Chapter 824: The Pride of an Artifact Refiner

Third Person’s POVA normal person would naturally become furious after being insulted by him.

But Ethan, he didn’t even seem to realize that he was insulting people.

Everything he said sounded completely sincere.

That made him even more infuriating.

"Pardon my rudeness, Your Majesty."

The frail-looking old man suddenly straightened his bent back.

The slight stoop that had made him appear as though a strong gust of wind could knock him over completely disappeared.

His cloudy old eyes suddenly became sharp and imposing, while an astonishing vigor erupted from his aged body.

"If I had known that Your Majesty had summoned me here together with the finest collection that I forged through decades of my blood, sweat, and countless sleepless nights..."

His voice gradually rose, and his long white beard trembled violently as he spoke.

"...only to have them treated so casually before an arrogant and unruly child who possesses neither respect for his elders nor the slightest reverence for the heavens...then I would never have accepted this invitation, even if refusing had cost me this old life."

His thunderous voice echoed throughout the study, and every sentence carried obvious indignation.

Tiny droplets of saliva flew from his mouth while his beard and loose robes shook from the force of his emotions.

The harmless old craftsman who had appeared quiet and indifferent only moments ago had vanished completely.

Standing before everyone now was a proud master craftsman whose dignity had been trampled upon.

The atmosphere inside the room instantly became unbearably awkward.

Even Shixea couldn’t conceal the embarrassment flashing across her beautiful face.

For perhaps the first time that day, the usually composed Queen found herself completely at a loss for words.

An awkward stiffness settled over her expression.

She knew Master Drogo far too well.

Within the entire branch of the Artifact Refiner Association in Ice Emperor City, he was recognized as the finest Grade Three Artifact Refiner.

His status wasn’t something that could simply be measured by how powerful a mage he was.

People like him and high-ranking potion masters as well were notorious for their eccentric personalities.



They treasured two things above everything else.

Their craft being the first thing, and the second being their pride.

Nothing enraged them more than seeing years of painstaking effort and their crafted product being treated carelessly or disrespectfully.

Unfortunately, Ethan had unknowingly managed to strike both of those sore spots with only a single sentence and his arrogant attitude, which seemed to signal that he was above everyone and everything else.

Even someone like Shixea couldn’t simply suppress the old man because of a disagreement.

People of his profession possessed astonishing influence.

A single word from a respected artifact refiner could attract countless powerful experts eager to earn his favor.

If such individuals truly lost their temper, they often refused to show courtesy even towards rulers and kings.

Shixea understood that reality better than anyone present.

Seeing that the Queen herself remained silent without offering any explanation, Master Drogo merely snorted heavily.

"Hmph."

Without another word, he bent down and began carefully placing each magical weapon back inside the long wooden case one after another.

His movements were slow but firm.

Every weapon was returned to its rightful place with obvious care, almost as though he feared allowing such masterpieces to remain in the same room any longer.

Watching the beautiful lake-blue spear disappear back into the case, Aria couldn’t help revealing a trace of disappointment upon her delicate face.

She had genuinely taken a liking to that weapon the moment she first saw it.

Unfortunately, before she had even been given the chance to choose it, everything had already fallen apart.

That disappointment soon transformed into unmistakable resentment.

Without attempting to hide it, she turned her gaze directly toward Ethan.

Her beautiful face remained expressionless, but the hostility contained within her blue eyes was impossible to miss.

To her, everything that had happened today had been caused entirely by this arrogant newcomer.

Had he simply behaved with the most basic courtesy, none of this would have happened.

Meanwhile, Ethan calmly sensed every pair of eyes resting upon him.

Shixea’s hidden frustration, Erius’s utterly stunned disbelief, Elis’s worried gaze from behind him, and the open hostility radiating from Aria...



He noticed all of it, yet not the slightest change appeared upon his face.

His expression remained as calm and indifferent as ever, as though none of those emotions had anything to do with him.

Seeing that no one intended to stop him, Master Drogo finally closed the lid of the wooden artifact case with a dull thud before lifting it effortlessly into his hands.

Without sparing anyone another glance, he turned around and began walking toward the study’s exit.

His steps were steady, clearly showing that he had no intention of remaining here any longer.

However, just as he was about to cross the doorway—

"Stop right there, old man."

Ethan’s calm voice suddenly echoed through the silent study once again.

Everyone’s expressions darkened as they watched Ethan’s shameless display.

The room fell into an awkward silence.

No one had expected him to stop Master Drogo after provoking him to such an extent.

Instead, they all assumed that the arrogant young man was simply adding fuel to the fire, refusing to let the matter end until he had completely offended everyone present.

Aria, in particular, couldn’t help feeling disappointed.

Only a few hours ago, back inside the academy, she had subconsciously regarded Ethan as someone mysterious and powerful.

There had been an indescribable aura surrounding him, one that had instinctively made even her remain somewhat wary.

His calm demeanor, unusual crimson eyes, and indifferent attitude toward almost everything had created the impression of a man hiding unfathomable depths beneath the surface.

But now, that impression was rapidly collapsing.

In her eyes, Ethan no longer appeared mysterious.

Instead, he looked like an arrogant young fool whose excessive pride had long since clouded his judgment, and someone who couldn’t distinguish between confidence and stupidity.

Erius wore an equally cynical expression, as he didn’t like Ethan from the moment he had met him, so watching him turn himself into a clown made him exhilarated.