What kind of nonsense is this, that you'd be chosen by the gods and favored by all the gods?

dragon?

The word exploded in Lyle's mind, but upon calming down, he realized that these people did indeed share some similarities with the legendary dragons in a certain sense.

Scales, a curved spine, and abnormally developed arms...

"But there are so many people drinking here, why are they the only ones who mutated into monsters?"

Adelie, who had somehow arrived beside the three, listened to the whole story and also showed a puzzled expression.

Just then, Lyle pulled out a gold coin and tossed it high into the air:

"The goddess has enlightened me..."

"The root of the problem lies in the beverage."

To save time, Lyle decided to use divination to eliminate the distracting options.

The person is facing upwards.

"The problem lies in the beverage."

As soon as Lyle finished speaking, he saw the witch Carter's eyes narrow slightly as she looked at him, clearly noticing his divination.

"Let me see."

Carter raised his glass, took a sniff, and then gently stuck out his pink tongue and licked the inside of the glass.

Then, her expression hardened.

"It's dragon's blood."

"This is not something you can just find anywhere. Dragons come from the hydrothermal wastelands of the south. After a certain enchanting ritual, they can transform certain groups of people into half-dragons."

"But these people clearly did not have the qualifications and turned into monsters that resembled lizardmen."

Seemingly to demonstrate her deduction, she splashed the wine onto the iron hoops on the wooden barrel.

Iron melts.

"Dragon blood, once corrupted, has the ability to corrode steel, even when diluted."

"But after so much time, the effects of the demonization ritual have probably dissipated considerably... What happened to me just now was because I injected magic power, so this method can no longer detect it."

"So the problem lies with the person preparing the drinks?"

Adele looked rather grim, because they were the ones who had prepared for the event.

Carter waved his hand dismissively, somewhat annoyed by his lover's daughter's behavior.

"Alright... I don't want to interfere in your affairs. I'm only here to see some old friends. You two can talk it out..."

She turned to leave, but lingered beside Lyle for a moment.

Lyle's expression shifted slightly as he felt something appear in his hand.

"No... I must investigate those staff members who prepared for the event. I cannot allow my family to be disgraced!"

Adele looked grim, but finally gritted her teeth and decided to take immediate action.

But after taking just one step, he looked at Lyle.

"Can you... help me? I'm worried that I'm not capable enough to do better on my own."

Lyle looked into those eyes, hesitated for a moment, and was about to agree.

But at that moment, someone pulled him up from behind.

"Arthur?"

Turning around, he saw Arthur looking at him with a grim expression.

"...Let's talk in private."

Lyle was a little confused by the other party's sudden words, but he still let Arthur take him aside.

Arthur turned around but didn't speak. Lyle could see a strange anxiety in his eyes.

"Lyle, I think you'd better not get involved in their affairs."

"Why? Give me a reason."

Arthur looked serious.

"This accident is clearly their own affair, as anyone with eyes can see—the heir, the celebration, the sacrifice... Good heavens, just like in the poems, the mead at the banquet seems to be naturally tainted with blood... But what does this have to do with us?"

"We're just passing through; there's no need for us to get involved in this mess." His tone was sincere and earnest. "Don't you dislike complications? We can just leave; there's no need to concern ourselves with these guys' private affairs—"

"What good would it do you? You're an outsider, you can't escape suspicion, and even if you help them, they might not treat you like a human being..."

His voice trailed off as Lyle’s eyes seemed devoid of any emotion, which suddenly sent a chill down his spine.

"you..."

"First of all, I don't intend to take your opinion into consideration." Lyle's expression was as calm as ever, but these calm words only made Arthur more uneasy.

"Secondly... if you have any objections to my strategy, you are free to leave. I have never restricted your freedom."

"You're not stupid, you can see that, so why did you bother keeping me here to try and persuade me?"

"...What exactly are you trying to hide? What are you trying to say by going around in circles?"

