The next day, the Royal Capital of the Belzerg Kingdom was once again thrown into an uproar.
All due to the spread of a single piece of news.
"The lord of the Axel territory, Alderp, has been stripped of his nobility status, and all his lands and assets have been confiscated due to crimes including attempted treason against the Royal Family and various other offenses. He is now officially wanted. Anyone aiding him will be treated as an accomplice and punished accordingly."
This announcement stirred unrest in the Royal Capital, which had only recently begun to calm down.
The reason for such a major upheaval was, of course, tied to the fact that Alderp had been dragged to hell by Maxway, resulting in the collapse of Maxway's causality manipulation ability. With that gone, all of Alderp's previously hidden criminal activities surfaced and could no longer be covered up.
Reportedly, starting from the previous day, one piece of incriminating evidence after another had surfaced, exposing this vile noble, who had long been plagued by malicious rumors but had always escaped punishment due to lack of proof, making even the Royal Family unable to act against him openly, until now.
Thus, in the name of the kingdom's First Princess, Her Highness Iris, the Royal Family officially declared Alderp a criminal, stripping him of his nobility, lands, and assets. However, when the Kingdom Knights arrived at Alderp's residence to arrest him, he had mysteriously vanished.
Of course, this despicable noble had already been taken to hell by Maxway, where he would spend the rest of his life in torment, surrounded by despair and fear.
This kind of punishment was far more cruel than simply sentencing him to death.
But it was punishment he deserved.
At least, Fang Li thought so.
"For someone like that, death would be far too merciful."
Even Fang Li, someone numb to the concept of death, didn't want to kill Alderp, letting him escape. So, Fang Li thoroughly squeezed out the last bit of value from him, using Alderp to force Maxway back to hell, thus avoiding a deadly battle with a Duke-of-Hell–level Devil.
If not for that, Fang Li would have truly had to engage Maxway in a full battle, which would have made that B-Rank Side Quest show its true difficulty.
In the end, Alderp played a small role, not only did he contribute two Artifacts to Fang Li, helping him complete his Main Quest 4, but he also helped complete the B-Rank Side Quest, earning 30,000 Exchange Points, and thereby completing Main Quest 5 as well.
As a result, today, Fang Li finally received a System Notification.
"Serial Number 11273 has completed all Main Quests. You may now choose to return to the Main God's Dimension at any time, or stay in the Dungeon World."
"If you choose to return, Quest Evaluation and rewards will follow."
"If you choose to stay, you will have three days remaining in the Dungeon World."
And so, while the Royal Capital was in chaos over the incident, Fang Li had completed all his Main Quests. Upon hearing the system's notification sound from the Main God's Dimension, he chose to stay behind.
"Three days, huh?"
During this time, Fang Li could still get quite a few things done. For instance, he could put his considerable wealth to good use. After all, this world still had many useful potions and magical items that were worth acquiring.
Also, Fang Li needed to say his goodbyes to the people around him.
If he were to disappear without a word, well, not to mention anyone else, that lonely little princess would probably cry her eyes out. Besides, although Kazuma, Aqua, Megumin, and Darkness were a chaotic group, Fang Li knew they valued their companions deeply.
If Fang Li simply vanished, those guys would likely search the world high and low for him. So, besides making good use of his wealth, Fang Li also planned to make the most of his remaining time.
This, too, was for his own sake.
Royal Castle, Audience Room…
Iris was sitting on the throne in the audience chamber. Her youthful yet cute and charming face carried an expression of loneliness and reluctance that she normally would never let show so openly, evoking a sense of pity in those who saw it.
Claire and Rain stood on either side of Iris, both completely silent.
Especially Claire, normally a lively noble lady who could never sit still for more than a moment, was unusually quiet, offering no comment on the situation unfolding before her.
In this atmosphere, Fang Li unfastened the Holy Sword, which had been hanging at his waist all this time, scabbard and all, and stepped forward to stand before Iris, offering it to her.
"Alright, time to return it to its rightful owner. Hurry up and take it."
Hearing this, Iris didn't immediately accept it. Instead, she lifted her eyes and looked at Fang Li.
Looking at the now deeply familiar face before her, Iris couldn't hold back and softly asked:
"Do you really have to leave? Can't you stay?" As she spoke, her voice carried a pleading tone.
In response, Fang Li simply gave a calm smile and replied: "Even you, Iris, can't stay in the Royal Capital forever, right? Whether it's diplomacy or politics, you'll have to travel far from home someday."
Fang Li spoke very matter-of-factly.
"I'm the same. It's impossible for me to stay in the Royal Capital forever."
Although he didn't state the exact reason, Fang Li believed that Iris would understand what he meant, and sure enough, she did.
As expected, though her gaze dimmed a little, the loneliness and reluctance on Iris's face shifted into understanding.
"You're right… Sir Fang Li is truly an incredible person. It wouldn't make sense for you to stay in the Royal Capital forever. There are so many people in this world who need your power."
Her voice was filled with regret, but she still said it.
"Only… in that case, why not take the Holy Sword with you?"
Fang Li seemed to have anticipated this question from the start.
And so, he answered directly: "You need the Holy Sword more than I do. Even if you don't often have to fight, 'rarely' doesn't mean 'never'. Besides, the scabbard's protection is important for you too."
The matter with Alderp had proven that clearly.
If the scabbard had been on Iris at the time, she would not have fallen under the influence of the Devil's causality-manipulating ability, and would have maintained her judgment.
That's why both the Holy Sword and the scabbard were things Iris needed more than Fang Li did.
"Don't worry about me," Fang Li said with a smile as he patted the pure white activation device at his waist. "It's not like I don't have weapons that can rival the Holy Sword."
With that, Fang Li handed the Holy Sword to Iris. Iris opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end, she accepted it.
Then, she forced a small smile and said: "Then… at the very least, let me hold a farewell banquet for you."
Hearing those words and seeing that slightly strained smile, Fang Li nodded.
(End Of This Chapter)
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