"Hmm?"
Leon snapped out of his reverie and turned toward the source of the sound.
Not far away, two tall, burly n with sinister expressions were yelling at a female demon who was tending a cookie stall.
Both were shirtless, exposing their massive, sinewy muscles. Though they were tall, they still stood half a head shorter than him.
From that, Leon estimated their height to be no more than 1.82 ters. Still, they were taller than the average demon in this area.
*Bang!*
One of the burly demons slamd his palm against the stall, making the female demon flinch in fear.
"I'll say it again… hand over the tribute!" he snapped, his expression fierce.
The woman trembled, her face turning pale. "I… I can't pay this month. My sales have been terrible since yesterday, and I don't have the money. Please, give more ti… Please…"
Her voice was weak and unsteady, reflecting her fear.
Upon hearing her words, the other burly man's face darkened. His right hand clenched into a fist before he slamd it against the stall.
*Bang!*
The powerful blow instantly shattered the wooden structure, sending the neatly arranged goods flying. The woman was thrown backward.
She hit the ground with a thud and let out a soft groan. "Ouch…"
"We don't give a damn about your excuses, asshole!" The burly man who had punched the stall roared furiously.
The commotion quickly drew the attention of nearby demons. Yet, instead of stepping in, they rely watched from a distance.
It wasn't that they didn't want to help—rather, the sheer size and strength of the two n made them hesitate. Anyone who interfered would undoubtedly beco the next target.
The two burly n ruthlessly kicked and smashed the woman's stall, showing no trace of pity or sympathy.
She wanted to stop them, but her body was too weak.
The pain from her earlier fall had left her unable to stand, let alone fight back.
All she could do was watch helplessly as her stall was torn apart, her eyes brimming with tears.
In the distance, Leon frowned.
"How can they be this cruel..." His golden eyes flashed with murderous intent.
If there was one thing he despised, it was the strong using their power to oppress the weak. Strength wasn't ant for tyranny—it ca with responsibility.
It was a principle Edward had ingrained in him. Without it, he might have lost control and destroyed everything around him.
After all, he was far stronger than most people in this world, and few could stand against him.
Nevertheless, he understood that not everyone could live by the sa principle.
So wielded their strength however they pleased, using their power to trample others. He didn't condemn them for it—every being had the right to make their own choices.
But if soone chose to act so recklessly in front of him, he wouldn't just stand by.
As the stronger one, it was his responsibility to put them in their place.
"Daddy, that woman looks so pitiful…" Fiona's voice ca from beside him.
Iris, standing on his right, nodded in agreent. Her adorable face darkened with displeasure.
"Yes, she did nothing wrong, yet that evil man destroyed her stall! That's unforgivable!" She clenched her fists tightly.
She despised those who used their strength to oppress the weak.
It reminded her too much of the ti she, Charlotte, Fiona, and Stella had nearly lost their lives to those rciless assassins.
Leon smiled and turned to the little girls. "What punishnt do you think they deserve for their cruelty?"
Fiona rubbed her chin thoughtfully before her golden eyes sparkled like starlight.
"It should be a severe punishnt, of course! They must face the consequences of their cris!" she declared firmly, a triumphant smile spreading across her face.
"Yes, Fiona is right. They deserve a harsh punishnt," Iris added, nodding in agreent.
Leon chuckled and playfully pinched their chubby cheeks. "I'm so proud of how wise you two are."
Hearing his praise, Fiona and Iris exchanged glances before flashing sweet smiles.
Leon then shifted his gaze to Charlotte, who stood near Fiona. "What about you, Charlotte? What do you think?"
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Charlotte, who had remained silent until now, slowly nodded. "I agree with Fiona and Iris, Daddy."
Leon gave a small nod before turning to Stella, who stood beside Iris. Just as he was about to speak, he noticed sothing unusual—Stella's face had suddenly gone pale.
His brows furrowed slightly as he asked with concern, "What's wrong, Stella?"
The sound of his voice made Charlotte, Iris, and Fiona instinctively turn toward Stella, who now looked tense and frightened.
Stella snapped out of her daze and turned to Leon, who stood nearby.
With hesitant steps, she walked over and clutched the hem of his robe tightly.
"Uncle… they… they're the wicked n who once kidnapped ," she said, her voice trembling.
Leon's eyes widened in surprise before narrowing coldly. "Kidnapped you?"
Stella nodded, her words unsteady as she explained, "After my parents abandoned , I wandered alone, moving from place to place in Erantum. But one day, I was kidnapped by wicked people and nearly sold. Fortunately, I managed to escape the day before it happened."
"Even though it was a long ti ago, I still rember their faces clearly."
She raised her hand and pointed at the two burly n who were tearing apart the woman's stall.
That mont—the day she was kidnapped—was one of the darkest traumas of her life.
Back then, she had been far weaker, both ntally and emotionally.
The incident had left scars she couldn't easily erase. For a long ti, she suffered from nightmares and restless nights, fearing that if she woke up, she'd find herself once again in her captors' grasp, helpless and unable to escape.
A searing rage ignited in Leon's heart. To him, Stella was like his own child, and he refused to let her live in the shadow of that fear any longer.
Suppressing his anger, Leon softened his expression and gently patted Stella's head.
"Don't worry, I'll make them pay for what they did to you," he assured her in a calm, steady voice.
Then, he turned to the middle-aged man selling cotton candy. "How much for everything?"
The man handed him four cotton candies and said, "That'll be four bronze coins, sir."
Leon reached into his pouch, pulled out a gold coin, and handed it over.
"Keep it," he said.
The man's eyes widened in shock as he stared at the gold coin resting in his palm.
His body trembled, and beads of sweat ford on his forehead and neck.
"S-Sir… T-This is way too much!" He stamred, shaking his head frantically.
But Leon paid no attention to his reaction. He simply placed the gold coin on the wooden counter.
"Just keep the change."
Without waiting for a response, he turned around, handed the four cotton candies to Charlotte, Iris, Fiona, and Stella, and led them away.
Watching Leon's retreating figure, the man glanced at the gold coin in disbelief. "Am I dreaming…?"
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