One-Eyed Monster

”HISS...” Upon hearing this, Igor sucked in a breath, as if he had thought of something.

”Did Xiso decide to contact Kuyi Tulan because of this?” Igor asked hesitantly. They were now sitting in a sheltered spot on Twin Peaks, drinking hot tea around a campfire.

After all, this was the second home of the monsters of Guru Mountain. They were familiar with every corner. While the entanglement between Xiso and Bigas was ongoing, they began to set up camp where Twin Peaks had collapsed. For the time being, they wouldn’t be leaving Guru Mountain, so they decided to relocate their former camp from Moonflow Stream to Twin Peaks.

These tasks weren’t too difficult; with an Alchemist and a Wizard present, many chores became much easier.

Take the teacups and tea leaves, for example; these could all be acquired through the Exchange Spell. The Great Mentor, who always enjoyed the finer things in life, was probably just a step away from fishing. In past Deep Winter Seasons, he would always break ice to fish. This winter, however, he sat by the fire, sipping tea and reminiscing about the past with others.

Often, things happen unexpectedly. Before you have a chance to prepare, they’ve already arrived.

The Great Mentor hadn’t expected Xiso’s story to become their focal point, but this moment of ease was hard-won, so he didn’t stop them from continuing.

Xiso was very intelligent on the battlefield, but when it came to his personal affairs, it was as if his brain was replaced by another that wouldn’t obey him.

If he could have maintained the calm, meticulous thinking he displayed on the battlefield, his relationship with Bigas might truly have become a celebrated tale throughout the Kayne Empire.

However, Xiso’s obtuseness had ruined that beautiful prospect, reducing it to a joke—a joke with a heavy weight. Beyond anything else, his choice had been one made out of desperation.

”If you were Xiso, how would you have handled it?” Kevin asked Igor teasingly. A greenhorn like Igor would surely feel embarrassed answering this question, he thought. He just wanted to see Igor’s embarrassed expression.

”HEHEHE, I would chase after them. If I like someone, I won’t give up,” Igor replied.

Kevin nearly choked. This Igor really doesn’t play by the rules, does he?

Though Kevin didn’t get to see Igor look embarrassed, he still found his answer illuminating. What would have happened if Xiso had done the same? What if Xiso had disregarded everything and simply gone off with Bigas? What would have happened then? Would Xiso have had to abandon the entire Guardian Army or make an enemy of the whole Kangen family? Or what if Xiso had just taken Bigas and fled? But given the Kangen family’s power, finding them wouldn’t have been difficult, especially Bigas...

But there are not so many ’what ifs’ in this world, and Xiso wasn’t like Igor, capable of disregarding everything.

Xiso also wanted to live passionately, but his rational side always made him consider the entire Empire. Xiso was a patriot. He felt that if it weren’t for the Guardian Army, he would still be a destitute, lonely orphan. So, he felt compelled to dedicate himself to the Empire.

You can’t always have it both ways. Some things must be relinquished; some bloodlines are too lofty to aspire to. That’s what the Kangen family had told Xiso, and their words had tormented him for a very long time.

”So, you’re saying Xiso chose a path to enhance his own strength,” Igor interjected again.

It was indeed frustrating to have a story interrupted midway.

”Yes, his inner struggle is understandable. If it were you, wouldn’t you want to prove yourself?” Yuga said, having consistently maintained a neutral stance on Xiso’s situation. ”He was resentful,” Yuga continued, ”resentful that his destiny could be swayed by such factors. So, while choosing silence, he also chose an extreme path.”

”I don’t think it was extreme, Kevin. We all made similar choices; there’s nothing extreme about it,” Kuren disagreed with Kevin’s assessment.

At this, the monsters of Guru Mountain began to argue. The crux of their debate was whether the decision they had made back then was right or wrong—a question they still couldn’t answer.

If it was right, then why did they now despise Kuyi Tulan to the bone? Had Kuyi Tulan truly deceived them? Not necessarily. They were all adults, capable of making such judgments.

However, if that decision was wrong, why had they chosen that path with such conviction back then?

The monsters fell silent.

At the time, each of them had their reasons for their decision. Perhaps it was due to their personal convictions, or perhaps other quandaries. Regardless, they had made those choices to escape their predicaments.

Yet, now, they found that things had only grown worse.

”Alright, everyone, let’s not dwell on the past anymore,” the Great Mentor began to speak, always knowing how to offer comforting words at crucial moments. ”The choices were made. There were no regrets then, so why the hesitation now?”

”None of you hesitated then, I trust, just like Xiso,” he added.

”But, Kuyi Tulan...” one of them interjected.

”Yes, now we see Kuyi Tulan as a scoundrel. But why didn’t we doubt him back then?” the Great Mentor continued, having pondered this question for some time.

”Because we must have taken leave of our senses back then!” Kevin retorted dryly.

”No. It’s because we misplaced our trust in Kuyi Tulan back then.”

”UHH...” The monsters found this conclusion difficult to accept immediately.

”Trust is paramount. At that time, unconditional trust in someone was a crucial factor in the choices we made.”

”Looking back, we acted without complaint or regret, until we saw his true colors...”

”Even so, you still don’t regret the choices you made back then, do you?” the Great Mentor asked.

The monsters pondered for a moment and finally reached a consensus: even now, they did not regret the choices they had made.

”I believe Xiso won’t regret his choices either,” the Great Mentor said, his gaze affectionate as he looked at Xiso, who was a short distance away.

”If you were given another chance, would you make the same choices?” Igor scratched his head, thoroughly confused.

”Yes. We would choose the same way, without any hesitation.”

”But you see Kuyi Tulan as...”

”That’s a separate matter. We don’t regret the reasons behind our choices, but we naturally despise being caught in a deception.”