Chapter 428: Chapter 353: The Reason of the Traitor

“Because I am tired,” the Fairy General on trial finally spoke up. “Is that reason enough?”

“No! Tunji! That’s not true!” exclaimed the very fairy who had just been defending her, horrified.

“Guoshi, you’ve experienced too little,” the Fairy gently pushed her companion away, staring directly at Finier seated on the throne. “In the last Pascaler defensive battle, I lost my good friend Shamei, and before that were Yingyou, Huayee, and Qiling, and even prior were Jie Xiang and Xuancao… There are so many names I can’t even count them all. What were their sacrifices for, exactly?”

“Of course to protect the innocent, pure children from harm,” Acheron countered, “That is the reason all of us came to Androlina!”

“So exactly how much cost must be paid for this?” the Fairy General did not back down. “Those children are still fewer than a hundred, how many Protectors have been sacrificed for them? Surely more than a hundred times that number? How long must these needless sacrifices continue?”

“So you chose betrayal?” bald human General Poping Jay spoke up too, his voice unable to conceal his rage, “Sending more Protectors to their deaths?”

“My target is only those so-called ‘children.’ Once these perpetual kids are gone, the Protector army will have no reason to stay in this realm. Then, everyone can go home,” Tunji’s voice had a chilling indifference, “As for those who obstruct that day’s arrival, they naturally have to be dealt with.”

The crowd exploded, some loudly contesting the Fairy’s view, others cursing Tunji’s cruelty, and some even attempted to rush forward and beat her, fortunately, others held them back.

Lancelot’s view was quite simple. The children were definitely innocent, and for the Aira Celestials to come to protect them was undoubtedly right. As for other races’ Protectors, as long as they volunteered, they surely were aware of the sacrifices involved. Moreover, in the Bedivere-Gian Forest, the Portal was just to keep those children who couldn’t use it secret; any Protector could use the Portal to leave at any time–no one was forced to stay.

“Tunji, I am really disappointed because I’ve always considered you a good friend,” the King Consort’s voice sounded very sad. “You think the price paid to protect those children is too great, so they should all be killed? Clearly, the cruel Demons are the aggressors, yet you think to end the atrocities by eliminating the victims?”

“Don’t you understand? From the day that blasphemous covenant was signed in ancient times, these children trapped in the Abyss have been bait, attracting benevolent souls from across the Multiverse, causing countless Protectors to perish here!” the Fairy General held firm to her view. “With so many sacrifices, is it worth it?”

“If we relent, it amounts to admitting that killing innocent children is an acceptable action. How great a price do you think needs to be paid for us to accept such a theory?” Finier fiercely retorted. “I can tell you the answer right now, no matter how many sacrifices are needed, no matter the cost, I, our Aira race, and all those who believe in benevolence, will never yield on this issue!”

“However, the philosophical dispute is unrelated to the punishment you must face. Regardless of the motive, the undeniable fact is that many Protector Warriors and innocent children died by your hand, and for this, you must pay the price.”

“In the Queen’s name, I hereby make the following judgment: You are immediately dismissed from all your duties in the Protector army and the Court of Stars, stripped of all titles and honors you possess, and permanently imprisoned within the dungeons of the Court of Stars. You shall not receive any pardon for a thousand years, even if the pardon comes from the Queen, the Queen’s proxy, or the Queen’s heir. The Queen is aware of this judgment and has authorized me to carry it out.”

Having said that, Finier rose from the throne and walked straight up to the former Fairy General, looking her in the eyes and asked:

“Do you accept?”

“Can I refuse?”

“Obviously not,” replied the Aira King Consort with a shrug before he drew the nearly transparent Starlight Strike from his side, “Anything else you want to say to your old friends?”

Swallowthorn surveyed the crowd around her, a trace of sadness visible in her eyes.

“I don’t think I did anything wrong; I just wanted to end it all,” said the fairy haughtily, lifting her chin, “Get on with it.”

Hearing this, the Aira King Consort said no more. The Starlight Strike gently brushed across the fairy’s shoulder, creating a fine line of blood. Soon, a blue and white ring of light appeared above Swallowthorn’s head, emitting a very strong suction force. However, the fairy general seemed able to resist this force, perhaps because she was almost uninjured.

“Enter, Swallowthorn,” said Finier calmly, “Since you had the courage to plot against your former comrades, you should not fear the punishment that awaits.”

“…Hmph.”

With a snort, the fairy ceased her resistance and her figure was abruptly pulled into the ring of light, which quickly disappeared.

Sir Lancelot breathed a silent sigh; he had experienced similar situations before. After defeating what seemed to be an undefeatable opposing force, one would often discover that one or two closely bonded comrades had actually betrayed them secretly. Of course, in human societies, the handling of such matters was not absolute, and sometimes it could even be treated as if it never happened.

However, if it were up to him, the fairy would have been executed by now. He could understand Swallowthorn’s anguish, but the crime of betraying a comrade was inexcusable for any reason.

“Sir Lancelot,” Finier turned to him after the fairy was sent away with a nod of greeting, “I’m truly sorry for disrupting the farewell party we were holding for you. Even though we spoke that night, I need to express once again that everyone here owes you and your companions a great debt of gratitude. You will always be friends of the Aira.”

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“Thank you for your kind words, Your Royal Highness,” Sir Lancelot bowed politely, “We are glad to have been able to contribute, however modestly.”

“Too much modesty is pride, my friend,” the King Consort laughed, and then pulled out two beautiful medals from his inner pocket, “I have discussed this with the Queen, and Her Majesty agrees to confer upon you and Miss Elothysia the title of Knight of Stars. This is merely an honorary title, with no duties or obligations. Surely, you would accept this?”

“Of course, it is my honor,” Sir Lancelot accepted the medals respectfully, struggling to keep his amused grin at bay. Inside, he was delighted; Knight of Stars sounded splendid indeed. This was the second title he had earned since arriving in the Abyss, the previous one being Lord of Withering… Hmm, those two titles together seemed a bit off, but that didn’t matter.

“Titles are merely honorary, but these medals are somewhat useful. Once a day, you can use them to cast the Resurrection of the Dead, and as long as you remain in the Bedivere-Gian Forest plane, you can also use these medals to detect the location of the entrance to the Court of Stars,” Finier told Sir Lancelot and the approaching Succubus Paladin, then he turned the invisible longsword in his hand and handed the hilt to Sir Lancelot, “And the Starlight Strike, this treasured sword is also a token of gratitude from our Aira Clan.”

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