A Core Ship From The Start
Chapter 1496 - 1010: Mary’s Decision

Chapter 1496: Chapter 1010: Mary’s Decision

Liliath and Banriya’s cooking is as delicious as ever, but the atmosphere at the dining table seemed a bit heavy. Though Mary appeared calm, the reactions from Naruse Mio and Liliath were... noticeably unusual.

"What’s up with you two? Did you have a fight?"

Duanmu Huai, eating his meal, curiously glanced at the two silent individuals across from him, while Liliath shook her head.

"No, teacher, we didn’t fight. We’re just..."

"Just what?"

"We’re just not entirely able to comprehend the Tribunal’s actions..."

"What’s there not to comprehend?"

Duanmu Huai blinked in confusion.

"Ghouls, right? They eat humans, so of course they have to be completely exterminated. Haven’t I mentioned this before? The Tribunal’s objective is to protect humanity at all costs and eliminate anything that threatens mankind. Sure, you three factions are at peace now, but if this were a few hundred years ago, and you dragged humanity into the war among your factions, the Tribunal wouldn’t have hesitated to wipe out all three of your sides entirely."

"Is such an approach really necessary?"

Hearing this, Naruse Mio was taken aback, while Duanmu Huai simply shrugged.

"Of course. Honestly, you don’t need to think about it too deeply. The Tribunal has never been like those boring religious zealots who claim before a fight that ’we’re just’ and ’you’re evil,’ so attacking you is justified. Those kinds of proclamations are meaningless to the Tribunal."

"...Meaningless?"

"Yeah, think about it. It’s like humans exterminating rats. What have rats done wrong? Eating grain? Spreading plague? But none of that is by choice—it’s their innate behavior, their instincts. It has nothing to do with being evil. Yet humans, to protect their interests, don’t hesitate to kill rats. The same goes for cockroaches..."

"Lord Duanmu, we’re eating right now."

Banriya hurriedly interrupted Duanmu Huai’s words, and the other girls nodded fervently.

"...Fine, as long as you understand what I mean."

Duanmu Huai silently shrugged.

"Maybe to you, it feels necessary to establish your justice versus someone else’s evil before going to war. But for the Tribunal, those things don’t matter. The only consideration is whether something threatens mankind’s existence. Take ghouls, for example—they eat humans, relying on that for survival, so there’s no other choice. Regardless of whether there are ’good’ ones among them, as long as they eat humans, they must be exterminated. Justice or evil doesn’t enter the equation. To the Tribunal, the only question is whether purification is needed or not."

As he explained, Duanmu Huai picked up his chopsticks and grabbed a piece of hamburger meat.

"Take this, for instance. Is it to be eaten, or not to be eaten? It’s as simple as that."

With that, he opened his mouth wide and stuffed the hamburger meat in.

"Hmm, Liliath, well done."

"Thank you, teacher, for the praise."

Perhaps Duanmu Huai’s analogy had grossed them out, because after that, the group stopped dwelling on the issue. Once the meal was over and everyone was satisfied, Duanmu Huai sat on the sofa, patting his stomach before turning to Mary.

"By the way, Mary, did you bring what I asked for?"

"I did, Mr. Duanmu. Honestly, your request was quite unusual."

As she spoke, Mary pulled a wallet-sized pouch from her pocket and handed it over. Duanmu Huai opened it, took a look, and nodded with satisfaction.

"Excellent, finally caught a break."

"Teacher, what’s inside that pouch?"

Naruse Mio, curious, stared at the tiny pouch smaller than Duanmu Huai’s palm, her face full of wonder. Hearing her question, Duanmu Huai chuckled mischievously.

"Want to know? Watch closely, I’ll show you a magic trick."

Saying that, Duanmu Huai opened the pouch and tipped it over, shaking it twice.

Soon, the group saw a gold brick tumble out of the pouch and land on the table with a heavy "thud."

"Wow!"

At this, all three—Liliath, Naruse Mio, and Banriya—gasped in shock, almost leaping out of their seats.

But that wasn’t the end of it. As they watched, more gold bricks spilled out one after another, quickly piling into a small mountain!

"What’s going on? Is this some kind of magic?"

Seeing this, the three girls immediately huddled around. Their astonishment was understandable—the pouch was smaller than a single gold brick, yet dozens of them had poured out like magic! Liliath even picked up one to inspect—heavy! It was the real deal!

