The Grand Duelist

Joseph arrived within the world of Victory once again, and when he exited his residence within the barracks of the Underground Penitentiary.

What greeted him was Ezreal who had a small smile on his face.

"Master, you're finally awake. I was about to barge into your residence since if I let you sleep for too long... We will miss what's going on inside the Maximum Security Tunnel."

Joseph swept his gaze around the area and noticed that the place was eerily silent. Usually, whenever Joseph came out of his residence...

He would find several Jail Janitors talking with each other, discussing each other's torture methods and arguing whose torture method was far ruthless than the other.

But now?

The place was completely silent.

Apart from Ezreal, there was no one outside.

Remembering what Ezreal said...

Joseph asked.

"Did something happen while I was gone?"

Ezreal nodded: "Yes, master. While you were away, I was awakened by the sounds of heavy footsteps. When I went outside and checked what was going on..."

"I found the Jail Warden escorting someone that looked like a mountain of meat. That person really was too fat to the extent that his heavy footsteps are causing tremors on the ground!"

Joseph lightly chuckled when he heard what Ezreal said: "Don't exaggerate, how could someone be that fat? Anyways, you said that the Jail Warden was escorting someone that looked like that?"

"In that case then, you better keep your mouth shut. If that person heard your insulting words then we would have trouble!"

"If that is what master wants, then I shall comply." Ezreal nodded his head and Joseph also nodded.

Afterwards, the two then hurried towards the Maximum Security Tunnel.

At the end of the tunnel, within the Maximum Security Jailblock. Joseph and Ezreal found several figures standing near the sealed door where Krid was located.

Joseph also saw the familiar figure of the Captain of the Inquisitors and several other inquisitors standing beside him with serious expressions on their faces.

"What is going on there?"

"I also don't know, master. But judging from the strong auras beyond that sealed door where the other Inquisitors are standing guard. It seems like my comrade, Krid has found some trouble." Ezreal shook his head, indicating that he had no idea about what was going on beyond the sealed door.

Joseph didn't even ask about why Ezreal called Krid as a comrade for he had already disappeared, and was now heading towards the location where the Captain of the Inquisitors and several other Inquisitors were standing guard.

"Oh, it's you!"

"Yes! Uh... Brothers. May I know about what is going on?" Joseph clasped his hands and respectfully asked.

The Captain of the Inquisitors shook his head and said: "I also have no idea, all I know is that the five other Deputy Wardens and our Leader, the Jail Warden himself is beyond this sealed door along with that distinguished noble."

Joseph frowned.

"Distinguished noble?"

"Yes... Inside... a duke."

The one who answered Joseph was Jagger, whom he had a faint impression of.

Joseph glanced at Jagger and nodded at him in appreciation.

Jagger's lips moved and revealed what looked to be a smile, but a frown at the same time.

"In that case then, Captain. May I go inside?"

His question astonished the Captain of the Inquisitors.

"Are you mad?! You want to go inside?"

Joseph revealed a frown: "What's wrong, Captain? Why can't I go inside? Wait, why are you guys even here outside?"

The Captain of the Inquisitors revealed a shocked expression, but when he connected the dots and realized that Joseph was actually still a newbie within the Underground Penitentiary even though he was already an Inquisitor. He took the time and explained everything.

"Beyond this sealed door is all the Wardens from First to Fifth. Not only that, apart from that duke, and that cursed being. The Jail Warden is also beyond this sealed door..." The Captain of the Inquisitor's face looked somewhat pale as he explained.

"So what is the problem? What's wrong?" Joseph knitted his eyebrows and the Captain of the Inquisitors stared at him as if he wanted nothing but to slap Joseph's dense and thickened face.

"Are you purposely playing dumb? Every Warden within the Underground Penitentiary are people who killed at least tens of thousands of people within their lifetime!" 

"It wouldn't be a problem if there's only one of them, but if they are gathered in the same place..."

"Their killing intent combined all together is so overwhelming it's not a surprise if you'll go mad just by being around them!"

"Not only that, the Jail Warden is with them! The most terrifying one of them all!"

For Joseph, the Captain seemed to be exaggerating things.

But how could Joseph understand the terrifying effects of killing intent when he had overpowered titles that could suppress any abnormal statuses? 

Joseph wanted to refute at first. But in the end, he agreed and said: "I understand your concern, but I really need to get inside. My life is my own responsibility and I will not blame Captain for what will happen to me inside. Can you let me go now? Captain?"

