Knight with Wand

A countryside between Lonca and Selva.

Several riders on war horses wearing armor, accompanied by six lord guards and ten Lonca archers, stood at the commanding height of the hillside, waiting quietly.

This was naturally Leon's party, and Olivia was among them.

Next to them, the guards and archers were watching over the prisoners who were shackled behind the hillside.

Not long after, at the scheduled noon, everyone saw a simple carriage coming down the hillside.

When the carriage came close and slowly stopped at the bottom of the hillside, Leon could see their appearance clearly.

In addition to the coachman, the four people on the carriage were wrapped in large travel cloaks. The middle-aged man with a goatee who jumped off the cart first supported a woman with a sad face. As for the other two, perhaps the accompanying guards, they took down a heavy wooden box from the carriage.

The goatee man said a few words to the accompanying guards, then walked up the hillside alone and came to Leon.

He took off his hood, knelt on one knee respectfully in front of the knights, crossed his hands and saluted humbly, and said in an unfamiliar Feru language: "Dear noble knights, we have brought the full ransom. Can I see my master?"

Leon waved to the guards beside him.

Hawke and others immediately pushed Mamuel, who was limping behind the ramp, over.

Although his hair was disheveled and his face had not been cleaned for a long time and was covered with dust, the middle-aged man could still recognize his master.

Seeing that Lord Mamuel was weak and tired, but at least his life was safe, the goatee man's tense nerves finally relaxed.

".Gods above, thank you for your mercy, Lord Orland, the ransom is in the box below, you can send someone to count the amount." The goateed man withdrew his gaze from his master, still kneeling on the ground without getting up.

Nodding, Leon told everyone to keep an eye on the captives and the contact person, then called Corvis and Olivia, and asked two guards to carry the empty box and the scale, and walked down the hill together.

When the other three people approached the carriage, the two guards were obviously a little nervous, and they protected the woman behind them.

Leon ignored them for the time being, and only asked Corvis to take the guards to pry open the wooden box on the ground.

The young mage beside him used to work as an experimental assistant to handle various mineral materials, and he fully understood how to identify the material reactions of precious metal components such as gold. He was really versatile.

This saved the need to find a goldsmith to help verify the coins.

Watching Corvis and the guards quickly use the scale to count the ransom, and put the orange Kantadar gold coins into the prepared money box, Leon took this opportunity to look up at the woman with an uneasy expression.

"Are you Mam's family?" Leon suddenly asked.

The woman hesitated for a moment, and finally nodded.

Leon looked at her, wondering who this woman was to Mam, and although he was a little confused, he was not interested in asking in detail.

After the total was counted, everyone carried the money box full of gold coins back to the team on the hillside.

Leon looked at Mam, who was supported by the goatee man, and had no interest in making things difficult for him. He threw the key to the shackles over.

"You can go now. Mam, remember never to show up in front of me again."

The man with the goatee caught the key thrown to him, looking relieved. He quickly unlocked the iron shackles, lifted his arm to support his master, and turned to leave quickly.

At this time, Lohak, who was on the side of the team, looked at Mam's back and finally couldn't help but say: "Wait a minute!"

The man with the goatee who was supporting his master was so scared that he trembled, and fear struck his heart, as if he had a premonition that he and his party would be left in this foreign country forever.

But Mam turned around, and his tired face was calm.

"You, I remember it's Mr. Lohak?" Mam recalled the other party's name and asked aloud: "Anything else?"

Leon and others also looked at Lohak.

"Is the woman below your wife or sister?" Lohak asked with an angry look at the woman at the bottom of the slope.

Hearing this, Mam turned his head and looked over.

He looked closely and noticed that his wife, whom he had not seen for almost two years, had also come with the butler to take the risk. He could not help but feel a sense of warmth.

"That's my wife." Mamuel nodded and replied.

"It turns out that even you bastards have family members who love you so much."

Lohak gritted his teeth and asked again: "Do you love her as much as she loves you?"

"Yes, of course." Mamuel nodded calmly.

Lohak's face twisted and twitched slightly, as if he was suppressing the anger in his heart. After a long time, he pursed his lips and said angrily: "Have you ever thought that I could kill her in front of you today?

Even bring those Selva villagers whose families have been destroyed to ravage your beloved family for revenge?

