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As soon as the innkeeper approached the palace, he was met with a large crowd gathered at the entrance, densely packed together, waving their arms and shouting in protest.
The atmosphere was highly charged; if the drawbridge hadn't been raised, it seemed many might have rushed into the palace and confronted the king face-to-face.
"There are so many people, Old Wang... Where are you?" The innkeeper thought to himself, too lazy to care about the crowd's demands. He was primarily focused on finding his neighbor, Artus Aliwangte, affectionately known as Old Wang.
Searching through the throng, the innkeeper didn't take long to spot Old Wang in the middle of the crowd. The reason was simple: his bald head glinted brightly in the sun, making him easy to find.
Determined, the innkeeper pushed his way through the waves of people until he finally reached the spot behind Old Wang.
"Old Wang, I heard that Motoyasu inappropriately touched the female adventurer who followed him last night. You need to keep an eye on your daughter!" the innkeeper said, concern lacing his words. After all, he had watched Old Wang's daughter grow up, and he felt a protective instinct.
"What are you talking about? I can't hear you!" Old Wang shouted back, looking perplexed.
The noise of the protests drowned out their conversation; individual voices were hardly distinguishable amidst the clamor.
"I mean, don't let your daughter close to Motoyasu! That guy has no shame!" the innkeeper shouted, raising his voice in frustration.
"Huh? Louder, I can't hear you! It's too noisy!" Old Wang replied, shrugging and gesturing to indicate he still couldn't make out what the innkeeper was saying.
Growing increasingly agitated, the innkeeper thought to himself, You wanted me to speak up, so I will! When I first opened the inn, all the guests heard me just fine!
Taking a deep breath until his chest expanded like a balloon, the innkeeper yelled with all his might, "I mean, that guy Motoyasu is a scumbag!"
His powerful voice cut through the chaotic noise, causing an immediate hush to fall over the surrounding crowd as everyone turned to look at him in shock.
Old Wang stared back at him, his expression one of disbelief.
The innkeeper seized this moment to elaborate, "Let me tell you, last night, Motoyasu confronted those female adventurers…"
He went on to use every embellishment he could muster to describe the incident, putting his full effort into ensuring that Old Wang would take his warnings seriously.
Not only did Old Wang hear this now, but everyone in the vicinity caught wind of it.
"Ah-choo! Ah-choo!" Kitamura Motoyasu, unaware of the chaos outside, sneezed multiple times while finishing his breakfast in the palace.
Ren and Itsuki, seated nearby, exchanged glances and silently moved their plates to another table, unwilling to risk their meal being 'contaminated' by Motoyasu's sneezing.
"What's going on?" Motoyasu wondered aloud, oblivious to the reactions of Ren and Itsuki. He wiped his nose vigorously, still lost in thought.
"Master Motoyasu, did you catch a cold yesterday?" a female adventurer next to him asked, handing him a handkerchief.
"It's possible. I was hauled away by those damned soldiers yesterday, and now my shoulders and legs are sore," Motoyasu replied, still holding a grudge over his previous night's ordeal.
"Then let us give you a massage!" offered two of the female adventurers. One began to press his shoulders while the other worked on his legs, creating a scene that was both enviable and irritating for others. It depicted the lifestyle many believed a true hero should possess.
However, this lifestyle also evoked thoughts that Motoyasu's behavior was not only too relaxed but also irresponsible – raising doubts about his qualifications as a true hero.
"Master Motoyasu, is that comfortable?" one of the adventurers asked eagerly.
"It's comfortable, and I feel much better now," Motoyasu said, his face showing pure enjoyment.
"Motoyasu, we've finished eating; let's leave," Ren and Itsuki said, unable to bear the scene any longer. They stood up, filled with contempt for Motoyasu's behavior and prepared to depart with the adventurers who followed them.
"Wait, I'll come with you!" Motoyasu scrambled to his feet, eager to join them.
A group of people quickly gathered at the gate of the palace, overhearing the tumultuous protests echoing from outside.
"What's happening out there?" Ren Amaki furrowed his brow as he asked one of the guards stationed beside him.
"It's just some unruly folks causing a ruckus, nothing serious, my lord," the soldier replied, bowing his head in a show of respect.
"The rascals are causing trouble. We just want to go out. Let's lower the drawbridge. Don't worry, we'll handle it; after all, we are heroes," Motoyasu chimed in confidently.
"Master Motoyasu is so handsome!" one of the nearby adventurers exclaimed.
"As expected of Mr. Motoyasu!" others chimed in, their admiration bolstering his ego further.
Motoyasu puffed out his chest with pride, raising his head slightly as if to look down upon the world.
"If that's the case, then I'll leave it to the three brave men," the soldier said, turning to give a signal. "Lower the drawbridge!"
With the sound of chains clanking, the drawbridge was lowered into place, connecting the palace to the bustling streets below.
Motoyasu didn't waste any time and stepped forward, shouting to the crowd gathered on the opposite side of the bridge. "Everyone!"
However, as he spoke, he failed to notice that the crowd's chants had shifted from demanding explanations for the Pope's arrest to focusing their anger on him.
"Hero of the Spear, you still have the face to show up here?"
"You don't deserve to be a hero if you can treat women so shamelessly!"
"Today, I'll bring justice for the people!"
The noise of the crowd swelled, but in his overconfidence, Motoyasu didn't register what they were saying.
Standing boldly at the center of the drawbridge, Motoyasu raised his hands to silence them, "Everyone—"
Before he could finish, he suddenly noticed the crowd launching a barrage of objects toward him. It was overwhelming; the volume of projectiles obscured the sun as they flew through the air.
"What's going on?" he thought, bewildered.
As the old saying goes, hesitation often leads to defeat. Before he could react, the sheer mass of items descended upon him, engulfing him in a torrent of refuse and rubbish. It felt as if the entire drawbridge had turned into a garbage dump.
Finally breaking free from the downpour, Motoyasu took a deep breath, only to be assaulted by a horrid stench.
He quickly realized what the crowd had thrown: rotten eggs, spoiled tomatoes, rotten oranges, leftover fish bones, and even banana peels crawling with bugs.
It was evident that the people had unloaded all the waste from their homes right onto him.
Motoyasu, now trapped in the stench and chaos, couldn't determine whether it was the foul smells or his own shock that caused him to faint, but before long, he tilted his head back and blacked out amid the 'garbage dump.'
"What in the world did Motoyasu do?" Ren Amaki asked, bewildered.
"Beats me," Itsuki replied as he exchanged glances with Ren, relieved they hadn't followed Motoyasu outside.
They couldn't help but feel certain that even if they tried to avoid the rubbish, there would be no escaping it entirely.
Meanwhile, Jason—who was orchestrating the chaos from behind the scenes—was happily shopping with Raphtalia. They strolled through the market, greeted with smiles and respect from the villagers, blissfully unaware of the tumultuous events unfolding at the palace gate.
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If you enjoy please support me on my patreon Future 80+ chapters at patreon.com/Darkphoenix11
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