Chapter 23: Is it worth it? Yes!

Green von Field was born into the Field Family, once glorious in the Fertile City but now long fallen into decline.

At a young age, he inherited the family business that was already battered by storms.

In fact, people said, “The Field Family has nothing left but honor.”

Perhaps because of this, Green had always valued Knight’s Honor and the family’s glory above all else since childhood.

Justice, mercy, compassion…

The Code of Chivalry that knights must follow was a treasured creed for Green, who strictly adhered to righteousness and defended the ideals in his heart.

Protecting the weak, opposing the strong.

So naturally, he caught the eye of the Old Sword Saint, who oversaw the Paladin Selection, and was personally taken to the Royal Capital for further training.

Under the guidance of the Undefeated God of War—a hero who single-handedly repelled an army of a hundred thousand and saved the kingdom from destruction—Green was clearly a rising star.

His talent spoke for itself.

But what truly astonished people was his unparalleled combat aptitude.

Green seemed born for battle.

He possessed an instinct where the stronger and more impossible the opponent, the more he could unleash his limitless potential.

Though his professional level was only a modest forty, he could, through sheer unreasonable skill, hold his own against top-level warriors.

At the age of twenty, the Pope personally consecrated him as a Paladin.

And just as he became a Paladin, Green was entrusted with a heavy responsibility: he became the Captain of the Fertile City Paladins.

There, Green proved himself not only a battle maniac but also an exceptional manager.

The Paladin Order, once corrupted and decayed under the rule of magistrates and local aristocratic clans, was purged of its rot under his leadership and reclaimed the creed that should never have been forgotten.

“Justice must leave no room for compromise.”

This was Green’s motto.

Until that day.

It was a gloomy, rainy day in the worst slum of the Fertile City. Meticulous as always, Green walked the muddy paths in the pouring rain, his sharp eyes piercing through the world’s evils as he surveyed the area.

To Green, the slums were a place that harbored filth and corruption.

Here, evil seemed to have another name—“rules,” or “the way things have always been.”

Thus, evil was no longer evil; instead, it had become reasonable.

As a Paladin of Justice, Green naturally could not stand idly by.

He was determined to eradicate all evil without any leniency.

Bang!

He caught a thief trying to steal his wallet on the spot, his gaze piercing through the mud-covered thief.

It was a girl.

Pale and thin, trembling in the rain, a pitiful sight.

“Don’t steal again next time.” Green scolded as he let the girl go, “You’re so young and already on the wrong path. Do you plan to live a life of theft? The teachings of the Light God tell us…”

“What’s the Light God?” The girl patted her chest nervously, “Can you eat that thing?”

Eat?

Ignorant sinner, may the Light God above forgive her for describing something so great and righteous with such crude words…

“If the Light God you speak of exists, can he feed me? I know stealing is wrong, but I’m really hungry.”

Growl.

The girl’s small stomach rumbled.

Is poverty an excuse for crime?

Green was slightly angered. He scolded her, frustrated at her obstinance, “You only care about your immediate desires and don’t understand spiritual wealth. If you continue like this, you will sink into an inescapable abyss!”

“Where are your parents?” After lecturing for a while, Green asked eagerly, “Come, I’ll talk to your parents.”

“Parents…” The girl blinked, “I don’t have any parents.”

“…” Green was stunned. “Then… do you have any other relatives?”

“I work at Ms. Mary’s Inn,” the girl mumbled. “She’s like my foster mother.”

Green went to that inn.

In the cramped space, drunken men would beat and scold, and the only pay after a hard day’s work was dry black bread.

Green felt as if the world he knew was collapsing.

“When people are hungry, they need to eat. Eating costs money.”

This simple truth, a fact so obvious, shook Green’s once unquestioned faith.

Justice… honor…

He fell into confusion.

For some reason he couldn’t explain, Green took the girl to the Light God’s temple.

“Train her to be a Priest,” he thought.

Hum…

The dim crystal ball seemed to mock Green’s naïveté.

“She has no talent.” The Priest yawned and said indifferently, “Lord Green, she’s a wild child from the slums, right? It’s normal for such a Condemned Bloodline to lack light-elemental talent.”

Normal…

Condemned Bloodline?

More doubts surfaced in Green’s mind.

If everyone’s fate was determined at birth, what could justice really be?

Carrying this confusion, Green confided in his mentor.

“Green,” the Old Sword Saint, whose back had never bent before, slightly bowed after hearing Green’s question, “this world is just like this—full of injustice and darkness.”

Injustice and darkness.

Green suddenly realized he had been living in a self-righteous world, like a naughty child playing.

Yes, he was poor. Yes, his family name was worth nothing now.

But that seemingly insignificant name still gave him capital that children from the slums couldn’t match.

Green von Field was a fool.

But only a fool, not an enemy to resist.

That was the advantage his name brought.

Green was also a beneficiary of this unjust system.

“But even when facing such darkness, choosing to protect—that is true justice, true knighthood.”

The Old Sword Saint patted Green’s slumped shoulder, explaining, “True courage is not reckless advance, but knowing you can’t change things and still choosing to rise.”

From that day on, Green changed.

He no longer wore a confident smile; he no longer judged everything in the name of justice.

