The Legendary Mage (Alavin)
Chapter 174

"Ha! Just wait, I'll take care of it!" The burly youth laughed heartily as he stepped out of the hot spring. Standing nearly two meters tall, with a thick mane of body hair on his legs, arms, and chest, he was a veritable bear of a man with an imposing presence.

"Call for a few more. Prepare two for Marak," the lords in the spring called out merrily.

"Two for each, tonight the treat is on me," declared the burly youth as he pushed the door open and shouted into the corridor. "Where is everyone? Come here!"

The hallway was quiet, fitting for the guest area where privacy was paramount. His calls were ignored until he spotted three stunning maidens waiting outside the room across the way. They were the handmaidens selected by the captain of the guard for Alavin's room, each a vision of legendary beauty with looks and grace that caught the eye.

"You three! Two of you, come here! And you, go fetch your master, tell him I want ten more girls, only the finest."

The maidens recognized the burly youth and bowed. "Forgive us, my lord, but Enosto has ordered us to wait here, and we must not leave without permission." "I'm telling you to come over. Enough with the excuses."

"Forgive us," the three maidens bowed their heads. They knew the strict rules of the place and dared not disobey orders, lest they faced severe punishment. "Well, aren't we brave? This is your last chance, come here. Do you hear me?"

Laughter echoed from the room behind, where a group of young nobles sneered, "Is it such a hassle to call a few maidens? Are you capable or not?"

"Lord Vinos, we..." the three maidens hesitated.

"You've had enough of life and dare to contradict me. Today, you three belong to me. I'll personally see to it that you won't be able to leave the bed!" The burly youth strode out, grabbing the maidens by their necks without a second thought and dragging them inside. The three maidens' faces turned pale with fright, and they cried out with apologies.

Several guards hurried down the corridor. "Vinos? Stop, what are you doing? Don't you know the rules here?"

"The rule here is to pay for pleasure. Fetch me ten more, right now! Immediately! This instant!" Vinos glared fiercely, shoving the three maidens into the room without a hint of gentleness. The girls fell to the ground, trembling, kneeling, and not daring to rise.

"What's the matter here?" The guards frowned at the maidens, then glanced inside at the misty hot spring bubbling within. They recognized a few faces; they were the spoiled scions of Warriors' Vale, no strangers to indulgence here, with status and connections not to be trifled with.

"Enosto arranged for us to be in that room," one maiden said timidly, pointing to a room across the hall. "He specifically instructed us not to leave."

"Who's inside?"

"We don't know."

Vinos grew angry. "Enough with the nonsense! Ten more, don't make me repeat myself a third time."

"Close the door! If there's an issue, let Enosto come to us." The young nobles inside urged the door to be shut, lest Marak be seen and complicate matters for the day.

"Hmph!" Vinos glared at the guards and slammed the door shut.

"Creak..."

At that moment, the door across the hall slowly opened, and Alavin peered out. What was this commotion and squabble over women?

In the act of closing the door, Vinos paused upon hearing the noise, leaning to get a look inside. He also wanted to see who it was that left three delicate women waiting outside-such a waste. Was he not a man?

The corridor guards all turned their heads.

"Is there a problem?" Alavin frowned at the scene outside.

"Alavin?" Vinos blurted out instinctively, having seen The Clash of Eight Orders and recognizing Alavin.

"Alavin?" The young nobles inside all looked up.

"Alavin?" The guards didn't know him, but they knew the name.

Alavin saw the kneeling, trembling maidens through the crack of the door. "Have they offended you? Why are they on the ground?"

"They..." Vinos' bluster immediately deflated. He had witnessed Alavin's ferocity firsthand; this was a man not to be crossed.

"Close the door!" The nobles inside hastily urged, not wanting to get into a dispute with Alavin, lest it affected Marak and lead to greater losses.

Marak frowned deeply, displeased with the young lords' nervous demeanor, yet understood it was not his place to show himself.