Durin's Diary

Old Yishu's command allowed no opposition, and for those secular individuals, although the Bishop Kasel from the Church always abhorred evil, the prospect of locating the mastermind behind the abduction by finding living witnesses and having them provide testimony to establish the crimes of Count Klein Salik was too significant. Once the Elven Territory formed a diplomatic alliance with Da Lin Di and the Church of the Prime Creator to act, Count Klein and his family would be undoubtedly doomed.

Thus, Bishop Kasel ultimately agreed to pardon the crimes of these five living witnesses—on the condition that they turn in their ringleaders.

If the guarantee from Duke Yishu Ailish made these five witnesses who believed themselves dead skeptical, then the assurance from the Bishop of the Church of the Dual Mothers made them believe without a doubt—that a Bishop's promise from the Church of the True God truly allowed no question.

With the double assurance from the Duke and the Bishop, naturally, the five living witnesses withheld nothing and told everything.

Soon after, more intelligence surfaced. After reading the confessions, Durin saw that just this year, under the orders of Count Klein, they had entered the Southern Tai multiple times and kidnapped at least twenty children of beastkin. As for where the children went… There's a saying, "the thought of annihilating your entire family can suddenly make the whole world seem much more forgiving."

During this time, Old Yishu asked Durin how he would handle the situation if it were left to him.

"Prices will be set on the heads of all Slaver Squad members, with the first five who surrender to us and identify their former comrades receiving pardons; every male direct descendant of the main culprit, Klein Salik's family, must die, regardless of age," Durin said without any mercy for traffickers, believing that such vile lives only made the cost of rice skyrocket. As for not giving criminals a way out to prevent them from killing hostages… Heh, let them tear away, then every child from the criminals' families would have a price set on them too.

To be merciful to criminals is to inflict a second injury on the victims.

The law should not show leniency where it shouldn't. Indeed, criminals are also human, but in Durin's eyes, human traffickers could never be considered human—those who steal bread from a bakery to survive can be forgiven regardless of their gender or age.

But those who traffick younglings for money only deserve death, and their families, who thrive and grow from the profits of trafficking younglings, are wrong even to breathe.

This land has never lacked vengeful spirits seeking retribution; those parents who have lost their children wouldn't hesitate to stain their hands with the blood of their enemy's progeny. A tooth for a tooth, blood for blood—that is the daily norm of this land.

Some may say, they are humans too.

I'm sorry, but such a viewpoint doesn't stand on this land; the victims' hatred can kill the traffickers and the madmen who hold such views together.

"You are still a merciful good child after all," Bishop Kasel said with a tone of consolation after hearing Durin's statement, "The Order of Extermination would not be as lenient as you described."

Durin felt a bit embarrassed—was this considered mercy?

Old Yishu had nothing else to say, but Anta came over after everyone had dispersed. She looked at Durin with a bit of fear, "There was a moment when I felt you became so unfamiliar."

"And now?" Durin asked with a smile.

"You're the Durin I know again, because I realize you're right. If we're not harsh on our enemies, how can the parents who've lost their children find solace? And those traffickers who benefit from their heinous deeds, if their families continue thriving, their business will grow larger, their children can get a proper education, attend good schools, and then join the same vile trade... That's too terrifying for the innocent, isn't it?" Anta said, her expression growing more solemn.

See, this is why I like this girl—sensible, empathetic, but never wrongly soft-hearted, like towards traffickers; they simply deserve death. If the law shows mercy to traffickers, what about the children who were sold, and the parents who went mad or died searching for their lost children?

Could it be that in the eyes of the law-makers, they are merely collateral damage of crime, their sacrifices, their suffering, their grievances... just tears in an era?

Durin often questioned his own heart in his previous life, but he had never studied law and couldn't read those dense tomes. Children who graduated from the High Tower came out with a plain sense of right and wrong: murder begets execution, debts must be repaid; it all seemed so natural and just.

Therefore, Durin couldn't understand why the laws in Southern Tai were written this way, why the judges who emerged from the ivory towers showed the world such twisted mercy—could it really be that simply being merciful would stop traffickers from harming children?

Wrong, the best way for a trafficker not to harm children is very simple: do not abduct, steal, or snatch them away.

Thus, the best fate for a trafficker is to die before they ever start.

The moment they abduct a child, they cause harm that might follow the child for life.

So, to kids like Durin who graduated from the High Tower, the wicked bled too little; they were unable to hold justice in their hearts, they scorned reason, and they made righteousness appear so pale.

Fortunately, Durin's favorite job in his past life was to kill such people.

Watching them fall in pools of blood with their relatives, watching their blood spill onto the earth—those were the only times Durin felt no guilt.

Some people truly deserve to die while some innocents... really need a helping hand.

Durin was always ready to give a substantial discount, even provide help for free to the distressed parents of abducted children seeking justice against the traffickers and their hidden backers.

Children of the High Tower were used to facing reality, just as they were always faithful to their ideals.

There never was a heaven, the world... is but another way of saying purgatory.