He sincerely pleaded at the Captain of the Inquisitors and a complicated expression flashed on the latter's face. He didn't want to expose Joseph into any danger for Joseph was someone extremely talented and valuable to their squad.

But if he refused Joseph's earnest request, conflict may appear between him and Joseph.

He was caught between a tight and a hard place.

Unable to move, nor struggle...

In the end, the Captain of the Inquisitors had no other choice but to agree.

He stepped sideways and Joseph slightly bowed towards him as thanks.

Joseph couldn't blame the Captain since it was clear that the Captain was worried for him.

Joseph surreptitiously gazed at the Captain and engraved the Captain's scruffy visage in his heart.

Afterward, he went inside the sealed room.

But suddenly...

"Hey, what are you doing?"

... The Captain of the Inquisitors exclaimed at Ezreal.

Ezreal stopped on his tracks and said: "Wherever master goes, I follow."

An expression that didn't take 'no' for an answer emerged on his face and everyone was stunned speechless.

In the end, Ezreal also entered the room. Leaving the dumbfounded Captain of the Inquisitors and the other Inquisitors behind him.

"Uh... What was that?"

"I... I don't know..."

Ezreal's expression before he entered the room looked really terrifying to the extent that these Inquisitors probably wouldn't forget about it for a long time after this.

Entering the room, anger flashed on Joseph's face when he found a person that looked like a mountain of meat, stepping on the hand of a chained Krid.

"Just give up, already... No matter what, I will never cooperate with you bastards unless you agree to my terms!"

Krid exclaimed in a hoarse voice, and the mountain of 'meat' moved his foot and slammed it down even harder at Krid's hand, eliciting a scream from the latter.

"AHHHH!!!"

"You must always remember that I am the one making the rules here. What you need to do is just obey, if you do that then you wouldn't have to suffer like this in the first place..."

The mountain of meat spoke and Krid sarcastically chuckled.

"Hehehe... Do you think that I am that stupid? If I really did what you wanted, then this kingdom will be over in ten years!"

The mountain of meat mockingly stared at Krid, a smile that looked more like a slit appeared on his face as he said.

"You really became arrogant just because you're the one and only legend of the current generation. The Kingdom will be over in ten years if I was the one to lead it? What an enormous joke..." 

The slit on the mountain of meat's face turned cold and he let out a maddened laugh: "You're really too pitiful... You're too pitiful. I don't know how you became a Legend, but shouldn't a Legend like you have enough capabilities to escape from this place? But why are you not escaping? Ah, I know!"

"It's because of your precious... your precious... disciple! Ah, wait... Granddaughter! Hahahaha!!!"

The mountain of meat's laughter reverberated for several times within the confines of this sealed room. But Krid unexpectedly didn't have any reaction when the mountain of meat mentioned his disciple.

However, Joseph who stood at the distance knew about the truth...

Krid may look peaceful right now, but the more seemingly peaceful someone like Krid was, the more dangerous they were when they erupt in anger.

Right now, Krid was holding himself back... Holding himself back from utterly murdering that mountain of meat for the sake of his disciple's life.

However...

A man could endure any hardship, but every man had a bottom line that shouldn't be crossed.

And for Krid?

It was...

"Oh, you're not giving me any reaction? I'm sure that the reason why you can stay so silent like that is for the sake of your granddaughter... But seriously... your granddaughter... She's a fine woman. Especially those supple and soft thighs of hers... One cannot simply resist!"

... insult towards his granddaughter.

The moment that the mountain of meat completed his sentence. An incomparably towering might erupted from within Krid's body. 

"YOU BASTAAARRRDDD!!!" Krid madly howled in rage, his expression distorted in anger and fury.

Those words coming from the mountain of meat had obviously provoked his ire and made him lose control of his emotions as he violently struggled all over...

Veins bulged everywhere on his almost naked body as he howled: "If you bastard really dared on humiliating Alice, then no matter what. I will destroy this kingdom! NO MATTER WHAT PRICE I HAVE TO PAY!"

His scream rang like thunderbolts from the nine heavens as even Ezreal was intimidated and had to take a step backward so that he could hold fast on his wits.

Ezreal was already like this, and he was about fifty meters away from Krid.

How about that person who looked like a mountain of meat? 

Of course, he was scared out of his wits...

"SUPPRESS HIM! YOU USELESS BASTARDS, SUPPRESS HIM! HURRY!" 

