Mallos slowly raised his gaze, but it was as if he was looking at everyone present.
The air seemed to be pulled taut, leaving no gaps.
"Only when you believe that through sacrifice, you can get something more precious — reputation after death, practical benefits, the safety of others, or pure self-satisfaction — will you choose to sacrifice."
Mallos' words became more solemn.
"In other words, only when you know what you believe, what you cherish more, and what you want to trade, will you have the right to choose, to sacrifice what justifiably, such as your life." Thales was silent.
Thales did not make a sound. He seemed to have an illusion that Mallos had been staring at him all along.
In the next second, Mallos turned around swiftly, and Patterson raised his arm as well. Both of them lashed out at the same time —
Smack!
This time, Toledo could not even react in time. He could only barely catch up to them after counting down.
"Otherwise, your so-called glorious sacrifice," Mallos looked expressionlessly at the two men panting on the ground.
"is just a moment of impulsiveness, foolishness caused by manipulation, and even self-abasement caused by blindly believing and following blindly."
Smack!
Another lash.
Glover dragged his chest up from the ground, gritted his teeth, and held on. Doyle simply leaned back and sat on his calves.
"I punish you, Doyle, not because you made the wrong choice."
Mallos said coldly.
"When your father was kidnapped and the situation was tense, you appeared so heroic. You threw everything to the back of your mind, pulled out your sword, and went on a rampage. You sacrificed yourself to save your father."
Doyle was dazed for a moment, and looked at the watchman.
"But what do you want to sacrifice, and what can you exchange for? Father? Your Highness? Yourself? Justice? Loyalty?
"Do you know? Do you understand?"
Mallos no longer looked at the confused Doyle.
"And you, Glover!"
The zombie straightened his back and listened to the lecture solemnly.
"Whether you sympathized with Doyle and secretly let him go to save your father, or you wanted to stop him from the duel, so you suggested a sneak attack from behind … It felt very kind-hearted, very noble, and very considerate of comradeship.
"But what do you intend to sacrifice, and what do you want to exchange for? Comradeship? Friendship? Conscience? Responsibility? Mission?
"Do you know? Have you thought about it? "
Mallos showed a rare expression of seriousness.
"What do you believe? What was he fighting for? Sacrifice what? Who are we saving? "
Doyle and Glover were at a loss. They did not know what to do.
But they did not need to answer, because what greeted them was —
Pa!
Amidst the screams, their thoughts were once again interrupted by the intense pain.
"No, you can't even tell me, you can't tell me honestly, because you don't know anything."
Mallos' voice had calmed down, but it did not feel relaxed at all. It was still the tension of a bowstring being pulled taut.
All the guards fell into deep thought.
"No, the reason why I'm punishing you isn't because you made the wrong choice, but because you can't see a choice at all!"
"You only resorted to your animal instincts when you were ignorant and confused. You moved forward blindly and acted rashly, only to regret it later. Then, you pretended to be stubborn and wiped your tears to say that it was a necessary price. You will do the same stupid thing again next time."
"And you call that a sacrifice?"
Mallos chuckled and shook off the bloodstains on the whip.
"Like two pitiful chess pieces, subconsciously taking their own steps."
"Until His Highness mercifully scooped you up from the chessboard of certain death — along with the enemy's chess pieces."
Thales, who had been silent for a long time, shuddered violently.
He felt that many people's gazes had turned to him.
Doyle and Zombie breathed absentmindedly, as though at that moment, the pain of the whip could no longer affect them.
"In the end, your unclear actions not only betrayed yourselves, but also endangered your mission, harmed your colleagues, and threatened the overall situation.
"You ended up with nothing good on either side. You achieved nothing on either side."
Mallos' gaze was sorrowful.
"That's extremely stupid."
The wind howled, and the whip flashed.
Pa!
As they screamed in pain, the shadows of the two tortured dragged out irregular shapes on the ground.
"If you were the warriors who charged, the cannon fodder in war, and the suicide squad on the battlefield, then I might have promoted you and awarded you with honors to motivate the troops to continue throwing away their lives. Whether you were willing or not, you would have promoted 'sacrifice'," Mallos' voice dimmed along with his gaze.
"But you are not."
