Chapter 31: The Tyrant of Justice!
The pitch-black slums were eerily quiet. Though it was far from the dead of night, not even a stray dog roamed the streets.
Squads of shabbily equipped noble house guards appeared on the main street outside. Led by the Temple Knights, they surrounded the slums.
The expressions on their faces were relaxed; it was more like they were out for a stroll. Some even started chatting with the men next to them, sharing laughs that all men would understand.
“The Thieves’ Guild is just a handful of people! I don’t get why the Church of Justice is making such a big fuss!”
“Exactly! Let’s get this over with quickly. I need to hit the tavern. I’ve been pent up for too long, hehe…”
“I’ll take you. I know a place where the women have big asses! Hehehe…”
The knights leading the squads turned a blind eye to this behavior, not even bothering to tell them to keep quiet. Besides, how could several hundred men stay quiet anyway?
In truth, they didn’t quite understand it either. The Thieves’ Guild might have had a decent number of members on a normal day, but how many could possibly be left now?
And why insist on launching a “surprise attack” at such an inopportune time?
But out of trust for their Captain and the Bishop, not a single knight voiced a question.
As agents from various factions watched from the shadows, just as everyone thought the farce was about to begin, Elena stepped forward.
She had tied her hair back, dragging a greatsword as tall as a man behind her. She scanned the lazy expressions of the guards, then looked toward the slums, where a storm was brewing.
With a small smile, Elena addressed the sloppy, undisciplined coalition. Her voice, though it didn’t seem loud, carried far down the street.
“So undisciplined. Is this the quality of the nobles’ guards?”
“Do you all think this siege is some kind of joke?”
“Or perhaps, just another whim from the idiot princess?”
The laughter gradually died down. The guards weren’t sure what to make of this princess who had been out of the public eye for so long.
But those who had made a living by reading their masters’ moods could sense that something was terribly wrong.
She wasn’t here to play nice. Trouble was coming.
Seeing the confused looks on their faces, Elena tilted her head back and snorted. “I’m well aware that you’re just the cannon fodder they pushed forward. Each family’s true elites are probably hiding on the outskirts, ready to watch me make a fool of myself.”
“Each house sent nothing but a troop of warriors below the second rank?”
“Hmph!”
Elena glanced around dismissively and shrugged, but then, feeling the gesture was ungraceful, she immediately stood tall and continued.
“But… so what?”
“You’re right. This is my whim!”
A smile curled at the corner of her lips. Elena raised the massive sword and swung it forward decisively.
“Begin!”
The next moment, solemn voices roared from in front of the guards, behind them, to their sides, and even from within the slums.
“For Justice!!!”
Dozens of hooded priests and paladins raised their right hands, their bodies igniting with pure white light.
“Detect Evil!!!”
The multiple Detect Evil spells seemed to merge, undergoing a strange transformation. The faint auras became dazzling, expanding in an instant to cover the entire slum district.
“What?!”
“No!!!”
“Damn you, Church! This is a provocation against the dignity of the nobility!”
“You’re forcing our hand!”
Auras of every shade flared to life around the guards. The vast majority were blood-red or darker, with some even glowing a deep crimson. Only a small handful of them showed a faint red light.
Simultaneously, within the slums, brilliant crimson lights erupted from the Thieves’ Guild headquarters and its surroundings.
Elena watched calmly as the men panicked, drawing their swords on the Temple Knights. She spoke with a cold sneer.
“Heh, just as I expected.”
“See those crimson lights in there? That is your only path to survival.”
“Only by killing them can you have a chance to atone!”
Seeing the guards still frozen in place, Elena raised an eyebrow and sneered again.
“Or would you rather die right here, right now?”
Dead silence. No one had imagined that a routine mission would turn into a life-or-death situation.
The captain of Earl Rupert’s personal guard looked down at the deep crimson aura enveloping his body. He pressed down on his trembling right hand, his mind screaming in terror.
It’s over! It’s all over!
No, if I stay here, I’m dead for sure!
He gritted his teeth, rushed in front of Elena, and shouted furiously, “You are forcing the hands of the noble lords!”
“You can’t do this! I have served the Earl for thirty years!”
“I am a decorated servant of the Earl’s estate!”
“I can’t just—”
A flash of white light streaked past his eyes. The next moment, his head flew from his shoulders, and blood spurted from his neck like a fountain.
Thud!
His head landed heavily in the muddy street, his face frozen in a mask of rage. He had never imagined this would be his end.
The noisy street outside the slums fell silent. The faint sounds of battle could be heard from within, and it seemed to snap all the guards back to their senses.
They stared in disbelief at the man who had been standing behind Elena like a bodyguard just a moment ago.
His silver hair was tied back, his silver-white armor was spattered with blood, and his expression was cold as he flicked the blood from his sword.
Shelley sheathed his longsword. His hands were trembling slightly. He lowered his head to hide his expression and quickly moved back behind Elena.
Elena’s sharp eyes glanced at Shelley’s hands. She narrowed her eyes slightly but nodded and said nothing.
