Sword God in a World of Magic

Shang wasn't sure if that was good or bad.

For now, he decided to remain silent.

"Let me explain my conundrum with a metaphor," the Lightning Emperor said.

"Imagine you are a mortal and live in a village with 50 other villagers. You don't have any sort of real societal standards and norms, and the strongest person in the village is the leader."

"Now, imagine there is a council of five leaders since they don't want to fight each other for whatever reason, and you are one of them."

"One day, you find the offspring of a very powerful beast, which is far more powerful than any member of the council."

"You nurture it, and it follows you."

"Yet, it doesn't completely follow your commands, and you know that there is a chance that it might attack you and everyone else. After all, it is still a wild beast."

"But maybe, it will also help you."

"But also only you. What if it attacks any of the others in the village?"

"Right now, the beast is still a baby."

"So, what do you do?"

"Do you nurture it?"

"Do you kill it?"

"Do you ask the others?"

The Lightning Emperor drank another mouthful of tea.

"Everything about this beast screams risk at you. No matter what happens, it will be a risk. If it isn't one for you, it definitely will be one for the village."

"But you like the village. You live in the village. You are happy with the village."

"You don't want your beast to kill other villagers."

"But it very likely will."

"So, what would you do?" the Lightning Emperor asked.

focused on

answer

Should he lie?

wouldn't even

the skills to lie in front of a Mage

he argue for

good reason, this would

the Lightning Emperor?

he give a

else should do, what the village should do, or what the morally

Lightning Emperor answered as he drank more

morally correct thing to do would be to send it out of the village," Shang said. "If

Lightning Emperor didn't show

village is to either collectively raise the beast to make it follow everyone's orders or

Lightning Emperor

their ambition. Is it worth the risk to nurture it for the eventual payoff? The person could become the leader of the village. Maybe, they could even leave the village and go someplace better with

the Lightning Emperor's interest, but he

what I would

would let

your reason?" the

has no

Lightning Emperor said

be the strongest," Shang

I want to have any shot at reaching my goal. Even more, the beast's growth might

is stronger than me, it means my goal was impossible

I might as well kill

Silence.

Emperor looked at Shang with a

tell me to kill

Shang answered emotionlessly. "I told you what I would do. I know that my own goals and priorities are not in line with most people's

"You are not me."

choice in your case, it doesn't mean that

a bit extreme. Is your goal really that important

said. "I sacrificed everything else, and I don't regret

many people in this world. Geniuses might be rare, but among billions, trillions, quadrillions, or however many people there are, there have to be

those geniuses, how many of

people, that is still

them from being the