373

[Human Paladin]

After opening the Eye of Reckoning, the world appeared different.

Normal vision almost vanished, leaving everything blurred and indistinct in the eye's gaze.

Only one thing stood out prominently: the morality of living beings.

Under the Eye of Reckoning's scrutiny, the distinctions between good and evil were starkly clear.

A person pure of heart emitted a white light, while those steeped in sin exuded a red hue like blood.

Most individuals, however, fell somewhere in between, casting a yellowish glow.

Forseti surveyed the scene. Almost everyone before him shimmered in shades of yellow, some darker, some lighter.

Glancing down, he noticed his own aura was also yellow, though lighter than most.

Ander's aura matched his own.

"Hmm."

Then, Forseti couldn't help but exclaim in surprise as he focused the Eye of Reckoning on Baka.

This unassuming brown-haired youth radiated an almost pure white aura, with only a hint of pale yellow barely discernible upon close inspection.

Compared to the predominantly yellow hues around him, Baka's near-white aura stood out distinctly.

Forseti studied Baka, lost in thought...

Besides discerning good and evil, the Eye of Reckoning could also detect the life energies within beings, assessing their strength.

However, this aspect was much less pronounced compared to its judgment of moral character and required careful observation to perceive.

In the Eye of Reckoning's sight, faint black ripples surrounded each creature's outline, representing their life energies. The stronger the being, the more ripples emanated from their form.

For instance, most nearby humans displayed only one layer of ripples, a few showed two layers, and a priest exhibited three, suggesting some proficiency in magic.

Baka possessed two layers of ripples, while Ander boasted five.

Forseti scrutinized his own form.

Seven layers.

It appeared that the life energies observed by the Eye of Reckoning corresponded to the hierarchical grading system of the Holy Light. Each layer of ripples denoted a level within this grading system.

The healing process continued late into the night. After curing the initial batch of patients, a steady stream of new arrivals continued until all the city's afflicted had been healed under the benevolent glow of their halos.

Despite the recovery of the patients, the crowd didn't disperse. Instead, they gathered around Forseti and Ander, three layers deep, offering bows, praise, and worship.

"Shall we go?" Ander glanced at Forseti.

But after a moment's reflection, Forseti turned to Baka. "What are your plans now?"

"M-me?" Baka blinked in surprise.

"Yes."

Baka started to reply but then his expression darkened, and he shook his head. "I don't know. A month ago, I lost all my family to the plague. Only my best friend, Ameligo, remained..."

"But Ameligo is gone now. We planned to sail together, buying spices and silk from the East..."

Forseti studied him. "So, how about joining us?"

Initially reluctant to recruit human paladins due to their relative weakness, Forseti had been reminded by Heimdall that relying solely on Asgardians for membership would stifle the Silver Hand's growth.

Thus, he reasoned that training human recruits first might bolster their ranks.

"What?" Baka seemed stunned.

Forseti smiled. "You can join us as a paladin, upholding justice and order, just as you and Ameligo intended a few days ago."

Baka wasn't quite sure what a paladin was, but it sounded appealing.

Forseti had saved him and countless others like a savior. Declining such an offer wasn't an option, and Baka was both surprised and incredulous. "Can I really join you?"

"For sure. But I must warn you, joining us means obeying orders, much like a soldier, perhaps even more strictly."

Upon hearing this, Baka didn't hesitate. "I will. I'm a fighter."

"Forseti nodded approvingly. "Excellent. You are now a member of the Silver Hand."

Then, addressing the humans around him, he asked loudly, "Who among you is willing to follow me, obey my commands, learn my magic, and become warriors for order?"

"I will!" someone volunteered immediately.

Having just witnessed Forseti's holy magic save the entire city, many saw him as akin to a god and were eager to follow.

"M-me too!" Soon, a chorus of voices rose, some even fanatical. "Merciful God, lead me to the Kingdom of Heaven!"

Forseti glanced at them all. "I won't lead you to places like heaven. You should know, true warriors know only suffering and sacrifice."

This tempered some aspirations, but many still eagerly pledged themselves to Forseti. The scene remained lively and enthusiastic.

Forseti reiterated the numerous hardships awaiting prospective paladins. Though possibly exaggerated, it was necessary. After all, paladins were warriors first and foremost; hardship was inevitable, and those who joined had to be mentally prepared.

His words dissuaded most, ignoring the overly zealous and frail; fanaticism often harbored sinister potential.

Ultimately, using the Eye of Reckoning, Forseti selected the purest among them. "The Holy Light has chosen you."

Including Baka, Forseti identified six reserve paladins.

Yet, six humans were hardly sufficient for the Silver Hand.

Thus, in the days that followed, Forseti and Ander treated Black Death patients across various locations while identifying suitable human recruits as reserve paladins.

Ultimately, Forseti chose over a hundred individuals, all young and capable, most having lost all kin to the ravages of the Black Death. Alone and adrift, they were perhaps the most suitable candidates to journey to Antarctica and become paladins.

"Should we begin the Holy Light infusion first and teach them some Holy Light magic, or should we send them directly to Hearthglen?" Ander queried Forseti.

"Definitely start with the Holy Light infusion." Forseti nodded decisively. "Do you think they can survive in Antarctica as they are now?"

Initially, he had considered dispatching the hundred-plus reserve paladins directly to Antarctica's Hearthglen. Yet, upon reflection, Forseti realized ordinary humans stood little chance of survival there without first mastering some Holy Light magic.