If a customer insulted his woman, then he had to act. If he acted strongly, she would admire him later. If she admired him later, the night would become pleasant for him. That thought made his chest puff up a little.

He stood from his chair.

"Let us see who is brave enough to be rude in my shop."

The staff woman smiled behind him and followed.

When Galen came out, he immediately looked at Lucard. Then he looked at Jenny, Jake, and Peter. His eyes paused on Jenny for a second because she was beautiful and noble looking, but then he focused on Lucard again.

"You are the one who wants to sell something?" Galen asked.

Lucard looked at him.

"Yes."

"What is it?"

Lucard took out the wrapped old papers from inside his cloak. He untied the cloth and showed the pages.

"A Fifth Rank forbidden trap spell."

The words made the air still for a moment.

Even the staff woman’s expression changed slightly.

Jenny’s fingers tightened around Jake’s shoulder. Peter looked at Galen carefully. Jake stared at the papers with the same serious face he used when trying to understand adult problems, which usually meant he understood only half and feared the other half.

Galen’s eyes sharpened.

"A Fifth Rank forbidden trap spell?"

"Yes," Lucard said. "It uses surrounding mana to create a hidden killing trap. It can be placed on roads, gates, rooms, and narrow passages. If used properly, it can kill enemies below Fifth Rank and injure stronger ones."

Galen reached out. "Show me."

Lucard handed him the papers.

Galen took them and looked first at the explanation page, not the circle page. That alone showed he was not a real magic appraiser. He moved his eyes across the writing for only a few seconds. The words were complex, and he clearly did not understand the structure. But instead of admitting that, his face twisted with irritation.

He gave a short laugh.

"What nonsense."

Jenny’s face became pale.

Peter frowned.

Lucard’s eyes became cold.

Galen threw the papers onto the ground.

The pages scattered across the floor.

"How dare you bring some fake spell here and try to sell it to House Marovain?" Galen said loudly. "Do you think this is a roadside stall? Do you think we buy any old paper with strange lines on it?"

The staff woman immediately stepped beside him and added, "Manager, I told you they were rude."

Galen pointed at Lucard. "You will pay for wasting my time."

Jake became tense and hid a little behind Jenny.

"Sister," he whispered. "Is this bad?"

Jenny’s heart was beating fast. She did not know if the spell was real, but she had chosen to trust Lucard. Seeing Galen throw the pages on the ground made her worried and angry at the same time. They could not afford to offend House Marovain. They had just escaped House Ravencroft. If trouble started here too, where could they go?

Peter stepped a little forward and spoke carefully.

"Manager, please calm down. If you do not wish to buy it, we can leave."

Galen looked at Peter and sneered. "An injured knight has no right to speak here."

Peter’s face darkened.

One of the papers slid across the floor because of the movement in the room. The page with the magic circle flew toward the staircase. It passed between the railings and landed on the step between the second and third floors.

At that moment, someone was coming up.

Celia Marovain stopped on the stairs. She looked down at the page near her feet.

Then she picked it up.

Her eyes moved over the magic circle. She froze.

On the third floor, Galen raised his hand.

"Guards," he called. "Capture him."

Two Marovain guards standing near the wall immediately moved forward. They wore good armor and carried sharp swords. Their movements were trained, and they attacked without much hesitation.

Lucard did not look at the guards first. He looked at Galen. Again and again they are crossing the line. He finally lost it.

"This fat little manager had thrown my creation on the ground."

That was the only thing Lucard cared about at that moment.

A spell written by him, even a low one, was still his creation. In Null, gods had begged for his blood spells. Blood race kings had killed each other for broken pieces of his old teachings. Even if this was only a Fifth Rank trap spell, it still came from the mind of the Blood God. A mortal shop manager who did not even know how to read the first circle had dared to throw it like garbage.

Lucard’s anger became cold.

The two guards attacked him.

One sword came from the left. Another came from the right. Lucard stepped back, turned his body, and let both blades miss by a narrow distance. Then he moved forward instead of retreating. The guards did not expect that. Lucard passed between them and reached Galen in one quick movement.

Galen’s eyes widened.

"What?"

Lucard kicked him between the legs.

The kick was clean, direct, and full of personal judgment.

Galen’s face changed from arrogance to something that looked like his soul had tried to leave through his mouth. His knees lost strength at once. He dropped to the floor while making a sound no respectable manager should ever make in public.

Jake’s eyes widened.

Peter almost coughed.

Jenny turned her head slightly because even in danger, that looked painful.

Lucard grabbed Galen by the collar and slapped him across the face.

Paak!

The sound was sharp.

Galen’s head turned.

The staff woman screamed.

"Manager Galen."

Lucard slapped him again.

Paak!

Galen’s face shook, and blood came from his lip.

"You threw my work," Lucard said coldly.

The two guards moved again and placed their swords at Lucard’s throat. One blade touched the left side of his neck. The other touched the right. If he moved carelessly, they could cut him.

Jenny cried out, "Lucard."

Peter drew his sword halfway, but two more guards on the third floor pointed their weapons at him. Peter stopped. He could not risk Jenny and Jake being attacked.

Jake held Jenny’s dress with both hands. His face was pale, but his eyes still looked at Lucard with fear and trust mixed together.

The staff woman rushed to Galen’s side and glared at Lucard.

"You are dead. You attacked the manager of House Marovain."

Galen held himself with one hand and covered his swollen face with the other. He looked humiliated and furious, but he was also in too much pain to stand properly.

"You bastard," he hissed. "You are finished."

At that moment, a calm voice came from the staircase.

"Who threw this precious thing?"

Everyone froze.

Celia Marovain entered the third floor while holding the magic circle page in her hand.

She wore an elegant dark green dress with silver embroidery. Her long hair was pinned neatly, and her expression was calm, but her eyes were not. Her eyes were fixed on the magic circle as if she had found something that should not be on the floor. Behind her, two female guards followed, both more serious than the shop guards.

Celia stepped onto the third floor and finally looked at the scene in front of her.

Galen was kneeling on the ground, holding his injured body and swollen face.

Lucard stood beside him with two swords at his throat.

Jenny stood pale and worried.

Jake hid beside her.

Peter had his hand on his sword.

The staff woman looked like someone who had been caught near a fire she helped start.

Celia’s gaze slowly moved from Galen to Lucard, then back to the page in her hand.

Galen immediately shouted, "My lady, help me. This man is selling fakes to House Marovain. When I tried to capture him, he attacked us."

Celia did not answer right away. She looked at the magic circle again. Then she looked at Lucard.

The third floor became silent.