The Lich of Glory Knight Spirit: Moving towards Krimasha!
Chapter 107 - 36: Black and White (3) (Large Chapter)_2

Chapter 107: Chapter 36: Black and White (3) (Large Chapter)_2

Everyone froze on the spot.

The author of "The Knight’s Guide to Maturation" twitched his lips.

"Yes, you heard me correctly." Gray’s voice resonated once again across the square. He declared loudly, "Based on what I’ve observed so far, I regret to inform you that the new ordinances are unsuitable. I am hereby rescinding them all. There will be no more free money; you must work to support yourselves. Nor will there be lenient laws—everyone must take responsibility for their lives and treat others kindly."

"Why?!" someone shouted urgently.

"Because I have realized these policies are not right for you. Not forever, but at least for now, they are not suitable. Perhaps one day, I will implement them again, but not today. We must proceed gradually, so everyone can slowly understand this new way of life. And then..."

"We already understand life!" someone interrupted Gray, shouting, "We’re living happily!"

"Yeah, we’re living happily!"

"You can’t take away our happiness!"

"I’m sorry—I truly apologize to all of you!" Gray shouted loudly.

However, the crowd’s cries were even louder than his.

"We don’t want your apology!"

"Yeah, we don’t need apologies! Give us our money back!"

Gray silently scanned the disgruntled faces of the citizens around him.

Bob blinked his eyes and looked up at Gray.

Gray’s companions stood around him, equally silent.

"How could you do this?! My fields have gone to waste. I’ll starve to death this way!"

"I quit my job because of this, and now you’re telling me there’s no money?!"

"I gambled away the money I was supposed to get next month, and now you’re saying there’s nothing left?!"

"This is outrageous!"

Gray took a deep breath, summoning his courage. He raised his voice and declared, "I understand that each of you is facing hardship! And I promise, I will do my best to help you solve your problems. I will stand by your side and support you through these difficult times. But from this moment on, the ordinances are void. You must survive through your own efforts! No one should continue down a path of ruin! Your Holy Knight is still with you, standing by your side!"

"No! We don’t want the ordinances to be void! Bring back our good life!" An egg was hurled from the crowd, smacking against Gray’s visor.

"We don’t need a Holy Knight! We want money!"

The egg white and yolk mixed together, slowly dripping down the face of Gray’s visor.

Shelley, distressed, pulled out a handkerchief to help Gray clean it off.

"The ordinances must not be voided!"

"Who gave you the right to revoke the ordinances?! Just because you’re a Holy Knight, you think you can treat us this way?!"

"Give us our money back!"

"To hell with the Holy Knight!"

Gray’s reputation crumbled at a rate visible to the naked eye.

"See, this is what comes of it. A herd of fools," Count Gruglu said emotionlessly. "Politics has always been built on lies. Don’t delude yourself into thinking you can deal with them sincerely. They don’t care whether what you’re doing is right or not. They don’t care about how much you’ve done for them. They only care about what they get. As long as you give them money, they couldn’t care less whose backs it’s stolen from. They just want a life of laziness. I support you enforcing a citywide lockdown. Suppress all dissent and force them to do as you say. We have enough soldiers."

"But that’s not what I want," Gray said.

"What do you want then? The fantasy of an ideal world? That has never existed. Or perhaps these people...they’re simply not worth it."

Another egg flew through the air and landed with a splat on Gray’s visor.

Shelley frantically continued cleaning.

Yilin stood silently beside Gray.

"Though it might not be appropriate right now, tradition dictates I ask: ’Wanna consider falling to corruption? It’s really quite comfy!’" Vivian whispered.

Gray didn’t respond. He merely gazed coldly, dispassionately, at the sea of citizens below the balcony.

Now, it was a tsunami.

Wave after wave of objects were hurled toward the balcony: eggs, rotted vegetables, potatoes, even shoes. They didn’t just hit Gray but also struck members of the White Castle team. The scene descended into chaos, and those on the balcony were forced to dodge.

"You have no right to do this!"

