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Chapter 206: Unremorseful
‘The justice of mankind is both the principles of knighthood.’
‘As a human, my position should align with my principles and the values of my race.’
‘Yes, that should be the case… but is it still justice if it’s meted out through unscrupulous channels? Can someone still be deemed a true knight if they resort to any means necessary?’
‘No matter. As long as I can hear the beating of my knightly heart, that is enough.’
‘And right now, it’s warning me that I’m currently on the wrong path.’
The question of whether or not it was justice didn’t matter, as long as he had a clear conscience.
Even if he was labeled a traitor and criticized by the masses, his conscience would continue to remain as clear as a mirror.
The dark-silver knight held onto the longsword with a tight grip, the unremarkable gaze seeping through the seams of his helmet shining with unwavering resolve.
‘I’ll have to betray your expectations.’
The eldest princess of the Asiatic Cat Race could not be a tyrannical warmonger; There had to be more to this situation than what met the eyes.
If necessary, he would have to ensure her safety during the negotiations…
Unfazed by the rumors and slanders that would follow the incident, he was prepared to accept the consequences, even if it meant being punished by the temple association’s tribunal court.
After all, he was only doing what he believed was right.
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The day before the negotiations.
A dark-silvery armor shone resplendently in the light of a blazing fire.
An inferno had consumed an entire town like a large voracious dragon, leaving behind mournful cries which gradually faded away into the desolate wind.
It blew against the red lotus-like flames, as if orchestrating the finale of a symphony.
Countless wronged souls dissipated in the light of the flames, leaving behind scorched earth and the twisted, mangled corpses of the fallen.
The cries of infants seemed to echo in his ears; The joyous laughter of children, the recollections of a city thriving with prosperity day by day, and the presence of its simple yet honorable residents were no more. In their place were tear-soaked embers, ashes, and dust.
The raucous world seemed to turn silent in that instant.
In the wake of this deafening silence, the lonely silhouette of a knight was all that remained.
“Your Radiant highness.” The knight leader who was in charge of saving the victims arrived at his side. His ceremonial robes were stained with mud and scorch marks, a testament to the difficulty of the search and rescue operation they had undertaken.
“Have you found any survivors?” The dark-silver knight didn’t bother to turn his head around as he asked.
“…No, we’ve searched every corner of this city, but all we could find are red-hot embers…” The knight captain replied in a submissive manner, as a hint of guilt could not help but flicker across his face.
“Who did it?” Even though he already had a clear answer in his heart, the dark-silver knight still asked.
“This is one of the cities that the Asiatic Cat Race attacked earlier. I’m certain no one other than them would have been capable of doing this.” The knight captain spoke with a resolute expression on his face.
“What makes you believe that?”
“We found some weapons, armor, and shedded fur left behind by the Asiatic Cat Race in the city. They were likely left behind as a result of the arduous battle put up by the guards earlier.”
“These items all bear signs of cuts and slashes that are consistent with weapons wielded by human soldiers.”
“…” As he listened to his adjutant beside him give an account of the situation, the dark-silver knight drifted into a daze. His eyes were directed at the intensely burning flames whose fervor resembled that of a mighty dragon.
‘That’s not right. If they had taken control of the city, why didn’t they leave any forces behind?’
After he forcefully suppressed the flames of anger ravaging his heart, only a lingering trace of rationale, calmness and relief remained.
“Reporting! Your Radiant Highness! A large group of Asiatic Cat Soldiers have appeared at the Border Pass. May I request that your Highness swiftly dispatch reinforcements…” In a state of panic, a travel-worn knight was oblivious to his surroundings as he knelt on one knee before Ji Bai and delivered his report in between gasps of breath.
“Border Pass? Isn’t that place protected by a barrier?” The aide-de-camp asked in doubt.
“That was originally the case… but a section of the barrier was disabled to allow Sire’s search and rescue team to depart… While we were waiting for the barrier to close, the Asiatic Cat Race took advantage and launched a sudden attack on Border Town!”
