Chapter 208: Fear Is Not Shame (6K Bonus Chapters 41 & 42)

「... Hero? 」

Lord Fa Ao, after automatically taking the sword, paused, then shook his head and said: "No, I am not a hero. You are, sir."

Without Herbert's arrival to save me, I would already be dead, trampled under the monster's feet, swallowed whole, and reduced to a pile of excrement.

"Without you, I would be dead."

Herbert, watching the dejected paladin, raised an eyebrow, placed a hand on his shoulder, and said softly:

"Without you, they would already be dead."

"If you hadn't held on, I wouldn't have been able to arrive in time to help you."

Herbert made Lord Fa Ao look up, gesturing for him to see the massive corpse, and said softly: "I did kill it, but I did not truly defeat it."

Throughout, Herbert had merely provoked the monster—it never felt fear.

But Lord Fa Ao was different.

Though weaker, he successfully drove back the swamp wild boar, forcing it to hesitate and stall for a long time.

"The one who truly defeated it was you."

He patted Lord Fa Ao's shoulder; seeing the paladin still trying to protest, he shook his head with a gentle smile:

"You don't need to explain. This is undeniable. I have no intention of stealing your merit, and please don't make me uncomfortable."

"Lord Lord Fa Ao, please stop being modest. As one who possesses the will to sacrifice, you are unquestionably a hero."

At the critical moment, Lord Fa Ao—the strongest among them—even with a broken leg, could have easily escaped by letting others hold off the monster.

But he chose not to. Instead, he chose to sacrifice himself to ensure the survival of others.

If such a person cannot be called a hero... then who on earth deserves such a title?

"So please lift your head."

But hearing Herbert's sincere words, Lord Fa Ao still slowly shook his head. His posture grew even more hunched as he lowered his head and muttered:

"But in the end, I still wavered."

"No, I was... afraid."

Hero?

No... I don't deserve it...

Lord Fa Ao thought of his cowardice at the final moment. The title filled him with shame, even utter humiliation.

He thought of how the Sun's power had faded—the deity had sensed his inner doubt and withdrawn its favor.

"My Lord sensed my fear and abandoned me."

He also recalled his own terror before death.

He had held on until the very end, but at the moment he was about to be crushed, he felt regret.

If I hadn't done this, could I have survived?

If...

Thump.

He felt a firm tap on his shoulder, jolting his body slightly forward and back.

He looked up dazedly and met Herbert's calm, powerful gaze, hearing his gentle voice:

"Do not feel shame because of fear."

"Everyone feels fear."

"You feel fear. I feel fear too."

"Just now, I was worried I might fail. What if I messed up? I even changed my tactics because of fear."

Herbert spoke openly, naturally, about his own thoughts:

"But what's wrong with that?"

"We all feel fear—even the Grand Archbishop feels fear over certain things."

... Huh?

Even though his spirits were low, Lord Fa Ao couldn't help but move his lips, protesting:

"Then... surely the Grand Archbishop wouldn't feel fear?"

What in this world could possibly unsettle or frighten the Grand Archbishop?

He thought Herbert's remark was an insult to the Grand Archbishop.

He was a Saint walking among mortals!

How could he possibly feel fear...? What in this world could make him afraid?

Seeing that he had successfully diverted Lord Fa Ao's attention, Herbert smiled faintly and asked: "Why not?"

"The Grand Archbishop is a Saint, yes—but he is also a mortal like us, with mortal emotions."

After several conversations with the Grand Archbishop, Herbert was confident he was among the few in the monastery who truly understood the Grand Archbishop's real nature.

The real Grand Archbishop was not as stern as others imagined, nor as... serious.

He was indeed an invincible elder, impossibly powerful, his strength unfathomable.

Yet he was also an unpretentious old man, easy to talk to, even like a mischievous child.

"No, even gods who transcend mortals still feel fear."

After growing close to Nie Nasha and interacting with the Ice Goddess, Herbert became more certain that the gods of this world were not so mysterious.

They were not pure embodiments of rules, not the will of Heaven, not beings too terrible to behold.

They were more like beings of immense power, mastering certain forces.

Their personalities might be shaped by their divine roles, but they also possessed their own emotions—yes, strong, distinct self-awareness.

If even gods are not exempt, why demand that mortal paladins feel no fear at all?

That would be too much to ask.

"We are Holy Knights, enforcers of order and justice, walking beneath the light of faith."

"But we need not, and should not, feel shame because of fear."

"The greatness of a Holy Knight lies not in being without fear, but in standing firm at the edge of danger even when fear fills the heart."

