Chapter 364: Chapter 336: Do you want to be an Inspector Knight? (3/3)
"It was the spies from Fiery Flame Land who stole the key to the Native Holy Land!"
"It was the spies from Fiery Flame Land who secretly disrupted the Origin Essence Cycle within the Labyrinth!"
"It was the spies from Fiery Flame Land who created the plague, unrest, and incited the Natives to wage war against us!"
"Without a doubt, it is the spies from Fiery Flame Land who crafted all this suffering; they conjured the great storm, destroyed the homes we tirelessly built! They also spread the plague, putting every settlement in South Ridge in grave fear for their safety!"
"Citizens of The EmpireâI am not resorting to scaremongering, but speaking with actual evidence!"
Even though Ian had known beforehand what the Viscount was going to do, he couldnât help but be astonished and admire the otherâs decisivenessânot that the young lord wasnât smart enough to think of this tactic, his nature was just more serious and responsible, and it wasnât his first instinct to shift the blame onto others.
As for Fiery Flame Land...
Ha, Fiery Flame Land really should thank Viscount Grant; with the way heâs blowing things up, its strength seemed to have skyrocketed more than tenfold.
But it certainly was effective.
As the Viscount gestured grandly, the Guard Squad dragged several agents with their mouths sealed, clearly with features of people from Fiery Flame Land, and a large batch of fiery weapons from Fiery Flame Land out of a nearby prison cart, the people of Harrison Port boiled with rage.
"I said there was something off about the big storm! Our Harrison Port has been thriving for so many years, how could a natural disaster just come out of nowhereâwe didnât experience any in the past twenty years!"
"Itâs really those mutts from Fiery Flame Land, damn it, look at these firearms, so well-made, and none of our good lads gets to use them!"
"Yeah, I said it, the Natives have been fighting us for so many years and we never saw them use plagues before... Itâs all Fiery Flame Landâs fault!"
On the spot, many people had a sudden realization; they now completely understood all the reasons behind their pain and anxiety, they had a tangible source of it, a target that could be defeated and killed.
Not like a natural disaster, something that, even if painful, you can hardly blame, and you just have to accept your misfortune.
Experiencing a natural disaster only leads to a decrease in cohesion; it makes everyone feel unguarded, or that their homelandâs soil and water arenât good.
But if it was the enemy causing destruction...
Then there would be a united front against a common foe.
Click.
While boiling waves of angry condemnations surged, the Viscount used his Water Sword to execute these captives from Fiery Flame Land, bringing sudden silence to the entire square.
Then, there was a tsunami of cheers.
"Viscount, we adore you!"
"Thatâs how they should be killed, just like that!"
"Pah! The blood of a bunch of mongrels, tarnishing our square!"
â Having lost the Great Shaman and given up resisting Harrison Port completely, the Natives, even with support from Fiery Flame Land, had completely lost heart.
The Redwoods, now without the Swamp Crocodragon and a Tenglan Giant Eel, were no longer an obstacle in South Ridge.
Therefore, they had no reason to continue cooperating with Fiery Flame Land.
Blood splattered; these captives given up by the Natives had confessed everything they could, their only value was to become a part of Viscount Grantâs grand âsacrifice offeringâ to solidify the peopleâs hearts.
"It seems that common saying among the Natives isnât wrong after all."
Watching the harbor residents growing frenzied with the sight of blood, even bursting into raucous cheers, Ian nodded slightly, reflecting, "The Empire is just a larger tribe. Itâs just that the methods of sacrifice are more sophisticated, the productivity more advanced, ensuring its people are well-fed and clothed, without the need to actually sacrifice human lives."
If civilization were to develop to a higher level, the âSacrificial Riteâ needed, the means to consolidate the peopleâs hearts and cohesion, would no longer be about heads, human lives, and blood.
It was about entertainment, idols, and games; it was about shows, narratives, and correctness.
No one felt there was anything wrong with that, and neither did Ianâeven if the Viscount lied, the spies from Fiery Flame Land indeed deserved to die.
If they were to die, it might as well be for something valuable.
He didnât find it barbaric or bloody, nor did he think it was funny.
Ian merely felt that if the conditions were met, he had better ways to achieve the same goal without the need for lies.
"âAnd all of this."
At this moment, Viscount Grantâs impassioned voice continued to ring out: "The greatest contributor to uncovering this conspiracy is none other than the member of the guard squad who courageously thwarted Fiery Flame Landâs plot fourteen years ago, as well as their offspring!"
"It was fourteen years ago that our guard squad heroes stopped Fiery Flame Landâs plot, which is why our homeland was saved!"
"It is also the Ellen Familyâs exploration team, along with our genius, appraiser Ian, who stopped such a conspiracy by the special forces of Fiery Flame Land, ensuring our homeland is preserved once moreâand putting an end, forever, to the man-made disaster of the great storm!"
Gazes were converging.
Wills were solidifying.
Everyone was looking at him, watching him.
âIt was his turn to appear.
Ian lifted his eyes, knowing that, according to the script, he should step forward.
So he did step forward, walking towards Viscount Grantâs side, smiling at everyone present.
Yisen Gard and Master Gossay were not suited to be at this event; they were outsiders and would not receive heartfelt gratitude, but Ian could.
Ian stepped forward, arriving at the center of the square, standing by Viscount Grantâs side.
"This is the best endingâhonorable repute, a future filled with gratitude, and you will also become the son of a hero, as well as the hero of this generation."
The Viscount whispered to Ian, placing his hand on Ianâs shoulder to show his closeness to the young White Folk. Then raising his voice, he declared, "In recognition of Ianâs contributions to Harrison Port, I have decided to promote him to a knightâone who might be the youngest knight in South Ridge!"
"He has the strength, and he has the merit, let us applaud for him!"
âHurrahâ
Another round of cheers erupted; clearly, even if some were dissatisfied, no one dared to spoil the mood when both the lord and the citizens were so enthused.
Ian smiled, surveying the crowd in the square, and he did not see much malice.
This was indeed his hometown, and he was indeed acknowledged as a genius, a good kid, a good person.
And soon after, as the cheering from the crowd began to subside, Viscount Grant also smiled, whispering to Ian: "Ian, with your abilities, even if it werenât now, I would have made you a knight in a few years."
"But now, do you have any ideas, any path youâd like to choose?"
Ian tilted his head slightly, curious about what Viscount Grant was alluding to.
And then, the Viscountâs next words truly shocked him.
"Ian."
The Viscount calmly said, "Have you ever considered becoming an Inspector Knight?"