Standing on the ruins of the palace, Todd raised his dragon head and looked down at the city of Twilight City below, his dark golden dragon eyes filled with pain and sorrow.
"Todd, I've heard about you. I've always had a question for you... If it weren't Ulster being invaded right now, but Twilight City, what would you do?"
Cú Chulainn's dying words echoed in the dragon's ears.
When the city of Muxi is engulfed in flames of war, and the iron hooves of invaders trample every inch of your land, the nobles, concerned only with self-preservation, even betray their country for personal gain; while the people forget the glory of their kingdom, abandon their initial vows, and forsake their only faith… What will you do then?
"You'll become just as insane as me...no, you'll be even more violent and cruel."
"Because we are tyrants! We are beasts! What we need is flesh and blood, is slaughter!"
Todd slowly closed his eyes, murmuring, "Tyrant..."
The sound of griffins flapping their wings came from the sky.
The silver-haired Valkyrie, Evie, commanded her mount to land beside the black dragon.
“I have taken Mary to a safe place. The woman was quite frightened and will probably need some time to rest.”
Todd nodded: "Any ordinary person would be afraid if they saw me like this, that's normal..."
Sensing the desolation in the other person's words, Ivy frowned and said, "Between men and women, only shallow people care about physical appearance. Isn't it something to celebrate that a mortal can be with a god?"
Todd shook the dragon's head, not intending to dwell on the matter any longer, and asked, "How's the situation in the city?"
"The enemy in the port area has been cleared out, and the various military camps have been basically brought under control. What remains are some important buildings in the city where the final battles are still taking place."
Todd lowered his dragon head to look at Evie, a hint of hesitation in his voice: "How many people died?"
Evie misunderstood what Todd meant: "The Crusaders were invincible and suffered no casualties; the battle groups responsible for attacking the security forces and naval camps had fewer than fifty dead in total; the casualties on other battlefields are unknown, but they should all be within expectations."
Ivy added, "As you instructed, all the soldiers in Froststone City did not disturb the citizens, but focused their attacks on the rebels. However, it cannot be denied that some rebels abandoned their weapons and infiltrated the houses, which made our search work more difficult."
Todd then asked, "Any news about Rachel and the others?"
Ivy curled her lip: "Who knows where those people from the Alien Association have hidden? They'll naturally come out again after the war is over."
Todd turned his head and looked at the distant horizon.
At the horizon where the sea meets the sky, a faint blush is slowly spreading, and the warm sunlight is dispelling the darkness, gradually bringing light to the entire city.
The turbulent night has passed.
After a terrifying night, the people of Muxi City, facing the morning sun, the slightly bolder ones quietly opened their windows and secretly observed the scene on the street.
The rebel corpses lay scattered on the ground, while the Froststone City warband soldiers, in groups of three or five, were conducting a thorough search of every corner. Although the latter all looked fierce and murderous, they did not disturb the private residences of the citizens of Muxi.
Around nine o'clock in the morning, municipal staff from Muxi City, carrying a summons personally signed by the cabinet, knocked on the doors of every household in the Upper District.
Seeing the soldiers following behind the office staff, the citizens of Muxi in the upper city reluctantly left their homes and were semi-forcibly led to Muxi Square.
The once clean, tidy, and expansive civic square is now filled with soldiers from the Froststone City warband, and nearly a hundred temporary platforms have been erected across the square.
At exactly 10:00 AM, Prime Minister Emerson, along with other cabinet members, walked to the center of the square and, using the supernatural ability of the "Sound Enhancement" variant, read aloud a hastily drafted royal proclamation to all citizens of the Upper City.
The announcement began by detailing the reasons for the rebellion, introducing the rebel leaders, and the forces behind them hidden in Muxi City.
When the citizens heard a string of familiar names from Emerson's mouth—the Dawson family, the business alliance, Rutledge—their faces were filled with unconcealed shock and panic.
Next, the spies who had been hiding in Muxi City for many years, the officers who had taken bribes and betrayed the city, and the captured mercenaries and pirates were brought before the citizens one by one, and tearfully began to confess everything they knew.
Finally, a large number of letters seized from the criminals' homes, along with the attack plan and division of labor for Muxi City, as well as the weapons and flags used by the rebels, were also publicly displayed to everyone.
Emerson listened to the discussions and exclamations coming from the square, first letting out a heavy sigh, then saying, "The Holy King knew everything before this rebellion even began. He has come here today to tell his people something in person."
As soon as Todd, dressed in a fur robe and restored to human form, stepped onto the high platform in the center of the square, he was greeted with enthusiastic cheers from the citizens.
Looking at the huge crowd below the stage, Todd waved to everyone, indicating that he had something to say.
"For some time now, I deliberately left the kingdom. Before leaving, I established the Knights Council and the election system, and handed over the jurisdiction of this city to every citizen present. I originally hoped that everyone here would use their power properly, think rationally and comprehensively about everything in the kingdom, and make reasonable decisions... But it seems that I may have made a mistake."
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