He Believed Me

"Out of options?"

"We're out of options."

Are you sure?

"Uncertain."

Mayor Nick visited again and had a private talk with Kang De, with Hong San and Leona still present.

The elves distributed leaflets throughout the city and used tactics to undermine morale and even sow discord. Even the lord of Valentan, who had committed a heinous crime and resisted stubbornly, could still maintain his wealth and life if he captured Kang De and surrendered the city. What he would gain would even be far greater than he currently possessed.

Leona's doubts did not stem solely from ill will and prejudice. The entire continent knew the culture and philosophy of the nobility: family first, honor second, and even the king was considered a loyal and brave man if he ranked third. In the face of family succession, what did loyalty matter? A different monarch could bring loyalty back. The other option was death and the extermination of the clan. Given Goth's overall disadvantage, clinging to the cause until death was meaningless.

Therefore, Nick's situation should be quite awkward.

But he wasn't embarrassed at all. On the contrary, he looked calm and composed, as if he wasn't the one who had been alienated, as if he wasn't the one who had ruled the city with an iron fist and faced the danger of the elves.

He even spoke eloquently, as if victory was in sight.

"The morning's shelling, while not causing much damage to the entire Dusk Warband, indicated that many officers were present, and their command structure likely suffered heavy losses."

He said, "So, although the casualties weren't many, they were deadly enough. This means the Dusk Warband won't be able to operate as effectively as it's supposed to in the upcoming battles, which is fatal for an army."

Hong San glanced at Kang De, then bowed and said, "Mayor, please forgive my intrusion."

Nick wasn't displeased; he was a pragmatic nobleman. Instead, he raised an eyebrow and said, "Mr. Hong, it seems you've become His Highness Kang De's retainer?"

Hong San lowered his head and said meekly, "Someone like me is like a stray dog that Your Highness picked up and fed a few meals. I'm not very useful, but I know how to be grateful. When Your Highness goes hunting, there are no well-trained, noble-blooded hunting dogs by your side. Although I am a rough stray dog, I am willing to tear apart and drive away the prey for Your Highness."

Kang De kicked him. "Speak like a human being."

Hong San bowed his head and said, "Yes, Mayor, it is like this. Although your statement makes a lot of sense, I have to raise some doubts. The strength of the elven army does not only stem from its advanced tactics and excellent equipment, but also from the extremely high combat skills of its soldiers. It is not just about combat skills and bravery, but also about military discipline."

"This is precisely what humanity lacks. The knights and officers of the human kingdoms are of noble birth, honorable, brave, and well-educated. But the lower-ranking soldiers are illiterate and know nothing about military affairs. In other words, if you randomly grab an elven soldier, he might know how to be a squad leader or even a mid-to-lower-ranking officer. Humans simply cannot do that."

Nick said, "You mean, even if the morning bombardment severely damages the enemy's command system, and even kills most of their officers, the Elf's combat system can still immediately fill the gaps?"

Hong San nodded and said, "Yes, so I think the danger has not decreased, but has even increased, because the elves will only become more resentful and furious, and their fighting spirit will rise instead of fall."

The mayor replied, "I don't deny it, but correspondingly, we don't have to stay here indefinitely."

He said calmly, "Let's think about this carefully. The elven army has the advantage in strength and a very high chance of winning. They wouldn't have needed to resort to such a despicable trick. If they do, and the city falls, fulfilling their promise will greatly damage the reputation of the Dusk Warband within the entire expeditionary force. If they don't fulfill their promise, and this matter spreads like this, it will not only increase the will to resist to the death in other cities, but in the end, they will still not come out on good terms."

"They used it even though they knew it, because they couldn't afford any more defeats and casualties. If Valentan couldn't be captured after a long siege, and so many soldiers and even officers died, the honor of this famous army would be tarnished immediately, and it could even affect the careers of its commanders."

Nick sneered, "The soldiers are dead. It's not a huge problem, but it's not insignificant either. Don't forget, if the morning's shelling killed many high-ranking elven officers, those were pure-blooded high elves, some even in the second or first tier. All this stemmed from the enemy commander's clever invitation and banquet. If you were the enemy legion commander, how would you feel about this mess?"

