"Get out!!"
Luo Li's sharp voice echoed through the Temple.
Lancel walked out of the main gates and glanced back at the entrance of the Temple.
The Praetorian Knights drew the longswords at their waists one after another.
"Her Highness the Saintess ordered you to leave! Move it!!"
Lancel lowered his head, pulled his hood back over his face, and turned to walk into the vast, pouring rain.
However, he did not leave Brilliant City immediately; instead, he ducked into a nearby alleyway.
After a few twists and turns, he arrived at the most prosperous area of East Main Street.
Looking up at the largest bar in Brilliant City, Lancel pushed open the door and stepped inside.
When his unfamiliar figure appeared in the bar, the patrons showed curiosity, but there was little of the usual xenophobia.
After all, the Kingdom of the Moon stood at the very forefront for all races of the continent; directly ahead of this nation lay the territory of the demon army, the common enemy of all.
Because of this, compared to other racial kingdoms, the Kingdom of the Moon could be called the most free and open nation on the continent.
This was especially true for its capital, Brilliant City.
Lancel scanned the room. Inside the bar were elves drinking in solitude, dwarves engaged in loud discussions, gnomes whispering to one another, and even amiable beastmen.
Almost every race found on the continent could be seen in Brilliant City.
Although Lancel's attire was somewhat strange, the crowd only gave him a curious glance before returning to their business, showing no particular intention to distance themselves from the outsider.
Seeing this, Lancel nodded inwardly and walked to the bar counter. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a piece of paper, and placed it on the table.
"Give me a glass of strong liquor."
"What would you like, sir?"
"Anything is fine."
"Understood. Please wait a moment."
The server behind the bar took the paper, glanced at the handwriting, and quickly moved to the back.
Lancel sat quietly on a round stool at the bar, waiting as time passed.
After about two minutes, the crisp sound of high heels suddenly echoed from behind the counter.
Click... clack...
Following the footsteps, a woman with a mature appearance and a voluptuous figure emerged from the back.
"Sir, please follow me."
Lancel's brow furrowed slightly. Seeing the woman leave the bar and head directly toward the second floor, he followed her.
They stopped before a secluded private room on the second floor, where the woman turned to look at him.
"Please wait in this room for a moment."
"Understood."
Lancel nodded and pushed the door open.
...
"Your Highness, do you truly intend to recruit this Sinner?"
Hilda pondered for a long time before finally asking the question.
A Sinner, and one who had struck an archbishop at that—this was no small matter.
Furthermore, it was wartime.
"Your Highness, while Lancel's choice was not inherently wrong, it happened during a war. This matter..."
"Enough. This matter is both right and wrong. On one hand, he followed his humanity; on the other, he violated the law. But at the very least, those who dare to resist are few and far between."
I turned to look at Hilda.
"Hilda, do you think war is right?"
Hilda froze, appearing somewhat uncertain as she asked herself:
"Is it... right? Or is it wrong?"
I shook my head.
"No. War has no right or wrong; it never has. History is written by the victors; it is the path chosen by time itself. So-called 'just wars' are merely decorative terms. The true meaning of war is... using force to make the opponent submit."
"No matter what you want, once a war begins, that is the only meaning left."
I stood up, walked down from the divine platform, and looked at Hilda.
"Hilda, war is the collective choice of a nation, but it is not the choice of the individual. War has no right or wrong, but... involving common people in war is wrong."
"Your Highness, I do not quite understand. If what you say is true, then Lancel did nothing wrong. But if failing to kill civilians during a surprise attack leads to a leak of information and subsequent defeat, is that not a mistake?"
"No, it was wrong from the very beginning. A war that targets common people is no longer a war; it is mass murder."
I turned to look outside the hall. The storm showed no signs of stopping. Raindrops struck the ground and turned into mist, filling the air with heavy moisture.
"War has no right or wrong, but there is right and wrong based on who the war faces. Raising a blade against common people is wrong, regardless of whether it is necessary. On that point alone, it is a mistake."
"However, war itself is not wrong, and there is no wrong between two races. The soldiers are not wrong, and the strategy is not wrong. The ones at fault are those who start the war!"