"You’re not even the King—what right do you have?!"

"Down with stopping the new policies!"

The author of "The Knight’s Guide to Maturation" stood in the crowd, almost in tears. "What the hell?! I’m nearly done writing my novel, and now you’re telling me the new policies are over? How am I supposed to sell this now? Damn you, seriously!"

He picked up a stone from the ground and hurled it at the balcony with all his might.

Andrew and Benedict II looked completely stunned.

Benedict II could scarcely believe his ears. "What is he doing? Ending the new policies? Is he insane? He had clearly won, and now he’s going to ruin everything himself?!"

"Who knows?" Andrew squinted his eyes, glaring intently at Gray on the balcony. "But this is good. If push comes to shove and there’s a need to tear off the mask, we’ll have an easier time."

"Tear off the mask?"

"Maybe it’ll be necessary, maybe not," Andrew said with a slight smirk. "The choice is his."

...

"This is... some sort of transformation potion."

"A transformation potion?" Catherine asked, startled.

"Yes, a transformation potion. It’s most definitely something from the Blood Elf race. Combined with specific incantations, it can alter the drinker’s appearance. Determining the exact spells and what forms it induces might take a few days. Plus, there seem to be additional components mixed in."

"Is there a way to undo it?"

"Of course. But first, we’ll need to figure out exactly what’s been added." The Angel examining the potion said, staring at the droplet within the pipette.

...

Shelley stood quietly beside Gray, overlooking the scene.

Some residents had already begun pushing forward. Thankfully, Gray had summoned all the Silver Moon Knights back early on, even reorganizing a portion of the defeated soldiers who’d once been under the King’s command. This prevented the situation from spiraling further out of control.

As he watched the stirred emotions of the residents, Gray froze. "What should I say to calm them now?"

"I think it’s best if you don’t say anything because nothing will work," the Black Cat murmured softly. "Not showing yourself might be the smartest move—give them time to cool off."

"Alright." Turning around, Gray addressed the others, "Let’s head back."

With that, Gray began to leave.

"Negotiations have failed." Andrew raised a finger, quietly tracing symbols in the air as he whispered a spell.

In an instant, Shelley, who was preparing to follow Gray back to the chapel, stopped in her tracks. Her entire body stiffened as she clutched her chest and began breathing rapidly, her eyes wide with alarm.

Gray halted as well.

"What’s wrong?"

"I... I don’t feel well."

Before she could finish her sentence, everyone watched as Shelley released Gray’s arm and stumbled backward step by step.

The entire square fell silent because everyone clearly witnessed Shelley’s transformation.

On her hands, on her face—black scales were growing at a visible pace. Her golden hair was darkening to black. Her ears elongated and sharpened. Even her pupils gradually morphed into cat-like vertical slits.

Everyone was stunned.

Gray was no exception.

Yilin gasped, covering her mouth in shock.

Count Gruglu was too horrified to utter a word.

Under the moonlight, an ear-piercing scream tore through the square.

Shelley cried out in agony, writhing in pain as black wings emerged from her back, like those of a demon.

The square fell still, leaving only Shelley’s cries echoing in the air.

The citizens, too shocked to throw anything, froze mid-motion with their arms raised, staring in disbelief.

The entire world seemed to still.

In under a minute, Shelley’s transformation was complete. She stared blankly at her hands, at her altered body, and then frantically looked around. Her gaze eventually landed on the equally shaken Gray. Tears streamed down her face.

Andrew’s mouth curved into a slow smile.

From a distant rooftop, Zeda whispered, "See? Didn’t I tell you? The Church is capable of anything. And of course, they’ll deny all responsibility. After all, they never had to dirty their own hands."

Before Gray’s brain could make sense of what had just happened, a voice rang out from the crowd. One of the mercenaries Andrew had planted—in the guise of a clergyman—shouted, "The Holy Knight has been corrupted by demons! That’s why he’s abolishing the new policies! He’s already fallen! Let’s take down this fallen Holy Knight together!"