Bang!

Before Bach could step forward, a sharp gunshot suddenly rang out from the seemingly small, dilapidated courtyard.

"Ah! There's a firearm? Little brat, you still dare to resist?! Grab her for me!"

Clang! Clang! Clang!...

The courtyard door was half-open, allowing people on the street to vaguely see what was happening inside.

A girl, about fourteen or fifteen years old, with ice-blue short hair like a tomboy, suddenly retaliated, injuring a soldier holding her with a short flintlock gun.

Quickly drawing a bright short sword hidden at her waist, like an enraged young wolf, she slashed at the unreasonable soldiers with a flurry of icy "fangs."

[Frost Wolf Swordsmanship]

Taking advantage of the soldiers' panicked attempts to evade, she easily broke through their encirclement.

Although the tomboy was young, she was clearly very self-aware.

Knowing that even if she temporarily escaped, she couldn't possibly defeat the armored soldiers equipped with firearms, she immediately sprinted towards the exit.

At this moment, she collided head-on with a thin, feeble-looking tax official who was about to check the "Golden Compass."

The tomboy didn't regard him as a threat, shifting her steps to dodge aside.

But the tax official stared at her with a cold smile, a sulfurous aura emanating from him, and reached out to grab her:

"Hmph, where do you think you're going?"

The tomboy instinctively raised her sword to counter.

Clang!

But when her finely-crafted family heirloom short sword struck the man's wrist, it made a sound like clashing metal, nearly slipping from her grip.

In the brief moment of surprise for this apprentice knight, the tax official had already twisted her arms behind her and easily subdued her.

The angered soldiers also emerged, with the captain who had previously accused her of theft kicking her harshly:

"It was initially just a suspicion that you had stolen property from the Marquis, and now you're caught with a firearm, a short sword, and that mysterious [Frost Wolf Swordsmanship]. Clearly, you're preparing to resist the Marquis's rule.

It seems only 'God' can teach you fear; coincidentally, there's a shortage of 'Saintesses' to serve the deity. Come, send her to the Marquis's Mansion."

"No—! I won't go! People chosen to be Saintess or Holy Son never return.

The Bach Clan is a registered adventurer of the Kingdom. My ancestors risked their lives for His Majesty the King; you can't do this to me!"

Despite being kicked, she remained largely unresponsive.

But upon hearing his arrangements for her, especially the word "Saintess,"

The girl, who had resigned herself to reality, was now filled with boundless terror and began to struggle again.

If before, some neighbors on the street were indignant at the soldiers' actions, now everyone was as silent as a cold cicada, hiding in their homes, daring not to make a sound.

Afraid that the so-called "Saintess" or "Holy Son," titles that were superficially glorious but deadly, might fall upon them.

Evidently, in this city still ruled by Great Nobles, the residents' duties were far more than just paying taxes for unknown reasons.

Seeing no residents left on the street willing to stay, the struggling tomboy was about to be forcibly taken away by the arrogantly laughing soldiers.

Bach sighed softly:

"Suddenly, this journey to the Source Continent seems a bit troublesome."

His mission was to retrieve the "Golden Compass" belonging to the Bach Clan from a small family where his father originated.

The initial intelligence reported that the Bach Clan was in decline, and it shouldn't be difficult to obtain the compass from the family descendants.

Yet, he hadn't expected the rulers of this rundown place to be so corrupt.

However, regardless of his blood relationship with the tomboy, the task his teacher assigned had to be completed.

Without hesitation, he stepped forward, blocking the path of the group.

"Hmm? You...."

While the group was momentarily stunned, Bach slightly released his vast "Life Energy Field," lightly stomped his foot, and vanished in a flash of lightning.

Boom!

When he reappeared, he was already behind the team.

In his hands were the tightly bound tomboy and the [Divine Gift: Golden Compass] that had been confiscated as ordinary gold.

This was the social instinct Bach developed while living alone in the wild. To make other creatures submit to his will, he needed to display an overwhelming threat; words were a complete waste of time.

"A Great Knight?"

The soldiers, who only bullied the weak, were startled and retreated in fear.

Indeed, Bach had already successfully become a Tier 3 [Branded Swordsman], continuously nourished by the [Essence Fruit], [Spiritual Origin], and [Holy Baptismal Water].

The vigorous life energy field within him, like blazing thunder, was incredibly palpable even to ordinary people, eliminating any thoughts of resistance.

Boom—!

Perhaps because they encountered a Tier 3 Extraordinary that could be deemed a "big shot" in any faction on their own territory,

In shock, the soldiers' captain instinctively drew out the highest-level warning flare and shot it into the sky.

A long, bright yellow trail soared into the sky.