Mallos looked at each of them, and his voice was heavy and cold.
"You are the royal guards.
"A thousand years ago, thy name was — the Emperor's Praetorian Guard."
The whip sounded again.
Pa!
But this time, Doyle and Glover only grunted stubbornly. Their bodies trembled at the same time, but they did not fall.
Mallos looked at Patterson, who was beside him, silently put away the whip and passed it to Pezarossi. Then, he saw Toledo frantically signal him with his eyes, indicating that the number was enough.
"You are not sacrificing yourself like this.
You are not qualified to be sacrificed like this. "
The watchman said plainly.
"I'm tired. Save your last whip." He turned around and passed the whip to Capone.
"Protector Doyle."
As soon as he finished speaking, the two who were holding on released their last breaths and collapsed stiffly.
Only their bloody backs remained in the air, telling the story of what happened before.
A small commotion broke out among the guards, as if many people had breathed a sigh of relief at the same time.
Logistics Officer Stone sighed and waved his hand. A few people who were already prepared rushed forward. They carried the stretchers, disinfected, cleaned, applied medicine, and bandaged them with great familiarity.
Flag bearer Hugo Fuble put away the little notebook that he had been writing and recording during the execution.
"Someone will take over your duty while you recuperate.
"And those who were not whipped …" Mallos glanced at the crowd from the corner of his eyes, and the remaining twenty or so people shuddered.
"Take this as a warning."
The watchman took his weapon from Toledo's hand and said in a tone that was neither gentle nor forceful,
"Now, dismiss."
In the next moment, the entire Star Lake Guards dispersed like a bowstring that had been released.
But at this moment …
"My lord, I don't understand." Lying on the stretcher, the pale Doyle ignored Procca's attempts to stop him. He pushed his upper body up, and his voice was tired, "Sacrificing is wrong, but not sacrificing is wrong as well."
"Then, sir, what should I do?"
Many people stopped in their tracks.
Mallos also paused slightly.
He looked at Thales in the distance, which made the latter's heart clench.
"Since sacrifice is a trade."
The watchman said faintly,
"Then, when you make a deal, don't misjudge the value of both ends of the scale. There are too many things in the world — empty promises, sinister schemes, and habits that you don't even realize — that can confuse them and trick you into making unfair deals."
Mallos turned his head and looked at each of them.
"So, when you decided to trade," the watchman's voice was steady, but there was an emotion hidden in his tone that Thales could not identify.
"Make sure it's your own scale."
He said slowly,
"Don't leave weights and scales on them that you can't even understand and blindly believe in."
Hearing this, many people fell into deep thought.
Thales remained silent.
A few seconds later, the guards on the training ground returned to their respective duties and left one after another.
Thales snapped out of his daze and walked forward towards the two prisoners.
On the stretcher, Doyle, who had sensed something, raised his head laboriously. When he saw that it was Thales, he revealed a dying smile.
"Your Highness."
Thales' heart was heavy. He did not know what to say.
He could only say, "How is your father?"
On the stretcher, Doyle revealed a bitter but stubborn smile.
"You know he's … very frightened.
"He should be well-behaved for a while."
Thales was silent. A few seconds later, he patted Doyle's arm and nodded at Glover on the other side.
"Rest well."
Doyle and Glover were carried away.
Many people in the Star Lake Guards also walked past him and bowed to Thales.
The old Procca whom he had sparred with, the left-handed Jonveled, the former Police Officer Kommodore, the high-ranking Franzuke from the Defense Division, the dumbfounded Ferri, the strong man Bastia and the young Ness who had just come with him …
"Your Highness."
"Good day."
"May everything go well for you."
After spending a few months together, the unfamiliar but familiar faces flashed before his eyes.
He did not know whether it was a figment of his imagination, but after one night, the unfamiliarity and dissonance that the Star Lake Guards initially gave Thales seemed to have dissipated.
At the very least, their salutes seemed more respectful and natural.
Except for one person.
"You're early, Your Highness."
Mallos walked up to him calmly.
"There's still some time before the martial arts lesson."
Thales sneered.
"Same to you."
Mallos did not seem to hear the anger in the Duke of Star Lake's words. He turned around leisurely.
"Just in time. Let's warm up."
