The Devil Does Not Need to Be Defeated

It has to be said. At this point, the entire focus of the audience has already completely changed.

No, it should be said that it had changed again.

Originally, this was a reward ceremony for those who have achieved contributions.

Then, due to the personal schemes of various high nobles, this award ceremony had tuned into a political battlefield.

But now, due to Shien, this battlefield had then turned into an award ceremony again, only this time, it's one where everyone was begging Shien to accept his reward.

That's right.

In the end, all the nobles have already started begging Shien to accept his reward alongside Ancil.

It can't be helped. They're going to collapse if Shien doesn't accept.

From start to end, Shien kept an attitude of refusing to accepting the reward no matter if he deserved it or not. And he'd spew out a ton of arguments in the name of justice and the greater good. It's to the point where he was acting like a saint, where he was only a step away from ascending on the spot and becoming a messiah instead.

And under Shien's righteous rhetoric, the nobility felt like they were being brainwashed, given that even they've started getting righteous urges to sacrifice themselves for the good of the nation.

This seriously scared quite a few of the nobles. They furiously shook their heads, unwilling to accept those super brainwashing righteous rhetorics. But the rhetoric out of Shien's mouth came over and over, and with no repeats at that. It seriously started shaking everyone's hearts despite their stubborn defense.

In this situation, some of the nobles even started getting a feeling of shame in the belief that they haven't contributed at all to their country, that they're just worthless parasites who's continued life is a complete waste of resources. This terrified those nobles all the more.

Thus, they had already stopped caring. Right now, all that's important is preventing their souls from getting utterly converted.

Thus, everyone started begging at and convincing Shien. However, Shien just forcibly refused with more rhetoric of selfless service. It's to the point where even the pope Joule's faith was nearly starting to shake.

As the whole thing got near the end, Ancil even had the urge to just forcibly push the title of nobility onto Shien.

But at that moment, Shien still had more to say.

"No, you mustn't. There are still far too many questions remaining with this matter. You can't deny that I'm suspicious. His grace the Duke said so after all, and everyone was agreeing just a moment ago too. How can you possibly deny that?"

"What? You say that there's no way that a spy would kill members of the Old Demon Faction? You're overthinking it. Baydr was merely one of the Old Demon Faction branches after all, and he's even basically fallen by now at that. If they could insert a spy into the Kingdom's governance just by sacrificing an already fallen branch of the Old Demon Faction, then the other branches of the Old Demon Faction would definitely be happy to do just that."

"Therefore, you mustn't allow a suspicious person like me to become a noble. You can just hand me a few magic books as a reward and dismiss me that way."

Shien's words stunned everyone. It also made Bali show a dark and ugly expression.

That's because Shien's words had basically pointed everyone's hostility right toward Bali.

"It's all Duke Stalim's fault. Why'd he have to make such a big deal out of nothing?"

"Yeah."

"So what if that devil gets his reward? What's the big deal?"

"Even if he's made a noble, he'd only be the lowest baron after all. What's the harm to us?"

"To princess Lucilosti, a baron rank noble is basically no different from a normal adventurer. There's no way that she'd end up closer to him just because of a baron rank, right?"

"If we'd known this ahead of time, we should have just let him have this reward."

"All this really is self-afflicted harm in the end."

For those nobles, some started blaming Bali and some started regretting their own actions. Compared to their attitude at the start, it was like the difference between heaven and earth.

In the end, while Bali was being constantly drowned in blame, Ancil was also stunned by Shien's words to the point where he was speechless, completely unable to grant Shien a noble rank anymore.

Since the other side has already gone this far, it's not like he could just force the noble title onto Shien anymore, right?

If that happened, then wouldn't the Kingdom's noble title turn into a payment for damages?

Thus, in the end, even Ancil was nearly brainwashed by Shien to the point of nursing a massive headache. Thus, he hurriedly ended the audience.

Indeed.

This audience was in the end ended in such a hurry thanks to the whole debacle.

And the result of the audience was also very simple.

Balon and his group got their rewards. Some were granted valuable magic weapons, items, or potions. Some were granted wealth, or money in other words. Thus, they were taken care of.

Shien was the same. Via the King's will, he already received the right to enter the magic book library under the palace, and he was allowed to go through all the collected tomes that have been collected from the Kingdom and various places in the rest of the world. It was not lacking in magic books on rare types of magic, and other than the restricted library holding taboo books, Shien is allowed to learn as he wish. He's only disallowed from doing any copying, nor was he allowed to take any books out. This privilege will last for a full month.

Besides that, the temple and the demons will also give Shien rewards for his actions as thanks.

The temple granted Shien a certain privilege. He was allowed to enter the inner sanctum once.

The demons on the other hand gave him a very rare magic staff. It's value is supposed to be quite something.

"As the representative of the temple, I'll welcome Sir Shien to come at any time."

Joule continued to speak to Shien in his usual kindly manner.

"Shien is it? Hn. I'll remember this name."

Jacinta just smiled at Shien and left those words before leaving.

Besides them, the first princess Liadella had also came for Shien after the audience was over.

"You really are an interesting man. If you have some time free, then come spend some time at my apartments as well."

That princess showed Shien a smile before leaving with a cold looking female knight in tow.

The rest of the noble couldn't wait to get away from Shien. They're in a hurry go back home and read some basic educational books for the nobility in order to bring their minds back from nearly getting brainwashed into becoming saints. Thus, they also left as if running away.

Bali had also disappeared at some point.

Shien was obviously quite happy with himself. He left the audience room alongside the difficult looking Vivian.

Only, just before he left, Shien felt a gaze filled with strong hostility focused on him.

Shien stopped his motion and looked back, but all he saw was the still assembled knights of the royal knights.

And the previous gaze and hostility had completely vanished.

Shien narrowed his eyes and smiled.

"Well, you'd better not try to make trouble for me again."

The setting for today was far too official, and fighting wasn't allowed. That's the only reason why he bothered to debate against them for so long.

If it was a different setting though…

"Then don't blame me, alright?"

Shien muttered such words before turning about and leaving.

Only then did a certain young knight standing near the front among the royal knights finally shift his gaze once more toward the direct that Shien had left. Then he turned to look toward Lucy who was chatting with Lia. All the while, one of his hands shook.

If one was to look carefully, they'd have noticed that said hand was clenched so tight that it had started bleeding.

Crimson blood dripped down, a reflection of that handsome knight's face.

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