Chapter 231: Historical Turning Point

Only Hela, Dai Niya, Miss Shaliman, and a few others from the queen's side who were present in the side hall at the time knew of Li En's "transformation," and they had all promised to keep the secret; Li En was confident the information would not leak on a large scale.

He had even indulged in sweet dreams for a while, believing the crisis had passed and everything could return to normal.

"Boom!"

In the darkness of night, countless fireworks bloomed.

This was to celebrate victory, to celebrate the survivors who lived through the night of disaster.

Yet, just like in legendary tales, the fireworks were used to drive away the monsters lurking in the darkness.

Li En walked through the streets, where the scent of fireworks and firecrackers hung everywhere.

The continuous explosions of fireworks rose and fell in waves; even the wealthy districts, the noble quarters, and the church district smelled of fireworks.

Whether it was useful or not, trying was never wrong. Even if the duration was short, those shadowy, invisible strange birds in the night had still inflicted terrible harm upon the locals.

Facing a crisis, the strong often respond immediately, while the owls also prioritize attacking high-value targets.

This time, the high-ranking officials and the strong of various organizations seemed to be the ones who died the fastest; perhaps the total number of dead was not large, but many important figures within the city had perished.

Conversely, the common people, perhaps viewed as reserve rations, did not suffer many deaths.

"Demon King, I challenge you!"

"Ah, it's the Heroine."

The children passing by Li En chased each other, but whether they were "Heroines" or "Demon Kings," they all wore those familiar Heroine mask props.

In history, he had never worn one.

"This time, the Heroine actually wore one. Does this count as putting the cart before the horse?"

Watching the bustling crowd and the smiles on people's faces, Li En sighed deeply. He finally realized what he had miscalculated, and exactly what thing had become irretrievable.

"In the despairing night, shadowy demons were everywhere; that was the omen of the Dragon Calamity, the omen of destruction once again."

"In times of despair, the fearless Heroine returned once more; the legend of the heroic soul stepped into reality, she transformed into the morning sun, dispelling the darkness and chasing away the endless nightmares."

"Ah, the soul of the Heroine eternally protects Aetherlin in the midst of disaster; we shall eventually revive."

In the square, the bards were singing; even though the freshly composed lyrics were slightly off-key, too many citizens still gathered around.

They either hummed along or took notes. The citizens, who were usually very stingy with the poets, appeared exceptionally generous at this moment.

On this day of victory, they spontaneously organized various celebratory activities; inviting those bards to compose songs was just one part of it. Li En even saw free pies and beer being served; in the Glowing City, where supplies were not abundant, such a sight had not been seen for many years.

"It seems I underestimated the impact of the Heroine's return."

Perhaps for Li En, that was merely a momentary crisis, but for many of them, it was a life-or-death crisis, the most unforgettable turning point of their lives. Especially since they had been saved by the Heroine!

The Heroine was too fast; if those beast herds had been allowed to roam for another half hour, the death toll would have likely reached tens of thousands. Even so, hundreds of people still died or went missing.

But considering the scale of the city and the level of the disaster, this was already a stroke of luck; most ordinary citizens had only just experienced the crisis before everything ended.

Yet they all saw the burning sword energy capable of tearing the entire city apart, and witnessed what it meant to be a Continental Heroine.

In their eyes, even though the time was short, this was already a magnificent victory, a historical feat worthy of being passed down to future generations.

"Ah, the city of light, the city where the sun rises again; the great heroic soul guards this place, and the dynasty shall rise here."

Li En fell silent. He actually did not care how the bards composed their songs, but he valued more the citizens who were excited and joyful because of those inferior poems.

He had already noticed that something had quietly changed; the people's hearts began to burn, and people began to expect a "future."

The kingdom had once been glorious, but everyone only saw the trend of decline and collapse. For a ship about to sink, everyone probably just thought about how to jump ship, and ordinary people without the ability to jump naturally became even more pessimistic.

And now, the symbol of the kingdom's glory, the former Great Heroine, had returned in the form of a heroic soul. Even though everyone knew this was a miracle that could not be expected again, it was a symbol that "Heaven" still favored the kingdom.

"Perhaps the kingdom can truly rise again."

"If the kingdom suffers a catastrophic disaster again, she will surely return."

Walking along, the people in the celebration had light in their eyes.

To use a somewhat inappropriate analogy, it was like a once-glorious team whose core members had either retired or been injured; a string of consecutive losses had made the fans lose all hope.

But the ace who had once shaped the dynasty suddenly returned and stood up, delivering a magnificent victory.

Thus, many people regained their confidence and expectations.

"The Heroine."

Li En sighed. His opinion of the Heroine had been constantly declining, reaching the point of being a mix of scum and an idiot, and now he had to bear the blame himself.

But for ordinary citizens and nationals, she was still the most glorious banner, the symbol of the kingdom's peak, and the embodiment of never being defeated.

Distance made everything seem overly beautiful.

Previously, Li En had heard many people say, "If the Heroine were still here, our lives..." or "If the Heroine were here, we would not be bullied by other nations." Such words and expectations were so prevalent that even the younger generation grew up hearing them. Now, she had truly returned.