When facing the roar of evil and feeling the chilling force that strikes the soul, Holy Knights may tremble.

Yet even while trembling with fear, they still grip their weapons tightly.

They transform their fear into more cautious action, suppress fear with the power of faith, assess the threat of their enemies with wisdom, and then destroy evil with fearless courage.

Acknowledging fear is the first step toward true bravery.

In overcoming fear, their courage becomes even more brilliant and dazzling.

Herbert's words carried an incredible power, and that inspiration gradually changed Lord Fa Ao's emotions.

He took a deep breath, and his slumped shoulders straightened.

Yet he did not become impassioned or fiery because of Herbert's words—he was not that kind of person.

After a moment of silence, Lord Fa Ao shook his head and admitted honestly: "... I still don't quite understand."

Is fear really not a bad thing?

He understood a little, yet remained confused.

"Hah, it doesn't matter if you don't understand now—you'll understand someday." Herbert smiled, not forcing him to grasp it immediately.

Herbert did not expect his words to make Lord Fa Ao suddenly awaken; he only hoped to plant a seed in his heart.

That force would gradually take root and grow, and one day bear fruit unique to him.

"As for your claim of being abandoned... you have not been abandoned by anyone."

"Your companions have not left you behind, neither have I, and even your god... hasn't abandoned you either, has he?"

He smiled, lowering his gaze to Lord Fa Ao's blade.

Lord Fa Ao followed his gaze and looked down at the ruined blade—his eyes suddenly brightened!

!!!

The residual solar power on the broken blade, though dimmed, had not fully vanished—it still clung to it.

Could it be!!?

"You mean...?"

Herbert offered no further explanation; he simply released Lord Fa Ao's shoulder and smiled: "Why not wait until you leave this place to take another look?"

This is the Mist Mountains, a sacred forbidden zone, where even powerful deities find it difficult to project their power here.

The Sun God lending Lord Fa Ao even temporary aid was already a generous act.

Demanding that He continuously pour His power into you is simply too greedy.

Lord Fa Ao gripped the broken half of the hilt tightly, his whole body trembling uncontrollably.

All the things Herbert had said before paled in comparison to the impact of this moment on Lord Fa Ao.

I have not been abandoned.

My god has not abandoned me!

This is truly wonderful!

In the height of his emotion, tears even welled in his eyes.

Herbert silently observed Lord Fa Ao's fervent state, and it deepened his own understanding of faith.

"..."

Even a Holy Knight, nearly a moral paragon in the eyes of ordinary people, utterly devoid of desire, cannot escape the human need for faith.

This is the Age of Faith.

Faith has been woven into every detail of this world over thousands of years.

"Hmm, it's confirmed: changing the current faith system is nearly impossible, and opposing the majority of deities brings no benefit..."

In the end, Herbert solidified his own thoughts.

If you can't beat them, join them.

If you can do it, so can I.

The founding of Zijide Sect is inevitable—he would surely establish his own sect in the future.

While Herbert was thinking, Lord Fa Ao's emotions finally calmed.

He re-sheathed the broken blade, then bowed deeply to Herbert.

"Lord Herbert, thank you!"

Thank you for saving my life.

Thank you for saving my spirit.

Herbert nodded in return, offering no false modesty or hesitation.

He turned to look behind him, where the Holy Knights who had previously left now returned, bringing two wounded comrades.

"Alright, go back with them and get proper treatment."

The people were saved; Herbert would not act as their nursemaid to escort them home.

That would waste too much time, and it was unnecessary.

The Mist Mountains are perilous; demons rarely leave their lairs—following the map ensures safety.

Herbert took out a map, drew a few lines, and handed it to Lord Fa Ao:

"The Ghost Wolf packs along the route have all been cleared by me—you won't face any threats if you follow this path."

Ghost Wolf packs... all of them?

Upon hearing those words, Fa'ao froze for a moment. He instinctively wanted to speak, but then recalled Herbert's heroic bearing in the earlier battle, and could only close his mouth in embarrassment.

It wasn't that he thought Herbert couldn't do it, but rather that he felt like making a quip.

With your level of strength… why not go challenge powerful magical beasts, instead of bullying those ghost wolves?

Herbert read the strange look in Fa'ao's eyes, smiled faintly, and said, "Heh, they struck first."

It was all self-defense on my part!

I don't know why either, but they always seem to want to harm me. I really can't help it.

"…Then it really was their fault."

Fa'ao nodded silently, unsure whether he truly understood or simply didn't want to pursue the matter further.

After paying his respects to Herbert, he intended to rejoin his companions, but just before leaving, he thought of something else.

