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.

Spirit Sense focused

his answer

Should he lie?

wouldn't even attempt

had the skills to lie in

argue for the

a good reason,

responsibility of the decision to the Lightning Emperor? After all, he was much older and much more

give a neutral

what the village

them," the Lightning Emperor answered

thing to do would be to send it out of the village," Shang said. "If you can't do that, nurture it and

Lightning Emperor didn't

is to either collectively raise the

Lightning Emperor remained

normal person would do, it would depend on 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

Emperor's interest, but he

for what I would

would let

your reason?" the Lightning

no

Lightning

be

shot at reaching my goal. Even more, the beast's growth might even give me the incentive

if it turns out that the beast is stronger than me, it means my goal was impossible to achieve from the

as well

Silence.

at Shang with

tell me

Shang answered emotionlessly. "I told you what I would do. I know that my own goals and

"You are not me."

might make that choice in your case, it doesn't mean that

an eyebrow. "That sounds a bit extreme. Is

I have left," Shang said. "I sacrificed everything

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

many of them are extremely

are only a thousand people left from one trillion people, that is still a thousand people that I have to

stops them from being the