Ch.12441. That is Arrogance.

“Saving that child was the right thing to do… but punishing them personally will lead to great turmoil. Did you know that?”

After being guided to a temporary room on the second floor, Kariel nodded at Mines, who had followed him saying he had something to say.

“They’ll probably go around stirring up trouble with innocent people to vent their frustration.”

“…So you knew.”

“Whether we hide or not, it’s very clear they’ll take out their anger on those who watched or stood by, treating them as accomplices and making examples of them.”

Those who rule through fear fear one thing most: the dilution of that fear.

So when a cheek is scratched, they cut off limbs to teach a lesson.

If anyone shows the slightest hostility, they cut off heads to make examples.

But what if someone suffered even worse treatment?

It wouldn’t be strange if a massacre followed.

And at some point, this becomes not just a means to maintain authority, but also entertainment and amusement.

Those with power take great pleasure in tormenting those weaker than themselves.

Of course, there are different types of such behavior…

But to the victims, it’s all hell without distinction or difference.

“Now, what do you plan to do?”

“If signs of that appear, I’ll have to kill them.”

Already.

The sins they had accumulated were overflowing, not just filling their mouths but spilling out through their eyes, ears, and nostrils.

Others might not see it, but Kariel could feel the weight, texture, and even the stench of their sins.

But even that wasn’t enough, so he glimpsed into their past.

He couldn’t risk making a hasty misjudgment.

And yet.

They were garbage beyond reconsideration.

No, garbage merely causes inconvenience.

These were… beings who spread evil by their very existence.

For someone who appeared to be his age or younger to have already accumulated such a volume of sin meant only one thing.

“……”

As both Grandeus and the Demon Lord had said.

Good is light and rises to the sky.

Evil is heavy and falls to the ground.

And.

The dirty, filthy, and slimy things.

Would naturally be drawn to the very bottom, to be entangled with Kariel himself.

That such an act happened right before his eyes, at that precise time and moment.

This was no coincidence.

It was inevitable.

There are no coincidences in life and death.

Everything is inevitable.

We only call it coincidence because we don’t understand.

And now, Kariel could glimpse some of that.

He couldn’t peek into the future like Grandeus.

That would be a shortcut to ruin.

But he could certainly predict, estimate, and speculate in a human way.

And this was insight at the extreme of that ability.

“……”

And.

At this moment, having just acquired the Eye of Vibsarin that Grandeus had entrusted to Rupert.

Now, he could make branch-by-branch predictions.

When people agonize, worry, and concentrate,

They can at least roughly estimate a few possible futures.

But those are uncertain futures formed only within the framework of one’s own thought patterns and worldview.

Such predictions can easily collapse due to external interference and disruption.

However.

What Kariel had now acquired was a method to predict the future by branches, considering all factors.

It was like planting a tree and predicting his future and others’ futures according to the number of branches that spread out.

Therefore, this wasn’t definitive or even decided.

It could be modified and managed in countless ways.

“And at that time, that was the best option.”

However, in other words.

One could be overwhelmed or captivated by this, swept along and lose their subjectivity and center.

That’s why he acquired Dominātur.

A mental technique solely to control and regulate this one thing.

“The child wouldn’t have died there, but the dog would have.”

And that would have.

Years later.

Buried this country in flames, reducing it to ashes.

In fact.

Right after saving the child and the dog.

The image of the city-kingdom engulfed in flames was completely washed away from his mind and vision, without a trace.

“Perhaps that would have been the path to change this country for the better.”

Truly, many would have died and fallen.

And.

The one who would have led it.

Was probably that little girl.

Closing his eyes and focusing, he recalled.

What wasn’t visible before now appeared vividly.

[Every single one, without leaving any…]

I will kill them.

I will burn them.

Her one and only precious friend.

The two who had clung to each other through hunger and cold.

Though their bond wasn’t long, how could it not be precious?

Then one day.

When she was about to be kidnapped by brutal men, her only friend stood in their way.

Though afraid and struggling itself, the dog desperately fought back.

But reality was cruel.

Trying to protect her, it was hit by magic and burned alive, writhing in agony until death.

She watched this scene with bulging eyes, clutching her struck stomach in pain that felt like her internal organs had ruptured, filled with rage.

But in the end, even the slightest resistance was meaningless.

Captured by the men, she was violated for days.

