ATAPOW Chapter 205
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Chapter 205: The Shadows of the Past
“That human, clad in dark silvery magical armor and lacking any sense of honor… turned all of that into an illusion!”
“As a result, the Asiatic Cat Race was plunged into chaos. With the backbone of our race gone, my royal mother had to step up and take on the mantle of the Royal Successor. Taking advantage of our precarious situation, the trolls attacked the city during our most vulnerable moment, imprisoning or killing any troops who had the ability to resist…”
“My royal mother and eldest sister were taken captive and many of our clansmen were severely wounded or killed. The royal palace was engulfed in a great fire, which burned for several days and nights…”
“I, I…” Lil’ Sha’s voice began to tremble when she reached the end of her sentence, to the extent that she was incapable of forming a complete word.
He could feel the heavy sorrow in the surrounding air threatening to topple this young cat-eared girl before him.
From start to finish, Ji Bai didn’t turn around to help her wipe her tears, or offer any words of comfort. Instead, he stood in silence, facing himself against the cold wind buffeting his face.
“S-Sorry… I’ve lost my composure.” Her mumbling voice stammered between sobs, which was followed by the sound of cloth wiping her cheeks.
“Do you hate mankind?” After waiting for Lil’ Sha to regain her composure, Ji Bai gently asked with his face turned towards the sky.
“At first, I did. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have chosen to deceive so many of them…”
“After some time, however, I realized that what I did was foolish… I was just venting my anger and hatred on innocent commoners who had nothing to do with it all. It was a foolish and cowardly action.” Lil’ Sha’s tone gradually returned to normal, but the forlornness in her tone still remained.
“Is that so?”
“The only thing I hate is that despicable and shameless human!” Lil’ Sha spoke with gritted teeth following the shift in conversation. “As well as those ferocious and domineering trolls…”
“They killed the people dearest to me and turned my motherland into a place of utter ruin…”
“I’ll never forgive them…”
Ji Bai continued to maintain his silence. The cold bone-piercing wind seemingly increased in intensity at this moment, making his armor rattle with its howls.
“But, even if my hatred is intense, what else can I do? I’m utterly helpless…” Lil’ Sha could only feel every ounce of strength leaving her body as she collapsed to the ground with crossed legs. One could see a vacant gaze in her eyes, as well as the sense of loss and despair on her face.
Returning to her homeland while assuming the identity of a foreigner had naturally evoked a range of emotions within her.
She couldn’t help but notice the numerous changes that had occurred since her last visit years ago.
As she gazed upon the decrepit and liveless city, the pressure building within her for all these years and the weight of her negative emotions instantly erupted in her heart.
“I’m sorry, uncle. It seems I’ve used you as a confessional booth…” Stammering in a somewhat apologetic tone, Lil’ Sha wiped the corners of her eyes with her sleeves.
“Everything is still vivid in my mind after all these years. Perhaps I’m too overly obsessive…”
“There’s no such thing as being too obsessed when it comes to the hatred that arises from the destruction of one’s country. It’s only natural for you to be fixated on all these details,” Ji Bai interjected suddenly.
“Since you hold such hatred for them, you should etch their face into your heart. As the saying goes, revenge is best served with patience…” Ji Bai squatted down and helped Lil’ Sha arrange her slightly disheveled bangs.
“…Even though I don’t need anyone’s consolation… thank you for listening, obscene middle-aged man.” Lil’ Sha wiped the last teardrop off her face and forced a heart-wrenching smile.
‘Thanking me, huh…?’
Ji Bai silently stood up and looked at the sky.
As nightfall approached, they needed to find a hotel to stay in as quickly as possible. While Ji Bai was accustomed to spending nights on the streets, he now had company and could not improvise his arrangements like he did before.
As he turned around and surveyed the rundown buildings on both sides of the street, Ji Bai was uncertain if there were any hotels in this city at all.
