From Outcast to Overlord The Unyielding Heir (Leander Ashcroft) novel Chapter 565

"My word is the rule!" Leander dropped the sentence like a hammer, and everyone froze for a moment, all eyes snapping to him.

It was such a simple line, but it carried this unshakable, almost untouchable swagger.

After a brief pause, Cedric laughed out loud. "Ha! What did you just say? Your word is the rule? Then I guess my word is a royal decree. Who do you think you are, thinking whatever you say just goes? You've been driving around the desert way too long. It's scrambled your brain."

Ophelia's eyes flickered, surprise written all over her expression. She had never expected Leander to speak like that.

Leander didn't even flinch at Cedric's mocking tone. He just looked at Ophelia. "You've got three seconds to decide."

Ophelia met his gaze, her expression shifting. Typically, Cedric's attitude was over the line, and he had no right to speak to Leander that way. But the Snowbrooks and the Montgomerys had been close for generations, and she was the pride of the Snowbrooks. On top of that, Cedric had traveled all the way with her to Sandsong Oasis in the Sahar Wastes, and there was no way she could make him leave.

She glanced at Leander and said softly, "Leander, don't take it this far. You saved me, and I'm grateful. I'll pay you every penny I promised. Let's just forget what happened earlier, okay?"

Leander didn't move. He just kept looking at her. Three seconds later, he nodded. "Time's up!" He shoved one hand in his pocket and scanned the crowd. "The treasure hunt is over. Nothing here belongs to any of you. You can turn around and leave."

Then he pointed at Ophelia, his voice cold. "That goes for you too."

Hearing the way Leander spoke, arrogant and self-assured as if he owned the entire situation, Cedric finally lost his patience.

He stepped forward, cutting straight past Ophelia, and pointed directly at Leander. "Kid, do you really think I would not touch you? You think I was joking with you earlier?"

Cedric did not hold back. He waved a hand sharply at the three burly men behind him. "You three. Take this brat and dump him in the desert. If anything happens, I will take full responsibility."

The three men were hired muscle to begin with. Once Cedric gave the order, they did not hesitate. They moved quickly toward Leander.

After seeing this, Ophelia tried to speak up and stop them, but Cedric stepped back to her side and grabbed her arm, lowering his voice. "Ophelia, I know he saved you, that part is true. But with an attitude like this, he has been asking for a lesson. Do not worry. I am just scaring him, teaching him some manners."

She hesitated. Thinking about Leander's blatant arrogance moments earlier, she could not help feeling that he had gone too far. In that brief hesitation, the three men were already standing in front of Leander, ready to move.

"Stop." At that moment, Evren, who had remained silent the entire time, finally spoke.

The moment Evren's voice carried across the scene, everyone froze. No one dared act out of line in front of the famed boxing great grandmaster of Bladewick, and even Cedric and Ophelia turned to look at him.

Evren stood with his hands behind his back, every bit the image of an esteemed master. He gave the three men a look and said calmly, "This young man saved Ms. Snowbrook. That makes him a benefactor of the Snowbrooks. Laying hands on a benefactor is deeply disrespectful."

Across all of Bladewick, Evren's status is no weaker than that of any great family head. I hear he is a Martial Sovereign. Not long ago, he even made the Astria Power Index and ranked twelfth. That kind of standing is untouchable. If my grandpa were here, he would still have to address him as Mr. Westvale. How could I possibly act out of line?

The moment those words fell, the calm on Evren's expression shattered.

Ophelia, Cedric, and the others all stiffened in shock, their expressions turning pale.

Leander actually says that Evren isn't even worth showing him respect? He has to understand, this is Evren, the one whose name shakes all of Bladewick. Even the highest rulers in Bladewick treat him with proper respect. The heads of those great families all consider him their equal. At nearly ninety-nine percent of high-society banquets in Bladewick, everyone prides themselves on Evren's presence. And now, a young guy who looks no older than twenty actually dares to speak disrespectfully to Evren and claims Evren doesn't even deserve a little respect? We all think Leander has lost his mind.

"That guy really is a complete fool!" Cedric almost laughed out loud.

I mean to challenge Leander, sure, but since Evren speaks up, I have no choice but to drop it. And now, Leander actually has the nerve to talk back to Evren, even saying something about whether he's qualified enough—this is just reckless.

At that moment, even Ophelia felt a deep sense of helplessness. She shook her head at Leander in silent disapproval, her irritation growing.

Evren was one of the Snowbrooks' honored elders, someone she respected above most. And now, seeing Leander act like this toward him, even after he had saved her life, she couldn't help being upset.

Evren's gaze narrowed, carrying a cold edge. "Young man, do you even know what it means to speak recklessly?"