"Pardon me, but did you see all this unfold?"
Aren’s gaze swept across the area and went from Emil to the mage and his peer. "Yes, I did."
"That mage and his men were ganging up on this young man. Although discrimination also happened here, they were trying to beat him because he’s a summoner."
When Eric heard the word ’discrimination,’ he pointed his sword at the mage’s throat. "You dare cause a ruckus and also commit discrimination in Count’s land?"
"You imbecile!!" He waved at his men and said out loud. "Arrest them all right away."
Knights who were just acting defensive now stepped forward; they grabbed the handcuffs, which were tugged behind their backs. One by one, they cast each of them.
Anyone with immaculate strength or prowess can break through such handcuffs, but not these because they were specifically made for binding those who carry mana.
They forced them to stand in a single line and walked them towards the exit.
Eric patted Aren’s shoulder once before shifting his attention back to the group. "I’ll see you soon, my friend." The moment he said that, he walked behind the knights’ trail.
Sara’s apprentice was standing behind Emil; she had seen everything unfold, and she never expected a summoner to win against mages, which are considered one of the top classes.
Her body was slightly shivering with fear; sweat drenched all over her body. But she succeeded in maintaining her composure.
Aren looked at Emil before shifting his gaze to Atlas, who still stood beside him. His posture alone made his intentions clear; he was ready to fight the moment anything stood in Emil’s way.
This gesture made Aren chuckle; he covered his mouth once and continued. "I seriously never expected a summoner to be this interesting."
Emil raised a brow, hands trailing down to his waist. "What do you mean?"
"Seeing a summoner subdue a group of mages and then be ready to fight against the other group too. You’re anything but average," Aren said.
’What the hell is this guy even spouting right now? His words don’t even make sense to me,’ Emil muttered inwardly.
"Leave it aside and state your reasons for helping me?" Emil’s voice carried bluntness.
"Isn’t it obvious, mate? Why would I let someone as interesting as you die? Besides, I’d much rather have you as a friend."
’This man is either stupid or trying to manipulate me. But looking at his attire, he definitely seems like an idiot.’
A sigh left Emil’s mouth as he waved his hand. "Yeah, sure, I don’t have enough time to continue talking with you."
He turned towards the exit and started walking. "Let’s indulge in conversation if we ever meet in the future."
But before he could even take a single step, Aren’s voice reached his ears. "Mate, at least add me as a friend before you leave, yeah?"
Emil turned his head and noticed that Aren had a huge grin on his face; his thumb was pointing at his chest. ’Yeah, this guy surely is an idiot,’ Emil scoffed inwardly.
’I mean, it’s fine if he wants to be my friend; he surely doesn’t look like someone who’ll try to extort me. Also, his attire looks expensive and something that belongs to players with higher levels. I’d rather have such a player as my friend, rather than ending on bad terms.’
"Sure, let’s do that."
Aren stepped forward, directed his hand forward, and said. This strange gesture made Emil raise a brow; a sense of confusion flickered over him as he asked. "Why are you trying to shake hands with me?"
Aren tilted his head, a look of genuine confusion crossing his face. One of his brows rose while he blinked at Emil as if he couldn’t believe what he’d just heard.
"You don’t know how to add people as friends?" he asked. "There are two ways. One is by searching their username, and the other is by shaking hands with them. You’ve never added anyone before?"
Emil’s cheeks were flustered with embarrassment, and his head started to heat up. To save his face, he instantly grabbed Aren’s hand and shook it.
A translucent screen appeared in both of their vision, stating different entries.
═══════════════════
◇ SYSTEM ◇
═══════════════════
[Friend Request]
───────────────────
[Name]
└ Aren
[Class]
└ Knight
[Level]
└ 170
───────────────────
Would you like to add this player to your Friends List?
[Accept] [Decline]
═══════════════════
Emil’s eyes widened as he read through each entry; his shoulders tensed as a thought curled inside his mind. ’Wait... His level is way too enormous. Doesn’t it make him one of the rankers? As much as I know, the max level cap for this update is 200. ’
Emil gulped and gazed at Aren’s face once and then back at the system window. His finger hovered over the [Accept] option, and before he pressed it, another thought came to him. ’Adding him as a friend was a nice idea, or else I would have died a miserable death right now.’
He gently tapped the option, and the screen hovering in the air disappeared right away. But a DING echoed through the air.
[Added user Aren as a friend, congratulations.]
The voice that echoed in his mind was unmistakably the System’s, cold and mechanical.
The smile on Aren’s face increased; he patted Emil on his shoulder lightly. But it was enough for Atlas to step forward; he raised his battle axe and was about to swing it at Aren.
Emil shouted right away, making Atlas’s motion come to a halt. Atlas looked at Emil, tilted his head lightly, and his long black hair swirled in the air as he wondered why Emil made him stop.
"Atlas, he’s not an enemy. He’s our friend now," Emil said, crossing his arms.
Atlas gave a faint nod and took a few steps back. His steps resonated around them, which made the ground shake a bit.
Aren burst into laughter, placing both hands on his waist as a broad grin spread across his face. "Your summon is incredibly loyal and definitely looks nothing less than a warrior. A gigantic yet muscular frame, long hair, and a great battle axe. That’s truly remarkable."