Shelley’s brow was tightly furrowed. He stared at the blood gushing from the headless corpse’s neck and swallowed hard.
Tch, this isn’t right. It’s not like I haven’t killed people in Godhood before.
So where is this intense bloodlust coming from?
[Did you know?]
[Incubi also crave blood!]
[Male incubi especially love the feeling of an enemy’s hot blood splashing onto their faces.]
An incubus is a type of demon… that makes sense.
Looks like I’ll have to fight against this uncontrollable bloodlust from now on…
Hm?
Wait, what am I thinking?
Am I crazy?
I’m not a real paladin. As long as I don’t slaughter innocents, it’ll be fine!
“How dare you attack us!”
“Is there no law in this kingdom!?”
As if a dam had broken, their shouts grew more frantic, their voices cracking as they desperately vented their fear.
But no one dared to step forward.
In fact, a large, empty circle had formed around the priests and paladins.
“This is murder! You’re a tyrant!”
“The Duke will see that we get justice!”
“How can you do this and still call yourselves righteous!?”
**
All eyes were fixed on Elena.
Not just the guards, but the hidden nobles, and even the Temple Knights who had been kept in the dark, all wanted to hear her answer.
“Murder? Evil? The law?”
“Heh.”
“This is the Kingdom of Fente, and I am the First Princess of the Kingdom of Fente. You’re talking to me about the law?”
As if she had heard the most ridiculous thing, Elena planted her greatsword in the ground before her and spoke with cold indifference.
“No. All of this is for justice.”
“As for you? Do you have any idea how much dirty work you’ve done for your masters?”
“You’ve more than earned your deaths.”
Her beautiful face was filled with mockery and disdain. Elena looked at the speechless crowd, then gestured with her head toward the slums behind her.
“What are you waiting for?”
“Once everyone inside is dead, your chance for atonement will be gone.”
“And don’t worry, no one is coming to save you. Your masters certainly won’t.”
“There’s a squad of paladins at each of their gates right now. The moment they step outside, the paladins will charge in to purge the evil within.”
“Right now, they’re all busy destroying evidence in their homes. No one has time to come rescue you.”
“I declare all of this to you, in the name of justice.”
Satisfied with the dead silence, Elena’s expression turned mocking. “So,” she said softly, “are you going to just stand there?”
Her calm, slightly teasing tone snapped the petrified guards out of their stupor.
No one said another word. With eyes wide with fury, they gripped their swords and charged into the slums.
Elena remained in her original posture as they rushed past her, her gaze fixed on the Temple District in the distance.
Pulling her greatsword from the ground, she turned to Shelley, who was also standing his ground, and spoke calmly.
“…Shelley, can you understand me?”
Her tone was steady, but Shelley could hear an undercurrent of melancholy and unease. He answered without hesitation.
“Justice and law must be upheld!”
“Even at the cost of sacrifice!”
“I would not hesitate to become a martyr for this cause.”
Tyr’s followers were often slandered as “Tyrants” by their detractors. They would directly aid victims who lacked the power to seek help on their own, enacting vengeance on criminals on behalf of the weak. When such situations arose, it meant the law had already been so severely broken by evil men that it had lost its meaning. Therefore, Tyr’s priests would openly challenge evil or corrupt powers, and even if the odds were impossible, they would become martyrs for their cause without flinching.
“But, Your Highness Elena…”
Shelley’s gaze burned as he looked at the princess, who had been so imperious moments ago but was now so downcast. He spoke with great solemnity.
“I hope… that you will allow me to protect you by your side…”
“Even if I can only hold back the enemy for a single moment.”
“That would be my greatest honor!”
Heh. Let’s see how she handles a direct emotional appeal. Get flustered and forget all that sad stuff!
Unexpectedly, while Elena did turn her head away in discomfort, her mood seemed to sink even lower. She shook her head slightly and whispered, “You may stay, but I don’t need anyone to block enemies for me.”
“I don’t want anyone else to sacrifice themselves for me ever again.”
Shelley hadn’t expected his direct approach to be so ineffective. He pressed on anxiously, “Your Highness, I also want to know, what about the original residents of the slums?”
“Is their safety guaranteed?”
Elena stopped in her tracks. She turned back to Shelley, a smile blooming on her face. “You’re the only one who asked that question,” she said happily.
“I’m very glad!”
[Excellent Hypocrite!]
[Your “kindness” has moved her.]
[Especially when everyone else overlooked it!]
[Elena Conquest Progress: 38%]
Elena spun around lightly and pointed toward the commoner’s district with a smile.
“They are quite safe. They’re all in the commoner’s district now.”
“Interestingly enough, to get the best vantage points, those hidden factions drove out many of the original residents and took over their houses.”
“As for the rest, I had my people secretly transport them out over the course of the day… using the very tunnels those evil factions dug for themselves.”
“Heh! Isn’t that amusing?”
Her spirits fully restored, Elena patted Shelley’s shoulder with her left hand and said softly, “Don’t worry. Evil will be vanquished. Your actions were for the sake of justice.”
“Let’s go! Time to wipe them all out in one fell swoop!”
