21~ Some people put on armor, only to hide their ugliness.
“Commander大人!” The Blue-skinned Man saw this fully armored man who didn’t reveal a single bit of skin and immediately knelt on one knee, offering his respect.
The armored man waved his hand, signaling the other not to bow, but the Blue-skinned Man insisted on doing so.
“Where does this young lady come from? She seems unfamiliar.”
“Report to Commander大人, these two just entered the city today. Their identities are still unclear, but they are probably not spies of the Empire,” the Blue-skinned Man stated his opinion.
“You two don’t seem to be here to join us. May I ask what your purpose is then?” The Commander looked at them calmly. The gaze that seeped through the cracks of his armor made Tillysha feel an intangible pressure.
“Also, I’m very interested in what you just said, Miss. Could we have a private word?” the Commander indicated towards the Blue-skinned Man.
After a brief hesitation, the Blue-skinned Man gestured to them. “This isn’t a proper place to talk. Please, follow me.”
Tillysha glanced at the fully armored Commander whose face was hidden beneath the metal. They were already in his territory. If he wanted to harm them, there would have been no need for such a complicated procedure.
Yimi still clung tightly to Tillysha’s skirt hem as if that action reassured her greatly.
Following behind the Blue-skinned Man and the Commander, they arrived at the former Lord’s mansion of Mosso City, which had now become the headquarters of the uprising army. Most of the original furnishings remained.
The residential area of Mosso City wasn’t much better than Furnace City. There were only a few more markets, fewer decaying wooden houses, but in the inner city where the nobility lived, it was a world of indulgence.
In spite of some damage caused by the uprising army, it was still easy to see how exquisite the materials used in the construction and decoration of the buildings here had been. The windows were made of colored glass, and the eaves and roofs were inlaid with jewels and enamel – a picture of opulence.
The rebel soldiers guarding the inner city gates greeted the Commander respectfully. After entering the inner city, Tillysha noticed a detail: the damage to the outer city’s houses was severe, while the buildings in the inner city were relatively intact, as if the uprising army had purposely avoided these luxurious structures upon entering the city.
Whoever gave the orders was clear.
Tillysha glanced at the Commander walking in front, his whole skin covered by the armor. If it wasn’t for his character, it was probably because he was trying to hide…
Perhaps this Commander was even less at peace with accepting his new identity than the Blue-skinned Man.
Entering the silk carpet-covered Lord’s mansion, without hesitation, the Commander took the highest and most symbolic position representing the master, a gilded throne that overlooked the entire Lord’s hall, and indicated for Tillysha and Yimi to sit at the guest seats on the side.
The crystal chandeliers in the Lord’s hall emitted a brilliant light, luxurious and dazzling, while in contrast, the cottages couldn’t even afford candles.
“Let me introduce myself, my name is Mr. Keleding Alan, from the hereditary knight family of the Empire.” Keleding sat straight in the main seat and introduced himself seriously, with some hidden arrogance and pride when mentioning his family.
“Pleased to meet you, Mr. Alan. I am Tillysha, and this is my younger sister, Yimi. We both come from Coleman Academy.”
Upon hearing Tillysha say that she is her sister, Yimi, sitting stably in her seat, slightly moved in her heart.
“Oh? Are you students from Coleman Academy?” Upon hearing that they were from Coleman Academy, Keleding wasn’t at all surprised. He had already figured that these two girls were someone of importance.
“Which family do you two come from? What wind blew two prodigies from Coleman Academy to this place?” Keleding could see that these two girls came from the same family.
“We have no family.”
“Oh, is that so.” Keleding didn’t continue with this topic.
Come on, how could someone studying at Coleman Academy be a commoner without a surname? They were probably just being discreet about revealing their family.
Keleding wasn’t the type to force the issue, but he felt a bit uncomfortable inside.
Looking at his current state, any normal noble would definitely not disclose their surname to someone like him.
He was no longer considered human.
