Knight Lords: Infinite Simulation and the Path of Light

Chapter 235 The Prologue to the Shadows

"This is the person you found?"

It must be said that Gene performed exceptionally well in getting things done. The day after Havent finished explaining his needs, he had already taken care of part of the work and brought over a group of clean-cut people that Havent needed.

After circling around the dozens of boys and girls who looked to be between thirteen and fifteen years old, he looked at Gene standing to the side.

"I've filtered them according to your criteria, and I'll send you these for now. If it's not enough, we can send another batch of about the same number in a week."

Hearing Gene speak so easily, Haven looked at the group of thirteen, fourteen, or fifteen-year-old children again. Perhaps due to malnutrition, they all looked very thin and small.

"Are people with clean records so easy to find?"

Gene stepped forward and handed over a book. Haven took it, flipped through it, and glanced at it. Inside were detailed records of personnel information, which looked like the roster of the children in front of him.

"It's not that difficult. If I don't take these kids here, they'll be used elsewhere in a while."

"use?"

Haven looked at Gene with a puzzled expression, clearly not quite understanding what he meant, or perhaps he already guessed what it was but wanted to confirm it again.

"Yes, that's it. As children who are locked up for various reasons, their fate is sealed from birth. The punishment for the bloodline they carry will end when they are worn down through repeated use."

Snap~~
The file was closed and tossed to Gene. Although he had a rough idea of ​​where this person came from, it was still unpleasant to actually hear it out loud.

"This blood feud theory is really tasteless~~"

“Gene, I’ve kept the people. Destroy this information of theirs. From today onwards, they are new people.”

Upon hearing Haven's words, the children in the group began to secretly look up at the person who was about to change their lives.

Gene didn't find Havent's decision strange at all. After all, the status of the Bloodborne Outcasts was almost the same as that of slaves, and killing them all wouldn't violate the laws of the Empire.

Dozens of eyes, filled with confusion, numbness, and a hint of barely perceptible fear, focused on the young nobleman in his blue outfit.

The air was filled with the dusty smell of old paper and a heavier sense of oppression—a despair stemming from the denial of one's bloodline.

Haven's gaze swept over the sinful children that Gene had brought. They were thin, ragged, and had shifty eyes. Like a group of frightened young animals, they trembled even more under the cold, solid stone walls of Vauxhall Crossroads. When life is as insignificant as dust, living with meaning and dignity is undoubtedly a very desirable thing.

"Everyone raise their heads."

Haven's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable power. After using a little bit of his mental energy to strengthen his mark, Haven believed that his work today would be very useful. After all, suffering is the source of all progress, and on the other hand, no one was suffering more than these children burdened with sin and blood.

The children instinctively looked up, their gazes fixed on the young nobleman standing before the mountain of documents. He was so dazzling, so radiant, his invisible light almost blinding. They only looked up for a few seconds before lowering their heads in shame.

“I know who you are. Look at me, this is important to you.”

"I know the identity this empire imposed on you—'Sinful Blood'. A filthy, lowly, and indelible stain, a shackle you were born with, a curse that destined you to spend your lives in mud and darkness."

Haven's words struck precisely at the deepest fears and shame in each child's heart; some trembled slightly, and tears of humiliation welled up in their eyes.

"But from this day forward, you have the power to choose. You are no longer representatives of evil, no longer despised descendants of sinful blood. You will be reborn today, and all of this depends on your choices and subsequent performance."

Looking at the files that had been burned to ashes in the fire, the boys' hearts seemed to be ignited by the flames. More and more boys and girls looked up at Haven, wanting to know what would happen next. No one can resist hope. People living in darkness yearn for the light at all times, even if that light might take their lives.

"Your past, that defined and abhorred 'past,' will never be mentioned again from this moment on. Here, in MI8, there is no bloodshed, only a group of souls waiting to be given a new life!"

"The Empire is sick!"

Haven's voice, amplified by his mental power, echoed like thunder in the enclosed space, sounding so sorrowful and desperate.

"Darkness, like a poisonous vine, coils around the heart of the capital! Just days ago, those venomous snakes in the shadows orchestrated a massacre against my family! My loved ones lay dead in pools of blood, and my home was burned to the ground! And this is merely the tip of the iceberg of their vast conspiracy! Their goal is to overthrow the entire empire and drag this land into eternal chaos and darkness!"

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Haven slowly stepped forward and walked into the crowd. These children, who had been treated like pigs and dogs for a long time, had a faint stench due to their harsh living conditions and lack of sunlight. However, Haven remained unusually calm.

“You live in forgotten corners, and tomorrow is something you can only hope for but never hope for. In your suffering, you feel the decay of life more than anyone else, and you also feel the coldness and despair brought by the spread of darkness more than anyone else!”

The heavy words "imperial overthrow," "dark conspiracy," and "family blood feud" struck the children's hearts. Numbness was mixed with horror, and fear was mixed with a thrill of being "seen."

As descendants of sinful blood, these children understand all too well what these words mean. After all, to some extent, they had all played such roles in their family history, and such things led to their tragic lives.

"Now, the Empire needs you!"

“We need people like you, born to struggle in the darkness, more familiar with the patterns of darkness than anyone else! You possess a resilience that those pampered and privileged can never comprehend, an instinct to survive in dire straits! You are the only eyes and ears that can penetrate that darkness unnoticed! You are the shadows the Empire needs most!”

Haven's grey-green eyes swept across the faces of the group of dirty children, making eye contact with some of the boys and girls who were looking at him.

"What I can give you is an option, a decision that is entirely up to you, and you will not have to bear any consequences no matter which you choose."