Fa'ao hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Lord Herbert, are you truly going to venture deeper alone?"

Herbert's strength was indeed quite impressive, but without companions to help, he was indeed liable to fall into danger.

Jingle, jingle, jingle.

The crisp sound of wind chimes rang out from behind. Fa'ao's expression changed; only now did he suddenly recall that he seemed to have forgotten something.

He turned his head hastily and saw that mysterious woman staring at him with an icy expression.

Stare—

"Ugh!"

Fa'ao's expression tightened, and he quickly lowered his head in embarrassment.

Oh no.

He'd completely forgotten Herbert still had a legendary-tier mage with him!

Right, what had he called her earlier?

Fu… Fu Leimei?

That seemed to be the name.

It sounded vaguely familiar, but for the moment he couldn't recall where he'd heard it.

Seeing Fa'ao lost in thought, Herbert smiled, walked over to Fu Leimei's side, and asked with a grin, "Heh, do you still worry about my safety now?"

"N-no, not anymore! Then I'll take my leave! Wishing you both all the best!"

Fa'ao gave an awkward smile, bowed once more to the two of them, then staggered off toward his companions.

Because he was walking in such a hurry, Fa'ao was tripped by a tree root in the mud. His already injured leg gave a stab of pain, and his whole body tipped forward uncontrollably.

Not good…

But before Fa'ao could fall to the ground, two large hands caught him by the shoulders.

"Lord Fa'ao! Thank goodness!"

"Fa'ao."

He raised his head and saw two companions—one old, one young—steadying him.

"You really survived… sob, cough, cough, cough!"

The young holy knight, who in ordinary days always wanted to charge to the very front to prove he was no longer a child, was overcome with emotion at this moment. His voice carried a sobbing tone, and he turned his head away, coughing hard.

"As long as—cough! Cough… as long as you survived, that's enough."

The other, a middle-aged holy knight, appeared far calmer on the surface, but his trembling hands betrayed his true feelings.

His heart was nowhere near as composed as his outward demeanor suggested.

No holy knight could be indifferent to the sacrifice of a companion.

Even if the middle-aged holy knight could accept it, could understand it, could make the most correct decision at the time, that absolutely did not mean he felt no pang of grief over it.

With their help, Fa'ao pulled himself upright and nodded, saying, "Mm! This is all thanks to Lord Herbert and that lady's help. How are the rest of you faring?"

"Our wounds have all been treated, we're out of danger now… By the way, where are those two?"

The middle-aged holy knight suddenly thought of something and looked anxiously past Fa'ao.

"Weren't they just… huh?"

Fa'ao turned back, intending to pay his respects to Herbert once more, only to find that the two of them had already vanished.

Whether they had already walked into the mist, or had never truly been there at all, he could not tell.

Fa'ao's brow furrowed slightly, and he said in a low voice, "Is there something you needed them for?"

"…"

After searching in vain, the middle-aged holy knight shook his head and said quietly, "Nothing major. I only hoped they might be a little more cautious."

"Those two adventurers just told us that the situation in the Misty Mountains lately seems to be rather unusual."

"Their party's druid said before he died that he could feel the entire forest stirring, not knowing what it was afraid of."

"I advised them to return to the monastery with us and not venture any deeper."

The forest was stirring?

Fa'ao's brow knit tightly.

That situation could mean many things.

Was it dangerous magical beasts emerging from deep within the Misty Mountains? Or some special ruin about to appear? Or…

Fa'ao thought for a moment, then said in a low voice:

"Leave a message, hoping Lord Herbert will see it… and even if he doesn't, with the strength of those two, they'll surely be able to handle it."

With a legendary mage present, these small matters shouldn't be a concern.

Besides, Herbert and his companion aren't fools; they certainly wouldn't willingly head deeper.

No need to worry!

……

"Did you hear them say the forest is restless?"

"Mm, couldn't hear it too clearly, but that's roughly what they meant." Fu Leimei touched her ear, gently fingering the wind chime earring.

This earring, hanging from her ear, not only failed to give her any harsh or unpleasant sensation, but actually expanded her hearing range.

"Is the forest uneasy?"

Herbert blinked, feeling that this situation might carry some unusual significance.

"Nie Nasha, can you think of anything?"

【"Hard to say. Maybe someone noticed the aura on you, or maybe it's just a coincidence."】

Nie Nasha appeared utterly indifferent about it, not finding anything worth worrying over at all.

【"Sigh, stop fussing over it. Once you run into it, you'll know naturally."】

The corner of Herbert's mouth twitched, feeling a little speechless.

