She couldn’t tell if this youngster was serious or not, but she wouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth.

‘Careful master, I don’t know why but I can’t get into this guys’ head’ warned Sera telepathically.

‘It’s because he’s a mage, I’m not sure his rank but it’s of no consequence he can’t be too strong judging by his age. Watch as your master takes candy from a baby...’

“Well, if you’re being so kind who am I to refuse Mr. Coldwind” said Lucy as she accepted the space ring, “but alas I must depart now for my uh mage studies, you understand… goodbye now”

Lucy tried to hurriedly exit with her new ring but just as she turned to walk away an ironclad grip on her wrist halted her exit.

“Where do you think you’re going?” said Mr. Coldwind with a dark look on his face, “ Did you think? You could just finesse me for a space ring and leave? I already know you’re not a mage so cut the crap, you belong to me now!”

Suddenly a crescendoing icy magical aura began to seep from Mr. Coldwind.

‘I-Impossible this cheeky bastard is a fourth rank mage! His aura doesn’t lose out to that of a Sire rank vampire at all! What’s worse is he might be on to me; I need to get out of here fast!’ realized Lucy with a gasp still caught in his iron clad grip.

Lucy’s tiny pale wrist in his grip had tiny ice crystals beginning to form upon the skin.

Thanks to her superior defenses against the cold being a vampire Lucy took no damage from this, but a mortal would be in serious pain right now.

‘Let… Go… of…Me” said Lucy through tightly clenched teeth as her fangs fought to be free.

Suddenly she too released a terrifying aura that reeked of blood and had a hint of killing intent.

At this moment the bigger icy cold aura and the more condensed bloody auras were opposing each other.

The two auras began to clash as small sparks were beginning to form in the air.

‘Please let me assist master’ chimed Sera telepathically.

‘No! Stay out of this the sun is still blazing out!’ Lucy commanded her.

“Ki cultivator? Half magic beast? What are you exactly” asked Mr. Coldwind intrigued by the tenacity of the bloody aura.

Then suddenly out of nowhere a huge gold armor  clad fist, complete with runic markings around it, enclosed both pair of hands in a firm and restraining grip.

Most shocking however was the fact that with the closing of his hand both of their auras were extinguished.

‘What?!A peak ranked Great Knight?!’ gasped Mr. Coldwind inwardly, ‘Impossible!’

“Is everything okay miss?” the knight asked while directing his intense bronze eyes on Mr. Coldwind.

As Mr. Coldwind paled at the imposing guard who was staring him down. Lucy couldn’t help but admire just about everything about the towering knight.

She knew she was in a serious situation and was definitely paying attention, but she couldn’t deny this human was an excellent specimen.

Compared to the captured Mr. Coldwind, the two were like night and day.

Simply put he was quite huge. The biggest human she had ever seen to be quite frank. Even compared to the other guards and humans Lucy had seen in this world, this knight was abnormally large.

He appeared to be no shorter than 8 feet tall at the least, was handsome, and had chiseled and very strong masculine features.

His body even under the gold runic armor he was wearing appeared to be quite fit and muscular.

The fact that his hand alone was enough to enclose both Lucy’s and Mr. Coldwind’s in a grip was testament to that.

Lucy admired his square jawline and curly light chestnut hair a second more before replying.

“Yes, sir everything is fine now that you’re here. I was just leaving actually when Mr. Coldwind grabbed me out of nowhere” said Lucy assuming a doe eyed appearance.

The gold armored knight gently released Lucy’s hand as he turned his attention to the fuming Mr.Coldwind who watched on in disbelief.

“Oh, is that so?” said the knight as a he released a shred of sharp killing intent towards Nour, “Well anything you want to say to her you can say in front of me”

Nour was in disbelief over how shrewd this woman was. She was as cunning as a fox!

Not only had she tricked him into buying that ring for her, but she even tricked a Great Knight into being her literal savior.

Nour wanted to scream bloody murder at this moment but he knew when to accept a loss. The woman had beat him at his own game.

After composing himself under the heavy pressure from this knight’s killing intent. Nour hurriedly tried to make amends and distance himself.

