[Reminder that since it's the weekend, there will only be two chapters today and tomorrow. Back to 4 on monday]
The streets around Leonel seemed to grow especially silent. The sight of a single young man dragging two half dead youths behind him was quite one to behold indeed, especially when one of them wore the emblem of Valiant Hall. Even Hero Peak didn't dare to mistreat the members of that Hall so blatantly even though they had launched plenty of underhanded schemes of their own.
It didn't take long for many to match Leonel's face to the bounty posters that had been plastered all around Valiant City.
Though the most promising youths of Valiant Heart usually spent most of their time in their Peaks, making use of training rooms, the city was almost always filled by the lesser-than characters of the organization. Beyond this, there were also some high class establishments that the true talents used to blow off some steam.
However, Leonel's goal wasn't one of these high-class establishments, but rather a low class one almost anyone could afford. And, unfortunately for Gersan who wouldn't be caught dead in such a place, his actions had made Leonel think that he was part of all of this, resulting in him being dragged through the city to this very establishment.
Leonel's foot blasted through the doors of the low class bar. One would think that he had to rely on his strength to do so, but he was certain that even if he was still a normal human, he would have been able to accomplish the same feat just as easily.
The doors of the bar hung loosely from their hinges, barely holding on even before Leonel's actions. Now, however, they found themselves flying out, finally free from their rotting wooden frames.
If the inside of the bar had to be described in just a single word, it would be stale.
It had dingy yellow lights, a musty smell, and brimmed with testosterone. It was almost as though a woman had never set foot into this place, and if they had… It definitely hadn't been with pure intentions.
This was apparently the bar that Thetris had been overheard in and was also the place the so-called King of Ores had recruited him from.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing?!"
The immediate response to Leonel's actions was hostility.
Most of the businesses run in Valiant City were owned by youths. As one might expect, the competition over land and their rights was quite stiff. Even for a dilapidated place like this, there was no doubt that there was a genius behind it somewhere.
Attacking a place like this was no different from slapping the face of a senior. So, it was no wonder the reaction, despite the perpetual rowdiness of the place, was still so exaggerated.
The bartender immediately jumped to action. Even in the dim lights, the white belt wrapped around his waist was clear for all to see.
It didn't take Leonel more than a single glance to tell that he was Tier 5 in strength. Not only was he Tier 5, but compared to the Tier 4's Leonel had originally defeated when he first stepped foot in this city, he was exponentially more powerful.
However, even as he jumped over the counter, planting a single palm down as an anchor, Leonel only spoke a single sentence that stopped him in his tracks.
"You're free to keep attacking, but in return I'll burn this whole place to the ground."
Flickering flames danced across Leonel's skin. He looked no different from a flaming human, prepared to blast the small bar to smithereens.
The bartender paused, his brow furrowing into a frown.
He scanned Leonel up and down, eventually landing on the two he dragged by their hair. His pupils constricted when he recognized Gersan.
White belt might have been the line of demarcation between freshman and seniors, but there were obviously lines of division between them. Usually, this was decided by time taken.
The bartender had taken three years to promote to white belt. But, all geniuses like Gersan took less than a single year. The fact that Gersan was in such a state made the bartender realize that he should be thanking Leonel, or else he would have ended up in the same state.
He gulped, his body tensing. Even though the owner of this bar wouldn't have to fear Leonel, by the time he got here for revenge, wouldn't he have already suffered the worst? Considering how little that senior cared about this place, why would he care about a small-time bartender?
"Why have you come?" The bartender spoke, trying to maintain his calm.
"Two weeks ago." Leonel said plainly. "There was a senior who came here to recruit him."
Leonel threw Thetris forward without a care for his injuries.
"Who is that senior and where is he."
Leonel seemed to be asking a question, but his demeanor was so bitingly cold and his words so demanding that it almost felt like a statement. The bartender didn't even feel like not answering was an option.
Sending a scared glance toward Thetris, a stream of memories immediately flooded the bartender's mind. But, when he realized the kind of information Leonel wanted, he froze.
A cold sweat began to pour down his forehead, his fingers beginning to tremble.
On one side, there was the youth right in front of him, clearly uncaring about humiliating the senior who owned this bar. He was a madman and clearly nothing like the coward the Leo the Cuck posters painted him out to be.
But, on the other side, there was the King of Ores, a vicious man known as a snake by many. The kind of poisonous existence who had done any and everything to claim the wealth he had now.
Not answering the question would cause this demon incarnate to come down on him. But, while answering it would save his life for now, what would happen when the matters of today returned to the ears of the King of Ores?
"It's just a simple math equation, don't you think?"
Like the voice of a reaper, Leonel's voice drifted into the bartender's ears.
"If you do answer, you'll anger just one man. But, if you don't, I'll burn down this bar and beat you half dead. That way, you'll enrage both me and your boss, while eventually telling me what I want to know anyway.
"So, what do you choose?"