"You really are carefree, aren't you."

【"What, is this your first day knowing me?"】

"Fair point."

【"Hehe~"】

Jester God hummed smugly twice, then said casually: 【"Anyway, with me here, with her here, what else do you need to worry about?"】

【"Also, I suggest you look up at that little fish. If you keep her waiting any longer, she really is going to get angry~"】

"What?"

Herbert came back to his senses and found Fu Leimei pouting her lips, opening her arms toward him, repeatedly signaling with her eyes that he should hurry up and be sensible.

"……Hm?"

Herbert thought for less than half a second, then immediately understood what Fu Leimei wanted him to do, and blurted out:

"Why do you also want me to carry you?"

Wait, don't you have legs?

……Hiss!

Hey, what a coincidence.

She really didn't have legs.

And Fu Leimei, upon hearing Herbert's words, huffed and said discontentedly: "You just abandoned me all by myself."

Herbert was stunned for a moment, then quickly realized what Fu Leimei was throwing a little tantrum about, and shook his head with some amusement:

"Don't be difficult, I had to rush over to save someone."

But Fu Leimei didn't accept this explanation, and said with a pout: "But you still abandoned me."

"Also, what did you mean by 'also' just now?"

Herbert fell silent on the spot, strode forward, and scooped the mermaid young lady up into a princess carry in one go.

"……Come, I'll carry you."

And after being picked up by Herbert, the expression on Fu Leimei's face immediately improved. She smiled brightly, hugged the already-washed-clean Herbert, and nuzzled his cheek.

"Hehe."

Of course she wouldn't really get angry over something like that—she just wanted to find an excuse to cling to him.

Hehehe… he had such a nice, fragrant scent on him.

Sniff—

After carefully taking one sniff, Fu Leimei, in order not to give herself away, proactively changed the subject: "Ahem, what kind of magical beast are you going to look for next?"

At the very beginning, Fu Leimei had worried that Herbert's stamina would be completely exhausted under the encirclement.

But after Herbert finished clearing the third wave of Mist Ghost Wolves, Fu Leimei noticed something was off.

Herbert had not only failed to grow weary from the successive battles, but was actually growing more courageous with each fight, becoming more and more energized.

Based on her deduction, Herbert probably had some special talent or item on him.

Either the type that gets more excited in battle, or a magical tool that gradually restores stamina.

"No, next we won't go looking for other magical beasts. I've already tested the effect, no need to rush. Next, we'll proceed straight to the next step."

By grinding through the Mist Ghost Wolves, Herbert had roughly figured out the upper limit of the ability's improvement.

The improvement effect for the same species seemed to peak after killing around a hundred of them. Going beyond that still had some effect, but the amount of ability it could enhance was extremely negligible.

Rather than wasting time on mid-tier magical beasts, it was better to go straight for high-tier, or even powerful magical beasts above high-tier, to gain abilities.

"Then what are we doing next?"

Herbert, holding the mermaid young lady, looked down and asked:

"Fu Leimei, if you're in a place where water elements are very active, can you suppress a divine creation of legendary grade?"

"Suppress?"

Fu Leimei raised an eyebrow, somewhat displeased, and said: "Are you looking down on me?"

Herbert added: "No singing, though. I still have some use for it."

Although he didn't know why that Holy Grail had come looking for him, he couldn't sense any malice from it.

"Hm? When did I ever say I'd use singing to deal with it?"

Fu Leimei huffed lightly, proudly lifting her chin: "It's just a divine creation, isn't it? It's not like I haven't seen them in the sea!"

"Wait and see! You really think singing is all I can do!"

The proud mermaid princess said confidently: "It absolutely is no match for me!"

"Stop."

"You've crossed the line."

The centaur Sophia, who had appeared outside the camp earlier, held a long spear in her hand and stared at the lake water slowly moving toward her, saying coldly:

"I've put up with you many times already. Don't push it too far."

Sophia stared at the lake water that completely ignored her, and couldn't help clenching her teeth.

What exactly are you trying to do?

One moment moving that way, the next moment moving this way — what are you really after?

It had been quiet for a while, and Sophia had thought this fellow would behave for some time, but she hadn't expected that not long after, it started up again.

And why won't it go to anyone else's territory, just wandering around in mine?

Do you really think I have no temper!!?

Do I look that easy to bully?

"Stop!!"

"Don't come any closer, or I won't hold back…"

And just as Sophia was coldly issuing her threat, her expression suddenly changed, and she turned her head to look in another direction.

An unfamiliar force had intruded into her territory!

"Who is it!!?"

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(End of this chapter)