Stella laughed joyfully, watching Herbert’s increasingly stiff expression, and nodded in satisfaction.
Yes, just like that.
This is exactly the expression I wanted to see!
"So, the young man who insists on justice and is willing to sacrifice for others."
"When the ti really cos for you to make a sacrifice, what choice will you make then?"
At this mont, Herbert was completely silent.
The situation wasn’t actually complicated.
Stella rely laid two tracks in front of Herbert, one with only himself, and the other was filled with people.
A speeding train was about to approach them, with the button to switch the train’s direction right in Herbert’s hand.
Would he selfishly ignore others, letting himself survive alone?
Or sacrifice himself to save others?
No, in fact, if Herbert truly chose to let the train rush towards himself, he wouldn’t even die.
Because he only placed one leg on the track.
This choice was unfair from the start, and the costs for both sides were not equal!
If he chose to sacrifice himself, Herbert would be in great pain, yet might find fortune in misfortune, gaining a stronger prosthetic limb.
But if he sacrificed others... he would not only endure ntal pressure, but might not even survive against the odds.
It seed to have beco an unsolvable choice.
"So, how about it? I think this is a very favorable condition."
Stella no longer mocked provocatively, but changed her tone, advising gently: "You know what to do, just slightly lower your head, and they can be saved."
"They gain life, and what you lose is rely the so-called ’justice’ you insist on."
"Gods never speak falsely, what they promise you, they will surely do."
She believed Herbert would make the right choice.
No.
Even if Herbert didn’t make a choice, actually didn’t matter, because essentially there was no difference between the two choices.
For a Holy Professional, this was indeed a deadly dilemma.
If he didn’t save others, his heart couldn’t bear the guilt, his faith would collapse, and he would beco a person who breaks his oath.
But if he saved others, it would also an abandoning faith, still breaking the oath and falling.
Both ends were sealed.
"Herbert..."
Eliza pursed her lips, gripping Herbert’s hand tightly.
The vampire lady did not care whether Herbert would fall or not.
She belonged to the Evil Faction, so if Herbert fell, it would actually be better for her.
But Eliza cared greatly that Herbert would not be hurt by this choice, whether ntally or physically.
Stella eyed him with malice, while Eliza watched him with concern, and there were so fortunate survivors in the city who were also paying attention here.
He was also watching him.
Everyone’s eyes were focused here, all waiting for Herbert to make his decision.
As the focal point of the entire city’s gaze, at the center of the storm, the key figure determining the fate of countless people!
Herbert Albert, in this crucial tense mont, was... zoning out.
"..."
More accurately, he was internally lanting and unable to stop sighing in his heart.
"Indeed, no matter which world, a good person will have a gun pointed at them..."
Being a good person is really too difficult.
Because they are kind, because they are responsible, they are most easily used by others.
Good individuals are bullied, good horses are ridden.
Because they are good people, they will have guns pointed at them.
Faced with such moral coercion, for an ordinary Holy Professional, it would be a most painful decision, causing great tornt to their spirit.
But the problem is, to conduct moral coercion, there is a necessary premise—that the person being coerced must have a similar level of morality.
Yes.
As long as there is no morality, there won’t be moral coercion.
Never heard of anyone morally coercing a heinous criminal.
"Isn’t this test on officials a bit excessive?"
It is undeniable that Herbert is not considered an evil person.
Though he is a sowhat non-serious Paladin, he doesn’t do evil wantonly and also restrains those around him to do good.
In most cases, Herbert can be seen as a Paladin, possessing fundantal universal values and a distinct view of good and evil.
However, if truly pushed to the brink of life and death crisis, Herbert would then display his flexible and varied moral boundaries.
What do the commandnts that Paladins must abide by have to do with ?
I am a friend of the Harmonious God!
You can’t control .
He wouldn’t stubbornly risk his life but would seek to preserve himself as the primary goal whenever possible.
Herbert quickly figured out his response plan—act along with Stella for now.
"Let’s pretend to agree to fall for now, then find an opportunity to break the situation..."
Although being targeted by a notorious Harmonious God, Herbert wasn’t very anxious.
He’s been harassed by Evil Gods before, so what’s the big deal?
Besides, he doesn’t think he could beco a follower of the God of Sinful Desire.
This isn’t even about whether Herbert wants to or not, but whether "He" wants to or not.
Want to be your pawn, have you asked my boss?
Though Nenasha is dead, she isn’t completely gone!
Even though his Harmonious God is sowhat mischievous, talks a lot, is annoying, and currently weak... but as a God, the dignity should still be there.
The God of Sinful Desire finding it difficult to snatch people from Nenasha.
Even though Miss Xie Shen let us down again at the crucial mont, now she is digesting material and has fallen asleep, appearing dead with no response.
But if things really reach the point of changing faith forcibly, Miss Xie Shen surely won’t give no response at all.
With a ntal plan ready and all reactions prepared, just when Herbert was about to speak, he suddenly froze.
"I... hmm?"
At that mont, he thought of soone—Fao.
