Woodrow was taken away, as were all the guards who had been disarmed. Soon, more people from the Gray Temple arrived and began registering the names of the families of the deceased miners and details of the case, and cleaning up the scene.
Not long after, people from the City Lord's Mansion arrived, but they didn't participate in the investigation. Instead, they brought clothing and food to the miners' families.
As they gnawed on their bread, a glimmer of life finally appeared on their faces, which had been as hard as stone. The pain that had been building up in their hearts for years finally had a place to be expressed and to seek justice.
"Mr. Mai Ge, there are a few details I need to ask you about the previous duel. How did you kill that level two knight? Of course, he was stripped of his knighthood last year." Brandley asked Mai Ge. If, as the people present said, Mai Ge killed Valcke with just a peach wood branch, then his strength was at least that of a level three knight.
"Actually, it was Amy who did it, I just pretended." Mai Ge said with a smile, looking at Amy who was eating bread with Jessica. At this moment, of course, it was best to shift the blame first.
"So that's how it is. The Little Boss is truly a hero who eliminates evil and restores peace." Brandley revealed a look of understanding. If it was Amy who made the move, then everything would be easy to explain. Mai Ge certainly didn't seem like someone with the strength of a level three knight.
"On behalf of the Gray Temple, I would like to express my gratitude to you. Last time you helped subdue the serial killer, and this time you acted bravely, exposed the darkness, and made a great contribution to making Chaos City a better place." Brandley said sincerely to Mai Ge.
"You're welcome." Mai Ge nodded slightly, looking at the people scrambling to stuff bread into their mouths, and said with a somewhat serious expression, "I'm a little curious, how many more things like this happen in Chaos City? A city that promotes equality and freedom, if the law becomes a tool for some people, then don't the high city walls turn this city into the cruelest prison?"
"The law makes everyone more free, which is what the Gray Temple and the City Lord's Mansion have always been doing. However, as you said, this incident has also served as a wake up call for us. Some people are using it to do things that violate its original purpose. I will submit this matter to the higher authorities, and I believe the Temple Master will make a wise judgment and take appropriate measures." Brandley nodded solemnly.
"Okay, I hope to see a better Chaos City. I'll take my leave now." Mai Ge nodded and pushed his bicycle toward Amy and the others.
"Amy's father, thank you so much for saving us today." Rebecca, who had just received a few loaves of bread from the City Lord's Mansion's staff, looked at Mai Ge who was walking towards them and pulled Jessica to kneel down.
"You're welcome. Jessica is Amy's friend, so we can't just stand by and do nothing." Mai Ge reached out to help the two of them up, smiling as he said, "May we come in and sit for a while?"
"Of course, please come in." Rebecca nodded quickly, got up, and took Jessica's little hand to enter the house first.
Mai Ge glanced at the workers handling the corpses not far away, then took Amy's hand and entered Jessica's house. The low-ceilinged room was somewhat dark, consisting of only one room with a bed at the back and a small window through which light streamed in.
Beside the bed was a small wooden table made of pieced wood, with some cloth and needles and thread on it. Next to it was a worn out little bamboo chair, and in the corner was a small stove with some thin porridge in the pot and a small bag of rice next to it.
Besides that, there was nothing else in the room.
"Amy's father, please have a seat." Jessica moved the bamboo chair over with some effort, looked up at Mai Ge, her dark eyes still clear and bright, filled with gratitude.
"Okay, thank you." Mai Ge nodded with a smile and sat down on the only chair in the room. The bamboo chair, which had been repaired many times with broken planks, creaked, making him tense up and sit up straight. It would be embarrassing if he collapsed.
"Please have some water. We're so sorry we don't have anything to offer you at home. Also, that dragon coin you left on the food box last time for Jessica to bring back saved my life. I really don't know how to thank you." Rebecca filled a bowl with water, which had a small chip in it, and handed it to Mai Ge, looking at him with deep gratitude.
The bowl was slightly chipped, but it was very clean. The water was clear and sparkling, rippling gently. Mai Ge picked up the bowl, took a big gulp, and smiled at Rebecca, saying, "You're too welcome. Are you feeling better?"
Rebecca, around thirty years old, already had quite a few fine lines around her eyes, making her look older than her actual age. Her complexion was somewhat sickly pale. However, compared to those people outside who were as hard as stone, her facial expressions were much more lively, especially her pair of black eyes, which were as clean and clear as Jessica's. Her face was also very gentle, showing that she was a pretty girl when she was young.
Despite living in such a place, Jessica remains lively and adorable, and Mai Ge has found the reason—she has a wonderful mother.
"I felt much better after eating the chicken soup you made, and then I got some medicine from the clinic, and I'm almost fully recovered." Rebecca nodded gratefully, held out her hand, which contained a gold coin, and said somewhat awkwardly, "They were fighting over it earlier, and I only managed to find one gold coin. I will return your dragon coin to you. I'm currently taking on some sewing jobs, and although the pay isn't much, but I can save a little everyday. In just two more months, I can return all the money to you."
"Keep this money, consider it a gift for Jessica, to buy the child some good food to help her recover." Mai Ge shook his head and pushed Rebecca's hand back, apparently thinking they were there to ask for money.
"No, I must return this money to you." Rebecca didn't retract her hand, looking at Mai Ge with unwavering determination.
"Yes, Amy's father, my father said that if you borrow something from someone, you must return it. So we will definitely pay you back, and I can help my mother with chores now." Jessica nodded in agreement, her little face full of seriousness.
"Okay, I accept, but not now. Give it back to me in three months." Mai Ge nodded, seeing the same determined looks in Jessica and Rebecca's eyes. Then he picked up the bag containing the little dress from his lap, handed it to Jessica, and said with a smile, "Because we're not here to ask for money today, but to invite Little Jessica to the party at noon. This is a gift that Little Amy prepared for you. Do you like it?"