Although the temple strongly opposed it, preventing the people of Camaron from erecting a giant statue of Rody in the city center, another proposal by the Night Prince was accepted and realized.
In the city center, people flattened two streets into a giant crossroad wide enough to accommodate eight carriages side by side. King William II announced that in the future, all buildings along these two streets would be uniformly reconstructed, and the streets, originally mixed-use, would be converted into purely pedestrian thoroughfares. Starting from the central magical fountain, extending in all four cardinal directions, the unique 'Starlight Boulevard' pedestrian street of Camaron was built.
This plan received support not only from commoners but also from nobles and sages.
Along Starlight Boulevard, historical museums, halls of heroes, and various parks and squares were established for rest and gatherings.
Statues of all historical figures of Camaron would be erected in these places for future generations to admire. The world's great sages, poets, singers, painters, and other artists could leave their handprints along Starlight Boulevard, along with brief records of their lives for passersby to see and admire.
If completed, Starlight Boulevard would become the most distinctive street in the capital of Camaron and the finest scenery nearby.
Although the compensation for demolition was not substantial, residents along the street willingly relocated.
Many saw business opportunities, deciding to stay and secure a shop after reconstruction, anticipating that these shops would be the busiest places in the world. Wealthy businessmen bought properties in large quantities from commoners at high prices.
One end of Starlight Boulevard stretched from the city center to the outskirts of the royal palace, while the other end extended to the gates of Rody Academy.
To the east was Camaron's largest opera house and the grand plaza of the Camaron Garden.
The western end housed the Knights' Memorial Hall and the Field of Honor.
With the plan, Camaron suddenly became more beautiful and orderly. Previously, tourists often got lost among scattered attractions, wasting time and energy. But with the grand cross of Starlight Boulevard linking the four major zones, any building within them became instantly recognizable. With the construction of Starlight Boulevard, King William II decided to turn the capital, Blaye, into a garden city. The slums were cleared, old houses demolished, and dirty, disorderly, and unsafe areas were removed to build new wooden houses and markets for commoners.
The poor borrowed money from the Night Prince to buy these wooden houses, and they could repay the debt by working on the construction site of Rody Academy.
In just three months, the capital of Camaron, Blaye, transformed into a garden city.
Its nightscape was rated as one of the top five in the world. Bathed in magical light, the capital shone brilliantly. Tourists walking on Starlight Boulevard were so delighted they didn’t want to leave. There were elegant clubs for the nobility and pubs frequented by common mercenaries. Various specialties and cuisines from around the world could be tasted here.
No one who visited Blaye could help but admire its civilization, beauty, and prosperity.
Camaron was the only country in the world where every household hung their national flag from their windows and planted flowers and trees at their doorsteps, maintaining abundant greenery.
If a tourist walks on the streets of Camaron, they would see more smiles, nods, and hat-tipping than in any ten countries they have visited combined.
They would encounter more magicians, swordsmen, mercenaries, and artists in Camaron than in any other ten countries in the world.
All of this is due to the influence of two people. One is King William of Camaron, whose enlightened policies have dramatically transformed the city. The other is the prince from the Abyss. Without him, even with King William's reformative intentions, there would likely be neither the financial means nor the capability. It can be said that all the changes and ideas in Camaron, including the now-completed Starlight Boulevard and the still under-construction Rody Academy, originate from the ingenious ideas of the Night Prince.
He generously spent money, not to flaunt wealth, but to assist the world.
In this entire process, the Night Prince gained nothing materialistically, but he did harvest countless joys, gratitude, and respect...
The people of Camaron are grateful to and respect him.
The Night Prince's status in their hearts, unspoken though it may be, has seemingly surpassed that of the king and even the Pope of the temple.
People cannot repay him, for the Prince lacks nothing. He has everything. Except for continually praying for him in their hearts, people can do no more, and for this reason, the Night Prince appears even more noble in the eyes of the world. He is not human, nor a fellow countryman of the continent, but from the endless darkness of the Abyss. Yet no one sees him as an outsider; in everyone's heart, he is a friend, even family.
The magic journalists had people in over a hundred countries vote for the world's most famous cities, and Camaron's capital, Blaye, was voted as the "City of Smiles."
Among the pictures used for voting was one of the Night Prince smiling.
However, while people celebrated the gradual construction of Rody Academy and Blaye's daily beautification, observant individuals noticed the Night Prince's smile growing increasingly rare. He became reclusive, seldom appearing in public, his eyes gradually showing the same pained expression once seen in the miraculous child Rody...
What happened to him?
Was he ill? Homesick? Had he been away from the Abyss for too long and wished to return home?
People speculated, but no one knew what exactly had happened.
