Ch. 54 - The Shackles of Servility
"Those bastards fled in guilt yesterday because they failed to guard the manor properly!
Knowing full well he's a scoundrel yet still willing to believe him—I see you're hopelessly stupid too!"
Huss sneered mockingly, though privately he was pondering the strangeness of it all.
He realized the situation had severely exceeded his control, and a strong sense of unease welled up in his heart.
"This... this..."
Old David never imagined such a "truth" to emerge.
Could Father Lynn have been deliberately trying to frighten them?
Had he really been fooled by that scoundrel?
Even if orcs plundered this small town, would Huss-daren be able to mount a tenacious defense and resist?
"Then do we still need to leave town..."
"There's still mist in the forest, it's actually not too safe... right?"
"The lord still needs our rent and taxes—they have an obligation to protect us! They can't just abandon us... can they?"
Explosivewolf, who had been standing silently behind Huss this whole time, finally couldn't help but mutter darkly:
"Fucking hell, these guys who serve the nobility can blow smoke better than goddamn dwarves."
Seeing the townspeople hesitate, clearly not completely convinced by his explanation, Huss relaxed slightly.
At least they weren't united in hostility like before, looking ready to rebel at the slightest disagreement.
It didn't matter—he didn't expect to gain the trust of these lowborn.
Because he understood these people all too well.
Always so hopeful, cowardly, and numb...
As long as they couldn't unite, the slightest wavering would be enough to destroy their confidence.
But just as he was about to breathe a long sigh of relief and ponder the origins of this whole affair—
A gentle female voice reached everyone's ears:
"Excuse me, please let me through."
They noticed the owner of the voice.
It was dawnbloom Catherine, carrying her packed luggage and holding little Anbi's hand.
Huss's eyes widened slightly.
That sense of unease intensified.
As the town's most beautiful sight, Catherine always received special treatment.
Otherwise, the townspeople would have long since driven this girl who raised a beast out of town.
Now, the men automatically made way for her, allowing her to lead the anxious Anbi up to Melade.
Someone couldn't help but advise:
"It's no use, Catherine. See that Steward Huss? He's brought guards to block the town's exit, and won't let anyone leave—
And the town doesn't seem as dangerous as the priest said. We don't need to..."
Catherine didn't answer him.
She simply took a slow, deep breath, exhaling all the tension in her heart, then looked past Huss to the somewhat delighted Melade behind him and bowed apologetically.
"I'm sorry, young master. Packing took some time because the supplies needed for the journey were quite numerous. Please forgive my tardiness."
Melade's reaction was sluggish.
He hadn't yet grasped what Catherine's words meant.
But just as he was about to respond, Huss had already stepped forward first, roaring angrily:
"Shut your mouth!"
Catherine froze slightly, then asked with feigned confusion:
"Wasn't it you who told me to meet up in an hour so we could leave Starberry Town together?"
"Shut up!"
Huss moved to grab her by the throat.
"Watch out or I'll scratch you!"
Anbi's nails suddenly extended into wolf-like claws, freezing Huss in place.
A little girl wasn't much to fear, but the curse she might carry always made people keep their distance.
But without a doubt, Catherine shouldn't have appeared here.
Much less at this particular time—
She was the only commoner the young master had specifically chosen to take along.
And she was the very culprit who had dragged things out until now.
If before it was only speculation that this woman had too many things she wanted to bring, causing delays in packing her luggage...
Now Huss had no doubt—she had deliberately appeared before the people.
Just to expose his lies in front of these commoners—
"What? They're actually taking Catherine with them!?"
Like a pebble dropped into a still lake.
Ripples spread, gradually expanding through the crowd:
"Why would she pack luggage? Does she never plan to return to town?"
"But her tavern is here, her mother is buried under the oak tree... Why would she leave Starberry Town?"
"Most importantly... why would the young master who's going to 'summon reinforcements' bring her along?"
This practically confirmed one fact—
"She knows the town is doomed!"
As this thought flashed through their minds—
The ripples on the lake's surface had transformed into terrifying waves.
