"Huh?"
Seeing the sudden change of topic and the Serpentarius Director beginning to berate his thoughts on the Cleansing Bureau, Lyon's brow couldn't help but raise slightly.
"Why are you getting so worked up?"
"I'm not!"
Okay, he definitely is.
Staring at the Serpentarius Director who had burst out and was now revealing his inner thoughts, Lyon blinked, seemingly understanding something, and said:
"You seem… to really not want me to continue the previous topic?"
"?!"
"So besides that half-broken rein, you've done something else to me?"
"?!?!?"
"It wouldn't be something like a 'Truth Balance,' would it? After debating each other, the loser has to pay the price, or even be enslaved by the other party?"
"?!?!?!"
"Alright, I understand."
He understood! He understood!
Looking at the Serpentarius Director's heart, which was about to collapse, the corners of Lyon's mouth couldn't help but curl up slightly, revealing a kind smile in the face of his despair.
"Then let's talk about the Cleansing Bureau!"
Huh?
"Regarding how to transform the present world, I do have many ideas, such as resource allocation, environmental modification, political system changes, consciousness construction, conflict resolution… and so on and so forth."
Counting on his fingers, Lyon said with a smile:
"But these are just ideas, and I can't guarantee that my ideas are necessarily correct. They must undergo rigorous verification and improvement. Forcing them may cause problems, so changing the topic is fine… Speaking of which, what kind of organization do you think the Cleansing Bureau is?"
"The Cleansing Bureau… is the guardian of humanity!"
Seeing that Lyon had actually given up his "advantage" and didn't continue to press him, the Serpentarius Director, still in shock, couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, and then said righteously:
"Although I think the Cleansing Bureau is already rotten, not only is its strength getting weaker with each generation, but now it's also hesitant and indecisive, outdated and incompetent, completely unworthy of the status of guardian of humanity.
But the relative stability maintained for thousands of years in the past proves that the Cleansing Bureau's model itself doesn't have too many problems, it just needs some 'blood transfusions.' So your idea of completely overturning the Cleansing Bureau is definitely wrong! If there is no Cleansing Bureau…"
"When did I say that I wanted to completely 'destroy' the Cleansing Bureau?"
"????"
Under the Serpentarius Director's puzzled gaze, Lyon patiently explained:
"What I said was that there's no need to take over the Cleansing Bureau's mess. What that means isn't completely erasing the Cleansing Bureau, but changing the current model of completely isolating ordinary people, and trying to get ordinary people involved."
"Let ordinary people also… Are you crazy?!"
Hearing this, the Serpentarius Director couldn't help but shudder, and then questioned in shock and anger:
"Do you know that predecessors in the Bureau have done this before? Do you know what the consequences were? Do you know…"
"The eighth-generation Serpentarius Director, I heard Lord Taurus mention it."
Lyon said calmly:
"He allowed the Blood Moon to shine upon the earth, generally increasing the Lyon value of a large number of citizens, wanting to cultivate a group of Cleansers, but as a result, a large number of malignant anomalous events occurred, causing extremely huge casualties. After that, similar things were called to a halt."
"Don't you know that?"
"Alright, regarding this issue, the Bureau is trying to verify it. Let's talk about it after the verification results come out. Let's talk about something else first."
Waving his hand to interrupt the Serpentarius Director, Lyon stared into his eyes and said in a calm tone:
"In your eyes, the Cleansing Bureau is the guardian of the human race. I admit that this statement is not without reason, but have you ever considered a question, what is the cost of this 'guardianship'?"
"The cost… is… having to face the crisis directly?"
"The cost is a large number of Cleansers dying and being injured."
After looking at the somewhat stunned Serpentarius Director, Lyon began to explain:
"Among the Cleansing Bureau's eighty-plus branches, large branches have one to two hundred Cleansers, and small branches have more than a dozen. Historically, the total number of people at its peak was less than twenty thousand.
And these mere thousands of Cleansers are responsible for handling various anomalies born from the suffering of two billion people. Naturally, they will be stretched thin. In just the two and a half months that I've been building the Underworld Branch, more than eighty Cleansers have died and come to report.
According to this probability, the number of Cleansers who die each year is probably between four hundred and five hundred. Then, from the birth of the Cleansing Bureau to the present, the number of Cleansers who have died due to missions has probably reached the level of ten million."
Ten million people… Are there that many?
