Chapter 118 : Chapter 118

Chapter 118. The Beginning

Fran swiftly used a wind blade to decapitate the man who spoke first.

For her, she had the overwhelming power to crush anyone who opposed her. The reason she hadn’t gone on a killing spree was that it wouldn’t be beneficial.

Recklessly killing everyone would only push everyone into opposition against her.

By acting as she did, she could still make the entire city follow her orders, but it would take more time, and that was inefficient.

Fran's action was quick and without warning, catching everyone in the room off guard.

It wasn’t until Xavier’s head lay still on the ground that the others finally screamed in shock.

"Ah!" The civilian standing next to Xavier trembled, cold sweat forming on his forehead.

"Questioning the will of my god leads to this outcome."

Fran spoke slowly, offering a brief explanation for her sudden action.

None of the civilians dared to speak up in response. They stood frozen, not daring to move a muscle.

It was terrifying. In an instant, their leader had been decapitated, and none of them dared to provoke Fran further.

Had Fran only attacked Xavier, they might have still found courage to confront her, especially with Xavier’s influence.

But Fran’s single strike had easily killed one of them, and she did so with utter disdain.

This made them fear they might be the next to lose their lives, not daring to make a move.

Fran scanned the civilians, and those who met her gaze instinctively looked down, too afraid to look her in the eye.

She turned to the "half-dragons" and commanded, "Take care of the body and move these people to the designated location."

Upon hearing the order, the half-dragons immediately sprang into action. One of them shot a disdainful look at the civilians before saying coldly, "Come with me."

The civilians, now leaderless, didn’t know what to do but followed the half-dragon in silence.

Fran, seeing that the situation was under control, turned and walked toward the center of the square.

Meanwhile, Torus, who had witnessed the entire process, wore a grave expression as he quickly headed back.

---

Torus hurried back to Eugene’s side and explained what he had just seen.

After hearing Torus’s account, Eugene smiled widely, as if he had encountered some great news.

"What’s got you so happy, Priest Eugene?" Torus asked, puzzled. "The enemy is ruthless, killing someone without batting an eye. Shouldn’t we be more cautious?"

Eugene glanced around to confirm no one was listening before turning to Torus and explaining, "I’m happy because our enemies have pushed even more people into opposition, which will speed up their own downfall."

"That messenger did well to eliminate Xavier, but they haven’t solved the problem of the people Xavier represented."

"Their fighting will only intensify, and we can take advantage of that to return to the temple more quickly."

Eugene was confident that he could reclaim the temple from these "lowly" civilians, but he knew it wouldn’t happen overnight.

According to his plan, it would take at least a month. During that time, he needed to rally the civilians, divide the enemy, and gather strength in order to overturn them.

However, the task would take time because those civilians had, with sheer force, seized the temple and decimated the guard.

This act had earned them considerable prestige, and now, everyone was hesitant. No one wanted to be the first to stick their neck out, knowing that the first to challenge them would be struck down.

But by eliminating a prominent leader so swiftly, Fran had created discontent, which would make it easier for Eugene to rally more people.

Eugene turned his head toward the few "half-dragons" stationed as guards on the square, wearing a smile while feeling a deep, quiet excitement within, as though he had already secured victory.

---

The sun had nearly disappeared, leaving only a sliver of the setting sun, and half of the sky was already engulfed in darkness.

At this moment, the square in Monsa City was almost completely filled with people, and every two meters, lighting equipment was placed, though it still couldn’t illuminate every corner of the square.

The crowd in the square was so dense that the light could hardly penetrate, leaving parts of the space in shadows.

Eugene and Torus were squeezed in with the priests’ faction, their faces full of displeasure.

Since becoming priests, they had never had to squish into a crowd like this, unable to stretch their limbs freely because of the bodies pressing in around them.

But they both knew now was not the time to lose their temper; doing so would only give the enemy a chance to further humiliate them and would likely lead to their deaths.

Finally, the sun had fully set, and the torches burned brighter, casting a flickering light over the crowd.

At last, Fran reached the stage.

She surveyed the thousands of civilians surrounding her and raised an eyebrow in surprise. She hadn’t expected the entire square to be packed.

Earlier, she had felt pressed for time, wondering if there might be fewer people since she had only entered the square in the afternoon and planned to speak in the evening.

She clapped her hands, signaling the half-dragons to maintain order, and once the crowd quieted down, she used a magic technique to amplify her voice.

"People of Monsa City, welcome."

"I am the messenger of the god, and I will tell you of the events that have transpired today."

"Today, my god sent me and the people blessed by him to stop the false god from continuing to deceive Monsa. We killed the priests who had been serving the false god for a chance to survive, and we have liberated Monsa."

"I am very happy to share this joyful news with all of you."

Fran’s face was filled with a smile, as though she was genuinely pleased to share such good news.

Her words caused Eugene’s eyebrows to furrow in concern. He hadn’t expected her to speak so boldly.

He had thought that Fran would only suppress the priests, but she had outright declared that the god worshipped by all of Monsa City was a false god.

This was a direct slap in the face to the entire city, as if she was saying, "You were all wrong, and only I am right."

Now, Eugene began to doubt whether Fran’s goal was truly to win the hearts of the people, or if she was merely putting on a performance.

Fran’s words had the desired effect. Nearly every civilian in the crowd looked displeased, and whispers began circulating.

Fran ignored their murmurs and continued:

"Now, let us judge the sinners before the god, and I will show you the great mistakes they have made."

Fran raised her hand, signaling for the prisoners to be brought forward.

The sight of the prisoners caused an outcry from the crowd because all of them were dressed in priestly robes, their bodies covered in wounds, and some were even being dragged forward on the ground.