When you, the bastards of Kantadar, committed atrocities against innocent people, didn't you fear that the same fate might fall on you one day?!"

Mamuel raised his eyebrows. This kind of immature moral torture was indeed the first time he had heard of it in his life.

He could not help but be silent for a moment, then shook his head: "I have never been interested in making excuses like a softie after falling into your hands.

But I still want to remind you, Lord Lohak.

First of all, the so-called atrocities that occurred in your village were either done by those lowly mercenaries or by the servants of others.

It's a pity that the little blond girl next to me knocked me down. On the contrary, I didn't take any lives in your territory. Well, that's not accurate. When we came in, we also crushed two annoyingly barking guard dogs to death. "

"You haven't killed any villagers in Selva?" Leon asked from the side. This was the first time he had confirmed this from the other party himself.

Mamuel turned to look at Leon: "Believe it or not, it's up to you. It's true. Although I'm not a kind person, I have been practicing martial arts for decades and I always like to challenge strong men. Unless the emperor has an order, I have no interest in taking the initiative. Draw your sword and slay the weak ones.

However, I am not a model knight. After all, if I were not injured and bedridden, I might end up raising the butcher knife under the command of Lord Duson.

After all, Lord Duoson will not allow the villagers to live and expose the team's whereabouts, and I am even less likely to object to Lord Lord's order. "

Mam'r shrugged, turned to look at Rohark and continued: "But your question is really strange, are you afraid that your family will suffer such a fate?

If I don’t carry out the monarch’s orders and slaughter the enemy’s villages, and return home to farm as an honest manor owner, I won’t have to worry about this fate befalling me?

You don’t think that only evil Kantadars like me are born villains, and only the Kantadar bastards you call slaughter innocent people, right?

Regarding the killings in that small village, have you Ferru people done very little in Kantadar? You are questioning this so righteously, as if we, the Kantadars, are the only ones committing the atrocities. "

Mam'er looked at the innocent boy with tangled brows and frowned, as if he saw himself reading knight's stories when he was a child, and unconsciously asked, "You haven't been on the battlefield yet, have you?

When your lord orders you to burn down the enemy's villages and wheat fields, massacre the enemy's people, and cut off the enemy's supplies, are you going to throw this righteous question against me to your lord?

After the bloody battle, the soldiers under your command want to vent their anger, plunder, and massacre the city. How can you stop them? Sing them a song and dance hand in hand?

When you have to kill the innocent men, women, young children, women and children in your eyes, how are you going to answer your questions to me? "

Rohark was at a loss for words. He was already clumsy and couldn't find the words to retort: ​​"No, I won't do that."

"Okay, I will be just like you, disobeying the lord's orders, betraying the wishes of my soldiers, and becoming a great sage who worships the sun.

In this case, do my wife and I still need to wait until today for you to kill me?

I see, boy, you've had family members killed at the hands of us Kantadars.

This is strange. If you want revenge, just pick up the sword and fight back. Tooth for tooth, blood for blood. This principle remains unchanged from ancient times. "

Mam'er smashed her dry and cracked mouth, and finally looked at the innocent boy: "As for your question, well, maybe it is precisely because we don't want to bear those atrocities that we choose to be the first to commit atrocities. That's my answer."

Looking at Rohark, who was frowning and holding the halberd and ax tightly in his right hand, Leon immediately interrupted with a shout: "After following this absurd theory and committing numerous crimes, whose hand is your current destiny? superior?"

Lohark couldn't help but look at his partner when he heard his voice.

Although the boy's expression remained confused, his brows relaxed slightly.

Leon raised his hand and said to Mam'er and his entourage: "Stop talking nonsense, even if you have not killed the villagers of Selva, I'm afraid you have carried the blood of innocent people.

Although I will not hurt your wife, if I anger Rohark, I will not stop him from killing you. If you want to live, just get out of here with this nonsense. "

He didn't even bother to refute the other person.

What you are talking about is extremely colorful, and perhaps it is indeed the law of the jungle that most people in this world and this dark age hold in their minds.

But Leon disdains to be associated with this logic of seeming strong but actually weak.

how?

Could it be that as a person in charge of violence?

Can't we win without killing innocent people? Can't you lead soldiers? Can't you protect your family? Can't you gain power?

This is a peaceful excuse for thugs to indulge themselves.

