"Kneel before your King!"

Belladonna's command hung in the air, echoing off the stone walls of the cavernous hall.

But what followed was not roars of cheers. Instead the hall was filled with silence. Absolute, suffocating silence.

Hundreds of bandits stared at the Belladonna. They looked at their terrifying Queen, who was standing a step below their so called New King.

They felt their stomachs churn. They were a pack of wolves. They didn't kneel to a sheep just because the Alpha said so. They respected blood and strength.

SCRAPE!

The sound of a heavy wooden chair being shoved back broke the silence of the hall..

Near the middle tables, a mountain of muscle stood up.

He was a massive nearly seven feet tall brute. His skin was sickly green scarred with white lines along his body. Two yellowed tusks jutted from his lower jaw, piercing his lip. His arms were as thick as tree trunks, covered in tattoos and thick, wiry hair.

He looked furious. His small, beady eyes narrowed at Leo.

"Him?" the Orc roared, his voice a deep bass that vibrated in the floorboards. He pointed his finger at Leo, "This baby still drinks milk of her mama's boobies"

He turned his glare on Belladonna.

"Queen, have you lost your mind? We follow strength! We don't take orders from pretty boys who look like they belong in a brothel!"

The Orc reached behind his back and drew a massive, double-headed old worn out battleaxe stained dark with old blood.

"I won't kneel to this pretty boy!"

The tension in the room snapped, suddenly all hands went towards the hilts of their swords. The air filled with tension.

But Leo didn't seem to care. He stepped forward, looking down at the massive bandit.

And suddenly he smiled, taking the bandit by surprise.

'Aiva,' Leo commanded internally, 'Tell me about this Shrek wannabe.'

[Scanning Target...]

[Name: Gorm]

[Race: Orc-Human Hybrid]

[Level: 12]

[Class: Barbarian (Smasher: His strength is above average than those at the same level, compromising on his speed)]

[HP: 5,000 / 7,000]

[Threat Level: Low.]

Leo's smile widened. Level 12. Seven thousand HP. Luck was on his side. This orc was no harm to him.

'Thundering clouds, Seldom rain!'

The saying was just so apt. All the strong ones in the room were testing the waters, and they let this weak dog to bite Leo.

"Gorm, is it?" Leo asked, his voice was calm, "That's a cute name. Did your mother pick it, or did you just grunt it out when you were born?"

Gorm's face turned even darker shade of green, "You dare mock me, boy?"

"I am mocking your pea-sized intelligence," Leo said, "You think size equals strength. That's adorable."

"t's very... primitive. I expected better from the "Blackfang Bandits". But I guess they let anyone in these days as long as they smell bad enough."

The bandits in the hall exchanged glances, and chuckled. Their new "boss" was funny at least. But poor guy, Gorm will snap him in two.

"You talk big," Gorm snarled, stepping closer to the dais, "Come down here and talk to my axe."

Belladonna stepped forward, her eyes flashing with cold, blue fire, "Gorm! You dare question my authority?"

Gorm hesitated. He feared Belladonna. Everyone did.

"I do not question you, my Queen," Gorm grunted, lowering his head slightly, "But I cannot serve... that. It goes against the code. The strong rule. The weak serve."

"I live by that rule. And he is weak."

"He is your King!" Belladonna hissed, her hand drifting to the whip coiled at her hip, "One more word, and I will take your head myself."

"No," Leo said.

He raised his hand, stopping her. Belladonna frowned but still took a step back.

"Let your man take care of it," Leo softly said as he walked past her.

"He has a point. Why should he serve someone he thinks is weak? Trust has to be earned, right?"

He looked around the room, his gaze sweeping over the hundreds of battled hardened bandits.

"How many of you question your Queen's decision?" Leo asked loudly.

To his question, no one squeaked. Eyes averted to the floor. They dare not refuse Belladonna.

"Okay, let me rephrase that," Leo smirked, "How many of you look at me and think, 'I could snap him like a twig'?"

This time, the reaction was immediate. Heads nodded. Smirks appeared. A few bandits laughed openly.

Leo shook his head in a humourless laugh.

"Honesty," Leo nodded, "I like that. I will remember this."

He continued to walk forward.

"Alright. Let's make this simple. I don't want unwilling servants. I want loyal dogs."

He pointed to a corner of the hall, near the beer barrels.

"Those of you who believe in your Queen, those who respect her decision and are smart enough to know she wouldn't pick a weakling... go stand over there."

There was hesitation. The bandits looked at each other. They looked at Gorm, who was gripping his axe. They looked at Belladonna, who was watching with an unreadable expression.

Finally a few of them moved.

Most of them were those higher in the hierarchy of the Blackfangs. The ones who had seen Bane's terror earlier. The ones who were smart enough to take into account the unknown.

They shuffled over to the corner.

There were Forty or maybe fifty of them.

That was a pitiful turnout.

Looking at them, the rest of the hall erupted in jeers.

"Look at the cowards!"

"Ass-kissers!"

"BOOO! You all have gone soft."

"Go hide in the corner, little girls!"

Meanwhile Bane, who had been hiding near the door, crawled to the corner hiding from everyone, nearly tripping over himself to join the loyalists. He knew better.

Leo watched the fifty or so smart bandits. He nodded to them, "Smart choice."

He turned back to the main crowd. He turned back to Gorm.

"And the rest of you?" Leo asked, "You think I am a joke, don't you?"

"You are a joke," Gorm spat, "A bad one."

Leo scanned the crowd. Aiva had already highlighted easy targets for him.

He picked out three other bandits standing near Gorm, a dual-wielding swordsman (Level 9), a massive brawler with brass knuckles (Level 10), and a spearman (Level 8).

"You," Leo pointed to them, making it sound completely random, "And you. And you. Come here. Stand with Shrek."

The three bandits looked confused, but they walked over, grinning.

"Four on one," Leo said cheerfully, "Seems fair to you ladies?"

"You want to die that badly?" Gorm gritted his teeth..

"Oh, I am not going to fight you," Leo said. He put his hands behind his back, clasping them casually. He widened his stance, looking relaxed.

"I am going to stand right here," Leo announced to the hall, "And you four can attack me however you want."

"You can use your axes, your swords, your fists. Go all out. Try to kill me."

"Leo!" Belladonna called out. She knew for one that Leo wasn't that strong, "You don't need to... I will take care of them."

Even Shadow unsheathed her sword, ready to make her move. She wouldn't let anyone lay a finger on Leo.

"Relax!" He leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with arrogance, "I can take care of these little girls on my own."

"And I won't even need to raise a finger."

The hall went dead silent. Not raising a finger? Against four armed elites? Leo was clearly looking down on them.

"You are mocking us," the swordsman growled.

"I am educating you," Leo corrected, "There is a saying from where I am, 'Never judge a book by its cover'."

"YOU BASTARD!" Gorm screamed, "KILL HIM!"

And the four bandits charged.

"Yes! Yes!"

"Come to daddy!"

"Let daddy teach you the ways of this world!"

** ** ** ** **

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