Moral Examination

“No, I am well aware of your profound ‘sense of justice’.”

Xie Shenhong practically gnashed his teeth as he uttered that final phrase, “However, Sir Knight, aren’t you mistaken to be usurping the guards’ duties?”

Patrolling the city and maintaining public order were hardly tasks befitting a member of the Deep Sea Vermillion Knights. The only plausible explanation was that Lyte was once again meticulously crafting his public image.

Such a spectacle could only infuriate Xie Shenhong.

“Lord Hai Zhu once said, ‘Do not dismiss a good deed as too insignificant to perform, nor an evil deed as too trivial to avoid.’ I harbor no intention of seizing the guards’ duties, yet I find myself with no pressing engagements. To dedicate my spare moments to the city’s peace, to lend my strength, however small, does not strike me as an ill-advised endeavor.”

‘Fine, fine, you’re absolutely right, aren’t you?’

Xie Shenhong conceded, though his greater astonishment was reserved for the individual who had programmed the Hai Zhu doll to utter such a sentiment. This was, after all, a medieval world of swords and magic; what was the rationale behind propagating Han Kingdom proverbs here?

Xie Shenhong’s exasperation was not merely misdirected anger; it stemmed from the fact that this world had only recently, a mere decade prior, embraced a technological revolution.

Indeed, a mere ten years earlier, before the emergence of the first Hai Zhu, kingdoms and empires were indistinguishable, steeped in an even more primitive, quintessential medieval aesthetic.

Nobles reigned with arrogant tyranny, their common subjects’ lives held less value than those of dogs.

In that era, this Eastern continent was merely a loose confederation of minor states known as the Holy United Empire. The Vermillion Bird Kingdom itself was but one of these lesser entities, not even possessing the stature of an Electorate.

Predictably, such a fragmented alliance of small states proved utterly incapable of resisting the might of the Rhine Empire. As other nations capitulated in rapid succession, the first Hai Zhu materialized, rescuing the imperiled Vermillion Bird Kingdom from certain annihilation and swiftly unifying the Holy United Empire.

Concurrently, the first Hai Zhu ushered in a cascade of reforms and technological advancements for the nascent Vermillion Bird Kingdom. Yet, all of this, Xie Shenhong knew, was merely a deceptive veneer.

According to the intelligence provided by Duanmu Yun just yesterday, the true narrative revealed that the Vermillion Bird Kingdom had unearthed an ancient ruin, buried deep beneath the earth. From this discovery, they acquired the Hai Zhu doll, along with an array of corresponding modern Han Kingdom technologies and cultural artifacts, which ultimately allowed them to reverse their fortunes.

This, then, was the genesis of the peculiar cultural amalgamation that characterized the present day.

This revelation, however, implied a more profound truth: Xie Shenhong might not have transmigrated at all. Instead, he could have been dormant for an untold number of years, only to awaken in a future world where modern technological civilization had already met its demise.

This conjecture was further substantiated by the distinct Han Kingdom features and surnames prevalent among the Vermillion Bird Kingdom’s royal family and its core nobility.

Regardless of the underlying truth, the past was now nothing more than fleeting smoke and mirrors. The kingdom’s imminent catastrophic peril would not abate simply by dwelling on history; it was far more pragmatic to concentrate on the present.

“I understand. So, what exactly should we be doing?”

In truth, the Deep Sea Vermillion Knights were less akin to mere soldiers and more to reserve officers. Upon deployment to various corners of the kingdom, they were granted command authority equivalent to that of a centurion.

When confronting a powerful, albeit small, contingent of criminals, their role was tantamount to the kingdom’s elite special forces.

It was precisely this role that Lyte would embody during the rebellion slated to erupt in six days.

Ordinarily, student knights such as Lyte were primarily regarded by the kingdom for their future potential and development, with few immediate obligations expected of them.

However, recalling his own previous internal conflict about receiving too much while contributing too little, Xie Shenhong found no compelling reason to decline.

“Excellent! With your assistance, our efforts will surely yield double the results.”

Lyte beamed, a joyful smile spreading across his face.

Xie Shenhong, however, merely thought Lyte was being overly optimistic.

His true objective remained unwavering: to closely monitor Lyte and uncover concrete evidence of his collusion with the Empire.

As for maintaining public order and social stability, he would, at most, merely go through the motions—

“Please be careful, Grandma.”

“Thank you, young lady.”

“You’re welcome.”

Helping an elderly woman across the street hardly counted; that was simply common courtesy.

“Are you lost, little one? There’s no need to be scared. Let me help you; I’ll take you to your mother.”

