Chapter 555 - 358: Conscience Not Yet Extinguished
In the early morning, grey clouds hung over New Moon City, casting a depressing darkness. A fine rain gently tapped on the streets and rooftops, splashing up tiny droplets.
It is said that with spring rains, all things are revived.
But this spring rain brought nothing but sorrow to New Moon City.
The border refugees were temporarily settled in the Rust Wall District, as were the members of Fenrir.
In the room, Fenrir stood in front of a fitting mirror, adjusting her attire. She wasn’t wearing the usual wolf-head-embroidered leather jacket that symbolized the Fenrir group. Instead, she wore a black shirt, trying to tie a matching colored tie.
It was clear that Fenrir wasn’t used to wearing such formal attire, as the tie remained untied despite several attempts.
Not far away, Hibell, who had already dressed herself, walked over and gently touched Fenrir’s tie, saying, "Let me do it."
Hibell skillfully tied Fenrir’s tie and carefully smoothed out some creases near the collar.
Fenrir looked at her and smiled slightly, "How come you’re so good at this?"
Hibell laughed and said, "My brother taught me, he always said girls should learn to groom themselves. I got tired of hearing it, so I picked up a few tricks with him."
With their preparations done, Fenrir led Hibell towards the door, saying, "Let’s go, we shouldn’t let them wait too long."
The two stepped out to a scene of many people dressed in black suits and shirts, among them were members of Fenrir, as well as people from the Edge, Mo Xue, and other mercenary corps.
Su Mo also stood among the crowd. Fenrir walked over, and the two silently but firmly shook hands.
Su Mo and Fenrir hadn’t known each other long, but during the recent beacon incident, they fought side by side from two different worlds, bridging a distance of ten thousand meters, forging an iron-clad friendship.
In their hearts, they both knew each was someone they could trust from now on.
After the handshake, Fenrir looked at the small figure standing beside Su Mo.
Dongdong stood there, her eyes swollen beyond recognition and bloodshot, clearly having cried long before now with no more tears left to shed.
In her hands, she held Gordon’s portrait.
Gordon had been too solitary in life, leaving no decent portrait behind. Even finding one for his funeral had been an issue.
The portrait was made from a stock photo found on Dongdong’s phone, capturing Gordon arranging medicinal supplies for healing. Dongdong had taken the picture secretly, and as he turned to look her way, he had a kind smile on his face, frozen forever in that moment.
Fenrir gently placed a hand on Dongdong’s head, softly but firmly saying, "Lift your head high, you are his pride."
On hearing this, Dongdong’s tear-dry eyes moistened again. She wiped her tears with her sleeve and raised her head.
As everyone gathered, the mourning procession began its march.
The rain shrouded the entire city. On both sides of the Rust Wall District streets, countless people stood silently, so densely packed that they seemed endless.
Most of them were border people who had safely entered the Inner City for refuge. No one had invited them, no one had forced them, yet they were all clad in black, coming to send off the original king.
Gordon was a man forgotten by time. Once he rose to the borderland stage with great fanfare, initiating an era of bloody violence, rampantly killing and leaving countless corpses in his wake.
But only three years later, heartbroken by his family’s death, he faded from the spotlight, spending the rest of his life incognito as a doctor, treating all who came to his clinic regardless of faction, doing his utmost to atone for his past.
Gordon’s life wasn’t without flaw, his merits and demerits perhaps couldn’t be summed up in a few words, but in his final moments, this first king unreservedly sacrificed himself for the people of the borderlands, doing what a king should do.
Therefore, on the day of Gordon’s funeral, those border people who survived because of him came to bid farewell, though having never met him.
They stood solemnly along the streets, silently watching the funeral procession. The street was silent, with only the sound of raindrops hitting the ground, accompanied by the footsteps of people, making it extra heavy.
Gordon had sacrificed himself beneath the ground, and his remains were irretrievable; the coffin held only a doctor’s white coat he had worn for decades.
Dongdong, the person Gordon had been closest to in life and whom he regarded almost like his own child, walked at the front carrying his portrait, with Su Mo and Fenrir flanking her on either side.
As they walked, Dongdong noticed a group of people emerging from the crowd up ahead, seemingly having waited for them for some time.
Their tall statures and imposing presence stopped the funeral procession and set off whispers among the crowd, whose eyes were cold and disdainful, clearly saying nothing good.
To those border people and raiders who frequently smuggled into the Inner City, these people were all too familiar. They were the renowned "Alpha Squad" of the Anti-Violence Fourth Section, New Moon City’s most powerful elite force.
All 25 members of the Alpha Team, including their leader Ivan, were present in somber black attire, holding white chrysanthemums, evidently here to see Gordon off.
Upon seeing them, Dongdong’s eyes flared up with anger. She handed the portrait to Su Mo, stepped forward, and forcefully pushed Ivan, "Get out! Go away! You’re not welcome here! Get lost!"