“No no, it was nothing. My apologies just a case of mistaken identity on my part. I-I should be going now. I-If you’ll let me, I mean, sir”

“ Hmph is that okay ma’am?” asked the knight with a much gentler tone towards Lucy, “ If you want, I can bring him to the cells for the night?”

Lucy trailed a thin finger along her jawline for a while as if in deep thought before replying,

“No, it’s fine truly I mean if it was only a mistake there’s no reason to escalate things” Lucy said in an overly sweet tone.

The knight stared Nour down for a moment longer before releasing him as Lucy suggested. Once he was released Nour mumbled a strained goodbye before running off and disappearing.

‘He’d better not let me catch him out after dark.’ Sera communicated telepathically

‘If you do make sure you save me a bite’ added Lucy.

“I hope that thug didn’t ruin your day madam” said the knight.

“Oh, not at all my day was simply splendid. And I must say it’s even better since I’ve gotten to meet you Mr…”

The towering knight stared down at Lucy completely enraptured by her beauty but tried to remain professional. After all, she could be young miss of some powerful noble family.

“Oh, my name is Nox. Nox Leon it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Miss?”

“I’m Lucy. Lucy Nyx and the pleasure is all mine” said Lucy with a seductive smirk, “ I must apologize for taking up so much of your time though I’m sure you have much more important things to do. I’ll just be on my way now”

“No, it was no trouble at all miss. In fact, why don’t you let me escort you home? You know, just in case that ruffian shows up again”  suggested Nox.

Lucy was a bit taken aback by Nox’s suggestion. She didn’t expect knights of this world to actually be chivalrous.

The knights of Morgana never were and actually caused much more issues than they solved. But after turning the idea over in her mind a bit, Lucy nodded in agreement.

“I don’t see why not Mr. Leon. My place of residence is just this way” said Lucy as she gestured to the dirt road leading out of the market.

“Ha-ha-ha” echoed a hearty laugh over the peaceful evening scene of Blackwood.

“You don’t know what a Great Knight is? Asked Nox with an astonished expression.

“Haha I can’t say that I do” Lucy laughed chirpily, “I’m not really from here…”

Lucy looked up at the tall and charming knight as they walked leisurely together. However just as she tried to better observe his facial features, she felt a twinge of pain in her neck.

‘Ugh my neck is starting to hurt, this fellow is taller than that head knight Sir Robert who beheaded me’ thought Lucy as she observed Nox’s towering figure.

After being “saved” by Nox the knight, the two struck up a conversation and he offered to escort her home.

At first Lucy was wary of the impressive knight’s intentions, but after talking with him for a while she could safely say he had no ill will towards her, quite the opposite actually.

“Well, a Great Knight could technically be considered the fourth stage in a ki knight’s cultivation almost like a Great Mage actually in terms of strength and power level. Aren’t you a Great Mage? The magical aura you were giving off back there wasn’t losing out to his one bit.” explained and asked Nox.

Lucy nodded her head in understanding at Nox’s words before realizing she had no idea about the power levels of the main inhabitants of this world nor what they were even capable of.

“O-oh yeah I’m a Great Mage you’re so smart” said Lucy as she gripped the forearm of the huge knight close to her chest sweetly.

Nox’s tanned face quickly turned a deep scarlet as he became acutely aware of Lucy’s voluptuous bosoms rubbing against his armored arm.

‘Fate has really shined on me today ! To be able to escort such a beauty- I’m the luckiest man on the Hale continent’ thought Nox as he smiled goofily at the slight display of affection from Lucy.

‘Hook. Line. And Sinker. That worked perfectly’ Lucy smiled coyly, ‘he was beginning to ask too many questions for my liking’

‘Master you’re so cunning and devilish. I love to see it’ added Sera amidst Lucy’s maniacal machinations.

“Oh, Nox, do you think you could tell me more about these ki knights and how they are different from mages?  You’re my firs- I mean you’re the first one I ever met” said Lucy innocently.

“Absolutely! Whatever you want to know I can surely explain it to you” he replied with no hesitation.