Thales took a deep breath.
"I say, every time I feel like my impression of you has improved, Mallos …"
He looked at the two stretchers in the distance and said coldly,
"You just have to destroy it, don't you?
"The personal guard captain I hate the most?"
Behind him, Bastia and Ness looked at each other and retreated into the distance in tacit understanding.
Mallos nonchalantly picked out a practice sword and tossed it to Thales.
"So, how many personal guard captains have you had?"
Thales snorted coldly and came to the training field. He swung his longsword and began to warm up.
"Just you."
"Hmm …" Mallos snorted through his nose.
"Then I'm relieved."
Thales let out a sarcastic laugh.
"By the way," he looked at the watchman in annoyance,
"Why do I have a feeling that when you said 'those who weren't whipped' just now, you were referring to something else?"
Mallos smiled faintly, relaxed as ever.
"Maybe you misunderstood?"
Thales executed a few sword styles, his breathing quickened as he stretched his body.
"Or not?"
Mallos shrugged and smiled.
"Then let's not."
His lukewarm demeanor made Thales choke on his words.
"Speaking of which …"
Thales said maliciously,
"Why do I feel like you're admonishing them not to sacrifice themselves impulsively? Not to be blindly loyal to the royal family? "
Mallos gestured for Thales to move more vigorously as he said calmly,
"I said, you misunderstood."
Thales sneered.
"Or not?"
Mallos did not respond to this.
"You might as well take your warm up more seriously," the watchman seemed to have turned back into a dedicated martial arts teacher. He said seriously, "After all, it's your own health.
"You have to take care of it yourself."
Thales snorted coldly.
But then he remembered something less pleasant.
"Has no one from Renaissance Palace arrived yet?
"After all, last night …" Thales did not continue.
This topic seemed to have lowered the temperature.
Mallos was silent for a while.
"No."
"But I assure you, they will definitely come, sooner or later."
With mixed feelings, Thales finished his warm up. He felt his whole body heating up and sweating slightly.
"Alright, what's today? Target practice? Sword rack? Or getting beaten up? "
Mallos smiled and waved to the distance.
"Ness?"
In the distance, the probationary vanguard, Ness, pointed at himself in surprise. After receiving confirmation, he walked over in a flattered manner.
Thales rolled his eyes and went to look for his shield as if resigned to his fate, ready to receive a — ahem, a fight.
But this time, Mallos exceeded his expectations.
"No, Your Highness, you don't have to go," the watchman said with a smile and pointed to a chair, "Come, sit.
"Today's teaching demonstration, theory class."
Hmm?
Teaching demonstration?
Theory class?
Thales was stunned.
He looked at the heavy practice sword in his hand and said foolishly,
"Then why did you make me warm up just now?"
Mallos laughed even more heartily.
"To … maintain good habits?"
Thales looked at him expressionlessly.
"Toledo." Mallos did not notice the duke's murderous gaze at all. He happily summoned his messenger.
"You go up and practice with Ness."
Thales threw down the practice sword sullenly and sat down on a chair, crossing his legs inelegantly.
In the field, Ness and Toledo looked at each other, then at Thales, before walking towards the weapon rack.
"Wait," Mallos said calmly.
"Use your own weapons, real swords.
"I say, we don't want to be caught by Lady Jines again, right?"
The watchman said, glancing at Thales, intentionally or unintentionally.
After spending so much time together, Thales knew that the watchman was taking the opportunity to mock and protest. Thales did not respond but laughed coldly.
A few seconds later, Ness and Toledo both stood on the training field.
"You're more experienced and ranked than me. You go first?"
The young Ness kept glancing at Thales and Mallos, eager to fight.
The longsword in his hand was light and agile, and of extraordinary quality.
"No, I'm not used to being first."
As one of Mallos' most trusted old subordinates, Toledo only smiled modestly.
"You go first."
Toledo's weapon was a machete. Strangely, his blade was sheathed but tied horizontally behind his waist, which looked awkward.
Ness also smiled and no longer declined modestly.
"Alright —"
But just as he finished speaking, Ness unsheathed his sword.
The sword flashed, like a lightning strike!
Thales' palm, which was still yawning, paused — the Sin of Hell's River in his body suddenly woke up!
