svetikya Page 214
Page 214
"Do you think he would agree if Mino were here right now?!"
"If he sees the criticism he's facing throughout the kingdom, how will he view his people, how will he view me as his king? How can I face him?! He was captured by the demons to protect the kingdom and his people!"
“We all understand, Your Highness Ota. That’s precisely why we can’t let the rumors continue to spread so irresponsibly.” Tus spoke gently, trying to soothe the anger of the king before him.
"Otherwise, if this continues, the rumors will become facts, and the Mino Warrior may be nailed to the pillar of shame, never to come down."
"The people are just being driven by the craze, but they still have their own sense of right and wrong. As long as we can calm things down a bit, public opinion will gradually return to normal."
After a detailed and reasonable analysis, Ota finally calmed down.
He rubbed his forehead, slowly sat back down at the table, and sighed.
“You’re right, Tus. The kingdom is now facing an even more severe famine. We must not let this cause us to panic. Let’s do as you say. The kingdom shall immediately issue a proclamation and response, spreading it throughout the country using the Contract Technique!”
"On behalf of the Kingdom, Kalia representing the royal family and nobles, and the Holy Church and the Mage's Tower, we are united in our efforts to clear Mino's name and completely extinguish those false rumors!"
"Irwin, you keep investigating and find the culprit."
“Yes, Your Highness…” Erwin replied with a slightly bitter expression.
At the moment the incident occurred, he immediately led the Knights to launch an investigation, but how could a force that dared to do such a thing be so easy to find?
There seems to be a dark force at play within the capital, severely restricting their actions. Even the quelling of public opinion this time might not be as smooth as they imagined.
What puzzled Erwin was why they were trying to smear the Mino Warriors, as there seemed to be no benefit in it.
Mino the Hero was far away in the Demon King's castle, so even if the fire actually burned him, he wouldn't have a chance to vent his anger. The one who was truly implicated was actually Shana the Hero, whose reputation was already bad.
Regardless, faced with Prince Ota's request, he had no choice but to continue the investigation.
Compared to Tus's situation, his problem was already one that could be solved... Thinking of this, Erwin glanced at Tus beside him with some pity, then silently left the study.
Inside the study, Tus's palms were sweating with nervousness. He looked at Prince Ota before him, knowing that the upcoming news would be like a death sentence for the prince and the entire kingdom:
"Your Highness Ota, the investigation and analysis of the desolation and decay of the land throughout the kingdom has come to an end. The expert team has also returned to the capital and reached a consensus..."
Clutching the stack of documents declaring the plan's failure tightly in his hand, Tus's voice was filled with despair and helplessness:
"Faced with this famine, we are at our wits' end."
Chapter 312 The final straw that broke Mino's back!
The study was deathly silent.
Only Tus's weak narration, like walking on thin ice, trembled precariously:
"This famine is not due to simple factors such as climate or soil geography."
"According to the investigations of the priests and clergy, some kind of evil power is lurking beneath the barren land. They have tried all sorts of holy arts and rituals, but none of them can remove that power."
"It's like an extremely troublesome toxin that has made the whole land terminally ill. Not only the crops in the fields, but also the shrubs, berries, pasture grasses, and flowers—anything that grows on the land has gradually begun to suffer from nutrient deficiency."
"The most troublesome thing is that right now, we can't even find a way to analyze and deconstruct it; it's simply a filth that humanity can't purify at all..."
Tuss's tone was somewhat bitter: "And this filth has now seeped into every part of the kingdom."
"How could this be? Could this truly be an unstoppable natural disaster?" A jolt went through him, and Ota's expression gradually darkened.
"How are we supposed to deal with this? It's too late, Tus!"
"Once all the crops in the land wither and die, the population within the country will be reduced by at least 90%! Even if a solution is found in the future, the vast swathes of humanity will be plunged into an irreversible abyss!"
Clenching his fists tightly, Ota's eyes were bloodshot with resentment: "Am I supposed to just stand by and watch large numbers of my people die of starvation?!"
"Your Highness, the experts conducting the investigation have done their best." Tus sighed softly.
“I even visited the great scholar Astrid, but that was a field she had never explored. This is probably the most serious crisis since the founding of the kingdom.”
"Your Highness, we can no longer devote all our energy to disaster prevention and control. We also need to make preparations for the aftermath as soon as possible."
“No, we can’t give up yet.” Ota shook his head, his eyes filled with intense resentment: “We haven’t tried every possible method. If it really comes to that, then I, the king… can only apologize to the people affected by the famine with my death.”
"Tus, let Archbishop Hope in."
After Pope Brad's death, Archbishop Hope became the true administrator of the Holy Church and its most senior clergy.
Standing in the study with a worried expression, Hope had long been aware of the progress of his priests, and there was not much more he could do than they could.
“Archbishop Hope, this is my question…” Prince Ota looked at the desk with hopeful eyes: “Is there any way to save the entire kingdom’s people and let them get through this famine safely?”
"For this, even if it means exhausting all the reserves in the capital's treasury, it's worth it!"
“Your Highness Ota,” Hope sighed softly, “it’s not that simple. This famine is very similar to the dark desolation that occurred in ancient times, when the vitality of the land kept draining away into the depths of the earth, entering a vicious cycle that was almost overdrawn and impossible to break.”
"So how did humanity ultimately escape that crisis?"
Unable to contain his anxiety, Ota asked, already determined to reproduce it no matter the cost.