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As time inadvertently passed by, the night sky came alive with numerous sparkling stars. The darkness veiled the short houses and pedestrians on the road as if they were draped in a dark fabric.
At the end of a small street, the pair finally stumbled upon a slightly antiquated hotel.
Since it was a much preferable alternative to spending the night on the streets, Ji Bai wasn’t too choosy about it and entered the hotel along with Lil’ Sha.
The proprietress of the establishment was a cat-eared person with a slightly obese figure. Her friendly appearance made her seem like someone who was easy to strike up a conversation with.
Despite showing signs of wear, the wooden walls and floors were surprisingly well-maintained and clean. It made for a surprisingly comfortable environment, given the economic levels of this area.
Naturally, they had rented separate rooms; Given the soft sound of dripping water from next door, Lil’ Sha was most likely taking a bath at this moment.
‘Are all cats obsessed with cleanliness?’
Ji Bai sat at the bedside, gazing through the french window at the slumbering city draped in darkness. He didn’t shift his gaze away for a long time.
Although the night was still young, Ji Bai was accustomed to going to bed early. But tonight, he found himself without the slightest hint of sleepiness.
He stood up and began to pace back and forth in the room.
‘Am I uneasy about something?’
‘Perhaps I should head to bed.’
He had to keep his spirits up the next day.
Over the past year, Ji Bai had undergone a remarkable change in his personality, transitioning from his previously disheveled ways to a daily routine that included taking care of his personal hygiene and showering daily. They had become a sort of daily homework he attended to without fail.
However, on this particular insomnia-ridden night, he had broken his usual routine.
He paid little attention to removing his armor, and even forwent the comfort of a bed, choosing instead to lean against the bedside. It was in this position that he found his rest at this moment, by employing the long-forgotten ‘Sleeping Method of the Ji Clan’.
As he closed his eyes, darkness filled his vision. The disorientation in his mind, coupled with the slight discomfort in his body made him feel as if he was slowly drifting away into a different world.
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“Mr Knight. Do you believe that a chance encounter could bring about love at first sight?” In a grand and elegant palace, a golden-haired girl dressed in a gorgeous long dress posed this question to a man.
“To this humble self, all of these are merely intangible concepts.” After a moment of silence, he spoke emotionlessly.
“That’s true~” The golden-haired girl dressed in an elegant western dress gave a smile that befitted a beauty as her hairy cat ears twitched momentarily.
“I, too, didn’t believe that either~” After uttering those words, the golden-haired girl was somewhat lost in thought as she turned her head to the side and looked at the water lilies in the pond.
“Anyway, thank you for traveling such a great distance to convey the goodwill of the human alliance. If possible, I hope that both sides will be allies forever.”
“I’ll definitely pass on your highness’ regards.” He nodded his head.
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“This is an insult! Not merely towards our Temple Association, but also to the successors of the human gods!”
“They had lulled us in with a fake illusion of peace and waged an undeclared war on us! Do those bunch of foreign beast-eared barbarians think they can bully us because there’s no one in the human alliance that can stand up to them?”
“Defend our dignity and our territory! Knights of the Temple Association, Attendants of the Gods of Humanity, the moment has come to make great contributions to humanity and defend your country!”
“I believe that’s an unwise course of action.” As the sea of crowd below was moved by the emotionally charged indignant speech delivered by the orator above the temple’s podium, a dark-silvery figure stood out at an inopportune time, dampening the enthusiasm of everyone at the scene.
“What do you mean by that, your Radiant Highness?” The orator questioned him with dissatisfaction. The air in the Temple Association seemed to have solidified in that instance, as everyone’s gazes turned towards him like sharp spears.
The priest who was beside the orator remained silent as he shot an emotionless glance at the dark-silvery knight who had gotten up on his feet.
“Shouldn’t we inquire clearly about the reason behind their declaration of war? This humble self believes that the leader of the Asiatic Cat Race is not a brutal and unreasonable person.”
