"But an incident completely shattered all of this."
"Fate seemed to be playing a joke on Lynn,"
"A year and a half ago, the Empire’s Holy Sword Army launched the thirteenth crusade against the Demon Clan. Lynn was ordered to lead an elite squad to cooperate with the Commander in executing an extremely dangerous decapitation operation."
"My cousin, Payne Augustine, was a member of this squad. I think it’s necessary to mention his name because he completed this crucial decapitation operation at the cost of his life. He is the pride of our Augustine family and undoubtedly a hero of the Empire!"
Even the usually frivolous Marquis Matthew was serious for once, not because after his cousin’s death, Payne’s line became extinct, forcing him to inherit the vast estate of his cousin, but because he sincerely admired his cousin’s contributions to the Empire.
Although Marquis Matthew was known for his bizarre and unconventional actions, often becoming a topic of conversation, his stance never wavered in matters of great importance.
"I never expected that the Augustine family had such a warrior..."
There was some commotion among the people, almost none of whom knew of Payne Augustine’s deeds, and they couldn’t help but feel a sense of respect.
After all, everyone was well aware that the peace they enjoyed was not a given. On the cruel battlefield against the Demon Clan, countless warriors like Payne formed a wall of flesh and blood that kept the shadow of death at bay.
Seeing everyone’s reaction, Marquis Matthew felt relieved for his young cousin who had sacrificed himself, even before marrying or leaving any offspring.
"The decapitation operation ended in victory, and Lynn and his squad also paid a significant price for it. But compared to the difficulty of the operation, such a price can be considered miraculous."
"Personally, I think that even an experienced commander like His Excellency Xiya would find it difficult to replicate the miracle that Lynn created."
As the most prominent person in the Empire today, Xiya was undoubtedly someone many admired, and if Marquis Matthew had made such a statement before, people would have sneered and ridiculed.
But after today’s events, Lynn’s image was elevated to an unimaginable level.
As an admirer of Lynn, hearing about his glorious deeds was somewhat thrilling, which seemed natural.
When people truly like or admire someone, they can’t help but feel excited when they hear of his remarkable achievements.
"But later, something else happened, which many of you might have heard about." Google seaʀᴄh novel~fire~net
"After leading the decapitation operation, Lynn should have led his team back to the base camp, but he did something extremely rash, making a unilateral decision to pursue the enemy despite orders."
"Despite the team’s repeated dissuasion, he persisted, even staking the entire squad’s lives for personal military credit."
"According to military records, Lynn and his squad were ambushed by an elite Demon Clan legion, and in the end, only Lynn survived."
"What happened afterward is more widely known; Lynn, who narrowly escaped death on the battlefield, was brought to a military court, but finally, through his father’s strenuous efforts, the Bartleion family’s fortunes were almost exhausted to spare his life, though it incurred the wrath of the entire Imperial Capital."
"I remember clearly that Lynn suddenly went from being a rising star general of the Empire to a condemned executioner, because his personal issues led to the needless sacrifice of over a dozen of the Empire’s finest warriors on the Demon Clan battlefield."
"Later, even the Heavenly Principle Church intervened, stripping Lynn of his Divine-given factor, reducing him to a cripple unable to train."
"Even the Bartleion family regarded Lynn as a disgrace to the family, exiling him to the remote border, leaving him to fend for himself."
By this point, the vast crowd in the Saint Square had fallen into a dead silence, with their expressions shifting from initial excitement and agitation to dejection and confusion.
"I don’t believe it!"
After a brief silence, someone finally couldn’t hold back and stood up with a roar full of disbelief and anger.
"I don’t believe it either!"
Another voice followed, with the same excitement and determination, "There’s no way His Excellency Lynn would gamble his comrades’ lives for so-called military merit!"
Many nodded in agreement, their eyes burning with a fiery gleam.
Because during the Holy Tree Judgement just now, they clearly saw that, to draw out the real limb connector and save Glostit, Lynn even risked his own life, placing himself in the most dangerous situation with a self-sacrificing resolution that would leave an indelible impression on everyone.
Lynn received the Holy Tree’s approval, and according to prophecy, only those with noble character and a saint’s will would receive such a reaction from the Holy Spirit Tree.
"There must be a conspiracy involved, His Excellency Lynn must have been framed!"
"It’s utterly absurd, how could His Excellency Lynn receive the Holy Tree’s approval if he was such a despicable person?"
"Cough, cough, even if I’m not familiar with His Excellency Lynn’s character, surely it’s clear how much filth is hidden within the Empire’s noble class and how many scandals the military has accumulated?"