If the authorities of Valoran Academy got involved, this situation could end badly.

However, what happened next left everyone in the shop dumbfounded. The aura-covered palm of the Baron did not strike Loren as intended, but was halted an inch away from him.

"Boom!"

A heavy thump resounded. The shimmering barrier before Loren flickered, but there was no sign of it being shaken.

"Instant casting? No, it's a magic ring!"

The women in the shop noticed the magic ring on Loren's right hand, which he had concealed behind his back, was pulsating with magical energy.

The magic barrier before Loren stood strong against the sixth-level magic spell. Even if the Baron exhausted all his fifth-level aura, it would take hundred blows for him to break such a barrier.

"You fat pig, is this all you've got? Are you on a diet or just malnourished? But you're so fat that it's already too late to lose weight," Loren tauntingly said. They dare to covet his maidservant? He had resolved to humiliate this man today.

The Baron trembled with rage, "You little brat! I will kill you today!" The enraged baron struck Loren several times with his power calling out, "Furious Aura, Blood Lion!"

Bloody red aura, taking the form of ferocious lion's head, surged around the Baron's fists as he pounded them towards the barrier before Loren.

To the Baron's shock, even this advanced martial technique failed to break Loren's barrier. His every blow against the shield felt like throwing pebbles into the sea, absolutely futile. Loren simply watched the futile attempts unfazed, without even batting an eye. "Too weak. Such weak attacks won't break my barrier. You need few more years of practice!" he exclaimed.

"Who... who are you?" The Baron asked, humiliated again. The lightning effect of his fifth-level aura had been fully blocked. Only a magic spell higher than the sixth level could achieve this. Could this young man be a grand magician of the sixth level? The Baron thought over and over; he saw Loren wearing a uniform with only one star on it. He found it hard to believe. Was this guy in the first year at Valoran Academy? Since when did first graders become this incredibly talented?

If Loren was genuinely a sixth-level wizard, even he as a Baron dared not offend him.

"As you see, I am merely a freshman in the school of magic," said Loren as he brushed off non-existing dust from his robe and turned solemn. "Your highness Fat Pig Baron, do you want to continue? If not, apologize to me and to my maid."

"Apologize to your maid? That's absur..." The Baron was about to rebuke but was cut short as he saw Loren pull out a magic scroll.

"An eighth-level arcane magic scroll?!" The sight of the scroll's symbol turned the Baron's face ghostly pale. "What are you trying to do?" he spluttered in fear.

"Just as I said..." Loren looked at him and repeated his request for an apology. "Your words insulted me and hurt my maid. Therefore, apologize to her. Do you understand now?"

The Baron was losing his composure under Loren's stern gaze. The thought of retaliation was daunting with the eighth-level spell that could easily kill him hundreds of times over. Realizing the terror of Loren's apparent background, the Baron dropped any arrogance and with trembling legs, he bent before Lorrah and whispered, "I'm sorry."

The apology from the Baron made her step back, afraid. Then looked at Loren with her wine-red eyes filled with unexplainable emotions, "Master..."She looked at Loren, moved. Loren had never thought the outcome would be such, defending her so resolutely.

After Baron Lebon offered his apology, he didn't dare glance at Loren again. Mustering his indignation, he stormed off. If word got out that he apologized to a lowly demon maid, it would be his disgrace among the nobles. However, feeling the pressure from the eighth-grade magic scroll in Loren's hand, he didn’t even dare utter a curse, only hoping that Loren wouldn’t overdo things, or else it would be a mutually destructive fight between them.

Loren did not continue to trouble the Baron. Instead, seeing Lorrah looking at him with gratitude in her eyes, he said grumpily, “Stop looking at me that way. It's as if I was the one who bullied you. These are all written in the contract. Don't overestimate how kind hearted I am. Hey, stop crying on me, damned! How dare you wipe your snot on my cloak, careful, I might withhold your meal!”

Watching Lorrah suddenly throw herself at him and wiping her tears recklessly, Loren displayed a repulsive expression, but his hand was gently rubbing Lorrah's soft hair.

Inwardly, Loren grumbled, “Crying little girls... the worst kind. "

While he had these thoughts, his act of stroking Lorrah's head was very gentle.

...

"Crybaby, stop the tears. If you keep sobbing in such an embarrassing manner, don't declare yourself as my maid." Loren disdainfully handed Lorrah the tissue given by the waitress.

Lorrah, sobbing, wiped her tear-stained face with the tissue and stuttered, "I...I didn't mean to cry, I don't know why, but the tears just came out.”

“You think you have mastered the art of crying or what, tearing up at the slightest touch?” Loren felt troubled. He wondered if it was a good idea to take this crybaby maid out with him.

He was always afraid of attracting undue attention, potentially being arrested by the imperial guards. Thankfully, Lorrah was a demon. As demons had no human rights in the human empire, Loren considered himself lucky, else he would have to contemplate bribing the guards.

"Apologies for the inconvenience," apologised the waitress, appearing tongue-tied. They kept glancing at Loren with nearly star-struck eyes.

