At that, a flicker of shame crossed the "Duke of the Past's" face. "You're right. When all is said and done, I really am nothing but a warrior. Before I joined the organization and received my mentor's guidance, I was just a foolish mercenary who knew only how to solve problems the mercenary way."
Yu Lian raised an eyebrow. "A mercenary? The first thing that comes to mind is that poor 'Beloved Friend Number One.' Sounds more like a cult to me."
"More precisely, a mercenary organization turned cult, or a cult in the style of a mercenary outfit. That approach can produce a usable fighting force. In the slaughterhouse where I lived, I needed that kind of strength." He seemed to sink into a profound and painful reverie, a look of compassion for all living things passing over his face.
"But then I met my mentor. He told me that cult-like organizations had their limits. Yes, during my brief career as a cultist, I learned one thing: the more you manipulate the dark side of human nature, the more you realize that this approach does, after all, have its limits."
"So you transcended cults? I'm in awe!" Yu Lian clasped his hands in a mock salute.
"No, I didn't transcend cults either. I'd already grown dependent on that path, and could only build up the organization's strength my own way. I was never going to become like my mentor."
He paused, looking at Yu Lian with hopeful eyes. "But someone else can. Someone might even do better than my mentor."
Yu Lian pretended not to understand what he meant and nodded with an open expression. "Mm. Now, Auntie—yes, that Auntie named Lily—may be a nutcase too, but at least she's better-looking than you, so she seems a lot more