Hong San said in silence, "I see. I've learned something, Mayor. I initially thought the enemy commander would do everything in his power to capture Prince Kang De to atone for his mistake, but upon closer examination, a safer option is to ensure a swift and low-cost capture of Valentan, as that is their mission."

Nick nodded and said, "That's right. What the enemy wants most right now is to take this city at the lowest possible cost and avoid further casualties. So they've used this method. First, to sow discord and undermine our morale; second, to try and force Prince Kang De to leave. Because the first two battles have already proven one thing—as long as Prince Kang De is there, the elves will pay an extremely heavy price if they want to attack the city!"

Upon hearing this, Kang De merely smiled faintly, offering neither comment nor affirmation.

But I was secretly pleased.

There's no way around it, young people haven't seen much of the world, they still have vanity.

At this point, the mayor nodded slightly to Kang De, appearing neither humble nor arrogant, but in reality, it was the highest level of flattery. He softened his tone and said, "And this is precisely our advantage, because if the elves want to use strategy, they won't launch a full-scale attack on the city, but will slowly erode our will, waiting for their despicable and laughable methods to take effect... All of this takes time."

"And time is on our side."

He placed his hands on the table, leaned forward, looked at Kang De, and said sincerely, "The Gladiolus Legion will be here soon. This city can be defended... as long as you are here."

Leona glanced at Kang De, then said, "I..."

Hong San immediately interrupted Leona, saying directly, "Then, Mr. Nick, please forgive my rudeness, but I am Cathayan, a stray dog. What I care about is nothing more than my daily food and the safety of my master, not the fate of Valentan and Goth. You have asked His Highness Kang De to stay and given your reasons, but I'm afraid I have to ask you something."

Nick nodded and said, "Please go ahead, Mr. Hong."

Hong San said firmly, "What if the Sword Gladiolus Legion doesn't arrive? Or what if it's delayed for various reasons, to the point that Valentan falls before the legion arrives? I ask you, what will His Highness Kang De do if such a thing happens?"

This is exactly what Leona wanted to ask, and it's also the point she's always questioned.

What if the Gladiolus Legion doesn't arrive, and Kang De remains in the crumbling city of Valentan?

Nick held up a finger. "Three days, three days at most, or we can reach an agreement that when this city can no longer be defended, or when the situation in the city has reached an extremely dangerous point, I can send Prince Kang De away from here. I will never let him stay here and be in danger."

Hong San's expression shifted, and he said in a deep voice, "How should we deliver it?"

Nick hesitated for a moment, then slowly replied, "There's a secret passage."

Hong San had played the villain to the bitter end today, so he decided to question everything, "Take us to see."

Nick shook his head and said, "No, the secret passage is sealed with magic to prevent the elven mages from discovering it. I can't possibly lead you out of the city..."

Now that Hong San was discussing Kang De's safety, his usual humility and timidity were nowhere to be seen. He stated firmly, "Without solid evidence, I cannot trust the mayor!"

Nick remained calm and did not get angry.

He looked at Kang De rather than Hong San and solemnly said, "I can only ask you to believe me, Your Highness Kang De, I tell you honestly, in my eyes, your safety is more important than the city of Valentan and my own life. Therefore, I will absolutely not leave you in a situation where you are doomed."

Hong San frowned and said, "Mayor, based solely on that statement..."

Kang De suddenly said, "Hong San, that's enough. That's enough."

Hong San said urgently, "Master..."

Leona panicked too. "Hey, this isn't..."

Nick didn't speak, but stared at Kang De with a deep gaze, revealing nothing of his thoughts.

Kang De chose to believe.

It wasn't out of pride, nor was it any intuition; he simply remembered Mayor Nick's tears that day... and what he said made sense. Regardless of the power and potential that Kang De himself had demonstrated, the fact that the Greenskins regarded him as the Child of Prophecy meant that he had received a formidable and powerful ally from the North.

He said calmly, "Besides, even without the secret passage, I have plenty of ways to leave."

Nick remained silent for a long time, then slowly lowered his head. "Thank you."

