Todd was somewhat surprised that the old shaman would speak so directly.

But on second thought, Minnie's suggestion saved me a lot of trouble.

Minnie lit another cigarette, squinted, and said, "As far as I know, it's not uncommon for members of the Crusader to form couples. Although the doctrine requires every soldier to renounce personal desires and dedicate themselves entirely to the gods, feelings are not so easily suppressed."

Ackerman was somewhat sobered by the topic, and he said cautiously, "Orcs, werewolves, elves, dwarves, tauren... no matter which race, you can often see pairs of companions among them. This is an unspoken acknowledgment within the Crusader. Everyone knows it, but no one will expose it."

Todd stroked his chin and continued, "Then what about the relationship between the Crusaders and humans?"

Ackerman said hesitantly, "Humans are a little different."

"no the same."

"There is a common view in the Crusades that humans are an old species, and that their bodies and souls are incomplete. In the view of the Crusades, those who have completed the transformation ritual have cleansed themselves of the impurities within them and gained a new life. Humans are simply incomparable to us."

Hearing Ackerman's explanation, Todd pondered for a moment before speaking, "So, in your view, the union between Crusaders is sacred and blessed. But the union between a Crusader and a human is a defilement of bloodline. That's why the love between that elf and the human had such a huge impact."

Unable to discern the deeper meaning in Tode's tone, Ackerman asked with some trepidation, "Supreme King, please issue a decree: have we made a mistake in judging the elf Jacqueline?"

Todd shook his head slightly: "It's not a question of whether it's wrong or not."

Ackerman said, puzzled, "I don't understand what you mean."

“Intermarriage between different races can have unforeseen consequences,” Todd said gravely. “Except for a very few mutant cases, intermarriage can lead to birth defects, stillbirths, or even physical defects in newborns. In my world, this phenomenon is called reproductive isolation.”

Todd looked at Ackerman, who was completely bewildered, and sighed softly: "So, from this perspective, prohibiting marriage between Crusaders and humans might be the right decision."

Minnie put down her cigarette and noticed a faint sadness in Todd's expression.

When the old woman heard the cheerful laughter of Aurora, the daughter of the Holy King, coming from the garden outside her window, she lowered her head thoughtfully.