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Andy pored over the newspaper article about the murders. According to witnesses in the area, a green-hooded man had ambushed the Three Heroines—known as the Three Burning Vaginas—while they were in Temptation Alley, in the North Zone of the Kingdom. Witnesses described how the hooded figure hurled a fireball that triggered a massive explosion, engulfing the scene in smoke. When the haze cleared, the man had vanished, leaving the three heroines dead on the ground. Strangest of all, none bore visible mortal wounds, pointing to the use of the dark arts. From that day forward, the killer was known only as Green Hood.
It is Speculation circulated that this incident could be an orchestrated assault by the Greenwood Kingdom. Known for their great mastery of magic due to their long life, the elves possessed the great ability to conjure such a spell. It could also be a clear revenge of the House of Dragons for the death of their king at the hands of the three women. The Murk Royal Family communicated that King Alvin Murk would address this event today in the afternoon in the main square of the Town Hall.
The article concludes with a thought-provoking question: could this event serve as proof of the vulnerability of the Kingdom, whose citizens pay taxes in vain? Did the famous heroines turn out to be a facade?
Kevin turned to Andy and asked, "This will certainly be a devastating blow to the Kingdom. They were one of the most powerful humans in the kingdom, what do you think of this, boy?".
"They deserved it," Andy said flatly, the memory of yesterday's brutal treatment still raw. Kevin could only imagine how grueling that encounter with those women must have been.
"Can I offer you some advice, as if from a father toward a son?" -Kevin asked.
"Of course," Andy replied, looked up from the paper and looked at Kevin.
"Judging by your face and personality, I can tell that, young as you are, you've already had plenty of run-ins with women. But in this world, good looks don't buy power unless you're noble or 'talented.' Here the law of the jungle rules: the strong thrive, the weak get nothing. If I were you, I'd drop the arrogance and just accept this new life for what it is—unfair, like it is for the rest of us."
Andy stared at Kevin for a long moment, then exhaled sharply, as if the words were too simple to grasp.
"You don't get it, old man. I'll never be poor or chained by women. In my old life I used plenty of them and never lost sleep over the ones I hurt; I simply didn't care. I've never known the grind of poverty like you. All I want is out of this hole and back to the comfort of my own world."
Kevin leaned forward, voice low but firm. "Running off or throwing tantrums won't change a thing. The only one who can send you world is the goddess Veldra herself."
Andy's eyes flashed. "Then I'll hunt down that damn goddess and drag myself back to my world, you washed-up drunk!"
Kevin's jaw tightened. "Not even the 'talented' have laid eyes on her, and you—a 'defective'—think you will? Face it, kid: you're not going anywhere. And from everything you've bragged about doing in your old life, you don't deserve a quick death like those heroines who just got wiped out."
Andy's face twisted in fury. "You old bastard!" he spat.
__________________________
In the grand Town Hall in the Central District, at sunset, a tall man, looking about 40, with a slim build, short blond hair, flowing down to his shoulders, blond eyelashes and a stoic expression was none other than King Alvin Murk, entering the majestic announcement box before a crowd that stretched for miles, accompanied by his wife, Queen Consort Monica, and his twin sons, Prince Simon and his twin sister, Victoria. The atmosphere vibrated with a mixture of elegance and respect as the citizens watched in silence, awed by the imposing presence of the royal family.
King Alvin, with a look of determination in his blue eyes, radiated authority and strength. At his side, Queen Consort Monica radiated elegance and wisdom as she proudly held her husband's hand. The twins, Victoria and Simon, shared the same look of determination, reflecting their parents' legacy of courage and determination.
A deep silence fell as the royal family took their seats on the balcony. Alvin Murk, in a firm, resonant voice, spoke with authority, announcing decisions that would shape the destiny of the kingdom.
"We are gathered here because of the incident with the three heroines!" he declared loudly. "There is no doubt that what has been done is intended to harm our country."
The war against the Greenwood was intensifying every day. The Murk Kingdom had more supporting countries, but not with military power. It was only a matter of time before the elves attacked the kingdom once and for all. Alvin knew this; he had considered negotiating with the three heroines as reinforcement, but it was no longer possible. Now, the only thing he could do was to raise taxes and calm the masses.
"For now, we will raise taxes to improve our weaponry, as the captains of the divisions have pointed out to me - we are seeing positive numbers!" The faces of the citizens turned from anger at the tax increase to happiness at the realization that their efforts were paying off, even though it was a lie, but they didn't know it.
