How Much Is Morality Worth?

Harvey couldn't even bring himself to watch. The previous few mages had nearly flown into a rage over that very same line. Detect Evil was a spell exclusive to divine spellcasters, used to root out wicked individuals lurking among ordinary folk—people like cultists of dark gods, criminals, and the like. Yet the spell could only detect evil itself; it could not distinguish what sort of evil it was. Sometimes, merely harboring a dark thought in one's heart was enough to set it off. Who could swear they had never had a single wicked thought in their life? Among the top ten most infuriating behaviors of paladins across the continent, throwing Detect Evil around at random held the undisputed crown. Giving someone fair warning before casting it might seem polite on the surface, but in truth, it forced the person onto a moral witness stand. Agree, and there was every chance some passing evil thought would be detected. Refuse, and under the watchful eyes of the crowd, wouldn't it be plain as day that you had something to hide? Those earlier mages had flown into towering rages, treating it as an outright insult. One hot-tempered fellow had almost come to blows over it; had Harvey not stepped in to mediate, blood would have been spilled on the spot. Harvey had thought that after several identical incidents, this stubborn paladin might learn some restraint. Who would have guessed he would still make such a brazen, insolent demand? Anbaixiu said nothing, though he too found the request absurd. There was good reason these paladins were widely despised, particularly those from the Ryan Empire, who were little better than religious fanatics. Harvey was terrified that Anbaixiu might lose his temper then and there, but Anbaixiu's reaction was startlingly calm. The moment he saw the paladin appear, Anbaixiu had known Detect Evil was bound to come his way sooner or later. Even if his polymorph magic was flawless, a paladin's innate ability to sense the undead was no myth; even without spotting a flaw, the knight would harbor suspicion. When the paladin voiced the request, Anbaixiu paused in silence for a moment before speaking. "As a paladin, you ought to know full well that such a request is deeply offensive." The paladin replied in a practiced, even tone, "Detect Evil is harmless to the subject. It merely checks for malicious intent. If you harbor no evil in your heart, not only will you remain unharmed, but it will also prove your righteousness." Without hesitation, Anbaixiu countered, "The vast majority of people have no need to prove their righteousness. Their survival has nothing to do with being righteous or not. On the contrary, 'righteousness' is merely an added asset for noble knights like you. Your faith and your honor are nothing more than burdens to everyone else—whether you care to admit it or not." The paladin nodded. "To the faithless and the heretic, the meaning of righteousness is indeed beyond comprehension. After saying all that, do you intend to refuse?" The paladin was not surprised in the least. Refusing Detect Evil was the normal reaction; those willing to submit to it were few and far between. But that did not mean he would lower his standards. Yet Anbaixiu said, "It is not a refusal, but a reasonable discussion. Since Detect Evil is merely to satisfy your personal religious requirements, while forcing me to shoulder additional risk, shouldn't this test... naturally come with extra compensation?" The paladin fell silent. Harvey's jaw dropped. This was the very first time he had ever seen someone demand money to be targeted by Detect Evil. What kind of bargaining genius was this? How had he made it sound so thoroughly reasonable? Though the paladin kept his face carefully blank, his fingers twitched faintly, as if wrestling with indecision. Something about this felt entirely wrong, yet he could not find a single argument to refute it. With casual indifference, Anbaixiu added, "Unwilling? It seems your faith isn't worth that much after all." That was crossing the line. Hearing those words, the war cleric at the paladin's side reached for the war hammer at his waist, ready at a moment's notice to fling a Sacred Flame. "What, did I misspeak? Practicing your faith requires sacrifice—you know the paladin's oath better than I do. Yet you aren't even willing to part with coin, seeking only to force the risk onto others. If the Lord of the Dawn whom you revere learned of this, I fear the fires of judgment would fall upon your own heads." The moment those words landed, a wave of cheering erupted across the tavern. "Well said!" "Too right! Sacrificing yourself is faith, but what do you call sacrificing others—a cult?!" "I've been sick of these self-righteous paladins for years!" "The dogs of Ryan can do nothing but flap their lips!" ... Quite a few non-human races were drinking in the tavern, and Anbaixiu's words resonated straight into their hearts. Some even shouted that they wanted to buy him a drink. Listening to the clamor of the jeering patrons all around them, the paladin held back the enraged war cleric and asked, "How much do you want?" Anbaixiu offered a faint smile. "That depends on what your faith is worth." "Such wordplay is meaningless. My faith cannot be measured in gold. However, you are right about one thing: subjecting another to a moral trial should indeed come at a price. So tell me, how much is your morality worth?" Watching from the side, Harvey could not help but mentally applaud. The man truly lived up to his status as one of the pillars of the Ryan Empire. The paladin had deftly shifted the quote from the value of his own faith to the price of Anbaixiu's morality. No matter what number Anbaixiu named, it would prove his morality could be bought and sold, thereby painting him as an unscrupulous man. Beyond mastering formidable combat skills, every paladin had to pass rigorous tests in literature, history, and the arts. As devotees of the Lord of the Dawn and practitioners of divine doctrine, they were certainly no brainless brutes; foolishness would only tarnish the majesty of their god. Finding the tables turned on him, Anbaixiu felt a flicker of surprise. The paladin had reacted quickly; he had slightly underestimated the man. *How much is morality worth?* Faced with the question, Anbaixiu smiled faintly and replied, "You ask me to put a price on my own morality. I could easily fabricate an astronomical figure that you could never afford. But doing so would be thoroughly unsightly. I do not possess the pure will of a holy practitioner; an arbitrary figure would be nothing more than lies and evasion, and neither of us would gain anything from it. "Therefore, have no fear. My price will be exceedingly fair." The paladin raised an eyebrow. "I have never heard of a standard for measuring morality in coin. Master Ultraman, I am genuinely intrigued by your quote." Anbaixiu spoke with calm confidence. "Under the laws of the City of Alchemy, if either party in a transaction commits fraud or deception, the party in breach of contract must pay tenfold compensation for the counterfeit. In the City of Alchemy, the moral benchmark is 'tenfold compensation for fraud.' According to the commission you posted, the hiring fee for this expedition is five hundred gold coins. Since this commission takes place in the City of Alchemy, let us abide by the standards of the City of Alchemy. "If you wish to put my morality on trial, pay me five thousand gold coins, and I will accept your Detect Evil. Do you consider this a fair transaction?" Five thousand gold coins sounded like an enormous fortune, but that was only true for ordinary people. A paladin of the Ryan Empire—and a member of the Royal Paladin Legion, an ennobled lord with a landed estate—would at most feel a slight sting at such an amount; it was hardly something he needed to agonize over. What was more, Anbaixiu's reasoning sounded entirely legitimate. The patrons in the tavern were jeering and enjoying the spectacle, and for now they were only mocking the two holy men. But if this dragged on, the Lord of the Dawn might end up being dragged through the mud as well. Allowing their deity's reputation to be sullied was something no paladin could tolerate. "Very well. It is only five thousand gold coins. I accept." The paladin produced a slender leather pouch, unfastened it, and let loose a cascading clatter of gold coins. A magical pouch capable of storing vast quantities of goods—that item alone was worth well over ten thousand gold coins. Truly, the man was wealthy. Unhurriedly, Anbaixiu counted the gold coins with an air of complete confidence. His composure was so steady that Harvey began to wonder whether the mage truly had a clear conscience. Could Master Ultraman really guarantee that his soul was pure and unblemished, without even the faintest trace of evil?