Chapter 210
Carl looked at the guy who had been invited over, unsure whether he should greet him or pretend he didn't see him.
Although Denos and he were not exactly best friends, they were definitely friends.
Why is this guy here now? I don't know, I'm not sure. Anyway, I just need to fill my stomach. Today's work is probably not easy, so I need to make sure that my stomach doesn't cause me any trouble later.
Furthermore, there was also the swordsmith nearby. Although it was a bit embarrassing, he did indeed have a lingering trauma from the fact that this guy had forcibly torn off Twelve's arm yesterday, even after he tried to stop him. He realized that he had indeed become somewhat complacent since becoming a saint, and hadn't been able to further refine his abilities.
So he was a little embarrassed, since he had been brought here by the swordsmith.
"Is it because of me that the atmosphere is so awkward?" the high priest asked hesitantly. This guy was waiting to be torn to pieces yesterday, but no one had bothered him until now.
It seems that no one cares about themselves anymore, and the remaining three people have no interest in punishing a guy who has no self-awareness and is always causing trouble.
Anyway, this guy is still handling their documents; he's now in charge of everything related to files. Nobody wants to deal with stacks of stuff.
“At least not because of you right now,” the paladin said casually, glancing at the swordsmith.
“Don’t look at me. At least for now, I don’t want to cause any conflict.” The knifemaker paused and said, “You haven’t worked in the central church, so you don’t understand what’s going on right now.”
The others couldn't really deny it; the only one who had been active in the central church was the knifemaker. Moreover, she had worked with the saints for over a month and knew many things the church wouldn't readily reveal.
In her view, the church she belonged to was never a place where good people gathered. If she had to name one, it was just a bunch of stubborn people. These people were all incredibly stubborn, as if this was the only requirement for becoming a saint.
"So what exactly brought me here?" Denos felt he was about to burst out laughing. The people here were all far too unapproachable to him. Before, he could chat and laugh with high-ranking clergymen because he had Ark by his side. Now, when he was all alone, he even felt a little awkward around Karl.
This wasn't a place for him, he was absolutely certain of it, and he just wanted to get things out of there as soon as possible, whatever it was. If it could be done, he wouldn't waste a single second.
At least everything is better than it is now, and he felt like he was sitting on pins and needles.
“We need you to take some men to the Spirit Forest,” the swordsmith said softly. “Karl, are you free?”
"Me?" Karl was stunned, not expecting that this matter could still be related to him.
“I need to go back to the Central Church. We need to leave at least two clergymen here. The road from here to Ling Sen is not easy, and I doubt Denos and the others will make it back alive.” The swordsmith said casually, “The effects of the Blood Sun are still severe, even now. There are still a lot of calamities roaming outside.”
"Go to Lingsen?" Denos thought he had misheard.
"I'm going to the Spirit Forest. I need to speak with the Elf King about something. I was hoping to ask those merchants for help, but I just tore off one of their arms, and they wouldn't agree to my request. They're a bunch of stingy fellows," she said casually. If you didn't know better, you'd think they were the ones in the wrong.
"Why?" the paladin asked. "The situation is unclear right now. That guy is not someone the two of us can handle."
“If we include Karl, it would be about right. It would be even safer if I were here.” The swordsmith didn’t argue, but said, “Indeed, I was a bit too hasty. It would be better to be more cautious. We can discuss what we should do now. This matter shouldn’t be decided by me, and you shouldn’t remain silent.”
The paladin was speechless; this guy had suddenly become so understanding. He'd never known this guy had such a good personality; aside from creating excellent weapons, he really didn't leave a good impression.
She was never in charge because she never considered herself a part of the city; she was just manufacturing weapons somewhere unknown to others.
If her base hadn't been destroyed by the falling airship, no one would know where she created so many weapons.
“I want to know why,” Carl said, looking at her. “At least you’ve always made sense in what you do.”
“The expansion of the safe zone has never happened before,” the knifesmith said. “This is the first time I’ve ever heard of such a thing. It doesn’t make sense.”
"I think you're being too optimistic. This safe zone is built on monsters. At its core is a monster with the ability to think," the paladin said. "As a demon king, its growth potential is unprecedented. Its lifespan is also close to endless. Even if we can rest assured about such a thing for a hundred years, after a hundred years, it may become something we cannot fight."
“Then let’s eliminate it now. Although it’s a demon king, we have four saints,” the swordsmith said casually. “I can prepare the weapons in a few minutes. This has always been a backup option.”
"Huh?" The paladin was taken aback, looking at her decisive appearance.
“As you said, this thing has terrifying potential for growth. Once it acquires more magic seals, it may not be something we can handle,” she said. “Then let’s destroy it while we can still manage.”
“But you seem to care a lot about the safe zone expanding.” Karl hesitated for a moment, looking at her lowered eyes.
"I do care a lot."
"So, do you have no objection to the suggestion to just kill it?"
"I can't find any credentials."
“Your mood is strange. To be honest, you’re not like this in my memory.” The high priest joined the conversation: “You’ve never thought about a problem so seriously before.”
"It's a simple truth, everyone. We may be at a turning point. A huge turning point." The swordsmith looked around at everyone present and said, "This turning point can go up or down. We might find a way out of despair for the first time, but we could also face utter destruction. Who do you think has the right to decide whether we should participate in this gamble?"