Then he said, "When you leave, please do one last thing for Valentan. This is the route and plan. Follow the map to the right place; that's the route the Gladiolus Legion is taking. Once you meet them, you'll see His Highness Landisidun, the second son of the Grand Duke. Please tell him the devastating news of Valentan's fall. We fought with all our might, but we still couldn't hold the city. All the citizens of the city have done their utmost."

"In another letter were my final arrangements. If the city falls, I will fight to the last moment and do my best to breach the city's defenses, leaving the Gladiolus Legion with a way to counterattack. I will definitely be able to completely eliminate the powerful Dusk Warband... This is Valentan's final revenge."

At this point, Mayor Nick said softly, "Therefore, after you see the Second Prince, even if you want to return, do not act impulsively. Be sure to follow the established battle plan and complete the encirclement of the Dusk Warband, instead of rashly returning and alerting the Elves, thus rendering our sacrifices futile."

He pushed the letters towards him.

Kang De calmly accepted it, nodded, and said, "I understand."

Nick said, "Thank you again."

"Well..." Kang De stood up and extended his hand, "I hope we'll never need these things, and I hope this will be the best outcome."

The best outcome would be to hold the city until the Gladiolus Legion arrives, so that no one has to take risks, no one has to make decisions, and no one has to give up anything.

Nick simply smiled, "Placing hope in a slim chance of fate is not in the Goth People character."

He grasped Kang De's hand. "But Sura shines upon this land, and I believe that justice and morality have never left. The brave need not suffer sorrow, and the fearless will receive their due reward."

Kang De smiled too.

Nick withdrew his hand, looked at Kang De, and had reverted to his proper and elegant aristocratic demeanor.

Then I said goodbye and left.

After watching the mayor leave, Leona complained, "You're such a strange person. No wonder you hit it off with Tina. She only said a few words to you, and you obediently worked for her."

Kang De shook his head and said, "I never risk my life, nor am I manipulated by the sweet words of others. From beginning to end, I assess the risks, make the choices, and bear the consequences."

Leona pouted and said, "But you still believe him."

"It's not in my nature to believe in myself and place my hopes on the kindness of others." Kang De turned to Hong San and said, "I'm giving you a task. I'll give you a video camera that can record images. For the sake of my reputation, you need to film something for Tina and her family to see. After we defeat the elves, we'll make it into a documentary and show it to the public every winter and summer vacation to vent our anger."

Then, he said to the iron head peeking out from the wall behind him, "When you have free time, make some simple engines, like the ones the Greenskins used before."

Finally, he said to Leona, "You also have a task to complete..."

Amidst the undercurrents swirling throughout the city, the members of the Vidal Chamber of Commerce began a new round of busy work.

Mayor Nick left the Vidal Chamber of Commerce, surveyed the streets, and then returned to his residence, his office, his home.

He sat at the large desk, his body sinking into the soft chair, his eyes open, staring at the ceiling, his gaze sometimes complex, sometimes ferocious, hesitant yet turbulent.

On the table lay an opened letter and a small, exquisite safety device. The handwriting on the letter was beautiful and powerful; just by looking at the font, one could tell it was written by an upper-class elven nobleman.

Nick's hands, which were resting on the armrest, slowly clenched into a fist.

Then, he calmly sat up, rolled up the letter, placed it inside the device, twisted it a few times, and immediately, a Flame slowly ignited, turning the device and the letter into ashes.

He stared blankly at the silent Flame, his elegant and handsome face swaying and shifting between light and shadow, before settling into an indescribable chaos as the Flame dissipated.

After a long pause, Nick said, "Someone come here."

A voice outside answered, "Sir, what are your orders?"

The mayor said calmly, "Go to the Heaven and Earth Society and invite a few of its leaders here. Keep it a secret."

The loyal subordinate responded and left.

Nick sat in silence for a long time, then suddenly grinned. His smile was silent, yet intense, growing brighter, more insane, and more ferocious.

"He believes me..." He covered his face, laughing wildly, tears streaming down his face. "He believes me..."

I don't know who they're laughing at, or what they're laughing at.

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PS1: I've always remembered to add an extra chapter, but the plot has recently reached a crucial point, and I haven't been sleeping well. I can't sleep well whether I go to bed early or late, so I'll have to postpone the extra chapter for now.