Blasphemy
Chapter 17: The Slander
In the early winter, Le Mans is calm with gentle warmth. The old trees in the city swayed in the cold wind and occasionally dropped withered leaves. The mountain dwellers who had been working hard for a year had already started to enter the winter holidays. Hunters sometimes go to the mountains to hunt for their wives and children. The mountain people were simple and earthy, but very strong in the harsh environment of life.
The warm winter sun shone on the crowd gathered in the town square. The mayor of the old town, Ian, was giving an emotional speech. The magic loudspeakers allowed the weak mayor's voice to be heard by everyone. Ian rarely wears a magician's cloak. The last time he wore this magician robe was thirty years ago when he was still a spirited adventurer.
“Gentlemen, I've been mayor of Le Mans for twenty years. The peace of our city has never been damaged in all this time. We work hard to build a warm home with our own hands, loving our wives, raising our children. We fight floods, droughts, and monsters. The scars on our bodies are a sign of those struggles, of pride as men. We never back down in terms that threaten our wives and children because we are protecting the homeland of the generation we live in, because we are proud mountain folk!”
There was a loud applause. Ian paused for a moment before continuing. “But now this peace will soon be broken. Some despicable and ruthless nobles claimed to be the rulers of this land. This land belongs to us, this land belongs to the people of the mountain. And these nobles will not only take our land, they will also take the last loaf of bread from our hands, the last apple of our children. Those nobles!”
Ian paused for a moment then said loudly. “Asking our family to pay tax of five gold coins every year.”
A female cry sounded followed by a man's angry shout. “Kill those nobles!”
“They're back in the capital!”
“No one can take our land!”
There was a sharp child's voice. “Damn the nobles!” There was a burst of laughter, the mother of the child blushed and strangled the brat.
Ian waited for everyone to shut up before continuing to say, “When I first arrived in this city, Bam was not yet good at climbing trees.”
The tall blacksmith clad in cloth was half lying on a stretcher and laughing in embarrassment.
“But these nobles hurt him once they got here. They also teased the most beautiful girl in the city. Our wives and daughters suffer indescribable humiliation!”
Some young girls sniffled.
“Not only that, let's see what they've done to my son, Guta!”
Guta came out to be swept by two sturdy young men. The townspeople silently stared at her strap-filled ankles, tattered clothes, and her decaying face. The most terrifying thing was the porters mark stamped on his face.
“How can those nobles turn the people into coolies at will?”
A young girl approached while crying. She is Guta's lover. “Guta, what have they done to you?”
Ian raised his hand high. “Our survival is no longer guaranteed! Our wives and daughters are threatened with desecration! I–Ian, level ten– magicians will challenge those nobles! This business will not be finished!” said Ian. His voice then turned soft. “My children, go to the capital and church to beg. Just as darkness will eventually pass, justice will also replace evil. May God bless you.”
The atmosphere in the square reached its climax.
The sound of horse legs rang out, a hundred and fifty knights of ‘Dragon and Beautiful Woman’ rushed to the square and surrounded the crowd there. Even though the mountain people were ferocious, they couldn't help but be afraid when surrounded by heavily armed knights. The noisy square suddenly became silent. The army of Dragon knights and Beautiful Women stepped aside, the noble bastards who were on horseback appeared.
Suddenly, I scream hysterically. “He's the guy! The devil is the one!”
Right now the tall man was like a rat being pushed into a desperate situation by a cat. He was very scared but tried to bite the cat. He stretched out his hand trembling and pointed at the nobles.
Everyone looked in the direction he pointed at and saw Roger who was dressed in black armor while holding a spear axe on top of the horse looking satisfied.
A young man among the townspeople took a step forward and shouted loudly. “What's wrong with Guta that you demons torture him like this? Can a noble turn a person into a porters? Then the tax amounted to 5 gold coins per family! How do we live? You guys should give us an explanation today!”
“Really! Give us an explanation!” I heard angry roars.
Roger looked at Ian who was in the middle of the square, they were fiercely seated.
Roger smiled faintly and ignored Ian, turned to look at the hot young man, then asked calmly, “So you said, how much tax is levied?”
“Five gold coins! How we ...” The young man returned.
Roger interrupted the young man's complaint by shouting, “Toffler!”
Toffler immediately came out from among the townspeople, kneeling on the floor with a trembling body.
“Say, how much tax did I tell you to pass on to Ian?”
Toffler trembled even more, he fell face down on the floor and did not dare to raise his head at all.
Roger snorted softly then took out a magic bullet. The three bullets hit Toffler's scalp, forming a neat equilateral triangle on the floor around his head.
When looking at Roger's precise magic control, Ian couldn't help but be surprised and worried. Seeing Toffler acting this way, he felt cold.