Just thinking about it made Keleding a little restless. Even sitting at the symbolic seat of the lord, he was merely an unrecognized ruler by both sides of the factions.
“Miss Tillysha, you mentioned on the street that we have fallen into another cycle?” Keleding’s tone and style of speech were elegant, showing his intention to maintain his human-like behavior.
“Considering you’re an outstanding student of Coleman Academy, I would like to know why you said that.” Keleding looked at his subordinate. “We are the righteous army that rose up to overthrow the corrupt rule and nobility. Guided by the Seven Saints, our goal is to overthrow this foul, decaying tumor that plagues the world. Could our actions possibly be wrong?”
“You two are from Coleman Academy, surely your knowledge is far-reaching. After traveling through the Empire, you don’t still think there is any hope for this thoroughly corrupt empire, do you?”
“This chaotic world requires a complete overhaul.” Keleding spoke calmly yet firmly, and the Blue-skinned Man sitting beside nodded in agreement.
“Before that, may I ask, Mr. Keleding, what exactly are you fighting for? Just for sheer revenge?”
“Naturally, for justice and righteousness, revenge is merely a step in the pursuit of justice,” said Keleding with conviction.
“So, Mr. Keleding, if you truly overthrow the Empire and become the new rulers of this land, what would you do next? Would you not establish a new nation?” Tillysha played with her hair strands, her lips lightly curved in a smile.
“That’s natural. A house cannot stand without a master, nor can a country exist without a ruler. People of virtue replacing a declining king, isn’t that a blessing for the entire world?”
“And then what? You spoke about enslaving those nobles and their families, is that correct?”
“Nothing wrong with that. Let them suffer the consequences of their previous actions.” said Keleding. “When the pain they inflicted on others returns to them, then perhaps they’ll regret their former deeds.”
“To put it plainly, you’re just seeking revenge, aren’t you?” Tillysha propped her chin up on one hand. “Overthrowing the nobles, then becoming the new privileged ones. It seems you don’t detest privileges at all; you just dislike not having them, and most of all, not being the ones who suffer oppression.”
“Miss, your words are a bit of sophistry!” The Blue-skinned Man stood up, sounding highly uncomfortable.
“Sophistry? Excuse me, sir, could you point out which part of what I’ve said is sophistry? Think about it.”
“……… Are those wicked, greedy nobles not supposed to pay for their actions??” After pondering it, Blue-skinned Man couldn’t find any flaw in Tillysha’s argument, yet it made him uneasy.
Tillysha sat with her legs crossed, lazily supporting her chin with a hand, and gently tapping her toe.
She sensed the source of his discomfort – it’s the feeling when your disguise is exposed.
“They do deserve retribution, but not in this form.”
“Of course, I didn’t say you are wrong to seek revenge. However, since you are holding a righteous banner, you shouldn’t constantly remind everyone of your past miseries.”
“Nobles exploit you because you’re weak. But if one day you become stronger than the nobles, you will turn around and oppress them and their families. This is just a relationship of the strong devouring the weak, it has nothing to do with right or wrong, nor does it have anything to do with ‘justice’ or ‘fairness’.” Tillysha continued while observing the subtle changes in Keleding’s and the Blue-skinned Man’s expressions.
Keleding’s facial expression was definitely hidden, but from some tiny gestures, Tillysha could tell that her words made him feel somewhat awkward and unable to refute. The Blue-skinned Man was even more obvious – he didn’t like what Tillysha had to say and even harbored some hostility.
“Miss Tillysha, you are an aristocrat as well, just not from the Empire’s nobility but likely royalty from another kingdom. It sounds like you’re just trying to speak on behalf of your kind,” the Blue-skinned Man sniffed.
“You are a noble’s princess, how could you understand our suffering and despair at the bottom?”
On hearing that, Tillysha was silent. She deliberated on whether she should recount the experiences of her own hunger when she first arrived, when she scavenged for food in the bins.
“I just believe, if you all really despise the Empire’s actions, if you truly won’t end up the same as those ugly Empire nobles when you come to power, you should show us a different approach.”
