Depraved Noble: Forced To Live The Debaucherous Life Of An Evil Noble!-Chapter 135: Words Of Advice

Cassius wove through the chaotic battlefield with a steady stride, Lucius trailing close behind, his notebook clutched tightly as he scribbled Cassius's murmured observations.

The duels raged around them—steel clashing, grunts echoing, dust swirling—but Cassius moved with an unshakable calm, his keen eyes darting from fight to fight until he'd seen enough.

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And finally, with a nod to Lucius, he turned and made his way back toward Julie, his expression one of quiet satisfaction.

"I got all I need." He said as he reached her, brushing a speck of dirt off his sleeve. "Tell them to assemble—we're ready for that final gift."

Julie's brow furrowed, a flicker of confusion crossing her face, but she didn't press him.

"Alright." She said, her voice firm as she raised it over the clamor. "Everyone, fall in! Assemble back here—now!"

Her command cut through the noise, and the knights gradually disengaged, sheathing their weapons and trudging back toward the center of the grounds, their breaths heavy and faces flushed from the exertion.

Cassius walked over to a weathered tree stump and plopped down, crossing one leg over the other as he watched the knights gather in a loose, buzzing throng before him.

Their voices overlapped in a tired but lively hum—some groaning about aching muscles, others speculating in hushed tones about what this mysterious "final gift" could be.

"Gods, my arms are gonna fall off." One muttered, rubbing her shoulder.

"What's he got left up his sleeve—golden armor?" Another guessed, earning a snort from her neighbor.

Skadi, still buzzing with energy from her 5v1 fight, broke away from the crowd and bounced over to Cassius, her silver eyes glinting with curiosity.

"Hey, Master!" She said, leaning in close as she pointed at Lucius's notebook. "What're you writing in there? What's all that about?"

Cassius grinned, tapping the side of his nose with a wink. "It's a little secret, Skadi—gonna reveal it in a moment. Patience." His gaze flicked to the crumpled wad of parchment sticking out of her pocket, and he arched a brow. "What about you, huh? What's that you've got scribbled down there?"

Skadi's face flushed a bright pink, her ears twitching as she clutched the notes to her chest.

"Uh—it's a secret too!" She stammered, her voice pitching high. "Can't tell you yet not ready!"

Before he could tease her further, she spun on her heel and darted back to Julie and Aisha, her tail swishing nervously as she hid behind them, muttering, "No more questions, nope, nope!"

Cassius chuckled, a low, amused sound, then turned his attention to the assembled knights, their eyes fixed on him with exhaustion and eager anticipation.

He stood, brushing off his pants, and raised his voice to carry over the crowd. "I watched you all fight out there." He began, his tone warm but steady. "And I've gotta say—I'm impressed. Damn impressed. Your skills? They're a cut above what I expected, and I had high hopes to start with. You're a hell of a lot stronger than I figured."

A swell of pride rippled through the knights, their tired postures straightening as faint smiles broke across their faces. Coming from Cassius—a man whose combat prowess was monstrous, a force even Julie, their grandmaster captain, couldn't fully match—the praise hit deep.

"He's not kidding, is he?" One whispered, nudging her neighbor.

"Guy's a beast—means something if he thinks we're good!" Another puffed out her chest, grinning.

"Told you my axe work was top-notch!"

But just as the cheer began to build, Cassius's expression shifted, his grin fading into a solemn, almost heavy look that silenced the murmurs.

"But..." He said, his voice dropping. "That's not enough."

The knights froze, their smiles faltering as confusion crept in. Julie's eyes narrowed, a knot of unease tightening in her gut.

"What's he mean, 'not enough'?" A knight muttered, her brow creasing. "We just tore it up out there!"

Cassius paced a step, his gaze sweeping over them with a weight that pinned them in place.

"The world's changing—every damn day." He said, his tone low and solemn. "New dangers are popping up faster than we can count. You're getting stronger, sure the good side's growing every moment...But the bad side? They're working twice as hard, clawing their way up to match us, to overtake us."

"And there'll come a day—you'll face someone, some thing, stronger than you can handle. And if your skills are just a hair below theirs? You'll lose."

"...Not just a fight—your lives. All because you couldn't bridge that gap."

The mood plummeted, the earlier pride souring into a dull, creeping dread. The knights shifted uncomfortably, their eyes darting to one another as Cassius's words sank in.

"Lose our lives?" One whispered, her voice tight. "He's talking like we're walking into a slaughter..."

Another gripped her sword hilt, her knuckles whitening. "Thought we were tough—now he's saying we're doomed?"

Julie's jaw tightened, her mind racing. Even she felt the sting—he wasn't wrong. The world was a brutal place, and strength alone didn't always win the day.

"Great, now he's got them spooked. What's next, a ghost story?" Aisha muttered under her breath.

But then Cassius's solemnity cracked, a slow, confident smile spreading across his face as he met their gazes one by one.

"But that changes today." He said, his voice rising with quiet promise. "This final gift? It's gonna flip that on its head. After you get it, you won't just be fighting enemies on your level anymore you'll take on enemies stronger than you, higher realms than you've ever touched, and you'll win."

"No more scrabbling to keep up, no more dancing on the edge of danger every damn day. You'll fight beyond what you thought possible—starting now."

The knights went silent—still, their breaths catching as the weight of his promise hit them. Shock rippled through the ranks, eyes widening, mouths dropping open.

Fight higher realms? It was unthinkable—impossible.

Even Julie, a grandmaster honed by years of battle, felt her heart stutter. She could hold her own against peers, other grandmasters of her level, but taking on a grandmaster who was above her?

That was a death wish she'd never entertain if she had a choice. The idea that Cassius could gift them that kind of power—it defied everything she knew.