Eventually, coughing up blood, she was thrown out like garbage.

Though she had resolved to die…

…she suddenly realized.

Why should I die?

Why should I suffer?

They are the evil ones.

They are the sinners.

Why.

Why.

Why.

Why.

Why.

Whywhywhywhywhy—

Why must only we suffer?

[I must kill them.]

As long as they exist,

We will have no peace, no stability, no tomorrow, no future.

In that moment, the child clearly received this simple truth as revelation.

I was attacked because I was complacent.

My friend died and I was violated because I was weak.

…Even cowering to survive was a luxury.

Not unless all of them were eliminated.

Our lives would be worse than livestock, worse than worms.

…

“……”

If Kariel himself hadn’t appeared.

If he hadn’t intervened.

If he had ignored it and moved on.

This was clearly one branch of the future that would have unfolded.

Perhaps it wouldn’t have reached that point.

But.

As long as someone keeps lighting fires,

Eventually, the forest will burn.

If that child couldn’t do it,

Another child, man, woman, adult, elder…

So he took action.

Cutting off the young man’s arm?

That much was necessary for him to have even the slightest qualification for forgiveness.

If he could build from there and thoroughly atone for his sins,

He might have a seed-sized chance at redemption.

But.

It would be impossible.

Kariel knew this, of course.

Nevertheless, an opportunity had to be given.

If he violated this and acted on emotion, Kariel himself would bear the corresponding karma.

…Karma, you might call it.

Something he would have passed over without understanding if the Demon Lord hadn’t explained it.

The Demon Lord had said:

You have the right to save someone, and the right to judge them.

It’s one of the few privileges granted to you under heaven.

But.

…You must never abuse it for personal reasons.

If you would, it would be better to close your eyes and ears.

Otherwise.

A sin greater than breaking the contract with the Demon Lord would befall you.

The divine punishment.

…It means God is watching you.

Those who have more than others, those who know more than others, those who possess greater strength than others.

They come with corresponding restrictions.

That’s why, under heaven, neither the strong nor the weak are noble.

In the end, they’re all the same.

They only distinguish themselves as noble or precious.

From that distant place.

From that far above.

There are only two kinds:

Those who are just worms, and

Those who strive not to be worms.

‘Why?’

Only after inheriting the arcane knowledge from Grandeus.

Did the Demon Lord tell Kariel about his destiny.

You were born with the fate of a saint, he said.

But that wasn’t predetermined.

[You were able to save the young Saint Kariel because only you had the qualification to do so.]

From there.

Grandeus explained why it happened that way.

[When you saved the World Tree, your destiny was originally different from what it is now. But by saving the World Tree, your fate was transformed.]

If you want to know the truth, seek the World Tree.

Also.

Grandeus said:

[I too was eventually swept up in it, passing everything to you. The fact that I discovered you, that I deliberately planned to pass all this to you… in a sense, it was because I was impressed by your spirit and sacrifice. This too is a pleasant trick of fate, isn’t it?]

Nevertheless.

[If you wish to surpass your father, you must be prepared to either serve the will of the gods or oppose it.]

Your father, that fellow.

His true identity is…

“……”

It’s still laughable to think about.

But.

He’s come a long way.

Just by obtaining this now.

Now he was ready to face the Lake Dragon.

It’s still not perfect.

Fourteen stars have formed in my body.

Now I must ripen them and merge them.

Into three.

Then into two.

Finally into one.

Grandeus said he couldn’t even form fourteen stars within his body like I can now.

He didn’t have the physical body to form them.

So he formed stars in space itself and honed only that, he said.

I will forge the same within myself, unifying all stars into one.

And then.

I must also reach what Grandeus achieved.

“In terms of causality, being born and raised in poverty is fate, just as enjoying wealth is fate.”

But those with wealth constantly squander what they’ve accumulated.

And when that runs out, unavoidable misfortune creeps in like destiny.

Some might argue that there are those who commit evil all their lives and still live well until death.

[Life can’t possibly be just one.]

If that were truly the best, if there were nothing after death, then everyone would be right to live that way.

[The physical body is merely a temporary settlement. That’s not the end.]

But what am I, contained in this body?

Why was I born to suffer, to be frustrated, to despair?

While they enjoy such happiness and undeserved blessings.

Why.

