novel bin Page 167
Page 167
"I think he's the one in cahoots with those dark gangs!!!"
However, the voices of resistance were immediately drowned out by a torrent of criticism:
"If Duke Moss really was in cahoots with those people, then why did he demolish the Morning Dew Orphanage and beat up the black magician at the memorial? You're lying through your teeth!"
A small minority still cling to the "Duke of Meuse's theory of inherent evil," but faced with a reality where logic is shattered, they can only remain silent.
Finally, a wiser group of people found a clearer possibility:
"there is only one truth!"
A bard's voice grew somber: "I understand. I think Duke Moss must have found some clues, but... lacking evidence, he could only resort to such a crude method to try and save us."
"You're all wrong! We've all misunderstood Duke Moss! He's working hard in his own way!!!"
The bard, tears welling in his eyes, cried out, "And what about us? What a foolish thing we did! We actually gave Duke Moss a sound beating! Don't forget, he was a man of honor, a member of a great noble family! Yet we crushed him with our mountain-like prejudice, almost causing an irreparable tragedy!!!"
"Think of those poor orphans that night. Duke Moss saved the future of countless children!"
The passionate speech spread throughout the working-class neighborhood, leaving the people deeply shocked and deeply moved. They all lowered their heads in shame.
Soon, a proverb spread rapidly throughout the working-class neighborhood: "A man should be viewed with new eyes after three days!"
Many people began to change their opinion of Duke Moss. Although he was wicked, he didn't seem to be such an incorrigible and utterly evil person, did he? Perhaps it was time to acknowledge the achievements he had made.
"But even if we misunderstood him, it seems a bit strange that he didn't do anything after being stopped." The crowd's voices were still somewhat hesitant.
"Maybe he just guessed correctly."
"Heh." In the square, the bard revealed a mysterious smile: "That's not necessarily true. Think about it carefully, Duke Moss... really did nothing?"
All eyes turned to him, and the bard spoke in a persuasive tone:
"What a coincidence! On the very night that Duke Moss was defeated, Pope Brad precisely wiped out those two hideouts... Could this also be a coincidence?"
The crowd fell silent when the topic turned to Pope Brad, who had died a glorious death.
The next moment, an unprecedented wave surged through the crowd, utterly shocking countless civilians who cried out in astonishment:
"It was Duke Moss who provided the intelligence to Pope Brad! Even after enduring our cold shoulders and misunderstandings, he still...did not abandon a single living life?!"
"How could Duke Moss, someone whom Pope Brad trusts unconditionally, possibly be a villain?!"
"Wrong! All wrong!!!"
Countless commoners burst into tears at this moment, overwhelmed with guilt. If this were true, they owed Duke Moss... far too much!
Just then, another gasp rang out from the crowd:
"The Holy Knights have just solved the case! The theft of a large amount of Duke Moss's treasure a while ago was a complete hoax! It was Duke Moss's second son, Tunk, who sold the treasure and used the money for the relief points in the slums these past few days!!!"
"What?!" Everyone was shocked. If it really was done by Duke Moss's second son, Tang Ke, then how could Duke Moss's involvement be involved?
So, the food and blankets they've been relying on these past few days were clearly... a gift from Duke Moss.
"The Moss father and son clearly staged this family scandal to prevent us from having any psychological issues. Duke Moss is... deeply hurt by us!" In an instant, countless commoners burst into tears.
How could there be such a nobleman, so great and selfless?!
Only in times of disaster can a person's true character be revealed. During this period, none of those nobles who previously spoke of benevolence and kindness have revealed their true wealth like Duke Moss has. On the contrary, Duke Moss has kept his achievements and fame hidden! Compared to this, the previous selection of the greatest nobles was simply a show!
"Duke Moss, Howren! The true Howren!!!" Countless commoners were overjoyed.
They believed it! They really believed it!!!
"He is the one who truly deserves the title of the greatest nobleman of the year!"
At this moment, the guilt and reverence in the hearts of countless commoners reached their peak. This extreme emotional fluctuation was more than enough to activate the God of Ten Thousand Weapons three or four more times. Crowds gathered in front of the palace gates, and all the commoners gathered together their votes for the second stage of the noble selection!
This already locked in the outcome before the results of the second phase of the selection were even announced. Among the common people, Duke Moss had already spontaneously given the title: "Light"!
—The greatest nobleman of the year, Duke of Light, Moss!!!
The word "Light" is always the most dazzling title for the human camp, such as Mino's Light Warrior, Lak's Morning Star, and even Ota and others' praise for Astrid as the Light of Humanity.
You must understand that back then, the people only praised Grand Duke Thanaus, who made outstanding contributions to the establishment of the Kingdom of Kur, with the word "glory." But now, Duke Moss is the light! The undisputed light!
No one will question the value of Duke Moss's title anymore!
……
Dragging his battered body, Thanatos returned to the mansion.
They bumped into Dane, who was using a cane.
The father and son looked at each other, and suddenly a strong sense of sorrow filled the air.
"Your Excellency, have we not given ourselves away?" Dane asked.
“It’s just a normal accountability process, but the Blood Cross’s power in the capital has been basically cut off.” Thanaus shook his head: “Fortunately, it didn’t arouse suspicion from Ota and the Knights.”
"Fortunately, through this noble selection, I can expand my influence and promote the Blood Cross Society beyond the capital..."
