Mivana shook her head, her gaze falling.
"I’m well aware. I’m not a Yonglan Knight at all, I’m just pretending to be one. Even if I were to call myself a Knight of Chivalry to set myself apart, how could soone who can’t even walk the Riding God’s Knight Path have the gall to call herself a Knight?"
Westheid imdiately comforted her. "It’s not your fault. The Cursed Blood flowing in your veins is what’s holding you back."
The wolf-eared maiden sighed. "Perhaps you’re right, but that doesn’t change the fact that I’m a coward who’s afraid to fight. I truly don’t dare to. I avoid any chance of getting drawn into a difficult battle, only preying on the weak like so despicable wretch. The Divine Ancestor would naturally never grant any blessings, and I could never achieve anything on the Knight Path."
Westheid said, "...You could try to control it. Perhaps an all-out battle isn’t as terrifying as you think."
"My master said the sa thing. She believed in , but I still let her down."
Mivana looked at Westheid, her body trembling slightly as she wrapped her arms around herself.
"That’s why I don’t dare... I absolutely do not dare to give in to that bloodlust. I’ve tried before, and I’ve failed... Every single ti, I paid a terrible price. A price so terrible that I’m no longer willing to even try."
The beast-eared maiden tilted her beautiful face and gave Westheid a self-mocking smile.
"Would you be willing to hear about my past?"
’Hmm? Is she about to tell her story?’
"I’d be happy to listen, if you don’t mind."
Westheid’s spirits lifted. He imdiately focused, adopting an attentive listening posture.
’I’m only moderately curious about the Wolf-eared Maiden’s past, but having her confide in is a classic ’relationship points’ event. This ans Mivana is finally starting to let her guard down and open up to .’
’Guess I have to savor this mont.’
Mivana took a deep breath, one hand pressed to her chest.
"I’m a monster that should never have existed. Many people have said so, and I think they’re... absolutely right."
"The Cursed Blood in my veins is original sin, through and through. I’m a sinner, a monster who should have been executed long ago. More than a decade ago, my hands were already stained with the blood of countless Knights."
The wolf-eared maiden stared blankly at her hands, as if they were already caked in blood.
"I don’t rember much of what happened back then, but I know for a fact that I committed those massacres, driven by pure instinct."
Westheid nodded. "So that’s why that expedition ended in disaster for the Knight Army. It was because of you."
He didn’t act surprised. He’d already considered this possibility.
Although he knew very little about the past of Mivana, the "Heaven-Devouring Wave," Westheid was all too familiar with her Tier T0 Talent: Cursed Source Blood. In fact, he was familiar with every single Tier T0 Talent, knowing their principles and origins by heart.
This particular Talent had deep ties to the Yonglan Riding God. The Riding God’s ascension to godhood, his Great Enterprise, was built upon the corpses of two Chaos Source Gods.
But a Source God, born from the very essence of Chaos, is the embodint of mortals’ most primitive imagination and fear of the divine. They are the supre beings among the Chaos Hundred Forms. Even when slain, their essence doesn’t simply vanish. Instead, it detonates like a massive biological weapon, contaminating vast swathes of the Land of Order.
The Yonglan Riding God knew the danger posed by the Chaos Source Gods. So, he discarded their two corpses beyond the border, leaving the contamination to fester within the Chaos Domain.
At the ti, this approach made sense. Anything outside the borders of civilization could be as chaotic as it wanted. The Mortal World was an isolated island surrounded by an ocean of Chaos; it was only natural to bag up dangerous trash and toss it into the sea.
However, the Country of Yonglan later began a series of ceaseless Knightly Path expeditions. The Law laid down by the Yonglan Riding God was one of "Pioneering," "Guarding," and "Slaying Evil." Because of this, the Knight Realm couldn’t annex other settlents and could only expand by conquering the Chaos Border.
Over several hundred years, the Knightly Path expeditions went from being held once every few decades to once every few years. The martial prowess of the Yonglan Knights grew so great that they could expand the borders of civilization and basically beat up Chaos at will.