"There really are that many, and I'm afraid that's an underestimate."
Seeing the doubt in the Serpentarius Director's expression, Lyon continued:
"According to my statistics, although the number of Cleansers occasionally rebounded, the overall trend is actually decreasing. When the Thirteen Kingdoms had only established four and the total population of the present world was less than 600 million, the total number of Cleansers was about 16,000.
But after the establishment of the seventh kingdom and the Guardian Palace was basically able to prohibit the arrival of true gods, the total number of Cleansers began to decline year by year. The population of the present world has tripled or quadrupled compared to the past, but the number of Cleansers has shrunk to less than one-third of what it was then.
However, even during the best period when the three-generation Director was alive, the annual casualty rate of Cleansers was maintained at over 6% for many years, and in recent centuries, it has even exceeded 10%, faintly moving towards 11%, so this total number of casualties is definitely only more and not less."
"…"
There really are that many…
Facing the facts presented by Lyon, the Serpentarius Director was silent for a while, and then retorted:
"But shouldn't most of the dead be second and third-level Cleansers? And they…"
"And many of them are criminals themselves. Joining the Cleansing Bureau is also considered atonement for their sins. Being able to die to protect the human race can also be considered a worthy death for them?"
"Isn't it?"
"Yes, you can say that."
Lyon glanced at the Serpentarius Director, and then asked back meaningfully:
"So the crucial, meritorious, and indispensable 'guardian of humanity' you talk about is, in the end, a group of vicious criminals who deserve to die?
And the indispensable organization you think of chooses to let a group of prisoners who have committed heinous crimes, possess radical abilities, and have radical personalities stand at the forefront of all mankind, protecting the entire race from danger?
Even those of these 'criminals' who survive, as their strength continues to grow, will eventually become branch directors, become the Twelve Directors, and then gain terrifying power, becoming the actual controllers of the fate of all mankind?"
"?!?!?!"
Looking at the Serpentarius Director in front of him, whose eyes were slowly widening, whose mouth was also unconsciously opening wide, and whose body was beginning to exude a strange oily fragrance, Lyon couldn't help but sincerely sigh:
"To be honest, after discovering this, I thought to myself, it's really lucky that we humans have managed to survive until today!"
Seeing the sudden change of topic and the Serpentarius Director beginning to berate his thoughts on the Cleansing Bureau, Lyon's brow couldn't help but raise slightly.
"Why are you getting so worked up?"
"I'm not!"
Okay, he definitely is.
Staring at the Serpentarius Director who had burst out and was now revealing his inner thoughts, Lyon blinked, seemingly understanding something, and said:
"You seem… to really not want me to continue the previous topic?"
"?!"
"So besides that half-broken rein, you've done something else to me?"
"?!?!?"
"It wouldn't be something like a 'Truth Balance,' would it? After debating each other, the loser has to pay the price, or even be enslaved by the other party?"
"?!?!?!"
"Alright, I understand."
He understood! He understood!
Looking at the Serpentarius Director's heart, which was about to collapse, the corners of Lyon's mouth couldn't help but curl up slightly, revealing a kind smile in the face of his despair.
"Then let's talk about the Cleansing Bureau!"
Huh?
"Regarding how to transform the present world, I do have many ideas, such as resource allocation, environmental modification, political system changes, consciousness construction, conflict resolution… and so on and so forth."
Counting on his fingers, Lyon said with a smile:
"But these are just ideas, and I can't guarantee that my ideas are necessarily correct. They must undergo rigorous verification and improvement. Forcing them may cause problems, so changing the topic is fine… Speaking of which, what kind of organization do you think the Cleansing Bureau is?"
"The Cleansing Bureau… is the guardian of humanity!"
Seeing that Lyon had actually given up his "advantage" and didn't continue to press him, the Serpentarius Director, still in shock, couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, and then said righteously:
"Although I think the Cleansing Bureau is already rotten, not only is its strength getting weaker with each generation, but now it's also hesitant and indecisive, outdated and incompetent, completely unworthy of the status of guardian of humanity.
But the relative stability maintained for thousands of years in the past proves that the Cleansing Bureau's model itself doesn't have too many problems, it just needs some 'blood transfusions.' So your idea of completely overturning the Cleansing Bureau is definitely wrong! If there is no Cleansing Bureau…"
"When did I say that I wanted to completely 'destroy' the Cleansing Bureau?"
"????"