“Sister… *sniffle*… thank you.”

Children were the burgeoning flowers of the kingdom’s future, and his very rebirth was intended to save the realm. Thus, assisting a lost child in finding their family was, naturally, a trifling matter.

“Excuse me, do you happen to know which government office I should visit to get this document stamped? What? There are no more offices? Ah, thank you so much!”

“My sincerest apologies, I’ve just arrived from the countryside and am quite unfamiliar with the city’s ways. Please, don’t arrest me… Thank you for your guidance; I assure you, I won’t run another red light.”

“Excuse me, Sister Knight… might you be able to assist me?”

Roughly two hours later, a creeping realization dawned upon Xie Shenhong: something was amiss.

How had he, of all people, become so thoroughly engrossed in performing good deeds?

What of his supposed mission to monitor Lyte?

“Truly, you live up to your reputation as the ‘beautiful and benevolent’ Crimson Princess.”

Lyte approached, offering his praise with an air of profound admiration.

“I am not here for *this*!”

Xie Shenhong abandoned all pretense, shouting at Lyte with palpable frustration.

“My apologies. Some of these tasks have indeed proven overly troublesome for you. Henceforth, I shall alleviate some of your burden.”

“That’s not what I meant at all! The point is, now is simply not the time for such activities!”

Upon hearing this, Lyte’s smile, however, vanished.

“Then please, stop looking so guilty, alright?”

Xie Shenhong froze completely.

“I repeat myself: you have already performed admirably. There is no need to rush.”

Lyte spoke with a gentle cadence.

Xie Shenhong, however, barely registered his words.

Indeed, a profound sense of guilt gnawed at him.

He felt guilty for remaining unchanged, for still being incapable of standing idly by when others faced hardship.

The undeniable priority was to prepare for the Empire’s invasion three months hence and to thwart the rebellion slated for the following week. Yet, here he was, inexplicably occupied with these trivial, meaningless tasks.

“Look at the joy on their faces,” Lyte remarked, pulling out his phone to display the photos he had captured. “And look… how genuinely happy *your* expression is.”

‘So, why suppress your true feelings any longer?’

Lyte left the thought unspoken.

Nevertheless, Xie Shenhong understood implicitly.

In that precise moment, a singular truth became strikingly clear to him.

If he were to treat Lyte with any discernible difference, Lyte would mirror the expressions of heartbreak and concern, just as others did, thereby feigning profound solicitude for him.

Truly, a fitting display from the Imperial Prince renowned for his cunning and duplicity.

Consequently, his appropriate course of action was to feign being deeply moved, then to express both gratitude and respect towards Lyte.

Even if he harbored such intense dislike and hatred… no.

Rather, the more he loathed Lyte, the more overtly friendly he ought to appear.

He had previously placed far too much emphasis on his personal emotions.

Yet, to the people of this world,

He was merely a pawn.

He was nothing more than a power bank.

He was an utterly insignificant existence.

Personal emotions, then, were best buried deep within his heart.

Thus, he offered a subtle nod—

“I understand. I am truly sorry for my earlier behavior… No, rather, I should say thank you… Thank you for your unwavering help and encouragement.”

He then offered what he believed to be his sweetest, most heartfelt smile of gratitude.

Lyte regarded Xie Shenhong with a quiet intensity.

A moment later, he nodded in apparent satisfaction.

It was as if he had perceived absolutely nothing amiss.

However, just as the two were about to nonchalantly resume their patrol, a voice echoed from a distance:

“Catch the thief!”

Before Xie Shenhong could even react,

the man beside him vanished.

He transformed into a streak of light,

striking down the thief a hundred meters away with a swiftness that defied comprehension.

“I see… Is this, then, the reason you earned the title ‘Light of Dawn’? Truly astonishing!”

A moment later, Xie Shenhong approached Lyte, articulating his admiration.

“It is nothing. Protecting the kingdom’s populace… that is merely my duty as a knight.”

Lyte, as ever, spouted his eloquent platitudes.

Xie Shenhong could not suppress a cold sneer forming in his mind.

‘Heh heh.’

Had he not been privy to Lyte’s concealed true power, he might almost have believed him.

‘Light of Dawn,’ ‘light-attribute magic’… all of it was a lie!

In his past life, Lyte was infamous for his dark magic, a power so formidable it was considered the very embodiment of calamity!

Wherever Reinhardt, the Third Imperial Prince, trod, not a single blade of grass dared to grow.

Such was the universal perception of him among subsequent generations.

Prior to the demonic invasion, he had reigned as the most malevolent Demon King the world had ever known!