... He obviously didn't expect that his provocation for Krid could provoke such a fit of anger from him. 

But Joseph secretly ridiculed him. What was the result that he was expecting while provoking a Legend like Krid? Did he expect Krid to act subservient towards him and endlessly bootlick him?

What's worse was that he even went beyond Krid's bottom-line just to get a reaction out of him!

How stupid... Joseph concluded.

Then, Joseph saw the actions of the five Deputy Wardens and even the Jail Warden himself.

All of them had pale expressions on their faces as they forcefully endured the might of a Legend. Pointing towards the stone slab that had the chains embedded on them.

All of them simultaneously cried out.

"SEAL!"

Their words became akin to an Imperial Decree that instantly suppressed Krid's struggles.

His fierce killing intent and aura vanished like it didn't even exist in the first place as Krid himself crumbled down and became like a used cum-rag on the ground.

Seeing the exhausted Krid...

The mountain of meat moved towards him and started kicking his body.

"This..."

Wack!

"Is..."

Wack!

"What you get for disobeying me, you piece of shit!"

Wack!

Several seconds later and the mountain of meat still kept on kicking Krid's unconscious body.

Intense anger flashed on Joseph's face when he saw what was going on, but he knew that he had to keep his silence. If he did something against that fat bastard then he would ruin all of his plans. 

Nevertheless, suppressing his anger didn't mean that he wasn't angry towards the mountain of meat. The anger flashing within his eyes was the evidence of his fury.

The Jail Warden surreptitiously glanced at Joseph and he sighed in relief when he saw him painstakingly suppressing his anger.

If Joseph really did do something outrageous...

The Jail Warden would be forced to move and punish him for the crime of disrespecting a duke. 

Joseph must not do anything right now. He must endure the anger flaring up within him. Witnessing Joseph's efforts into calming himself down. A light smile emerged on the Jail Warden's lips.

'Sir Fausto really did choose a good man.' He mused.

"Uh... Honorable Duke Heathrow. It is best that you should stop now. If he awakens from the pain and notices what you are doing to him. It would be hard to ensure your safety if he suddenly attacked you since you are so close to him."

The mountain of meat stopped kicking Krid.

He turned around and glared at them all.

"All of these wouldn't even happen if you bastards from this damned place are competent enough! If you managed on forcing this bastard to confess everything that I need from him then everything would've been done already!" He shouted, sweeping his gaze at everyone including Joseph, Ezreal and the Jail Warden.

He continued: "It seems like the Underground Penitentiary is in need of a cleansing. Once everything is done and over, I'll make sure to do some changes here."

"But for the meantime..." He licked his lips before continuing.

"You bastards better do a good job tomorrow. His Majesty himself will observe the public execution of Krid and his confession. You bastards better don't cause me any shame."

Everyone's eyes widened in shock, that also included Joseph who realized that 'his Majesty' meant the King of the Kingdom of Nether.

"Vladimir, let's go!"

"Yes, your honor."

The mountain of meat then walked towards Joseph and Ezreal's direction, but he never spared a glance towards the two. However, the man clad in all-red named Vladimir furtively glanced at Joseph with a frown on his face, and Joseph himself...

Also stared at Vladimir in doubt.

Bang!

The doors of the sealed room were shut close. The other Deputy Wardens also left the room since they didn't have anything to do anymore.

Leaving only Joseph, Ezreal, the Jail Warden and the unconscious Krid inside.

The Jail Warden stared one last time at Krid before turning to look at Joseph. 

Joseph also looked at him and the former nodded his head before he disappeared into the darkness.

Such a short exchange looked completely normal to other people, but to the Jail Warden and Joseph.

It had an entirely different meaning...

The Jail Warden misunderstood that Joseph was Fausto's borrowed knife against the duke that kicked him out of the Underground Penitentiary and banished him to a faraway land.

Joseph knew all along that the Jail Warden misunderstood him but he never once tried on correcting this misunderstanding. 

After all, having such a relationship with the Jail Warden was advantageous to him. 

The nod that the Jail Warden gave to Joseph meant. 

"Yes, he is that duke."

In other words, that mountain of meat that had the name Heathrow was the common enemy of Fausto, the Jail Warden, and Krid.

Since all of them had the same common enemy...

Wouldn't they cooperate with each other against that enemy?

A smile emerged on Joseph's lips, and with that thought...

He went out and headed for the office of the Jail Warden.

But why?

Well...

He planned on asking for a favor...