Chapter 123: Declaring Victory
Chapter 123: Declaring Victory
After the night raid by the Corrupted Venom Spiders, the subsequent operation to eradicate the Beastfolk proceeded without further complications.
To ensure that the other Beastfolk in the Southern Forest did not regenerate unexpectedly, Andre seized the initiative and led the Awakened from the town towards the south the very next day, leaving the northern Beastfolk for last.
The battle on this day was intense.
When a breach was torn through the chaotic Beastfolk on the outskirts, a swarm of Beastfolk emerged, naturally bringing danger with them.
However, thanks to Lin Sai's early warning, the Awakened in the town were well-prepared for this danger. Led by Andre, the powerful Awakened directly confronted the most dangerous wave of attacks, stubbornly holding their ground.
From then on, the humans took complete control of the battle's rhythm.
This continued until the evening of the fourth day.
The Awakened had swept away the last of the northern Beastfolk, returning with a victorious outcome.
The town's residents had already gathered on the gravel road, eagerly awaiting their return.
On this cold winter day, the townspeople crowded together, their dense gazes filled with anticipation, curiosity, and respect for Andre.
The Lord, at the forefront of the group, remained silent at this sight.
Andre slowed his steps, smiled at the residents, and then waved his lone arm.
"..."
"We won! We're victorious!"
A smile and a gesture conveyed everything.
The next moment, a thunderous cheer erupted, and the streets, packed with hundreds of people, surged with waves of celebration.
However, in front of Andre, the crowd always parted, leaving a path for him.
Their joy was genuine.
This successful eradication campaign not only ensured the town's safety but also resolved a crucial issue—food.
For four whole days, the Beastfolk within a dozen miles of the town were completely wiped out by the Awakened. These corpses were not wasted; they were brought back to the town as food reserves for the upcoming winter.
The town's residents witnessed this firsthand.
How could they not be delighted? Amidst the townspeople's cheers, Andre led the Awakened back to the Lord's Manor.
He delivered a speech, rewarding the Awakened for their four days of hard work, and then a celebration ensued for everyone.
The lingering clouds of opposition from previous stances were completely dispelled by this success.
As darkness fell, the people began to disperse due to fatigue.
Andre left the manor alone, seeking out Somjin, who had remained unseen since the start of the eradication campaign.
He arrived at the merchant's house and, upon pushing open the door, found Somjin organizing his attire, clearly preparing to go out.
"Lord Andre?"
Upon seeing Andre, Somjin bowed in greeting from inside the house.
The 'Mr.' that had been appended to Andre's title in recent days was now replaced with the former 'Lord.'
The merchant praised,
"I wholeheartedly congratulate you on your victory."
Somjin spoke with a double meaning.
He had clearly conceded, acknowledging Andre's success in both the eradication campaign and the resolution of the town's conflicts.
However, Andre did not respond to this.
Instead, he walked directly into the house and sat down on a long chair in the front hall, his gaze fixed on Somjin.
"Somjin, I have some questions for you."
Andre's inquiry sounded like a muffled thunderclap, his eyes narrowed with suspicion.
Somjin furrowed his brows at this, but he maintained his composure. He politely sat down with Andre and spoke calmly,
"Please ask, and I will answer truthfully."
Andre then revealed his purpose,
"During the eradication campaign, there was something that puzzled me greatly.
"Despite my arrangement of sentries and the spiders' inactivity in the previous days, they specifically chose to attack our forces under the cover of darkness after the first day's battle.
"Soomkin, how did those spiders know about our actions? And how did they manage to grasp such a perfect opportunity?"
"I think this is a very important question!"
"..."
Soomkin's expression immediately turned grim. Of course, he understood what Andre was questioning.
"Are you accusing me of trading with those beasts?"
Andre remained silent:
"As far as I know, a merchant's skills are capable of such things."
"Ridiculous!" At this, a rare expression of anger appeared on Soomkin's aged face. "Andre, I know my thoughts differ from yours, but you don’t need to throw such filth at me!"
"Even if I want to leave this hellhole, I would never do something so inhuman!"
Soomkin was furious.
While he wanted to break through Black Mountain, it was out of desperate despair, a risky attempt.
But Andre's words were clearly accusing him of betraying humanity.
Even to the point of striking a deal with the beasts to harm the town's Awakened, which he could never accept.
Soomkin angrily stood up from his chair, his usual calm and composed tone gone:
"If you want to kill me to stop people from going to Black Mountain, then go ahead."
"There's no need for these baseless slanders!"
Andre stared coldly at him:
"I am the Lord of the Border Town. I will not wrong any of my townsfolk, but I will not let any troublemakers go unpunished."
Soomkin retorted sarcastically:
"So, you, who want everyone to dig their own graves, still want to uphold justice and put me on trial? Ha! You’re quite the qualified lord, aren’t you?"
Andre remained cold and replied:
"I will uncover the truth; there will be no wrongful convictions."
At this, the merchant regained control of his emotions, sat back down, and met Andre's gaze, speaking frankly:
"Since you say so, then present the evidence now."
"If you can prove that I did this, you are welcome to take my head. I promise not to resist."
"..."
Andre said nothing.
He pulled out a small Jade Scale from his pocket and placed it on the wooden table between them. Then he spoke to Soomkin again:
"This is just a routine inquiry."
"Soomkin, did you betray humanity and notify the spider beasts about the cleansing operation?"
"The Jade Scale of the City of Law?" Soomkin looked at the Jade Scale, his eyebrows raised, and his tone was confident. "Then listen to what I have to say and see if it's the truth!"
"I'm telling you now, Andre! I, Soomkin, have not betrayed humanity, nor have I revealed any information to those beasts, and I have not ordered anyone to do such a thing!"
"Do you have any more questions?"
"..."
Andre remained silent.
The Jade Scale, a peculiar item from the City of Law, could determine if someone was lying.
And the feedback from this device—Soomkin was telling the truth.
The one who betrayed the information was not the merchant in front of him!
"..."
Seeing Andre's silence and furrowed brow, Soomkin decided to continue. He snorted and turned to leave.
"Lord, I have some things to do, so I can't stay to chat!"
"If you want to find more evidence in my house, feel free to do so!"
With that, Soomkin left Andre in the room and walked out of the house.
Andre kept his word, said nothing more, and let him go.
The merchant then headed south.
He stopped at the boundary between the town and the farmland.
Soomkin stood there, and in a blink, the excitement and frustration on his face vanished, replaced by a polite smile:
"Lin Sai, are you at home?"
(End of Chapter)
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