episode_0034

“This is the result of your choice.”

Macderrus walks up to the boy, recalling what happened just now.

“Get away… Get away! You murderers!”

When the boy, barely 10 years old, shouted, some of the knights of the Phaeron Empire muttered under their breath.

“Damn brat. They don’t even know how much death we had to experience because of them, without any guilt of our own.”

Silence falls around. Macderrus looked at them. Some pitied the boy, but others looked at him not with pity, perhaps even with eyes of enmity.

Macderrus did not feel disappointed or think badly of those men’s reactions. Both sides were pitiable.

“War is so tragic.”

Even the struggles of a boy trying to protect his mother could seem like disgusting hypocrisy to someone.

The ones who waged war were the leaders and the knights. But why does the arrow of resentment turn towards the weak? Simply because they belong to the same community, their resentment sets off a chain reaction.

This chain will never end as long as one side does not completely perish. But the man wanted to see a different ending. At least, this place was where his power reached.

“…”

Standing in front of the boy, Macderrus quietly looks at him. Then he raises his sword against the boy’s blade.

Macderrus asks the boy a question.

“I’ll ask you one thing. I have killed tens of thousands of soldiers of the Kaorelden Empire. Do I look like a ruthless murderer?”

“Of course… You are someone who needs to be killed…”

“In that case, let me rephrase it.”

As Macderrus puts his hand into his embrace, it is filled with the emblems of the Phaeron Empire’s knights. It was collected from the bodies to at least deliver news to the families of the fallen warriors.

“All the owners of these emblems are dead. They were all killed by the soldiers of the Kaorelden Empire.”

Macderrus continues to stare at the trembling boy.

“The knights of your Kael’thas Empire invaded the Pyrebron Empire without a declaration or justification, mercilessly slaughtered civilians, even taking them as prisoners to gain an advantage on the battlefield, and massacred the powerless. I wanted to stop their advance, but they didn’t give up, so I killed them all. Do I still look like an atrocious murderer?”

The nearby Pyrebron Empire knights no longer looked at him with eyes of resentment. His hands were shaking uncontrollably, tears streaming down.

“Just as you wielded your sword to protect your mother, they too only wielded their swords to protect their loved ones. Just as you chose fighting over dialogue, they also made that choice. As you know, in such situations, that was the only way.”

The boy knelt, placing the broken blade on the ground.

“If our empire has come for retribution, then please just kill me. My mother can’t escape, she has nowhere else to go… Please… just kill me and take my mother to safety.”

The boy knelt, pleading for mercy from the enemies. But Macduras did not accept it.

“There’s no need for that.”

Macduras wiped the blood from his cheek and began to enter the building. The boy tried to stop him, but it was futile. Macduras stood before the boy’s mother, reaching out his hand.

A portion of the life force, concentrated in the red sphere, transferred to the boy’s mother.

The faint spark of life began to burn more vigorously.

Eventually, the boy’s mother coughed and regained consciousness. She opened her eyes, got up from her seat. Ironically, her first action was to embrace her son.

The boy stared blankly at his mother.

“Mom… I thought… you’d never wake up… you were… definitely…”

Macduras once again questioned the boy, who could barely speak.

“This is the result of your choice to resist. But do not be mistaken. The world is not always so romantic.”

And he lowered his knees and asked the boy again.

“Are you still the mad slaughterer who must be killed, or have you become the savior of your mother suffering from an incurable disease?”

Faced with this dilemma, the boy could not bring himself to answer.

Macderas spoke to the boy.

“Human beings are narrow-minded. I am no different, nor are the knights behind me. I only killed to protect. If you want to protect, strengthen yourself. If you don’t want to be taken away, wield your sword instead of begging the enemy. Like today.”

The boy kneeled and expressed his gratitude, and Macderas turned away without further interest in that direction. He then commanded the knights around him.

“They cannot survive here, so transport them to the Phibron Empire. When the situation stabilizes, send them back here. If they wish, help them live a stable life in the Phibron Empire.”

“Understood.”

As Macderas walked silently, a man beside him asked, “The boy’s sword did not touch your face. Why did you act that way?”

In response to Tekelloman’s question, the blood flowing from Macderas’s cheek stopped. And the concealed white flesh began to appear. Without any hesitation, Macderas replied succinctly.

“They are fighting an unjust war, but we are fighting a just war. Tekelloman. It’s the same reason you saved the saintess. In this hellish war, legitimacy is more important than anything else if we are to remain sane.”

Macderas looked at the expressions of the other knights.

“How do the knights look to you?”

“They seem much relieved.”

This is not a merciless revenge drama, but simply a journey for peace. I merely showed them the potential through the example of the boy.

“By saving two people, we have alleviated their guilt. And perhaps a glimmer of hope has emerged. We can maintain peace without killing all the people of the Kaorelden Empire, a hope.”

Macderas looked at the Holy Maiden Flemya. In a way, this farce was also for her.

“You must have seen it too. Whether it’s a child or us, there’s no difference. We fought to protect. So no one is a monster. Even if countless people die in this war, don’t blame yourself anymore. The fall of the Kareldian Empire will ultimately bring salvation to them.”

Flemya grabbed Macderas’ waist, shedding tears. She vowed repeatedly not to weaken.

Quietly observing this, Princess Brainy finally realized why Macderas had spent time saving the mother and child.

Brainy spoke to Flemya, “You’ve got a good comrade.”

The pretext of this war was for the people of the Phebron Empire and the suffering people of the Kareldian Empire. It was also for the saintesses who, despite being chosen by God, were treated like pawns by the emperor, and for all those without power.

Macderas would go down in history today as the worst slaughterer ever. At the same time, he would be hailed as a savior by some.

“The royal building is starting to come into view!”

Platine Royal Knight Commander shouted tensely, and Macderas looked in that direction.

Ironically, from the massive building next to the palace, numerous people were pouring out. They seemed well-dressed with various accessories, each accompanied by knights and servants. Spilled wine covered the floor, and trampled food lay scattered amidst fleeing people. Even the beautiful accessories at the entrance were all crumbling down.

Macderas’ eyes began to bulge. Simultaneously, vibrations started resonating madly from the sphere floating in the sky.

“Who are these people…”

Princess Brainy’s eyes began to fill with unmistakable vitality.

Those who caused this terrible war, who forced people into death, who aimed swords at each other, who made families lose their loved ones without reason, and caused countless people to suffer.

They were enjoying a lively party as if unrelated to the recent events, and without a thought for protecting the empire, they were fleeing.

The knights sharpened it.

As if to respond to their anger, Macduras whispered.

“Pierce through.”

Hundreds of thin spears burst out from the red sphere, piercing hundreds of people around the imperial palace. However, some survived by using others as shields and started to flee again.

“Stop them! You incompetent fool! Stop them, even if it means dying! Prevent them from coming here!”

Even at this moment, officials of the Kaelorin Empire used their authority to lead people to their deaths.

Macduras stopped trying to use mass slaughter magic. Because he knew there were those who had been waiting for this moment more than anyone else.

Macduras shouted to the knights behind him.

“Kill them all.”

As if they had been waiting, the knights of the Phibron Empire began to rush the officials of the Kaelorin Empire.