LIGHTNOVELSTORY chapter 24
Chapter 24: Words Once Spoken Are Like Water Spilled
All things in the world are relative; where there is prosperity and light, there will also be the breeding of profound darkness.
For a colossal city like Belrand, one of the foremost metropolises on the continent, the shadows that thrive in its depths have long reached a terrifying level, as evidenced by the underground black market where “everything can be bought.”
This has long become a grotesque expansion.
Yet, due to the indulgence or tacit approval of certain individuals, these shadows have not only failed to recede in recent years but have even shown signs of encroaching upon the realm of light.
But shadows are shadows; they cannot bear the light. They can thrive freely in the dark, but once they catch the eye of the supreme authority of this nation, that is, His Majesty the Emperor, they are bound to face utter destruction.
“It started when someone placed a bounty on the life of the Emperor’s most beloved concubine in the black market, and someone actually took it up, successfully assassinating her.”
“The furious Emperor ordered the Royal Knights to completely cleanse the underground world of Belrand. That brutal hunt lasted a full three months, and due to the sheer number of deaths, the sewers of the royal city were stained red, hence it was called the Blood River Incident!”
“After that event, the protagonist even complained that for a long time, there were no thieves left in the royal city!”
“But that should be an event two years later!”
Mu En’s face turned pale at this thought:
“Damn, what a butterfly effect!”
Mu En couldn’t help but curse.
“Huh? What butterfly?”
An beside him cast a puzzled glance.
“Oh, nothing, I just meant that the butterflies this year are particularly beautiful, yes, especially beautiful.”
“Hehe.”
Mu En casually deflected An’s curiosity and fell back into deep thought.
“But even so, the underground world of Belrand should remain subdued for quite some time; at least it won’t be so arrogant as to dare to assassinate the royal family again!”
“So, the assassination of the princess that was supposed to happen two years later might not occur at all.”
“If the princess doesn’t die, the real Blood River Incident won’t happen.”
“The protagonist, who participates in the underground black market auction, gets caught up in the conflict between the Royal Knights and the underground world, facing perilous situations multiple times. In those crises, the protagonist, relying on the halo of destiny, experiences rapid growth in strength!”
“It can be said that the Blood River Incident is a crucial chapter transitioning the protagonist from the academy arc to the later savior arc.”
“But now… it’s gone, vanished, all because I, Mu En Campbell, gave my maid two days off!”
“This is it; could it be that this will affect the protagonist’s future savior actions?”
Mu En was filled with dread as he pondered.
If the protagonist couldn’t defeat the final BOSS, that damned demon god that had broken free, the entire world would be doomed!
All because he had given his maid a two-day break, the world was gone!
“No, no, no, that’s not right, that’s just overthinking it. The world can’t be that fragile!”
“Even if the Blood River incident really disappears, there will surely be other events for the protagonist to grow from!”
“And besides, the Blood River incident might not even be gone; it’s all just my speculation!”
“I really don’t need to worry so much. The protagonist has plenty of cheats; I don’t need to fret!”
Mu En continuously comforted himself, finally managing to calm his racing heart.
It was actually because a small part of the plot hadn’t followed the original book, which led to Celicia being assassinated, leaving Mu En with a psychological shadow. He was afraid that his little butterfly effect would cause some catastrophic event.
“Anyway, I should just trust the protagonist!” Mu En shook his head, deciding not to dwell on it any longer.
……
“Then, young master, please rest well. I’ll take my leave now.” Seeing that it was getting late, An bowed and prepared to leave.
“Mm, alright.”
“Ah, by the way, young master, you have a letter.”
An suddenly handed a sealed envelope to Mu En.
“A letter?”
Mu En flipped the envelope over, noticing that there was neither a postmark nor the sender’s name.
“Whose letter is it?”
“It’s from Her Highness Celicia.”
An said respectfully:
“She personally asked me to deliver it to you.”
“…It’s from her, huh.”
Mu En was a bit surprised but didn’t say anything more, only telling An to go rest.
He then stared at the white envelope for a long time.
“Anyway, it’s probably just some harsh words directed at me.”
Mu En chuckled self-deprecatingly.
For a proud princess like Celicia, who valued her purity above life itself, there was no way she would write a letter to thank him just because he had saved her after what he had done.
“I just hope she doesn’t scold me too harshly.”
Mu En opened the envelope.
To his surprise, it wasn’t filled with accusations against him.
Instead, it was written in neat and elegant handwriting, simply stating a sentence that, at first glance, might leave one baffled:
【Let’s just barely consider you half a man, Mu En Campbell.】
Half a man?
Can a man even be divided in half?
Mu En felt a bit confused.
But soon, he thought of the reason why Celicia would say such a thing.
Because of something he had said earlier.
【Now… do I look like a man? My lord.】
That was something he had said while shielding Celicia from a blade, trying to sound impressive.
However, if he had truly died because of that, then this phrase would become a deadly remark, and Celicia might never forget it for the rest of her life.
But… he wasn’t dead yet!
If he wasn’t dead, then that phrase was just too cringeworthy!
It was like something out of a Mary Sue novel, where the domineering CEO would tilt the heroine’s chin, flashing a charming smile:
“Do you think I’m MANly? Woman.”
Ahhh!
So embarrassing!
Can I just be reborn and slap that past self?
You say you’re going to die, then why act so pretentious before dying!
And doing it so awkwardly!
Even the princess couldn’t stand it and specifically wrote a letter to mock you!
“I can’t take it anymore!”
Mu En quickly tore up the letter, wrapping himself in the blanket, wriggling like a worm.
……
“Half a man?”
Outside Mu En’s room, An stared intently at the door, muttering to herself:
“So, for Princess Celicia, does that mean Young Master Mu En still has the possibility of becoming a man?”
“What would happen if he became a man? Would you fall in love with him?”
“Ah, no, that’s not possible, Young Master Mu En, how could you accept the affection of a second woman besides me?”
An’s gaze gradually turned cold.
“It seems that some things must be expedited.”