Dungeon Defense (WN)

Chapter 262: The Blue Hydrangea of Farnese (7)

Chapter 262: The Blue Hydrangea of Farnese (7)

The people did not rest as they would occasionally shout strongly or whisper quietly among each other.

The question was who they were going to put up as sacrificial lambs.

The upper-class people were afraid that the lower-class people would unite and try to shift the blame to them and the lower-class people were afraid that the upper-class people would try to slander and persecute them. Everyone was aware that this was an extremely difficult problem.

‘No matter who is chosen, I have to make sure I’m not one of them.’

‘You just have to go along with whatever anyone says in times like this!’

‘If you try to raise your voice, then you might end up sticking out and being chosen.’

For example, what would happen if someone stepped forward and tried to press someone else into becoming a sacrifice? They would be able to avoid immediate danger. However, they would return to their normal lives after the war. How would the people around them think of them at that point?

The person who betrayed and cornered another fellow city folk. A murderer who killed another to save their own life……. These kinds of labels would get attached to them for the rest of their lives. In the end, they wouldn’t be able to live in the city.

‘Anyone.’

‘I don’t care who it is, but someone please step forward!’

This was a moment where an instigator was needed.

A person with a loud voice just had to appear and shout. For example, something along the lines of……Everyone! Who were the ones that made us suffer for the past year? Was it the slaves? The normal commoners? Or was it the upper-class folks who own this city and wanted to protect it? The upper class should take responsibility.

Or……Everyone! We have no other choice but to choose an outcome that will incur the least losses within this tragic situation. We must choose people who will not bring any demerit to the city if they were to disappear. That’s right, I propose that we should select 6 beggars.

Any option was fine. As long as it wasn’t them.

“…….”

It was at that moment, an old man stood up.

The old man was wearing clothes that were made from silk. He had two servants escorting him, but the old man waved them back before walking forward by himself. The envoys hastily made way for the old man as he made his way onto the platform.

“……People of the city.”

The old man’s low voice echoed throughout the plaza thanks to an artifact.

The old man was a count. He lost all of the privileges that came with his status after the revolution. Unofficially, he was referred to as a count, but he was now a relic with no actual power who would simply show his face at social events among old people as he waited for his eventual death.

However, a count was still a count.

The old man had a fair amount of influence now that the mayor was dead. He didn’t have much longer left to live anyway. It would be fine if he took all the responsibility and selected the sacrifices himself.

It was now going to begin. The people will start to name sacrifices the moment the old man opens his mouth and gives his opinion…….

“I will die first.”

* * *

“Are you saying that we should choose 6 people to take responsibility?”

“That is correct.”

I spoke to the envoys whom I had called back.

“The sin of resisting all this time and the assassination attempt. I do not imagine you would dare ask for forgiveness in regard to these matters. Nonetheless, I believe the assassination was something the mayor committed on his own.”

“T-Then……?”

“I do not believe we have to actually kill 6 people.”

I patted an envoy’s shoulder understandingly.

“However, we also have our dignity. How would we be able to maintain our majesty before our subordinates if an appropriate punishment is not carried out after such an incident?”

Therefore, I added at the end.

“Even if sacrifices are made, choose only those who volunteer willingly. In the final moment of the execution, we will forgive the sacrifices. Well, think of this as a little preplanned play.”

“Thank you very much!”

The envoys groveled once they thought they would be spared.

I looked down at them.

“Of course, there is a condition to this. The sacrifices must be nobles. It would only put a stain on our faces if you send random people up. Do you understand?”

“Y-Yes! That is only natural.”

The envoys confidently stated that they would make preparations on their own before returning.

* * *

Everyone held their breaths.

What did the old count say just now?

What did the person with the noblest blood in Heidelberg say with his own mouth?

“Proud citizens of Heidelberg, we had carried out a battle filled with despair for the past year.”

The old man’s voice that had solidified over the years was gentle.

“We united while facing the terrifying ends of spears, and even though we were struggling to acquire even a single loaf of bread, we gladly shared our food with our neighbors if they happened to be starving more than you. All people are equal before death.”

The old man quoted a famous aphorism before continuing.

“The path to salvation is now before us. If we were to divide now with our survival right before us after having been firmly united before death, then there would be nothing more laughable than this. People of Heidelberg! The enemy believes that we are all egoists that only care for our own lives, but is this true?”

Contrary to the old man’s gentle-looking wrinkles, his eyes were filled with resolve as they peered over the plaza.

“In truth, are we?we humans, unable to devote our lives for others?”

An unknown feeling of heat started to swell up from within the crowd.

The old man shouted.

“Justice is a flower that blooms with fortitude! Righteous people! Stand for the sake of Heidelberg!”

Two people stood up at almost exactly the same time after those words.

“We cannot allow ourselves to fall for the schemes of those wicked demons. Let us show them the pride of mankind.”

“This is the perfect stage to put an end to our shabby lives.”

A baron who was a part of the envoy group.

A viscount who was also a merchant and had control over the city’s commerce.

They went up on stage and looked down at the plaza. Three additional people eventually stood up as well. Everyone couldn’t help but be surprised when they recognized the people who had stood up. The madam with a reputable position in Heidelberg’s high society, the city’s judge, and the archpriest from the church…….

All 6 of the people who willingly decided to face death were nobles of high positions.

The plaza started to buzz.

Why were nobles saying that they would sacrifice themselves? Weren’t they greedier than anyone else?

