Chapter 50: Just Do It for Me (Please Follow)

"You… want me to escape?"

Svanney furrowed her brow, staring at Herbert in confusion.

What nonsense are you spouting?

Aren't you the warden?

The prisoners don't want to escape, yet you insist on forcing them to?

"Yes, but also no."

Herbert knew his words would inevitably cause misunderstanding, so he shook his head and took the initiative to explain: "I do want you to respond to them, but not because I want you to actually leave with them."

"To put it more directly, I hope you can defect from them and become our inside agent."

The holy man cheerfully extended an invitation to the dark elf: "I want to use you to pass some false intelligence to them, and thereby set a trap for them."

It's what you'd call 'entrapment.'"

At this moment, Herbert laid things out bluntly, even somewhat harshly.

I want you to help me persecute your own family.

Honestly, that sounds really off.

It doesn't sound like something a righteous person would say at all—more like something a completely unscrupulous villain would say.

The identities of these two seemed to have swapped.

It's as if Svanney were the female knight captured and tormented by the villain, being gradually corrupted and led down a dark path by the villainous Herbert...

"Huh???"

At this moment, even the proudest elf couldn't hold it together anymore.

Swanny's face was full of confusion, her brows deeply furrowed, looking at the other party in bewilderment.

You... uh, I, um?

Is this really right?

"You want me to betray them? Why would you do that?" Svanney stared at Herbert, trying to read the answer on his face.

And the result—she didn't even need to guess; Herbert revealed the answer himself.

"Because I want to help you."

The handsome holy knight gazed at the elf with unwavering devotion and said firmly: "And this, is an opportunity!"

"I am the warden, responsible for overseeing all the prisoners of the Third Commandment Monastery, but in fact, my mission is far more than simply watching over you."

"My true duty, in fact, is to be responsible for the enlightenment of you all."

Herbert's expression was sincere, his eyes full of earnestness, as he said in a low voice:

"Suppression and sealing were never the goal—only reluctant means; the monastery's true aim is for all of you to 'turn from evil to righteousness.'"

Herbert spoke with such heartfelt sincerity, as if he were a scoundrel deceiving a naive maiden... but this time, he really wasn't lying!

The truth really was so—if it were merely a matter of holding prisoners, then the warden would be dispensable; the sealing formation was already sufficient, and there was simply no need for an extra person.

The warden's true duty is only one: to redeem these wayward, non-human prisoners.

And now, this is the method Herbert has chosen.

He gazed at the thoughtful Svanney and pressed his advantage, adding:

"Of course, I understand you're not actually evil, but it's useless for only me to know that—to outsiders, you appear just as evil and dangerous as everyone else."

"The cultivators can't be counted on. They are already deeply convinced of your evil; no one will doubt the correctness of this matter, and no one will bother to investigate."

"But I am different. I am only an outsider, and I do not take these things for granted as a premise to view them with."

Saying this, Herbert stepped forward, drawing closer to Swanny, his gaze burning as he looked into her eyes.

"Especially after interacting with you all, I'm even more convinced of my belief—perhaps you aren't the monstrous prisoners they make you out to be."

Herbert's words were no lie.

Of the four prisoners he had come into contact with so far, apart from one disgraceful vampire who saw nothing of value, the other three differed considerably from the evil prisoners he had imagined.

They might be extremely dangerous, but they were not necessarily truly evil.

"You can be changed, and you shouldn't be treated this way."

Herbert stepped forward once more.

"I want to help you."

Another step.

"Please let me help you!"

By the time he said this, he had almost pressed right up against Swanny!

"You..."

Swanny was overwhelmed by his presence, took an unaccustomed step back, averted her gaze and said: "What exactly are you trying to do?"

Heh.

The instant Herbert saw her yield, a flash of amusement passed through his eyes.

Good, she's hooked.

He did not press on any further, and said with a confident smile: "I want to prove it to them!"

"For that, we need to produce results—not just verbal change between the two of us, but concrete action."

"And they are your results!"

When things were said to this point, Swanny finally understood what Herbert was trying to do.

He wanted her to present a pledge of allegiance to the monastery.

To prove her own "redemption through corruption" with the blood of those people.

This method was indeed simple and easy to understand, and did not require her to put in any effort herself; it sounded quite good.

But...

Swanie's expression was cold, and without any concealment she directly retorted, "Do you really think I would betray them?"

If you tell me to betray them, I just betray them?

Is it really that simple?

Herbert's answer to this was even more direct.

"Why not?"

Swanie:?

Without any hesitation, Herbert said as if it were the most natural thing in the world, "Since they already betrayed you long ago, why can't you betray them?"

"For several hundred years they couldn't even remember you, and only when there's a family power struggle do they think of you — do you think they really mean well?"

"Impossible. I'm a noble myself, I know this kind of trick all too well."

He gave a contemptuous laugh, shook his head, and said, "It's nothing more than using you as a tool in their power struggle, and once you have no value left, they'll toss you aside without a second thought."

To put it bluntly, they're just using Swanie as a figurehead tool.

"Besides, even though you're used to loneliness, is this really a place suited for your research?"

"Do you still have enough research material? Even if you have enough now, these existing materials will one day run out, and new materials will be discovered out in the world... Can you really endure your research making no progress?"

First appeal to reason, then appeal to emotion.

"Moreover, just as you yourself said before, the blood of the dark elves flows in your body, so betrayal is not something unacceptable to you."

"Then if that's the case, what is there for you to still hesitate about?"

"Swanie, please, help me out — give me a chance to help you."

He said:

"Rather than trusting those 'family members' of yours who have never trusted you, never understood your thoughts, always looked down on your research, and ignored you..."

"Why can't you choose me?"

Herbert stared at Swanie with a smile, then bowed in a polite gesture and elegantly extended his hand toward her.

The motion looked just like a ballroom invitation asking a female partner to dance with him.

"So... just do it for me."

"Please betray your family."

Use Flame Fist on them!

Thanks to 烟雲流逝 and 霓衣雲君 for the tips!

Today I was busy writing the outline for the later chapters, so it's a bit late. I'll try to update earlier in the future.

Please keep reading~

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(End of this chapter)