Filled to the Brim

Right now, the place Kang De least wants to go is probably Danfeng Lucerne.

The father-in-law is angry.

Thunder was furious.

What have you done?!

Grand Duke Reknos looked like a furious lion, glaring fiercely at Kang De, his eyes filled with boundless anger, disappointment, and even disgust.

All notions of etiquette had been thrown to the winds. He even tried to rush up and grab Kang De by the collar, but was stopped by Hilmeria — the Sword Saint Cascading Snow knew Kang De's temperament.

Even after being stopped by his sister, the Archduke continued to roar at Kang De, "You said you were going to rescue the refugees on the Broken Isles, I provided you with supplies, I sent you an engineering corps, and how have you repaid me? You've brought Goth another terrible enemy! You've even put the entire west coast in danger!"

Kang De calmly replied, "I understand how you feel, but it's not my fault."

The Grand Duke's eyes widened in fury. "Isn't this your fault? You were so aggressive, seizing the Distant Harbor, slaughtering the nobles, and even causing trouble for the Broken Isles —if you hadn't provoked the Broken Isles, would this have happened? How many people are on the Broken Isles? How many did you rescue? And how many died because of it!?"

Kang De continued to repeat the same words, but his tone became cold.

"That's not my fault, you shouldn't blame me."

"I'm not blaming you! How many people have died in the Broken Isles is none of my business! But—"

The Grand Duke's roar echoed in the room as he struggled desperately to break free of the Sword Saint's grip. At the same time, he roared, "But the Distant Harbor are my subjects! All the cities and towns of the West Coast are my land! They barely survived the onslaught of Twilight Moon's army, yet they are now in danger because of you! You have led an enemy more dangerous than the elves to Goth!"

"..."

Kang De frowned.

In retrospect, this is indeed the case. Ultimately, the descent of the God of the Star Palace and the premature resurgence of the peerless ferocious beasts were both due to the return of the Fire Thief. But what exactly was the purpose of the Fire Thief' return?

The reasons behind this are too complex, so complex that he simply doesn't want to explain them.

Moreover, the current Grand Duke is unlikely to listen to any explanations.

"I regret this," Kang De said. "I will try my best to resolve this matter."

"Yes, yes, you can handle it, you always win. You beat the elves, you fight the dragons, and even when the three kingdoms team up, you still manage to make them suffer. You say you can win this time too, and I can believe you, but..."

The Grand Duke calmed down and looked at Kang De, his eyes now icy cold.

"But is this the end?"

He asked, "Won't we make new enemies in the future?"

How many more times will Goth share risks with you?

"Can you protect these innocent people from danger and death every time? If you do your best to resolve this, there will still be great sacrifices on the West Coast. And then what? Next time you encounter a different enemy, will Goth be forced to stand with you again and suffer sacrifices because of your choices?"

Reknos stared at Kang De with a dark look in his eyes. "Answer me, how long will this sacrifice and mutual support continue? Will you only be satisfied when the last Goth People bled dry?"

At this point, the expressions of the three people in the room who had been trying to mediate the fight changed.

"Father!"

"Father!"

"Hello!"

Tina, Stella, and Hilmeria all looked at the Grand Duke.

They sensed an uneasy undercurrent in this questioning that bordered on a complete break.

Kang De slowly exhaled.

He looked at the incompetent monarch before him. "I thought my relationship with Goth was that of comrades-in-arms who advanced and retreated together, companions who understood each other, and fellow travelers with common interests and ideals."

"That's what I thought at first too."

The Archduke straightened his back and spoke to Kang De as Archduke Goth.

"I am filled with gratitude towards you, and I still am now. Your fearless act of righteousness saved Goth from the elven army. I once believed you to be an emissary sent by the gods, someone Tina could entrust her life to. I even considered making Tina the new Grand Duchess in exchange for your eternal protection of Goth..."

Reknos said softly, "But what have you done? You've constantly created new enemies for Goth, you've changed our traditions, challenged the ancient aristocratic hierarchy, you pity the commoners while despising the nobles, you've seized Goth's lands, and you've tarnished Teldrassil's reputation."

"Don't you realize how bad your reputation has become in Goth's eyes? Just over a month ago, everyone in Danfeng Lucerne, from nobles to beggars, was grateful to you. Now, the criticism, insults, resentment, and curses directed at you are countless. You've been taking risks, doing dangerous things, constantly making enemies for yourself, as if you're convinced you'll win every time. But have you ever thought about it...?"

The Grand Duke sighed, "If you lose, even just once—with your power as Forbidden Spell spellcaster and your mastery of alchemy, you'll always have a way out. But what about Goth? How many of us will die? How much will we suffer? Enough, I've truly had enough, and this country has had enough..."