Boom—

It was as if a bolt of lightning had struck Arthur's mind. He stared blankly at the man in front of him, suddenly feeling a kind of naked unease, as if everything about him had been dissected and displayed nakedly.

"Lyle!" he said, his voice trembling as he gripped Lyle's arm tightly. "I knew you were a good man when you killed that bastard but didn't abandon us in the wasteland!"

"That's precisely why I don't want you to die in vain!"

"What's the point of being a good person? They won't appreciate your kindness; they'll just take the fruits of your labor for granted. Who are you trying to impress? Do you expect them to help you when you're in trouble?"

"You ask what I'm trying to say? I'm just telling you from my own experience! Don't do anything foolish!"

Arthur Colette.

Before being thrown into the prison van, he was the son of a vassal of a lord in a land near the front lines. Although his life was somewhat difficult, it was relatively peaceful.

Influenced by his lord, his father also took chivalry as his code of conduct, punishing evil and promoting good, and generously helping others.

However, the iron hooves of the northern kingdoms shattered the lord's manor. At the moment his father, as the lord's entourage, was hanged on the city wall, he hid in the stable, watching helplessly as those who had received his father's help coldly watched him die—

They just watched...

Arthur was thrown to the conscript and sent to the front lines as a war slave, where he met Lyle and was saved from death.

But that chill did not dissipate.

"So this is your story?" Lyle sighed. "Now I understand why you seemed so old-fashioned when we first met."

"...That's my story. You can curse me if you want, I owe you anyway." After saying this, Arthur looked much more relaxed, as if a huge weight had finally been lifted from his heart.

He didn't think his own views were wrong, and he was very fortunate to have received help from such a good person as Lyle. He also didn't think there was anything wrong with his own views. Being grateful to Lyle was one thing, but agreeing with the other person's views was another.

Therefore, he still insisted on his words: playing the good guy will not end well.

Lyle gave Arthur a deep look, then suddenly burst out laughing.

"Hahaha...you're right, why would I scold you?"

This behavior, however, puzzled Arthur.

"Everyone has always thought my ideas were negative and base, an insult to my father's virtues and honor, yet you think I'm right?"

Lyle suppressed his smile and regained his calm demeanor.

"If I were in your position, I would probably do the same thing as you."

"But things are always evolving and changing, not static. My current situation is completely different from yours back then. You can't expect to solve all the problems that arise in reality with an unchanging 'truth.' You've made a mistake in that regard."

"I don't understand." Arthur shook his head. "Am I wrong? Are the villagers right? They accepted my father's help, so why were they indifferent to his death?"

"That's another question, my friend. What can you expect ordinary people to do in the face of the Empire's army?" Lyle shook his head. "I also wish that everyone in the world was wise enough to distinguish between good and evil and to know virtue, but that's too grand and unrealistic to withstand the test of reality."

"Ignoring all realistic factors, we simply divide everything into good and bad, good and evil, justice and evil, right and wrong, what should be done and what should not be done... However, if everything were that simple, we would be living in a fairy tale."

Lyle sighed and patted Arthur on the shoulder. Despite their significant age difference, they seemed to be equals at that moment.

"I regret to hear this outcome about your father, but it's not his fault. Strictly speaking, you could say his chosen methodology was rather naive and immature, but does that mean his love for his life is wrong?"

"I..."

"Even you yourself have to admit that you're wavering. The high walls you built for yourself in your youth can't solve your problems now that you're an adult. Otherwise, you could just turn around and leave. Why bother telling me all this?"

"You need my validation so you can be certain that your methodology is correct, that it's the truth, proving that you weren't wrong in your youth, aren't wrong now, and certainly won't be wrong in the future..."

"Then I refuse."

Lyle's words brought this long debate to a close.

"I'm going to take charge of this celebration!"

"Besides, it's true that I hate unnecessary trouble, but they've already slapped me in the face. Do you really think I would be magnanimous and indifferent, or even run away in a sorry state?"

Lyle chuckled, turned and left the cramped corner, leaving Arthur standing there, staring blankly at Lyle's thin back.