Once Samael realized what was happening, he gave the blackmailer before him an astonished look.
"You're blackmailing me?"
Someone had actually managed to blackmail him. That was certainly a novelty, and with time to spare, Samael found the whole thing rather amusing.
"Blackmail? What an ugly word. As your friend, I now have to keep your disgraceful secret and endure the torment of my conscience from this day forward. Shouldn't you at least buy me a drink, so my guilt-ridden soul can find a little peace at the bottom of a cup?"
The handsome young man blinked, his face filled with sorrow.
"Since when were we friends?"
"You and I hit it off the moment we met!"
"How about we become enemies first? Then your conscience won't have to suffer so much."
"Don't be rash. There are guards nearby. As a friend who hit it off with you at first sight, I'd hate to see you arrested."
The handsome young man looked utterly sincere, making the corner of Samael's mouth twitch.
"Forget it. With acting that bad, five silver coins. Not one more."
Realizing the man had latched onto him, Samael decided to pay for peace and discreetly handed over five silver coins.
"Don't be so stingy. Just look at you. You've got a whole group of fairy maids following you around, so you're obviously not short on money. Help a friend out a little."
The handsome young man smoothly pocketed the proceeds of their shady transaction, yet still looked unsatisfied. He smiled at the fairy girls behind Samael, his gaze full of implication.
"They're my foster daughters, students, and friends..."
Samael rolled his eyes and corrected him.
"Oh... so your tastes are that broad."
The handsome young man drew out the words with newfound respect, though amusement flickered deep in his eyes.
Before Samael could lose his temper, however, the young man glanced behind him. His gaze lingered briefly on the girls' clean clothes and cheerful faces before he patted the Ancient Serpent on the shoulder and whispered into his ear.
"Friendly advice. With the coronation approaching, nobles from all over have been arriving in the Holy City. Whatever their relationship to you, it's better not to take them wandering around too freely. Fairies are very popular with certain people."
The implication could hardly have been clearer.
That was actually a warning?
Samael raised an eyebrow and stared suspiciously at the blackmailer, still unable to figure out the man's true background or intentions.
"Don't look at me like that. There are still plenty of good people in the Holy City."
The handsome young man looked wounded by his suspicion and solemnly vouched for the city's character.
"Before you say that, how about giving back the five silver coins you conned out of me?"
"Not a chance! This is righteous money obtained through monitoring unlawful behavior. Why should I give it back to you?"
The moment money came up, the handsome young man immediately pulled his hand away like a hen protecting its chicks and jumped several steps back, suddenly alert.
At the same time, he looked at the five silver coins in his hand with obvious dissatisfaction.
"You've got some nerve complaining. Ten silver coins was already selling those two old men's reputations cheap, and you still haggled me down to half price. Do you really think their dignity is worth that little?"
"..."
After a brief silence, Samael's lips curled upward as he fixed the blackmailer with a burning stare.
"...Did you just say 'old men'?"
"When did I say that?"
The handsome young man instantly denied everything and tried to make his escape with the stolen money safely tucked away.
"I heard you!"
"We all heard it! You definitely said it!"
"Pay up! Pay up!"
But the little girls nearby closed in with wicked smiles, surrounding the handsome young man as they joined the denunciation. One after another, they held out their small hands and demanded the blackmailer surrender his ill-gotten gains.
Of course, if the coins actually ended up in their hands, there was absolutely no chance they would return them to Samael. They would almost certainly become pocket money.
That was why the little ones were particularly enthusiastic about blocking his escape and demanding payment.
"No!"
The handsome young man refused without hesitation, his expression resolute.
What a joke.
Once money entered his pocket, did they seriously expect it to come back out?
Clearly they had never heard of his reputation.
He was famous for taking money in and never letting any out.
"The guards are nearby. Aren't you afraid I'll report you for defaming the late King and slandering the State Preceptor?"
Samael simply turned the man's own tactic back on him.
"All right, then. Give me a moment..."
The handsome young man's tone softened.
He turned and gestured toward the scattered guards in the distance.
To everyone's surprise, the soldiers struck their chests in salute and immediately dispersed at his command.
Then the man slowly pulled something from his pocket and...
Pinned it to his own chest.
He smiled pleasantly.