…But once you begin to understand that living itself is paying for sin, and that all sin is accounted for after death,

…what meaning is there in the efforts, means, and resistance of the living?

…This is why.

Grandeus must have said that knowing the future ends life, that it becomes predetermined.

The moment I’m swept up in this, accept it, and am convinced by it,

Everything I involve myself in and intervene in essentially becomes meaningless.

In a world that rolls along according to predetermined principles, providence, and laws.

A world that flows and rolls according to fate and destiny.

What meaning is there in going against it?

What meaning is there in resisting?

“Kariel?”

“…If you’re really worried, I won’t object if you intervene.”

“If I step in, things will only get bigger and worse.”

Mines sighed with a troubled expression.

Having finally escaped the long-standing burden that held him back,

He still wasn’t completely free of the leash.

The Demon Lord’s legacy was both a blessing and a curse, a leash.

Having power inevitably stimulates the desire to use it.

If it’s righteous and just, it becomes even harder to hesitate.

The reason he had clung to Kariel’s lake dragon valley was partly due to an inner anxiety that his existence might cause unnecessary problems.

As one called the Demon Lord, his very existence could cause chaos and incidents.

This was also why Mines had temporarily postponed reuniting with his younger brother.

Hadn’t he heard his brother was living well and working hard?

…That should be enough.

“If you’re anxious alone, you might consider consulting with Userp.”

“Him?”

“…Unlike his appearance, he’s a wealthy man. He’s built a trading company using Rupert’s examples as information, reaping only profits without losses.”

…Though that will be different now.

But even when glimpsing the future, he was a cautious man.

And cautious people rarely make mistakes unless consumed by desire.

As long as no unmanageable disasters or calamities occur, that is.

After hesitating briefly, Mines changed the subject.

“How long do you plan to stay here?”

“Just for a while.”

The destination is already decided anyway.

“To reach the Fire Giant’s ruins, ordinary preparations won’t be enough.”

We need to go beyond the simple desert region to the scorching lands.

An unexplored territory.

Not exactly a forbidden zone, but… an unknown region difficult to enter casually.

Even if we cross by ship to reach the area,

…while entering the desert might be manageable, entering the scorching lands was a different matter entirely.

“Going back to the important issue… what about the child’s treatment?”

“……”

Kariel pondered silently, then:

“That’s not for us to decide.”

First of all.

“Shouldn’t we ask the person themselves?”

No matter how rock-bottom a life may be,

No matter how limited and restricted one’s choices are,

It’s right that they should decide their own life path.

One shouldn’t consider their own goodwill as absolute help or consideration.

That would be arrogance.

“……”

When is a person most miserable?

When their dignity and personhood are denied and taken away.

Knowing that pain, I can’t make the same mistake as those who think they’re above others just because they’ve gained a little comfort.

“Certainly.”

Mines immediately expressed agreement, as if sympathizing with this point.

“When she wakes up, give her a bath and a meal. And when she’s ready, bring her to me. Explain everything thoroughly.”

“Kariel, it’s good to help with good intentions, but excessive consideration might create unnecessary expectations and different feelings. That might actually cause more pain for the child.”

“Helping others. This simple phrase should be enough, but who is it that makes it difficult and complicated?”

“That’s…”

Mines pressed his lips tightly.

“Your father said something truly profound.”

After the Demon Lord’s death.

At a summit where national leaders gathered, engaging in diplomatic disputes without yielding an inch for days, raising their voices.

After enduring patiently, he finally spoke out, the words that the hero Rueld reportedly lamented.

Kariel gave a bitter smile.

“There’s no need to worry. Please set your concerns aside.”

With tension released, Kariel returned to his previous considerate tone.

“I am still young. Even if I wear a mask and change clothes, my essence remains the same.”

Rather, his essence had become even more steadfast than before.

It was like.

A tree.

But not an ordinary tree.

Like something he had seen before.

Iron chains, hundreds intertwined to form roots, trunk, stem, branches.

…From a distance, it would look like a tree made of iron.

“While steadfast against storms, people’s hearts can still be toppled by gentle breezes.”

Hearing that soothing tone that seemed to lack depth, Mines inwardly reproached himself.

“I guess… I worried for nothing.”

Seen this way, he truly seems to have a depth distinctly different from his age and generation.

But.

That also means he is not ordinary, not common, special.

…And does he truly know that he transcends even those categories?