Thanks

The messenger looked haggard and sorrowful, with tears streaming down his face.

He unbuttoned his coat, removed a cloth bag tied to his chest and abdomen, and threw it on the ground. A corner of the cloth was lifted, revealing some pure white fibers, which looked like some kind of cotton fabric.

Leona, standing beside Kang De, changed her expression slightly and whispered, "It's Fire-Burning Cotton, extremely flammable, and the fire is fierce."

This highly flammable and rapidly spreading item was likely one of the messenger's tasks.

Then the messenger took out the letter he had kept close to his body, which was surrounded by the Fire-Burning Cotton, and held it in his hands. But instead of delivering it, he turned to look at Hong San.

After Hong San took it, he looked at Kang De.

Kang De stared at the letter, his eyes flickering, clearly unsettled. He had a suspicion, but was reluctant to believe it. After a moment with his eyes closed, he said, "Read it to me."

Hong San's hand trembled slightly, and he bowed, saying, "Yes."

The messenger stood there silently, his eyes vacant.

After opening the letter, Hong San glanced at it from top to bottom, and after a moment, his expression changed drastically.

"What's wrong?" Kang De chuckled self-deprecatingly. "It can't be something like 'Kang De died in front of this letter,' can it?"

Hong San looked somewhat bewildered and wavering. "No... no."

Kang De said slowly, "Then read it."

Hong San's knuckles turned slightly white, indicating he had exerted considerable force. He took a deep breath to calm his turbulent emotions, then read softly, "Your Highness Kang De, I am delighted that you have read this letter. This is not mere politeness or empty words; I have never felt so sincere as I do now. I am so glad you have read this letter."

"Because this means that even if you leave Valentan out of disappointment and betrayal, you still choose to meet with the Gladiolus Legion and inform them of this matter, rather than simply walking away."

"I have long recognized your noble character. In a world like this, especially in the current situation, those with moral strength can play a significant role. I am delighted that you have become a member of the Taidariel Family and I am pleased with Princess Tina's choice."

"But I must also apologize to you. The fact that you are seeing this letter means that I used despicable means to force you to leave this city. Although it was out of necessity, it must have shown you the worst side of the Goth People. I feel sorry and uneasy about this, but I am powerless to do anything about it. I have no other choice."

"The reason I did this is because I have long recognized your moral character. Everyone has witnessed what you have done for Valentan, and I believe that even at the very last moment when Valentan falls, you will stay in this city and continue to fight, and you will not agree to leave."

"Unless, you are completely disillusioned with the rulers and people of this city."

Kang De remained expressionless, his hands unconsciously clenching into fists.

"I'm very sorry about this, and I understand how you feel right now, but there's nothing I can do."

"Because the Gladiolus Legion's reinforcements... never existed."

A commotion arose among the crowd.

Upon reading this, Hong San couldn't help but look up at Kang De.

Kang De remained calm and said in a deep voice, "Read it quickly."

"In other words, Valentan's fate was already sealed; it was destined to fall under the iron heel of the Elves. When it would fall was only a matter of time."

"A few days before the Dusk Warband arrived, the Second Prince Landisidun disguised himself and entered the city to see me. He knelt before me as the second son of the Grand Duke, saying that he would lead the Gladiolus Legion back to defend the capital and repel the elven army coming from the west. He begged me to do my best to delay the city for three days. He swore to me with his soul that after three days, I could surrender the city, and even if I became a lackey of the elves, the Taidariel Family would never pursue me."

I didn't actually agree to his request.

"Perhaps my thoughts are ridiculous, perhaps my decision is absurd, perhaps I am doing something terribly wrong, but the elven army has swept in, plundering our people, seizing our land, killing our bravest warriors, trying to turn us into their puppets. The whole nation is bleeding for this, the most sincere and courageous people have sacrificed themselves at the forefront. If we surrender, what will those who have sacrificed themselves think?"

"I am a Goth People, raised in the breezes of Calonia, eating the grains and fruits of the fertile green fields, wearing Tuya robes woven from highland white cotton. I listened to Saint Ailang's epic poems, longed for the voyages of the Francis, the Adventure King, and strolled through the streets with sunflowers during the Sun Festival, upholding ancient traditions and etiquette, and pursuing the virtues of the ancient Goth knights."

"This is our land, our country. We share the same homeland, believe in the same gods, have our own legends, our own stories, and heroes we admire and respect. This is Goth."

"While the things of the elves are all good, they are not ours. I do not wish to wear elven robes and bow to their queen. I do not wish for my children to learn only elven language and history. I do not wish for Goth's descendants to remember only the heroic tales of the Dusk Moon Dynasty."

"The things of the elves are actually very good, and I used to like them a lot, but if I have to be forced to accept everything about them and forget my homeland, then my answer is absolutely not."

So I made a decision.

"This idea is crazy, heavy, and cold-blooded. I feel uneasy and don't know if what I'm doing is right or wrong. I'm just a mortal, not a hero or a sage. I can't see the future, nor can I distinguish right from wrong. I can only do what I think I should do."

"I just felt that I should do something for this country, and everyone should do something for this country. Since the start of the war, so many brave people have fought and died for this. They must have wanted to live, they must have wanted a peaceful and happy life, but they chose to sacrifice themselves. They may not have been able to explain why they were willing to die, but they put their promises and love into action. I want to be one of them."

"I want to amplify their roar before their sacrifice, so that more and more Goth People will know their story, so that our people will remember the winds of Calonia and the sunflowers of the Sun Festival, and roar like the fallen, so that the spirits will see our spirit and hear our voices. Goth will never yield."

"I want the elves to know what they'll have to pay to destroy this country."

