Chapter Six: Third Brother?
On the grassy field at the edge of the mountain village.
Monica sent her maids back first, then walked hand in hand with Rein alone.
"Rein, those people went too far. This isn't the first time. I'm going to tell Uncle Miller and have him teach them a lesson." Monica's face flushed red with anger. Rein looked at her and smiled. "Monica, it's fine. There's no need to tell your Uncle Miller."
"But Rein, they—" Monica said urgently.
Rein shook his head. "Those people just can't stand you always being with me. They're jealous of me, understand?"
Monica's face instantly turned crimson.
Seeing Monica's shyness, Rein completely forgot about the little grievance he'd just endured. "Monica, I chose to live in this mountain village for you. I long ago accepted the idea of taking some heat. Monica… don't worry. My strength is still weak right now, but once I grow stronger, they won't dare."
"But that will take so long," Monica said, furrowing her brow.
"Trust your Rein," he said confidently. "I'll be fine."
Monica nodded obediently.
It had to be said that Rein had quite a way with women. Innocent Monica had spent only a few months with him and had already fallen for this knowledgeable, humorous, and caring Rein.
The two walked hand in hand across the grass in silence.
"If we could walk like this forever… how wonderful that would be." Monica leaned her head against Rein's shoulder. Rein said softly, "Monica, let's get married."
"Ah!"
Monica jerked her head up as if she'd been electrocuted, completely stunned. But a moment later, her face turned so red it looked like it might drip blood. Rein smiled down at her. "Monica, what's wrong? You don't want to?" Monica hesitated, then furrowed her brow. "My mother wouldn't agree."
"Your mother? Why wouldn't she agree?" Rein pressed.
Monica shook her head. "Mother's standards are very high. Back then, she said a man would have to reach the Saint Realm to marry me. Father managed to talk her out of it, but Mother still insisted… he'd have to be at least level nine. If his strength is too low… Mother would look down on him terribly."
Rein was completely dumbfounded.
"Your mother, how could she—" Rein didn't know what to say.
Monica lowered her voice. "Rein, Mother is very cold and aloof. She only ever shows a smile occasionally in front of me. Even Uncle Miller is afraid of her."
Rein felt a chill run through him. He had a vague sense of Miller's strength — that terrifying speed would be hard to pull off even for a level-nine warrior. In other words, this Uncle Miller was at least level nine, possibly even a Saint Realm powerhouse.
The two talked for a long time on the grass.
"All right, it's getting late." Monica looked up at the sky. "I need to go back for dinner. If I'm late, Mother will scold me again."
Rein nodded slightly and watched Monica leave.
Monica's residence was a forbidden zone within the mysterious mountain village. Apart from Miller and a few others, no one from the village was allowed to approach it. Naturally… Rein had never been there, nor had he ever met Monica's parents.
Shortly after Monica left, five young men approached.
"Rein, you've got it pretty good, haven't you?" The one in front had golden hair like a lion's mane and a handsome, resolute face. The moment Rein saw him, he knew things were going to be bad today.
This young man's name was Vedri, the leader of their generation. Just past forty, he was an eighth-level warrior.
Among powerful warriors and mages, lifespans were generally quite long — people could easily live three or four hundred years. Forty was still considered young.
"Rein, I warned you last time to stop bothering Monica," Vedri said coldly. "People should know their place. What makes you worthy of Monica? Her parents are both Saint Realm powerhouses. Who are you?"
Rein's heart skipped a beat.
He knew Monica's father was a Saint Realm powerhouse, but this was the first time he'd learned her mother was one too.
"Big brother Vedri's father is a Saint Realm powerhouse too. He and Monica are the perfect match. What are you, some outsider nobody?" The other young men cursed and jeered from the sidelines. They all resented the outsider who had stolen away their princess.
"Brothers, teach this kid a lesson to remember," Vedri said coldly.
The four young men immediately closed in. Rein kept backing away… then suddenly turned and bolted toward the village. But how could a mage's speed compare to a warrior's? He was caught in no time.
A flurry of kicks and punches followed.
Night fell. Rein walked slowly back toward his home, step by step. His face bore not a single mark — those guys were smart enough to attack only his body. But the village had strict rules… killing was forbidden. A fight was one thing, but if someone ended up dead, those young men would be in deep trouble.
This was exactly why Rein kept enduring.
He knew they wouldn't dare kill him.
The door creaked open as Rein entered his room. At that moment, a burly middle-aged neighbor called out with a grin, "Rein, you're back? Hm? What happened to you? Your walk looks a little off. Those brats got you again?"
Rein forced a smile. "I'm fine, Brother Feld."
There were actually quite a few people in the village who were kind to Rein. Most of them were older, since Rein was genuinely a decent person, which won him the affection of many. This "Feld" was the one who cared about Rein the most.