stonecrandall Page 27
Page 27
“That person faced a more difficult situation than me and had more painful memories than me, but he still stood up unyieldingly.”
"Even more so, on that day, he saved me from the clutches of the robbers."
"Back then, he was just my age." A sense of conviction seemed to solidify on Jenny's face.
"From that moment on, I was changed. That person told me—if there's no road ahead, forge one!; swallow a golden pill, and my fate is in my own hands, not in the heavens!; a wealthy woman is valuable, but self-reliance is even more precious!; as heaven maintains vigor through movement, a gentleman should constantly strive for self-improvement..."
"He told you so much?" Lark couldn't help but interrupt and ask.
"No, I figured all of this out myself..."
"I understand you..."
Suppressing the urge to swear, Lak took a deep breath and forced a smile.
"The person you're talking about is..."
He asked the question, but a figure had already appeared in his mind without any doubt.
Who is it? This is so hard to guess… (gritting teeth)
Jenny, now revealing her true colors, proudly gave her answer, looking like a devoted fan:
"Of course, it's the most indomitable warrior—Mino!"
"Mino Lake!!!"
Chapter 36 I'm going to let those commoners enjoy my welfare!
Jenny walked away as Lark stared blankly into the distance.
"Darkness" lingered in his heart, and with a bewildered expression, he scoffed, "Is this what you call a black lotus in the mud, a bloodthirsty rose?"
"She's utterly wicked, isn't she?!"
Lak took a deep breath, then his face showed a look of heartache and indignation: "It's all that bastard Mino's fault! What a bad seed, and Mino led it astray like that! He stifled a young girl's thirst for blood!"
"He destroyed a rising star in the dark world!"
"Mino is fully responsible!"
His chest heaved for a while before slowly calming down. At this moment, Erwin slowly walked over: "Chief Lark, how is Jenny?"
He approached and was startled by Lakshmi's smile, which was even more hideous than a cry.
"She's very good, as good as can be..."
“Really?” Erwin breathed a sigh of relief. “Jenny is just too introverted and unwilling to confide in anyone. I was really afraid that she might accidentally go down an extreme path, but since you said so… then she will definitely be fine.”
“She’s one of the problem kids I’m most concerned about in the training camp,” Erwin remarked casually, which made Lark’s ears perk up immediately.
"There are still experts?!"
Lak raised his head, his spirits lifted.
“And… uh, I mean, some strange kids? Can you take me to see them?” Clearing his throat, Lak asked Erwin.
“Of course.” Erwin thought for a moment, then stretched out his hand and pointed to a spot—
"Besides Shana and Jenny, whom we just met, there's also that guy over there, Duke Moss's second son, Tang Ke."
Following the direction Erwin pointed, Lark saw a young man whose clothes were noticeably more refined than the others, and whose face had an air of wealth that looked somewhat familiar.
Through the magical glasses, Tang Ke was surrounded by an aura of wealth and gold, and his life seemed to be going smoothly without any setbacks.
“He’s the one!” Lark nodded, as if he had seen a beautiful piece of jade.
"What's so bad about that duke's child turning evil..." Darkness wondered to herself.
“You don’t understand, you just don’t understand!” Lark pointed at Tonk in the distance with a look of satisfaction. “That’s… a textbook example of a villainous prospect!”
"what?"
"Indeed, the second son of a duke was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, lacking neither wealth nor power, standing at the pinnacle of life, with everything going smoothly."
"But it is precisely these kinds of people... who are most easily spoiled. Just imagine, would someone who eats fine food and wears expensive clothes treat those humble commoners at the bottom of society the same as them?"
"This……"
A look of satisfaction flashed in Lark's eyes: "Long-term high status can make a person self-centered. In his eyes, there is no concept of good and evil. The lives of useless commoners are worthless, and his moral bottom line is far lower than that of ordinary people!"
"Besides, have you forgotten the most important point? Upbringing! — He's the second son of Duke Moss, Duke Moss!"
Lark's voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement: "That Duke Moss, the one with the worst reputation in the capital, a womanizer, lazy, incompetent, and stupidly eccentric!!!"
"Achoo—!!!!"
Inside the Duke's mansion, Moss sneezed loudly and muttered under his breath:
"This is the 38th time today. Which bastard is cursing at me again?"
"If I find out, I'm definitely going to kick his ass hard with my boots!!"
“Okay…” In the training camp, Darkness was finally persuaded by Lak and nodded with some doubt.
Then they saw Tang Ke stop wielding his sword and walk towards them.
