Westminster Bank

Seeing Freya’s icy gaze, Denero was instantly reminded that this young lady from Lancelot’s Family had a reputation for being just as fearless as his own older sister. If she wasn’t, she never would have unilaterally announced her broken engagement to the Constantine Family at the London Tower.

He immediately understood that she might actually do something drastic and reckless to protect her own, which was why he had shouted in desperation.

But just as Denero expected, Freya paid no mind to the warning in his words. Instead, she raised her long whip high.

"So what?"

As Freya spoke, she lashed the whip coldly toward Denero’s face. Denero squeezed his eyes shut. A whistle cut through the air, but the sting of pain he expected never came.

He opened his eyes to see a red spear planted in the ground before him, blocking the whip.

His pupils contracted. He recognized that spear.

The sudden appearance of the spear stunned the crowd. Then, a man’s voice echoed from a distance:

"Nobody move! This is a robbery!"

In the next instant, two figures appeared on the battlefield. One had flowing purple hair, their face hidden by a Silver Mask, and they wielded a dazzling Red Spear. The other was dressed as a Dragon Guide, complete with gloves and iron chains, their pair of emerald eyes shining with a particular brilliance.

It was none other than the infamous highway robbers who had recently made a name for themselves in the mountains.

"Eldest Sister..." Denero called out, his voice trembling.

Isabella shot him a cold glance. With a few flicks of her spear, she severed his bonds and said icily, "You have the wrong person."

’I haven’t gotten the wrong person. You *are* my eldest sister, Isabella.’ Denero understood the subtext of her words but still grumbled to himself.

Isabella Beowulf, the eldest daughter of the Beowulf Clan, was a powerful contender for the position of Patriarch. Her talent was immense, and she was hailed as the Law Enforcer most likely to surpass Silver Lion Wilder.

She was typically imperious and domineering, her power immense. If not for the Trial being held ahead of schedule and the special circumstances of her mother’s identity, the title of Beowulf Patriarch would have undoubtedly been hers in a few more years.

Rumor had it she had been robbing Trial Takers for their Dragon Scales all over the mountains lately. Perhaps Denero was just trying to imitate her.

Freya said coolly, "Now that Miss Isabella has arrived, things are much simpler. Your younger brother, Denero, has brazenly attacked a member of Lancelot’s Family. As the eldest daughter, shouldn’t you do something about it?"

Isabella looked coldly at her fourth half-brother and said, "Slap yourself. Twice."

"But..."

"I don’t like to repeat myself," Isabella said flatly.

SLAP! SLAP!

Cowed by the authority his eldest sister had always held over him, and considering the potential consequences, Denero landed two hard slaps across his own face.

To show his sincerity, the motion was wide, the sound was sharp, and the handprints left behind were bright red.

The onlookers were stunned that the eldest daughter commanded such authority. What she said, went.

Baron’s eyebrow twitched as he watched the scene unfold. ’The Beowulf Family is certainly worthy of its reputation as a Dragon Slayer Clan,’ he mused. ’With a temper like Isabella’s, I’d believe it if you told me she ate Dragons for breakfast.’

’Looks like I’ll have to postpone my escape plan for now,’ Baron thought. ’Maybe it’s more practical to just stick to the plan and get this robbery over with.’

The corner of Freya’s perfectly sculpted lips curled upward. Just as she was about to speak, she saw Isabella nod at Denero.

"I’ll forgive you for bungling the robbery this time, but don’t let it happen again."

The moment she said this, the expressions of the Trial Takers with Freya soured.

’From the sound of it, this wasn’t about making Denero apologize for offending someone from Lancelot’s Family. Was this a performance review for his failed robbery?’

"For such a famous Dragon Slayer Clan in Europe, the Beowulf Family certainly has an impressive family tradition," Freya sneered.

"It’s still better than a certain ill-mannered shrew who broke off her engagement in public."

Isabella’s reply was direct and caustic, prompting Baron to marvel inwardly, ’Is the Beowulf Family always this aggressive?’

He completely forgot that he was watching what was, in a sense, a "mock-showdown between my childhood friend and ex-fiancée (sort of)."