Clang!
A muffled sound of metal colliding.
At that moment, Toledo barely managed to draw his sword. In the nick of time, he used an awkward posture to block this lightning-fast strike.
Thales looked at Ness in amazement as he soothed the Power of Eradication in his body.
He recalled the first strike just now.
'That's too fast.'
Even at such a distance, the Sin of Hell's River felt threatened just by looking at it, and was forced to react instinctively.
But Ness' offensive was not over.
His blade reflected a strange light as he pursued the attack on the shortest route, going straight for the middle!
Clang!
Toledo was forced into a sorry state and had a hard time defending.
"Your Highness, remember I told you that there are different martial arts schools in the kingdom?"
Mallos clasped his hands leisurely behind his back as he watched his two subordinates fight with real swords.
"Of course, there's the offensive and defensive school in the north, the martial arts school in the southeast, and the trendy school that prioritizes practicality."
"You didn't just 'say' that."
Thales answered while looking at Ness's swift sword attacks in amazement. He realized that it was not only the speed of his sword that was fast, but also his movements and footwork, which allowed him to move like a phantom during the battle, always appearing at the most uncomfortable spot for Toledo.
Mallos nodded.
"And I've also said that after you pass your target practice, I'll introduce you to the other two mainstream schools.
"Now is the time."
The watchman narrowed his eyes.
"Be serious, both of you!"
Mallos bellowed.
"His Highness is not here to watch you perform."
As soon as he finished, Ness's sword flashed again!
His footwork and speed seemed to have been increased by several times in an instant, and his last strike even grazed Toledo's shoulder armor!
Toledo's defense became increasingly strained and he had no choice but to retreat and dodge. So the battle gradually turned into one side in hot pursuit, while the other side fled in panic.
Thales looked at Toledo, who was at an absolute disadvantage, and frowned.
'If it's me …'
Thales shook his head secretly. 'No, I can't dodge. I'll only lose worse than Toledo.
But how old does Ness look? '
"Within the borders of the kingdom, there is a special type of warrior."
Mallos' voice came from the side.
"They learned martial arts from the same source, but their styles are all strange and different."
The watchman's expression was solemn.
"In history, there were scholars who specialized in martial arts, and they collectively called them the Disciples of the Temple."
Thales was stunned.
"Temple?"
'Temple Disciples?'
Mallos nodded as he watched the shadows of the swords flying and the glint of the blades flashing, but he remained unhurried.
"But today, because the name is too genteel and ancient, no one calls it that."
But his tone was extremely serious.
"But in reality, they are not only spread across Constellation, but also the entire Western Peninsula. They have prospered for thousands of years and have not declined to this day.
"Nate Ness is one of the best."
Thales stared fixedly at Ness, who was practically creating a doppelganger in his vision.
His longsword was swift, fast, and direct.
The effect of a single strike was astonishing.
Mallos put on a storyteller's pose and continued.
"The place where they were taught martial arts was ancient and special. It gathered the most diverse and diverse martial arts legacies and Powers of Eradication over thousands of years, and continued to improve in different eras. Teaching and learning, their names spread far and wide —"
But at this moment, Thales suddenly interrupted him.
"The Temple of Knights."
Mallos was stunned.
The prince straightened his sitting posture and said seriously,
"That's why in history, they are called 'Temple Disciples', right?"
Mallos frowned at the youth, a hint of displeasure at having his story interrupted.
"You, you know?"
Thales looked back at him and smiled.
"A little."
A little …
Mallos took a deep breath and looked at Ness, who was attacking relentlessly, and tried to return to his previous tone.
"Alright, then you may not know, these people, they were the first to —"
But Thales' words cut in again.
"They were the first batch of knights who originated from the north before the Age of the Empire, the first to awaken to supernatural powers."
The young duke carefully watched the fierce battle between the two in the field, as if he was inadvertently talking about it, but it left a lingering taste in his mouth.
Mallos was at a loss for words again.
The watchman had to cough.
"Speaking of supernatural powers —"
"Through them, supernatural powers spread among humans," Thales finished his sentence quietly.
"In the Holiness Exorcism Campaign and even the War of Survival against the Other Races, they shone brilliantly and achieved victory. They expanded and refined the supernatural powers that were still immature at that time, and explored the boundaries and future of human potential."