A month later, people noticed significant changes in the rarely-seen Night Prince during the award ceremony of the "Rody Cup – Decathlon Final." He appeared paler and thinner, with longer hair, resembling a sickly person. The always healthy Night Prince seemed unwell, causing great concern among the people of Camaron. They prayed for him and inquired with Finance Minister Mike, who was close to the Night Prince.
But even Minister Mike knew nothing...
Nicholas the butler tactfully announced that the Prince was missing his homeland and would soon leave Camaron to return to the Abyss. Although the excuse was plausible, even a fool could tell it was just that, an excuse.
Something must have happened to make the Night Prince leave Camaron.
The first thing to rule out was the people's respect for him, and secondly, King William II's attitude towards the Night Prince. The King treated him like a brother, often sneaking out of the palace with the Queen to visit the Prince's residence for intimate gatherings. Their relationship was very harmonious. The third possible influence on the Night Prince was the temple's protests, but the temple's voice was almost ignored by the people of Camaron. Though not everything went smoothly for the Night Prince, his numerous bold ideas were realized within Camaron, and even the dark products banned by the temple were quietly displayed on the shelves of shops.
So, what was the reason for the Night Prince's intention to return to the Abyss?
The people were truly baffled...
Nearly a hundred thousand citizens gathered on Starlight Boulevard to pray for the Night Prince's health, hoping he would stay in the capital of Camaron, at least until Rody Academy was completed. If he did not attend the opening, it would deeply disappoint the students and staff of the Academy.
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The Night Prince was moved and promised to stay as long as possible, living among them.
A month later, to the delight of the people, the Night Prince's health seemed to improve, and he began attending various events again.
Except for a few anxious individuals, most people breathed a sigh of relief.
Of course, people did not forget to toast to the Prince's health before every drink. If the Night Prince remained healthy forever, it would be a blessing for the world.
...
One day, an elderly woman knelt in front of the Night Prince's door.
Nicholas gave her some silver coins, but the old woman refused them, insisting on seeing the Night Prince.
"Please, I want to see the Prince. I've come from far away and need his help," she pleaded. "Let me in to speak with him, even if just for a minute."
"What does she want?" Rody asked, returning from outside.
"Prince, please help me," the old woman cried, clutching Rody's legs. "Great and majestic Prince, listen to an old woman's plea. I have a son, tall and handsome, the bravest knight in the world..."
"Do you want me to recommend him to the royal guard as a knight?" Rody asked.
"No, he's already the captain of the personal guard of the Lord of Bain. Here's what happened, please let me explain slowly. The Lord of Bain has a beautiful daughter who loves my son, and he is smitten with her. They were about to marry, but my son's rival, a noble from Bain, accused us of being lowly commoners unworthy of marrying the Lord's daughter," the old woman sobbed. "Prince, as you see, I am a commoner, surviving by washing clothes for others. My son grew up in a poor area and had to lie about our family being minor nobility to enter the knight academy since they don't admit commoners... Now, the Lord's daughter, to verify that my son did not deceive her, has decided to visit us..."
"I understand," Rody smiled. "How can I help you? Grant him minor nobility status?"
"Though it's presumptuous, Prince, I beg you for the Dark Magic Spring..." the old woman wept. "If the Lord's daughter sees my aged face and tree-bark-like hands, she will surely see through my son's lie. I've borrowed a small villa in the suburbs from my employers of thirty years, along with some old furniture. Just a little Dark Magic Spring from you, Prince, and perhaps the Lord's daughter won't recognize our poor status. Please, you can't understand the pain in a mother's heart. I gave birth to a son but had nothing to offer him, not even a decent home. Since childhood, I could only feed him leftovers from the masters' tables. Just when he's about to start a family, this misfortune strikes..."
"You are a great mother. Before fulfilling your wish, I want to ask, are you still laundering clothes?" Rody inquired.
"My son's school fees were all provided by my kind employer. I pray to the gods daily, grateful for her kindness. She is more of a mother to my child than I am. Although I could pay off my debts in another ten years, I sincerely hope to launder clothes for my employer for the rest of my life, as I have no other skills to offer her," the old woman quietly replied.
"One last question, how long has your son graduated from the academy? Did he just get promoted to captain of the personal guard?" Rody asked.
"No, my son earned the Lord of Bain's appreciation through sweat and effort. Though he became the captain just three years after graduating, he worked a hundred times harder than anyone else," the old woman proudly spoke of her son.
"I see," Rody nodded. "If there's time, have your son visit me, and I will give him the Dark Magic Spring."
"But, Your Highness, my son has been injured by those villains and is currently bedridden. He cannot come here. Now, the only hope for my son and me lies in your grace. Please, I have heard of your kindness and generosity. Please help us, and we will always pray for you!" the old woman cried out in distress.
"No, mother, don't do this..." From afar, a young man leaning on crutches appeared, struggling to walk and shouting, "No, you can't kneel before a prince of the Abyss, mother. We are faithful followers of the God of Light, pure and devout. You must not kneel to a follower of darkness for my sake. Get up, mother, I cannot ask him for help!"
