Thank You for Agreeing

Kang De understood Mayor Nick's thinking.

The Elves launched a massive invasion, Goth suffered repeated defeats, his kingdom was on the verge of destruction, countless people died, and the land was scorched. In the face of extinction, any reinforcements were invaluable, let alone a potentially enormous army of greenskins... This force could even change the course of the war.

Therefore, Kang De fully understood Mayor Nick's urgency and loss of composure.

Faced with such a situation, any patriotic Goth People would fight tooth and nail for it.

Unfortunately, it just won't work.

Just as he was about to turn and leave, Nick suddenly took two steps forward and gripped Kang De's shoulders with both hands like iron clamps—his wrist strength was naturally far inferior to Kang De's, but his strong spirit could transcend the physical body.

Kang De coldly replied, "Let go."

"Why won't you agree? Why are you unwilling?"

Nick's eyes were bloodshot and bloodshot, and he looked like a madman, abandoning all manners and etiquette. He glared at Kang De and hissed, "Do you know how many Goth have died since the war began? Those willing to sacrifice themselves were the most precious forces of this country, and yet, it was they who died! Now, all it takes is a few words from you, and the situation will change. If the Greenskins are willing to help, many fewer people will die!"

"Don't you know what this means? Do you think we can win like this? We can't! Unless we gather all our strength at any cost, we will surely lose! All those willing to fight for Goth will die! I will die, the people of this city will die, the people of this country will die, the Grand Duke will die, the Princess will die, all those with courage will die!"

"And now, you have the opportunity to change all of this."

Why not do it?

"I know, I know why."

Nick slowly released his grip. Perhaps Kang De's consistently calm and cold gaze told him the answer: the other person couldn't empathize with their pain because this wasn't his home.

He gave a bitter laugh, "Because you're not Goth People, you're not Goth People after all."

"That's irrelevant," Kang De said. "I will do my best to help you and Goth, but I will not use my so-called prophetic identity to deceive the orcs into participating in the war, because trust is precious and should not be betrayed. I sympathize with your plight, lament the suffering of war, and am willing to stand on your side to end this war."

He looked calmly at the other man. "However, I must remind you, Goth People, your country has been ravaged by war, but that is not a reason to drag innocent people into war..."

Upon hearing this, Nick clenched his fists, his eyes bloodshot, and roared, "Enough! You weren't the one whose country was destroyed! You weren't the one whose compatriots were slaughtered! You weren't the one whose land was trampled by the enemy! That's why you can stand calmly on your high ground, upholding your morals and bottom line!"

"Do you think I'd willingly become a villain? Do you think I was born cold-blooded and cruel? I also want to fight bravely and gracefully, just like those pointy-eared ones outside! I also want to uphold morality!"

"But there's nothing I can do..."

He sighed sadly and helplessly.

"This is war. In war, morality can only allow you to die proudly and without regrets."

"But what's the use?"

"It's completely useless!"

Nick's eyes glared, his expression as fierce as a cornered wolf. "Protect all refugees, open granaries to distribute food, gather warriors, protect women and children, fight to the death against the enemy, and on the day the city falls, fight to the bitter end, burn down the ancestral lands, die with glory and dignity, earn praise from the elves, and be remembered by the foolish masses and superiors for a few days—I can do that too! I can do it better!"

"But it's all for nothing!"

"What's the point of dying if you can't defend the city! What's the use of one by one sacrificing for the country? The land still falls, and the refugees you risked your life to protect are still trampled and harmed! No matter how many people like that there are, Goth will perish! In this chaos of war, he still couldn't truly harden his heart, which is why Goth suffered defeat after defeat!"

The mayor spoke louder and louder, his tone sharp and his expression fierce, roaring and howling as if he were justifying his behavior, saying that he must not have been like this before.

But the war forced him to make a choice, a cruel and difficult one.

He stared fiercely at Kang De, his gaze both arrogant and sharp.

They should be like me!