“What?!” The aide-de-camp was shocked and turned his gaze toward the dark-silver knight.
‘So, a decoy tactic.’
Through the seams of his helmet, the scorching air assaulted the dark-silvery knight’s face.
“…I understand. Reinforce them immediately.” He calmly issued the order. After instructing his aide-de-camp to recall his troops, he made his way towards the city gate.
If one were to observe him closely, they would notice his shoulders faintly trembling.
He suddenly recalled the words the priest had given him. “Their aim is to sedate you with talks of ‘Peace’ and ‘Friendship’ to lull you into a false sense of security. If you’re fooled by their hypocritical facade, you’ll end up playing right into their hands.”
‘So, I’ve really misjudged you. To think you’d actually be such an inscrutable individual…’
Trepidation and fury had completely incinerated the last vestiges of reason in his heart and simultaneously compelled him to make a fresh decision once more.
Following her demise, the internal affairs of the Asiatic Cat Race descended into a sea of chaos. Capitalizing on the situation, the human association captured several cities in the name of revenge and expanded their territory.
The battles of that day, which resulted in the displacement of countless Asiatic Cat commoners and the separation of their families, were something that the dark-silver knight could still vividly remember.
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‘I have no regrets about the decision I made.’
‘Perhaps what you did was intended to benefit millions of your fellow clansmen, but I’m guided in the same way too.’
‘So the two of us shouldn’t regret the actions we’ve taken, right…?’
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A ray of light, accompanied by a gentle breeze, streamed into a simple and crude bamboo room.
A person, seated and leaning their body against the window, trembled slightly before shaking his head.
He then rose from the floor.
“Thud, thud, thud…” A series of knocking sounds resounded from the door.
“Who?”
“Who else could it still be? Of course it’s me, obscene middle-aged man.” A furious voice resounded from behind the door.
Just from the tone alone, Ji Bai could picture the golden-haired cat girl standing outside, arms crossed over her chest, and her cheeks puffed out.
After hesitating for a moment, he opened the door.
“Morning.”
“Morning… As if! It’s nearly afternoon, you know? You’re even more of a sleepyhead than I am.” Lil’ Sha’s tone was tinged with a hint of helplessness as she spoke.
“Is that so?” Ji Bai replied, not in the mood to dwell on the fact that his biological clock had failed. He shook his head and walked out of his room.
“Wait, don’t tell me you were actually wearing this outfit as ‘sleep wear’ the whole night…” Lil’ Sha remarked with a strange expression on her face, as she observed Ji Bai’s attire and his groggy mannerism that indicated he had just woken up.
“Mhm.”
“…Forget it, this is not the first or second time your brain has malfunctioned.” Lil’ Sha heaved a sigh before standing on tiptoe to help Ji Bai straighten out his crooked collar.
“…”
“I am hungry. Since the hotel doesn’t provide complimentary meals, let’s find a restaurant on the street.” Lil’ Sha suggested, paying no heed to Ji Bai who had fallen silent due to her actions.
“…” Ji Bai kept quiet as he stared at the golden-haired girl before him.
“?? What’s wrong? Are you possessed by an evil spirit? Do you need me to kick you twice to snap you back to your senses?” Lil’ Sha said in an impolite tone upon noticing Ji Bai’s unwavering gaze resting on her.
“It’s nothing.” Ji Bai responded after returning to his senses and proceeded to stroke her hair.
“Oi, I’m not a little puppy; I don’t like people touching my hair.” As he expected, Lil’ Sha showed resistance.
‘Perhaps she still hasn’t fully matured, but there is still a noticeable distance between her and her aunt. Well, in terms of figure that is.’
Ji Bai briefly glanced at a certain spot on Lil’ Sha’s body that could be described as a washing board.
Suddenly, for some reason, he felt a subtle hint of schadenfreude.