Chapter 148: The Kindness of Villains, or Perhaps Evil (Part 2)
“What do you mean…”
I had originally planned to leave.
With a half-hearted approach of just listening, after a few exchanges, I realized there was really no point in chatting. This woman was trying to shove some twisted philosophy down my throat, but we were simply not on the same wavelength—no matter how impressive she was, she was just a heretic.
Standing atop a heap of corpses by some warped justification, step by step draining every ounce of goodness from humanity, she probably convinced herself she had a “noble” reason for this, just like Teresa—this reminded me of a saying I heard long ago: villains never think they are villains; that’s their biggest blind spot.
As long as someone wants to do evil, they can find a hundred excuses to comfort themselves.
Villains are always comfortably bad, boldly bad, such that kind-hearted people can’t sleep at night. When we righteous folks condemn them with fiery indignation, villains might feel absolutely nothing inside; they lack empathy and can’t even register others’ emotions. In fact, the more they hurt others, the more they enjoy it.
“I have my reasons, so I can harm others without guilt”—that’s the logic of a villain, and there’s really nothing to discuss with someone who thinks like that.
But…
What kind of villain has such a disdain for goodness that they look down on it from the bottom of their heart…
She said, just a mere good person…
She said, that’s all there is…
“You, what do you mean?!”
Buzz—
A blue light flickered in my eyes for a moment, then extinguished. I gripped the biscuit bag and marched toward her: “Just a mere villain…”
The woman didn’t turn around, letting out a soft sigh: “You still don’t understand…”
“On what grounds can you confidently belittle kindness?!”
I rushed to her side, desperately suppressing the urge to just whack her into smithereens. I dodged in front of her, stood firm, looking up into her eyes, my expression… should be fierce, right? I couldn’t hold it in anymore.
“Someday, you will understand.”
She said, unwavering, staring at me unblinkingly.
“…Understand?”
I scoffed, glaring at her, shaking my head vigorously: “No, I will never, ever want to understand a villain’s logic.”
“So in your eyes, people… only divide into good and evil?”
“People are more than just good and evil, but you, you are definitely evil.”
“What makes you say that?”
“You talk about the world’s suffering, constantly whining about it, adopting this sad demagogue posture. You and Teresa, both of you are like this. But the wars in the South are all caused by people like you.”
“Is that so?”
The woman retorted blandly, her expression still indifferent, showing no signs of being affected.
I laughed angrily.
“Murdering innocents, abusing women, butchering children—this is your so-called ‘world’s suffering.’ This is what you all do!”
The murderous rage and fury that had built up in my chest poured forth along with my increasingly heated tone: “I’ve seen it all, I’ve watched! I wish I could chop you all up into a thousand pieces! No, a thousand pieces isn’t enough to atone for your sins.”
For a split second, I noticed a flicker of darkness in her eyes.
It was a fleeting moment, quickly replacing her with her cold demeanor again, as if she hadn’t wavered at all. She took a deep breath and made no further arguments.
“What, nothing to say now?”
Once emotions burst forth, it’s like a disaster taking shape. I pointed at her nose and shouted angrily: “You should know what it feels like to endure the world’s suffering! You should receive that treatment! It’s you cold-blooded, inhumane bastards who deserve it!”
“I wish I could return every bit of suffering endured by those victims, by Cataloma, the Silent Fortress, by Aretian—the horrors they experienced! Every single torture, every act of cruelty, I want to give it back to you, the instigators! That’s what you deserve! Remember my words! I’ll make it happen, and soon, you’ll understand.”
“Ha, ha…”
I started gasping for breath.
Yelling was exhausting, my throat felt like fire; I needed water.
“…I’m waiting.”
Her voice remained calm, undisturbed, and her gaze towards me was still unflinching.
“You hate me, I get it. I’m waiting for the day you come to k*ll me. If it’s you, I’m sure you can do it. But before that, I have my own business to finish. After all is settled, do whatever you want to me—be it torture or torment; I won’t resist.”
“Ha.”
Sounding so carefree…
How could I believe her nonsense? “No matter what your purpose is, I will NOT let you or the Gate of Truth have your way.”
“Then you might be disappointed.”
The woman said as she sidestepped me, taking steps forward.
“The show is about to begin. How about a bet? You will not only fail to stop my next target, but you will also find ways to work with me.”
What does she mean? What is she planning…
“Dream on!” I shouted instinctively.
“Miss Silvya, I’d like to give you a reminder.”
The woman disguised as Mase drifted under the moonlight, her white gown sparkling like snow, heading in the direction where voices congregated to the west.
“You should understand one thing. Everything presented before your eyes in this world, be it suffering or happiness, happens for a deeper reason.”
“…What are you getting at?”
I stood rooted in place, gazing at her retreating figure.
“If this world had no me, no Jester, no Gate of Truth, do you think it would become any better?”
Her voice floated back: “What I’m trying to say, you may not fully comprehend today. It isn’t because I think you’re young or foolish; it’s just that… right now, you are merely a kind, innocent girl, a thoroughly good person.”
“In the eyes of a good person, those who help others in need with their swords are good. Those who share their food with the starving, or help clothe the dead, are good. Those who dedicate their bl**d and lives for the wellbeing of others are also good. You have a noble heart and take such notions to action, becoming a hero in the eyes of humanity.”
“What you don’t understand… is that good people like you, when gathered together, can inadvertently turn into the butchers for evil hands, pushing everything towards irreversible doom…”
“You… what…”
What is she pointing at…
…No, don’t be curious; those are just the ramblings of a heretic. I can’t take her words seriously.
Thinking this way, her voice drifted back in, “Because in this world, true evil, absolute evil, doesn’t present itself clearly before your eyes like beggars and scoundrels. It uses reputation, benefits, a variety of glittering sweets, firm beliefs, fancy words to entice you, guiding your notions of good and evil, burying the truth deep under the ground. If you don’t dig it out, you will never see the facts.”
“What do you mean?” I shouted at her, “Speak clearly!”
“The truth is, if this world had no us, another Gate of Truth would definitely arise, or another Jester, more Jesters, or even worse Abysses… These are the unseeable evils, the consequences of their actions. And if you want to change that result, you must be willing to abandon…”
“You! Stop giving me riddles!”
“Ha, this is just my reminder to you. You don’t understand now, and that’s fine; just dismiss it as the ravings of a heretic for now… Miss Silvya, let me tell you my next move: tonight, I intend to let the Jester d*e right here.”
“You think you can… what?!”
I was taken aback.
“k*ll the Jester.”
The woman repeated, her voice fading away: “I know the Church has prepared many things for tonight. They guessed correctly; the Jester will indeed meet with me soon, right here. After discovering your surveillance, I didn’t change the meeting spot, nor did I inform the Jester of the situation here. He will proceed with the plan as scheduled, arriving in Stag Town right on time after the performance ends and the crowd disperses.”
“…What makes you think… I will trust you…”
Those whispered words were likely lost on Miss Mase.
“k*ll him.”
Under the moonlight, the woman quickened her pace, her figure drifting away into the night: “If necessary, I will assist you…”
