Game World: I Can Share Talents

Chapter 115: Not Love, But Lust?

Mivana: "Mr. Westheid, I didn’t expect your evaluation of the Riding God to be so high..."

Although Westheid’s attitude toward the Yonglan Riding God wasn’t that of a believer toward a deity, for him, as the Imperial Branch of Prosperity, to so clearly express his admiration—an admiration that even surpassed his reverence for the Imperial Divine Ancestor—was a delightful surprise for Mivana.

Everyone enjoys talking with people who share their interests and values. But as a devout Yonglan person, Mivana never had a chance for a normal conversation with anyone in her homeland.

The attitude of all Yonglan Knights was surprisingly consistent—they would all just look at her with an awkward, strained expression.

’A Beastman who believes in the Yonglan Riding God? You’ve got to be kidding me. Just stay out of it.’

And in the Imperial, it was even more impossible to find someone with the same faith. Although the Realms of Order had relatively friendly relations, their faiths were strictly separate. There was no such thing as cross-national belief; even if someone did convert, they would have long since naturalized into the Country of Yonglan.

"Of course my evaluation is high. The deeds of the Yonglan Riding God are truly inspiring."

The beast ears on the Knightess’s head immediately twitched, perking straight up, and she nodded repeatedly, saying:

"Exactly! The heroic feat of saving the common people—that is the ultimate chivalry! Although the Divine Ancestor never left behind any teachings, I firmly believe this is why He established the Path of the Knight: to fight against injustice and evil, and to protect the weak and helpless!"

’No, that’s not what I’m talking about.’

It was undeniable that the Yonglan Riding God’s life had been tragic, and his path to godhood had objectively saved countless people.

But at his core, he was by no means a compassionate saint. He was a warrior, pure to the extreme.

Slaughter and battle were what the Riding God loved. As for the rescues and righteous deeds along the way, those were merely things he did in passing.

As someone who had once been a Knight King in *Poem of Destiny*, Westheid had quite a bit to say on the matter.

But looking at Mivana’s bright, sparkling eyes, Westheid naturally wasn’t foolish enough to spoil the Ranger’s enthusiasm.

’In any case, the Knightly Path is like a little girl anyone can dress up as they please. Whoever has the biggest fist has the most valid interpretation. In a way, doesn’t that align perfectly with the Riding God’s philosophy that Powerhouses are to be revered?’

’Makes sense!’

"The Yonglan People have always been imitating and interpreting the deeds of the Divine Ancestor. As for the interpretation of the Path of the Knight, I believe the path of chivalry is the most suitable."

Westheid proactively played along with Mivana’s line of thinking, sitting down on the edge of the bed and sighing.

"After all, looking at the Riding God’s deeds, everything he did was a struggle against forces of evil. If I may be blunt, when the Yonglan Riding God was still a mortal, he was an incompetent king. But as a Hero, he was undeniably outstanding. I suppose the path of chivalry truly is the correct interpretation of the Path of the Knight. It’s a shame that the current Country of Yonglan seems to have abandoned chivalry and embarked on a path of pure violence to quell violence."

Mivana’s pair of beast ears drooped listlessly, but her hand tightened around her Silver Sword as she said:

"Yes... but this is all just a temporary pain. The errors of the Country of Yonglan must be corrected with absolute justice!"

"...Do you want to become the Knight King?"

Westheid asked directly. "It’s the simplest and most direct way to change the entire country."

The Knightess was stunned by his words. Her gaze met Westheid’s and her lips twitched, but then she nodded forcefully.

"Yes, I want to become the Knight King."

"I don’t doubt your ability to contend for the position of Knight King, but the question is... can you truly fight with all your might?"

Westheid steered the conversation toward Mivana, saying:

"The curse you bear... makes you so cautious all the time. Right now, you can still suppress the impulse, and the enemies you face can be killed in an instant with a flick of your finger. But to compete with other Legendary Grand Knights for the title of Knight King, you’ll have to suppress them all—it’s not like they’ll just nominate you willingly, right?"

Mivana’s beautiful golden eyes dimmed for a moment. "If it were Teacher, perhaps... but me, I definitely wouldn’t be able to gain their recognition."

’So a fight is inevitable.’

Westheid revealed a smile that showed his dagger was drawn.

"Don’t worry. I said I’d help you. Even if you won’t accept it as payment, there’s nothing wrong with me teaching you how to tame your instincts as a friend, is there?"

Mivana was accompanying him purely out of her spirit for the Knightly Path and would absolutely not accept any payment. This wasn’t her playing hard to get; she genuinely meant it.

’The idea of having the Pure Holy Spirit provide help was not to be mentioned again, but if it was just friends sharing experiences... that wouldn’t be asking too much.’

The Beast-eared Maiden’s expression showed she was tempted, and she asked:

"How did you do it? Even if the effects of the Source Blood were diluted in you, the impulse wouldn’t have been lessened by much. How were you able to completely throw yourself into battle back then while preserving your sanity? Is there some kind of trick to it?"

"I’ve already told you. The trick is to suppress it with a stronger emotion."

Westheid replied, "Or rather, to channel it outwards. Blindly enduring and restraining it will only make the backlash stronger. Instinctual emotions always need an outlet."

"I see. So your method of channeling it... is love?"

Mivana nodded and said earnestly to Duke Qinghui:

"You and the Fourth Princess are deeply in love with each other, aren’t you! Defeating the bloodthirsty desire with the power of love!"

The Wolf-eared Maiden’s tone was slightly lighthearted; she was clearly very confident in her answer.

’Just like a naive little girl.’

However, Westheid decisively refuted Mivana’s guess.

"Wrong. Why would you think that?"

Duke Qinghui steepled his fingers under his chin and said, "The feeling of love can’t suppress that kind of instinct... Mivana, do you think your faith in the Knightly Path is firm enough?"

Mivana paused, then struck her fist against her chest. "Of course. I would give my life for this faith."

Westheid: "I think so too. Your devotion to the Knightly Path is in no way inferior to any other emotion. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have been able to suppress your instincts with faith for so long."

Duke Qinghui was genuinely expressing his admiration. For Mivana to have remained so calm for so long without being consumed by that terrifying killing impulse was no simple feat. It could be said that she was indeed a sufficiently noble and steadfast Knight of Chivalry.

"But whether it’s love or faith, there’s actually no difference. Both rely on our reason to suppress it... However, how can a product of reason ever compare to instinct?"

Westheid spread his hands. "I’m not saying your faith is meaningless, but... we are, after all, mortal beings. All things mortal are ultimately limited by their physical shells, and the Cursed Blood flowing in your veins is constantly driving your killing instinct."

"My friend, to defeat instinct, you don’t rely on reason, but by submitting to an instinct even more primitive than the desire to kill!"

"A more primitive... instinct?"

Mivana was a bit surprised, but she also felt that what Duke Qinghui said made a lot of sense.

Westheid held up a finger and smiled.

"Humans have three great desires: the desire for food, Star Universe, and sleep. Any instinct is fragile before these three. Even the killing instinct from the Cursed Source Blood cannot defeat these primitive instincts branded into the very core of every mortal."

The incomparably handsome, black-haired, violet-eyed young man met Mivana’s gaze and said slowly:

"And I was able to humiliate the Cursed Blood not because of love, but because of Star Universe."