"What do you think? Interesting, isn’t it?"

Watching the group crowd around him in puzzlement, Duanmu Huai burst out laughing. His biggest issue in this world had been a lack of funds. After all, the system transported him here without granting him a cent. Now that he needed to establish a Tribunal branch, the expenses would surely pile up. Relying on his measly salary as a P.E. teacher wouldn’t cover it, even in a lifetime.

Thankfully, the invitation system allowed for messages, so Duanmu Huai had Mary bring over a space pouch stuffed with valuable items to sell.

Of course, carrying cash directly wouldn’t work—the currencies of different worlds weren’t interchangeable. Even if Duanmu Huai paid with Faelun World’s gold coins or Star Union’s credit points, they wouldn’t be accepted here.

The best solution was to bring universally valuable items for trade.

Gold bricks and gemstones were reliable hard currency across worlds... Luckily, Mary had brought a space pouch, as Duanmu Huai hadn’t considered the issue earlier, relying on the system’s inventory instead. Seems like he’d need to carry something valuable whenever leaving home in the future.

"Is this some kind of Divine Artifact?"

Watching Duanmu Huai shove all the gold bricks back into the pouch, Liliath curiously asked. After all, upon close observation, this was clearly no trick. Was it another Divine Artifact? And such an odd one, at that?

Still, she couldn’t deny its usefulness.

"Uh... what can I say... Just consider it one."

In Faelun World, these weren’t particularly rare but were expensive enough that most adventurers couldn’t afford them.

Now Duanmu Huai finally had enough capital to start his plans in this world.

Assured that his pouch contained sufficient funds, Duanmu Huai turned to serious matters.

"Mary, come to my room later."

"......!"

As soon as Duanmu Huai spoke, Liliath, Naruse Mio, and Banriya turned their heads sharply, staring wide-eyed at him. He rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"It’s official business! Honestly, don’t you have anything else to think about?!"

What was up with the girls in this world? So fixated on inappropriate thoughts?

Thankfully, Mary was reliable and wouldn’t cause trouble like Liliath and the others. Hearing Duanmu Huai’s request, she obediently went to his room. Once inside, Duanmu Huai explained the situation to her in detail.

After listening, Mary seemed genuinely surprised.

"God’s Favor?"

"That’s right. You’re strong, and the Golden Pupil is impressive, but ultimately, you’re still just a regular girl. Like before, on the wasteland, a single mini nuke could threaten you—which isn’t ideal. Becoming my God’s Favor not only strengthens your physical abilities but ensures your soul won’t be taken by Evil Gods or Chaotic Demons. Even if you die, as long as your soul is in my hands, I can bring you back."

"Honestly, I don’t think anyone could handle a nuke..."

Mary wiped the cold sweat from her forehead, offering a quiet comment.

"Your call, though. To me, you’re an invaluable ally and companion. Not just for your Golden Pupil—your presence matters deeply to me."

Duanmu Huai meant what he said. Of all the women around him, Mary was among the most dependable.

"If I accept, what happens to me as a God’s Favor?"

"Well, you’ll live a long life—essentially immortal while I’m alive. You won’t age, and your physical capabilities will be significantly enhanced based on the chess piece you’re assigned... Of course, I can’t say for certain, as I’ve never done this before."

"I see... So what chess piece are you assigning me, Mr. Duanmu?"

Mary had heard Duanmu Huai explain the chess piece system before and understood it well.

"Queen."

"Huh?"

Mary stared at him in surprise.

"Queen... Isn’t there only one Queen piece? Are you sure about this?"

"Absolutely. You’re the most important to me."

Without hesitation, Duanmu Huai affirmed his decision. Among his companions, Mary was the one who required all-around enhancement most urgently. To him, giving her the Queen piece was the perfect choice.

Mary’s reaction was strange—she turned away slightly, her ears flushed bright red, seemingly too flustered to meet Duanmu Huai’s gaze.

What’s going on?

"Understood."

While Duanmu Huai was still puzzled, Mary seemed to have made up her mind. She took a deep breath before turning back to face him.

"In the words of this country... This humble girl will endeavor to serve well. Please take care of me."

"Ah, um..."

Watching Mary’s unexpectedly formal reaction, Duanmu Huai ruffled his hair, bewildered.

Did I say something wrong...?