Chapter 316 - 029: What should be done?
Chapter 316: 029: What should be done?
After leaving Lynch’s Tower, Greywell headed back to his residence. He didn’t take a carriage but walked back step by step.
It was late afternoon, and the afterglow of the setting sun fell upon him, stretching his shadow. His steps were slow and heavy, as though he was pondering something with every stride.
Born into a shoemaker’s family, Greywell’s childhood memories were mostly blurred, but what he vividly recalled was his father heading out early each day with his shoe repair box, tirelessly toiling until late at night, barely managing to support them despite his exhaustion.
In stark contrast were the Nobles, adorned in fine garments, indulging in exquisite pastries, and living lives free of labor.
Greywell once asked his father how one could become a Noble, but the answer he received was that only the children of Nobles could become Nobles. As the son of a shoemaker, he was destined to grow up and become a shoemaker himself.
Greywell found this deeply unjust, and he didn’t like being a shoemaker one bit.
Thus, from a very young age, he resolved to change this—to ensure that everyone could become who they aspired to be through their own will and effort, instead of having their fates dictated by lineage.
To realize this vision, Greywell began learning how to make an impression at an early age. While other children were playing in the mud, he had already mastered water management and led the neighbors in digging a network of canals to irrigate the wheat fields. That year, thanks to him, the town’s wheat harvest was bountiful.
This brilliance earned him the title of ’genius’ and fame that spread far and wide. Even the Earl in the castle heard of his story and summoned him specifically during an inspection of the town.
Opportunity had arrived!
Greywell, fully aware of this, prepared thoroughly and seized the chance, which earned him the Earl’s favor and brought him to live in the castle where he served as the personal servant to the Earl’s eldest son, accompanying him in receiving education.
The story should have ended there. After all, in a society valuing lineage above all, becoming the servant to the Lord’s son was the highest achievement a shoemaker’s son could attain through personal effort. As for his lofty aspirations—they seemed absurd, childish, and utterly unrealistic.
But fate has its peculiar ways.
A few years later, war broke out. The Nobles fought relentlessly for power and profit, and the Aisenberg family was forced to join the conflict. As the servant to the Earl’s eldest son, Greywell followed him to the battlefield.
On the battlefield, Greywell’s intelligence found an outlet. Initially, his contributions were casual suggestions, but the Earl’s son took them seriously. Following his advice led to notable victories. After these suggestions unexpectedly turned out to be correct several times and altered the course of the war, Greywell’s talents were finally recognized.
From there, he transitioned from being the Earl’s son’s servant to becoming his confidant and friend, eventually receiving focused cultivation from the Old Earl.
Time flew by. When the Earl aged and his eldest son inherited the Scepter of power, Greywell, who had grown up alongside him, finally stepped onto the grand stage.
Greywell did not disappoint his friend. Through alliances and shrewd strategies, he cleverly maneuvered to defeat opponents, gaining the submission of one Noble family after another, and transforming the small town of a few thousand into a thriving domain.
This brought Greywell unprecedented glory—the King’s Hand, the Prophet of Feiyan City—and he was even officially granted the title of Lord, transcending his humble beginnings to firmly become part of the ruling class.
But…
What am I supposed to do? What am I really doing?
In truth, throughout these years, he hadn’t completely forgotten his initial aspirations. However, once he truly wielded power, he realized the roots of the world’s rules ran deep, far beyond his ability to change. Even if he exhausted himself, the possibility of altering them was nonexistent. Gradually, he even began to see merit in these rules, believing they were necessary—absolute barriers that should not be torn down.
From outright opposition to eventual understanding, somewhere along the way, Greywell became one of the staunchest defenders of these rules.
Power!
It all boiled down to power.
When you have nothing, you detest everything. But when you become one of those high and mighty figures, truly letting go of the fruits of your labor to share power with the “lowly” commoners… that…
It’s certainly not easy.
By this stage in life, Greywell no longer thought about changing anything. That shoemaker’s son from long ago now felt like a forgotten relic. He was now a thoroughbred Noble.
But in these past few days, after so many ups and downs, after reclaiming the Scepter of power, he realized he no longer had the same fervor he once did.
Having played the game of power for so long, perhaps it was time to use this power to truly achieve something?
“Life is but a few short decades. Don’t you want to do something meaningful? Think about the reason you pursued power in the first place.”
Lynch’s words, as if endowed with Magic Power, echoed in Greywell’s mind endlessly, refusing to fade no matter how hard he tried to silence them, whether by closing his eyes or emptying his thoughts.
It was the spiritual power of Lynch at work, but it was also the deepest memory buried within Greywell’s soul reawakened.
“Indeed.”
“Life is but a few short decades. Shouldn’t one strive to do something meaningful?”
As he pondered, Greywell suddenly broke into laughter.
Laughing, he found his hunched posture straightening, and his steps growing lighter—from trudging slowly, to striding quickly, then even to dashing forward with vigor. In that instant, he seemed to transform back into the young man he once was.
He rediscovered the boy who stood at the edge of the street, glaring indignantly at Nobles parading down the grand avenue, surrounded by worshipful crowds. He rediscovered the rebellious, disillusioned version of himself.
The grand, world-altering plans he once envisioned as he lay awake late into the night re-emerged vividly in his mind. Those early dreams, buried deep in forgotten corners, arose—one by one, clear and fresh as ever.
Greywell finally remembered what he wanted to do. He wanted to—
Change the world!
…
Several days later, Feiyan City announced new laws.
Drafted personally by Greywell Croft, the Queen’s Hand, Earl’s appointee, and Feiyan City’s Supreme Governor, these laws would serve as the new code to maintain Feiyan City’s order moving forward.
The first article of the code stated: From today onward, Nobles who break the law will face the same punishment as commoners.
For a time, the entire city was shaken!