Chapter 381: Bravery is Not Fearlessness
Will looked up at the others.
In everyone's eyes were pain and despair. If not for Will's appearance, perhaps they would still be in numbness, but his appearance made these people come back to their senses.
"Kazan... what exactly did you do to turn the subjects of the Kingdom of the Vale into this appearance."
Will lowered his head.
His face was gloomy as water.
He found his past thoughts seemed wrong.
Dresa was the correct one.
He, the teacher, was ultimately not as understanding of his two children as Dresa, the father.
Have to say.
Will still underestimated Kazan's cruelty level.
Also possible:
Kazan became like this only in these few short months.
There could be many reasons.
Dresa didn't choose him, but chose the brother who was weaker in his eyes.
Or.
After proclaiming himself King and experiencing the pleasure brought by power and status, ambition grew wildly.
Also possible.
This was originally Kazan's nature, just suppressed by Will and Dresa before. Now Will is not around, Dresa returned to the dust, no one can control him, nature naturally let loose.
No matter what.
Dresa didn't choose to let Kazan become the King of the Vale, which was correct.
Otherwise.
The entire Unova land would probably become the playground of Kazan's tyranny.
"Tell me the current situation of the Kingdom of the Vale."
"Yes."
These subjects of the Vale looked happy; they knew the State Preceptor intended to intervene in this war.
So they told Will what they knew one after another.
The current Chargestone Cave is occupied by the Northern Dynasty, that is, Rami's side.
The reason why people from the Southern Dynasty are mining charged stones in the deepest part of this cave is that Kazan had already dug an underground tunnel long before.
Allowing the bottom of Chargestone Cave to lead directly to the border town of the Southern Dynasty.
As for these people in front of him now.
They are all subjects of the Kingdom of the Vale.
Some were originally townspeople of a certain town in the Southern Dynasty, just demoted to slaves because they accidentally damaged public property in the town while drunk.
Some were soldiers of the Northern Dynasty, defeated and captured on the battlefield; their Pokémon partners were killed.
Probably because they came from different places and different fields.
So everyone said a sentence here and there, letting Will understand most of the current situation.
The civil war of the Kingdom of the Vale has lasted for half a year.
Pokémon capable of digging are used to open war tunnels underground, so Kazan handed over mining to humans with weak combat power, to "slaves."
Not only that...
The Southern Dynasty is also constantly drafting men and Pokémon into the army, forcibly requisitioning resources for war supplies...
In short.
Relying on absolute martial force and status, Kazan's tyranny made people in the entire western continent suffer unspeakably.
Everyone hopes in their hearts that Rami can win this war.
But Rami is not Kazan's opponent.
Kazan doesn't attack Rami ruthlessly either; every war stops at a certain point.
In the end.
A war ends without clear victory or defeat, sacrificing a large amount of resources and lives in vain.
No one knows what Kazan wants to do.
He clearly possesses the ability to push into Eindoak Town in one fell swoop, but doesn't do so, just dragging on.
But.
Will might be able to guess.
There are two reasons for Kazan doing this.
First, his strong self-esteem makes him unwilling to accept the folk title of "Rebel King."
If he really led the Southern Dynasty to flatten the Northern Dynasty and killed Rami, the orthodox King of the Vale, his brother.
Then the title of Rebel King would be completely unerasable.
The second is the psychological warfare, also considered forcing Rami to abdicate.
Kazan certainly understands his brother's character.
So.
He deliberately created slaughter on the battlefield, wanting Rami's heart to fall into endless suffering and pain.
He wants Rami to admit his strength is inferior to him.
Let Rami understand that being able to ascend the throne is not because he won against him, but just Father King's partiality.
Let Rami have a mental breakdown and even actively beg him to become the sole King of the Vale.
Once Rami submits.
At that time.
Kazan will be the rightful heir to the King of the Vale, no longer the rebel of the land.
Because this throne was not snatched by him.
It was the contemporary King of the Vale abdicating and yielding to the virtuous, giving way to him.
"Lord State Preceptor, what do you plan to do? I know you might not want to intervene in the war between two students, but..."
An old man summoned up courage to come forward, kneeling tremblingly in front of Will, continuing after hesitation,
"Forgive my presumptuousness. His Highness First Prince is incompetent, His Highness Second Prince is immoral, the latter has already fallen into demonic ways. But the former, with your assistance, can also have achievements. This old body begs you to help His Highness First Prince defeat the Second Prince, return a brightness to this Hometown of the Vale..."
Will glanced at him.
He had a deep impression of this person; when Dresa was still on the throne, this was one of the leaders among civil officials, over sixty years old.
Didn't expect to be captured by Kazan as a slave now.