Thales turned his head around and looked at Mallos, who had a displeased look on his face.
"So, they gathered elites, gradually formed groups, and built their own creeds and organizations.
"It was for the 'Temple of Knights'."
Thales took a deep breath, as if he was inhaling the ink on a book.
"For thousands of years, it was the holy land of human martial arts, and the holy source of the spirit of chivalry."
Mallos was stunned for a few seconds, caught off guard.
"Where did you hear that?"
Thales smiled sheepishly.
"The north, to be precise, the Walton Family's book collection in Dragon Clouds City, 'The Light of Mankind: The Beginning and End of the Temple of Knights'."
Mallos pursed his lips.
The Northlanders' book collection.
The Temple's Beginning and End.
Alright, since it only reached the Temple …
The watchman, who was interrupted again, cleared his throat in displeasure.
"Alright, but while the Temple of Knights was glorious, times changed, until —
"Until the Battle of Eradication."
Thales' voice rang again at an inopportune moment.
"Seven hundred years ago, the entire army of the Temple of Knights went out to fight against the calamities. In the end, they suffered heavy casualties, and not a tenth of them survived.
"Even the Temple itself was destroyed, and it was difficult to rebuild."
Under Mallos' incredulous expression, the prince's words were filled with melancholy as he reminisced about the past and the present.
"In the end, the survivors of the Temple of Knights left their homeland and built a legendary tower.
"In that tower, they carried on the will of their predecessors as knights. They collected, researched, and taught supernatural powers. After that, it was called the Power of Eradication. They taught all kinds of martial arts and protected the hope of mankind." Thales' eyes widened.
"It is today's famous …
"The Tower of Eradication."
Once he finished speaking, Thales let out a sigh of relief and smiled at Mallos, who had been interrupted several times in a row.
"So, Ness should be a student of the Tower of Eradication."
Mallos did not speak.
Thales blinked.
"What's wrong?"
Mallos looked at him with a gloomy expression.
"I'm waiting.
"To see what else you have to say?"
Thales raised his eyebrows.
"Hmm, that should be it."
The prince looked happily at Mallos' deflated expression.
"Please correct me if I'm wrong?"
Mallos took a deep breath. He seemed to have used up all his strength to control himself to turn towards the center of the field.
"Did you not eat?!"
The watchman shouted coldly, displaying the dignity of the captain of the guards.
"Be more serious!"
The two men in the field were engaged in a fierce battle, but when they heard this, they paused for a moment.
Mallos turned around with an expression as if he had eaten a fly.
"Ahem — you were right.
"Nate Ness just returned from the Tower of Eradication not long ago."
Mallos paused subconsciously and glanced at Thales.
Only when he was sure that the prince was obediently listening and had no intention of snatching his words did the watchman cough.
"In Constellation, the 'Temple' faction that worships the Tower of Eradication as the standard is a 'prominent school' in the eyes of many people. It has a long history and a long history."
Prominent school.
Thales frowned slightly and thought of many acquaintances he knew who learned skills from the Tower of Eradication.
"Many nobles in the kingdom, if they hope to achieve success in martial arts and military achievements, will choose to send their descendants to the Tower of Eradication. On one hand, they will receive the inheritance and improve their skills, and on the other, they will broaden their horizons and travel the world."
They can also accumulate fame.
Or avoid great disasters.
Mallos said in his heart.
The watchman pointed at the field.
"Unlike other martial arts factions that are based on style, the swordsmen who come out of the Tower of Eradication do not have uniform styles and skills. In fact, they are completely different.
"As the successor of the ancient Temple of Knights, the Tower of Eradication keeps pace with the times. They summarize all kinds of martial arts, organize and categorize the skills passed down, then conduct in-depth research, and finally form eight major factions."
Thales was stunned.
He had long heard of the famous Tower of Eradication, but there were actually so many branches?
"Eight?"
Mallos nodded.
He spoke slowly with fear and respect, as if he was reciting a short poem.
"Pegasus' Death Sin, Iron and Blood Flash. Rose Storm, World of Miracles. "
He said solemnly,
"It is — the Eight Branches of Eradication."
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