Hero? Are You Worthy?
Chapter 682 - 488: The Most Foolish One ( - 2)

Chapter 682: Chapter 488: The Most Foolish One (Chapter 2)

Indeed, as long as the Hero’s corpse is presented before the Demon King, it matters not who killed the Hero—it was never an issue of significance.

Atreus’s face also gradually blossomed into a smile. As a demon, such acts required no mental burden. Atreus was certain that if she had to pay a great price to kill the Hero, her siblings would undoubtedly make the same choice.

"Princess," Vena said cautiously, "after it’s done, do you really intend to set Iyeta and Helois free?"

As Iyeta’s sister, Vena truly did not want to see this happen.

"Of course not. What good would it do me to have two subordinates who were once captured by humans?" Atreus’s face revealed a cold smile, well aware of how to make tough decisions.

The Blood Elf Clan had pledged allegiance to her, and Vena held great influence among the Blood Elves, even capable of swaying the decisions of the entire clan.

Atreus knew full well who was more valuable between Iyeta and Vena.

As for Iyeta and Helois, they were merely disposable pawns, to be dealt with once they had served their purpose... This was also the sentiment of the entire Snow Woman and Blood Elf Clans.

After all, the presence of two captives in their clan was a disgrace, and only with the complete death of these two women would the shame be erased.

...

Elsewhere.

Within the Imperial City.

The Civilian District.

A multitude of figures clad in black robes gathered together.

Surrounding the round table was a circle of silhouettes, their pale, angry faces faintly visible under the dim glow of oil lamps; a closer look would reveal that nearly all of them were Nobles.

And not just any, but the few remaining High-level Nobles currently in the Empire.

Once tremendously influential, able to easily shake the foundations of the Empire, these Great Nobles now amounted to just a handful, numbering in the tens.

For these Great Nobles, the Civilian District was a place they would never deign to enter under normal circumstances, as it sullied their honor.

But now they had nowhere else to go. Lately, the Noble Class had suffered unprecedented blows.

It was unknown how many spies Wozworth had planted within the Noble District, but if Wozworth got even the slightest hold of you, the Imperial Guard—who answered directly to Wozworth—would immediately appear at your front door and arrest you without discussion.

Even though the initial cause might be some trivial matter not worth mentioning—like seizing civilian wealth or killing a few civilians—Wozworth, that detestable bastard, would use these minor issues as an excuse to conduct an extensive investigation on the arrested Nobles, which would inevitably uncover a plethora of misdeeds.

Let’s be brutally honest, which member of the Noble Class is clean?

Who doesn’t have skeletons in the closet, from murder and arson, to embezzling Empire assets...

Once Wozworth got a grip on such information, the execution block was already prepared for you.

Just in recent months, hundreds of Nobles had been executed.

Nearly every day, Noble heads rolled, and the execution grounds had never been busier than during this period.

Who could have imagined that the Emperor, who had always strived to balance the Royal Family and Noble Class, would suddenly go mad? A large number of Nobles were left silent as the grave, even afraid to speak more than necessary, lest they inadvertently catch the Emperor’s eye and become the next unfortunate soul to lose their head.

But these Nobles were accustomed to their own arrogance; none could tolerate such humiliation, nor did they wish to die without cause.

Under this oppression, a considerable number of Nobles gathered to discuss matters that absolutely could not be known to Wozworth. With spies of the Emperor all over the Noble District, they dared not meet there and had to choose this Civilian District—a place they would never approach on normal days.

At the meeting, it seemed they believed this place was impossible for Wozworth to surveil. Nearly unrestrained, they vented the pressure in their chests, spewing filthy curses and even blasphemies—words that would never normally escape their lips, as they fancied themselves refined and elegant elites.

Only after a long while did they finally get to the main point: how to overthrow Wozworth’s rule.

Up to this moment, the noise that once filled the surroundings suddenly settled down. The Noble Class held powerful forces in their hands, each Noble cultivating a group of private soldiers, flaunting power in the face of civilians.

However, when compared to the Emperor who commanded the entire Imperial military, their private soldiers were inconsequential.

"Why don’t we seek the Hero?" a Noble blurted out unexpectedly.

At this suggestion, everyone’s eyes lit up dramatically.

This seemed to be a good strategy; the Hero’s strength was commendable, and a significant force had already rallied around the Hero. Furthermore, Qin Chu now held the position of Pope of the Holy Court, wielding the combined power of the Holy Court and the Earth Mother Goddess Sect.

If they could persuade the Hero to join their cause, the chances of overthrowing Wozworth’s rule would increase significantly.

As the Nobles fantasized about a future where they regained wealth and power with the Hero’s and the Church’s aid after toppling Wozworth, one Noble abruptly threw cold water on their plans: "But why would the Hero help us?"