Chapter 29: Wang Lai acknowledges, Wang Lai bears!

The aura of despair spread across the silent plain in an instant.

Nearly a hundred gazes shifted from shock, to trembling, then to fear,

Finally, they condensed into despair.

They condensed into a bewilderment as if they had been betrayed, and a violent rage that erupted suddenly.

Countless gazes that had suddenly turned icy instantly focused on Su Ya.

Even Lu Kan, kneeling at Su Ya's side, changed expression, thinking, "Is this kid crazy?"

Are his hints not enough yet?

If you call them deserters, what about you, the heir of this kingdom—aren't you just a coward who tucked tail and fled before the conquering king's army?!

What right do you have to say that about us?

The same thought as Lu Kan's arose in the heart of every knight present.

And Su Ya, under this oppressive atmosphere, let out a deep breath, scanning his surroundings, his gaze sweeping over each of the knights kneeling before him,

Then, Su Ya closed his eyes, gritted his teeth, and continued speaking:

"I am not your king!"

"I, too, am powerless and helpless in this disaster, a mere deserter!"

Hearing this, the knights looked at each other, some unable to comprehend, but the chill in their eyes lessened slightly as they listened to Su Ya continue speaking:

"My careless act of leading away the allied cavalry nearly brought me a deadly disaster,"

"But——"

"At that moment, it was Hector, it was you, who saved me in my utmost despair."

"And now you want to call me, a deserter like this, your king!"

Su Ya opened his eyes, a flicker of panic in his gaze, and earnestly addressed the knights:

"I cannot in good conscience accept Hector's excuse that he arranged for me; I merely charged forward to survive, and even my identity—I only just learned of it!"

"Sorry, everyone!"

"As one who aims to be a knight, I cannot go against the oath I am about to swear——"

"I must treat my friends sincerely!"

"Hector, to cover up my guilt, made you warriors share this disgrace with me—I will never agree to that!"

Su Ya gritted his teeth, his gaze sweeping over each knight's face before him,

He suddenly raised his hand, striking his chest, and shouted loudly:

"You followed Hector to break through the encirclement, true warriors who regard life and death as nothing—I cannot let you bear this infamy because of my mistake!"

"So if you are deserters, I cannot be your king and accept your loyalty!"

"A knight may serve a false king, but a knight must never bear the sins of a false king!"

His words fell,

The knights present stared, then lifted their heads; the little-bearded cavalry captain suddenly realized, and, with a hint of reluctance, could not help but speak out to dissuade:

"My lord, you need not go so far!"

"We... we actually also..."

They also wanted to live, and did not want to die.

Precisely for this reason, they deliberately turned a blind eye after learning that 'Hector' was not the real Hector— as true confidants of Hector, having spent days together, how could they not discern the genuine from the fake?

Likewise, for this reason they followed 'Hector', choosing not to expose his flimsy excuse, but instead helping him conceal it everywhere; ultimately, even under that absurd pretext, they chose to follow him in betraying the troops behind them, choosing to abandon them.

At this moment,

Compared to the sincere, honest, and noble heir before them,

they are the ones who are most fully aware, most frivolous and slick, most vicious and cunning!

But, because of the oath they took upon becoming professionals,

the little-bearded knight, no matter how conflicted inside, how guilty, even if he wanted to immediately confess everything,

he simply cannot continue speaking,

If he continues, he will die.

His desire to live outweighed his loyalty to the king, filling him with a deep sense of guilt; yet he could not speak, only murmuring with trembling lips, his whole body shaking, looking at Su Ya with an apologetic face.

"You need not say it!"

Su Ya took a deep breath, directly declaring after defining the matter,

He abruptly shifted his tone, speaking in a low voice:

"Yuse Wang is dead, Britannia's armies are scattered everywhere, the throne is vacant—I never intended to become king, nor do I have the qualification to be Britannia's king."

"But——"

"Now, someone must step forward to change all this, and someone must bear this responsibility that no one wishes to take!"

"I am willing to strive for this!"

"Now, follow me,"

"I will acknowledge your achievements!"

"I will bear your sins!"

"What matters most to us now——"

And at this moment,

Lu Kan suddenly spoke, cutting off Su Ya's words about to burst out, shouting passionately:

"Our primary goal now——is to support the new king's ascension and restore order to the kingdom's affairs!"

"Britannia has the strength to resist Macedonia!"

"Those powerful Knights, heroes, and the heroic spirits from myths and legends together with their Knight Order have not yet joined this war!"

"We've only encountered a minor setback for the time being!"

"And only by becoming Britannia's destined King of the Whole Realm, only he—"

"Su Ya·Pan De La Gong, has this qualification to command these legends!"

Hearing this, especially when the words "King of the Whole Realm" and "legend" were spoken, the half‑kneeling Knights' eyes lit up, and their previously sluggish mood rose to a lofty spirit.

Lu Kan, regardless of how Ya Se·Pan De La Gong turned into Su Ya·Pan De La Gong from that magician girl's mouth, but adhering to his professional attitude as a scammer, immediately began spouting nonsense:

"Everyone, our actions at this moment are righteous!"

"Our king is noble!"

"And our future will inevitably be victorious!"

Su Ya couldn't help glancing at him from the corner of his eye, thinking, "Why does this Ai Ke Tuo differ from the book's description? Isn't he supposed to be silent and taciturn, diligent and capable?"

But why is this person so good at speeches, and why did I get a little stirred up?

Su Ya feared the other would immediately follow with a "hear the applause" line.

And then,

Lu Kan took a deep breath,

dragging the long spear in his hand, rotating its flat tip upward, and cupping it before Su Ya,

"Su Ya·Pan De La Gong!"

"Your conduct is admirable, your will is awe‑inspiring, and without doubt, you are truly Britannia's genuine king!"

Lu Kan solemnly bowed before Su Ya and shouted:

"I vow to serve you unto death!"

As soon as those words were spoken,

The kneeling cavalry gazing up at Su Ya could no longer hold back; they lowered their heads, drew their swords, raised them toward Su Ya with both hands, and in unison declared:

"You are a righteous king!"

"We, too, vow to serve you unto death!"

These words,

Su Ya only heard a loud clatter of dice ringing beside his ear!

【Talent: Legendary Heart, Activated!】

【You successfully performed a small‑scale Scam Ritual.】

【Your 'King (Ex)' path progress (100/100) is complete, conditions satisfied—】

【You obtained a new E‑rank profession: Scammer.】

【You gained profession specialty: Scammer's temperament.】

But Su Ya didn't have time to examine closely,

After casually taking the yellow long spear handed over by his "adoptive father",

He hurriedly revealed the true intention behind the long string of wheel‑talk he had just spoken—

"Ai Ke Tuo, do you know your crime?"

Lu Kan was startled: "Huh?"

Su Ya lowered his voice seriously, yet in a tone deliberately audible to everyone around, he said gravely:

"You intend to have the warriors bear my guilt, letting the noble Knights unjustly endure slander!"

"I will temporarily confiscate your weapon and mount—"

"Punish you to walk and follow the troop!"

At this moment,

Seeing the blond youth before him, increasingly exuding a kingly bearing, give him what seemed only a slight admonition,

Lu Kan was struck by a critical hit to a vital point!

He pitied him; after being taken by Yuse Wang, he endured much hardship yet never received any reward, and the most valuable thing he obtained was this stolen spear!

But he could not refuse; he could only watch Su Ya take his spear and, without hesitation, mount his white horse.

The whole squad followed suit, setting off on the return journey.

Lu Kan's smile behind the mask instantly stiffened.

(End of Chapter)