“Toffler, the next magic bullet will not deviate like this,” said Roger calmly.
Toffler looked up, his face pale, he glanced at Ian at a glance, then fell face down on the floor again.
“Say, I told you to collect how much tax?”
“Good, good.” Toffle's teeth chattered, he finally said in a small voice. “This year one silver coin per family.”
The sentence provoked a huge reaction. The crowd immediately became noisy. All questions, accusations, and suspicions were thrown at each other. Ian's face paled.
“Then how much did you say to Mayor Ian?” Roger urges.
“Three silver coins, Your Grace. Your Majesty, I was wrong, I shouldn't be greedy! I swear I won't dare anymore,” cried Toffler in tears.
Ian felt like he had been struck by lightning, his entire body was trembling with anger, his lips were shaking, he could not even speak.
The townspeople discussed in confusion. There were suspicious and insulting gazes in their eyes, while staring at Ian.
Franco and Lance looked at each other and admired Toffler's acting ability.
Ian approached, raised his stick and hit Toffler. “Basic criminals! I'm gonna kill you! I understand, you guys colluded.”
At this moment, a young lady came forward and shouted to everyone. “Don't believe in these fucking nobles, they're demons! Toffler's one group with them. He lied to my dad!”
Kate rode the horse forward and shouted loudly, a milk-white inner strength radiating from her body. He put away Ian's wand with his gun.
Kate was happy. Didn't expect anyone to find out in this remote place. His focus was divided, his inner strength instantly dissipated.
Holy knights are faithful to faith, upright and good, more concerned with honor than life. In addition, they are also the ones who believe most in the Most High God. In short, holy knights were like incarnations of justice.
As soon as Kate showed her hand, someone shouted, “Listen to how the knight said!”
The townspeople immediately fell silent. Ian and his daughter showed restless expressions. Although the holy knight was always right, this person was clearly in the same group as Roger, they couldn't help but worry.
Kate's deep voice is heard. “Mr Ian, you said that you were innocent, but Mr. Roger proved that you used an unmistakable way to accumulate wealth. In addition there are those who say that you hid the Snow Silver Fox mercenaries in your home. To prove you're not wrong, may you allow me to visit your home?”
Ian looked at Roger sharply and said, “I've kept my integrity for the rest of my life, so why shouldn't I? But if you guys don't find anything, I won't let this matter pass you by.” After saying that, he turned around and walked towards his house.
Behind him, Roger said casually. “Maintain integrity for life? I don't know who's related to the Snow Fox.” Ian trembled, but he pretended not to hear it.
The crowd surrounded the mayor's small house. Several townspeople were chosen to search the building with Kate. Ian followed Kate with an angry face. After everyone walked into Ian's bedroom on the second floor, they ended their search without any results. Ian smiled mockingly.
“Wait!” Lance, who had the skills of a thief, walked up to the wall and fumbled about it. Along with the sound of ‘klik’, the secret door opens.
Ian sneered, “That's my magic lab, what can you find? If you can't find any evidence, don't blame me for being rude.”
After that Ian suddenly felt a terrible silence in the room, he pushed the two citizens and was stunned when he saw it.
At the opening of the secret door, piles of gold coins, beautiful gems, green emeralds, and magic armor were scattered there.
The simple mountain people had never seen that much wealth, they stared fixedly at those things. In a poor mountain town, the whole population did not eat or drink for a hundred years nor was it able to accumulate that much wealth. The origin of Ian's wealth is unclear. The mountain people remembered about the tax of five gold coins and suddenly understood.
Ian's body suddenly turned cold, the stick in his hand fell to the floor. He knew it was all over.
The mayor's daughter came forward, hugging Ian while crying. “Dad, tell them that it's not yours. Tell them that someone set you up.”
The old mayor calmed down and fondly stroked his daughter's hair saying, “Vera, it no longer matters whether this fortune is mine or not. From now on, I can't take care of you anymore. Remember, son, don't take revenge for me. These people you can't fight. Be an ordinary person and live your life happily.”
The girl was crying harder.
The mayor of the old city saw the nobles one by one. Seeing that they were all expressionless and flat, he could not help but sigh. “Aish, I'm old. New generation repel old generation.”
The old mayor let out a long sigh and walked out of the small building under the contemptuous gaze of the townspeople. The nobles gave way without a sound.
When he came out of the dark building, the blinding sunlight made Ian dizzy. The cold wind made him first feel that his clothes were thin. Winter at Le Mans came early this year.
The old mayor looks old and lonely, the city residents feel sad when they remember their interactions for 20 years.
Vera fell to the floor, staring at her father's back with tears in her eyes and sobbing, her back trembling. He looked at the nobles for help, but the usually perverted noble bastard passed him with a clear gaze, ignoring him.