Leon knows that there are real counterexamples to each of the above points in previous lives, both ancient and modern. Having examples means that it can be done. If you can do it, you are a strong person. This is enough. Young and confused friends cannot see that. If there is a right path, then lead him on his own and step on this road. There is no need to step on the evil path of following the crowd where the weak defend their own indulgence by covering up their ugliness.

Hearing Leon's scolding, the man with the goatee did not dare to say anything. He just desperately turned around the owner who seemed to be happy, and quickly pulled Mamel down the hillside as if he was running for his life.

And Leon also took the team and the ransom and set off back, no longer caring about the distant figures of the Cantadar knights returning home.

Seeing Rohark sitting on his horse looking at the sky glumly, Leon thought that maybe he should find time to join Azarian and enlighten his companions.

He is different from the son of a nobleman who has a precocious mind, and he is also different from an adult whose soul comes from a foreign land.

Although Rohark is the tallest and strongest among the three, he is more like a child than the other two at heart.

After experiencing the tragedy of his family, the tragic situation of Selva, and all the experiences along the way, it is hard to say where the hatred in this young man's heart will gradually lead.

Of course there is nothing wrong with taking revenge on those thugs for your family.

But Leon didn't want his friend to transform into a new thug after drawing blood with his sword.

Fortunately, Lohark is far from showing any signs of leaning in this direction.

Otherwise, this kid wouldn't have followed his nature and questioned the other party today.

"Leon." Olivia suddenly urged her horse to come over.

"Hmm?" Leon turned around and responded.

"Just now, that guy said that our Orland army would also commit atrocities like what happened in Selva in Kantadar. Is this true?" The girl frowned and asked.

Hearing this, Leon sighed. He didn't want to lie to her, and he couldn't lie to her. The girl would know this reality sooner or later.

After thinking for a moment, he nodded: "I'm afraid it's true."

For the feudal army of this world and this era, burning, looting, and destroying the enemy's villages is not a question of moral choice at all.

It's just a tactical option.

Morale, wealth, and a blow to the enemy's war potential.

Many times, an army can benefit from this simple and direct release of animality.

Leon even hesitated whether he should tell the other party at this moment.

Perhaps it is not just in the enemy's territory. In the civil war that Orland fought more than ten years ago, and the war between the people in the north, they would not be soft-hearted in using the means of massacring villages and destroying towns.

Olivia heard his answer, and worry appeared in her green eyes.

Leon sighed in his heart. Although the girl is no longer a child who has never seen blood, she killed several Kantadar cavalrymen in the Selva turmoil.

But treating evil thugs and treating innocent people are not the same concept for Olivia after all.

This girl grew up as a villager in Selva without worries. She has always regarded herself as a little country girl. She is kind-hearted by nature. Of course, she can't treat civilians like grass like those noble masters. Naturally, it is difficult for her to accept that her own army would actually do such beastly behavior that is infuriating to both humans and gods.

In particular, the girl also personally experienced the tragic situation of Selva at that time. Bury? The bodies that were tortured to death made the girl cry secretly for an unknown amount of time.

"Leon, you said that the Baron will go to the south to fight. Will Farolis' army also go to slaughter the villages and towns of the Southern Kingdom in the future?" Olivia couldn't help but tighten the reins.

"As long as it's a war, it may be inevitable to harm civilians, but at least you can relax a little this time. Baron Elliver wants to conquer the southern territory, not destroy it.

To put it bluntly, the people on those lands are very precious assets to him. He will not allow the army to act recklessly. You can rest assured about this." Leon comforted the girl.

As he said that, he smiled at Olivia and said, "You can disbelieve in the morality of the nobles, but you must believe in their greed."

Olivia smiled reluctantly, and then looked at Leon again: "But if, as that Mamuel said, Leon, you are also ordered by Lord Elliver to slaughter civilians in the future, what should you do then?"

"Then I will certainly ask him to withdraw the order. In the original oath, he also vowed not to let us fall into disgrace and injustice. If Lord Elliver breaks this word, it can only mean that he is not worthy of my loyalty."

Leon said, putting away his smile, and staring at the girl's eyes solemnly.

"There is never only one way to win, Olivia, and I promise you, I don't, it's us.

Our swords will never be aimed at innocent people."