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In fact, this was a lesson that he had learned as a result of seeing so much devastation over the years--a lesson that the Mad Demon himself had played a large part in teaching.

A lesson about the tempering nature of chaos.

Time and again through the ages, the story was the same. When this kind of danger arrived, when threats became imminent and real, when the fragile harmony of the world began to break--that was when people rose to the occasion.

On both sides. Good and evil.

It was true of the normal folk, and it was truer still for servants.

That was the double-edged sword of emergence.

So many of his peers failed to understand this simple truth. Because of emergence--and indeed, the nature of humanity itself--these kinds of difficult tribulations were not only inevitable, they were needed.

It wasn't enough to preserve peace. Peace never lasted. Not while Abolish existed.

Peace was important, of course. It allowed wealth to be created. Technology to advance. Civilization to flourish and grow. Of course these were all great and wonderful things.

But peace also made men weak. Even vigilant warriors would eventually become complacent.

And what would happen when true malevolence arrived? Hell bent on crushing them? Those weak warriors would crumble.

The Breaking of Korgum would happen. Or Lac'Vayce. Or Exoltha. Or any of countless other historical examples.

Abolish, or someone just as evil, would triumph. Good people, peaceful people, innocent people, they would all be trampled into dust.

Sparing people from war, therefore, was not a kindness. Not always, at least. Too often, it was simply setting people up for disaster.

And that was why, even now, Parson's spirit was not broken.

This great Eloan war... it was inevitable. If not now, then it would have happened later.

And by happening now, it would give the younger generations their much needed chance to grow.

It would temper them.