Working for Bowles had long ago cost these bodyguards their dignity. If not for the generous pay the Duke provided, they wouldn't have been willing to be barked at and ordered around like dogs.
Seeing handfuls of glittering gold coins flying through the air, their legs and hands immediately stopped obeying orders.
It was only natural—who had ever seen someone throw actual gold during a fight?
The five bodyguards were practically on the verge of shouting, "Throw more! Kill me with it if you have to!"
Bowles was also slack-jawed. Although he was wealthy, he never expected that in this poor countryside, there would be a bumpkin with so much money. And to see it presented in such a blatant, mocking manner!
"You... you..." He pointed at Wayne, then at his five servants who were now squatting on the ground like lapdogs scrambling for coins. He was so enraged he could barely speak.
"Good lord... Wayne actually had such a move hidden up his sleeve!"
"This is the first time I've felt zero envy toward someone else's wealth..."
"So satisfying! I wish he'd throw enough to crush that bald fat pig!"
"As expected of our Goldshire Knight. Let's see who dares to act wild here again."
As the scene exceeded everyone's expectations, the discussions among the onlookers flared up again.
...
Wayne had guessed the five bodyguards were spineless, but he hadn't expected them to be this spineless.
Seeing the five of them frozen in place, he quickly signaled Tess to stop. He did a rough mental calculation; they had probably thrown out over fifty gold coins by now...
He had to admit... while it was satisfying, it definitely hurt his wallet.
Wayne mocked him loudly, "Fat pig! Do what your dog servants are doing and crawl over to pick some up! I've got plenty more gold! Kneel at my toes, and I might reward you with a bit more!"
This wasn't just a taunt; it was an area-of-effect insult!
Andromath and Marlin shook their heads helplessly. However, like the smiling Andrew, the Steely siblings, Raymond, Zaldimar, and the others, they made no move to stop him.
Even Sandal, despite having been beaten to a pulp by Wayne in the movie earlier, couldn't help but cheer inwardly. He was even calculating how to hide behind the crowd and secretly cast a spell to help Wayne take out a bodyguard or two if they charged.
Also prepared to cast was Anita. She had been silent the whole time, but after years of slaughter in the military, she was ready to cast "Power Word: Shield" on Wayne the moment a blade swung his way.
The people's hearts and the side of justice were clear.
The bald patch on Bowles' head looked like it was about to burst from the pressure. He screamed at his five men with every ounce of his strength, "If you don't go now, I'll lock you and your families up the moment we get back!!!"
Hearing this, the five bodyguards had no choice but to raise their swords and charge at Wayne again.
Wayne was waiting for this exact moment. Once the net cafe's defense mechanism activated, all five would be repelled in an instant.
Just as the five were about to enter the net cafe's range, a low but overbearing voice suddenly rang out: "Had enough yet?"
The voice wasn't very loud, but it caused many of the surrounding civilians to shiver involuntarily. Even the five charging bodyguards ground to a halt.
From the crowd to the north, a tall man wearing a grey cloak stepped out. The cloak had an attached hood that completely obscured his eyes. The crowd, intimidated by his aura, instinctively cleared a path for him as he walked slowly toward Bowles. Behind him, Marshal Dughan led a squad of guards, rushing over frantically to surround the five bodyguards.
Bowles felt like something was cursed in Goldshire today. First, a little girl dared to glare at him; then, a bumpkin humiliated him publicly with gold; and now, another mysterious person appeared, speaking to him as if giving orders.
He had seen Dughan a few times, but because Dughan's rank was too low, he couldn't remember—and hadn't bothered to learn—the man's name. He shouted at Dughan, "Officer! Do you have a death wish? You're helping this nobody move against the Duke's men?!"
Dughan didn't even look at him.
Before Bowles could finish his sentence, the hooded man raised his right hand and delivered a heavy slap to Bowles' left cheek. He growled a single curse:
"You. Filthy. Mutt!"
The slap was incredibly powerful. The fat, round Bowles nearly spun 720 degrees on the spot. He saw stars, felt his teeth loosen, and a large red welt immediately rose on his left cheek.
He pointed at the hooded man and screamed, "You! Who are you?! How dare you assault a noble! I am a Duke!"
The hooded man used his right hand again, landing another slap on Bowles' left cheek with lightning speed.
"You. Filthy. Mutt! These two slaps are back-payment for the ones you gave that little girl!"
Then, his left hand reached into his cloak and pulled out an object. He held it in front of Bowles' eyes for a brief moment before quickly tucking it back away.
Bowles' eyes nearly popped out of his head. Clutching his swollen left cheek with blood leaking from the corner of his mouth, he said in terror, "You... how do you have that... who exactly are you..."
Slap!
The hooded man didn't wait for him to finish before delivering another slap—again with his right hand.
Even though Bowles was covering his face with his left hand, the force was so great that he felt the bones in his palm shatter. The impact transferred to his cheek, and two bloodied teeth actually fell out.
He wailed, "I only hit that girl twice... why did you hit me three times... waah..."
The hooded man's voice was quiet but filled with extreme rage. "Scum who bullies others with power, you don't deserve to be a Duke. If this weren't outside Stormwind City, I... I would kill a dog like you today, and it would be well-deserved!"
Bowles sat on the ground in despair, crying, "Couldn't you at least switch sides... waah..."
The hooded man ignored him and turned toward the five bodyguards.
The five men were already scared witless. They usually acted like "the fox borrowing the tiger's terror," but that only worked when the "tiger" still had its fangs.
Now that the "Fat Tiger" had turned into a "Sick Cat," their legs went weak. They immediately threw down their longswords and knelt on the ground, begging for mercy.
The hooded man walked up to the bodyguard who had previously grabbed Tess by the wrists. He said to one of Dughan's guards, "Pick him up."
The guard hesitated. "This..."
Dughan was also conflicted. "Your... Sir, this might not be appropriate..."
The hooded man looked as if he were about to spit fire as he turned to glare at Dughan.
Wayne, standing at the entrance of the net cafe, saw this scene clearly. Beneath the hood was an old man with a thick white beard. Judging by his voice, he was quite old, yet his movements and steady gait suggested he was exceptionally strong.
Most crucially, his dark eyes revealed a sinister, ferocious light...
It was as if... as if he were a hungry wolf.