“Inquire clearly?! Haha, the facts are already laid in front of us. They’ve seized the chance to steal our territory and slaughter our people after we let our guard down. These are all indisputable facts! Does your Radiant Highness want a reason? Then allow me to give you one on behalf of those beast-eared barbarians, they’re doing this to expand their territory!”
The powerful and righteous words delivered by the orator immediately won the approval and support of countless knights and clergy seated in the hall. In an instant, the situation had turned overwhelmingly disadvantageous for the dark-silvery knight, who was now being denounced by the crowd.
“The purple-glazed pagoda is a testament of mankind’s enduring legacy throughout the ages! Yet, we’re now oppressed by this group of oppressors to the point that our people are forced to live in a mere fraction of our territory. What kind of logic is that??”
“What gives the small Asiatic Cat race the right to ride on our heads? I’m not even afraid of trolls, let alone them!”
“Radiant Knight. Do you have your own stance, or rather, have those beast-eared barbarians given you some sort of incentive to speak up on their behalf?”
As he looked at his comrades who were spurred up into action before him, the dark silvery knight realized that his own willpower had been drowned by the tide.
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“…And that is the situation. The negotiation talks with the beast-eared race will begin in a few days. You must seize this opportunity to fulfill your ‘duty’.”
“…” Faced with the order assigned to him by the priest, the dark-silvery knight remained silent.
“Radiant, I know what you’re thinking.” Said the priest with a sigh. Wearing a kind and amiable expression on his face, he reached out with his hand to give the dark-silvery knight’s shoulder a pat.
“This method of doing things may be unethical and unjust. But, do you think they would discuss justice and righteousness with us? They wouldn’t. Otherwise, why did they seize our land without a word? The fact that their actions have left thousands of our fellow humans homeless is a heinous sin that has angered both the Gods of Humanity and mortals alike.”
“In this negotiation, they’ll definitely use the lives of commoners to blackmail the human federation… Radiant, think it over carefully. Do you believe a barbaric race that resorts to treachery and initiates an unprovoked war would speak to you about benevolence and righteousness? Don’t be deceived by their apparent friendliness! If you do, you will play right into their hands.”
“If one wishes to stop a conflict, one must be willing to engage in it. These barbarians fear power, not morality.” The priest’s gaze became pensive.
“Remember. While your identity is that of a knight, your loyalty belongs to us humans, not to the Asiatic Cats.”
“The justice of humanity is the justice of a knight, unless you wish to bear witness to the sight of thousands of commoners becoming homeless?”
“The essence of a knight is obedience to orders. Justice comes second… Go back and think about this carefully, my child.” Said the priest with a sigh.
‘When two sides engage in battle, it is common practice to spare the delegates… Any action outside of that goes against the code of the knight…’
‘No, no… Is it truly justifiable for a knight to resort to any means in his hand for justice?”
The dark-silvery knight did not get an answer.
“Dear Honorable Father, why didn’t you send someone else over? He had actually publicly opposed…”
“Haha, are you still unaware? Rumor has it that the Eldest Princess of the Asiatic Cat Race possesses tyrannical strength, yet holds high regard for him. We’ll be able to lower the other party’s vigilance by sending him over.” The priest said with an inward sneer.
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On that day, the knights of the Temple Association erupted into loud cheers, as if they could finally hold their heads up high after years of oppression.
The dark-silvery knight held his holy sword, its blade stained with fresh blood, and silently gazed at the strands of golden hair and blood which had scattered on the ground. It was almost as if the girl before him was merely slumbering.
His figure seemed so out of place amidst the sea of cheers.
“You did great, Radiant! Your contribution will be sung by the people and your good name recorded in the history books of the Temple Association for all eternity!”
He showed no reaction towards the praise and encouragement that his coworkers had come forth with and lavished upon him; Instead, he chose to silently stare at his blood-stained hands, lost in thought.
He knew he should not have hesitated for the sake of mankind and its pursuit of justice, but why did… he… fail…
Was the justice of mankind not aligned with the principles of knighthood…?