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.

Sense focused on

that his answer

Should he lie?

even

skills to lie in front

he argue for

reason, this would

defer the responsibility of the decision to the Lightning Emperor? After all, he

he give a

else should do, what the village should do, or

them," the Lightning Emperor answered as he drank more of

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

didn't show

smartest choice for the village is to either collectively raise the beast to make it follow everyone's

Emperor remained

ambition. Is it worth the risk to nurture it for the eventual payoff? The person could become the

interest,

what I would

would let

the

has no impact

elaborate," the Lightning Emperor

to be the strongest,"

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

turns out that the beast is stronger than me, it means my goal

means I might as

Silence.

Lightning Emperor looked at Shang with

you just tell me to

what I would do. I know that my own goals and priorities

"You are not me."

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

"That sounds a bit

"I sacrificed

billions, trillions, quadrillions, or however many people

how many

trillion people, that is still a thousand people

stops them from being the