Translator: Wuxia Dog Editor: Wuxia Dog
Reg, Sunier, Moxinke and all the others were standing at the center of the square in high spirits and talking in full flow. They had won. This was no ordinary victory that was like the usual ones where they killed beasts and hunted for magic crystals. Expect for Sunier, all of them were eager to express their excitement by talking and laughing as unrestrainedly as they could, especially Moxinke.
Han Jin and the prisoner walked to the center of the square in tandem. The prisoner looked much better after having a bath and changing clothes. Only his hair and beard were still unkempt. They had no time or barber to deal with this.
“Ha! Raphael! Where have you been?” Moxinke exclaimed.
Reg turned his head too but froze with his eyes wide open when he saw the old man beside Han Jin. He stared at him with his lips trembling. “Master?” he said tentatively after a while.
“You’re all grown up,” the prisoner said in a very soft tone, “I can hardly recognize you now.”
Reg trotted and nearly pounced forward. Tears were welling up in his eyes. “Senior, it’s really you!” He knelt down on one knee, his hands grasping the earth firmly and blue veins popping out on the backs of his hands. Both his arms and body were shivering.
Reg had tried to control himself. If he was any younger or more naive, he would have burst out crying.
There was complete silence in the surroundings as even the excited soldiers were dumbfounded. Reg was their commander in chief; what was the identity of this old man who could bear his kneel?
“Be strong. There are people watching us,” the prisoner said slowly while bending down, holding Reg in his arms. He stared at him and let out a long sigh, “Sorry, child. I have learned about the misfortunes of your father. I’m sorry. It was because of me that he was taken away in such a situation.”
“No, senior…”
“Listen to me,” the prisoner gently interrupted. “When I left you, I had a bad feeling about it. Your father was a good knight but he was so innocent, so kind… If it wasn’t because of me, he would still be alive, living in that small mountain village. Though I can’t vouch for how good his life would’ve been, at least he would’ve been happy. It’s all my fault. I led him into this dangerous world.”
“No, senior!” Reg couldn’t control himself anymore. Glittering tears started to pour down his cheeks. “My father told me his last words…”
“Guevara?” someone suddenly screamed.
The prisoner was shocked and looked in the direction of the sound. Sunier did not doubt it anymore. She retreated two steps and took out her longbow and aimed a black arrow between the prisoner’s eyebrows.
“Sunier, no!” Reg stepped forward and stood in front of the prisoner.
“Sunier, are you out of your mind?!” Moxinke hastened to grab the longbow in her hands.
“Go away!” she thundered in a harsh voice.
Moxinke was startled. He had never seen Sunier like this ever since meeting her. The emerald green eyes of hers were filled with wildness and had a dangerous look. Even through the cover of her mask, he could feel the muscles on her cheeks twitching. He had a feeling that if he moved another step forward, she would even shoot him.
Han Jin suddenly appeared behind Sunier and held her from the back. “Calm down, Sunier!”
She struggled wildly as if she was a captured leopardess. Her hands were grasping, her feet were kicking and her teeth were clenched. After a while, Han Jin’s sleeves were already torn into pieces with lines of blood appearing on his arms.
But he didn’t let go of his hold. If she got free, Sunier would definitely shoot out the arrow and Reg would not dodge. Han Jin didn’t want to see the tragedy.
Moxinke let out a sigh of relief and drew his sword, standing in front of Reg. He waved his arms as a gesture for them to leave.
If she had lost the remaining senses in her, Sunier would have cut Han Jin’s hands with her bowstring. However, her remaining senses threw her into more pain. She struggled for a moment before finally giving up, lying in Han Jin’s arms. She slowly said in a feeble voice, “Do you know who he is?”
Han Jin did not reply nor did the others around them. They were all waiting for the answer.
“He is the brother of Kassa, the Dragon Knight, Guevara! Do you know how many elves died in his hands? He is a butcher; his hands are stained with blood!” Sunier almost moaned, “Raphael, let me go. Otherwise, I will hate you forever!”
