24 Golden Sovereign Knight

"Hey, ease up a bit, will ya? The poor dude's already out cold. What more do you want?" The man's voice carried an underlying power that seemed to nullify all of Lucien's abilities.

Lucien's temporary boost vanished instantly, leaving him feeble and gasping for breath. Nevertheless, he refused to display any sign of weakness and retorted with an insufferably arrogant tone, befitting that of a young master. "Who do you think you are, daring to lay your filthy hand on me?"

The man appeared taken aback by Lucien's venomous words as he didn't put any resistance when Lucien casually flicked his palm off his shoulder.

However, almost immediately, Lucien heard an eruption of laughter coming from the man. When he turned around, he was surprised to see the man laughing as if he had just witnessed something incredibly amusing.

'Does this man have some screw loose on his head just like that monkey too?' Lucien mused.

"Hahaha! Youngsters these days," the man continued to chuckle, his head shaking in disbelief.

The man towered over Lucien at an imposing height of 1.95 meters, his broad shoulders and massive biceps straining against his knight's attire. He had a few strands of grey hair that stood out against the dark hue of his locks, which were styled in a neat undercut.

Despite looking over his 40s, the man exuded an unmistakable aura of vitality, lending a sense of strength to his already impressive figure. Unlike the bronze armored knights he saw on the balcony, the man's knight armor was embellished with intricate golden plates, looking particularly eye-catching with their stunning detail.

"G-golden Sovereign Knight!" Someone among the crowd pointed out.

"What's that?"

"You idiot! How foolish of you not to recognize that stunning armor and title! In our kingdom, there are only a few hundred Sovereign Knights, and the number of those who possess the Golden Sun Essence Armor is even lower. This means that out of millions of people residing in the Avalore kingdom, he is among the top one percent of ranking individuals!"

"That rare?"

"Obviously! Do you think it's easy to reach that stage and obtain a set of the prestigious Golden Sun Essence Armor? The competition to become a Golden Sovereign Knight is extremely strict, and I believe the chances for a student at our School of Knights to reach that level is lower than one percent! With the exception of Emillia Leonhart, Richard Lewis, and a few other remarkable individuals, I don't see anyone else with the potential to obtain such a prestigious armor and title."

"Golden Sovereign Knight?" Lucien's mouth twitched. From the sounds of it, the man in front of him was a person of great importance. Lucien couldn't help but wonder why this high-ranking figure had appeared out of nowhere. Perhaps he was a relative of that monkey?

As this crossed his mind, a sense of wariness and apprehension crept up on Lucien. Despite the Devereux family's wealth and influence, he doubted it would be enough to intimidate someone of the man's stature. Individuals with great power were often more pretentious and domineering than even the most haughty of nobles.

At this moment, Lucien noticed Charlotte approaching him, and he observed as she slightly bowed to the man. With her right arm placed against her left chest, she performed the respectful gesture of a proper greeting. "Greetings, esteemed Golden Sovereign Knight," Charlotte addressed him with reverence.

The man lifted his hand as if to stroke his beard but then realized he didn't have one. He maintained his stoic expression and withdrew his hand, nodding with a satisfied smile. "You're one compliant young lady, unlike some brat here who appears wanting to put holes in my body with his vindictive glares," he remarked, referring to Lucien.

Lucien rolled his eyes in annoyance but refrained from saying anything.

Charlotte smiled politely and didn't react to the man's sarcastic comment. "Esteemed Golden Sovereign Knight," she began, "I believe you have witnessed the entire incident and can draw your own conclusions. However, I am here to offer a clear explanation of the matter, and I would like to apologize on behalf of my friend, Lucien. His comment was merely a slip of the tongue and was not intended to offend you. Please do not take it to heart."

The man glanced back and forth between Lucien and Charlotte, then responded, "No need to worry, young lady. I am not here to meddle in the affairs of young people. I just wanted to ensure that this brat didn't cross any lines and cause trouble for himself or others."

"Then, we thank you for your concern," Charlotte said as she bowed respectfully, giving Lucien a subtle nudge to follow suit. Reluctantly, Lucien imitated Charlotte's gesture and bowed to the man.

Despite understanding the man's concerns about him crossing the line, Lucien couldn't help but feel angry and annoyed when the man interrupted him from delivering the final blow to Davion.