"This must be Chief Lark, I've seen you before." Tang greeted him, his face showing none of the timidity of a commoner. Turning his head, he nodded to Erwin as well: "Erwin, you're here too."
Arrogant! Disdainful of others! That's how it should be!
Lak clenched his fist in satisfaction.
Erwin bowed and then tactfully left. Although he was an instructor at the training camp, it was clearly a meeting between the Duke's second son and the Round Tower Mage.
“Tunk, you’re very good,” Lark said.
"I have never seen anyone with such potential as you. Even I am awestruck by what lies hidden within you."
He decided to flatter the other party first to lower Tang Ke's psychological defenses, so that the magic would work successfully.
Tang Ke's body suddenly trembled.
He lowered his head, his eyebrows twitching slightly. "I don't understand what you're talking about, Chief Lark?"
"Don't be afraid, I'm on your side." Lark gently patted Tom's shoulder, coaxing him patiently:
"Born into a duke's family, your thoughts, ideas, and even outlook on life must be different from ordinary people, misunderstood, and regarded as a cold and heartless... monster."
“If it were someone else, they might scold you, insult you, or hate you. But I won’t.”
Lak, with a knowing look on his face, said, "I understand you."
Tang Ke could no longer hide his surprise. He raised his head, his lips moving slightly: "You, no, could it be that you... also share the same beliefs as me?"
His face was filled with disbelief, after all, this was the Grand Mage of the Round Tower, the most respected person in the capital!
"Of course I know, after all, your father is the Duke of Moss..."
Tom's expression shifted; upon hearing his father's name, he understood that Chief Larry truly understood him!
Lark smiled, sensing that his magic had successfully landed on Tom in that instant, completely disarming him.
Lak nodded calmly to this "dark hero" he had come to believe in, attempting to become his mentor.
"There's no one else here. Sometimes, you can speak your mind loudly, expressing your unconventional and rebellious thoughts that are hidden deep within your heart."
Tang Ke's breathing grew heavy, as if he had thought of something, his eyes filled with hatred, disgust, and a deep desire to destroy!
That's the look!
That's the look in my eyes!!
Lak was so excited he almost applauded on the spot.
That look in his eyes, which seemed to hate something to the extreme... already reflected how deep Tang Ke's obsession was. He was destined to become the man who would overturn the world!
What is your deepest, most cherished wish?
"I...I..." Tang Ke's eyes blazed with fire, and his lips gradually parted to reveal an insatiable desire.
"I need money, lots and lots of money...!"
Money? That's a bit crude, but still acceptable. Lark nodded in satisfaction and pressed on:
"And then what? How are you going to deal with those things you hate and think shouldn't exist?" In Lark's eyes, those who were in opposition to the noble status of Tunk were naturally the common people of low status.
Veins throbbed on Tang Ke's forehead as his tone grew increasingly harsh, and he growled:
"I will build countless schools to educate all the civilians who have no access to education! I will establish the largest fund to provide basic subsidies to all wounded and sick soldiers! I will purchase vast quantities of grain from the fertile fields and send them continuously to the border!"
"Well said! We should extend our influence to the entire continent!"
Lark slapped his hand on the table and cheered, gazing excitedly at the blue sky... After a long while, he came to his senses, as if he had hallucinated, and lowered his head:
"what?"
With a passionate and impassioned tone, Tang Ke roared out his grand ambitions.
"—I want to break free from the influence of my family of origin and become the kingdom's greatest philanthropist!!!"
What the hell is this about escaping your family of origin?!
Chapter 37 Chronological Events That Could Change a Person's Life
"It's all because of my father, that lazy, womanizing scoundrel, the laughingstock of the royal nobility!!!"
“From kindergarten all the way to high school, whenever my classmates heard that I was the ‘son of the Duke of Moss,’ they would stay far away from me. Not even a sow would want to come near me.”
On the training field, Tang Ke roared excitedly, "A sow! Do you understand?!?!"
Lark stared blankly and wiped the saliva off his face.
Having vented his emotions, Tang Ke took a deep breath, looked up at the blue sky with melancholy, and sighed.
"Yes, the Duke's family background has given me many advantages: endless money, a constant supply of delicious food, and the ability to be a good-for-nothing who just loafs around and waits to die since birth... Do you think that feels good?"
Lak grunted, and following the other person's train of thought, he hesitated before asking, "Displeased?"
"Awesome, of course it's awesome." Tang Ke nodded matter-of-factly.
"..." Lak's fist hardened.
Yeah, even if you say it in such a heavy tone, you're still having a blast.