Extreme Cold Era: Shelter Don't Keep Waste
Chapter 88: I Have No Right to Let Them Live

Chapter 88: Chapter 88: I Have No Right to Let Them Live

"Lady Knight, what are you looking at?" At the dock, the lady knight Samantha, responsible for protecting Perfikot today, saw Perfikot suddenly stop and gaze into the distance, so she curiously asked.

After asking this question, Samantha regretted it a little, because recently she had developed some misunderstandings about Perfikot, thinking of her as a willful and arrogant noble lady, and worried that she would turn her to stone for speaking out of turn.

Though Perfikot usually appeared easygoing as if she was easy to talk to, Samantha remembered how on the very first day they set out, Perfikot expelled her colleagues and superior from the group, forcing them to return home and accused them of betraying the Royal Family and the Empire.

Such an accusation was deadly for a knight, especially since they were Imperial Guard Knights tasked with protecting the Royal Family; such charges could bring ruin to a knight’s entire family.

Though it was indeed deserved in their case, it left a strong impression on Samantha: Perfikot was not someone easy to deal with.

The subsequent events in New Shaker City further amplified this impression. She was right to pursue the assassin, and even revenge could be justified, but staging a massacre seemed excessive to Samantha.

After all, they had smelled the stench of blood and corpses for an entire week!

So much so, that when they left New Shaker City, Samantha felt as though her clothes and hair were imbued with these two ingrained smells!

It could easily be imagined what kind of impression Samantha had of Perfikot at this time.

Not to mention, her two displays of alchemy were enough to send chills down one’s spine.

Whether transforming people into living statues or erecting a dock from the ground, Perfikot’s prowess in this field revealed she was more than worthy of her title as an alchemy master.

Moreover, Perfikot’s expertise and strength in alchemy far surpassed those frail alchemists Samantha had in mind.

As mentioned earlier, alchemists are a profession that earns a living through knowledge, their Extraordinary Level being linked to learning, resulting in some master alchemists being academically accomplished yet lacking in combat ability...

Ordinarily, no general or military commander would send an alchemist to the battlefield.

Besides being a waste, it’s because even if an alchemist were on the battlefield, their combat power would be extremely limited.

In the Age of Knights, the greatest chaos an alchemist forced into the fray could cause might be blowing up their own lab.

But off the battlefield, whether it’s combat potions or enchanted equipment, seeking the help of a powerful alchemist is indispensable.

In other words, it’s a logistical profession, alchemy was never meant for combat.

But Perfikot was different; her alchemy was frighteningly powerful.

Based on Samantha’s years of experience and the various anti-assassination trainings received as an Imperial Guard Knight, the threat and destruction Perfikot could unleash was at least ten times that of a normal alchemist!

And even this was a conservative estimate, because besides creating a seawall dock, examples of Perfikot showcasing her true power were scarce,

leading others to severely underestimate her capabilities.

It also made Samantha fear facing Perfikot.

"I’m looking at the sea. Do you think, if one day the world were to end and people could no longer see this view, would there be anyone lamenting what we currently take for granted?" Perfikot answered Samantha’s question while posing a somewhat philosophical one to her.

Faced with Perfikot’s question, Samantha was momentarily dazed before answering, "Perhaps there would be, or perhaps not; if the world truly ended, I’m afraid people would be more concerned with survival than with lamenting these things."

"Indeed, for mankind, survival is the primary need of living, while spiritual satisfaction is the last," Perfikot smiled nonchalantly, then stopped pondering the question further, instead asking Samantha, "You seem to fear me? What are you afraid of?"

"I am not, Your Ladyship, you misunderstand me." Samantha naturally denied it at this moment; she didn’t want to displease Perfikot.

However, Perfikot didn’t mind, only smiled at Samantha, saying, "Because I caused a horrifying massacre? Indeed, you all have enough reason to fear, fearing whether I would turn that slaughter upon you."

Perfikot’s words left Samantha speechless, forcing her to stand in silence.

"I think what you truly wish to ask is why I killed so many people?" Perfikot turned around, directly looking into Samantha’s eyes, not at all resembling a fourteen-year-old noble girl, but rather more like an elder seasoned by many experiences.

Regarding this question, Samantha ultimately chose not to remain silent.

After all, as a knight, even though the Age of Knights has passed and knightly spirit has mostly become an adornment, some still adhere to those ancient tenets, fearing not tyranny, protecting the weak.

Though Samantha didn’t hold herself to such strict standards of knightly spirit, she still possessed a sense of justice.

After all, to become a true knight, one must possess a firm belief within.

So after a period of silence, she asked Perfikot the question buried in her heart: "Why did you kill so many people? Many did not deserve death, and even some innocents were caught in the crossfire."

"You ask why I killed them; indeed, that’s a good question, but at the moment, I’m afraid I can’t provide an answer." Perfikot revealed a slightly bitter smile, but quickly explained to Samantha, "Don’t misunderstand, I’m not excusing my slaughter, nor do I not know how to answer. I simply cannot tell you the truth for now, because it’s a secret.

But I can clear part of your doubts; when you truly understand why, you’ll understand I had no authority to let them live."