Before he could finish speaking, Thanaus received a new message. The glaring word "light" blatantly entered his eyes, and Thanaus's face suddenly turned bright red. He angrily crushed the receiving device into powder and began to curse:
"Are all these stupid civilians brainless?!"
Chapter 238 Frozen "Memory"
Compared to the furious retreat at Thanaus's mansion, another mansion surrounded by paladins was much noisier.
"That damned brat kept shouting about saving people from suffering, doing good deeds, and that ordinary people's lives matter, but he secretly emptied my savings! This is robbery! It's blatant crime!"
Duke Moss, his face still bruised and swollen, jumped around in his wheelchair, spitting everywhere. Erwin, who had come to investigate, shook his head and smiled wryly: "Duke Moss, if you need it, we can help you get Tonks arrested. But that money... it'll probably be very difficult to recover..."
"Trying to steal my money? Don't even think about it!" Moss immediately bristled and shouted, "Even if those commoners eat it, I will make them pay back every single penny! Don't even think about taking advantage of me, Moss."
Erwin was now in a bind. He knew that if other nobles suffered such a loss, they would probably just complain and accept their bad luck... but Duke Moss might actually do something like that.
I have a feeling that the Duke of Moss's personality has become even worse since the last nomination fell through.
Just then, Duke Moss received a message from his butler, his eyes widened, and he froze.
After a long while, he raised his head, his gaze vacant, and murmured softly:
"Hey, I won!"
……
The relief from the capital and Duke Moss was like a warm current, gradually dispelling the panic and unease that lingered in the plebeian district.
Houses will rise again from the ruins, and the wounds in people's hearts will be healed with time, but... the devastation will forever be etched into the souls of some people, leaving an indelible mark.
A dazed figure walked through the ruins, his clothes were clean, but his eyes were filled with pain as he blankly took in the miserable scene around him.
A little girl, stumbling and falling, accidentally bumped into my arms.
She raised her clear, bright eyes to look at the man, and asked, somewhat bewildered:
"Big brother, have you seen my mother?"
"I...I..." His lips trembled violently, and Tang Ke knelt down with a thud, hugging the little girl tightly, his voice choked with sobs: "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..."
This was the first time that Tonk had witnessed a disaster firsthand.
Even though those tragic experiences didn't happen to him, and even though he secretly stole all of Moss's savings to help the common people, it still didn't make him feel much better.
The suffering of these civilians is real; they were even caught up in an undeserved disaster, yet they became the biggest victims of this catastrophe.
The little girl left, and before he knew it, Tang Ke, amidst the ruins, was already in tears.
“Mino the Hero was right. The vision of achieving equality and happiness for all citizens is not so easy to realize... Tom, you still have a long way to go.” Wiping away his tears, Tom stood up as he spoke to himself.
He etched the suffering faces around him deep into his memory, and at this moment, he fully understood what Mino had once said:
"Prosperity! Suffering for the people! Ruin! Suffering for the people!"
……
A pure white saintess's robes wandered through the commoners' district, the pale blue gem on her chest gleaming with an unsettling light.
Lena stopped amidst the ruins.
In the distance, rows of lightly dressed civilians lined up at relief stations to receive just enough food to fill their stomachs. Around the church square, clergy cast healing and reassuring spells on the wounded. From time to time, sorrowful sobs could be heard from every corner of the ruins.
A dirty little girl accidentally bumped into my arms.
"Big sister, do you know where my mother went?" the little girl asked, her innocent eyes wide.
Lena felt a pang of pain in her heart, and a trace of anguish appeared on her usually icy and beautiful face. She bent down and hugged the little girl tightly in her arms.
"It's all because of me..."
Lena murmured, her voice filled with self-reproach and guilt!
The bewildered little girl called out for her mother as she walked away, while Lena, slumped on the spot, was completely distraught.
"Your Holiness, this was just an accident..." Ice Heart's voice, filled with reluctance, rang out from her chest.
“But this accident could have been avoided.” Lena’s fingers clenched so tightly they turned white, her voice filled with sorrow: “If I hadn’t suffered the backlash, if I had been in the capital that night, this disaster might never have happened…”
"It is my fault as a saint; I have failed in my duty to protect the people!"
Recalling the memories she saw in her dream, Lena's eyes welled up with tears: "I finally understand Mino's good intentions. He suppressed his feelings for me to prevent such a thing from happening!"
"Before you acknowledge my feelings for Mino, first and foremost, I am the Kingdom's Saintess!!!"
As if she had made up her mind, Lena stood up: "What Mino can do, I can do too!"
"Holy Maiden, could it be that you intend to?!" The Ice Heart's light flickered, somewhat shaken.
“I should have done this a long time ago, Iceheart, I want to ‘freeze’ all my memories of Mino….” Lena’s voice trembled slightly, but her tone was incredibly firm.
“From today onwards, Mino will be a complete stranger to me, so that the demons will no longer be able to use Mino to sway me.”
"Your Holiness, are you really sure you've made up your mind?"
“This is my atonement.” Lena clutched the Ice Heart in her chest. “If Mino were here, he would surely support my choice.”
"I see."
After hesitating for a moment, Ice Heart finally activated its power, and a unique chill began to spread within Lena's body. At her chest, the gem shone with an unprecedented deep blue light.
Amidst the ruins, two glistening tears slid down her cheeks as Lena closed her eyes in desolation.
"Mino, I'm sorry..."