Chapter 42: See For Yourself

Miguel looked at Ruxley with a horrified expression, his eyes filled with deep wariness. While Miguel was prideful, he wasn't foolish. For someone as young as Ruxley to have a martial arts master like Fafnian as his guard meant his identity must be anything but ordinary. Although the Doyle family was one of the top ten families in Sheyton Province, they were not invincible. There were plenty of people and families they couldn't afford to provoke. Miguel was well aware of these people and families, and Ruxley was not among them. Who exactly was Ruxley? Could he be someone from the Martial Department of the Saultrouge Kingdom? Watching Ruxley stand there confidently, Miguel suddenly felt an unease grip his heart. Forcing a smile, he said, "My young friend, today's incident is the fault of our Doyle family. How about this? Tonight, I'll host a banquet at Kyushu Hotel to personally apologize to you. What do you say?" Ruxley eyed Miguel playfully, smiling as he said, "Mr. Doyle, weren't you just shouting about wanting to kill me? Why the sudden change to inviting me to dinner? You sure changed your tune quickly!" "Haha, it was all just a misunderstanding!" Miguel chuckled nervously. Testing the waters, he asked, "I can see you have an extraordinary demeanor. You must be someone from the Martial Department of the Saultrouge Kingdom, right?" Ruxley gave Miguel a faint glance and said, "And if I am?" As an Honorary Elder of the Martial Department, Ruxley could technically be considered part of its ranks. Miguel's eyes flickered with sharpness, and he smiled, "Well, then, this is all just a case of friendly fire. My brother, Thomas Doyle, is also with the Martial Department, and he's the Commander of the Eastern Warzone. He's currently on leave in Shiphay City. How about I call him over? Perhaps you know each other." The implication was clear—Miguel's brother was a high-ranking figure in the Martial Department, and if Ruxley intended to take action against the Doyle family, Thomas wouldn't stand idly by. "Oh? Is that so?"  Ruxley raised an eyebrow, a playful smile crossing his face. "Well then, Mr. Doyle, by all means, call him over." "Alright!" Miguel's eyes flashed as he quickly pulled out his phone and contacted his brother, Thomas. He simply didn't believe that Ruxley, being part of the same Martial Department, would dare make a move against the Doyle family in the presence of his brother. After the call ended, about ten minutes later, a middle-aged man walked onto the scene with steady steps. The man, around his forties, was burly and muscular, his arms thicker than the thighs of an average person, exuding a powerful aura. This was none other than Miguel's younger brother, Thomas. "Thomas, you finally made it!" Seeing Thomas's figure, Miguel hurriedly stepped forward, his previously tense nerves finally relaxing. "Miguel, where's the person you mentioned?" Thomas asked in a deep voice the moment he arrived. "There he is!"  Miguel pointed at Ruxley in the distance, giving Thomas a knowing look. Thomas turned to see Ruxley, and a flash of surprise crossed his eyes. Miguel had already filled him in on the entire situation over the phone. He had expected Ruxley to be around his own age, but to his astonishment, Ruxley didn't even look thirty. He was far too young. Thomas stepped forward and introduced himself to Ruxley, "Hello, I'm Thomas Doyle, Commander of the Blood Wolf Army in the Eastern Warzone. Which Warzone do you belong to, sir?" Thomas studied Ruxley with a hint of curiosity. The Martial Department had four major Warzones—Southeast, Southwest, Northwest, and Northeast. Having served the department for over a decade, Thomas was quite familiar with personnel from all zones. Given Ruxley's youth, he should be well-known, but Thomas had never heard of anyone like him. Ruxley clasped his hands behind his back and replied nonchalantly, "I don't belong to any of the Warzones." "You don't?"  Thomas narrowed his eyes, and his tone grew cold. "Then which department are you from? I don't recall ever seeing you before!" Ruxley smirked, "You want to know? Take a look for yourself." He reached into his pocket, casually pulling out a token and tossing it to Thomas. "This... this is..." Thomas's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the token in his hand. An Honorary Elder Token. Ruxley was an Honorary Elder of the Martial Department. How... how was this possible? Thomas stood there, utterly stunned. It was common knowledge that the title of Honorary Elder was not something just anyone could hold. It required both extraordinary strength and a prestigious status. Currently, there were only eighteen Honorary Elders in the entire Martial Department, each one a renowned figure in the kingdom. Whether a top-tier War God or a highly influential individual, every Honorary Elder was a big name. And here was Ruxley, at such a young age, possessing the status of Honorary Elder of the Martial Department. This was terrifying. "Greetings, Elder!"  Thomas immediately straightened up, respectfully bowing to Ruxley, his eyes filled with reverence. Miguel, who was watching, suddenly felt like his jaw had hit the floor. His face was a mixture of shock and confusion. Who was this young man? To think that Thomas would treat him with such respect. Miguel's mind went blank. He had assumed Ruxley was just the son of some big shot in the Martial Department. With Thomas's intervention, they would all sit down and talk over dinner, and the day's events would pass quietly. But now it seemed that Ruxley's identity was far greater than he had imagined. Otherwise, Thomas would never show him such deference and humility. "Elder, my brother did not know your identity, so if he offended you earlier, please forgive him," Thomas apologized profusely to Ruxley, his tone filled with remorse. He then turned to his stunned brother and urged anxiously, "Miguel, why are you still standing there? Quickly, apologize to the Elder!" Panic was evident in Thomas's eyes. If Ruxley had been a regular member of the Martial Department, even a War God, there wouldn't have been much for him to fear. The Martial Department had strict rules against internal strife, and even a War God-level expert was forbidden from attacking a fellow member, or else they would face severe punishment. However, an Honorary Elder was entirely different. They were only nominally part of the Martial Department and weren't bound by its regulations in the same way. Moreover, today's incident started with Lindon's arrogance and his reliance on family power. In short, it was all Lindon's fault. If Ruxley wanted to pursue the matter, not even the Martial Department could stand in his way.