A beam of light shone on top of Li Huailin's head. Li Huailin stood up slightly and waved his hand. Suddenly, a wave of ladies screamed.
"Duke of Aquitaine, we support you!" As the light shone, a row of female elves stood up and waved at Li Huailin.
"It seems like the Duke of Aquitaine is really loved by the elves," Francois said from the stage.
"Yes, how could we forget what the Duke of Aquitaine did to the elves?" Cheryl chimed in.
"It seems that you really want the Duke of Aquitaine to win the award in the end. Although I admire the Duke of Aquitaine very much, the final winner of the award is decided by the 71 judges voting. Until now, we still don't know who the winner will be, but the answer to the mystery will be revealed soon." "The results should be out by now. Before that, we would like to invite tonight's guest to announce the winner of the Continental Peace Prize. Let us welcome the Pope of the Church of Light, His Highness Karol Greenia …"
"En … Ni … An … Ya …" A chorus suddenly came from the stage. A group of young men in white uniforms slowly gathered from both sides of the stage as they sang the chorus. They weren't singing in the common language of the continent. Even the natives might not understand what they were singing, but it gave off an ethereal and sacred feeling.
Amidst the solemn atmosphere, a middle-aged man in a white and gold uniform and a golden crown walked up from the side of the stage. There was no need for an introduction. It was obvious that the man was the Pope. This was also Li Huailin's first time seeing the Pontiff. The NPC's name was Karol Greenia, and he was much younger than Li Huailin had expected. Li Huailin had expected the Pontiff to be at least a white-haired old man, but Karol looked no older than 50 years old. He didn't have any white hair on his head, either, and he looked quite spirited. Of course, it was as if Karol was born with a holy aura. When standing next to him, Li Huailin felt as if they were on a completely different level.
With the appearance of His Highness the Supreme Pontiff, the scene immediately quietened down. The Church of Light was very influential in the Light Faction and had many believers. Many of the people present immediately made a gesture of worship. To them, the Supreme Pontiff and the God of Light were basically on the same level.
The male lead on the stage, Francois, seemed to be a follower of the Church of Light. When he saw Karol walk to the center of the stage, he immediately knelt down and kissed the Pope's right hand. Then, he placed his hand on his chest and bowed. Cheryl, who was beside him, bowed. Although there were Light believers in the Elves, there weren't as many as the Humans.
"Thank you, everyone, for coming here." Pope Carlo spread his hands and said to the people below, "This is the 12th time I've been the presenter of this award since I took office. Ever since the last pope, my mentor, Pope Paul, established this award 40 years ago, we can see that more and more people have begun to fight for the peace of the continent. Peace is an eternal topic, a goal that everyone has always hoped for. It is also what the Church of Light has always been pursuing. The purpose of this award is to let everyone know the names of those who have quietly contributed to the peace of the continent. I want to let everyone know that there is such a group of lovely people in this world who are quietly contributing their strength to the world. I also hope that these people can become role models for everyone to learn from, so that more and more people can join this great cause. "
Karol paused for a moment, then said, "Today's five candidates, even I, as the Pope, admire their actions. Now, the results are out. They are in the card in my hand. Before I announce the results, I hope that no matter who wins the award, these five candidates will become role models for everyone to learn from. Finally, on behalf of the Church of Light, I thank these five ladies and gentlemen for their contributions to the peace of the continent. "
"Clap clap clap …" Applause sounded. Even those who were not believers of the Church of Light were moved by Karol's words and couldn't help but applaud.
"Alright, now let me announce the winner of this year's Continental Peace Prize." After Karol finished speaking, he gestured for everyone to quiet down. Then, he took out the card in his hand and slowly opened it.
Everyone held their breath and focused their attention on the card in Karol's hand, as if they wanted to see through it. The lights on the scene kept moving back and forth between the five candidates. Ms. Kayla's children also held Kayla's hand, hoping that he would win the award. Ceci, who was next to Li Huailin, also held Li Huailin's hand, while Morrisa held Li Huailin's other hand, as if she was also a candidate.
"The final award is …" Karol paused for a moment, then said, "The new Grand Duke of the Nasser Empire, His Excellency Ruolin."