The old man nodded matter-of-factly as he received the looks of surprise and confusion.

“Noble individuals must naturally carry heavier burdens than anyone else.”

The citizens were in awe of the attitude displayed by the nobles. They prayed to their respective Gods as they hoped that the 6 righteous people would be blessed.

The morning of the next day, the 6 people walked through the front gate while in their undergarments like death row inmates. The city folk came out onto the streets to see them off despite it being early in the morning. Prayers were recited endlessly on the path they walked.

* * *

“There are two reasons why the Habsburg Republic is being maintained.”

I said as I explained the plan to Paimon.

“First, as we discussed before, it’s the hostility toward the Demon Lord army. However, there is a second reason that is more important than this, and that is the hostility toward nobility.”

“An external threat and an internal threat, I see.”

I nodded.

As a dictator, Elizabeth is enacting a typical, but effective modus operandi. The people would unite way too much if only an external threat exists. A nation where everyone has united could potentially become a situation where the people are stronger than the dictator.

An excellent dictator naturally has to establish an internal threat as well.

From a dictator’s position, it’s easier to rule a nation when the public sentiment is split than when it’s united. By doing so, the nation will maintain a state where they’re decently united but also divided. It’s clear what the goal is for this kind of political technique. Not to unite the nation, but to bring together the dictator’s supporters.

In Elizabeth’s case, she turned the lofty nobles into the common enemy.

“By sacrificing the entire city of Heidelberg, the leader of Habsburg wanted to amplify the Demon Lord army’s position as the external threat.”

I smiled.

“It is our turn to counter. Let us reduce the scale of the sacrifice from the entire city to only high nobles.”

What would happen then?

The mayor wasn’t the one who saved Heidelberg. It wasn’t the military either. The high nobles, who are despited by the government of the Republic, would be the ones to save the city by taking death upon themselves…….

The people would be moved by the spirit of sacrifice displayed by the nobles. There’s little that can passionately move the minds of people more than self-sacrifice. The image of nobles will immediately change within the Republic.

“The mayor elected by the government tried to carry out an assassination on his own and put the entire city in danger. The army which the leader of Habsburg boasts has also only shown incompetency. The nobles would be sacrificing themselves under these circumstances.”

The upper management and military would lose face while the nobles would gain a higher right to speak. In other words, Elizabeth’s henchmen would become weaker while her opponents become stronger.

“……Their leader will not be able to do anything. Regardless of her intentions, the nobles will become the heroes that rescued the city. She will have no other choice but to praise them.”

Paimon muttered with an annoyed look.

“You are truly ghastly when it comes to stratagem. I am glad that you are not my enemy, Dantalian…….”

“Haha. I will take that as a compliment.”

“Do you intend to execute the 6 people?”

I shook my head.

“That would only ruin our image. We will naturally spare them. They are great people who willingly chose death. If we spare them because their display manages to move even Demon Lords, then……. Look. Would this not become quite the good story?”

Righteous nobles and merciful Demon Lords.

Mm, a splendid main cast and a splendid ending. These were the perfect materials to make a great story. Bards won’t have to worry about starving to death this year. I’m not sure, but there are probably a lot of bards who’ve benefited thanks to me.

“Furthermore, living heroes are far more troublesome than dead heroes. The 6 people must live and become living nuisances for the leader of Habsburg.”

“Living heroes are more troublesome than dead heroes, is it……? That is truly a Dantalian-like line.”

Paimon chuckled as if she found this to be funny.

“Has this lady told you this before? You have quite the wicked personality.”

“I’m not sure. This is the first time I have ever been told this.”

Paimon burst out into laughter once I shrugged at her. She folded her fan and laughed for quite a while.

The next morning, the execution was carried out according to the scenario we had set up beforehand.

Paimon burst out into tears and spoke right before the 6 were about to be hung.

“Ah, are these not the most righteous people from the city? We would only lose the already few righteous people in the world if these people are killed, so how could we possibly execute them?”

“But Paimon.”

I pretended to be angry as I shouted.

“Heidelberg has committed a grave crime. They must be punished for their sins!”

“This lady wishes to ask whether killing righteous people is the right thing to do. Even if we have been divided between demons and humans, but is there a divide in the righteousness pursued by both demonkind and humanity?”

Paimon’s face became soaked in tears.

“This lady will forgive these people. Righteous people! As you have saved this city and shown the world that righteousness still exists, I, Paimon, wish to bestow upon you my respect. You will all be remembered throughout history for your devotion to noblesse oblige.”

The 6 people were released.

They already knew that they were going to be spared. That’s why they stood up to be sacrificed.

Be it this side or the other party, we were all in on this since the beginning. They thanked Paimon over and over again as they said that she would be the one remembered throughout history.

The noblesse oblige mentioned by Paimon on this day started to trend as it was uttered many times again by bards later on. This is how history works.

How unfortunate, Elizabeth. If I weren’t here, then things might’ve gone your way.

But how many things in life truly go your way? You should take this as a good life lesson.

People should be modest, after all.

***

TL Note: Thanks for reading the chapter. I have not been getting enough sleep lately. It’s gotten to the point where the top left corner of my left eye would start twitching all day. It’s not even like I’m missing out on a lot of sleep. It’s just me sometimes sleeping only 6 hours a night. I think it might be the coffee I drink after not getting enough sleep. Welp, in any case, I hope everyone gets some proper rest. Back to playing most Lost Ark for me B)

I’ll see you guys in the next chapter.