Chapter 680

Chapter 65: The Night Before Chaos Part 1

“Did she do all of this for herself?”

The old mayor’s hoarse voice and his questions and views made me suddenly feel lost.

“No, it’s not like that.”

He didn’t wait for my response and continued, “She certainly wasn’t doing it for herself. I believe that someone as wise as Lady would understand this clearly.”

“Miss Eluna… indeed, has killed countless people, acting with ruthless determination, leaving no room for compromise. In fact, even I, an old man, often can’t sleep at night because of this. I think about many things… about her… If we continue down this path, burning everything to the ground, regardless of the consequences…”

“Even if the most brutal and savage methods were used, and still couldn’t change the current situation, dragging the town into the mire instead, the Church’s knights have already set their sights on us, you know… And those innocent civilians, whose lives were lost unjustly, all of this… Is such a heavy price really worth it?”

The old man showed a look of melancholy and helplessness, almost self-mocking, “Look, we are these worthless commoners… We can’t do anything, always worrying about this or fearing that… thinking about all sorts of things, always retreating when faced with problems, believing this is wrong, that is impossible, but never willing to consider what needs to be done if we want to move forward.”

The old man rubbed his rough palms together and threw another question at me, “Lady, if you were faced with the mighty Holy Church and wanted to make changes, how would you go about it? What would you do?”

“…”

I had no desire to speak.

Indeed, I couldn’t answer him yet.

After a moment of silence, the old man continued, “Although I can’t do much, I don’t want to be that stubborn old man holding everyone back. Later, I realized that for people like us, living doesn’t change anything, dying is just a pile of rotten flesh and bones, affecting only a few lives. After thirty or fifty years, maybe there won’t even be anyone to remember us… because we can’t accomplish anything…”

“We can’t change the filthy state of the world… death is just death, it’s not worth mourning… But Miss Eluna is different. She truly has the chance to change everything and continues to act on it, even if the means are intense, it’s not what she wants to see… If given a choice, she definitely wouldn’t do those things… but she had no choice.”

“Compared to the vast power of the Church, we are too weak… Miss Eluna is alone and powerless… in dire straits… she can’t afford to worry about so many things… She is indeed full of sins, but perhaps she is the only one alive now who dares to confront the Church head-on… She did what all of us wanted to do but never could… remarkable… even though she is still just a young girl.”

“Lady, you have your own standards for judging good and evil, and that’s certainly not wrong. But whether good or evil, seeking comfort deep within your heart, this path cannot move forward… especially when facing desperate situations.”

“A person as intelligent as you wouldn’t overlook these things, right? You just chose to ignore them… because you still had a way out at that time, and could act according to your own will.”

“The sacrifices and heartbreaking events you saw in West Continent, with disaster looming, you could still do your best to save some innocent civilians… But who could really see and stand up for them, to face the challenges they will have to endure in the future?

…worried about even greater calamities, she was willing to bear the blame and try to reverse the situation… Who would be willing to shoulder such a heavy responsibility…

Facing the massive, invincible power of the Church, ordinary people like us, commoners, they would never dare to step forward. Even if they did, they wouldn’t be able to do anything or change the situation. Moreover, most of these commoners don’t even know the truth of what’s happening…

And now, the only person brave enough to step forward and face the darkness alone is Miss Eluna. Perhaps in the near future, after learning the truth, Lady First Mistress will take action as well. Maybe in an even more distant future, there will be more people, more heroes, who will choose to act after seeing the truth… But for now, it’s just Miss Eluna, the only one left.

So…

In my eyes, no matter how many wrongs she has committed, as long as her original intention remains unchanged, that’s all there is to it… I’m not trying to change your opinion of her; I just couldn’t help but share with you everything that an old man on his deathbed can see and think… Eluna is a good girl. She is merely trying to use whatever means she has to change the terrible and worsening situation, nothing more…

She just wants to change that outcome, even if it means countless sacrifices along the way, she is willing to bear those sacrifices. Even if she herself becomes one of those sacrifices in the future, I believe… Miss Eluna will make that final choice without hesitation… That’s just who she is… You understand… The weight she carries requires an incredible willpower…

The old mayor’s voice became choked up again.

Her actions are not for herself… She killed some people, but only to save more people still alive, and even more yet to be born into this world…

She has the worth to live until the very end…

He couldn’t continue, his voice choked with emotion.

But his tear-filled, hazy yet piercing gaze remained fixed on me. In his dark, reddish pupils, I saw a sense of compassion and indignation at injustice.

……

I felt quite angry inside.

I wanted to say something to the old man in front of me, but my mouth opened and closed, and I found myself speechless.

Suddenly, I couldn’t find words to refute him.

Because…

What he said might not be wrong.

Old Robert’s words earlier, I had listened carefully, suppressing my anger, without interrupting him.

Because I realized he was a sensible person, knowing exactly how horrifying and detestable Miss Eluna’s actions were. He understood this, unlike what I originally thought. But including his explanation of the value, I didn’t agree with any of it.

A person’s value is not determined by those things.

Even if some things cannot be changed, making the important people around you happy and being willing to devote yourself entirely to it, even if you’re just an ordinary person, your existence is invaluable.

Such value cannot be belittled or destroyed by anyone.

I wanted to refute him on this, but as I spoke…

I understood his meaning.

The old man was simply saying that those who have died are indeed pitiful, but their deaths won’t change anything, won’t affect any particular outcome.

But Eluna is different.

Even if she has done many wrongs, she is a persistent and capable person who can change the outcome. If she dies, perhaps no one else will dare to step forward and face the darkness of the world and have the chance to change certain things.

Damn it…

What he said might be right.