Absolute Beast Dominion

Chapter 481: Shut [Bonus]

Chapter 481: Shut

Even the crowd started shouting, naturally attracting nearby patrolling guards, who rushed toward the chaos.

Seeing all this, the manager felt a headache forming.

This foolish woman! he cursed inwardly.

Because a single act of Lyswenna using her powers to defend herself was enough to paint a clear picture in his mind.

His reasoning was simple.

A slave cannot use their powers unless explicitly permitted by their master. And if Lyswenna was using hers, that meant whoever her master was had the strength and standing to handle the aftermath of the chaos caused by a slave’s actions.

And even if the manager ignored the fact that the slaves had acted in self-defense—which many masters did allow, and which didn’t necessarily prove the master’s power—it was the way Lyswenna blocked the attack that made his headache worsen.

Having once served as a civil servant in a noble household, he had witnessed a fair share of attacks launched by individuals of different levels. And what the red-haired woman had unleashed was no less than low 2-star strength.

Yet Lyswenna defended against it so effortlessly that it was obvious she ranked even higher.

And this foolish woman still didn’t realise a thing!

Even if the manager had been an ordinary man, his experience alone told him that Lyswenna was at least High 2-star, perhaps even Peak 2-star!

"And a water element elf!" the manager hissed through his teeth.

At High 2-star, she alone was easily worth 1000 gold coins as a slave, something no ordinary man could afford. And the mysterious noble had two such elves serving as maids!

If the manager had known they actually had the wood element that even allowed them to be healers, he would have fainted from the sheer amount of gold coins that they would have amounted to.

There is no way the person is some ordinary noble. And if that was the case, then knowing Count Ember’s tendency to form connections, the mysterious noble might already be acquainted with him. Naturally, such a person holds far more value than this petty woman!

There was no question about whom he should side with.

It might get me fired, but I need to save my life too!

He was taking a gamble on the mysterious noble based purely on his experience.

Oh lord, please don’t fail me. I still need to visit my sick mother!

"Wait!" The manager raised his hand, stopping the guards who were surrounding the elves inside the store.

The guards turned toward him.

"This shop is under my management! You cannot simply arrest people—even slaves—based on random accusations! At least hear me out first," the manager said, gulping nervously.

The guards, being sensible men, lowered their swords slightly. They didn’t know the true cause of the disturbance and had only acted upon the loud commotion. Naturally, the manager’s words carried more weight.

"Don’t listen to him! He is under the mind control of these elves!" Hilda’s irritating voice rang out once again.

"This bitc-cc-bb-bewitching accusation is also false!" the manager blurted awkwardly, hastily changing his words midway after realizing Hilda was still of noble standing, and publicly cursing her could very well get him executed.

Thankfully, his vocabulary saved the day. Otherwise, a less educated man might have already slipped.

Hilda was briefly taken aback, thinking the manager had called her a bitch, but relaxed after realizing he had corrected himself.

"Listen to me! These elves only acted in self-defence after being attacked! They even protected my shop from being damaged by the fireball this lady launched! They are not at fault! She is!" The manager even wanted to demand Hilda’s arrest, but that would have been going too far in defence for slaves.

At that moment, the shadow beneath one of the guards stirred as a tall, imposing figure materialized from it.

"My Lord!" Naelith and Lyswenna immediately dropped to one knee and greeted Leo.

Though it wasn’t their usual greeting in private, Sylrael had instructed them to act this way in public spaces to maintain Leo’s image. In fact, Sylrael had originally wanted them to kneel and kowtow, but Leo had firmly refused and settled for this instead.

The surroundings instantly fell silent under Leo’s chilling presence. Even the guards barely dared to breathe.

"Rise. Tell me what happened," Leo said in an authoritative tone, completely disregarding the surrounding crowd and even the patrol guards. Their weak Mid 1-star to High 1-star strength barely registered in his senses.

The only other notable presence he could feel was the dull red-haired woman wearing the joker. And somehow, he instinctively knew she was the main culprit.

In front of all the surrounding men—who were already struggling to breathe under Leo’s oppressive aura, another application of [Astral Aura Weave]—Lyswenna recounted the entire incident.

Even Hilda’s legs were trembling, unable to withstand Leo’s presence. And when the elves identified her as the one responsible, she nearly collapsed on the spot.

Meanwhile, the manager felt completely relaxed, or rather, relieved.

Mother... I will live another day to see you.

The manager knew there was no way Hilda held more importance than the mysterious man standing before him.

He even noticed the Dragon Emblem cape fluttering elegantly behind Leo.

Aurelius Beast Academy...

He glanced toward Hilda and, as expected, she wasn’t affiliated with any academy. She had merely come to participate in the realm exploration as a member of a branch family that received a free pass whenever the realm opened.

The manager could also tell Leo was no ordinary student. The fact that he could suppress so many men through sheer presence alone meant he was extraordinarily powerful, and Count Ember would probably run like a mad dog trying to establish ties with him.

Wait! He should even have a territory then! Should I try expanding the business within Aurelius Beast Academy?

Somehow, after realising he had made the correct choice, his thoughts naturally drifted toward the potential business opportunities standing before him.

By the time Leo finished hearing the entire story from both of his maids, he slowly turned toward Hilda.

But seeing that Leo still hadn’t allowed the guards to relax, the manager immediately realized something unpleasant was about to happen.

"Y-you—"

"Shut," Leo spoke a single word, and Hilda’s mouth clamped shut.