His tone was filled with desolation and weariness.

After inheriting the title of Grand Duke, Reknos never slacked off for decades.

He believed he had a responsibility to the country and its people, and worked diligently and conscientiously in governing. He wanted to restore Goth's former glory and pull the country out of the quagmire of continuous decline. But the tragedy of the world is that individual diligence is not enough to change the general trend. He tried to break through the Elf blockade and restart the Grand Line, but ultimately this led to the invasion of Twilight Moon, and the country almost perished.

Decades of relentless pursuit had led to this result: the nation had suffered a devastating war, and countless warriors had perished. Reknos remained silent, but this immense blow had silently extinguished all his spirit and will. Now, all he desired was for the nation to be at peace.

All we ask is that the people can live peacefully in the days to come and no longer suffer setbacks and hardships.

This is the irreconcilable contradiction between him and Kang De.

Kang De gazed at the lifeless lion, his expression indifferent. "So, what do you want?"

Upon hearing this, the Grand Duke did not reply; instead, he turned to look at his two daughters, each with a different expression.

Tina and Stella were his treasures, his beloved children.

Do you know why I'm angry? It's not just because you've brought danger to Goth again.

He closed his eyes.

"It's because your actions led to a consequence—you made me realize that I am not only not a qualified monarch, but I also have to become a failed father."

He gently pushed Hilmeria away and slumped back into his chair.

"You've sought help from the Empire, haven't you? Your Forbidden Spell are insufficient to safely deal with that monster."

"The Emperor's proposal has arrived. Meanwhile, rumors are already spreading in Danfeng Lucerne, and it's likely that the Empire, the Council, and even the Elves are involved. Rumors spread quickly, and no one will stop them. Before long, even the common people will know what you've brought to Goth."

The Grand Duke said wearily, "The Emperor has two proposals. First, Goth is to be formally incorporated into the Empire, with all military and diplomatic powers belonging to the Emperor. The next Grand Duke will be appointed by the Emperor and will pay taxes. Second, Stella will marry an Imperial prince as a marriage alliance."

Stella's face turned pale instantly.

"But this should just be the emperor's strategy, a negotiating tactic, offering two conditions: one is an extremely unreasonable and exorbitant price, and the other is a genuine demand."

Kang De raised an eyebrow and asked, "What is that?"

The Grand Duke glanced at Tina: "You join the Empire, the Emperor grants you Jianguo, you provide the Empire with Forbidden Spell and alchemy, and the Empire provides you with endless honor, vast territory, loyal subjects, and any support you need, whether it be an army, wealth, resources, or anything else. As a form of alliance or treaty, the Emperor requires you to marry an Imperial princess, any one of them will do."

Tina remained calm, even shaking her head slightly.

Reknos withdrew his gaze, revealing a mocking smile.

"Do you understand? Kang De, you've made me a failed father, and a failed ruler—choosing the former, I've failed Goth, failed my ancestors, and failed my second daughter."

"Choosing the latter means sacrificing my youngest daughter's love and dignity."

As he spoke, he even laughed, "Look what you've done to me! You saved my country, then stole my daughter, then made me the laughingstock of the nobles, you challenged my authority, you openly seized the Distant Harbor from me, making me a duke who can't even manage his son-in-law or defend his country—I can disregard all of that, but you've brought war upon my people."

The Grand Duke covered his face, faint tear tracks running down his cheeks.

"And you can't even handle this..."

He sobbed, "If you want to protect the people of the West Coast, you have to agree to the Empire's conditions. If you choose the former, I am a failed monarch and a failed father; if you choose the latter, I am also a failed father— Kang De. I have already failed, but I still consider myself a competent father. I was once proud of that. But now, you have taken away my last shred of dignity..."

Reknos covered his face and cried like a child, sobbing.

"I am nothing anymore..."

Tina and Stella also shed tears. They wanted to go up and comfort their father, but the Grand Duke waved his hand forcefully, shouting, "Don't come any closer! Don't come any closer!"

He covered his face and rubbed his eyes vigorously.

Kang De stood there, motionless.

"Don't worry—" he said, "You will always be a good father."

The Grand Duke slowly looked at Kang De.

Kang De shook his head and said, "The Empire's conditions are not worth considering; there's no need to agree to them."

Reknos whispered, "You know what? If it weren't for Tina, I would have even begged you to agree to the Empire's conditions without hesitation— Goth is too young to handle you."

"... Tsk, that's really strange. In other families, the son-in-law is ridiculed and kicked out of the house, and then the son-in-law says he'd rather not be Goth- like son-in-law—but you've done the opposite."

