novelzi Chapter 205: The Shadows of the Past
Chapter 205: The Shadows of the Past
Chapter 205: The Shadows of the Past
“That human, clad in dark silvery magical armor and lacking any sense of honor... turned all of that into an illusion!”
“As a result, the Asiatic Cat Race was plunged into chaos. With the backbone of our race gone, my royal mother had to step up and take on the mantle of the Royal Successor. Taking advantage of our precarious situation, the trolls attacked the city during our most vulnerable moment, imprisoning or killing any troops who had the ability to resist...”
“My royal mother and eldest sister were taken captive and many of our clansmen were severely wounded or killed. The royal palace was engulfed in a great fire, which burned for several days and nights...”
“I, I...” Lil’ Sha’s voice began to tremble when she reached the end of her sentence, to the extent that she was incapable of forming a complete word.
He could feel the heavy sorrow in the surrounding air threatening to topple this young cat-eared girl before him.
From start to finish, Ji Bai didn’t turn around to help her wipe her tears, or offer any words of comfort. Instead, he stood in silence, facing himself against the cold wind buffeting his face.
“S-Sorry... I’ve lost my composure.” Her mumbling voice stammered between sobs, which was followed by the sound of cloth wiping her cheeks.
“Do you hate mankind?” After waiting for Lil’ Sha to regain her composure, Ji Bai gently asked with his face turned towards the sky.
“At first, I did. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have chosen to deceive so many of them...”
“After some time, however, I realized that what I did was foolish... I was just venting my anger and hatred on innocent commoners who had nothing to do with it all. It was a foolish and cowardly action.” Lil’ Sha’s tone gradually returned to normal, but the forlornness in her tone still remained.
“Is that so?”
“The only thing I hate is that despicable and shameless human!” Lil’ Sha spoke with gritted teeth following the shift in conversation. “As well as those ferocious and domineering trolls...”
“They killed the people dearest to me and turned my motherland into a place of utter ruin...”
“I’ll never forgive them...”
Ji Bai continued to maintain his silence. The cold bone-piercing wind seemingly increased in intensity at this moment, making his armor rattle with its howls.
“But, even if my hatred is intense, what else can I do? I’m utterly helpless...” Lil’ Sha could only feel every ounce of strength leaving her body as she collapsed to the ground with crossed legs. One could see a vacant gaze in her eyes, as well as the sense of loss and despair on her face.
Returning to her homeland while assuming the identity of a foreigner had naturally evoked a range of emotions within her.
She couldn’t help but notice the numerous changes that had occurred since her last visit years ago.
As she gazed upon the decrepit and liveless city, the pressure building within her for all these years and the weight of her negative emotions instantly erupted in her heart.
“I’m sorry, uncle. It seems I’ve used you as a confessional booth...” Stammering in a somewhat apologetic tone, Lil’ Sha wiped the corners of her eyes with her sleeves.
“Everything is still vivid in my mind after all these years. Perhaps I’m too overly obsessive...”
“There’s no such thing as being too obsessed when it comes to the hatred that arises from the destruction of one’s country. It’s only natural for you to be fixated on all these details,” Ji Bai interjected suddenly.
“Since you hold such hatred for them, you should etch their face into your heart. As the saying goes, revenge is best served with patience...” Ji Bai squatted down and helped Lil’ Sha arrange her slightly disheveled bangs.
“...Even though I don’t need anyone’s consolation... thank you for listening, obscene middle-aged man.” Lil’ Sha wiped the last teardrop off her face and forced a heart-wrenching smile.
‘Thanking me, huh...?’
Ji Bai silently stood up and looked at the sky.
As nightfall approached, they needed to find a hotel to stay in as quickly as possible. While Ji Bai was accustomed to spending nights on the streets, he now had company and could not improvise his arrangements like he did before.
As he turned around and surveyed the rundown buildings on both sides of the street, Ji Bai was uncertain if there were any hotels in this city at all.
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As time inadvertently passed by, the night sky came alive with numerous sparkling stars. The darkness veiled the short houses and pedestrians on the road as if they were draped in a dark fabric.