Although he enjoyed the fight, it did not mean that he was okay with the fact that he was ambushed in the first place by Davion. If he had not increased his stats, he would have likely gotten crippled at the start of the fight. It was only natural for him to feel angry in such a situation and harbor the intention to seek some little revenge at the end of the battle.

His thoughts were cut off by a cry and hurried footsteps approaching him.

"Young master Devereux, are you alright? I apologize for my tardiness. I was searching for knights who could assist you," Lucien's driver inquired anxiously, arriving with a brown suitcase in hand. Dozens of copper-plated knights followed closely behind him.

"Eh? Where's your assailant, young master?" the driver asked with confusion.

Lucien gestured towards the unconscious Davion lying on the pavement with his chin. "Over there."

"Oh my goodness!" The driver covered his mouth in shock and looked around before noticing a man adorned in golden armor plates near them. "Did you do this, sir?"

The man grinned and replied, "No, your young master did it all by himself."

"What? Young master did it?" The driver cried in shock as he stared at Lucien with widening eyes. "Is it true, young master?"

Lucien sighed, "Yes, it's true. Can we please go to the carriage now? I need to rest; my body is sore all over."

"Alright, young master, I'll go prepare the carriage." As the driver turned around, he grew furious at the copper-armored knights. "You useless pricks!" The driver bellowed in anger. "Had you been more vigilant and stationed yourselves closer, my young master would not have been left to fend for himself! Look at his handsome face! It's covered in dust and filth! And his hands are stained! Let's see what the School of Knights has to say about this when the matter gets reported!"

After scolding them, the driver walked begrudgingly towards his carriage, ignoring the awkward and scared exchange of glances among the copper-armored knights.

Lucien's attention shifted to Charlotte. Despite wearing the same uniform, Lucien could sense a difference in Charlotte's demeanor since she had awakened Arcane Nexus. Her beauty now seemed to radiate from an inexplicable aura that he couldn't quite explain.

Her long black hair flowed in the afternoon breeze, and Lucien's eyes grew warmer at the sight. After winning a match, what better prize could there be than having a beautiful woman by your side?

"Wanna hitch a ride, gorgeous?" Without thinking, Lucien blurted out a pick-up line he had learned from movies, ignoring the Golden Sovereign Knight near them.

Charlotte's cheeks flushed immediately, and her eyes grew nervous as she noticed the Golden Sovereign Knight still standing there with his trademark smile. She was about to refuse Lucien's invitation but hesitated when she saw Lucien's miserable state.

Lucien's hair was disheveled, his suit torn in several places, blood smudged on his lips, and his legs scratched. Despite his disheveled appearance, he still looked handsome and radiated a charming aura. In fact, his battered appearance only added to his bad-boy appeal.

In the end, Charlotte's emotions triumphed over her rational thoughts, and she found herself stuttering as she agreed, "S-sure."

Lucien was taken aback by her response and did not expect her to agree so readily. However, he quickly regained his composure and gestured towards Davion, asking her, "What about him? Is it okay to leave him here like this?"

"T-that..." Charlotte hesitated for a moment before shaking her head. "I think he should be okay. Look, there are already a few knights carrying him," she said, pointing to the group of knights who were carrying Davion away.

Lucien gave a small nod, and Charlotte turned to face the Golden Sovereign Knight with a respectful bow. "Sir esteemed Golden-" her words were interrupted by the man. "Just address me by my name. My title is too long, and I've grown tired of hearing it," he said with a smile.

"My name is Sebastian Ashworth. Please, feel free to call me Sir Sebastian," He said it casually, but there was an underlying pressure that compelled Charlotte to agree.

Charlotte hesitated for a moment before acquiescing to his request. It's not like his demand was unreasonable tho. "Sir Sebastian, what I was about to say earlier is that I wanted to bid you farewell and express my gratitude for your assistance." Her voice was soft and courteous, and she held herself with poise and elegance. "It was an honor to meet you in this unexpected circumstance, and I hope to have the pleasure of crossing paths with you again in the future."

"Judging by your earlier fluctuations, I could sense that you're a mage too. If you work hard, maybe we'll meet again sometime in the future," Sebastian said with a hint of encouragement.

"I hope so." Charlotte didn't put much expectancy in his words. "Now, if you'll excuse us."

Charlotte began to walk away, supporting Lucien as they made their way toward the carriage.

"Devereux, huh... Apart from his arrogance, he seems quite different from the rumors about him."

"Ah, so that kid must be her step-brother. What an interesting development, hahaha!"