Don't know if it's because he made a mistake.
Or because of Kazan's dissatisfaction with Dresa's choice in his heart.
And what the other party said also stabbed fiercely into Will's heart.
Eldest apprentice incompetent, second apprentice immoral... I, this teacher, really failed completely.
Will lowered his head, looking somewhat frustrated.
Saying this is actually not accurate either.
Because Rami is not incompetent, just weaker in ability and less experienced compared to Kazan, and causing such a situation is mainly influenced by Rami's character.
If he wasn't so weak and benevolent.
With his ability, maybe he could do even better than Kazan.
Kazan is immoral, but at least very capable.
Moreover, for those with merit, he is very generous, not stingy with any valuable things.
Just that punishment is also more cruel and excessive, and utilitarianism is too strong, treating human lives as grass, feeling no shame at all using human lives for transactions.
From this perspective.
Although Will is not a perfect teacher, he is not a complete failure either.
At least both disciples are quite capable, and there are worthy places in their characters.
Otherwise, they wouldn't be recognized by Black and White Dragons.
"Lord State Preceptor, only you can save the Hometown of the Vale."
"Yes, begging you; wailing fills the fields of the Hometown of the Vale, people of the Vale have no means of livelihood. Please State Preceptor take action, help the Kingdom of the Vale return to the time when the four seas were peaceful."
"Please State Preceptor take action; this humble life is at your disposal, mountains of blades and seas of fire, will not hesitate. Even if telling me to smash my head and die here now, I won't hesitate at all."
Others stepped forward to kneel and bow one after another.
They dared not and didn't want to stand on the moral high ground to criticize Will, only could kneel and beg.
"You go find Rami, tell Rami everything Kazan has done, then stay there to help him."
"And you?"
The old man looked happy, understanding Will intended to participate.
"I'm going to Kazan's side to take a look, see if my words as a teacher still carry weight in his ears."
Will looked calm.
He wants to go personally to see if that guy Kazan has really gone mad (obsessed/deviated).
"State Preceptor, I advise you not to; Second Prince can even be so cruel to his own brother, how much respect is left in his heart for you, the teacher, is uncertain."
The old man advised earnestly.
"What he has become now, I can't say easily, but whether he will kill me, I know in my heart."
Will pursed his lips.
He watched Kazan grow up since childhood.
Indeed ambitious and extreme in philosophy since young, but not a completely heartless person.
He attacked Rami because Rami blocked his way to becoming King.
But Will is different; he hasn't stood on the opposite side of Kazan yet, so Kazan will absolutely not attack him.
"Alright... please be extremely careful. Perhaps, you can start from Reshiram; he has tried to dissuade His Highness Second Prince many times from being so cruel."
The old man nodded helplessly and added a hint.
This made Will's heart move.
Remembered something in his mind.
"Mm, that's it. If you meet Kazan's people blocking the road, say it's my order."
"Yes."
Suddenly.
Will remembered ten years ago, 12-year-old Cynthia in front of the terrifying abyss maze, for her own interest and wish, still chose to move forward firmly.
This inevitably made him compare with Rami.
Couldn't help sighing.
Not only is people's birth environment divided into three, six, nine grades (levels), seems character is also the same.
Although Cynthia's character also has flaws, if grading, must be upper three grades.
And Rami's character, although not bad, in this era of magical beasts and royal birth, can only be classified as middle three grades or even lower three grades.
"By the way, also, bring a message to Rami for me."
Will led Druddigon towards the outside, without looking back, saying plainly:
"Don't curl up in the corner of self-doubt anymore. Bravery is not fearlessness, but harboring fear yet still able to move forward firmly. Muster up courage."
"Yes!"
Walking out of the darkness.
Will came to the keeper.
At this moment his expression was very complex.
"Take me to see Kazan."
"Yes."
The keeper nodded, leading Will and Druddigon into that underground tunnel.
Advanced for about an hour or so.
Will and the others appeared in an inland small town in the central-south of the western continent.
The scale of the town was very small.
Much smaller than Nuvema Town a thousand years later.
Using village to describe here is more appropriate.
"Lord State Preceptor, this is Floccesy Town , a town built only three years ago."
"Floccesy Town..."
Will murmured, understanding in his heart.
A thousand years later.
The hometown of the first Champion Alder.
Floccesy Town a thousand years later is very small in scale, similar to Accumula Town.
Didn't expect it to exist so early.
Maybe because it is located in the forest and surrounded by mountains on four sides, so later human monarchs didn't develop here.
"Where is Kazan?"
"His Majesty is in Driftveil City to the northeast; the distance to the snow mountains and forest mountains is very close there. I'll take you..."
"Enough, I'll go by myself; you go back."
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