"After all, the Eternal Holy Sword isn't something that can just be pulled out so easily, which is why many churches also use the sword as their symbol.

"This church, tasked with vanquishing evil, is certainly no exception — but—"

The Evil-breaking Bishop fell silent, staring at the rusty broken sword, speechless for a long while.

"How did it become like this?"

Noticing the desolation in the man's heart, the Hero asked softly.

Originally, she thought the unimposing appearance of this sword was a special symbol. After all, although it looks a bit tattered, it's more than sufficient for slaying Goblins, and the broken sword tip is quite suitable for fighting in narrow caves.

But now it seems that this sword was not meant to be in such a state.

The Evil-breaking Bishop did not answer immediately, instead, he countered with a question:

"Miss Candidate, since you haven't been in the church for long, could it be that you became a Hero out of a desire for revenge?"

Seeing the Hero nod, he continued:

"Then, Miss Hero, if you don't mind, can you tell me which kind of magic creature you despise enough to become a Hero? And do you consider it evil?"

"Of course, my goal is to eradicate every Goblin in this world." The Hero answered without hesitation, a resolute expression on her face.

Hearing that the Hero's object of hatred turned out to be Goblins, the Evil-breaking Bishop was also taken aback, a hint of surprise flickering in his amber eyes.

Wild-born Heroes almost all harbor deep hatred for magic creatures, having experienced homes destroyed and families lost is common.

But mere hatred is not enough; if there is fear of magic creatures in one's heart, it is very difficult to awaken as a Hero.

The same goes for awakening within the Courage Church; if there is even a trace of impurity in one's determination, the Hero awakening will fail. So even though the church has researched the transformation ceremony for Heroes, very few succeed.

Only emotions pure enough to distort the soul can birth that power which grows through plunder and slaughter.

But on the other hand, in today's peaceful times, although magic creatures' threats still exist, large-scale disasters are rare.

Even though similar incidents cannot be entirely prevented, victims often quickly get their revenge.

In an era like this, those who can awaken the power of Heroes are either born monsters or possess extreme purity.

"Goblins, huh... That is a very typical evil, with no room for argument. No wonder you chose our church."

After all, the Evil-breaking Bishop, experienced and knowledgeable, quickly recovered from his surprise.

"Let me offer another example then.

"Hero, suppose a Magic Pig mistakenly intrudes into human farmland and even kills the farmer trying to drive it away. Do you consider it evil?"

The Hero thought for a moment, then shook her head: "…It probably isn't."

As a Beast Spirit Mage, though not having trained in the Druid profession, she is well-versed in the law of the jungle.

If an action is part of maintaining the cycle of life, whether hunting or being hunted, there is no distinction between good and evil.

The Evil-breaking Bishop nodded approvingly: "You are right. Evil, in fact, is quite a subjective concept.

"If this pig just accidentally intrudes on the farmland and kills to survive, we don't deem it evil.

"But if it craves human flesh and actively attacks humans, then it is undoubtedly evil.

"Yet, this judgement applies only to this individual, not to all Magic Pigs as being evil."

The Hero nodded, showing understanding, and the Evil-breaking Bishop continued:

"From this perspective, the entire Goblin species is innately evil."

He no longer looked at the broken sword, inviting the Hero to sit on a nearby bench, with the posture for a heart-to-heart talk.

"And the holy artifact of our church, in a sense, aligns with your philosophy.

"This sword was incomplete from the start, not because it was broken."

"Whenever a piece of evil is ousted, we offer prayers to it, and the broken sword will grow a little. Only when all evil in the world is eradicated will this Evil-breaking Broken Sword truly be forged completely."

The Hero listened with shining eyes, increasingly feeling that this church suited her, but glancing at the rusty broken sword, she knew there was more to it, so she continued listening.

"When the kingdom was first established and the church had just been founded, our church already existed."

Recalling past glories, the Evil-breaking Bishop leaned back in the chair, full of emotion.

"Back then, the kingdom was rampant with evil—Goblins, Witch Demon Scorpions, Undead Mages, vampires, demons... magic creatures, demons, even humankind itself, the presence of evil seemed endless.

"But times change. Just like how Undead Mages, who used to be seen as desecrators of life, have become legitimate, though still not well-received by the public, their knowledge has been acknowledged and they have contributed to civilization."

[Are vampires demons? (7+ is)]

D10=d10(1)=1

"However, those who call themselves the Blood Clan have not made any progress, self-styled as the noble nobility of the night, yet end up being crucified and sun-dried by us constantly."

Mentioning vampires, the Evil-breaking Bishop's tone carried obvious disdain and contempt, making the Hero, who had never seen such magic creatures, blink curiously.

Realizing he had digressed, the Evil-breaking Bishop cleared his throat and restrained his expression.

"Leaving those aside, what you need to know is that as times change, so does the meaning of evil.

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