"From now on, I will give you new identities. You can choose a new name or continue using your current name."

And I can be honest with you about what I need you to do now: I need you to be trained again and then spread throughout the capital, blending into the shadows, and regularly reporting any intelligence you deem meaningful.

Gene was a little surprised to hear Haven's words. This young master White Lion really dared to say anything. He revealed the secret so directly. If these people were not willing, he would have to consider how to handle the aftermath.

"In this process, you may be discovered and arbitrarily executed, or you may die in an accident while carrying out an undercover mission."

But I can assure you that your deaths will not be in obscurity. After you die, you will be placed in the Imperial Cemetery and worshipped as Imperial heroes.

And if you survive the mission, you will win back what you have lost; your sins will be washed away by honor and merit.

Under Haven's words, the boys' breathing quickened. Hope was more effective than any drug; a brilliant death, like a firework, was far more desirable than dying like dust. "Think about it!"

Havent's voice was inflammatory, precisely striking the most sensitive chords in the hearts of the "sinful" youths.

"When you successfully delivered crucial intelligence, thwarted the Dark Alliance's conspiracy, and saved countless innocent lives!"
When the order of the empire is maintained through your sacrifice, then you will no longer be 'sinful commoners'! You will be heroes of the empire!

With your actions and undeniable achievements, you have proven that the hierarchy of bloodlines is nothing but a fool's prejudice! Your very existence is the loudest slap in the face to this corrupt rule!

You will win true dignity, an indelible glory that comes from the depths of your soul, earned by your own hands!

You will wash away the shame of your fathers and prove that what flows in your veins is not evil, but loyalty and courage!

Haven pointed to his heart, his eyes gleaming.

"You will pledge direct allegiance to me, Havent Hylan, heir to the White Lion, and now Special Inspector of MI8!"
Every success you have achieved has been a struggle for the bright future of the Empire, and I will remember your contributions. When the darkness that has shrouded the capital recedes and the sun shines upon it once more, I will personally cleanse your bloodline of its stain and bestow upon you the status you deserve! This is not charity, but a reward you have earned with your loyalty, wisdom, and courage!

"Of course, this process will be extremely difficult and dangerous, like walking on the edge of a knife or dancing on the edge of an abyss."

Haven's voice turned cold, carrying a cruel truth.

"You may die alone, your identities unknown, your deeds forgotten, disappearing into the darkness like a speck of dust."

But this is also the only battlefield for you to prove your worth! You choose to rot in the mud, sign a magical confidentiality agreement with me, and then I will set you free, and you will spend the rest of your lives in a daze.

Or will you choose to grasp this invisible dagger, plunge into the darkness, and strive for that supreme glory that can illuminate your entire soul?!

Silence spread through the archives, but it was no longer deathly stillness and numbness. Fear, excitement, confusion, and a faint yet burning hope collided fiercely.

Finally, a boy with a defiant look in his eyes suddenly stepped forward, knelt on one knee, and spoke in a hoarse but incredibly firm voice:

"My lord! I am willing! I am willing to be your wedge! To plunge into the darkness, to prove my worth! To wash away the shame in my blood!"

Like sparks igniting dry grass, a second, a third… dozens of frail figures were set ablaze, kneeling on one knee, suppressing choked sobs of excitement and a do-or-die determination, their voices mingling into a low yet resounding vow:

"I am willing!"

"Dive into the darkness! Prove your worth!"

"Wash away the shame! Be loyal to the Lord! Fight for the Empire!"

The eyes of the teenagers shone with an almost fanatical light of faith, a vitality bursting forth after being given a "noble" mission and a "new life" of hope.

Looking at the group of teenagers who had been reshaped by his words, Haven felt no relief, only a heavy sense of responsibility.

"Very good~"

"Gentlemen, your courage is commendable. I assure you that you are important, not pawns to be discarded at will."

"Now..."

"Gene, give them a nice hot bath and then a warm meal."

After Gene left with the children, Haven was left alone in the archives, leaning back in his chair and staring blankly at the carved ceiling.

"What are you thinking about?"

I don't know when, but Gene has already returned.

"Nothing, everyone's been taken care of?"

Seeing that Haven didn't intend to say anything to him, Gene didn't care much and pulled out a chair to sit down.

"Lord Havent, you were just with that group of..."

“Those kids explained it so clearly, aren’t you afraid they’ll betray us during the infiltration? If the Dark Alliance gets wind of it, our work will be much more difficult.”

Haven scoffed at Gene's claims.

"Given our current situation, what can happen even if they all betray us?"
Could things get any worse than they are now?

"Well... we still need to maintain some control, otherwise we'll be too passive."

Seeing Gene's conflicted expression, Haven couldn't help but smile. This intelligence chief of MI8 was one of the few people Haven respected here.

"Of course I want it. How's your study of that book going?"

"That's about it~ I must say, Lord Havent, your ideas are indeed quite unique. Many of these ideas seem extremely bold, but upon closer examination, they are all very profound in their design."

Gene took out a handwritten notebook from his magic pouch. It was covered with dense notes, showing that Gene had put a lot of effort into the book.

"Then do it this way. I hope you can train them in six months."

Gene licked his lips and said excitedly:
"Lord Havent, I feel it won't take more than three months, at most a month and a half to train them."

Given Gene's certainty, Haven didn't want to press him for details, as knowing too much would only affect his mood.

"Alright~ Then good luck to you. I need to go back to the North. I'll be relying on you here for a while. You need to get those things I mentioned done as soon as possible."

(End of this chapter)