Hilda was stunned, a glimmer of realization flashing in her eyes.
"I think... I understand. Your Highness means the fault lies with the Beastmen Kingdom for starting the war?"
She finally understood. It was not easy.
I nodded and continued:
"War has no right or wrong, but the people who start them do. I have read about the border war in the Snow Country twenty years ago in the history books. That time, the rulers of the Beastmen Empire were entirely in the wrong. They were not satisfied with the status quo and chose invasion over development. They were wrong."
"And Lancel's action was merely a small branch of that massive mistake. No matter what he chose then, he could be seen as right depending on your perspective. Therefore, from his own standpoint, he was not wrong."
"The archbishop who punished him and killed the infant was not wrong either."
Is it the world that is wrong?
No, the world is not wrong. The ones who start the wars are wrong!
But are the ones who start the wars truly wrong?
No, from their own perspective, they are not wrong either.
In the end, no one is wrong; it is all the choice of history.
Of course, I did not want to delve too deeply into such philosophical questions. Once philosophy is involved, the problem extends infinitely.
What I was considering was whether he, as an individual, was wrong at that moment.
At least in my view, his choice was not a mistake.
For a newborn infant, regardless of race, it is a living being—an innocent life.
That infant had done nothing wrong; it had not even had time to do anything.
It had only just entered the world and let out a single cry.
Was the infant wrong?
Of course not.
Lancel felt compassion and saved the child; that was not a mistake either.
However, this proved something else: Lancel is not a soldier. Or rather... he is not suited to be a soldier.
There is no right or wrong in this world, only whether one is suitable or not.
And Lancel was clearly unsuitable. He failed to execute his orders as a soldier should, choosing instead to save a child based on his own humanity.
I admire that deeply.
In that situation, countless people choose the so-called 'greater good' and go with the flow.
Only he stood up.
This man... has the potential of a king.
He stood up, he resisted the 'greater good,' and he did not go with the flow. Instead, he acted as a human being.
However, as for being a king, he lacks a certain cold-bloodedness.
So, he does not quite fit the mold of a king.
Then what is he?
I suppose he could be called a hero.
I admire him.
Even in that situation, it was impossible for the other knights to have no mercy at all.
Before being a knight, before being a soldier, he was... a human being.
Yet, under the pressure of 'orders' and 'the greater good,' they went with the flow, suppressed their humanity, and turned their blades toward a newborn infant.
But Lancel did not do that. He resisted. Though the result of his resistance was terrible, he did something that he would not regret.
Therefore, I want to use this man, but I must consider how to use him.
Recruiting him directly is absolutely out of the question. First of all, the title of Sinner is something I, as the Saintess, could technically erase, but doing so would directly offend an archbishop and might even cause a collective revolt among the other archbishops.
So, he cannot be formally integrated into the Temple system.
I have to steer him in another direction.
As for what comes next, I will just have to see how it goes.
"Hilda, how is his strength?"
Hilda fell silent. She lowered her head in thought for a moment before suddenly dropping to one knee.
"Please forgive me, Your Highness. I am not confident I could defeat him. Even after he laid down that strange weapon on his back, I still felt I had no chance of winning."
"I do not blame you. This is not your fault. Rise."
"Thank you, Your Highness."
Hilda stood up, a trace of frustration flashing across her face as she gritted her teeth.
If that man had struck just now, Hilda was certain she could not win. That was why she had refused to let Lancel get anywhere near the divine platform, no matter what.
"If even a Guardian Knight is not confident in winning, then he..."
Hilda took a long breath.
"He gives me a feeling very similar to Sir Kevin. They are evenly matched... no, perhaps he is even stronger."
In other words, this man's current strength is at the level of a Heavenly Punishment Knight?
"Tasha, have Bishop Lola investigate Lancel's past record for me. Even though he is a Sinner, he was once part of the Holy See, so there must be a record left behind."
From Lancel's words, I knew that before he was branded a Sinner, he was a Brave Knight, which is only around level forty.
But now he has reached the level of a Heavenly Punishment Knight, which is level sixty or higher.
