Seeing Kallen stumped by the question, Lucien was not annoyed either.
Instead, following his beloved eldest girl’s thoughts, he said:
“Have you not always held doubts about this Eastern Expedition?
I can tell you right now that everything we have done so far is correct, but this is simply not an Eastern Expedition!
“The ideals you believe in will always contradict those damn higher-ups; the righteous path you wish to practice will only be a detour in this vast mortal world.
“Now I can provide assistance to you, but what if I can no longer help you arrange everything?
Do you still have the resolve to keep moving forward?”
Kallen did not respond, but that exceptionally resolute gaze was already the best answer.
But, this was still not enough.
Lucien reached out toward Kallen’s chest, picking up the sacred gold cross pendant quietly hanging there, completely unconcerned about the latter’s even rosier pretty face.
“I ask you, is this Oath of Judah justice or evil?”
Eh?
Is there even a distinction between justice and evil for Judah?
Kallen fell into deep thought.
“…Then I ask you again, as the strongest Valkyrie of Schicksal, are you justice or evil?”
Did even that need to be asked?
Kallen instinctively wanted to answer, but then discovered something was wrong.
How come she was lumped together with Oath of Judah?
She tilted her head.
“…” Taking in all of Kallen’s expressions, Lucien let out a light sigh, his brows and eyes softening repeatedly, yet hiding the thick reluctance deep within his eyes extremely well.
The answer probably was not important; as long as one kept moving forward, it would eventually emerge.
Kallen’s answer probably was not important either; no one is born mature, and no one can always see through everything.
But…
[Remaining time for the maintenance of your existence: Fifty years.]
“Kallen.”
Lucien’s soft call made the still somewhat dazed Kallen instinctively raise her head.
Beneath the swaying lamplight.
The man’s gaze fell, scattering a patch of tenderness in his eyes; the young girl was ignorant, unable to read the complex emotions in the former’s eyes.
“Both you and Otto must grow up quickly, otherwise I will not be at ease.”
[The saint, who still knew nothing of the world, could not yet guess what growing up meant in your words, treating it merely as a simple expression of care.]
[Later on, after stepping across the floating world and looking back once more with hesitation in speech, in the end, there remained only a light sigh: All memories and thoughts of a lifetime are worn away, why did you enter my dreams tonight?] This chapter was copied from novelping.com without permission.
[…]
[The Platinum Retinue was invincible, and after several years, finally reached the original destination of the Eastern Expedition: Shenzhou.]
[In the year 1475, the Platinum Retinue representing liberation and the Ming Empire upholding the belief that those not of our race must have different hearts launched a decisive battle on the Kipchak Steppe.]
[As everyone knows, killing people is easy, but persuading them is hard.
The reason the Platinum Retinue could punish evils and promote goodness all the way to Shenzhou ultimately came down to having big enough fists.]
[The incomparably refined anti-Honkai standard equipment, the army’s degree of coordination as if born from the same mother, and ingenious troop arrangements and formations forged their comprehensive crushing superiority over the Ming Empire’s soldiers and generals.]
[It did not even reach the point where Kallen, wielding the Oath of Judah, needed to make a move.]
[The Ming army retreated step by step, and the battlefield presented a one-sided situation.
If nothing unexpected happened, Shenzhou might also have welcomed the baptism of liberation ahead of schedule.]
[Yet precisely at this time, an accident occurred.]
[The “Red Kite Immortal”, who had guarded Shenzhou ever since her appearance, suddenly intervened in the battlefield.]
[For a time, the situation underwent a polar reversal.]
[The Platinum Retinue, which had been undefeated since its inception, suffered a crushing defeat for the first time.]
[The battle was imminent.
Kallen, the final trump card of the Platinum Retinue, brought the Oath of Judah to face Red Kite directly, engaging in a decisive battle with this true initial and final enemy.]
[One was the current strongest Valkyrie destined to be replaced, and the other was the immortal whose body remained unchanged as time flowed by.]
[The result of this one-on-one duel can be imagined.]
[Kallen was defeated, defeated very thoroughly.]
Kipchak Steppe.
Only to see blood dyeing the vault of heaven and pouring down residual light, uncooled corpses piled up like mountains, boundless greenery blooming with dark red, and howling grim winds stirring up layers of bloody waves.
Hearing different dialects from both sides wailing in unison, one would think this scene was a living hell on earth!
Kallen knelt powerlessly on the ground, and the Oath of Judah in her hand also slipped from her grip, landing a few meters away.
Red Kite Immortal did not change her breathing and her complexion remained unchanged, standing quietly before Kallen, apathetically looking down at Kallen.
Her gaze was like frosty blades and swords, continuously eroding Kallen’s remaining consciousness.
Not far away, amidst the waist-high grass, Lucien, who took in this scene completely, felt his heart ache fiercely for no reason.
Of course he knew Kallen would lose, and he was also clear that Red Kite Immortal would not make a move to harm Kallen.
Originally he wanted to wait and see what Otto would do.
But when the anticipated scene happened before his eyes, he found that he completely failed to be as relaxed as he had imagined.
Where is Otto?
Where is Otto?
Save her!
He immediately stood up, his left foot and right foot seeming to chase each other, and ran all the way between Kallen and Red Kite Immortal.
“You are not allowed to harm Kallen.” Completely failing to notice the complex expression with which his own girl was staring blankly at him, he opened his arms wide, facing Red Kite Immortal directly.
[Red Kite Immortal does not understand human hearts.]
[She has not even figured out her own trivial matters and those “good disciples” of hers, yet she ran over here to mess with Kallen’s state of mind?]
[You do not approve.]
[Although you know Red Kite Immortal will not deal a fatal blow, the immense pressure brought by facing an “Immortal” directly makes your entire body tremble uncontrollably.]
[At the same time, your mind begins to spin at high speed almost out of a stress response.]
[Superstitiously relying on the “plot” is undesirable; what if Red Kite Immortal suddenly changes her mind seeing Kallen’s development is too good?]
[Necessary coping measures must still be in place.]
[Kill Red Kite Immortal?]
[No, you cannot kill Red Kite Immortal.]
[If you were in your prime state, you might not be unable to risk perishing together with her.]
[But the current you can no longer do such a thing.]
[However, you can still burn your entire existence to beat Red Kite Immortal alive until she temporarily loses her combat capability.]
[The ability of Void Archives is quite magical, is it not?]
[You relaxed somewhat, but still could not manage to put your mind at ease, maintaining the most basic guard against Red Kite Immortal.]
[And right at this moment, an unexpected change suddenly occurred.]
Just as Lucien and Red Kite Immortal were at a stalemate, Otto stumbled and ran to the scene.
Without caring to catch his breath, he charged straight between Lucien and Red Kite Immortal, echoing Lucien word for word:
“I will not allow you to harm them!”
Setting aside whatever views Red Kite Immortal might have, Lucien stared blankly at Otto’s back in front of him, which was shorter and weaker than his own, speechless for a moment.
The blonde youth, who was always dignified and elegant, was covered in sweat and in a wretched state, panting heavily with his slender body trembling incessantly.
He was also afraid of death, very, very afraid.
Even so, he still blocked the path in front of the powerful immortal, shielding everything he cherished behind him.
[Gazing at Otto’s trembling back protecting you, you generated further new thoughts.]
[Otto also gets tired, and Otto also gets scared.]
[He has not yet grown to the height of “The Fool” in your impression.]
[Have you had expectations and demands that were too high for him?]
[Do you ultimately hope he becomes a bishop, or do you hope he is happy?]