Her voice was very low but each of her words sounded out clearly in their ears. The surroundings were in complete silence.
Now that they had got the answer they wanted, it turned the situation even quieter. The Dragon Knight, one who was at the utmost peak in strength on the continent and possessed the ability to tame dragons. Compared with him, even the ferocious Bloody Knight Gerald was nothing. Zaganide and Dismark, the two owners in the northeast of the Tarasha mountains, were only eleventh-grade professionals!
Han Jin was dumbfounded. Sunier had struggled her way out of his arms when he was lost in thought, but Han Jin reacted quickly, using his Spirit Possession Operation to grab onto her shoulders. He held her in his arms tightly, however, this time he held her face to face.
“Calm down, please!” Han Jin yelled. He wasn’t worried about Sunier’s attack but was instead worried about her getting hurt. The old man called Guevara was unfathomable and eccentric. Han Jin still couldn’t tell what kind of person he was after so much communication. That was the most dreadful kind of thing!
“You…” Sunier was so anxious and angry that she nearly fainted.
“Listen to me.” The prisoner patted Moxinke on his shoulder and indicated him to move aside. Moxinke hesitated. He was also worried that the old man would hurt Sunier, but how could he, a mere seventh-grade fighter, protect her if the Dragon Knight really wanted to do so. With this thought, he moved aside.
“Are you from Wild Willow City?” The prisoner sighed. “I admit I did hurt some elves, but that was in a war. Damn the war! If you think that as long as one is hurt, he has all the reason in the world for revenge, then I have even more reasons than you. When the Silver Horse Regiment occupied our castle, they killed my family and all of my servants. Should I get revenge too?”
Sunier was shocked and stopped struggling as fiercely as before. She was about to say something but the prisoner continued, “You want to kill me because I hurt elves in the past, but do you know why my brother hated elves so much? When we were young, our father was attacked by elves when he was receiving some merchants. They said that my father was a member of the Slave Catching Team.
“You have your reason to kill me and I have mine. Humph. You said I am a butcher and condemned that my hands are stained with blood,” the prisoner paused, “but think about what you elves have done first. You attacked our cities, burned our houses and destroyed our farmlands. Each place that was invaded by the elves fell into ruins. It’s true that you only killed the resisters but do you know what the civilians lived on after you left? Grassroots, tree bark, and even living humans! After my brother was defeated, the population of each city was less than one-third of its previous population. Tell me, who killed the civilians?!”
“That was… a war,” Sunier replied in an obscure voice.
“Aye… the war, as I have just said… the damn war.” The prisoner laughed. “You hate me and want to kill me. I would give you the chance, but don’t put yourself on the side of justice or consider yourself a judge. You have no right to do so if your own hands are also stained with blood.
“I hate the darkness but I hate brightness even more. Brightness is always advocated for by those who thought themselves as justice, which, in fact, is actually as fragile as bubbles.” A mocking smile showed in the prisoner’s eyes. “And here’s some advice for you. Do not make it hard for your friends. For people of their age, friendship is the most precious thing! I was young once and I understand them.” He was telling the truth. Dragon Knight Guevara was an independent man who walked along the edge between both darkness and brightness. He showed no gratitude to Han Jin even after Han Jin had saved his life. He kept the favor in mind but it was for Reg’s sake that he said these to Sunier. Otherwise, he would have never explained his so-called crimes with even a single word and was even more unlikely to explain himself to an insignificant elf.
Sunier felt her own feeble body. She did put herself in the highest moral position when she was desperate for revenging the elves who had died miserably. She wanted to obtain an understanding from Han Jin and the others, but the prisoner deprived her of the moral halo and did this without any hesitation with his ruthless words. Now, Sunier was at a loss. At least she no longer had a good reason for vengeance.
“Reg, take a walk with me. I haven’t had a good talk with anyone for a long time.” The prisoner did not look at Sunier anymore but turned around and walked to the square.
“Yes, senior.” Reg glanced at Sunier and followed the prisoner quickly.