If he had any ill intentions just now, even with Hilda blocking the way, she would have only been able to buy me a little time to escape.
It would be a waste to drive away someone so powerful who follows his own heart.
There is no one in this world I do not dare to use.
As long as he has the heart for it, I will use him!
"Hilda, when he returns to register later, you will be responsible for the review. Then, arrange for him to be a Praetorian Knight by my side."
"Your Highness, I fear that may not be wise. If he has ulterior motives..."
"If he had ulterior motives, he was close enough to the divine platform just now that he could have struck. There was no need for him to kneel there."
If you use someone, do not doubt them; if you doubt them, do not use them. Since I want to use him, I have no need to doubt him.
"...I understand."
Hilda nodded and took a deep breath, a firm thought taking root in her heart.
Stronger! I must become stronger!
If she could not even defend her lady from an enemy, then what use was she as a Guardian Knight?
"Tasha, tell Bishop Lola to handle it discreetly. Do not leave any traces, and do not let anyone know he is Lancel. Also, for those who saw him today, arrange for them to be transferred to Knight City and bring in a new batch."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Fortunately, it was a torrential downpour today, so very few people saw him. Aside from the guards at the Temple gates and one patrol, the total was only about thirty or forty people.
I will send these people to the front lines later and have them go to the Great Wall to avoid meeting Lancel again.
What I want to do is simple: completely erase the existence of the man named Lancel.
However, since he can no longer be called Lancel, I might as well add a syllable.
Let's call him Lancelot.
I just hope this guy isn't like the Lancelot from history who specialized in seducing queens!
With that settled, it was already past eight in the evening.
"Hilda, you should go back and rest as well. It has been a long, exhausting day."
I looked at Hilda. This woman was very serious about her work—sometimes too serious, to the point where she did not know how to work within her limits.
As for what happens if Lancelot's identity is exposed in the future...
Then let it be exposed. I will not admit it, and he will not admit it. Who could say anything then?
"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I will complete one more patrol before I rest."
Truly a workaholic.
I watched Hilda leave the hall and then looked back at the massive statue.
Even a god, in Lancel's position, probably would not know what to do.
But in my hands, this man can be put to his best use.
Since he cannot bear to see war and does not like it, that is perfect.
He does not have to participate in wars; he can just be my bodyguard.
That way, he does not need to worry about massacres of infants or the moral dilemmas of humanity.
All he needs to consider is using his strength to protect me.
In the future, when the Kingdom of the Moon is strong enough, I can fully clear his name.
And that was not even his primary goal.
It was another issue entirely.
Orphans!
Ever since he was stripped of his title, what he had been doing was taking in war orphans.
Perhaps it was because of that mother's final gaze, or perhaps because of the infant who died before him.
Whatever the reason, he had been constantly gathering war orphans.
And recently... he felt he was running out of money, which was why he thought of coming to me.
Although I did not know exactly how many orphans he was raising, the price he asked from me was not small: fifty gold coins a month!
I will discuss it with him later and move those war orphans to Brilliant City.
This man, if used in the right way, will definitely be a sharp blade!
"Nn~"
I stretched my arms. Today's work was about done. I would leave the rest for tomorrow.
However, just as I turned to return to the bedchamber, a girl's laughter suddenly drifted from above.
"Hehe... I never imagined the Saintess of the Moon would understand the human heart so well. No wonder the Kingdom of the Moon has begun to change lately."
"Who?! Who is there!?"
I did not move, but Tasha beside me reacted instantly, rushing to shield me. Her small frame only reached the height of my chest.
Even though her voice trembled, she stood there unyieldingly.
I followed the sound and looked up. At that moment, a dark shadow suddenly dropped from the ceiling.
It landed right in front of me.
Long emerald green hair, delicate features, slender ears, a set of clean and practical leather adventurer's armor, and most strikingly... a massive longbow taller than she was.
"Vera Rosalind of the elves, here in response to the Recruitment Order notice, greets Your Highness Luo Li, the Saintess of the Moon."
She looked at me with a smile and gave a playful wink.
"I look forward to working with you from now on!"
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