His once elegant and luxurious attire was now disheveled at the collar. He forcefully ripped open the buttons, then pounded his chest, his voice low and menacing. "If every Goth governor were like me, the elves wouldn't have advanced so quickly! Defend the city at all costs, resist the elves, fight with your lives, risk your lives! Even if they conquer the city, they will be shocked by Goth's fighting spirit and resistance!"

"Even conquering each city leaves them exhausted by the constant resistance and attacks, until the increasing unrest, casualties, and resistance cause the elves heavy losses, making the Elf Council no longer able to tolerate the high casualties and losses—this is Goth's only chance!"

"What a pity, what a pity."

He sighed and lamented, his strong will replaced by a sense of powerless frustration.

"I'm just a small mayor, guarding this small city."

But you... you're different.

He looked at Kang De, his eyes shining again. "Orcs, orcs, if what those greenskins said is true, if you are willing to lead them south, you will save countless Goth's lives!"

Kang De, who had been listening calmly, spoke up at this point, "I suppose you wouldn't mind how many orcs died to protect Goth, just as you didn't hesitate to drag foreigners to the city walls, right?"

Nick had finally opened up today, feeling completely at ease. Besides, lying was pointless in front of intelligent people, so he said without hesitation, "Yes! Moreover, how can greenskins be considered human? They've lived their lives in a daze, violent and belligerent. You brought them to fight the elves; even if they die in battle, they'll only be grateful to you!"

Kang De said calmly, "I've already said it, what they think and what I do are two different things. Let me tell you the truth: in my eyes, you, a person from this city, are just as worthless as those green-skinned people."

Nick's pupils contracted.

He looked at Kang De and saw that the other man showed no mockery or disdain, which made him realize that Kant's words were sincere, and this shocked him even more.

"You..."

He was first surprised, then felt a profound sense of absurdity, as if he were looking at an extremely rare and precious animal. "Your morals are so lofty that they make me laugh. You should go and become a priest for Akatum."

Kang De replied, "This is not a noble morality, but common sense that everyone should possess. However, you lack it, and I will not despise you for it; you simply haven't developed to that level yet."

"But you shouldn't laugh, Goth People."

He looked directly into the other person's eyes, gazing at the mockery and disdain, and said calmly, "I came to your country, stepped into a cruel war that had nothing to do with me, stained my hands with blood, and helped you defend this city. The reason for this is my unwavering integrity, my sense of justice in punishing the strong and helping the weak, my compassion for the victims of war's violence, and my respect for the brave who dared to defend their homeland and resist aggression. In short, it all comes down to morality. Without these two words, I wouldn't have come here at all."

They will never return to this world.

Nick was unaware of his subtext; the mayor's eyes flickered, and he looked away.

He sighed, "I would rather you weren't here, not guarding this city, but instead heading north to lead the Greenskins south... that would be more worthwhile than staying here."

Kang De said, "You know, humans are very adaptable, which is both an advantage and a tragedy. The tragedy is that they quickly adapt to the unconditional kindness and help of others, and slowly take it for granted, then start pointing fingers, telling others how they should do this and that, and demanding more."

He reached out and patted Nick on the shoulder, then pushed him back a few steps. "Got it? I'm doing what I want, I don't need your interference."

Nick was unlikely to be convinced by that. He gritted his teeth and asked, "What on earth would make you change your mind?"

Kang De said impatiently, "You were right about one thing just now. You're just a small mayor. Just do your own job. You don't need to rack your brains and offer advice on Goth's grand strategy. This is none of your business... Now, go do what you're supposed to do."

He turned to leave.

Nick was helpless, but his body trembled and his eyes changed drastically.

He felt both sorrow and absurdity.

Fate is so ironic. An opportunity that could have almost changed the course of the war and given Goth a powerful advantage suddenly appeared, but the one who could decide everything was a Cathayan.