“If you end up doing exactly what they do once you’re in power, it’s only a matter of time before you also lead to your own downfall. Perhaps…” Tillysha paused for a moment.
“Perhaps, you’ll end up even greedier.” A well-fed person would not react much to a sumptuous banquet, but what about someone who is starving and often goes hungry?
When these poor people, who have never seen much, rise up, break into the capital, and see the palace’s glittering treasures spread all over the floor, how big their appetites would become? The chaos they could cause might even be more severe than if an enemy country captured the capital.
“Therefore, if you only rebel for revenge and the redistribution of power, then it’s a straightforward relationship of the strong devouring the weak. You shouldn’t always complain about your grievances because all the oppression you endured was due to your own weakness.”
“On the other hand, the Empire being overthrown by you stronger ones is also understandable. You oppressing them makes no need to care about their complaints or opinions.”
“……………” The Blue-skinned Man and Keleding both fell silent.
“Mr. Keleding, you said you are from a knight family, so let me be blunt, if you truly care about justice and righteousness, you should first concern yourself with the lives of the common people, focus should be on the public, rather than …….” Tillysha made a sweeping gesture around the richly adorned Lord’s grand house. “Here.”
“I don’t know if you’ve received any related news, but Furnace City has fallen, the uprising of the oppressed led to this.”
“They can raise their swords for their demands, and I think that’s a good thing.” Keleding said word by word.
“Would you be willing to provide assistance to them?” Tillysha’s eyes flickered, continuing with her questions.
“If they are willing to unite under my banner, I would be glad to accept their swords and fight for our common goals and vision.” Keleding said with grandiosity.
Of course, on the precondition that they were willing to join under his banner.
The meaning was quite clear: even for the same goal of uprising armies, there can only be one leader, and that one has to be him.
“Currently, Furnace City has encountered some unforeseen events. A terrifying monster has been released.” Tillysha came to the point. “It will soon sweep across the entire Empire.”
“Mr. Keleding, esteemed knight, would you be willing to draw your sword without hesitation for justice and righteousness, and battle against this monster that shouldn’t exist in this world?” Tillysha put her hands together, her pure eyes filled with hope, as she looked at Keleding, who had been silent.
“Miss Tillysha, since you said this monster can overthrow the entire Empire, I believe even if we were to intervene, it would probably be futile, and…… I must be responsible for those who follow me. Besides, this trouble is caused by the Empire. Why should we fight for our enemies?” After a long pause, Keleding spoke.
“Mr. Keleding, I am not asking you to fight for the Empire, much less for Empire nobles.”
“This is a fight for the thousands of unfortunate people who are in the same situation as you and your comrades.” Tillysha looked straight at this knight.
“Sorry, Miss Tillysha, I believe there are some differences in our views.”
“Our current foundation is still unstable, and our available troops are limited. If this monster is as tough as you say, even if we pour in all our resources and efforts, we will still be powerless.”
“I understand.” Tillysha stood up and slightly bowed, paying a respectful salute to Keleding.
Elves have strong empathy, and even Yimi beside her could feel that this knight Keleding was not sincere with his words.
What he said weren’t the true reasons for refusing help.
The real reason was his own selfishness, seen clearly from the lavish decoration of this hall symbolizing power and his high regard for his family background.
As to this full-body, airtight knight’s armor,
Some people wear armor to always remind themselves that they are knights sacrificing for justice, while others wear armor merely to cover up their ugliness, to hide the fact that they are no longer human, also hiding the private greed and ambition to become king.
Tillysha, who had regained some memories, could see that after tasting the sweetness of power, the private desires of this knight were stirring.
Of course, this couldn’t be said to be wrong.
Knights are human after all, humans have selfishness and greed, pure knights who are wholly selfless probably don’t exist in this world.
Tillysha understood this all, but secretly in her heart, there was still that flicker of hope.
Reality is bone-thin.