"What did you say?" an onlooker, a mercenary, roared. "Do you want me to kill you? You ungrateful brat!"
"Kill him!" someone already drew their sword.
"If I don't break the other leg of this guy, my name isn't Ganna. Damn it, you sanctimonious trash, how dare you insult the Prince? You should be licking the boots of the temple's bishop, not barking here. Camaron doesn't welcome you, understand?" A mercenary leader rushed forward, grabbed the young man's collar, scolded him, threw him to the ground, and kicked him fiercely.
"You dark followers, you can kill me, but you can't insult me! I am a knight of holy justice, and you heretics! You are not fit to judge me!" the young man defiantly cursed back.
"Stop, don't hit him, please, I beg you, don't hit my son!" the old woman rushed to shield her beloved son with her body.
"Everyone, stop." Rody waved his hand, and the mercenaries and angry bystanders reluctantly backed off, staring at the young man with murderous eyes.
"Mother, don't beg that illegitimate child of the dark demon, the root of all evil. The priests and bishops in the temple have said, he's a devil that tempts people, even his appearance is that of someone else. This person does not exist; he's an incarnation of the dark demon... Mother, let's go back! We are poor, but we have our dignity; we don't need to depend on others!" the young man firmly got up, grasping his crying mother, and tried to leave.
"Get out, and don't let me see you again, or I'll kill you!" the mercenaries would have attacked him if Rody hadn't stopped them.
"Wait," Rody called out to the young man.
"I know you'll be furious. You'll execute me for offending you, you deceitful devil. Using your despicable and shameless ways, you've deluded the people. Have I spoken what's in your heart? Come on, kill me! If I die, I'll ascend to heaven and look down mockingly at your pettiness and insignificance," the young man said as he saw Rody approaching, continually spewing hateful words.
"Speaking loudly doesn't mean you are right," Rody slightly smiled and said, "Don't worry, I won't kill you. Those who can die by my hand are all extraordinary strong beings. Why would I kill an ant like you? I came here to tell you, you don't deserve to be a son, especially this old lady's son!"
"What did you say? You devil!" the young man shouted in anger.
"I'm not wrong, you don't even deserve to be a man! Honestly, in my eyes, your pride and arrogance are worse than the lowest trash. You're a waste of food living in this world!" Rody stared at the young man and said, "A mother, picking food from the trash, raising her son with hardships, sending him to a knight academy, graduating and becoming a captain of the city lord’s personal guard, admired by the city lord's daughter. How glorious and happy your son is, but what about her? Still laundering clothes for her employer to repay your tuition fees, kneeling before me, a prince from the Abyss, begging for help. Isn't she pitiful? She is pitiable not because of her miserable fate, but because of you, for having a son worse than trash!"
"You…" the young man was so angry he was speechless.
"Look at your mother's hands, dry and cracked like old bark. What does that say? That's mocking your mouth!" Rody scoffed, "Look at your mother's face, old and sorrowful, her head full of white hair. Now look at yourself, dressed in a knight's fine clothes, and then look at your mother, her clothes full of patches, probably not changed for many years. Look, your great mother, how beautiful and noble she is, but what about you? You, full of sacred righteousness, how ugly and insignificant you are... You are like a vampire, sucking your mother's blood and life, like a worm, hollowing out her youth and body. You've grown up, about to start a family, and you start to despise your ugly mother. She affects your future, right? Your fiancée won't like her, a knight like you, your status doesn't match her lowly poverty. She also affects your marriage, she couldn't provide you a happy family, right? Young knight, stand in front of your mother, say you've never despised her, never felt inferior because of her poverty! Say you've always loved her, worked hard to repay and care for her in her old age, making her smile every day, deeply proud of her son. Are you really such a good son?"
"You dogshit knight, even as a mercenary, I am a hundred times better than you. At least my mother never had to launder clothes every day to pay for my tuition. How dare you pretend to be holy and benevolent in front of us? Go to hell! Trash!" the mercenary leader Gan Na loudly ridiculed.
"Facing this guy, I feel so proud of myself," a mercenary laughed.
"I suddenly realized that I am actually a great filial son. Ah, it turns out that I, a small mercenary, am much better than a knightly lord!" someone mocked coldly.
"Mother, I'm sorry, I've wronged you!" the young man wept bitterly, unable to argue back. Rody's words pierced his heart like a knife, causing him immeasurable pain.
Everyone around jeered at him, causing him to kneel down in defeat.
He hugged the old woman, crying like a child.
"Prince, you are right, but he is still my son, my pride, my hope. Please forgive him, he's young and impulsive. I beg of you, please forgive him..." the old woman quickly kneeled before Rody, pleading earnestly, fearing that Rody might command her son to be executed. If they offended someone as revered as the Prince of the Abyss in the capital of Carmel, they could not hope to leave the city alive.
