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Andy immersed himself in reading about the murder in the newspaper. According to the survivors, a green-hooded man had launched an attack on the Three Heroines nicknamed Three Burning Vagins, who were in the North Zone of the Kingdom, in Temptation Alley. Witnesses told how the hooded man had launched a fireball, which caused a massive explosion that obscured the entire scene. When the smoke cleared, the man disappeared, leaving behind the lifeless bodies of the three heroines. What made the situation even more peculiar was that none of them showed mortal wounds, suggesting the use of forbidden magic.
Speculation circulated that this incident could be an orchestrated assault by the Greenwood Kingdom. Known for their great mastery of magic due to their long life, the elves possessed the great ability to conjure such a spell. It could also be a clear revenge of the House of Dragons for the death of their king at the hands of the three women. The Murk Royal Family communicated that King Alvin Murk would address this event today in the afternoon in the main square of the Town Hall.
The article concludes with a thought-provoking question: could this event serve as proof of the vulnerability of the Kingdom, whose citizens pay taxes in vain? Did the famous heroines turn out to be a facade?
Kevin turned to Andy and asked, "This will certainly be a devastating blow to the Kingdom. They were one of the most powerful humans in the world, what do you think of this, Andy?".
"They deserved it," Andy said flatly, remembering the previous day's mistreatment. Kevin could feel the pain in Andy's eyes as he spoke of his encounter with the woman.
"Can I offer you some advice, as if from a father toward a son?" -Kevin asked.
Andy looked up from the paper and looked at Kevin.
"Of course," Andy replied, curious to hear what Kevin had to tell him.
"Judging by your looks and personality, I can tell that, despite your youth, you've had your fair share of experiences with women. But in this world, being a handsome man does not guarantee power unless you are of nobility or 'talented'. This is a world where the law of the jungle reigns, where the strong prosper while the weak are left with nothing. If I were you, I would put that arrogance aside and simply accept your new life for what it is, 'unfair' like the rest of us in this life."
Andy looked at Kevin for a moment before letting out a sigh as if he didn't understand. "You clearly don't understand me, old man. I'll never be poor or enslaved by women. I've taken advantage of many of them in my previous life, and I don't regret hurting them because I don't care. Throughout my entire existence, I have never experienced the hardships of poverty as you have. My only desire is to be free of this place and return to the comfort of my own home."
Kevin tried to convince him that running away or acting impulsively was futile and told him, "The only person who can take you back to your world is the goddess Veldra."
"Well, I'll find that damn goddess and get back to my world! You damned old alcoholic," Andy said angrily.
"Not even the 'talented' have been able to see it, and yet a 'defective' like you will? Be honest, you're not going back to your world. Besides, from what you've said about yourself in the other world, you don't deserve death like those heroines who just died," Kevin said in an angry tone.
Andy, completely enraged by Kevin's words, spat angrily, "You old bastard!"
__________________________
In the grand Town Hall square in the south, at sunset, a tall man, looking about 40, with a slim build, short blond hair, flowing down to his shoulders, blond eyelashes and a stoic expression was none other than King Alvin Murk, entering the majestic announcement box before a crowd that stretched for miles, accompanied by his wife, Queen Consort Monica, and his twin sons, Prince Simon and his twin sister, Victoria. The atmosphere vibrated with a mixture of elegance and respect as the citizens watched in silence, awed by the imposing presence of the royal family.
King Alvin, with a look of determination in his blue eyes, radiated authority and strength. At his side, Queen Consort Monica radiated elegance and wisdom as she proudly held her husband's hand. The twins, Victoria and Simon, shared the same look of determination, reflecting their parents' legacy of courage and determination.
A deep silence fell as the royal family took their seats on the balcony. Alvin Murk, in a firm, resonant voice, spoke with authority, announcing decisions that would shape the destiny of the kingdom.
"We are gathered here because of the incident with the three heroines!" he declared loudly. "There is no doubt that what has been done is intended to harm our country."
The war against the Greenwood was intensifying every day. The Murk Kingdom had more supporting countries, but not with military power. It was only a matter of time before the elves attacked the kingdom once and for all. Alvin knew this; he had considered negotiating with the three heroines as reinforcement, but it was no longer possible. Now, the only thing he could do was to raise taxes and calm the masses.
