Chapter 68: Code of Laws

Chapter 68: Code of Laws As the eerie tone of speech resounded on the street, Darren’s face turned slightly pale. He hurriedly turned around and spotted a merchant in his 30s with a tall and fit physique. "Sir Abel..." Darren flashed a bittersweet smile and greeted him. Abel, full name Abel Meyers, held a cold expression when greeted by Darren. "Oh, so Manager Darren remembers my name? And here I thought I had lost my influence and wealth." Abel said sarcastically, his eyes trailing to the seated Leonard. "Which bastard family did you come from? The nerve of you to snatch the whore I purchased." He scolded harshly. He may have been a silver medal certified merchant, but his family name, Meyers, was of the noble class in the Valdoria Continent. They were Castellans, keepers of a large and prominent castle. Although they were just keepers on behalf of another lord, that lord held the rank of a Marquis. In hindsight, the Meyers family held the backing of a Marquis. The Marquis rank was what one could consider to be true nobility. It was not some Baron rank that held little to no influence in the royal court. Darren smiled awkwardly as he hurriedly rushed to his side and whispered, "Sir Abel, it’s not that I have forgotten about you. It’s just that the lowly whore had caused trouble to a gold medal certified merchant." Almost immediately, Abel’s eyes widened in surprise. His face appeared as if he had just swallowed a mouthful of live maggots. The nearby crowd’s expression also started to become amused when they saw Abel’s facial complexion turning ugly. This was the drama that they had been waiting for. It didn’t take a fool to realize Abel was ignorant of Leonard’s status, and now that he was enlightened, he was left in a difficult position. "Heh, why did he have to come out and make a fool of himself?" "The Meyers family is merely a Castellans. They aren’t even the real Marquis family." "A gold medal certified merchant meant they have established a vast network bridge with nobles above the Marquis ranks. This Abel sure knows how to mess around." As the onlookers in the crowd sneered in gossip, Leonard held an indifferent expression. "We’re fellow merchants, albeit inferior in rankings. I shall turn a blind eye to your earlier outburst caused by a heated moment where you couldn’t relieve yourself." He said softly. The words were subtle, laced with poisonous content. Overall, the general gist was that Leonard would let him take a step back as long as Abel admitted he was a dog in heat and failed to exert outward in a timely manner, which led to his misdemeanor. As for what kind of misdemeanor, it was naturally the most frowned upon by fellow merchants: disorderly conduct. The tension was high, and Abel held an indignant expression toward the situation. "Who is inferior in rankings? I’m still a silver medal certified merchant. You dare rob me of my property and reverse black and white. Do you even know the muddy water in Velastra isn’t for the likes of a newcomer to strut around?" Almost immediately, Darren realized the situation was escalating to a new peak. He hurriedly tried to smooth things over as he tried to approach Leonard, but was halted at a fixed distance due to Mirelle’s presence. Unable to advance, Darren could only reluctantly remain in place and said, "Sir, the faults lie in our Enchanted Oasis for allowing such a commotion to occur. We are willing to take responsibility for the matter." One major reason why the Enchanted Oasis could remain influential and lively in Velastra was their motto to bear the brunt for their customers. After all, any customers eligible to patronize the Enchanted Oasis were no ordinary people. "Haven’t you already taken responsibility?" In response, Leonard suddenly narrowed his eyes. "I was ready to put the matter aside until this person decided to come forth and make such sarcastic remarks. If I were perhaps a lower ranking or someone insignificant to him, then do you think any one of you would be willing to take responsibility?" As soon as Leonard finished his statement, Mirelle had already made her move. With a surge of powerful magic unleashed, Abel quickly bore the pressure and got to his knees. With a gruntled sound, Abel’s eyes widened in disbelief. His forehead started to sweat from the intense pressure. "What are you doing? How dare you commit violence in the public streets!" He roared in fury. The action was a surprise for both the involved parties and the onlookers in the crowd. Both Jeffrey and Darren’s faces turned ashen white when they knew the situation was no longer salvageable. "Sir, this isn’t going to be a good light," Jeffrey whispered softly and tried to warn him that such action would result in his reputation tanking. It was fine to treat the commoners or even slaves in such a manner. But toward a fellow merchant, even if they were of a lower rank, such an action was considered appalling. "Merchant Guild Article 36 Section 3B, any person who disrespects or smears a high-ranking certified merchant can be subjected to immediate punishment." Leonard raised his voice and stood up. His eyes darted to the onlookers and questioned, "I may be new to the city of Velastra, but I recall this is a free trade city where nobles do not interfere much in the trading aspect. So tell me, am I going against the norm if I’m acting on behalf of the Merchant Guild’s code of laws?" The crowd was instantly silenced and found Leonard’s words logical. Indeed, Velastra almost always operated on the Merchant Guild’s code of laws rather than the Aldros Empire’s code of laws. After all, the Merchant Guild’s laws were still designed by the Aldros Empire, albeit in another type of session. A free trade city was meant to be open for everyone and ensure they wouldn’t feel worried about being persecuted by outside crimes. "Right, we nearly forgot about that particular law since it’s rarely enforced among fellow merchants." "Who told Abel to call the other person a bastard and disrespect their family?" "Even a saint would get mad when they get cursed for no reason." Some people in the crowd muttered. Realization dawned upon them that Leonard wasn’t acting out of hand or crazy. Instead, he was behaving exactly as a certified merchant should. Amidst the commotion, a person in the crowd suddenly interrupted. "Mister Vincent is correct in his judgment. But how about letting me, Wesley Livingstone, intervene as a judge?"