Rolf's hand slammed onto the edge of Kael's table.
BANG!
The bowls and plates rattled.
Several nearby customers flinched.
Kael slowly placed his chopsticks down.
He looked at the trembling bowl of noodles.
Then up at Rolf.
"...Please."
Rolf raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
"I'm eating."
The words were spoken so calmly that, for a brief moment, Rolf thought he had misheard.
Then his lips curled into a sneer.
"You've got some guts."
Bren stood from his chair with a grin.
"I think the little mountain boy needs to learn some manners."
He walked over lazily, rolling his shoulders as though stretching before a game.
Without warning—
He drove a hard kick toward the table.
CRACK!
The wooden table tipped violently.
The steaming bowl shot into the air.
Gasps filled the tavern.
Emma, the waitress, instinctively covered her mouth.
"...The noodles..."
Before the bowl had risen even a foot—
Kael reached out.
His hand moved with quiet precision.
Tap.
The bowl landed gently in his palm.
Not a single drop of broth spilled over the rim.
His chopsticks remained neatly balanced across the top.
The entire tavern froze.
Kael looked at the bowl.
Examined it carefully.
Then let out a small breath of relief.
"...Good."
He placed it safely on the neighboring table.
"I'm glad it didn't spill."
Silence.
Complete silence.
Even Bren blinked in disbelief.
"...Did..."
"...Did he just catch that?"
Ben slowly nodded.
"...He did."
---
Rolf's face darkened.
"You think you're funny?"
Kael shook his head.
"No."
"I just wanted to finish dinner."
That answer somehow made Rolf even angrier.
"You little—"
His fist shot forward.
Fast.
Direct.
A punch thrown by someone used to intimidating ordinary people.
Kael simply leaned back.
The fist passed harmlessly in front of his face.
It didn't even disturb his hair.
Rolf stumbled a step forward.
Confusion flashed across his face.
"...What?"
Before he could recover—
Kael gently placed one hand against Rolf's shoulder.
Nothing more.
A light push.
Rolf's own momentum carried him onward.
He crashed chest-first into the empty table behind Kael.
THUD!
The table groaned.
Rolf groaned louder.
---
Bren frowned.
"Lucky."
He lunged.
Unlike Rolf, he aimed lower.
His fist drove toward Kael's ribs.
Kael stepped aside.
His left hand lightly brushed Bren's wrist.
His right foot shifted half a step.
That was all.
Bren's balance vanished.
Unable to stop himself, he stumbled directly toward Hugo, who had only just reached the fight.
The two collided.
BAM!
Hugo's eyes widened.
"What are you doing?!"
"You were in my way!"
"I was standing still!"
The two men crashed onto the wooden floor in a tangled heap.
---
Seeing his companions embarrassed, Tanner roared and grabbed a nearby chair.
"You'll regret this!"
He raised it overhead before swinging it down.
Kael calmly took one step forward.
The chair slammed into the floor behind him.
CRACK!
The wooden legs snapped apart.
Before Tanner could lift what remained—
Kael placed two fingers against his forearm.
A tiny movement.
Nothing more.
Tanner suddenly found his arm twisting away from his body.
The broken chair slipped from his grasp.
He spun once.
Twice.
Then landed flat on his back.
"...Ow..."
---
Only Hugo remained standing.
The large man clenched both fists.
Unlike the others...
He hesitated.
For the first time...
He realized something wasn't right.
This wasn't luck.
The quiet young man hadn't thrown a single punch.
He hadn't shouted.
Hadn't looked angry.
He had merely...
Moved.
Hugo swallowed.
Then charged anyway.
With a loud roar, he threw all his weight behind a powerful straight punch.
Kael sighed softly.
"...Sorry."
He sidestepped.
His palm rested lightly against Hugo's elbow.
A slight turn.
A gentle pull.
Hugo's own strength carried him past Kael.
Unable to stop himself—
He crashed directly into Rolf, who had just managed to stand.
The two tumbled across the floor together.
Their momentum finally stopped against a thick wooden pillar.
THUMP!
The pillar remained perfectly intact.
The two hooligans did not.
---
Silence filled the tavern.
Not a single table besides the broken one had been overturned.
Only one chair had been broken.
A few bowls had rattled.
That was all.
The fight...
Had lasted less than half a minute.
Kael looked around the tavern.
"...Is anyone hurt?"
Everyone silently shook their heads.
He nodded once.
"That's good."
He walked back toward the neighboring table.
Picked up his bowl.
Examined it carefully.
Still warm.
He turned toward Emma.
"Excuse me."
The young waitress jumped slightly.
"Y-Yes?"
"Would it be alright..."
"...if I continued eating?"
Emma stared at him for several seconds.
Then nodded rapidly.
"O-Of course!"
"Please do!"
Kael smiled.
"Thank you."
He returned to his seat.
Lifted his chopsticks.
And quietly continued eating his noodles as though nothing unusual had happened.
Around him...
No one spoke.
Ben slowly looked toward Morris.
"...He's... different."
Morris nodded absentmindedly.
"I've lived for sixty-three years..."
"...and I've never seen someone apologize before defeating four men."
Across the tavern...
The innkeeper Owen looked at the almost undamaged dining hall before letting out a long sigh of relief.
"...At least I won't have to buy new furniture."
From outside...
The distant sound of hurried footsteps echoed along the street.
Someone had finally gone to fetch the village guards.
Unfortunately for them...
The fight was already over.
End of Chapter 10