“Shouldn’t we inquire clearly about the reason behind their declaration of war? This humble self believes that the leader of the Asiatic Cat Race is not a brutal and unreasonable person.”
“Inquire clearly?! Haha, the facts are already laid in front of us. They’ve seized the chance to steal our territory and slaughter our people after we let our guard down. These are all indisputable facts! Does your Radiant Highness want a reason? Then allow me to give you one on behalf of those beast-eared barbarians, they’re doing this to expand their territory!”
The powerful and righteous words delivered by the orator immediately won the approval and support of countless knights and clergy seated in the hall. In an instant, the situation had turned overwhelmingly disadvantageous for the dark-silvery knight, who was now being denounced by the crowd.
“The purple-glazed pagoda is a testament of mankind’s enduring legacy throughout the ages! Yet, we’re now oppressed by this group of oppressors to the point that our people are forced to live in a mere fraction of our territory. What kind of logic is that??”
“What gives the small Asiatic Cat race the right to ride on our heads? I’m not even afraid of trolls, let alone them!”
“Radiant Knight. Do you have your own stance, or rather, have those beast-eared barbarians given you some sort of incentive to speak up on their behalf?”
As he looked at his comrades who were spurred up into action before him, the dark silvery knight realized that his own willpower had been drowned by the tide.
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“...And that is the situation. The negotiation talks with the beast-eared race will begin in a few days. You must seize this opportunity to fulfill your ‘duty’.”
“...” Faced with the order assigned to him by the priest, the dark-silvery knight remained silent.
“Radiant, I know what you’re thinking.” Said the priest with a sigh. Wearing a kind and amiable expression on his face, he reached out with his hand to give the dark-silvery knight’s shoulder a pat.
“This method of doing things may be unethical and unjust. But, do you think they would discuss justice and righteousness with us? They wouldn’t. Otherwise, why did they seize our land without a word? The fact that their actions have left thousands of our fellow humans homeless is a heinous sin that has angered both the Gods of Humanity and mortals alike.”
“In this negotiation, they’ll definitely use the lives of commoners to blackmail the human federation... Radiant, think it over carefully. Do you believe a barbaric race that resorts to treachery and initiates an unprovoked war would speak to you about benevolence and righteousness? Don’t be deceived by their apparent friendliness! If you do, you will play right into their hands.”
“If one wishes to stop a conflict, one must be willing to engage in it. These barbarians fear power, not morality.” The priest’s gaze became pensive.
“Remember. While your identity is that of a knight, your loyalty belongs to us humans, not to the Asiatic Cats.”
“The justice of humanity is the justice of a knight, unless you wish to bear witness to the sight of thousands of commoners becoming homeless?”
“The essence of a knight is obedience to orders. Justice comes second... Go back and think about this carefully, my child.” Said the priest with a sigh.
‘When two sides engage in battle, it is common practice to spare the delegates... Any action outside of that goes against the code of the knight...’
‘No, no... Is it truly justifiable for a knight to resort to any means in his hand for justice?”
The dark-silvery knight did not get an answer.
“Dear Honorable Father, why didn’t you send someone else over? He had actually publicly opposed...”
“Haha, are you still unaware? Rumor has it that the Eldest Princess of the Asiatic Cat Race possesses tyrannical strength, yet holds high regard for him. We’ll be able to lower the other party’s vigilance by sending him over.” The priest said with an inward sneer.
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On that day, the knights of the Temple Association erupted into loud cheers, as if they could finally hold their heads up high after years of oppression.
The dark-silvery knight held his holy sword, its blade stained with fresh blood, and silently gazed at the strands of golden hair and blood which had scattered on the ground. It was almost as if the girl before him was merely slumbering.
His figure seemed so out of place amidst the sea of cheers.
“You did great, Radiant! Your contribution will be sung by the people and your good name recorded in the history books of the Temple Association for all eternity!”
He showed no reaction towards the praise and encouragement that his coworkers had come forth with and lavished upon him; Instead, he chose to silently stare at his blood-stained hands, lost in thought.
He knew he should not have hesitated for the sake of mankind and its pursuit of justice, but why did... he... fail...
Was the justice of mankind not aligned with the principles of knighthood...?