"Sorry, but I'm in charge of this area today. So, what exactly did you want to report me for?"
The fairy girls stared dumbfounded at the metal knight's badge on his chest, distinguished by its sky-blue background and silver key emblem.
They froze on the spot.
Who dares accuse this official in his own court?
Samael's mouth twitched violently. He waved his hand in exasperation.
"Nothing at all. Have a pleasant day, Sir Knight."
"That's more like it. And don't think I'm bullying you. I'm doing this for your own good. Remember to watch what you say and do in public from now on. Five silver coins for such a valuable lesson is hardly a bad deal."
The handsome young man nodded in satisfaction, wearing a kindly smile as he delivered his restrained lecture, then turned to leave.
"Before you go, could you at least tell me your name, Sir Knight? I'd like to remember today's lesson properly."
Samael's teeth itched with irritation, though he still forced a smile as he asked.
The handsome young man had just mounted his horse. At the question, his expression became solemn, and he answered with complete seriousness.
"No need to thank me. Just call me Lancelot."
Samael watched the supposed Knight of the Round Table spur his horse into a gallop and gradually disappear from sight.
His face darkened.
Lancelot, my ass! At least dye that obnoxious blond hair purple before you start dragging his name through the mud!
Then the Ancient Serpent frowned as another thought occurred to him.
Wasn't today supposed to be the day of Artoria's triumphant return?
Why would a Knight of the Round Table be slacking off in some out-of-the-way place like this instead of welcoming the King of Knights?
Maybe he was just some fringe member among the more than two hundred Knights of the Round Table.
Whatever.
Whoever that bastard was, Samael would remember this grudge.
Thinking about the five silver coins he had been extorted out of, along with that shameless man's smug expression while lecturing him, made his teeth ache all over again.
For the moment, Samael pushed the unpleasant experience from his mind and sprawled across the grass like a salted fish.
By the time he had fully relaxed, it was already noon.
...
"Hahaha! Melusine, I finally caught you! Accept my challenge! We'll settle right here and now which of us deserves to be called the strongest knight!"
Under the setting sun, the restless Barghest casually picked up a fallen branch and imitated a human knight's dueling stance, eagerly challenging Melusine in the corner. She was determined to settle which of them had the greater claim to being the strongest knight among the fairies.
Among her fairy companions, Freya was a noncombatant and could be eliminated immediately.
Habetrot preferred weaving and had no interest in battle, while the Wing Fairy's combat ability was limited anyway.
As for the ill-tempered Baobhan Sith, she looked aggressive enough on the surface, but deep down she was a crybaby. She was the type who was terrible at fighting yet loved doing it anyway. Whenever she lost once, she would pester Barghest endlessly until she managed to win one back, which Barghest found incredibly annoying.
Simply put, before Melusine arrived, there had not been a single fairy among them who could give Barghest a proper fight.
For the energetic Barghest, it had been unbearably frustrating.
But during their journey through the Swamp Dragon's Remains, Barghest had personally witnessed the terrifying strength of the Demon Dragon Vortigern.
And as a newborn fairy created from the Dragon's Jewel, Melusine's combat ability was naturally beyond doubt.
More importantly, as Dragonkind, her naturally extraordinary Strength and resistance were exactly the sort of qualities that made Barghest, who loved straightforward physical combat, itch for a fight.
Whenever she found an opportunity, she wanted nothing more than to test herself against the newly arrived Melusine.
Yet whether Melusine had inherited the aloofness of dragons or their natures were simply incompatible, every time Barghest suggested sparring, Melusine avoided her.
Even the way Melusine usually looked at her was strange.
That left Barghest with nowhere to vent her overflowing energy, which frustrated her to no end.
Now that she had finally cornered her, there was no way she intended to let such a powerful rival escape so easily.
Barghest's heterochromatic eyes burned with excitement.
"Smack!"
A crisp blow rang out.
The fighting spirit blazing in Barghest's chest was instantly extinguished by a sharp flick to the forehead from her caretaker standing beside her.
"What fighting? I'm starving. We're having stew today, so hurry home and eat."
The fairy girl's face fell for an instant.
Then she heard what was on the menu.
A stream of sorrowful "tears" immediately began running from the corner of her mouth as her face lit up with anticipation.