The Paladin, whom he regarded highly, the first to express the wish to follow his ideals.
Soone "foolish" enough to decisively choose self-sacrifice for companions weaker than himself and to give up valuable training opportunities for slaves.
That guy, almost the perfect Paladin template in the traditional sense, what choice would he make at this mont?
Would he bow to the Evil God’s Favorer?
Probably not.
Fao would likely choose to fight to the last mont, even if that ant death.
Even if he died, it would be the most heroic death!
Just like the sun he believes in.
Choosing to perish together with darkness in the fiercest manner.
Herbert’s mouth moved slightly, murmuring silently.
"Make your own choices, do what you believe is right...tsk, damn, why am I the one saying these things?"
"Honestly, with this stance, I can’t just pretend nothing happened, can I?"
All the lofty and preachy words I’d given them before... I didn’t expect them to turn back on like a boorang at this mont.
"The past really left no room for retreat."
Harsh on others, even harsher on myself.
After a long silence, Herbert finally let out a long sigh.
Sigh...
The young Paladin looked up, gazing at the Evil God’s Favorer, not revealing his choice, but asking a question that had been bothering him.
"Why ?"
"Why is He so fixated on ?"
"Why specifically choose ?"
Honestly, he couldn’t understand why Stella was so interested in him?
Even if she knew his na, it didn’t justify such enthusiasm, right?
She’d rather throw out such an outrageous olive branch to win him over; that was quite so sincerity.
Forcing to fall...what’s the point?
Could it be for my body?
Stella’s answer left Herbert montarily bewildered.
"You want to know the reason?"
"To personally corrupt a pure soul, isn’t there anything more intoxicating in this world?"
Understood.
Though abstractly spoken, Herbert completely got it.
Saying it so politely, isn’t it just "dragging the innocent into the water"!
This, so of my friends are very familiar with~
Anyway, whenever their cases were handled by , I always strove to get them the top-tier handling and perfect results.
The serpentine Evil God’s Favorer confidently asked.
"So, young man, what is your answer?"
To this, the young man’s answer was without hesitation or doubt.
"...I refuse."
Herbert looked up and gave a relaxed smile to Stella, whose expression slightly changed.
"Stella, I will never beco your companion."
"If you want to know the reason— I don’t want to team up with soone as disgusting as you."
He quirked a brow teasingly, half-truthfully shrinking back, pretending uneasy: "If I were to be tainted by soone like you...I’d rather die!"
So scary.
"You..."
However, Stella’s reaction was a bit disappointing to Herbert, quite dull.
After being provoked, she rely squinted her eyes, scrutinizing him like a venomous snake, speaking in a low voice: "Herbert, you’re insulting ."
Herbert shrugged, smirking: "Yeah, I’m insulting you, isn’t that obvious enough?"
I’m mocking you, is there a problem with that?
"You made the wrong choice." The Divine Favorer’s expression was exceedingly cold, her aura becoming even more chilling.
"A wrong choice? Perhaps."
Herbert shook his head easily, musing: "I’m not a fool, but not too smart either, and I’ve made many mistakes."
"But this ti, I don’t think I made a wrong choice."
If you want to preach to others, at least practice it yourself.
"Moreover, I forgot to ntion one thing—I really don’t like being told what to do."
"Especially when being forced to do sothing, I simply refuse to do it."
If you force to fall, then I’ll insist on being a true Paladin!
"Okay, very well, it’s all your own choice." Stella’s expression was completely gone, her whole deanor now like a beast hungering to devour flesh.
"Oh, wait a second!"
But just before she acted, Herbert suddenly spoke up:
"Although you might be about to charge over there in fury, before that, I have one last question to ask you..."
He smiled rather helplessly, speaking softly: "I’ve stalled for this long for you; you must be ready now, right?"
Stella: !!?
"What?"
Stella was taken aback for a mont, then suddenly looked at Eliza beside Herbert.
Her!!?
Does she have so way to prevent the ritual?
Strangely, when Stella looked closely, she found Eliza was also looking at Herbert with the sa bewildernt.
"Eh?"
Who are you talking to?
?
Did I prepare sothing?"
!!!
At this mont, Stella suddenly felt an extre unease.
No!
No, no, no!
Stella was searching for where things went wrong when she heard a voice.
A voice that, even after centuries, still instinctively frightened her upon hearing it.
"Thank you."
"It’s enough already."
And it was right beside her!!?
Stella quickly looked down, gazing at the "Vilamay" in her arms—at so point, that head had transford into another appearance.
A face she was exceedingly familiar with!
"Svanni!!?"
Svanni opened her eyes, gazing at Stella, speaking softly: "My sister."
"I’ve co to save you."
!!!
There was no ti to think more; Stella instinctively tried to throw the head in her arms, but the serpentine tail beneath her suddenly went out of her control!
"You!!?"
The tail had started moving of its own will, wrapping around her!
"What did you do?!"
With only a head, Svanni gazed at her panicking sister, lowering her eyes and whispering:
"Let , give you..."
"The final redemption."
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