Karl shook his head slightly, signaling Dalton with his eyes.
Dalton was momentarily stunned. Though he didn't understand, he immediately obeyed the command, releasing his hand from the sword hilt and freeing both hands.
He carefully took over from Karl, supporting Raymond, and then retreated a few steps, creating distance.
Immediately after, Karl himself stepped forward, positioning himself between Geralt and the White Rose Knights.
Geralt frowned slightly. He didn't want Karl to be implicated by his reputation and troubles, so he whispered a warning: "Karl, you don't have to do this. I can handle it."
Karl didn't turn back, merely shaking his head gently, indicating his decision.
His cold gaze fell upon the bald young man, and his voice was steady: "You tried to drive away my friend, and just now you also verbally threatened me."
Upon hearing this, the bald young man's expression of disdain grew even more pronounced.
He scoffed, saying contemptuously, "A butcher's friend? Hmph, he wouldn't be a person of high character either!"
"In that case, you can be expelled along with him! Erlend doesn't welcome you!"
After speaking, he wasted no more words, sharply waving his hand forward and sternly ordering: "Act! Drive them out! If they resist, kill them without mercy!"
The knights behind him immediately let out low growls, drawing their longswords and fanning out to surround Karl and Geralt.
Just then, the short, heavily bearded dwarf, who had been silently observing, frowned deeply.
He shouted loudly: "Tylos! Wait! Perhaps the rumors of the 'Butcher' are a misunderstanding."
"There might be too much gossip and exaggeration mixed in! We should be more rigorous!"
However, Tylos, whose head was clouded by arrogance and prejudice, paid no heed.
He retorted without turning his head: "Dennis! You're overthinking it! A mutant, a half-breed monster, how could he be a good person?"
"They are cold-blooded monsters who kill people and monsters! Don't forget our creed!"
Seeing that the White Rose Knights had already drawn their swords and charged forward, their blades glinting coldly in the sunlight, pointing directly at Karl and Geralt.
Karl looked at the charging knights, a cold smile playing on his lips.
Just as the first knight's longsword was about to strike, his figure suddenly blurred.
Beside him, Geralt's cat-like eyes narrowed to their extreme.
His dynamic vision, enhanced by the Trial of the Grasses, was unable to capture Karl's movements.
He could only see a humanoid afterimage, instantly crashing into the crowd of White Rose Knights at a speed beyond his comprehension.
"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!" Several dull thuds, like heavy hammers striking an anvil, erupted in quick succession.
Amidst them were the knights' unprepared screams and the sound of bones breaking under unbearable force.
The once formidable White Rose Knights, along with the young man named Tylos,
were sent flying backward, feet leaving the ground one after another, as if struck head-on by a battering ram.
Without exception, the smooth, hard breastplates on their chests were deeply dented, leaving clear, distinct fist marks, the edges even showing tiny cracks.
Except for Dennis, the dwarf who had spoken out in warning and stood bewildered, watching everything unfold, all the other White Rose Knights, including Tylos, in a series of teeth-grinding metallic screeches,
traced arcs through the air and crashed heavily onto the flagstones more than twenty meters away. "Thud! Clang!" Their backplate armor scraped against the rough ground.
Under the immense inertia, a shower of dazzling sparks flew as they continued to slide backward.
They finally stopped when they violently collided with the stone railings of the buildings surrounding the temple.
For a moment, groans and cries of pain rose and fell.
The White Rose Knights, who had been so imposing just moments before, now lay sprawled on the ground like puppets with their frames dismantled, unable to get up.
The entire conflict, from start to finish, probably lasted less than three seconds.
Karl's figure reappeared, as if he had merely done a trivial task, and he lightly clapped his hands.
Then, with a calm expression, he slowly walked back to Geralt's side.
Geralt looked at Karl returning, his usually calm cat-like eyes filled with unconcealed astonishment.
He opened his mouth, as if to ask something, like whether Karl had held back a lot when they fought in Vizima.
Because the strength Karl displayed at that time, though far exceeding that of ordinary people, was absolutely not as terrifying and completely inhuman as what he had just witnessed.
But the words caught in his throat. Geralt looked at Karl's indifferent gaze and swallowed his questions back down.
He looked deeply at Karl, suppressing all his shock and doubt in his heart.
Now was clearly not the time to press for answers.
The smell of blood and dust in the air, and the knights' painful groans, all reminded them that the trouble had just begun.
And Dennis, the dwarf who had stood by and not joined the others in the attack, had a grim and extremely troubled expression.
Karl's gaze turned to the only person still standing, the dwarf Dennis.
The reason he hadn't attacked Dennis was because of the fair attitude the latter had shown earlier.
When Tylos and the others, full of prejudice, tried to expel Geralt, he spoke out to dissuade them, attempting to approach the issue with a more rigorous attitude.
This rationality and sense of justice earned Karl's respect.
Looking at the shifting, struggling, and complex expression on Dennis's face, Karl smiled at him, his tone peaceful yet tinged with regret.
"You are very upright, Dennis. You can maintain your reason when facing Geralt, not swayed by rumors and prejudice."
"It's a pity that associating with a group of people whose heads are filled with arrogance and stupidity, your integrity will sooner or later be corrupted by them."
As Dennis listened to Karl's words, the muscles in his face twitched slightly, and his knuckles, gripping his warhammer, turned white from the force.
He clearly understood how reckless and rude Tylos and the others' actions were, and he had personally witnessed the terror of Karl's inhuman strength.
But his duty as Captain of Duke Sievard's Guard, and his oath as a knight, constantly reminded him.
The silence lasted for a while, and finally, Dennis's face was filled with an inexpressibly complex emotion.
There was helplessness, determination, and also a hint of imperceptible guilt.
He took a deep breath, as if expending all his strength, and spoke in a deep voice, his tone a little dry.
"I am Dennis Kramer, Captain of Duke Sievard's Guard."
"You have violated the Duchy's laws, openly attacking and harming the Duchy's citizens and guards. I—I must arrest you according to the law!"
Before his words faded, as if to convince himself, or perhaps to show his colleagues who might still be observing.
Previous Chapter Directory Next Chapter Report He clearly understood how reckless and rude Tylos and the others' actions were, and he had personally witnessed the terror of Karl's inhuman strength.
But his duty as Captain of Duke Sievard's Guard, and his oath as a knight, constantly reminded him.
The silence lasted for a while, and finally, Dennis's face was filled with an inexpressibly complex emotion.
There was helplessness, determination, and also a hint of imperceptible guilt.
He took a deep breath, as if expending all his strength, and spoke in a deep voice, his tone a little dry.
"I am Dennis Kramer, Captain of Duke Sievard's Guard."
"You have violated the Duchy's laws, openly attacking and harming the Duchy's citizens and guards. I—I must arrest you according to the law!"
Before his words faded, as if to convince himself, or perhaps to show his colleagues who might still be observing.
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