.

As Bruce bantered with the enemy, the burly man whom he had previously injured managed to rise to his feet and retrieve his weapon.

He stealthily approached Bruce from behind, intent on stabbing him.

Bruce was well aware of the impending threat, but he welcomed it.

He allowed the man to draw closer, as he had an ulterior motive.

At first, Bruce had contemplated letting them go, as they posed little challenge to him, and he had grown weary of fighting.

However, something piqued Bruce’s interest—the weapon with a crimson glow.

He believed it could be a valuable addition, possibly even a complement to Princess Aetra’s weapon.

In a sudden burst of action, Bruce jumped over the burly man’s head.

Upon landing, he unleashed a powerful punch to the man’s back.

The impact was so forceful that the man promptly vomited blood and fell unconscious.

Bruce appeared slightly remorseful but couldn’t suppress a smirk.

“Oh! My bad, I hit you a bit too hard,” he quipped, examining his own hand.

The two remaining enemy witnessed the immobilization of their comrade and made a desperate attempt to flee.

Yet, Bruce was quicker than ever.

He pursued them relentlessly, immobilizing them with precise blows to the back of their necks.

The enemies lost consciousness rapidly, spared the sensation of pain due to Bruce’s incredible speed and skill.

Arthur remained in awe of Bruce’s fighting skills.

He couldn’t comprehend how Bruce possessed such strength without even using his mana-core.

He considered Bruce one of the most powerful individuals he knew, even comparing his fighting abilities to his sister Selene’s, despite Bruce’s lack of magic.

Bruce’s agility and combat skills outshone even the physical attributes of ordinary adventurers.

“You know, Ghost, if you were an adventurer, your skill could easily land you in the B rank,” Arthur remarked.

“As for these bounty hunters, they might be in the D rank or possibly lower, but it’s hard to say for sure.”

“Adventurer ranks?” Bruce inquired while examining the enemies’ weapons. “Ah, this one is quite nice. Lucky me!”

“Yes, there are adventurer ranks, and I’m currently at the lowest rank, F,” Arthur explained.

“So, who’s the strongest fighter in this kingdom?” Bruce wondered as he removed one of the enemies’ masks.

“They all look as unpleasant as that nobleman.”

“In terms of adventuring, you could say it’s my sister, Selene. She’s a B rank,” Arthur replied.

“But when it comes to facing other human opponents, you might consider King’s Knight Sir Hugues as the strongest, followed by Commander Kilos.”

“Is Sir Hugues also an adventurer?” Bruce inquired.

“Not exactly. It’s different from the Guild House.

Royalty has their own people for dungeon exploration, but joining them is quite challenging.

Even my sister, a B rank, can’t enter,” Arthur explained.

“My father prefers to keep them a secret as they are the kingdom’s hidden weapon.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Bruce asked.

“You’re my friend, Ghost, and you saved the Pearl Village, which is part of the Stoneheart Kingdom’s territory.

You asked for nothing in return, so the least I can do is share some of the information I have,

and this information isn’t a secret as other, as other kingdoms’ royalty also have their own secret weapons,” Arthur said.

As they conversed, they moved the bodies to the side of a wall.

“What’s the plan for them?” Arthur inquired.

Bruce, being Bruce, had a mischievous plan in mind.

He grinned and said, “Do you know that nobleman with the dog-face house?”

Arthur and Bruce exchanged mischievous glances.

Arthur knew exactly what Bruce was thinking.

“Yeah, I know,” Arthur responded, matching Bruce’s sly smile.

Bruce and Arthur stripped the enemies of their clothes and began dragging them like sacks of rice.

The bodies were battered, covered in scratches and bruises from being hauled across the cold, spiky terrain.

When they reached the mansion of the nobleman Mordred, they swiftly tied the bodies to the mansion’s gate and then made a run for it.