NOVEL NEXT Chapter 83 False Victory
In front of the guild, above the stairs, stood Duchess Marian alongside Dantalian and the other girls.
"Miss Duchess, is what you're saying true?" asked a bewildered villager, a man with black hair holding a basket of fruits.
"That monster was truly killed?" asked a woman, cradling a baby in her arms, unable to contain her joy.
"What fantastic news! That scumbag got what he deserved. Who in their right mind goes around punching people for no reason?" The man standing next to him, using a piece of wood to support himself, spoke these words.
"And there's the answer. He had no conscience; he was completely insane," said the brown-haired man beside him.
Applause could be heard, and it was a blonde-haired woman who initiated it. "Everyone, everyone, look at me!" Once she managed to capture their attention, she continued without giving anyone a chance to interfere. "What are we doing? We should be thanking the Duchess. Even with all of us pursuing her, she still saved us from a worse fate. Who knows what would have happened if she hadn't intervened?"
"She's right," spoke one of the villagers.
"Yes, we were fools to believe in rumors so easily," said one of the villagers.
A wave of applause began, and everyone started praising Duchess Marian's name. Then, a child in the midst of it all spoke up.
"But wasn't it Mr. Dantalian who did all this?" After speaking, the child returned to eating the piece of bread in their hand.
A smile formed on Dantalian's face, and alongside him, Freytan, Echidna, and the other girls also smiled.
"What are you saying, child? You can't say that in front of the Duchess, you know? It was she who ordered Mr. Dantalian to do all this," said the woman next to the child, sweating nervously, concerned about the Duchess's reaction.
"That's right! If it weren't for the Duchess, Mr. Dantalian would have never come here," said a middle-aged man standing a few meters in front of the child.
A murmuring started, and gradually, various opinions emerged. Some even went so far as to claim that it was all staged, and unbelievably, they were correct, but it wasn't the Duchess who orchestrated it.
The Duchess clapped her hands and spoke, "My dear villagers, let us not compound the mistake by fighting amongst ourselves at a moment of such happiness. A potential crisis has been averted."
'A crisis?... Now that I think about it, what would have happened if the Duchess had died?'
'What if someone worse had taken her place?'
'Would her daughter make a good Duchess?... But if her mother were to be killed, the daughter would be too. So, what would happen?'
Duchess Marian clenched her fists in frustration. 'I can't believe I have to do this.' She sighed and then cleared her throat before speaking.
"Everyone, please pay attention. Unfortunately, I couldn't do anything; the power of that creature was beyond my abilities. It was only with the help of Mr. Dantalian and his servants, along with my daughter, that everything was resolved. So I ask you all to give them the proper recognition," Marian spoke, smiling with her hands clasped together, appearing as if she were a saint. But in her mind, the only thing that crossed her thoughts was, 'I'm going to kill you, you child. Who told you to open your mouth?'
"If the Miss is saying so."
"Thinking about it, it does make more sense. After all, Mr. Dantalian was hunting that aberration before coming here, right?"
"Yeah, exactly. It was because of that he managed to uncover the truth behind the false rumors."
"Mr. Dantalian is not only our hero but also Miss Marian's, haha."
"Long live Mr. Dantalian!"
"Hurrah for our hero!"
"Did he come out of some legendary book?"
"It must be that. In such a short time, he has already accomplished so much."
"Mr. Dantalian is someone who will save this world."
"Everyone, let's save our hero!"
'What's going on in your little head, Miss Marian, haha?' Dantalian thought, taking a few steps forward.
' You bastards them all. How can they even stop calling me by my title? Looks like I'll have to teach them a lesson later,' Marian thought, standing still with a smile on her face as she watched Dantalian approach the villagers.
'Everything I've done so far, all these good deeds make me a hero? What a joke. This is just a culmination of achievements. Who would doubt me now? The power of my words has just increased.'
Dantalian descended halfway down the stairs in silence, looking ahead.
