“Brothers, as you all know, I am a devout priest, so I would never lie.”
“Every word I speak from now on is true.”
“Everyone present, I declare that whatever you can fit on your person is yours to take as spoils of war.”
“I will personally go to His Majesty and explain everything. You have absolutely nothing to worry about.”
“So, do you understand? Knights, we are not here to plunder, but to fight for our own wealth! Show your agility from the battlefield, every single coin in this area is ours!”
“Slay any who dare to obstruct your quest for riches! Charge!”
These naked and cold words weighed heavily on the knights who were poised for action.
It was easy to imagine how devilish these knights would become.
The order was given.
Before the people inside the noble doors behind the barriers could react.
The knights, promised riches, were blinded by greed.
Their towering horses clad in armor ignored all obstacles.
In a single charge, they smashed through the surrounding walls.
The nobles who were still waiting for news in their families screamed and scattered in terror.
They knew what had happened yesterday.
And this was Rome.
What else could a sudden cavalry charge signify?
Their families were doomed!
Though some nobles tried to resist.
They were wielding wooden sticks or pitchforks, a joke at best.
A few knights charged forward.
The resistance of these people was like fish on a chopping board.
They struggled, but to no avail.
Women, boys, even the elderly who had long been pampered.
All were slaughtered one by one under the cold, merciless blades of the knights.
Standing on the nearby street, riding his red steed.
Ning Cuo felt no emotion.
Tolle, guarding him, was alert, prepared for any unexpected event.
Only Jeanne seemed troubled, but she said nothing.
Ning Cuo glanced at her, but didn’t say a word.
Reality would provide her with the answers.
These nobles may seem pitiful now.
But the common people who died at their hands were undoubtedly a thousand times more tragic.
Some sharp-eyed individuals saw Ning Cuo dressed in the garb of the Church and cried out for help.
They sought salvation.
“God help us!”
“No…no! Please! I beg you!”
“You preach kindness! Why don’t you save us?”
However, their cries for help were destined to fall on deaf ears.
One needed only to glance around to understand why.
Because even the Roman citizens who had come to watch the spectacle had the same contented smiles on their faces.
It was as if they wished they could get their hands on the nobles themselves.
Nobles who could live in Rome must have been born into families of considerable wealth.
However, these people had no lofty standards or morality.
They would fawn over more powerful nobles.
But they would turn around and squeeze the marrow from these weak citizens.
When they swaggered and flaunted their power, no one dared to provoke them.
But now that they were suffering.
Don’t blame people for kicking them while they’re down.
Moreover, what was happening was exactly as Ning Cuo had anticipated.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have made such a promise.
A thousand knights could hold a considerable amount of wealth.
But in the face of such absolute gain.
Ning Cuo didn’t even need to lift a finger.
He merely had to open his mouth and speak a few words, and he could rely on these people's strength to kill these nobles, who were already condemned to death, and eliminate any remaining threats.
It was just a matter of money. If they lost it, they could earn more.
One of the noble ladies was quite clever.
She looked at Ning Cuo, who sat on his horse with an impassive expression.
Having spent her days in various decadent gatherings, she quickly shifted her target to Jeanne, whose complexion seemed a little off.
She practically threw herself at Jeanne’s horse, crawling on her hands and knees.
She clung to Jeanne’s leg, weeping profusely, making sure to appear pathetic.
At this moment.
She was nowhere near her former proud self.
Tolle remained unfazed. If this woman had managed to get here, it was because Ning Cuo had silently approved.
He would have cut her in half on the road if he hadn’t.
Ning Cuo's purpose was simple.
It was to let Jeanne see the true nature of these people.
Jeanne, bewildered, looked at Ning Cuo with a pleading gaze, as if she had been moved.
Ning Cuo lowered his head and pointed to the surroundings.
Then Jeanne was as if she had opened the door to a new world.
All she saw were countless Roman citizens, packed tightly together.
Their eyes were filled with hatred, pain, madness, as if they wanted to devour the noble lady who was clinging to her leg alive.
“Do you see? If she had done even a single good deed, wouldn’t one of these people stand up to help her?”
“Jeanne, kindness is a good thing, but unnecessary kindness is a bad thing.”
Having said that, he didn't care what would happen next.
He patted his red steed, watching the knights as they continued to fight.
The nobles, who had hoped for salvation, didn't get the words they longed for.
But instead, they faced a cold, merciless death.
“Knights, move quickly, the wealth is before your eyes. Remember, the Emperor might send someone new at any moment. These ill-gotten gains rightfully belong to us. But if you are too slow, it means you are not destined for this wealth.”
Hearing these words, all the nobles felt a tightness in their chests.
Their eyes widened. This was the priest who spoke of faith in God.
Where was your mercy? Where was your forgiveness?
But the knights who heard these words immediately moved faster, replacing their swords with charging lances.
The glint of the cold metal made the air around them seem to stagnate.
“No…no! Please, no!”
The voice came from behind.
It was Jeanne who had acted.
The noble lady, who had been so pathetic just moments ago, was now a cold corpse.
Watching Ning Cuo and Tolle leave.
Only Jeanne was left, her mind still reeling.
The noble lady thought she had found her chance.
But this was also a deliberate act by Ning Cuo.
She secretly drew the sword from Jeanne’s horse.
She wanted to kill Jeanne and escape on horseback.
Unfortunately, her fantasy was just that, a fantasy.
After all, Jeanne had begun to awaken her bloodline.
Although she wasn’t yet at the level of a “Hero.”
She was already beyond the reach of ordinary soldiers.
In the blink of an eye.
She killed the noble lady right then and there.
She gave a slight sneer.
Ning Cuo took a large bag of coins from Tolle, who had retrieved it.
The honest and simple man hadn’t considered keeping any for himself, and instead, loyally handed them to his lord.
Ning Cuo took out a single gold coin, which gleamed brightly in the sunlight.
He weighed it in his hand.
It was heavy, a feeling of peace.
…
ps: I've written so many words, and this is my first time speaking out. Could you dear readers please support me with some data, be it flowers, monthly tickets, review tickets, or anything else. It's the motivation for a humble author to keep writing. QVQ The data is really bad, woo woo woo.