Under the Serpentarius Director's puzzled gaze, Lyon patiently explained:
"What I said was that there's no need to take over the Cleansing Bureau's mess. What that means isn't completely erasing the Cleansing Bureau, but changing the current model of completely isolating ordinary people, and trying to get ordinary people involved."
"Let ordinary people also… Are you crazy?!"
Hearing this, the Serpentarius Director couldn't help but shudder, and then questioned in shock and anger:
"Do you know that predecessors in the Bureau have done this before? Do you know what the consequences were? Do you know…"
"The eighth-generation Serpentarius Director, I heard Lord Taurus mention it."
Lyon said calmly:
"He allowed the Blood Moon to shine upon the earth, generally increasing the Lyon value of a large number of citizens, wanting to cultivate a group of Cleansers, but as a result, a large number of malignant anomalous events occurred, causing extremely huge casualties. After that, similar things were called to a halt."
"Don't you know that?"
"Alright, regarding this issue, the Bureau is trying to verify it. Let's talk about it after the verification results come out. Let's talk about something else first."
Waving his hand to interrupt the Serpentarius Director, Lyon stared into his eyes and said in a calm tone:
"In your eyes, the Cleansing Bureau is the guardian of the human race. I admit that this statement is not without reason, but have you ever considered a question, what is the cost of this 'guardianship'?"
"The cost… is… having to face the crisis directly?"
"The cost is a large number of Cleansers dying and being injured."
After looking at the somewhat stunned Serpentarius Director, Lyon began to explain:
"Among the Cleansing Bureau's eighty-plus branches, large branches have one to two hundred Cleansers, and small branches have more than a dozen. Historically, the total number of people at its peak was less than twenty thousand.
And these mere thousands of Cleansers are responsible for handling various anomalies born from the suffering of two billion people. Naturally, they will be stretched thin. In just the two and a half months that I've been building the Underworld Branch, more than eighty Cleansers have died and come to report.
According to this probability, the number of Cleansers who die each year is probably between four hundred and five hundred. Then, from the birth of the Cleansing Bureau to the present, the number of Cleansers who have died due to missions has probably reached the level of ten million."
Ten million people… Are there that many?
"There really are that many, and I'm afraid that's an underestimate."
Seeing the doubt in the Serpentarius Director's expression, Lyon continued:
"According to my statistics, although the number of Cleansers occasionally rebounded, the overall trend is actually decreasing. When the Thirteen Kingdoms had only established four and the total population of the present world was less than 600 million, the total number of Cleansers was about 16,000.
But after the establishment of the seventh kingdom and the Guardian Palace was basically able to prohibit the arrival of true gods, the total number of Cleansers began to decline year by year. The population of the present world has tripled or quadrupled compared to the past, but the number of Cleansers has shrunk to less than one-third of what it was then.
However, even during the best period when the three-generation Director was alive, the annual casualty rate of Cleansers was maintained at over 6% for many years, and in recent centuries, it has even exceeded 10%, faintly moving towards 11%, so this total number of casualties is definitely only more and not less."
"…"
There really are that many…
Facing the facts presented by Lyon, the Serpentarius Director was silent for a while, and then retorted:
"But shouldn't most of the dead be second and third-level Cleansers? And they…"
"And many of them are criminals themselves. Joining the Cleansing Bureau is also considered atonement for their sins. Being able to die to protect the human race can also be considered a worthy death for them?"
"Isn't it?"
"Yes, you can say that."
Lyon glanced at the Serpentarius Director, and then asked back meaningfully:
"So the crucial, meritorious, and indispensable 'guardian of humanity' you talk about is, in the end, a group of vicious criminals who deserve to die?
And the indispensable organization you think of chooses to let a group of prisoners who have committed heinous crimes, possess radical abilities, and have radical personalities stand at the forefront of all mankind, protecting the entire race from danger?
Even those of these 'criminals' who survive, as their strength continues to grow, will eventually become branch directors, become the Twelve Directors, and then gain terrifying power, becoming the actual controllers of the fate of all mankind?"
"?!?!?!"
Looking at the Serpentarius Director in front of him, whose eyes were slowly widening, whose mouth was also unconsciously opening wide, and whose body was beginning to exude a strange oily fragrance, Lyon couldn't help but sincerely sigh:
"To be honest, after discovering this, I thought to myself, it's really lucky that we humans have managed to survive until today!"