Meanwhile, Marian looked at her daughter, who maintained a smile on her face. Taking a few steps to the side, Marian whispered to Echidna, "Why don't you join them too? After all, it was you who killed, right?"
"Huh? Oh, you misunderstood, Mother. I just helped a little. It was Miss Freytan who delivered the final blow, and she is Mr. Dantalian's servant. So let him enjoy the moment because it's not every day that a guild master receives so much love, hehehe." Echidna stopped clapping, looking at the girls and shouting, "What is the name of our hero, my people?"
Before the villagers could start speaking, Amanda jumped from where she was and landed in the middle of the villagers, raising herself up she shouted, "Master Dantalian, yes, Master Dantalian is the hero of all!"
"Come on, Master Dantalian is the best, Master Dantalian crushes all enemies quickly!"
Fiona and Freytan laughed as they watched the scene, while Echidna simply smiled, thinking, 'Oh my, how much love does this woman have?' until she started laughing too.
However, to their surprise, all the villagers began to imitate, shouting and pointing out how good and strong Mr. Dantalian was.
'Oh no, what happened here? You bunch of sheep!' Dantalian thought, feeling suffocated by all the exaggerated praise. His eyes looked ahead and he saw Amanda jumping with joy, saying, "This is what you deserve, Master, be their hero."
'Ahhhhhhh, I thought this would never happen again,' Dantalian screamed internally, having flashbacks of his old life when he would attend events as a special guest or simply go out for fun, only to be chased by an army of teenagers and children. Even when disguised, he was always recognized and went through the same ordeal he is currently experiencing, sometimes even worse.
'Damn, why do I have to be so attractive?' Dantalian thought.
"Master Dantalian, if you need anything, just let me know, okay?"
"If you want to have some fun, I'm single, Master Dantalian."
"If you're hungry, I can make a delicious meal."
"After enjoying this lady's food, you could come to my place for dessert, hehe."
"Master Dantalian, teach me to be as strong as you."
Dantalian took a deep breath and sighed, clapping his hands and saying, "Guys, please calm down for a moment. I'm a bit overwhelmed by hearing so many people at once. Could you all please be quiet?"
"Because you know what? Personal space is important, even though I love all of you and did all of this to protect everyone. I ask that you stop and listen to me now, alright?" Dantalian spoke, taking a few steps back and climbing the stairs to the top again, sighing.
' I've lost the habit...' Dantalian thought.
Dantalian sighed and looked at all the villagers in silence as he had requested. "That's right, very obedient," he thought.
"My dear friends, as I mentioned, I have something important to say to all of you. Tonight, we will have a grand celebration to commemorate your reconciliation with the duchess. Let's be honest, there's no one better than this woman to take care of you," Dantalian paused briefly to catch his breath before continuing. "Not only that, but we will also celebrate the fact that we have averted a future crisis and now have a fresh start with our beloved duchess, who will be even better for all of you. Let's turn this region into our little paradise. I ask that you all support her and ignore anyone who tries to tarnish her name again. You know it's always the same kind of person, that ice aberration."
A silence fell over the place as the villagers absorbed everything Dantalian said, only to start cheering again, praising Duchess Marian and Dantalian.
"Duchess Marian is like a mother to us, right?"
"Hahaha, when we're in danger, she calls for a hero."
"If our hero says it, then from now on, we'll help make this place better."
"If Master Dantalian supports you, we'll support you forever."
' Keep it up, spread this false victory to her ' Dantalian thought.
"And don't forget, if you leave this place and someone asks, tell them about this occasion and how our esteemed duchess resolved it," exclaimed Dantalian when he noticed Marian by his side, whispering.
"Why are you doing this? You're acting like a little puppy now, aren't you?" she whispered.
' Look at you being so cheeky ' Dantalian thought.
As Dantalian waved to the villagers, he whispered, "None of that, or have you forgotten our agreement? The more power you have, the more power I'll have too."