"Young knight, see, your mother kneels for you again. Don't you feel ashamed? Is this how you act as a son? I truly pity your mother!" Rody helped the old woman up, saying, "Old mother, you are a great mother. I respect you, and your request will be granted immediately. As for forgiveness, I promise you, there will be no hard feelings."
"Madam, here is your Dark Abyss Spring," Nicholas, the butler, presented a bottle of the Dark Abyss Spring.
"Thank you, Prince. You are as generous as the legends say. I will pray for you, thank you so much!" the old woman took it, thanking him profusely.
"Also, you will receive a real house and the status of a minor noble." Nicholas handed her a badge, saying, "This is a noble badge given by Minister Mack, considering your son's resistance and irrationality towards our prince's identity. We, the Abyss, will not bestow upon you the title of a dark noble. As the prince's butler, I respect you greatly, madam. But for your son, I am greatly disappointed."
"Young knight, you rashly accused the prince without knowing the truth, which is an unforgivable mistake. As a knight of Carmel, you should have shown utmost respect to the prince, but you didn't. Your actions, if not for the prince's merciful forgiveness, even His Majesty would not have spared you!" Mack, the finance minister who came to greet Rody, sternly criticized: "Look around you, does anyone share your views? Understand this, your thoughts are a gross misjudgment! You should walk along the Starlight Boulevard or visit the Rody Academy to quickly understand what is right!"
"I admit that I haven't done enough for my mother, and I admit that the Prince of the Night has spent a lot of money in Kamarun, but, I am always a knight of God," the young man's faith in God remained unshakably firm.
"A knight of God? Ha ha." Rody laughed loudly: "Go back! Knight of God, take your mother with you, and don't forget, you are still her son!"
"No need to go back!" A woman's voice, suppressing anger, said: "I say, knight of God, not only did you hide the duel from me, but also went to Kamarun to vigorously promote your righteousness. Good, I said I would go to your house to see, just to see if you would acknowledge your mother, but I didn't expect it to embarrass you so much. You think I don't know? The lady who has your mother doing laundry, she's my aunt. If it weren't for her, do you think any master would lend their house and furniture for her son's wedding chamber? Bowen, you really disappoint me..."
"Is it you?" The young man was stunned when he saw the beautiful woman emerging from the crowd.
"If I cared about your status, would I be willing to marry you, the captain of the personal guard, or you, the knight of God? I like your effort and strength, but I very much dislike your inferiority, your inferiority disguised as arrogance in front of others. Your knight's identity has become a shield to cover your inferiority, never willing to put it down! What do you want to tell me? Also that you are a knight of God, that I, a mundane woman, am not worthy of you?" The beautiful woman stepped forward and slapped the young man hard.
"Well hit, this guy deserves a beating!" The mercenaries clapped and whistled.
"Apologize! Apologize now!" The beautiful woman shouted angrily.
"I, I'm sorry, Cecilia, I..." The young man was both embarrassed and ashamed, barely able to stand, and finally apologized in a low voice.
"You're wrong, completely wrong." The beautiful woman said shrilly: "You're not aware of your mistake at all, I really can't forgive you. Know this? The person you really should apologize to is not me, nor your mother, because a few words of apology can't make up for her. The person you really should apologize to is the Prince of the Night standing in front of you! If he weren't the Prince of the Night, replaced by another prince, you would have been sent to the gallows long ago, and your mother would have been kicked to the streets, maybe already dead, rather than holding the Dark Magic Spring and a noble crest! I say, knight of God, you really should be ashamed, I'm blushing for you. You accuse such a beloved prince, is it not because of jealousy? Don't you feel guilty deep down? For the little bit that I still like you, this is the last chance, Bowen, if you are a knight of God, fine, then go! And never come to find me again, I like sons who honor their mothers, sons of the poor who work hard, not knights of God!"
"Apologize quickly, apologize to the prince, you, you really anger me!" The old woman, who had never dared to hit her son in her life, couldn't help but slap him, and then hurriedly knelt down to apologize to Rody.
"No need..." Rody helped up the old woman, laughing loudly: "I don't need insincere apologies, being able to see a great mother has already comforted my heart the most. I wish you happiness, old mother, and all the mothers in the world, including my own, eternal happiness!"
"Please forgive me, Prince, I, I realize my mistake." The young man threw away his crutch, knelt down heavily, tears streaming down his face.
"Go back," Rody said with a smile: "You don't need my forgiveness, just now, I wasn't speaking to you as a prince, but as a brother. The magical youngster Rody once said: In front of a great mother, we are all brothers. I envy you for having such a loving mother, and I am also proud, because I have a similarly great and loving mother. What a person does is not important, the most important thing is not to make one's mother cry..."