Path To Godhood Begins With Marrying Wife And Gaining SSS Rank Skill

Chapter 763: 763:Even If Our Lord Is A Rebel We Believe In Him

The discussion over the division of Arcadia continued for several hours.

Ministers, military commanders, treasury officials and representatives from the four Empires gathered around the large table. Maps of Arcadia were spread across it, with different regions marked for discussion. Some ministers were busy checking the condition of the cities, while others were going through reports about the remaining armies, damaged roads, depleted treasuries and the condition of the common people.

The representatives from each Empire argued over which regions should fall under their control. They discussed the resources in each territory, the number of cities, the condition of the farmland and the military value of different locations. Some wanted regions with rich mines, while others preferred areas with large populations and developed trade routes.

Despite all the discussion, one thing remained absolute.

Blank was going to be ruled under the Eldorian Empire.

No one had any sway over this decision.

The contribution of Blank during the war had already been recognized, and Ethan’s position had made it impossible for the other Empires to interfere with that territory.

While everything was reaching this stage, Ethan had already left the stage.

He was missing home.

Unlike the previous times, there was no grand procession waiting for him. Ethan had already informed the people at the Blank Estate about his arrival and asked them to prepare quietly. He did not want any unnecessary attention after everything that had happened.

Using teleportation, Ethan finally arrived at the Blank Estate.

The familiar scenery appeared before him.

He looked around quietly.

Everything seemed almost the same as before. The buildings were still standing, the gardens were still maintained and the estate still had the same familiar atmosphere.

But the people were different.

They looked stiff and worried.

There were fewer people talking in the open areas, and even the servants moved around more quietly than usual. Some gathered in small groups and whispered among themselves before quickly returning to work whenever someone approached.

The matter regarding the war had not yet been officially addressed. The remaining members of the Royal Clan still had to be dealt with, so the news had not been announced to the public.

Even without hearing the details, Ethan could tell that the people had been affected emotionally.

With a war hanging over their heads and the situation of the Blanks becoming uncertain, how could anyone have the mood to be jovial?

Everyone was worried about what would happen next.

Would there be another war?

Would the Blank family lose its position?

Would the territory be taken away?

No one knew.

Ethan continued walking through the estate while quietly observing everything around him.

As he passed one of the side courtyards, he heard several men sitting together and talking.

A few of them were holding cigars while smoke slowly drifted through the air.

”Do you think our Lord is alright?”

One of the men asked while taking a slow puff from his cigar. His eyes remained fixed on the road leading toward the main building.

”I don’t know. We haven’t heard anything directly from him.”

Another man frowned and rubbed his chin.

”But he should be fine, right? He went to fight alongside the Emperors.”

”That is what worries me.”

The man holding the cigar lowered it slightly. His expression became darker.

”We heard all kinds of rumors after the war started. Some people were even saying that Lord Ethan had been declared a traitor.”

”What?”

The man beside him immediately looked up.

”Don’t talk nonsense. Lord Ethan is a traitor? There is no way.”

”The Emperor accused him of opposing the Empire and causing trouble.”

”That damned Emperor treated our Lord like shit. If Lord Ethan hadn’t stepped forward, who knows what would have happened to him.”

”That bastard really thought he could do whatever he wanted because he was an Emperor.”

Another man clenched his fist tightly. His face showed clear anger.

”Don’t we know how Lord Ethan has been? He has always cared about his people. He has never treated us like some useless subjects. He has helped the estate, protected the people and always made sure that we had enough resources.”

”Exactly. So how can he suddenly become a traitor?”

The man holding the cigar shook his head.

”He can’t. There has to be something else behind it.”

”I am sure it was the Emperor who had ill intentions. He probably wanted to exert pressure on the common people and use Lord Ethan as an example. Lord Ethan might have acted only to protect his people, and then they declared him a traitor for opposing them.”

The others slowly nodded.

”That sounds more believable than Lord Ethan becoming a traitor.”

”Of course it does. We have seen his actions with our own eyes.”

”Look at everything he has done for Blank City. Would a traitor do all that for his people?”

”No.”

The man answered firmly.

”Our Lord can never be a traitor.”

The words were spoken with such certainty that the others became silent for a moment.

Another man took a puff from his cigar and slowly exhaled the smoke.

”Look at what happened because of that Emperor. An entire war broke out, countless people died and now everyone is worried about what will happen to Arcadia.”

”I still can’t believe Lord Ethan had to deal with all that.”

”He should have never been dragged into this mess in the first place.”

One of the younger men looked worried.

”But what if the rumors are true? What if the Emperor really wants to punish him?”

The older man immediately frowned.

”Then what?”

The younger man hesitated.

”Would they... come after Blank?”

The men exchanged glances.

The thought itself was enough to make the atmosphere heavy.

Finally, the man holding the cigar spoke.

”Whatever happens, I will stand with Lord Ethan.”

”Even if he rebelled,I am sure that he must have a noble reason.”

Another man nodded.

”Of course.”

”He is our Lord.”

”And he has never abandoned us.”

The men became quiet again.

One of them sighed and looked at the ground.

”I just hope Lord Ethan is safe. We can deal with everything else later.”

Another man nodded.”Yeah. As long as our Lord comes back safely, everything else can be dealt with.”

Ethan stopped for a moment after hearing their conversation.

He did not interrupt them.Instead, he quietly looked at the men from a distance.

He had not expected to hear people defending him so firmly, especially when rumors about him being a traitor were already spreading.

He lowered his gaze for a moment.

These people did not know everything that had happened.

They did not know what he had done on the battlefield or what had truly happened between him and the Emperor.

Yet they still trusted him.

They believed that he could never willingly do something that would harm his own people.

A faint smile appeared on Ethan’s face.

Hearing them speak with such concern about him gave him a strange feeling in his chest.

After everything he had gone through, returning home and hearing ordinary people worrying about him felt different.

He quietly turned away and continued walking toward the estate.

The cigar smoke slowly faded behind him while the men’s conversation continued in the background.