The leader of the ragtag group felt his eye twitch at Kyle's careless words. His chair scraped against the floor as he stood up abruptly, his massive frame looming over the smaller noble.
"Do you even know who you're messing with, kid?"
His deep voice rumbled through the room like a brewing storm.
Kyle, completely unbothered, tilted his head slightly and replied.
"Do you?"
Silence.
For a brief second, nobody spoke. Then—
Laughter erupted.
The men howled as if Kyle had just told the funniest joke in existence.
"This brat is delusional!"
One of them wiped tears from his eyes.
"Look at those thin arms! Can he even lift a sword?"
Another cackled.
The leader smirked, feeling as if the whole thing was a joke. With dramatic flair, he unsheathed his sword and spun it in the air.
The move was flashy, all style and no substance, meant to impress rather than intimidate.
"You sure you still wanna act tough, brat?"