"It's—it's not fair!"
"Why does Catherine have the right to know while we're kept in the dark!?"
"I see! You've hooked up with the young master from Longgold City, haven't you? So he plans to take you away from town and leave us here to die!?"
"What about that beast beside her? Don't tell me that beast is escaping with her too?"
Huss clenched his teeth, unable to maintain his usual composure any longer. Fury surged in his heart, his face flushing red:
"Shut up, daughter of the beach! Who gave you permission to splash such filthy sewage on a lord who has been so tolerant of you!?
The young master never said he was leaving, much less that he'd take you with him. What ulterior motive drives you to slander him so!?"
One sentence.
Just one simple sentence, like a supremely sharp sword.
Piercing through the lies he had so carefully woven.
Forcing him to display his ugliest side before these damned lowborn!
By now, how could Huss not figure it out—
Lynn, the dwarf, the tripwire, Catherine...
Their successive appearances formed an obvious trap!
First, that damned, respected old priest spread news of "orc raids," inciting panic among the townspeople.
Then using the dwarf's identity as a "scoundrel" to deepen the impression that "the nobility is fleeing," forcing the fearful townspeople to abandon hope and decide to leave their homes.
Meanwhile, disguising as mercenaries, they set up tripwires to obstruct the young master's escape, dragging things out until the townspeople gathered at the town's exit.
Finally, having Catherine, who had some connection with the young master, come forward.
Using "self-defacement" to puncture the explanations and lies he had woven!
She played the part of someone naive and ignorant, vaguely mentioning the "preferential treatment" she had received.
This was undoubtedly self-destructive to her image, voluntarily separating herself from the townspeople's camp.
Becoming in their mouths that damned, privileged—exception.
Hearing the surrounding people's resentful whispers and inevitable foul curses, Anbi couldn't help but clutch her sister's sleeve tighter.
Catherine gently patted the back of her hand, indicating she could withstand these obscenities.
Compared to those accusations, she was actually more astonished by Tang Qi's prophetic insight—
"You know, for many people, the most hateful thing in this world isn't necessarily the nobles who exploit them.
Because they know nobles are always beyond reach.
To such prolonged oppression by nobles, they've long grown accustomed... Once they become numb, they think it natural and deserved."
In her ears, she couldn't help but recall Tang Qi's explanation of this plan from not long ago,
"So when some disaster comes and they're abandoned in the wilderness by the nobles, their tendons severed—
Their hearts aren't necessarily thinking, 'Why should I be cannon fodder for these damned nobles?'
But rather sighing numbly, 'This is indeed the fate of us lowborn.'
Because they've accepted this world's rules:
That nobles are 'noble,' and they themselves are 'lowly.'
This makes most people unwilling and afraid to condemn the nobles' wrongs, because 'as nobles, isn't preferential treatment naturally deserved?'
But if that preferential treatment falls upon 'lowborn' equal to themselves, everything becomes entirely different.
Just like those whose tendons have been severed will resent those who run ahead of them—
'Why was it my tendons that were cut, and not theirs?'
'Why can they escape while I have to wait here to die?'
Harboring such thoughts doesn't necessarily make someone evil.
It's just that inevitably, jealousy squeezes out the darkness hidden in their hearts.
This is servility."
In her memory, only then did Tang Qi reveal his true purpose:
"No one in this world is a fool. Lords won't endlessly exploit commoners, and commoners won't rebel against lords without cause—
It's like a spring—as long as it's within the limits of what can be endured, it maintains its elasticity.
Relying solely on commoners' dissatisfaction with nobles cannot incite them to extreme actions.
That's why we must raise the stakes—
We need to inform them of the truth step by step.
Then use your 'privilege' to release their true discontent.
Strive to break through the spring's threshold and shatter the shackles of servility."
Now, the clamor had completely drowned out the wind.
The accumulated kindling had piled into towers in their hearts.
But Catherine understood.
Huss and the nobility still had room for excuses.
At this moment, they still needed one final spark.