“I’ve arranged for you to join the Nun Order, which is a kind of job,” Green said.

Using his authority, Green did not hesitate to place the slum girl—who in truth was unqualified—into the Nun Order.

“W-why?” the girl asked, confused. “What can I offer you?”

“You don’t owe me anything,” Green said lightly. “This is just fair compensation. Thank you for teaching me a lot.”

With that, Green had his secretary take the bewildered girl away.

Her life changed drastically.

In a healthy environment, she grew steadily into a graceful and refined young lady.

Green didn’t pay much attention to her; after all, as Captain, he had too many duties to handle.

Until one day, a subordinate reported, “That girl might be leaving the Nun Order.”

Green put down the quill he was using to review documents.

“What happened?” He rubbed his eyes.

“She wants to get married.”

The subordinate respectfully reported, “Her fiancé is a sailor.”

Nuns must remain celibate—that was the rule of the Light God’s temple.

Green thought for a moment, “Check on her fiancé. Confirm if he is reliable.”

The subordinate quickly gathered the information. Green stroked his chin, somewhat satisfied.

The young man wasn’t wealthy—he was even poor—but he was reliable and ambitious.

Most admirable was that he, too, came from the slums but fought his way up without relying on anyone’s help.

Green nodded with approval.

“Looks like this world isn’t as hopeless as I thought.”

He felt moved, hoping for the girl’s happy ending.

But that ending never came. Just before the beautiful future could materialize, fate coldly drew a full stop.

Clatter.

Green’s quill fell from his hand. “You said that fiancé… died?”

“Shipwreck,” the subordinate said with regret. “Such a pity.”

A pity…

Green felt a headache coming on.

To be honest, he barely remembered the girl anymore.

To him, she was just a stranger he had crossed paths with a few times.

But in a way, she was a symbol of Green’s hope for a better world.

That night, Green quietly swallowed the hard black bread in his office, tasting its bitter and dry flavor.

Yet he did nothing. In truth, Green didn’t think he had the power to intervene.

After all, there were so many suffering in this world—not just that girl.

So when Green next received news of her, it was already too late.

“The Withering Cult?”

In the strategy room, Green raised his eyebrows in surprise. “You said that girl has already… joined that cult?”

“Yes, and according to our intelligence, she holds a high status.”

Julia, still somewhat youthful, removed her mask, flicked her brown hair, and her blue eyes sparkled. “Sir, do you care for her?”

“Hm…” Green ignored his disciple’s fanciful thoughts. “Is it because her fiancé died and she’s pregnant? Such a blow might explain why she fell.”

If it had been the old Green, he wouldn’t have cared why someone fell into an evil cult.

But now he was completely different.

“It seems I must act personally,” Green resolved.

“But it’s too dangerous for you to go alone!” Julia couldn’t help but object. “Our informants report that the cult leader of the Withering Cult already has strength rivaling Legendary Level. We must wait for Royal Capital Reinforcements!”

“…” Green did not directly respond to Julia’s correct assessment but reached to gently touch the Exorcising Sword at his waist.

“Sir!” Seeing Green resolutely walk out the door, Julia called out loudly, “Is it worth it? For a girl from the slums?”

“When you ask if it’s worth it, it means your faith has wavered, Julia,” Green replied slowly. “A true Paladin, a true path of the Holy Light, lies in having no regrets.”

He ran toward the slums.

That night, under the hazy darkness, a figure broke into the heavily guarded stronghold of the Withering Cult.

The cult had entrenched itself in the kingdom for decades, stubbornly surviving multiple sieges by various factions, yet in one night, it was completely destroyed.

Amazingly, the flawless annihilation was carried out by only one person.

What was even more unbelievable…

He was a mere level forty-seven Paladin.

Plop, plop.

In the pouring rain, Green removed his Captain’s Paladin robe, carelessly dropped the symbol of honor into the muddy soil, and held a newborn baby girl in his arms.

“Huff, Lord Green…” Beside the baby, a woman with fading consciousness murmured, “I’m sorry, I was wrong…”

“No, you were not wrong.” Green looked pityingly at the dying woman and said solemnly, “The fault is not yours, but this world’s.”

But the woman no longer heard him. After seeing Green hold their daughter, she closed her eyes with relief.

Green bowed slightly to the woman and then carried the infant away.

Leaving behind a legend often retold.

“Sorry, Green.” The Old Sword Saint’s eyes held unspeakable sorrow. “But you cannot adopt this girl.”

“Why?”

Green asked in a low voice.

“She is a daughter of the cult, but more importantly, we believe the Withering Cult leader intended to make her a vessel for the evil god. So… leave her to me.”

Green refused. He understood his master’s unspoken meaning.

“Maybe she bears original sin, but even so, she still has the right to live.”

So Green secretly entrusted the girl to Ms. Mary’s Inn.

Everything began again.

Sacrificing his bright future, his infinite talent completely drained the night he resisted the Withering Cult leader, Green had become a wreck.

The once rising star had fallen, replaced by an ordinary Captain who had served in a border town for decades without promotion.

Until that day.

The Captain, on a sudden whim, was walking through the slums when he encountered the familiar girl.

“From today, I am your godfather.”

He crouched down and took the girl home.

Just like that evening years ago.