[Video]

[gundhamster]

[The video starts with Gundham just sort of sitting on a bale of hay at the stables. His newfound magical abilities has made upkeep far easier as he no longer really needed to go into town for supplies, and he now had a bit too much time with his own thoughts. After a moment of hesitation, he finally decides to speak.]

I have a hypothetical that I would like opinions on from the rest of you.


In a far off world, there is a war between the forces of light and darkness. Among the forces of darkness there is an order of Death Knights that act as generals for the King of Darkness. Little is known about them or how they operate, mainly because there are no survivors to report on any encounters. The only concrete facts known about them is that wherever they go all that is left in their wake is death and ash. None are spared, warriors, civilians, children, none are spared.

The forces of Light decide that the best way to end the war is to assassinate the king, cutting off the power the knights receive from the king. However, in doing so, it's revealed that the knights were operating under duress, though the specifics are not widely known. The knights had no choice in the matter and the weight of their actions nearly crush them when freed from the king's influence.

My question to you is what would you do with these knights? Do they deserve to be given to the families of those they slew and made an example of? Would you console them? Or simply do nothing and make them figure it out for themselves?

Do they deserve redemption, or are they too far gone?

Comments

[gundhamster]

Regrets, hm?

[Gundham pauses. Did he have regrets? Sure he wishes he could've saved his classmates, but knew that such a prospect was... impossible. Why regret what he could not have changed? Still, just going to... ignore the second part of that response.]

Regrets tend to center around things that could have gone differently. Helping someone rather than simply ignoring them and the like. There were no other avenues given to anyone in this scenario. Their choices were made for them, so I do not know if regret truly factors into it.

[scension]

That's overcomplicating it. They're the only ones who know whether or not they can live with themselves for what they did.

[gundhamster]

Then how about we shift focus then. What about those lives uprooted and ruined by the knights? Livelihoods lost, loved ones murdered. Do they not deserve justice? Closure?

[scension]

Justice can't just be an eye for an eye. Not if there's another way. Treating a person's life as that cheap is how these things even happen.

[His tone turns a little cold there, compared to the idealistic words he's saying.]

But I'll admit, I asked how hypothetical it was because it's not just a thought exercise to me.

[gundhamster]

I apologize if the specifics mirror any events in your world. I assure you it was simply an illustration to a question on my mind, not rooted in any prior knowledge, private or otherwise.

[Just gonna keep deflecting.]

[scension]

Oh... okay.

[Fortunately, Sagi buys the excuse. He sounds only faintly disappointed.]

In that case, I think - if it doesn't apply to you, it isn't worth getting hung up on. Or else you could think in circles forever, never getting anywhere.

[gundhamster]

[There's a pause as Gundham considers his approach. After all, he didn't want to give too much away.]

Hm. Perhaps you are right...

[scension]

Even if you heard an answer you're willing to accept, what would you do with it? Philosophising only gets in the way of what's really there.

...But that's just what I think. So honestly, who cares. [He couldn't help it, but he regrets how defensive that additional outburst sounded already. It's not the way he likes to hear himself, especially with people he doesn't know.] I hope you find what you're looking for.

[gundhamster]

[Gundham hesitates in his response, but doesn't take any offense.]

As do I. Hopefully I will know what I'm looking for when it presents itself.