Archbishop Hope, however, remained ashen-faced and shook his head: “It’s no use… In ancient times, when the goddess’s power was still active, humanity relied on her grace to escape the famine that swept across the entire land. In other words, now, nothing we do will make a difference.”
Turning his head to look at the distant, unreachable sky, Hope's expression was one of awe and dejection:
"Unless the goddess regains her power, there is no way to stop this disaster."
"After all, she is the 'Goddess of Life' who has existed since the beginning of the world, bringing abundance and prosperity to mankind."
……
The capital of the Kingdom of Kur, the heartland of this human kingdom, continues to function as usual, just like every other day.
Paladins patrolled the streets, the gradually restored buildings in the commoners' district showed signs of prosperity, and the skeleton of the Kingdom Library stood quietly in the gentle breeze and sunshine; everything was peaceful and serene.
Unbeknownst to anyone, an uncontrollable internal and external crisis had already spread throughout the kingdom.
The clear sky remained as bright as ever.
A large shadow was cast over the ornate yet sinister residence.
"The Kingdom and the Holy Church have stepped forward one after another to clarify the situation for the former hero Mino, and the rumors have been somewhat contained."
Dane stood by the window, turning to look at Thanaus. The latter's face showed no sign of surprise, as if he had expected this:
“They will definitely speak up for Mino, but this step also means they have exhausted their last means, which makes things much easier for us.”
Thanaus was stroking a grayish-black clod of earth in his hand, which was engraved with somewhat intricate magical runes.
"No matter what the kingdom does, it's just a drop in the ocean, because just like with Moss, to completely dispel the rumors, the only way to end it is for the person who spread them to stand up."
"But Mino can never escape the Demon King's Castle, which gives us an opportunity. As long as we continue to spread rumors, the kingdom's statement will soon be weakened. At that time, I will unleash this trump card, and the public outcry against the Hero of Sin will spread throughout the entire kingdom..."
Looking at the flames rising in the fireplace, Thanatos felt a pang of regret:
"Unfortunately, the hero Mino still has too much support. The Holy Church of the Kingdom and even noble ministers, even though he has now fallen into the Demon King's Castle, still have many people speaking up for him, which has made our plans progress a little slower."
“That’s the hero of light for humanity. You’ve already succeeded enough in making the people believe so many unrealistic slanders.”
Dane chuckled, actually finding the plan quite successful, and then asked:
When are you planning to unleash that trump card?
“We’ll have to wait, it might take a few months.” Thanaus shook his head. The power of public opinion wasn’t as weak as he had imagined, but it wasn’t that strong either. He had to take it one step at a time, so he was actually gambling.
If the Hero of Sin or his close friend Chief Lak returns to the capital in the next few months, the plan will become much more unpredictable. In the worst-case scenario, Thanaus may have to end the plan.
Thinking of this, he shook his head with some regret.
"At this point... if there were a definitive statement that could definitively and completely confirm Mino's identity as a 'traitor to humanity,' things would be much easier—"
Dane scoffed, about to say that such a wonderful thing was impossible.
Suddenly, the air over the entire area shook violently like a landslide or tsunami, bringing with it a chaotic and violent atmosphere, as if the tremors from the sky were transmitted all the way to the ground.
As the expressions of the two people inside the house subtly changed, they vaguely heard sounds coming from the sky in the direction of the palace.
A distant and majestic dragon's roar echoed through the air.
Chapter 313 issues a strong condemnation of Mino!
Above the imperial palace.
The frigid frost fell like snowflakes, causing the ground temperature to drop sharply.
Inside the study, Otta's expression changed, and he suddenly stood up.
"Roar------!!!"
A deafening dragon's roar echoed within the palace, carrying with it an intense pressure and chilling aura, before descending upon the scene. Ota immediately recognized the identity of the uninvited guest who had arrived in the capital:
"The Tyrant of Frostfire, the Frost Dragon King, Calest—?!"
With a fluctuating expression, Otta quickly gave the order:
"Any attack is prohibited! Clear the area. Tuss, Erwin, come with me immediately to meet King Callest. Also..."
Gritting his teeth, Ota added another decision: "Tell Kalia not to come over no matter what."
On the palace terrace, when Ota and his companions hurriedly arrived, the Dragon King Callest was clearly already somewhat impatient and turned several paladins into ice sculptures.
"Compared to last time, your human paladins have regressed quite a bit, Prince Ota."
"They only wear wooden swords with inscriptions, and only a few are fully armored. For the great dragon race, this is a lack of etiquette."
Calester's cold, golden eyes swept over Ota and the others, and he let out a soft breath.
"King Callestor, please forgive the kingdom's slight rudeness." Ota bowed very carefully.
"However, the kingdom has just suffered a series of disasters. Although it has only been a few months since you last visited the capital, the kingdom has already suffered heavy losses."
"Hmph, after all, it's a human kingdom that gets replaced every few hundred years."
Callest nodded indifferently: "I wouldn't be too surprised if you were to perish."
“King Calest…” Ota cautiously observed Calest’s expression and tentatively asked:
"I wonder what brings you to the capital today?"
To be honest, Ota really doesn't have the energy to do diplomacy with the dragon race right now. Although the rumors about Mino have been suppressed and alleviated a lot recently, the famine throughout the kingdom is still a headache.
He was puzzled as to what Callest was doing at this juncture—helping them? The proud dragon race wouldn't be so kind and benevolent.
A vague unease crept into Ota's heart, as if he had forgotten something important.
"The King of Humanity—!"