Chapter 6: The Wrath of the Fallen Prince
Briggs pointed toward the entrance. "Mr. Bartlett, look—there he is!"
Bartlett's gaze followed Briggs's finger. The moment he saw who was standing there in shackles, he choked on his tea. There, right before him, was the former Crown Prince of Silverdale. How could he not recognize this boy?
Tyler stood in the doorway, listening to every word of Bartlett and Briggs's conversation. Briggs's suggestion sent a surge of rage through Tyler's veins—how dare these dogs even dream of such insolence? They were getting too full of themselves these days.
He might have been reduced to slavery, but Briggs had no right to make Tyler Bartlett's lackey. After all, Tyler was once the crown prince of Silverdale! Besides, Bartlett wasn't even a royal—he had no authority to order Tyler around.
The very idea that Briggs would dare suggest Tyler should be Bartlett's servant was laughable. Impossible!
Bartlett stared at Tyler for a long moment, considering his current state. Then, a cruel smile stretched over his wrinkled face. "Having this boy take over my daily chores would not be such a bad idea. Though, I'm not sure if young master Richard would approve."
"Don't worry, Mr. Bartlett. You're an important officer in Silverdale now. If you wanted Tyler to serve you, all it would take is a single word. He's just a lowly slave, beaten every single day. Wouldn't working for you be a luxury in comparison?" Briggs oozed with fake concern.
Bartlett nodded in agreement, already savoring the thought.
He had clawed his way up from the bottom, and nothing gave him more satisfaction than lording his status and reputation over others. And now, the former Crown Prince, reduced to cleaning his house for him—just thinking about it filled Bartlett's heart with glee. Let everyone see! Let them all burn with jealousy.
"Trust me, you won't regret it!" Briggs nodded and motioned to the guards to drag Tyler inside.
But Tyler didn't budge. Even though the servants pulled at him with all their might, he didn't move an inch.
"Tyler Windrider, I'm giving you a chance to work for Mr. Bartlett. Here, you'll enjoy good food and drink every day!" Briggs said, acting like he was doing Tyler a great favor.
Fury flashed in Tyler's eyes, and he roared so loud it made the windows rattle.
"Bartlett! Briggs! Even my uncle Lord Nathaniel Windrider never dared speak to me this way. What gives you the right, any of you, to order a member of the royal family to become your servant?"
Tyler's breathing grew rapid. With a sudden jerk, he snapped the chains on his wrists, sending shackles scattering across the floor.
Briggs's plan all along had been to bring Tyler here for Bartlett to deal with. Now, seeing Tyler react like this, Briggs felt half his work was done. If a slave dared attack a respected officer, that would be a serious offense—surely Tyler would be punished, maybe even crippled.
Bartlett's eyes narrowed with arrogance as he responded, "Tyler Windrider, don't forget your place. You're just a petty slave, nothing more. You've been stripped of your title and family name—serving me is an honor you don't deserve!"
SLAP!
Tyler's hand struck Bartlett across the face, sending the old man reeling.
Bartlett somehow steadied himself and stammered, "Tyler Windrider, how dare you strike me? Are you rebelling? By the laws of the Code, you will pay dearly for this!"
Tyler smirked and stepped closer. "The laws of the code? You're just a servant, not even a royal, and you have the gall to tell me about the code? Let me show you what real law means today."
Raising his hand, he channeled his power and stepped forward to hit Bartlett again.
"Tyler Windrider, you're asking for death! If you hit me, the young master won't show you any mercy. You're just a slave—your death means nothing! The royal family has no need for you…" Bartlett tried to keep his voice steady, hoping Tyler would be intimidated.
SLAP!
Another mighty blow landed before Bartlett could even finish. Since advancing to the Sacral Core, Tyler's strength had nearly doubled. He hadn't even used his full power, yet Bartlett's face was left swollen and red, like a pig's, the shape of Tyler's hand clearly visible.
"According to the code, anyone who slanders and torments others deserves punishment!"
SLAP!
"According to the code, those who abuse their status should be punished!"
SLAP!
"According to the code…"
SLAP!
Each swing of Tyler's palm sent a spray of blood flying through the air. Onlookers recoiled in shock and disbelief.
Tyler had accepted becoming a "training assistant" and a slave without resistance—so how was it he was fighting back now?
By this time, a crowd of noble-born children had gathered in the courtyard. They watched the scene in stunned silence—then a ripple of quiet satisfaction crossed their faces.
Bartlett had always acted as if he owned Silverdale, riding on young master Richard's coat-tails. He'd been rude to many children here, so seeing him get his due was sweet indeed.
Still, everyone knew Bartlett's strength came from his close relationship with Richard—hence his arrogance. When Richard heard of this… they wondered what would happen to Tyler.
"Looks like Tyler may have made a mistake. Richard will never forgive this."
"Forgive? He might kill Tyler for this!"
They all felt bad for Tyler, but none dared step in.
After a dozen blows, Tyler finally stopped. Bartlett's face was a swollen, bloody mess, his hair wild, almost unrecognizable.
Clutching his cheeks, Bartlett gasped, "Y-you, just wait…"
But before he could finish, Tyler slapped him again, staring down as if daring him to say one more word. Flattened by Tyler's fury, Bartlett dropped his gaze and hung his head.
Finished with Bartlett, Tyler turned his sights on Briggs.
Briggs, panicked and disbelieving, shrank away as Tyler approached but, seeing he wasn't the next target, let out a shaky breath. He still edged further back, muttering, "Tyler Windrider, you're just a slave!"
"So what if I am?" Tyler said, stepping forward.
"How dare you speak to me like that? Don't forget my status is far above yours!" Briggs barked.
"What does your status matter? My surname is Windrider. Even as a slave, I am still a Windrider! Maybe you forgot, but I'm stronger than you, and in this world, might is what truly matters!"
With that, Tyler crossed the distance in a flash, grabbed Briggs by the collar, and rained a flurry of slaps across his face.
With every hit, Briggs felt as if acid burned his skin. He sobbed in pain, face contorted in terror and agony.
At last, satisfied, Tyler left Briggs where he lay and strode back to Bartlett.
"Remember this lesson. Respect should be given for a person's character, not their rank!"
With that, Tyler turned on his heel and walked out of the building. At the door, he saw the children slowly drifting away, their faces filled with awe and fear. The servants who'd escorted him had disappeared entirely.
With a long sigh, Tyler began making his way back to the cellars.
What happens next? Was Tyler right to teach Bartlett and Briggs this lesson? What will happen when Prince Richard finds out?