Nicholas is a fugitive from the Human United Kingdom.

 

He has many charges against him, including but not limited to murder, robbery, assaulting nobles, and escaping from custody.

 

But to be honest, this 34-year-old man, a disciple of the Swift Wind Swordsmanship, the eleventh apprentice of the Imperial Swift Wind Sword Saint, has never feared the kingdom’s pursuit and wanted notices.

 

Because he has strength.

 

Nicholas is a Sky-level peak powerhouse, a true peak, just a step away from reaching legendary status.

 

Although this level is insignificant in front of his sect, especially in front of his legendary senior brothers and sisters, and the sect master, Swift Wind Sword Saint Bevis Bernard, there is no doubt that he is a quite outstanding force in this world.

 

At the age of 24, Nicholas, having achieved proficiency in the Swift Wind Swordsmanship, left the Oster Empire for certain reasons and settled in the Human United Kingdom, becoming a registered adventurer in a guild.

 

At 27, Nicholas, displeased with the wanton actions of a noble in the Courage City, beat him severely, and with his sword, removed a crucial part of the noble. As a result, he was arrested, clanked into prison.

 

Three days later, Nicholas killed the jailer who had been bribed by the noble seeking revenge and, by force, broke out of the prison in the Courage City.

 

At that time, a legendary adventurer personally pursued him, but Nicholas managed to shake her off using certain means.

 

—This is the official version, but in reality, the legendary figure also held a grudge against a certain noble, so she deliberately let Nicholas go. Otherwise, with her proficiency in tracking and guerrilla tactics, she could never have failed to capture him.

 

After escaping the capital, Nicholas, unable to work as an adventurer due to his criminal charges, found his way to the vicinity of Norton Castle. Irritated by relentless pursuers, he decided to use his own strength to gather a group of refugees and fugitives with similar backgrounds, forming a force engaged in the activities of banditry.

 

Despite falling to such a state and even being labeled as the “Vicious Wolf,” Nicholas and his group maintained certain principles. They refrained from killing indiscriminately unless their lives were directly threatened. They avoided acts of sexual assault, and even when robbing young and beautiful women, they typically let them go unharmed. And they abstained from using poison, a fundamental and final principle for a swordsman of the Swift Wind style.

 

However, due to these principles, some of Nicholas’s subordinates, who were originally accustomed to unrestrained actions, became dissatisfied, betrayed him, and ultimately attracted the kingdom’s army for a siege.

 

After a bloody battle, Nicholas, with a group of loyal followers, broke through and entered the Oaken Grand Canyon for refuge. However, his forces suffered significant losses due to betrayal and casualties.

 

Whether it was divine intervention or a stroke of luck, Nicholas, already pushed to the brink, unexpectedly encountered, within the canyon, the legendary wish-granting elf.

 

He was genuinely surprised at the time, but Nicholas soon realized that this magical being was not truly omnipotent as rumored. Its power had limits, possibly subjected to certain restrictions.

 

For example, when he expressed his desire to become unbeatable and the absolute strongest, the elf immediately responded with a resounding “impossible.”

 

After careful consideration, Nicholas ultimately wished for the safety and survival of his brothers, who had always stood by him through thick and thin, without being hunted down by malicious individuals.

 

The wish-granting elf fulfilled this desire.

 

It created a complex maze that was impossible to traverse without knowing the correct route, and transferred Nicholas and his companions to the deepest part of the maze.

 

With this, they finally managed to survive the pursuit from the Human United Kingdom and live peacefully.

 

It should have been that way.

 

“So, it’s really the mischief of that wish-granting elf. I thought it was a labyrinth slowly built by a group of magicians. Damn it, I guessed wrong again!”

 

The black-haired priestess sat on a protruding giant rock, her fair legs exposed from beneath her holy robe, swinging in the air. Her face was filled with displeasure.

 

The golden-haired girl attending to her stood in the center of the “nest,” nonchalantly cracking her fists, surrounded by dozens of men of various ages and attire.