Kang De shrugged. "I will not agree to the Empire's demands."

"Why?"

"Because I'm going to kill Crown Prince Alex; Glittering Sand's revenge is not yet complete."

The knight's friend said calmly, "That's also why I didn't recommend Goth join the Empire and marry Stella to that prince—if I want to kill Alex, the Empire will definitely stop me, and if the Empire stops me, I'll have no choice but to destroy the Empire as well. It would be rather awkward if we met on the battlefield then."

Apart from Tina, the other three all showed expressions of astonishment and horror.

They even felt a sense of disorientation, wondering if they had misheard.

Although Kang De's tone was calm, they clearly sensed the unwavering resolve and intense killing intent within it—this man truly intended to do so, without uttering a single falsehood.

He intends to kill the eldest son of the largest and most powerful empire in human history.

If this country tries to stop him, he will even destroy it.

After a long period of stunned silence, the Grand Duke suddenly stood up.

After the initial shock came even greater anger; his initial weakness was replaced by rage. He growled, "You still want to go to war with the Empire? And you're planning to drag Goth into it too?"

Kang De raised an eyebrow and said, "During the Goth-Moon War, the Empire, as Goth's nominal suzerain state, stood by and watched, and even secretly conspired with the Twilight Moon to partition Goth. Not only that, they also plotted to assassinate the Goth delegation. Such a disgrace, didn't you think of taking revenge?"

The Archduke closed his eyes and said painfully, "Revenge is too much of a luxury for Goth now."

Kang De stared at him for a long time, then shook his head and said, "You really are..."

"Weak? Foolish? Naïve? They wanted to kill my daughter, and I wanted to devour them alive. But I am not only a father, I am also a Germany's ruler. I cannot let my personal grudges lead my people to the battlefield and to their deaths, because they also have daughters, they are also children..."

The Duke looked at Kang De and said resolutely, "Goth will never dance to your will— Kang De, I do not wish to be your enemy; do not put our loved ones in a difficult position."

There's no point in saying more.

Kang De shook his head and said, "We'll see. I don't want to be your enemy, so don't block my way."

He turned to leave, but the Archduke called after him, "And you, Kang De!"

The Fire Thief stopped in his tracks. "What?"

"I know that in your eyes I am weak, foolish, and old. I no longer want to be the ruler of a powerful nation; I only want my people to live in peace. — And what about you? You fought against the nobles for the sake of the common people of the Distant Harbor, and you saved the lives of the Broken Isles without discrimination. But do you think they will be grateful to you for that?"

He shouted, "The rumors have already spread in Danfeng Lucerne, and they will likely spread to Distant Harbor as well! They will know that you brought the monster here, and even if you didn't, those who spread the rumors will perpetuate the lie! If Distant Harbor suffers any damage or casualties as a result, all those who revere you will immediately hate you! You can't even expect the refugees of the Broken Isles to be grateful to you! They will think that you caused all of this!"

"So what's the point of your persistence, kindness, and patience? You should know the outcome!"

Reknos asked, "I want to know why."

Kang De's silhouette froze for a moment... or perhaps for a long time.

He didn't turn around, and said calmly, "I don't expect them to understand or be grateful for what I'm doing."

After saying that, he pushed open the door and left.

Tina glanced at her father with concern, then chased after him.

Kang De looked out from the sky corridor of Maple Leaf Fort: "I'm sorry."

Tina walked over and naturally took his hand. "It's okay, I know."

Kang De gently returned the handshake. "I will handle this matter."

"Um."

At this point, Kang De turned his head and said, "The Empire's proposal..."

Her Highness turned her head, smiling gently, like a hundred flowers blooming. "Why explain this to me? I didn't take it to heart when Father said it, I'm not stupid."

Her eyes curved into crescent moons.

"Even if you were to sell yourself, there are more suitable buyers," she said with a smile. "They'd definitely be much better than the Empire..."

Kang De looked surprised. "Ah, this..."

"Alright, I'm fine. It's an emergency, and things are very busy. You should get back to work." Tina gently hugged Kang De, stopping him from saying anything more.

She pressed her cheek against the Fire Thief's broad back, remained silent for a moment, and then whispered, "Kang De, you can do anything that's necessary, but there's one thing: don't abandon me, or I won't be able to survive..."

Kang De remained silent, then slowly pressed down on Tina's outstretched hand.

Distant Harbor.

The Phase Gate opened, Fire Thief returned, for he had received a message from Horus.

"Father, I've discovered something."

Stepping out of the tent, Kang De prepared to listen to Iron Son's report when he suddenly saw Hong San stride towards him, "Your Highness, rumors are beginning to circulate in both the Distant Harbor and the temporary camp..."