Finally, during the fourteenth Knightly Path expedition, they reached the site of the Source God corpses discarded by the Divine Ancestor. The contamination from that ti had festered in this Domain, brewing like a "Gu" poison. The final, concentrated result took the form of a bloodline curse and ca to reside within a beastman infant.
’Mivana’s Tier T0 Talent was forged from the sacrifice of two Chaos Source Gods. Its value is off the charts.’
As the Knight Army swept through, Mivana’s bloodline curse happened to be at its most unbearable. The presence of the Yonglan Knights triggered her latent bloodline, and right then and there...
’Source God, activate!’
And so, the triumphant Knight Army t its Waterloo. Even though she was just a beastman child, only a few years old, empowered by the Cursed Source Blood she still managed to slaughter the Yonglan Knights.
"I only heard about this later," Mivana continued. "Just as the Knight Army was on the verge of collapse, Viona, the Star Lake Sword, intervened and subdued the Mad Beast. But she didn’t execute . Instead, she did sothing no one could have ever imagined."
Mivana’s beautiful golden eyes began to shine. As she spoke, her expression beca one of awe and deep emotion.
"My master... she took in as her disciple. She said it wasn’t my fault. In fact, she said that by containing the curse within myself, I had prevented an even greater disaster. So my master resolved to help , to guide onto a righteous path. To do so, she even gave up her chance in the upcoming Knight King election... She could have been the Knight King."
’So she’s a Jinchuriki for a Chaos Source God?’
Duke Qinghui gently patted Mivana’s back.
"But you are still one of the Order Creatures, not one of the Chaos Hundred Forms. That proves the Star Lake Sword’s judgnt was correct. You’re not a monster, just a poor soul who happened to be the vessel for the Cursed Blood."
’Westheid had wanted to follow his gut and call her "lucky," but he realized Mivana took no pride in her powerful Talent and changed his phrasing at the last second.’
’Gotta watch what I say!’
Mivana looked up, studying Westheid for a few monts before sighing.
"You sound exactly like my master."
"Because great minds think alike."
Westheid said with a smile, but it quickly faded as he realized what was coming next.
"So, later... Viona failed, didn’t she?"
A shadow fell over Mivana’s eyes. She nodded.
"The day my master guided onto the Path of the Knight, I lost my mind in battle. Although she managed to subdue again when I went berserk, she suffered an irreversible, Severe Injury in the process. She passed away not long after... That’s also why I was exiled from the Country of Yonglan."
"Going berserk, losing control... it takes away what I cherish most. That’s why I’m so... so terrified of it."
Westheid was silent for a mont before he spoke.
"If that’s the case, why did you co here? Facing Chaos will make the curse inside you... even harder to control, won’t it? Doesn’t that make the villain for bringing you here?"
"No. I thought this through carefully before I agreed."
Mivana slowly drew her Great Knight’s Silver Sword, her eyes fixed on its gleaming edge.
"Because this is a Trial. A Trial I must overco."
"I can’t remain trapped in fear forever. I have to overco this curse. And if I can’t... then at least let do what little I can."
"Wait... You’re not planning to—?!"
Mivana’s expression was firm. "If I go berserk again, don’t worry about . I will use the last of my will to charge into the Chaos Domain and turn my rage upon the great enemies of Order. At least this ti, I will not harm another innocent person!"
’A super suicide bomber? Planning to burn out in one final blaze of glory, is she?’
’No way! If you blow yourself up, who’s going to fill the Tier T0 Talent-shaped hole in my plans?!’
"That won’t happen. I promise you."
Westheid had to respond. He grabbed the Lady Knight’s shoulders, looked her straight in the eye, and spoke with conviction.
"If you lose yourself to the bloodthirsty curse, then I’ll do just as the Star Lake Sword did. I’ll beat you down until you wake up from your madness."
At his words, Mivana’s golden pupils contracted in shock. She clearly hadn’t expected such a response.
Her gaze softened, but she slowly shook her head.
"I see... Thank you for the sentint, but please, don’t."
"You’ll die."
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