[Amelia] The Level Zero Hero Chapter 214 (Patreon)

It was a simple question. So it seemed like there would be a simple answer to it. And yet, whenever I was given an answer, I could peel back the layers to reveal the complexity of my predicament. Because it was not so simple of an issue to unfurl. Still, I asked my question, and I waited for my answer.

“What do you want me to do about it?” I asked the Elder Dragon as I crossed my arms across my chest. “Like, do you want me to go over to his palace or whatever with no questions asked and stab him in the chest?”

Grat-ra’zun blinked a few times, hearing my question. The scales on his face scrunched up like they were growing wrinkles, and he tapped a clawed finger on his chin, pondering over what I had asked. After a few moments passed, he finally looked like he knew what to say.

Lowering his head, he spoke dismissively, “I believe you will need to stab the [Hero King] in the chest a few dozen times to defeat him. But yes, that is what you should do.”

“Alright, first of all, let’s assume you are not lying to me. Let’s assume Kallistus Kal is actually after my life.” I took in a deep breath as I shook my head. I gestured emphatically in the vague direction of the Kingdom of Kal. “If I go there and kill him, then what happens next?”

And now it was time for my follow-up question. It was one I had asked Noele once before. It was the same question that I had constantly asked in response to being bossed around and told to do something for someone all the time.

Everyone demanded my action. They wanted my power for a short-term gain. However, no one wanted to deal with the consequences.

No one considered who bore responsibility if something went wrong.

“What do you mean what happens next?” the Elder Dragon asked quizzically. He almost seemed to snort as he leant back. “Kallistus Kal would be dead, and the Void will no longer have a vessel. When that happens, the world will be saved. All will be well.”

“And I’d be responsible for the fallout that comes with the [Hero King]’s death,” I continued, answering my own question.

Grat-ra’zun blinked in response. “The fallout?”

I sighed, closing my eyes. “When a king dies, his kingdom will be left in shambles. Whether his lands will fracture and erupt into a civil war resulting in the death of millions, or whether a new and more evil dictator seized control, I do not know. All I know is that I have to bear the responsibility of that. I can’t just walk away once he is dead, if I were the one to kill him.”

Upon hearing what I said, the Elder Dragon’s brows snapped together. He huffed as he waved a clawed hand off.

“That is a ridiculous train of thought,” he said as he rolled his eyes. “You are assuming an outcome that hasn’t happened yet will happen. You cannot use that logic to justify your inaction.”

“Then in that same vein, you’re assuming that no one will save the world if not for me, which may not be true,” I countered. “And if that were the case, why can’t I just wait around for someone— maybe a few Angels to come down from the heavens— to stop the [Hero King]?”

There was a pause. Grat-ra’zun frowned as he stared down at me. But I wasn’t finished.

“Also, what happens if the Void just picks a new vessel for its will once Kallistus Kal is dead?” I asked simply. “That’s already happened before. And I am sure it has happened plenty of times— will continue to happen plenty of times.”

I glanced back at Arthur who was still waiting by the bar. He flinched when he caught my gaze. I wasn’t giving him an accusing look, and I certainly wasn’t going to expose him to the Elder Dragon.

I didn’t know what Grat-ra’zun would do to my bartender if it was discovered that I had hired the former Lich King and Vessel of the Voidgod to work for me. I turned away from Arthur as I waited expectantly.

The Elder Dragon heard my words and considered them for a moment. Eventually, he shook his head. “But nothing that you said discounts the net good effected into this world by stopping the [Hero King] right now.”

“And what makes you think my actions are dictated based on what is morally right?” I asked, raising a brow. There was no hesitation between when he finished, and when I spoke up. And that made the Elder Dragon glare at me with an overwhelming gaze.

“What do you mean by that? Are you saying that you are evil?” he asked, huffing out a plume of smoke from his nostrils. He was getting frustrated by this conversation, I could tell.

Jax, who was still standing by the side of the table, glanced between the dragon and I. The elf slowly backed away, taking his leave from this conversation. Grat-ra’zun clenched his teeth as I leant back and explained my reasoning casually.

“My actions are dictated only by my desires. The only good I care about is the goodness of my heart. And the goodness of my heart says I don’t need to do anything about the [Hero King] just yet.”

“That is… an incredibly narcissistic worldview,” the Elder Dragon said with wide eyes. “So are you saying you do not care if the world is destroyed?”

“I do, quite evidently,” I snorted. “That is why I said I’d do something about the [Hero King] if there were no other choices left.”

“And what about the thousands who are suffering because of him now?” Grat-ra’zun asked with narrowed eyes. “Do you not care about their pain? Do you not care about what they are going through?”

“I feel terrible for them. It’s definitely a shitty situation. And I would gladly save them if you can answer this simple question for me—” I leaned forward as my eyes glinted. “Why should I save them first, before I save the thousands of those who are suffering in Drazyl? Or what about those suffering in Alius? And what about those suffering in Mare? If you can give me a valid reason as to why I should go and help those affected by the [Hero King] first and foremost, then I will take action right now.”

“That’s…” the Elder Dragon trailed off.

But I didn’t stop there. I folded my arms across my chest, continuing simply.

“And that still doesn’t address my main point: what happens to the Kingdom of Kal after the [Hero King] is gone? If millions more die because of its collapse, then I will be at fault. All are you going to absolve me of all blame for those deaths?”

Grat-ra’zun ground his teeth together, hearing what I had to say. “I have heard of such moral quandaries before. I have debated many such philosophers in the Grand Nova Empire about such matters during my time. They have always posited such scenarios and hypotheticals to excuse their inaction. So I will tell you what I told them back then.”

“And what is it?” I asked, looking back at him curiously. He was definitely referencing the trolley problem— or at the very least, this world’s equivalent to the trolley problem. And while some of the issues I had posited was certainly comparable to the trolley problem, not all of them were applicable either.

Still, I wanted to hear what Grat-ra’zun had to say. So I leaned forward curiously as his jaws moved.

“That you are simply a coward,” the Elder Dragon snapped.

He rose to his feet, his single wing pressing back against the expanded walls of the restaurant. His head touched the ceiling, and he paused for just a moment. The wooden planks creaked, stressed by the pressure he exerted against them.

“Talk will lead to nothing. It is only action that saves lives. And if you are so worried about someone taking responsibility for those who live in the Kingdom of Kal…” The Elder Dragon took in a deep breath, then pointed back at himself. “Let me be the one to rule over them once Kallistus Kal has passed.”

And my eyes flickered when he said that. I raised my head fractionally, piqued by what he said. He loomed over me threateningly as his eyes seemed to blaze, glowing in the shadow of his gaze.

“But think about this carefully,” the Elder Dragon said, making his ultimatum clear. “For I am giving you one last chance to do good, Amelia. To save the world.”

Author's Notes:

What thonk? And Merry Christmas Eve!

Read next chapter here