Kang De's eyes narrowed, he closed them, took a few deep breaths, and then opened them again.

He said coldly, "As expected. Use the radio to reassure the citizens, saying everything is under control. The relevant departments should focus on calming the public, deploying combat troops to prevent unrest. Horus, find the source of the rumors, and then..."

He paused here, because Hong San was laughing.

"What's wrong?"

"Your Highness, I was just thinking of something happy," the Cathayan said with a smile. "It surprised me, excited me, and even seemed a little unbelievable."

"What?"

An alchemical golem dog hopped in, its military notebook, fixed to its back, unfolding.

A short video was playing inside.

One person is beating another, and the person being beaten is struggling and howling.

Why are you hitting me! Let go of me!

"Because you have ill intentions!"

"I'm not lying! It's all Kang De's fault! A terrible monster is attacking the Distant Harbor; your homes, your loved ones, will be destroyed and killed!"

"You're talking nonsense!"

"--This is true! Kang De was lying to you!"

"Go to hell!" The man who had hit him swung his fist down hard. "I'm not stupid! Everything His Highness Kang De said is true. He provides food and drink, work points, and rations. Who the hell are you? Why should I believe you?"

Scene change.

Another burly man, his expression menacing, pinned the person trying to escape down like a chick.

"Where did this idiot come from? Doesn't he know that catching a spy will earn him a few work points...?"

The screen kept flickering.

Some are audio files.

They might rebuke, mock, or earnestly reason with someone.

"I don't think I have anything to be lied about."

"You mean His Highness Kang De spent so much money just to cheat us? Why?"

"You son of a bitch, I believed the lies of bastards like you and spoke ill of His Highness Kang De. I got twenty lashes on the butt and almost didn't get my ID card! And you still dare to use this trick to fool your grandpa!"

"Guards! Guards! Someone here is speaking ill of His Highness Kang De!"

"Kill him! Kill him!"

"Don't kill him! Take him to the patrol team for questioning! Find his accomplices!"

"There's a spy!"

Kang De gazed silently, listening intently.

Hong San said, "Almost all those spreading rumors were reported and discovered by the Distant Harbor as soon as they began to spread them. Some were directly arrested and beaten, while others were temporarily apprehended. Then, citizens notified us... Your Highness, I have never seen anything like this before. The common people spontaneously and on a large scale resisted all rumors..."

He paused here, then said with a touch of embarrassment, "I feel somewhat ashamed. At first, I even thought they would be easily swayed by rumors, and I was prepared for large-scale suppression and punishment."

Hong San bowed to Kang De, saying, "In such a short time, you have established such prestige and such trust. My lord is truly an unparalleled talent..."

Kang De silently shook his head. "I didn't expect that either."

He stared at the images on the screen, listened to the unwavering voices, and suddenly laughed.

"It really looks like it."

"What?"

"People of my grandparents' generation... I wouldn't say they were ignorant, but they were at least simple-minded. They didn't know how big the world was, how the world worked, why the great powers prospered, or why our country became weak. Compared to us, they knew far too little."

Kang De murmured, "They understand nothing, and spend their entire lives confined to a few miles around, yet they instinctively trust and believe in something..."

"Now I think I understand why, and I understand why they must not be let down."

"So..."

I've made up my mind.

Kang De said softly, "I want to keep the danger out of their sight."

Hong San had no idea what his lord was talking about.

But that didn't stop him from remembering that very important matter.

"Speaking of which, my lord, I have a solution," he said subtly. "It's just a bit troublesome, and I'll need you to make a trip..."

Kang De waved his hand and said, "No need, I already have a way."

He patted Hong San on the shoulder. "I'm leaving Distant Harbor to you. I'm going to borrow some things."

"Ah? My lord! Your Highness!"

Hong San extended Erkang's hand, but Kang De had already opened the Phase Gate.

At sea, Azure Fleet.

The deep-sea behemoth awakens, and at a single command, billions of sea monsters go to pay homage. The siege of the fleet has been lifted, and they receive orders to retreat and observe. Meanwhile, through the spatial beacon left behind earlier, Kang De leaps in.

You said you owed me a favor, and now I want you to repay it.

Facing the fleet commander, Kang De raised his hand, and ethereal, illusory Mist Crystal floated in his palm.

"The full Magic Power of the entire Azure Fleet."

He said, "Fill it up."

￥￥￥￥￥￥￥￥￥￥￥

PS1: Six thousand words... Sigh, this chapter was written a bit hastily; it could have been expanded to at least eight thousand words. (Looking into the distance)