 

The farmer—Nicholas, known as the “Vicious Wolf,” lay on the ground. His usual sword was bizarrely broken into several pieces, scattered all around along with the bundle of firewood he carried behind him.

 

His legs twisted strangely backward, his right eye swollen as if it had taken two heavy punches, and his expression was as ugly as if he had eaten a dozen flies.

 

A monster, a true monster.

 

Compared to the annoyance and disgust when pursued by the kingdom, Nicholas now felt only one emotion—powerlessness.

 

He had never seen such a terrifying existence. The full force of his Swift Wind Sword technique, a secret skill of the Swift Wind style, was shattered into fragments by the golden-haired girl’s single finger. The injuries on his face were not from her active attack but from the recoil when the sword hilt struck back.

 

Facing the siege of dozens of brothers, the opponent merely stomped her fair little feet on the ground, causing everyone to fall down with a clattering sound.

 

Nicholas himself, due to his overestimation of his abilities, tried to forcefully resist the force coming from underfoot, resulting in his legs becoming what they were now.

 

Moreover, the “Vicious Wolf” could sense from the opponent’s expression that she didn’t consider this as a real battle at all. It felt more like the sensation of casually picking up a book and swatting away an oncoming insect.

 

He had thought… they were just two naive girls who could be easily deceived, foolishly following him. Little did he know, they deliberately set a trap because they completely disregarded Nicholas. These two girls were not normal humans.

 

Even the master who, in a human body, had surpassed the limits and reached a realm beyond, could never achieve such feats with mere physical strength.

 

… Extremely unlucky.

 

“I know, I’ve already told you everything. This time, it was my ignorance that clashed with you and your companions… Please, my lord, have mercy on us humble beings. We are willing to offer all our possessions as compensation.”

 

The man known as the “Vicious Wolf” struggled to lower his head, bowing and pleading to the petite and seemingly harmless girl.

 

Might is right.

 

Dignity is nonsense, survival is the most crucial. Although filled with despair, Nicholas always respected the strong, and there was no hint of reluctance in his actions.

 

“You said you escaped from the Courage City?”

 

Violet chuckled, sitting on the rock and looking down at the man, ignoring his pleas and proposals.

 

“Yes, I lived there for about three years.”

 

“Three years… that’s quite a decent amount of time. There’s a saying that, in a certain sense, three years represents a person’s lifetime. Roughly speaking, it’s like you’ve spent a lifetime in the Courage City, so that place is like your hometown, isn’t it?”

 

“……?”

 

Nicholas’s originally nervous and anxious mood suddenly became somewhat… inexplicable?

 

He looked up at the black-haired girl who seemed to be calculating something with an expression of “What on earth is she talking about?” And he felt awkward as she noticed his gaze.

 

“Ahem!”

 

Miss Violet pretended to clear her throat authoritatively.

 

“Anyway, I’ll only ask the next question once. Think carefully before you answer.”

 

“Do you want to go back to the Courage City?”

 

Nicholas suddenly froze.

 

Did he want to go back to the Courage City?

 

The answer was, of course, yes.

 

Violet’s seemingly nonsensical words did have an impact on the man.

 

Three years indeed held special significance. The common saying is that if a person is willing to settle in a place for three consecutive years, it means that they can actually accept living there for a lifetime.

 

This statement was partly true and partly false, but there was some truth to it, at least for Nicholas.

 

If not forced, why would he be willing to escape from the city where he had lived for three years, like a bereaved dog? Many people and memories there were unforgettable to him.

 

While Nicholas didn’t regret his past actions, he was far from satisfied with his current life as an outlaw. There was no doubt that claiming contentment would be deceiving.

 

He sensed that this might be a crucial turning point capable of changing his entire life trajectory. So, he reached out, seizing the opportunity, and staked everything on it.

 

“I… want to.”

 

“Very well.”

 

The priestess smiled with satisfaction.

 

“From now on, follow me. I will take you back to the capital and help you find a… new job.”