"For now, we will raise taxes to improve our weaponry, as the division captains have pointed out to me - we are seeing positive numbers!" The faces of the citizens turned from anger at the tax increase to happiness at the realization that their efforts were paying off, even though it was a lie.
In the crowd, an old, thin, toothless man shouted, "The Man in the Green Hood and the Moby Dick will be the cause of the downfall of this kingdom!" suddenly everyone was silent until one person cut him off.
"Huh? What does this old drunk say?" exclaimed someone in the crowd.
The man who shouted that was none other than Festus, a drunken vagabond who claimed to be an emissary of the Goddess Humanity Veldra. People simply ignored him as if he were a madman, as he was once known to be a powerful magic user back in the day. He was even recruited by the Kingdom for the battle against two of the Greewood's three allies: the Village Orc and Mountain Goblins, known as the Battle of the Rending Abyss, of which he along with one other person was the sole survivor and were deranged to witness the death of his loved ones, all for nothing. Now people ignore and mistreat him, but what stood out about him was that he went naked, showing off his bone-deep body and his undersized penis. His justification for not wearing clothes was that Veldra had brought him into the world that way and that's how he would die.
"Is it true And the dreaded killer of forbidden magic, Green Hood?" asked another citizen.
"My children were near that place, I don't want them to die!" exclaimed a woman in the crowd.
Hearing that name, the citizens began to murmur about the terrible killer roaming the kingdom.
"I command silence!" shouted Alvin sternly.
In an instant, silence returned to the square.
"We have just entrusted the mission of finding the murderer to the most feared warrior in our kingdom, and I assure you that this attack will not go unpunished. For now, we cannot rush to accuse the Kingdom of Greenwood of such an atrocity."
The citizens exchanged looks laden with uncertainty.
"Anyone dares to question my orders, step forward right now!"
Silence dominated the square.
"Does anyone here think our kingdom is losing strength? Does anyone doubt our greatness?"
No one dared to contradict the king.
"We are the only human kingdom still standing, are we not?"
Faces lit up with a glow of pride and loyalty.
"Let us unite our hearts and defeat the darkness hiding behind that green hooded figure and the Greenwood Kingdom!"
"Yay yay yay!" "Long live the kingdom!" "Long live the kingdom!"
Cheers echoed through the square as the king and his family retreated from the platform, leaving behind a sea of determination and hope in the hearts of his subjects.
As they walked through the halls of the castle, Alvin led the way followed by his wife and children. Alvin turned to his wife and said, "My dear, could you leave me alone with Simon for a while? You and Victoria can rest. It's been a hard day." Victoria and Monica dutifully left, allowing Simon to follow her father into his study, where a balding, medium height, well-dressed man awaited him.
"I am sorry for entering your chambers without permission, my king," the man said, bowing his head in a polite gesture of apology.
In response, Alvin simply raised his hand, indicating that he understood. Carefully closing the door, Alvin invited the man to sit in the chair across from his table, and he too took a seat before addressing the newcomer with a question.
"The first thing I want to say is that I deeply regret the death of your future wife, Lord Bill. Is there anything you want?" said Alvin, understanding the reason for the man's visit. Bill Fallward was one of the most important nobles and was engaged to the late heroine Miriam.
Nervously, Bill said, "I thank you for your understanding, my king. The first thing I want to tell you is how wonderful you were in the royal gallery, and the second thing is that I would like to know who will be the man in charge of investigating the murder." Alvin raised his finger and pointed to the man behind Bill, a young man with shoulder-length blond hair and blue eyes inherited from his father, his predecessor Simon Murk. "He will be the man to find the culprit, anything else?".
Turning around, Bill was impressed by the 17-year-old's mana aura and felt more confident; that's why they called him the "Prodigy." "Lastly, I would like your permission to execute the writer of today's article, who says my fiancée was a fraud and not powerful," Bill said. Alvin nodded; he too wanted to punish the man for writing about the tax hike, even if it was true. Picking up a rather large bag from the floor, he handed it to Bill and said, "You're late." Bill took it in his hands and opened the bag, revealing inside the severed head of the newspaper editor.
With nothing else to do, Bill stood up, picking up the bloody bag with the editor's head, fear showing in his eyes as he walked out of the office. Watching him leave, Alvin turned to his son and said, "I trust you, Simon. Find the killer, but go easy on the murders, okay?" As he opened the door to leave, Simon replied, "Understood, Father. I will kill the assassin and once I am done, I will return to the war."