And upon returning, she saved the city.

"Or perhaps, she never left the kingdom, and would always protect us in times of crisis."

When people feel that things can only go downward, morality and the rule of law become increasingly meaningless, and people focus only on the present and their own interests; this is often the beginning of corruption. Li En had completely underestimated the impact of "Heroine Lex" on the kingdom.

Her appearance, in the eyes of the people, meant that the kingdom still seemed to have hope, and their lives might return to the good old days; and expectations and prophecies can be self-fulfilling.

"This will be a historical event."

Li En confirmed this reality. Although it was a bit far-fetched, this final family dispute had seemingly become the turning point for the entire kingdom.

"Crack."

On the widest official road, the Wangshi Sect's royal procession received the welcome of citizens on both sides; some even threw flowers at them. In the past, they would have received nothing but rotten eggs and stones.

The weaker the kingdom became, the harder the people's lives were, and the more they missed the dead Heroine. Now the Heroine had truly returned to save everyone! The people's days were going to get better again!

The reputations of the Heroine and the royal family were, to a certain extent, bound together. When the queen arrived in this city and encountered a crisis, the Heroine's reappearance and act of salvation could sweep away all rumors.

Li En did not know whether the current situation was entirely spontaneous among the citizens or driven by the nobles of the Wangshi Sect behind the scenes; most likely, it was a combination of both.

If it were merely a single incident, the influence might gradually dissipate, but if it were turned into a festival, forming a so-called collective memory, it would completely become a historical event with long-term impact.

"... I received a proposal; they suggested I move the capital. What do you think?"

And Li En himself was suddenly urgently summoned by Dai Niya, and upon meeting, she asked an overly difficult, major question.

You ask me? Who should I ask? Wait, why are you asking me about such state affairs?

"I don't fully trust the others; they all have their own thoughts and interests. Miss Shaliman, aren't you going a bit too far?"

"Ha, is there a problem with me being with my own fiancé?"

At this moment, even her own superior, Miss Shaliman, directly hissed.

Li En felt a bit helpless. His right side was completely stuck to by the snake woman; ever since she found him at noon, she had suddenly become quite clingy.

But this also made Li En sigh with relief. Seeing that Miss Shaliman was in good spirits and mood, he felt much more at ease.

Regarding Miss Shaliman, he actually felt a bit apologetic. Well, quite apologetic.

"Really, why is it always Lex's problem that leaves me to deal with the aftermath?"

"Miss Shaliman! As my chief strategist, give me your advice!" Finally, Dai Niya couldn't stand it anymore. As soon as she saw Miss Shaliman sticking so close to Li En, she felt extremely uncomfortable.

She couldn't even distinguish what this complex emotion was; anyway, she was just extremely displeased, extremely displeased.

"Uh, does this even need advice? Moving the capital has been planned many times; only a fool wouldn't take the opportunity."

The new capital is too close to the old capital; not only are there many hidden dangers, but it also lacks resources and economic value itself.

Originally, many strategists of the kingdom had suggested moving the capital to an area with greater economic and political value.

And the greatest value of this matter is that it can completely stabilize key areas like the City of Radiance, making it the core region of the kingdom.

But the royal family, especially the Queen, had always refused. Under the current unstable public sentiment, forcibly moving the capital would, if anything happened, shake the foundation of the nation.

"It's not 'if', it's 'definitely' something will happen. If our enemies (neighboring countries, cultists, the Church) don't take the opportunity to cause trouble, they would be truly foolish. But before, we couldn't bear the blow; now, we should have the room to withstand pressure."

Borrowing the current peak of public support to forcibly implement and reform this most difficult matter, although it is still a bit of a gamble, the odds of success are much higher.

"You can communicate with the Queen; she absolutely won't miss it. It's strange, why is she in such a hurry to return?" Miss Shaliman was somewhat puzzled. She had originally appeared intending to have a good fight, but the Queen had already returned.

"I don't know either; it seems fighting has broken out again in the old capital." Dai Niya also harbored much resentment toward her mother, who had left as if fleeing a disaster.

A brief communication was enough to confirm the direction; the conclusion the two finally reached was that moving the capital seemed to be on the schedule.

Of course, the premise is surviving this crisis; the deer underground are still waiting to be dealt with.

If the deer are truly dealt with, it will also mean completely turning the underground ruins into a resource point, laying a long-term material foundation for the development of the new capital.

Perhaps the kingdom can truly revive because of this, making today the most important celebration day of the kingdom.

"Um, is there any news about Hela?" Li En finally asked.

"Yes." Dai Niya held her head; regarding that "older sister," she also had a massive headache.

The other party seemed to have no traits of a Xiao, being a pure Dragonborn, and in every way appeared to be her own blood relative.

"She strolled through the commercial district, attended the victory celebration, and even ran alongside our float the whole way... Finally, she sent the bill over."

Saying this, Dai Niya handed a stack of bills to Li En.

"My father pays." Li En glanced at the signature on it and immediately went numb.

(End of this chapter)