Chapter 751: Chapter 17 The Light of Dust_2

“This is our duty!” Yuliy glared at him.

Indeed, this was a cursed land, haunted by beasts and spirits since ancient times. People had no choice but to take up swords to fight against them. This endless battle seemed to have no end; the monsters would resurrect after death, while the sword-bearers aged. Thus, they sought those with equal courage to replace them, passing the aged longswords into the hands of the young to venture into the mist under the moon, to wage bloody battles against the monsters their ancestors had once fought…

Generations went on, endless.

Gongsun Ce’s anger subsided in an instant, replaced by a mix of self-reproach and guilt. He said in a low voice, “Sorry, I…”

“Your anger is justified, child,” the old captain, deeply empathetic, said, “No righteous man could face that scene untouched.”

“I just… I think this should not be!” Gongsun Ce said irritably, “You are Impermanence Law Enforcers! The Light Knight Order includes two Creator Realm Mages, do you not plan to change the situation?!”

“It is precisely because we possess great power, and we already have various privileges within the inner society, that it’s difficult for us to intervene in the normal operations of the outer society,” the old captain said seriously, “Power, child, the abuse of power, is more terrifying than any mistake within the system. Because the deterrent of violence is limitless, unlike the law that has a clear boundary.

If I were to use power to coerce everyone to correct their behavior, it would also mean that to some extent I disregard others’ freedom and autonomous will. Isn’t that just enforcing my own will through violence?”

Gongsun Ce responded without a second thought, “It’s a necessary sacrifice!”

“Why? For justice?” Knight Macrow solemnly shook his head, “We can only sacrifice ourselves for justice.”

The old knight’s expression was so serious that Gongsun Ce couldn’t bring himself to argue. He knew the other party was right; if the pursuit of a noble goal justifies the arbitrary sacrifice of others’ benefits and lives, how is the army of justice any different from villains?

“But… but…” Gongsun Ce sighed, “What about finding a way within the system? Within the scope of the law? Can’t even Knight Alandia manage it?”

Macrow and Gafri exchanged looks, their expressions full of nuance. They both let out silent laughter, their hands trembling with their teacups.

“Sir!” Yuliy said sternly.

“Ahem!” Gafri coughed once and leaned toward the young man, saying in an extremely subtle tone, “Mr. Gongsun, I must explain to you that remarkable feat that impressed the whole Country… That was four years ago. Knight Alandia was just 19, as young and spirited as you are now, fearless. And indeed, she was planning to do something.”

Holy shit, Alandia is only 23 this year?!

Suppressing his astonishment that slipped out, Gongsun Ce asked, “… What did she do?”

“She conducted a detailed investigation of all the officials in Supibia,” emphasized Gafri, “‘all’ isn’t a hyperbole but a literal fact. That terrifyingly thorough report included me, the captain, the chief mage, the prime minister, all the ministers, the head of the Country police department, even every basic level police officer in every division within the capital city, documenting every illegal act they had committed and corresponding evidence!”

Gongsun Ce’s mouth hung open. He thought, how terrifying must such a record be? How many knights were there at the headquarters of the Light Knight Order, and how many more if you included the basic level police officers and all the other civil servants and ministers? Tens of thousands? A hundred thousand? He dared not continue his thoughts, choosing to think only in terms of a hundred thousand. The physical files of each person were at least as thick as a book—those white sheets capable of physically drowning the headquarters of the Light Knight Order, or even burying the whole district.

And that was just the physical damage; how enormous would the actual impact of this information be? Even he as a youth could imagine the consequences—once this information was released, even just a part of it, the uproar it would cause could drown Supibia, even the entire Morton Country, in a tsunami-like disaster!

Gongsun Ce said unconsciously, “She’s mad.”

“I thought the same,” Gafri nodded, “Then Knight Alandia took her results to the palace, met with the Queen, and summoned all the high-level officials of the Country. In front of everyone, she announced that she would disclose this record to all the citizens and resolve the issues according to the law.”

Now, Gongsun Ce really felt humbled. He only now realized how insignificant his previous anger had been. The ordinary irate youth at most verbally ranted a bit, but Alandia, when infuriated, turned a capital city upside down. Those capable people, even without using force, could still command awe-inspiring authority; when they really got harsh… they could shake the very foundations of a Country with their own strength!

Gongsun Ce groaned, “A tsunami…”

“A tsunami?” Gafri echoed, “A catastrophe! Sun and moon extinguished! The heavenly wheel itself would crumble! When I first got the file and finished reading it, my vision went dark. Half amazed by the powerful action of my colleagues…”

“The other half shocked that the darkness of the capital was ten times worse than our worst estimates,” Yuliy said disdainfully.

The old captain grimaced, “Ultimately, regardless of stance or face, we all were desperately trying to persuade the Dawn Knight not to leak her findings. The Country is indeed like an old building, having accumulated various issues for hundreds or even thousands of years, but we all hope to repair this building…not kick it over entirely.”