As Zatu made his way downstairs a sudden silence took over the restaurant.
"What's happening here?"
He asked, his eyes jumping from the bloodied girl with a panicked look, to the two men struggling against each other on the floor, to the head guard sneering at him as a group of city guards shrunk behind his back.
"Since when High Councilor Greensword has a dog in the inner city?"
'That head guard knows I hold the token and what it represents but still shows aggression? He's the enemy here.'
"Since when do the official guards punch innocent women?"
Zatu scoffs back, already deciding to shut down whatever the guard intended to do.
Which he didn't imagine would take much time since the council had a lot of sway in the city, the high council doubly so and Arbo himself was literally the strongest in the whole city, by a lot.
Meaning as the direct representative of his will Zatu was way above this guard in status, even though that did nothing to the increasing mana pressure he felt inside.
Still to his surprise the guard didn't even sheathe his saber, instead answering with a cocky grin.
"I have an order for her arrest dog, she is a very bad, and very big, hmm…" the guard pauses and hums in thought, thinking theatrically. "let's say human trafficker." He pulls a paper from his pocket and writes down something before extending it to Zatu.
As he goes to catch it a guttural scream from the side makes his heart skip a beat,
"LIES!!!!" The shield bearer pushes his leader off and almost gets up before more of his team jump in to hold him back.
At this point even the bleeding girl walks over trying to calm the taciturn and bulky man.
From their eyes Zatu sees both hope and a tentative trust being thrown his way.
With calm movements, he catches the paper recognizing it as a real arrest warrant signed by someone, before tearing it to pieces without a second look.
Of course, if he had handed this to him already filled when he just went down he might have considered the accusation plausible.
Maybe even sided with the city guards depending on the situation, he stood with the city and the council's side above all at the end of the day.
Why would he offer any consideration when the opposition hadn't even tried to hide they were making shit up on the spot.
AND antagonized both him and the council in their first phrase.
"With the authority invested in me by the Arbo Greensword I pardon her for everything, now get your goons between your legs and get the fuck out, dog."
Zatu shot back with narrowed eyes, peeved by the blatant disrespect the guard had shown.
'Someone without any respect for my city and its citizens should never be an official in it.' He thought to himself and decided to ask Arbo to take him out the force after he deals with the whole Night Fang rumors situation.
Surprising him once more, the guard didn't walk out.
Instead raising his mana pressure once more, focusing it all on his person.
His legs trembled, his heart raced, but his back only straightened.
In his ear a soft voice asked a whisper.
"Can I?"
Zatu hesitated for a moment, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.
Illya's question was tempting, never in his entire life had he been this disrespected.
Never in his entire life had he seen someone dare to spit on the council's name like this.
But still, this guy was a citizen and his life was worth more than a few words and a few disrespectful words and actions.
Granted, if he had done this whole bullshit of arresting other citizens without proper reason he would be dead under the council's judgment anyway.
But that wasn't Zatu's call to make and he was already feeling like a nepobaby enough from wielding Arbo's authority in this situation.
So he shook his head, as deep breaths helped him calm his angry heart.
"I don't know from which kennel High councilor got you from, but you better back off before Young Master comes down." The guard's grin only grew as he saw Zatu tremble, completely oblivious about how close he was from an early grave.
The guard leans forward, his shadow trembling unnoticed.
"And let me give you a tip, your owner might be big and mean, but he is at the tower, busy right now. On the other hand you are here, barking against someone two tiers higher than you." The guard plays with his saber, the mana pressure increasing further, a shadow tensing in preparation. "You don't seem to understand what kind of danger you are in."
Zatu eyes narrow, his mouth opens ready to call Illya's name.
It will be annoying to iron out the details at the tower and might affect Schalt's business having officials killed inside his doors.
But the head guard was pushing his luck too much, pressuring Zatu despite his status, just because the guard thought he could do nothing about it.
And just as his words were about to leave his throat the pressure faded away causing Zatu to stumble backwards with the sudden shift.
The shadows stilled, as he panted, more words from the guard reaching his ears.
"Hopefully you know your place now."
Zatu chuckled hearing the cocky words, astounded Illya had been right in how little these guys cared about the city's rules.
"You know I could get you killed for threatening me like this, right?" Zatu said.
In response the head guard frowned, annoyed by the resistance Zatu was putting up.
For a moment the idea of slashing Zatu's neck flashes through the guard's mind, before he completely dismisses it.
Threatening someone with such a connection to a High councilor is dicy, but Young master would side with him easily.
Killing Zatu though? Would give him a one way ticket to the streets from the young Darkglade himself, with a sword waiting for his neck as soon as he hit the curb.
Still, he had to find a way to push this annoyance away.
"I get it, you feel safe and strong with your position and a backing, but be careful dog, a little title might save you but it won't protect your scum filled litter."
Zatu's eyes narrow, the small smile that had crept on his lips vanishing.
His eyes grew cold, his heart colder.
His hand moves to the sword in his hip before he stops it mid motion.
Not for a leak of desire, but from an understanding of power levels.
Zatu had grown a lot through the last couple weeks but was still far from reaching tier 2, let alone fighting a tier 3.
Still.
Whatever this guard did before Zatu walked down already seemed wrong, even to Zatu who wasn't present.
Making up crimes and intimidating someone above his station was legally wrong, but in Zatu's mind such actions should be decided by the council proper.
Now threatening his friends, inside a place Zatu almost considered a second home?
That crossed a line, adding weight to a scale that was already looking bad to the head guard.
"Does your little crew think the same?"
Zatu asked, already sure this guy wouldn't walk out of here and now debating himself whether the fucker would have company to the long river of reincarnation.
The head guard frowned a little, the golden haired boy wasn't the first to talk back this much, but something at the back of his mind felt the situation today was… different?
With this weird worry he wondered if he should just go call Young Master to slap the face of this council scum, all the while complete silence took over the restaurant.
Though the head guard was fearless and trusted deeply in his level and the Young Darkglade connections.
His goons on the other hand stood like statues, undecided whether to offend the clearly a high status Zatu with unknown risks or offend the Head Guard and lose the cushy job they had as official goons to the young noble.
That didn't last long though…
In any group there was always a risk taker and once one took the lead there followed right behind.
In moments they too started hurling threats and calling Zatu names.
With only a single young guard still new to their division and not quite used to the oppressive boons they had stepped back timidly and in the end remained quiet.
Quiet just like this young guard were the dozens of citizens that had been present since the very beginning, but dared not speak up against their oppressive force.
When a combatant could end your life in the blink of an eye, anyone with a production type class and a bit of a brain would never fight openly.
Once the guards left though, it was no doubt the events that happened here would spread far and fast.
Having received his answer Zatu lifted the black token up in the air, mana already flowing up his arm.
This had been the first time he had seen someone both disrespect the council and threaten him to such a level.
And he would make sure their chicken heads would roll so no monkeys ever dared to fuck around like this again.
"With the authority given to me I, Zatu Rainfall, condemn to summary execution everyone of these guards… except that young one over there."