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Heir of the White Lotus (Web Novel) - Chapter 2186: Witch of Davos
Chapter 2186: Witch of Davos
This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl
A sea of people had gathered before the gates of the Sapphite Tower.Adventurers, merchants, craftsmen, and ordinary citizens stood shoulder to shoulder.
Many had lost friends and family in the Red Gala. Yet they had all come. They had come to hear their Known Lord speak.
Emily Damon stood on the steps before the Tower, dressed in white robes. It had been a week since the massacre. Her face was still pale from the injuries she had sustained, and her movements were somewhat stiff. But her back was straight, and her gaze was unwavering.
She looked over the crowd. For a long moment, she said nothing. She took a quiet breath and finally began.
"People of Davos."
Her voice carried across the square, reaching every corner. Her address was also being broadcast to the rest of the city.
"A week ago, we gathered to celebrate the Centennial Gala. We gathered as friends, as colleagues, as fellow citizens of this great city. We came here to celebrate everything we had built together. And then..."
Her gaze drifted toward the City Watch headquarters in the distance.
"And then our guardians turned their blades against us."
The crowd fell silent. By now, it was a known fact that there had been a mutiny within the City Watch. The faction that loyally supported the previous Known Lord had massacred all those who supported the current Known Lord. They had taken full control of the Watch and proceeded to butcher the guests present at the Gala.
"The City Watch. The very people entrusted with protecting our homes, our families, and our lives. Those whom we welcomed into our streets and trusted with our safety. They betrayed that trust.
"They opened our gates to the enemy. They turned their weapons against the people they had sworn to protect. And while our backs were turned, while we celebrated beneath the same roof, they butchered our friends and loved ones.
"We have lost friends, parents, children, teachers, brothers, and sisters. People who should have returned home that night, who should have sat at their dinner tables, who would have woken up the next morning and continued living their lives. But they will never return."
The Gala wasn’t the only place attacked that night. Along with the attack on the Unknown Lords who supported the Witch of Davos, the City Watch and the mercenaries of the Iron Covenant had attacked various sectors of the government and crippled the city’s economy.
They had assassinated the key individuals who were loyal to Emily Damon. The plan had been to kill the Witch and her staunch supporters and take over the city. This was a coup that was a decade in the making. But it had failed.
"We cannot bring them back," Emily continued.
"No amount of power can undo what has happened. No words can ease the pain of those who have lost everything. But we can remember them. We can remember their courage. Their kindness. Their dreams. We can remember the lives they lived and the people they loved. And we can make certain that their deaths will not be in vain."
A few voices rose from the crowd.
Emily’s aura changed in that moment.
"Those who orchestrated the massacre believed that by striking at us, they could break Davos. They believed that by murdering our people and betraying our trust, they could bring this city to its knees. They were wrong!"
A ripple of ember spread through the crowd.
"Davos has endured wars. We have weathered disasters. We have faced enemies who believed themselves stronger than us, richer than us, more powerful than us. Time and time again, they came believing they could tear this city apart. And time and time again, Davos endured!"
The crowd began to stir. Restless on their feet. The ember began turning into fire.
"We endured because of our strength, yes. Because of the Magi and Paladins who stood on the front lines, yes. Because of the adventurers who risked their lives beyond our walls, yes. Because of the merchants who kept our markets alive and the craftsmen who built our homes, yes."
Emily paused, taking in the fierce expressions of the people. Of her people.
"But that is not what makes Davos truly strong..."
The Witch pointed at the crowd,
"It is you. It is the people who stand beside one another when the world turns cruel. It is the neighbors who sheltered one another when danger comes. It is the strangers who risk their lives to save someone they have never met. It is every man and woman who refuses to abandon this city, even when everything they hold dear has been taken from them.
"That is the strength of Davos! Not the strength of one individual! Not the might of one faction! But the strength of all of us standing together!"
The crowd erupted in cheers. They raised their fists in the air. They stomped their feet on the ground. The land trembled. The air trembled. Davos trembled.
"They have taken our loved ones from us! They have stained our streets with blood! They have betrayed the very trust that holds a city together! But hear me now! We will uncover the truth! We will find those responsible! And we will bring them to justice!"
Emily raised her voice until it thundered across the square.
"Their crimes will not be forgotten! Their victims will not be forgotten! And the people who died that night will not be forgotten! We will avenge our dead!"
"We will!" the crowd roared.
"We will protect our people!"
"We will!" the crowd roared.
"We will rebuild what was destroyed!"
"We will!" the crowd roared.
"Davos has survived for countless years," Emily declared. "And it will survive for countless more. We will mourn our dead. We will care for our wounded. We will stand beside the families who have lost everything. And when the time comes, we will face our enemies together."
She raised a fist to the air.
"Because that’s what we do! That’s who we are! Who are we?"
The people of the city roared at the top of their lungs.
"DAVOSIANS!!!"
