Chapter 49: Do It for My Sake (Please Follow the Serialized Updates!)

"You... want me to break out of prison?"

Svani knitted her brows tightly, staring at Herbert with incomprehension.

What on earth are you talking about?
Aren't you the warden?
When the prisoner doesn't even want to escape, you're going to force them into a prison break?

"Yes, but also no."

Knowing that his words would inevitably cause misunderstandings, Herbert shook his head and took the initiative to explain: "I do want you to reply to them, but I don't want you to actually leave with them."

"To put it more directly, I hope you can turn against them and become our inside agent."

The holy man issued his invitation to the dark elf with a pleasant expression: "I want to use you to feed them some false information, and use that to entrap them."

So-called "sting enforcement."

At this moment, Herbert spoke with blunt directness, even a little gratingly.

I want you to help me persecute your family.

To be completely honest, hearing that sounded deeply wrong.
It didn't sound like something a righteous person would say at all; it sounded much more like something a villain with no bottom line would utter.

The identities of these two people seemed to have been swapped.
It was as if Svani was the female knight captured and ravaged by the villain, constantly being seduced and trained by the villain Herbert, gradually embarking on a path of depravity...

"Huh???"

At this moment, even the coldest elf could no longer keep her composure.

Svani's face was filled with perplexity, her brows deeply furrowed as she looked at him incomprehensibly.

You... uh, me, hmm?
Is this really right?

"You want me to betray them? Why would you do that?" Svani looked at Herbert, trying to find the answer on his face.

And she didn't even need to guess, for Herbert directly revealed the answer himself.

"Because I want to help you."

The handsome paladin looked deeply and affectionately at the elf without dodging her gaze, saying firmly: "And this is an opportunity!"

"I am the warden, responsible for overseeing all prisoners in the Third Precepts Ward, but in truth, my task isn't merely as simple as watching over you all."

"My true duty is actually to reform you."

With a sincere expression and eyes full of genuine earnestness, Herbert said in a low voice:

"Suppression and sealing have never been the goal; they are merely helpless methods. The true purpose of the monastery is to hope that all of you can 'return to the right path'."

Herbert spoke with deep emotion and heartfelt sincerity, sounding like a scoundrel deceiving an ignorant maiden... but this time, he wasn't lying at all!

That truly was the case. If it were merely about locking up prisoners, the warden's role would be entirely dispensable. The sealing array was already more than enough; an extra person was completely unnecessary.

The warden's sole true purpose was to reform these misguided alien prisoners.

And right now, this was the method Herbert had chosen.

Gazing at the pensive Svani, he pressed his advantage and added:

"Of course, I understand that you aren't actually evil, but it's useless for only me to understand that. In the eyes of outsiders, you are just as evil and dangerous as the rest."

"The monks cannot be counted upon. They are already deeply convinced of your evil nature; no one doubts the correctness of this belief, nor will anyone bother to investigate."

"But I am different. I am merely an outsider; I haven't preconceived these notions as self-evident premises."

At this point, Herbert took a step forward, drawing even closer to Svani, his burning gaze fixed on her eyes.

"Especially after interacting with all of you, I have become even firmer in my belief—perhaps you are not the heinous prisoners they claim you to be."

Herbert's words were no lie.

Aside from a certain disgraceful vampire in whom he had yet to see any redeeming qualities, the other three prisoners he had contacted so far differed quite a bit from the evil captives he had imagined.

They might be extremely dangerous, but they were not necessarily evil.

"You can be changed, and you do not deserve to be treated this way."

Herbert took another step forward.

"I want to help you."

Another step.

"Please let me help you!"

By this point, he was practically pressed against Svani's body!

"You..."

Overwhelmed by his imposing aura, Svani uncomfortably took a step back, averted her gaze, and asked, "What on earth are you trying to do?"

Heh.

The moment he saw her compromise, a flash of amusement crossed Herbert's eyes.

Good, she's hooked.

Ceasing his pressure, he spoke with a confident smile: "I want to prove it to them!"

"To do that, we need to produce results—not just verbal changes between the two of us, but concrete actions."

"And they are your results!"

By this juncture, Svani finally understood what Herbert wanted to do.

He wanted her to submit a proof of allegiance to the monastery.

Using the blood of those people to prove her "virtuous fall."

The method was simple and straightforward, requiring no effort on her part. It actually sounded pretty good.

However...

With a cold expression, Svani made no attempt to hide it as she directly countered: "Do you really think I would betray them?"

You tell me to betray them, and I just will?
Is it really that simple?

To this, Herbert's reply was even more direct.

"Why not?"

Svani: ?

Without a moment's hesitation, Herbert said matter-of-factly: "Since they already betrayed you long ago, why shouldn't you betray them?"

"They couldn't remember you for hundreds of years, and only thought of you when there was a family power struggle. Are they really acting out of kindness?"

"Impossible. I'm a noble myself; I know this playbook all too well."

He sneered, shaking his head: "It's nothing more than using you as a tool in their struggle, and discarding you casually once you have no value left."

To put it bluntly, they were merely using Svani as a figurehead for their own banner.

"Besides, although you are used to solitude, is this place really suitable for your research?"

"Are your research materials still sufficient? Even if they are enough for now, these existing materials will eventually run out one day, and new materials will be discovered in the outside world... Can you really endure making no progress in your research?"

First appeal to her reason, then touch her heart.

"Furthermore, just as you yourself said earlier, the blood of the dark elves flows within your body, so betrayal is not something unacceptable to you."

"In that case, what else is there for you to hesitate about?"

"Svani, please help me. Give me a chance to help you."

He said:

"Rather than trusting those 'family members' who have never trusted you, never understood your thoughts, always belittled your research, and ignored you..."

"Why not choose me?"

Herbert smiled as he stared at Svani, then bowed slightly, elegantly extending his hand toward her.

The gesture looked precisely like a gentleman inviting a dance partner to waltz with him at a ball.

"So... consider it for my sake."

"Please betray your family."