A Discussion of Retribution Knights (Revised)

Fifteen minutes later.

The food on the table had been completely swept clean.

Long Haoyu helped his mother clear away all the dishes and chopsticks. Just as he was about to return to his room and continue tonight's Shadow Space training,

Long Xingyu appeared before him, along with Long Haochen, whom he had called over.

"Something wrong?" Long Haoyu asked.

Long Xingyu gave a grunt. "You both completed a full day of training today, and you both passed the Attendant Knight examination."

"Since it's not time to rest yet, I'll explain some other things you two brothers need to know."

This time, Long Haoyu did not snap back at Long Xingyu. He followed Long Xingyu with Long Haochen and sat on the small wooden stools in the courtyard.

With his back to the two brothers and his hands clasped behind him, Long Xingyu gazed at the boundless starry sky.

"Haoyu, Haochen, what do you think is more important to a Knight: offense or defense?"

At Long Xingyu's question, Long Haochen froze on the spot, while Long Haoyu realized what Long Xingyu intended to do.

After a moment passed without an answer from either brother, Long Xingyu finally turned around and continued, "You two are honest. You didn't casually give an answer just to brush me off."

"Even the higher-ups of the Knight Temple would find it difficult to give an exact answer to this question. It involves the two branches you will encounter after becoming true Knights."

"These two branches are Retribution Knights and Guardian Knights. Do you know what a Retribution Knight is? Do you know what a Guardian Knight is?"

Long Haochen honestly shook his head again.

When studying at the Odin Sub-Temple, he had only known that he needed to pass the Attendant Knight examination to become a Knight.

Only after becoming an Attendant Knight would he qualify to become a true Knight.

Long Xingyu's question was clearly beyond the scope of what he had learned.

"Dad, what is the difference between Retribution Knights and Guardian Knights?" Long Haochen asked.

Long Xingyu raised a hand slightly, signaling for Long Haochen not to ask for the moment. His calm gaze settled on Long Haoyu.

"Haoyu, that night, you said you wanted to become an outstanding Retribution Knight."

"Does that mean you had already seen the classification of these two branches in some of the Odin Sub-Temple's archives?"

"Then can you tell me now where the difference between these two branches lies?"

Seeing his father question his older brother, Long Haochen turned a curious gaze toward Long Haoyu.

As for the difference between Retribution Knights and Guardian Knights, he only remembered his brother briefly mentioning it when they had first entered the Odin Sub-Temple.

But that had been a year ago, and his memory was very vague.

Faced with Long Xingyu's sudden question, his head felt like it had doubled in size. He could not sort out the specific differences between them.

Long Haoyu had not expected Long Xingyu to suddenly raise this question tonight. Meeting Long Xingyu's gaze, he frowned slightly.

"Retribution Knights focus on offense. They use two-handed weapons alongside mounts and offensive Holy Arts. On the battlefield, their individual combat ability is powerful, surpassing that of Warriors and Assassins."

"Guardian Knights focus on defense. They wield a shield in one hand and a weapon in the other, excel at support and healing, and are the core of a team. Their individual ability is weaker, but their value in a team is greater than that of Retribution Knights."

"According to the records, within our Knight Temple, Guardian Knights outnumber Retribution Knights by roughly ten to one. That is the difference between the two branches!"

Listening to Long Haoyu's answer, Long Xingyu thought to himself that Long Haoyu really was mature beyond his years and understood the differences between the two branches.

Long Haochen, meanwhile, looked at his elder brother with undisguised admiration after seeing him so easily explain the difference between them.

"Since you know the difference between the two branches, and you know that Guardian Knights outnumber Retribution Knights ten to one in our Knight Temple,"

"and that Guardian Knights play a greater role in teams, why are you still determined to become a Retribution Knight?"

Long Xingyu pressed on, looking steadily at Long Haoyu. He remembered that he himself had become a Retribution Knight because of youthful passion.

But what he saw in Long Haoyu was more composure—far more than a child his age should possess. He found it difficult to understand why Long Haoyu was determined to become a Retribution Knight.

Though in terms of personality, Long Haoyu was indeed very suited to becoming one.

"Because Retribution Knights have stronger individual combat ability," Long Haoyu answered.

Long Xingyu asked solemnly, "Only because their individual combat ability is stronger? And you choose to ignore their value in a team?"

"Becoming a Retribution Knight does not mean ignoring team value. Whether Retribution Knights or Guardian Knights, both have their own roles in a team."

Long Haoyu said, "I once met an Old Knight. He was also a Retribution Knight, and he told me something that left a deep impression on me."

"What did he say?" Long Xingyu asked instinctively.

"That Old Knight told me that choosing to become a Retribution Knight does indeed mean losing much of one's ability to support and heal a team. It may also make the team more likely to fall into danger."

"But if a Retribution Knight still has to worry about what to do if he puts his team in danger, and lacks the strength to ensure that his teammates can fight without pressure and never truly fall into danger, then he might as well go home and raise pigs."

Long Xingyu: "..."

Why did those words sound so strange?

An outstanding Retribution Knight who could not let his teammates fight without pressure and still allowed them to fall into danger might as well go home and raise pigs?

Long Xingyu fell silent. As he carefully pondered Long Haoyu's words, the more he thought about them, the more something felt wrong.

Thinking back on his past battles with his teammates, it seemed their team had also fallen into danger many times.

Though they had always escaped safely in the end, they had still fallen into danger. Did that mean...

As a dignified Divine Seal Knight, according to that Old Knight's theory, he really might as well go home and raise pigs?

What kind of twisted logic was that?!

"What was that Old Knight's name? Someone who could come up with such a theory should not be an obscure Retribution Knight," Long Xingyu asked.

Seeing that Long Xingyu was somewhat shaken, Long Haoyu continued making things up. "I don't know. He never told me."

"Do you agree with that theory?" Long Xingyu asked again after getting his emotions under control.

"I do," Long Haoyu said. "I believe an outstanding Retribution Knight should never allow the possibility of his teammates falling into danger."

Long Xingyu instantly fell silent. The past of a Divine Seal Knight of his generation would certainly be easy to investigate. If one followed that theory to its logical conclusion...

Thinking that he would inevitably have to reveal that he was also a Retribution Knight, along with his true identity, Long Xingyu suddenly felt troubled.

Long Haochen's thoughts were simple. He was nowhere near as devious as Long Haoyu. Hearing his elder brother's assessment of Retribution Knights,

his blood surged with excitement, and his young face flushed red.

Just as Long Xingyu was agonizing over how he would reveal his identity as a Retribution Knight in the future,

Long Haochen suddenly asked curiously, "Dad, you told Brother about the difference between Retribution Knights and Guardian Knights."

"Dad, you must be a great Knight too. Are you a Retribution Knight or a Guardian Knight?"

Long Haoyu's expression turned slightly strange, and he secretly glanced at Long Haochen from the corner of his eye.

Was this little brother really going to set him up like that?