Ian walked into an open space, turned around and asked calmly. “Who would give me the honor to die in a fight? Or should I kill myself?”
Some nobles looked at each other and were silent. Although none of them had reached the strength of level ten, any of them could defeat that magician, it was just his way of lacking pride.
Finally, Roger brought his axe forward and said, “I'll do it.”
Ian squinted at Roger and laughed lowly. “I have underestimated you. Although this strategy is simple, it is practical and cruel. You are young but so cunning and unpredictable. Your future prospects are unlimited. I've accepted losing in your hands. But the wheel of vengeance is spinning and not fun. No one could escape the shackles of Space Laws. Don't be too cruel next time.”
“Law Space?” Roger repeated it a few times in a low voice, as if touching something in his heart, but he did not understand the feeling and was a little anxious.
Ian fell silent and started to cast a spell. In an instant, a yellow light flashed across the surrounding floor, a thin layer of oil covering the floor. Furthermore, shields to protect themselves from physical injuries had been formed.
Roger smiled, it seemed like Ian was treating himself as a warrior like any other witch. No wonder also, where are there witches wearing armor?
The fatty carefully observed Ian's third magic, but chose not to move.
Two black magic circles appeared on the floor. Two tall skeleton warriors dressed in half-body armor stepped out of the magic circle, a huge sword making two small trenches on the floor. The appearance of the skeleton warriors caused panic among the citizens. Everyone step back. The noble bastards outside the headquarters also frowned and clasped their weapons.
Roger made some simple movements and read in a soft voice, black fog drifting past him. Temptress Moon appeared with a long scythe blade. Only a few days without seeing it, the sickle blade became sharper, the color darkened, and increased a fold on the blade, shaped like a curved lightning, a cold light emanated from the blade.
Roger quickly moved his hand and shouted, in an instant, a speed-enhancing technique was applied to Temptress Moon.
Ian was surprised, he did not expect that Roger was a magician and could cast a spell so quickly. Seeing that the two skeleton warriors could snare each other for a while, Ian hurriedly read the next spell, drawing the magic symbol with two hands, the magic energy at his fingertips left a light in the air.
Temptress Moon from the start was indeed fast, after being given a speed-enhancing technique, she became even stronger. He continued to run around the two skeleton warriors, and occasionally slashed at them with knives, no matter if it hit him or not. The scythe blade had turned into a black aura and emitted a heart-rending sound when it was swung. Facing two skeleton warriors higher than him, Temptress Moon was not at all weaker. Roger made use of this gap to give himself magic armor and speed-enhancing techniques.
When Ian's magic was completed, a small yellow-green light bulb was emitted from his hand and flew towards Roger.
Franco's expression changed drastically, he shouted, “Awas, Roger! That's a decoding technique!”
Roger was surprised, he did not expect that Ian was a level ten mage.
Before he could think, the fat man turned around and ran. The yellow-green light bulb turned in the air and followed him again. Roger ran with all his might like smoke towards the townspeople. The townspeople immediately shouted and fled. Roger rushes into the crowd and catches a yellow dog, then throws it into a light bulb. A yellow-green light bulb enters the yellow dog's body. In an instant, the yellow dog became a yellow-green color. The yellow dog that flew in the air stopped barking, then fell to the floor and exploded into yellow-green dust. A gentle breeze blew, wiping out the existence of the poor yellow dog from this world.
Roger was sweating profusely as if he had just been lifted from the water. Too late, then he's the one who exploded and can't live again. The fatty escaped death, on the other hand, the Temptress Moon party was extremely excited. The sound from the long crescent blade became sharper to the point of a ghost crying in the middle of the day. Black aura everywhere, he greeted the bottom of the two high skeleton warriors. In an instant, their four calf bones were cut, the skeleton warriors fell to the floor and could only wriggle.
Roger was shocked and looked at Ian with hatred.
Right now, Ian had been wearing a magic defense shield again.
Roger cast a spell quickly, magic light flew out, three red light bulbs flew towards Ian. The fat man read nonstop, three red bullets fired, this time a little faster than the previous one, then three more. Nine magic bullets flew towards Ian in a different trajectory. Ian was only astonished, he had never seen a witch cast a spell like this. At this moment, a fire arrow floated here along with nine magic bullets and struck Ian's shield violently. Ian's shield shook violently, a lightning bolt struck and the shield was broken.
Temptress Moon appeared behind Ian like a ghost, flipped her scythe blade, dropped Ian violently, then she became a black fog and returned to another world.
“White!” Roger, who was also exhausted, he spat. The fatty who had just escaped death did not care about his image. “Even I can't defeat Temptress Moon, you want to race to summon a pet monster with me? Goddamnit! New generation to drive out the old generation? I will drive you out of this world!”