"... You uphold your morals, willingly fighting for Goth, but as you give your all, witnessing one person after another die—people unrelated to you, comrades you've only known for a short time, and even people you've known for a long time—fighting to the very end, you still cannot change Goth's fate of demise."

He said slowly, "When that time comes, after witnessing all the deaths and destruction, and even facing some people's... hatred, are you sure you won't regret it then?"

Kang De paused slightly.

Countless thoughts surfaced in a chaotic jumble.

He almost immediately pictured the possibility Nick had described.

A very heavy future.

"If that's really the outcome, I will never blame myself for it all. This happened because the elves started the war, not because of my fault. I didn't take advantage of the orcs' trust in me and drag them into the war. That was the right choice. No matter what, I'm not wrong."

Kang De said it calmly.

But Nick just sneered, "Naive... Do you think everyone is reasonable? There's no reason in this world greater than the destruction of a nation, do you understand?"

I understand.

The image of that beautiful figure appeared in Kang De's mind.

Tina, a pure and kind girl, that's how he remembered her. But she also experienced the shocking changes brought about by Glittering Sand. Now, in other people's descriptions, she has become ruthless and decisive, completely different from the person he knew... She has become a stranger.

If Goth truly lost the orcish reinforcements because of his stubbornness and refusal, and ultimately could not escape defeat and death, what would Tina think, what would she think, and what would she do?

The thought of Tina looking at him with pain and hatred pierced Kang De's heart.

Nick watched Kang De's figure silently.

But he still didn't get the result he wanted.

Kang De turned around, looked at him, and his expression was calm and composed.

The mayor felt a slight jolt, and disappointment washed over him.

"I don't know, I really don't know."

Kang De said softly, "I don't know what the future holds, how much help I can provide, how many people will die, whether I can fulfill my promise, or even how some people will view me if such a thing happens..."

In the alley, Kang De and Nick looked at each other; he stood in the sunlight, and Nick stood in the Shadow.

"I know none of that, just as you don't know why I came here so calmly and resolutely. You don't know my story, my experiences, but I do know one thing."

Nick instinctively asked, "What?"

Kang De smiled.

"I came here because of a promise, and I was determined to end the war out of compassion. I kept my promise and did my best to help the Goth People. I adhered to my principles and never did anything wrong. I will continue to do so until the future, every moment, even if it ultimately leads to Goth's demise, and all my efforts cannot change anything..."

He smiled gently, "I know he won't blame me for this, and that's enough."

The mayor was speechless for a moment.

Although it's unclear who Kang De was referring to.

But he knew that this matter could not be changed... at least he could not change it.

Kang De turned and left the alley.

As they reached the alleyway entrance, Nick suddenly said from behind, "Do you look down on me?"

Kang De stopped in his tracks without turning around. "You're overthinking it. I approve of your actions and admire your decisiveness, but I'm wary of your ruthlessness and uneasy about your cold-bloodedness. So I cooperate in official matters but keep my distance in private. If I don't like it, I don't like it. Since you're determined to defend the city, you don't need to care about what others think."

No, you just look down on me.

Nick leaned weakly against the wall and said slowly, "No, I think you look down on everyone."

Kang De paused for a moment, then laughed and said, "Bullshit."

He left with a light step.

Nick remained in the alley, looking up at the sky. The violent elemental disturbances left by the fierce magical battle had not yet dissipated. The sky was covered with dark clouds, and Arcane arcs of light would occasionally explode.

"There's one thing you're right about too."

The mayor murmured, "I don't need to care about what other people think... What you say and what I do are two different things. You can stay out of it, but I am Goth People."

As he said this, a single tear suddenly rolled down his cheek.

"No, no, that's not right."

Tears streamed down his face like a torrential downpour, and in an instant, Nick was covered in tears.

"I still care about what others think..."

He slowly squatted down, wrapped his arms around his knees, covered his face and head, and wept silently.

There was also a barely perceptible sentence.

Thank you for approving of my actions...

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PS1: Why the hell didn't I write him as a woman? Damn it...