"Yay!" Morrisa jumped up like a child, and the elves behind her immediately jumped up from their seats. A beam of light immediately shone on Li Huailin, and the audience immediately applauded.
"Congratulations, Grand Duke Aquitaine!" The host, Francois, immediately said. "Please come to the stage, Grand Duke Aquitaine."
"Hahahaha, I really won a prize." Li Huailin was really laughing happily. These guys were really too fun to play with.
"Pfft, still lost, really!" Ceci, who was next to him, said with a look of disappointment. "Why are you so arrogant? Hurry up and receive the award."
"Hahahaha …" Li Huailin stood up, and Morrisa, who was next to him, also stood up. Before Li Huailin could say anything, Morrisa came up and hugged Li Huailin. She then whispered in Li Huailin's ear, "Congratulations."
No one noticed that when Karol saw Morrisa, his expression suddenly changed. He was a little surprised.
After hugging for a while, Morrisa let go of Li Huailin and said, "Hurry up, everyone is waiting."
"Haha." Li Huailin nodded, then walked up to the stage from the side. The staff on the stage immediately handed the trophy to Pope Carlo, who was presenting the award.
"Your Highness, Your Highness?" The staff noticed that Karol seemed to be a little distracted, so he immediately called out to him.
"Oh, oh, I'm sorry." Karol snapped out of his daze and took the trophy. Coincidentally, Li Huailin walked in front of him, and Karol immediately straightened his face.
"Congratulations, Grand Duke of Aquitaine." Karol recovered and said, "Thank you for everything you've done. You deserve this award."
"Haha, I think so too." Li Huailin smiled and took the trophy. It was probably made of gold. It wasn't big, about the size of an ordinary cup, and it was the kind that could be held in one's hand. It looked like a human figure wearing a cloak and holding a torch. Since Li Huailin wasn't familiar with the history of the continent, he didn't know who he was, but it was quite exquisite.
"The votes are out. Among the 71 judges, the Grand Duke of Aquitaine has 49 votes. He deserves to win this award. Now, let's welcome the winner, the Duke of Aquitaine, to say a few words," said the host, Francois, who was standing next to him.
The two hosts, including Karol, stepped aside and gave the stage to Li Huailin.
"To be honest, I really didn't expect to win this award today." Li Huailin walked to the podium and said, "I always thought that this was something I should do. I didn't expect everyone to notice it."
"Then, according to the usual practice, I should thank my parents or something. But they've passed away, and there's no one at home. I should thank myself instead," Li Huailin said with a smile.
"Hahaha …" There was a burst of laughter below the stage. However, some people felt a little heartache when they heard that Li Huailin's parents had passed away.
"Actually, the situation this time was a little unexpected. Everyone should have understood the process of the war. In fact, I couldn't have done this. I also have to thank the elves, especially Silverwind Captain Selena. Without their cooperation, I wouldn't have been able to do this. Now, I'm here to thank them," Li Huailin said.
"This time, the Continental Peace Prize is an affirmation and a spur to me. Please rest assured, I will work harder in the future. I will continue to launch all kinds of wars of aggression and slaughter civilians whenever I have time. I guarantee that I will contribute to the cause of Continental Peace."
Clap, clap, clap, clap … The applause was thunderous. Many people below the stage were moved by Li Huailin's words and shed tears of excitement. It was especially so for the elves. Each and every one of them was crying while clapping for Li Huailin. They didn't know how to express their emotions anymore. They were just too emotional.
"Well said!" Pope Carlo, who was on the stage, was also moved. He clapped hard. "Archduke of Aquitaine, you really are a great warrior. I am proud that humans have a warrior like you."
"It's nothing, it's nothing. It's what I should do," Li Huailin said.
"Archduke of Aquitaine!"
As he said that, Cheryl suddenly called out to Li Huailin. Before Li Huailin could react, Cheryl suddenly stepped forward and hugged Li Huailin. Then, without saying a word, she kissed Li Huailin's lips.
"The Duke of Aquitaine was kissed by the host?" The audience below the stage was stunned.
"You beast of a host, let go of that Duke. Let me do it!" The elven girls below the stage immediately rebelled and started a riot.
"Hehe, youngsters …" Pope Carlo chuckled and said.
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