"But, this is adults' work, right?" Anta's voice rang in Durin's ear.

Durin turned to look at Anta and at her hesitation, "One day, it will be our job too, Anta."

Responsibility will one day become duty, a heavy burden on the shoulders of every child who grows up; this is the meaning of life—as with the Eastern Elven Territory, where the Grassland Elves abandoned their nomadic life in the woods, the earliest ancestors brought the Mother Tree to the east and took root, their children united, cared for the young, tended to the infirm, and generation after generation used their flesh and blood to lay the foundations of civilization, each pair of hands striving to keep the flame representing civilization from being extinguished.

In Durin's view, unity among lives to create heaven on earth was true civilization.

Certain things, no matter how dressed and adorned, foot sores and pus covered, could never stand for civilization.

They were but physical manifestations of the sin within life, the ultimate embodiment of greed, the personification of the roots of all evil.

"Anta, do you know, year by year, the elderly will grow older, the middle-aged will turn old, and we will grow up… We will eventually take over the banner in their hands." Durin remembered his mentor from his past life. Durin had no talent or gifts, but his mentor still held confidence in Durin's future because it was his generation that cleaned that world, spreading death and judgment fairly among every sinner, regardless of their status, none could escape death.

Even after Durin became what he was later on, his mentor did not blame him but blamed himself for being too busy to guide Durin well.

Therefore, Durin highly respected his mentor, and in coming to this world, he wanted to live well once more. But perhaps one day, this world would need him to use the skills he honed throughout his life to clean its filth. Durin would not be stingy then.

Would I fear soiling my own hands because of this?

The apprentices of mentors, whose youth isn't lived amidst the blood of criminals and peers?

The apprentices of the High Tower, who hasn't killed a criminal? When justice in the form of law appears pale, the children of the High Tower always stand up.

Why would they stand up?

After all, human laws fail humanity, so humans must struggle. It's just that the children of the High Tower choose a more radical bloody path.

Even children know that they can't beg for anything. It will only make those people point and laugh at their naivety and foolishness.

Only when the executioner's blade falls do they remember that they and those they face are the same kind.

But it's too late, human stories are generally stubborn until facing the Yellow River, not shedding a tear until they see the coffin.

At this moment, Anta sat sideways on the right armrest of the large chair where Durin sat. She reached out and held Durin's hand.

"If you take over the flag from the adult's hand, I will be your most steadfast ally," the girl's face was filled with determination, her persistence made Durin smile slightly happily as he squinted and patted the back of her hand resting on the armrest.

Being allies with a Grassland Elf has two meanings. If it's the same sex, then it's a standard ally.

If it's the opposite sex, then it signifies that he and she will enter the strongest alliance—marriage. In the world of the Grassland Elves, there is none of the nonsensical human stuff. Marriage is the best entanglement that two sincere hearts can think of.

"I believe our alliance will last forever," Durin replied with a smile.

......

That night, Anta really did stay in the guest room. Old Yishu took the initiative, and the old Silver Dragon went to the Aye family alone, so no one came to pick her up.

I bet the folks at the Aye Family are sweating buckets.

And when the girl came downstairs the next morning after waking up, Durin was already in the living room feeding Hemo.

As a big shot in the owl family, the eagle owl had a big appetite. Although Durin didn't know what Hemo ate every night, as long as she felt hungry, he would feed his eagle owl girl well every morning.

Anta walked down the stairs and came to Durin's side.

"What's wrong?" While using chopsticks to feed Hemo the last few pieces of meat in the bowl, Durin turned his head and glanced, "Is there something strange on my face?"

"No, I just realized I never noticed how actually handsome you are," Anta said as she took the bowl and chopsticks from Durin. She also had a knack for feeding Hemo and quickly learned how to use chopsticks.

Wow, this is genuine praise. Durin had heard too many compliments about being cute in his life, but this was the first time a peer said he was handsome.

This moved Durin greatly, "I never thought that when you grew up, you would become so beautiful. I'm sure the number of guys chasing you will increase, and my list of rivals will probably extend from Lublin to the Central Province."

Anta giggled, showing her canines, "Not a chance. I'm such a fierce girl, only you would like me."

But you're never fierce with me, to me, that fierceness means nothing.

Durin smiled, squinting his eyes, while a small secret appeared behind the curtain lowered behind Anta.

Antanya Aye

Sixth Ring Mage

Attributes:

Strength: 14

Agility: 18

Constitution: 13

Intelligence: 24

Perception: 16

Charisma: 22

· Before you stands the most outstanding girl in the history of the Aye family. At twelve, she had already reached the Sixth Ring and is preparing to challenge the Seventh Ring at thirteen to become a High Order mage. Moreover, she is confident about pursuing the position she most desires in the future—becoming Durin Aiersh's eternal ally.

· Are you scared of such an ambitious girl?

Big Orange whispered with a hint of laughter.

Durin squinted, smiling happily.

How could I be? Someone with such ambition is undoubtedly my best, my most excellent and irreplaceable ally.