They stared into each other's eyes, then fell silent.
“I hold a conservative opinion, but I believe in this possibility.” The high priest spoke first: “From a personal perspective, he is Qing.”
"I really don't want to be on your side." The knifesmith found the guy annoying even to look at him.
“I believe they should be eradicated. Given the passage of time, they will inevitably face destruction one day,” the paladin said softly, then looked at Karl and asked, “What about you?”
Carl rested his head on his hand, as if deep in thought, and everyone waited for him to speak.
“Do you know a child named Lori?” he suddenly whispered.
"That demon race?" the swordsmith said casually. "I remember you were quite protective of her back then."
“Well, I’ve never been qualified to protect monsters.” Karl didn’t want to go on and on, and then said, “I’m just a priest, and my duty is to reduce the threats to humanity. I can’t let such a danger grow. Because if I had been willing to believe it was safe, then I shouldn’t have come back in the first place, and I might still be on the run with that girl named Lori.”
“Now it’s two against two.” The swordsmith glanced at Denos, who was sitting there looking like he was facing a formidable enemy. “Now it’s your turn to make a choice on behalf of humanity.”
“I can’t afford to make that choice,” Denos quickly said, “You should just flip a coin.”
“You’re right, we’re not human,” the swordsmith said. “Such a matter needs a human to offer their suggestion.”
"That shouldn't have been me; at the very least, everyone in this city should know about it."
“We don’t have the time or the means, Sorcerer. I’m willing to admit that your choice is valid.” The paladin paused and said, “No one will question the choice you’ve made.”
Denoska paused, looked at the people present, hesitated for a long time, and then scratched his head.
He seemed to be thinking, but as a human being, he was rather unsteady. At least for now, this guy hadn't fully accepted the idea that he should participate in this vote.
“We can’t keep waiting,” Carl said softly. “Just state your judgment, even your intuition. I don’t want explanations.”
"Don't worry about doing the wrong thing. We've never done the right thing. There's no point in talking about making mistakes," the high priest added.
“I support the swordsmith’s decision.” Denos finally made up his mind: “That’s it.”
"Hmm, very good." Karl nodded, then got up to leave.
As he was about to leave the church, Carl said, "I'm going to Lingsen at noon tomorrow. I'll do some simple preparations now, and help me organize the things I need to do into a document."
"I'm going to prepare the documents." The high priest stood up. "Swordsmith, would you mind giving me some details?"
They both left, leaving only Denos and the paladin at the table.
Denos looked at the paladin sitting there, drinking water, without saying a word.
He was waiting for him to leave as well, so that he could also leave. Otherwise, he felt it wouldn't be right for him to leave on his own.
"You can leave now. I'm planning to rest for a bit. It's been a long time since I've had this much free time; I'm just looking to catch my breath," the paladin said softly. "Don't worry about me."
"I'm very sorry." Denos stood up and bowed. He hesitated for a moment, then looked at the man sitting there and said softly, "Um, aren't you going to ask why?"
"If you're going to tell me, I won't force you if you're not." The paladin put on his helmet and then got up from his chair.
"The reason is quite simple, and perhaps you haven't considered this issue." Denos looked at him, emphasizing each word: "Have you considered the impact on us residents once you begin your campaign against the Demon King?"
The paladin paused for a moment, then smiled helplessly.
Is it really that simple?
“It’s that simple,” Denos said. “I don’t know what the consequences will be if you leave this thing here. At least for now, I don’t want to die because of it. I have a family, a wife… and children in the future. To have to face a certain disaster because of a potential danger… I’m sorry, I’m too weak.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ve had children too. I understand how it feels.” The paladin smiled. “This is the first time we’ve encountered something like this. Nobody knows what the best course of action is. It’s better than doing nothing.”
"You have children too?" Denos asked, somewhat surprised. "I've never seen them."
“Because that was a long time ago, my child had already died of old age. Not exactly young, he passed away in his forties. His son wanted to try his luck and then went into business, but he didn’t survive the bloody day.” He recounted softly, “The other two children were not even seven years old and three months old. And I only have one grandson. The family that could have been formed is gone.”
"Please accept my condolences." Denos hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
“No need to grieve, I’ve only met my grandson a few times. To me, he’s just a stranger who knows about him.” He said this, his expression suddenly turned sad as he looked at Denos standing there: “But look at me, I haven’t aged at all. I’m almost two hundred years older than Karl, and I’ve lived for almost seven hundred years.”
He slowly walked over and patted Denos on the shoulder: "I've lived too long, so I've stopped treasuring my life. I really didn't consider the problems of humanity. For me, even if this happens three hundred years from now, it's still too early, but for humanity, three hundred years from now... several generations will have passed, and you'll be an ancestor."
Is this showing off?
“No. Because you won’t know the consequences of your choices, nor will you bear them. But if I live to see that day, I will bear direct responsibility. I’d be willing to die a thousand deaths.” He walked past Denos and murmured softly, “You won’t have to bear all the consequences of your actions.”
“It’s too advanced, I don’t understand it.” Denos shook his head: “I won’t live to see that day.”
He simply didn't want to think about such questions; he was an old monster who had lived for seven hundred years. He viewed things from a perspective spanning hundreds of years.
I am just a human being, and considering only the time I am alive is far enough ahead.
“Indeed,” the paladin said softly as he left the church.
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