Chapter 19: Killing a Chi

  Matthew turned his head to g Butler Ralph.

  Ralph approached the nervous trio, ting out the s they cimed to have earned and, uhe watchful eyes of the crowd, hahem over.

  The moment the shining gold s reached their hands, the trio’s ce instantly grew.

  "If they do it, why ’t we?"

  Suddenly, the atmosphere in the voy became tense and strange.

  Ange looked at Matthew with fusion, not doubting him but w why he was doing this.

  "Nobles and lords are not supposed to admit mistakes—that’s been the rule for thousands of years!"

  "Could it be that the lord has his own pn?"

  Matthew, of course, had no idea what his loyal knight was thinking.

  Just as he couldn’t uand why some people, knowing they had no ce of winning, still chose the path of greed.

  vely, these people were themselves up as examples.

  Matthew took a deep breath and asked calmly:

  "Is there anyone else who thinks their tributions weren’t ted correctly?"

  "If so, speak up now, and I’ll correct it for you."

  His words immediately stirred the voy, with many people huddling together, whispering and calg their deeds.

  Only a few remained calm, silently watg the growing u.

  Soon, four more people stepped forward.

  Ralph, with a wry smile, remained silent, inwardly bming himself while coldly ting out the money for them.

  Matthew tinued reading out tributions, as if nothing had happened.

  Meanwhile, Captain Sean, ing the mutated fish-men’s corpses, shivered instinctively and muttered to himself:

  "Some people really have a death wish!"

  "y-ninth pce: Missura. For severely wounding three enemies, you receive 90 silver s. For participating in battle, you receive 1 gold, 20 silver, and 96 copper s. Your total: 2 gold, 10 silver, and 96 copper s."

  "Lord, I killed one of the mutated fish-men! My rade Carmel voue..."

  "…”

  "One hundred and fourth pce: Ralph Carlisle, deceased."

  "For severely wounding two enemies, you receive 30 silver s. For participating in battle, you receive 1 gold, 20 silver, and 96 copper s. A pensation of 5 gold s will be issued to your family, totaling 6 gold, 50 silver, and 96 copper s. This will be sent to your family after we return to the territory."

  "If your family is not yet free, they will be brought to Bay Vilge and giveatus of free citizens."

  The entire voy gasped, staring at Matthew in disbelief.

  "pensation? Will the lord actually pay it?"

  "He will—he’s always honored his promises..."

  "Ralph Carlisle’s family is lucky; they’ll be free citizens now?"

  "The lord is truly merciful!"

  "Indeed, he deserves our loyalty..."

  Hearing their genuine gratitude, Matthew remained calm, quietly steeling himself:

  "I’m not a good person. I just want to survive."

  "And to do that, I must impose my will on the majority."

  "Only then I defeat those gods who see humans as cattle."

  "Only then I resist the endless demon armies."

  "Only then I prevent the world from desding into apocalypse."

  "In the old timeline, you couldn’t achieve that."

  "Now, it’s my turn!"

  "Let’s start with a small goal: destroying the heril Empire!"

  Unaware of their lord’s dark ambitions, t them all onto the train of despair ah, the voy gradually quieted down.

  "One hundred and fifth pce: Hallick, deceased..."

  "One hundred and sixth pce: Zhang Kai, deceased..."

  Everyone froze, staring bnkly at Matthew, waiting for what would e .

  The lord raised his hand aured to Ralph, who had been ready to act, and then, carrying the sleeping dragonling Yaya, Matthew retreated into the carriage.

  "That’s it?"

  "That’s it!"

  "But there were 124 people who fought! What about the rest?"

  "Even if they didn’t do much, they should at least get the 1 gold, 20 silver, and 96 copper for participatiht?"

  "Yeah, what about us, lord? We fought too!"

  "I severely wounded one of the fish-men! The money may be small for you, but I really !"

  "My family’s in desperate need of mooo. Lord, did you perhaps make a mistake?"

  "…”

  The murmuring voices made the atmosphere in the voy strange once again.

  But soon, they realized that no matter what they said, Ralph, standing silently in their midst, did not react.

  An oppressive aura emanated from him, weighing on the hearts of everyone speaking.

  Within tehs, the voy fell into plete silence.

  With his hands csped behind his back, Ralph slowly shook his head, his pierg gaze log onto the most unruly of the porters. His tone brooked nument:

  "Everyone ranked after one hundred ah, step forward!"

  Ralph’s voice was deep and anding, and it instantly shocked the entire voy.

  Only now did everyone remember hoh had chosewo months ago.

  Out of 3,000 porters, he had selected the 100 who had eo the very end!

  The porters who hadn’t been called began to look around nervously.

  Those who had been the most vocal earlier now stood sheepishly.

  Hesitantly, they stepped forward. Ralph poio the 10 or so men and, with a chilling voice, said:

  "Anyone who isn’t from Kalrad, kneel down!"

  After a brief hesitation, all of them k. Ralph sneered, walking forward and grabbing one man in a bck cloak.

  Without hesitation, Ralph threw him into a nearby mud pit, his voiing as he revealed the information Matthew had given him:

  "This man was not only cowardly but, uhe other 16 who were disqualified from being soldiers, he caused the death of his rades!"

  The voy erupted in shock, everyoaring at Ralph in disbelief. The man in the mud, Kalrado, colpsed in despair.

  Now, everyone uood that Ralph had spokeruth. They gred at Kalrado with disgust and hatred.

  Every fighter naturally despised someone like Kalrado, who had caused the death of his rades.

  Kalrado’s face turned pale as he shook his head desperately, shouting at the top of his lungs:

  "It’s not true! I didn’t do it! This is snder!"

  "Snder? I’m sure someone saw his as."

  "Of course, we don’t need ao step forward—the facts speak for themselves!"