A Core Ship From The Start
Chapter 1023 - Chapter 1023 Chapter 703 The Target

Chapter 1023: Chapter 703: The Target Chapter 1023: Chapter 703: The Target “We hope to talk with you, Great Judge,”

Taviz stepped forward and began speaking.

“If you are seeking spiritual solace, you might want to see those fanatics; I’m not good at that.”

“You jest.”

Hearing Duanmu Huai’s response, Taviz revealed a bitter smile.

“In fact, I just want to ask… What is the belief of the Tribunal?”

“The Tribunal’s belief?”

“Yes,”

Taviz nodded.

“Every organization, every power has its own beliefs. Astarte fights for the Imperial, for the Emperor, so what does the Tribunal fight for?”

“If that’s your question, then my answer is quite clear,”

Duanmu Huai shifted his position and sat staring at Taviz.

“The Tribunal fights for humankind, just like I’ve told you before. The Tribunal’s goal is to eradicate all aliens, heretics, and demons that threaten humans. Guarding the existence of humankind in this universe, ensuring their survival, that is the duty of the Tribunal.”

“… Is it really that simple?”

“Yes, it’s that simple,”

Duanmu Huai looked at the three Astartie, his lips slightly curved upward, revealing a smile.

“The Tribunal is concerned with humanity as a whole. We do not pledge allegiance to any one person, much less any one power. What of the Emperor? What of the Imperial? Humans existed before his birth, and will continue to exist after his downfall. The Emperor himself is but a page in the history of humankind–perhaps brilliant, perhaps gilded, but still just one page.”

Upon hearing this, the trio of Astarte looked at each other, finally understanding the stance of the Tribunal. In the eyes of the Astarte, the Emperor’s unification of humanity and his initiation of the great campaign were rare achievements; to them, the Emperor was the leader of humankind, a guiding light, and it was unimaginable that he would ever depart from humanity.

However, the Tribunal clearly did not see it this way, and their view was… much colder.

“With or without the Emperor, humanity will advance. It’s not like without the Emperor’s guidance, humanity would immediately perish,”

Duanmu Huai scoffed humorously, thinking about how that little golden man sat on his golden toilet and yet the Imperial staggered on for over ten thousand more years. From the Emperor’s rise to power to the failure of the great campaign was only around five thousand years, showing that without the Emperor, humanity would still exist, maybe stumble, maybe make mistakes, but would still continue moving forward.

“So for me, the struggle between Horus and the Emperor is nothing more than a common civil war in history, just like those recorded. It wouldn’t have even concerned the Tribunal if not for the Chaos Evil God taking advantage of the situation,”

“Guard… humanity…”

“Yes, perhaps for you Astartes, you only care about the Emperor, only about your fellow Astarte brothers. Mortals are seen by you as fragile, foolish, short-sighted. Their lives are not as long as yours, nor do they possess your strength. They are powerless before you. But in fact, it is these mortals who have laid the foundation of human civilization. Perhaps you Astartes have forgotten that before your enhancements, you were mortals too. Your mission might be to guard the Imperial and the Emperor, but as far as the Tribunal is concerned, it wouldn’t matter if both the Imperial and the Emperor were destroyed, as long as humanity could continue to exist and move forward. Everything else is unimportant,”

said Duanmu Huai, spreading his hands wide.

“Even if the Empire collapses, even if the Emperor falls, humanity will find its own path–I think you have never considered this, you have always seen yourself as the Imperial’s sharp blade, regarded the Emperor as the guiding light, as though his destruction and death would bring unimaginable disasters to humanity…”

“Is that not so?”

Luo Ken could not help but interrupt.

“Of course not, the current situation was created by the very Emperor you trust,”

Duanmu Huai waved his hand.

“Honestly, I can understand why he did what he did, but if you ask for my opinion, I would say… There are a thousand ways to fight Chaos, and yet the Emperor chose the most foolish one. The evil of Subspace is everywhere, just like crime. Just because you don’t know it’s a crime, does that make it not a crime? If I legalize murder, does that make this world a paradise free of any evils?”

At this, Duanmu Huai snorted,

“Turning a blind eye, denying their existence, that is the foolish path. If you had even a modicum of basic knowledge on combating Subspace Evil Gods, you wouldn’t have suffered such heavy losses before. Nor would you have been so naively seduced by them, ultimately embarking on this foolish path of rebellion.”

“………..”

At this, Luo Ken was momentarily speechless, recalling an incident on a previous planet where the Star Warrior he was leading encountered a similar situation. One of his Astarte comrades had been possessed by a Subspace Demon and had brutally killed his own companions. Witnessing this shook Luo Ken deeply, prompting him to reevaluate everything around him.

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