"I want the elves to know what they will face if they want to conquer this country."

"Therefore..."

Upon reading this, Hong San was speechless for a moment. Perhaps the words were becoming increasingly heavy, making it difficult for him to breathe. He closed his eyes and remained silent for a moment, as if paying homage.

Then he read, "Therefore, the city of Valentan will fight to the last breath, and I will use every effort, scheme, tactic, and ruthlessness to kill as many elves as possible, until I stop breathing."

"This is not a simple decision, because it means that the entire city's civilians may suffer a terrible fate. I am very uneasy and pray to Sura day and night, but I am just a mortal and I am powerless."

"Goth's situation is such that I must make a choice. There is no other way, because this is war. War has no morality, war has no mercy. Since countless Goth People have already given their lives for this cause, the remaining Goth People who were sacrificed to protect also have an obligation to sacrifice themselves."

That's all I can think, that's all I can convince myself of.

"Perhaps I made a mistake, but I am just a mortal. Faced with war, I had no other choice."

"I feel sorry for those who will inevitably be hurt, or even suffer and despair because of this, but there is nothing I can do. The only thing I can do is to be fair."

"They themselves, their families, everything they own is in this city, and will soon vanish with its fall. So I, my family, my clan, everything I have will also remain in this city. I will defend the city with them, and face the end together."

"That's all I can do. I'm just a minor mayor, a minor nobleman. In this war, everyone has their place, everyone has their task."

"I hope everyone can do a little more, try a little harder, and maybe we can win."

"I hope that long, long from now, Goth People's descendants will also remember this story, and that when young children eat the fruits of the lush, green fields, wear fine clothes woven from highland white cotton, and carry sunflowers through the lively celebrations of the Sun Festival, the spirits of those who sacrificed their lives in this war will transcend time and space to be with them through the narration of the bards, just as we are commemorating the heroes of the past."

"Please remember us, Your Highness Kang De, please remember our story."

"And remember what you've seen, we are all mortals, not fearless heroes. Some were just brave a little earlier. Perhaps you have already seen the evil of Valentan, but please don't lose faith in this country, don't lose faith in the Goth People. I hope more people will hear our roar and realize that courage today will change the future. I understand this deeply because I fought alongside them in previous battles. This country is not beyond redemption, as I am showing you now."

"I can understand how you feel right now, but I must beg you, please don't come back. Keep leaving, unless there's a counterattack, unless there's victory, please don't return to Valentan."

Because it makes no sense.

Please do more, and please remember us.

"When I first saw you, even though I had some vague suspicions in my heart, I didn't care much. Since I had already decided to die with Valentan, why should I care about your life?"

"But after the second siege, I finally wrote this letter. Why did I want you to leave? Was it because the orcs regarded you as the child of prophecy, or because of the skills and abilities you displayed during the siege, or perhaps for Princess Tina's sake? I don't know."

"Perhaps it's just because of something you said."

Farewell, Kang De.

Thank you for trusting me, thank you for understanding me.

In the ensuing silence, Hong San turned to another page and subconsciously read, "I am Aisi Yuedun, Chief Mage of Valentan, a graduate of the Thunder Dragon Academy. I swear to the Sula, the Sun God that everything I say is true. His Highness Kang De concealed his identity, volunteered to defend the city, fought bravely, and never retreated. He has made four great contributions, the first being..."

He read this far, then turned to the next few pages and said, "Sir, these were all written by the people of Valentan. There are mages, low-ranking officers, war sorcerers, and battle logs from the past few days..."

Hong San's voice trailed off as he spoke.

It's obvious.

Even if the elves fabricated facts and exaggerated, if Nick really wanted to do something, what happened in Valentan would still spread throughout Goth. With Nick's will, the testimonies of others, and Valentan's war logs as supporting evidence, any slander or criticism of Kang De is completely unfounded.

When Nick was making these preparations, he was unaware that Kang De had a video camera capable of recording images, so he had thought things through carefully and prepared everything Kang De needed.

A deathly silence.

No one spoke.

The Imperials, led by Leona, and even the Orks, all listened intently until now.

Then, the messenger, choking back tears, said, "Your Highness Kang De, may I leave now?"

Kang De slowly raised his head to look at him, his expression still expressionless. "You want to go back?"

"No, I want to leave here and live, live as long as possible. I will tell everyone the story of Valentan, until every Goth People knows the story of Valentan."

The messenger bowed deeply. "Your Highness Kang De, thank you for everything you've done for Valentan. Goodbye."

The people behind him parted to make way, watching the staggering figure gradually disappear into the distance.

Kang De said calmly, "It's best not to go back..."

He turned and walked towards the Humvee, patting the hood. "Let's go back."

Hong San and Leona's expressions changed, and they immediately rushed to Kang De's side.

The girl grabbed Kang De's arm and said, "Kang De, you can't go back."

"I understand how you feel. Although I am an Imperial citizen, and although Nick's original plan was mostly for me to die in Valentan, even so, I admire him, and my score with him is settled."

"I understand his feelings. He went to great lengths to get you out of Valentan. The fate of that city is already sealed. Going back now won't change anything; it will only lead you into a trap and make his sacrifices and efforts go to waste. He even said in his letter that he wouldn't let you go back! Just remember him. From now on, kill more elves, drive them away, and protect Goth. That's the best way to repay him!"

Kang De shook his head and said, "No, I want to go back."

Leona's tone was fierce as she shouted, "No! What are you going back for! You'll die if the elves find out! Even if you go back, you can't save this city or those people. Don't do anything foolish!"

"I know... I know I can't save them."

Kang De looked into the girl's eyes and said slowly, "So I just went back to see, to watch them die with my own eyes."

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PS1: Good night.