In the whispering crowd, an old, thin, toothless man suddenly shouted, "The Green Hood and the Moby Dick will be the cause of the downfall of this kingdom!"
Instant silence fell—until one voice cut him off.
"Huh? What does this old exhibitionist drunk say?" exclaimed someone in the crowd.
The oldman who shouted that was none other than Festus, a drunken vagabond who claimed to be an apostle of the Goddess of the Seed, Veldra. People simply ignored him as if he were a madman, as he was once known to be a powerful magic user back in the day. He had even been recruited by the Kingdom for the Battle of the Rending Abyss, which ended in the year 526 after the Fall of the Demon King—a brutal clash against two of Greenwood's three allies: the Village Orcs and Mountain Goblins. Of the two survivors, only Festus emerged deranged, driven mad by the slaughter of his loved ones, all for nothing.
Now people ignored and mistreated him, but what stood out most was that he wandered completely naked through the crowd, perched atop wooden crates to flaunt his bone-thin body and undersized penis. His justification? Veldra had brought him into the world that way, and that's how he would die.
"Is it true what the newspaper says about that green-hooded guy who uses dark arts?" asked another guy in the crowd.
"My children were near that place, I don't want them to die!" exclaimed a woman in the crowd.
Hearing the name, the crowd erupted in uneasy whispers about the ruthless slayer of heroines stalking the kingdom.
"Silence!" King Alvin thundered.
The square fell deathly quiet in an instant.
"We have already tasked our realm's most feared warrior with hunting down the murderer. Rest assured—this atrocity will not go unanswered. For now, we will not leap to blame the Kingdom of Greenwood."
Uneasy glances rippled through the crowd.
"Does anyone dare question my management as king? Step forward—now!"
Not a soul moved.
"Does anyone believe our kingdom is weakening? Does anyone doubt our greatness?"
Silence held, unbroken.
"We remain the last human kingdom still standing—are we not?"
Pride flared across every face.
"Then let us bind our hearts as one and crush the shadow lurking behind that green hood—and behind Greenwood itself!"
Raising his arm and placing his fist on his chest, Alvin shouted with a heart-rending cry, "Long live the Kingdom!"
"Long live the king!" "Long live Murk!" "Victory!" The whole crowd shouted with their fists raised, tears in their eyes and huge applause.
Roars of loyalty thundered across the square as the royal family descended from the platform, leaving a tide of resolve in their wake.
Inside the castle's vaulted corridors, Alvin strode ahead, Monica and Victoria at his side. He turned to his wife. "Wife, give me a moment alone with Simon. You and Victoria should rest—it's been a long day." The queen and princess withdrew without protest. Simon followed his father into the study, where a balding, middling-height noble in fine velvet awaited.
"Forgive the intrusion, Your Majesty," the man murmured, bowing low.
Alvin raised a hand in dismissal, shut the door, and motioned him to the chair opposite the desk before settling in himself.
"First, Lord Bill, accept my deepest condolences for Miriam's death. What can I do for you?" Alvin asked, cutting straight to the heart of the visit. Bill Fallward was a pillar of the nobility—and Miriam's bereft fiancé.
Bill's voice trembled. "Your words in the gallery were magnificent, sire. Secondly… I want to know who will hunt her killer."
Alvin lifted a finger and pointed past Bill to the doorway. "He will."
Bill turned. Framed in the threshold stood seventeen-year-old Simon Murk—shoulder-length blond hair, ice-blue eyes, and a mana aura so dense it prickled the skin. Known as the Prodigy for his incredible mana level at such a young age.
Bill swallowed and turned to Andy. "One last request, Majesty. I would like your permission to execute the writer of today's article of the newspaper, who says my ex fiancée was a fraud and not powerful."
Alvin's nod was curt. He hefted a heavy sack from beneath the desk, set it squarely on the tabletop, and slid it across. "You're late."
Bill opened it. Inside lay the severed head of the newspaper editor, eyes still wide in shock.
With nothing left to say, Bill rose, cradling the dripping sack. Blood seeped through the coarse fabric, leaving a dark trail of droplets on the polished floor as he backed out of the royal chamber. Fear flickered in his gaze.
Now just father and son in the royal camera. Alvin turned to his son. "I trust you, Simon. Find the killer—but keep the body count low, understood?"
Simon's expression remained grave, his voice steady. "Understood, Father. I'll bring you the assassin's head, then return to the front." He turned and strode out of the royal chamber, his gaze resolute as he set off to hunt the Green Hood—yet bound by his father's command to spill as little blood as possible.