To be fair, Loren was quite handsome and energetic at his young age. His ability to deal with the Baron left an impression on the waitresses. Love, in this world that worships strength, could sprout easily.

Loren waved his hand dismissively, “You don’t have to apologise. I’ve faced worse in the game. The likes of bit players barely register.”

Loren smoothly busted out a sequence of impressive feats. Starting with his domineering attitude against the Baron, followed by showing off his strength (by secretly initiating his magic ring) and then, threatening them with the eighth-grade magic scroll, all of these moves left a strong impression.

"Sir, as an apology, we would like to offer you this maid costume," said the lady boss, dressed in a beautiful long dress, slowly walking over. In reality, she had been observing Loren from a distance.

Without refusing, Loren said, "Thank you. Just checking in if the menace from just now is okay? Hope he won’t make a fuss when I leave."

While Loren might not be a saint, he is a man of principle. He did not wish to burden someone else with the trouble he had started.

Madam boss assured him, “Although our shop is small, we have some influence. The Baron won't cause a fuss here, please rest at ease.”

Having heard this, Loren was reassured. He lastly requested, "I hope you can provide a few more such maid dresses. Additionally, regular clothes and undergarments, she can choose as she pleases."Upon hearing this, the lady shopkeeper's face showed a hint of surprise. The clothes in her shop were not cheap, and when she heard Loren's careless tone, she couldn't help but feel astonished. However, recalling how Loren had stood up against a baron in order to defend the maid earlier, the shopkeeper seemed to understand something and smiled, saying, "No problem."

She then instructed two shop assistants to fetch a few dresses. They had already measured Lorrah's body size earlier when they were making her maid outfit. In order not to shock Lorrah's delicate heart, Loren paid for the clothes without her present. Had she seen the price of the dresses, which amounted to tens of thousands of gold coins, she might have fainted.

Lorrah struggled to hold a bag of clothes taller than herself, her face full of grievance, not noticing the envious glares from the other female shop assistants.

"Master... it's so heavy," she said.

"Is it? That's great, it'll give you a good workout for your arms and legs," Loren replied, with his hands in his pockets and a wicked grin.

"But my arms are going to break..."

"If they do, I'll get you new ones, like those of a powerful gorilla," he teased.

"..."

Faced with such a heartless master, Lorrah suddenly felt as though her future as a maid was bleak. Humph, she initially thought he was quite charming. She must have been blind at the time.

Holding the towering stack of bags, Lorrah couldn't help but glare at Loren, who had casually bought an ice cream and was licking it happily.

"Ice cream will give you a stomachache if you eat too much. I don't care for it anyway," Lorrah quietly consoled herself.

...

"What an interesting pair of master and servant," the lady shopkeeper mused as she watched Loren and Lorrah leave, her face filled with interest.

At that moment, a capable-looking young girl clad in silver knight armor, sporting a blonde ponytail, emerged from the back. On her fair-skinned arm, there was a golden sunflower pattern encircling a symbol which depicted a crossed sword and shield.

The Church's Day of Judgment, a Holy Knight!

If Lorrah was there, she'd surely recognize that symbol, which had filled her with fear.

"Madam Sylvia, that demon just now was...?" the knight curiously inquired, her attitude towards the shopkeeper extremely respectful.

"I'm not sure. What, Yvette, you don't think that little girl is the 'Demon King' you've been tracking, do you?" The lady shopkeeper stroked her hair and displayed a mysterious smile.

Yvette, the young knight, replied solemnly, "I don't know, but we can't rule out the possibility. When tracking our target, we discovered a slave-trading caravan heading to the Imperial Capital had been utterly annihilated, leaving no survivors – not even the slaves. The power of the 'Demon King' was detected at the scene, and we can't help but suspect that she may be hiding within the Imperial Capital."

"Demon races are not rare in the Imperial Capital. It would be quite the effort if you wanted to investigate," replied the shopkeeper, yawning in a languid manner.

"That's why the Church decided to station a force in the Imperial Capital. Our negotiator is currently in talks with the royal family," explained Yvette. "As long as the 'Demon King' remains in the Imperial Capital, she won't be able to hide forever. The moment she leaves a trace, our 'Oracle' will capture her."

"The 'Oracle,' huh... Hehe. Well, good luck with that," the shopkeeper said nonchalantly. "In any case, I'm no longer involved in any of this. As per our agreement, I've already helped you send the Holy Maiden to Valoran Academy. As for the fallen knight, there's not much I can do to help. Don't bother me again unless it's something exceptional. I have my business to run, and I don't want to be dragged into your messy troubles."

"But, Madam Sylvia..."

Unable to help herself, Yvette continued.

"Don't call me 'madam.' I have nothing to do with your Church anymore," the lady shopkeeper said coldly, giving Yvette a stern look, causing the young knight to hang her head in gloom."Today, I'm feeling somewhat tired. Ivette, go and continue your mission," said the female shopkeeper promptly, indicating it was time for the guest to leave. Ivette gave her a curtsey before she reluctantly departed.

"The Church..."

The shopkeeper watched the back of the departing knight, snorted coldly, then turned and went back into the shop.