Aisha bit her lips, her eyes darting to Julie as she whispered. "He's gotta be bluffing...right?"

Julie stepped forward, her voice cutting through the stunned silence.

"What gift?" She asked, her tone sharp with disbelief. "What could possibly make us that strong? What're you giving them—some enchanted blade? A secret manual to triple our strength overnight?"

Her mind raced, grasping for something, anything—every knight around her was thinking the same, expecting a weapon, a ancient book, some trick to explain this wild claim.

Cassius let the question hang for a moment, his smile widening as he looked at each of them, his eyes glinting with amusement and certainty. Then, slowly, he said,

"No, I'm giving you something much better...I'm giving you my advice."

The words dropped like a stone into a still pond, and for a heartbeat, the knights froze, silence swallowing the grounds.

Advice?...Julie blinked, her mind stumbling over the word. Aisha's ears flinches, her jaw dropping slightly.

The knights stared, uncomprehending, until one finally muttered, "Wait—what?"

Another echoed, "Did he say advice?"

The confusion erupted into a clamor, voices overlapping as they turned to each other, baffled and incredulous.

"Advice?!" A knight near the front yelped, throwing up her hands. "What's that supposed to mean? He's gonna talk us stronger?"

"Is he serious?" Another demanded, her voice pitching high. "I swung my axe till my arms screamed, and he's handing out words?"

"No way—did I hear that right?" A third chimed in, laughing nervously. "Advice? What, like 'swing harder'? He's lost it!"

The commotion swelled, knights gesturing wildly as they tried to make sense of it.

"I thought it'd be a magic sword or something!" One shouted over. "Not a damn pep talk!" Another shook her head, muttering, "Can't fight a higher realm with a lecture—has he gone mad?"

Julie's hands clenched at her sides, her own disbelief warring with a flicker of curiosity.

Advice?...It sounded absurd—too simple, too mundane to match the grand promise he'd just made.

And yet, Cassius lounged on the tree stump, his gaze sweeping over the knights as their confusion erupted into a chaotic buzz of disbelief and muttered protests.

Their reactions—ranging from incredulous stares to outright laughter—only seemed to amuse him further.

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and let out a low chuckle.

"What's this?" He asked, his voice laced with playful mockery. "You don't believe me? Is it really so hard to swallow that a little advice from me could take you that far? Come on now—in academics, a tip on solving a tricky problem or memorizing a long essay can make all the difference. Why's this any different?"

The knights shifted, their murmurs growing louder, until an older woman stepped forward from the ranks. She had short brown hair, her weathered face etched with the lines of countless battles, and her stance carried the quiet confidence of a veteran.

She smiled, a warm but skeptical curve of her lips, and raised a hand to quiet the crowd behind her.

"Hold on, Master Cassius." She said, her voice rough but steady. "First off, I wanna say thanks—me and everyone here, we're grateful for what you've done. Sparing our lives, the tavern, the schooling for our kids—all of it. You've got our respect, no question...But this?" She shook her head, her smile turning wry. "What you're saying now—it's absurd. Comparing book-learning to combat? That's a stretch even I can't buy. They're worlds apart."

Cassius tilted his head, his grin widening as he met her gaze.

"Really? You think so? To me, they're the same—two sides of a coin. A few pointers, a bit of guidance, and you can leap forward in any field. Combat, studies—it's all about knowing where to step."

The veteran crossed her arms, her skepticism deepening.

"I don't buy it." She said bluntly. "Fighting across a realm—beating someone who'd normally crush you just because of some advice? That's insane. Can't happen."

"...No offense, Master, but I've been swinging steel longer than most here've been alive, and I've never seen a few words turn the tide like that."

Hearing this, he leaned back, his chuckle softening into a thoughtful hum.

"Oh, it can." He said, his tone firm but teasing. "Seems we've got a divide here, huh? You lot saying it's impossible, me saying it's not. Two different mindsets, locked horns." His eyes glinted as they locked onto hers, a spark of challenge igniting. "So how about we settle it? Make a little challenge out of this—see who's right in the end."

Her face split into a competitive grin, her eyes flashing with the fire of someone who never backed down.

"A challenge, huh? I like the sound of that—I'm in. Always up for a good fight, especially if it proves a point. What have you got in mind to back up this wild logic of yours?"

Cassius waved a hand, his smile turning sly.

"Nothing too fancy." He said. " Simple, really. You'll duel someone here—someone younger, weaker, less experienced than you. One of the fresh bloods from your ranks. You'll fight with what you've already got, all your years of know-how."

"...But your opponent? They'll get a few tips from me—some advice, a little nudge. And with that, I'm betting they'll beat you."

The veteran threw her head back and laughed, a deep, hearty sound that echoed across the grounds.

"Impossible!" She exclaimed, slapping her thigh. "You're dreaming, Master! I've trained half these greenhorns myself—molded them from scratch. There's not a one of them who could take me down, tips or no tips since I'm a tough old bird—ask anyone here!"

She gestured to the knights, who nodded and murmured their agreement, some calling out.

"She's a wall!" and "Toughest we've got!"

Julie watched, her lips twitching with a faint smile, while Aisha's tail flicked in amusement. Skadi, clutching her notes, grinned wide, clearly entertained.

The veteran's confidence was unshakable, a rock amidst the younger knights awe, and it was hard to argue—she was one of the strongest among them, a pillar of skill and grit.

But she wasn't done. Her laughter faded into a mischievous smirk, and she fixed Cassius with a glinting stare. "Alright, it's an interesting challenge—I'll bite."

"...But let's make it fun, yeah? How about a bet? Stakes on both sides, just to spice it up."