https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-248-Time-Is-the-Most-Dangerous-Power/13685132/
Translated Chapter
247. Is the Dark Lord the last one to rise?
Afterward, Professor Quirrell continued to elaborate on the various types of dark objects.
Step, whirl, shudder, the rusted sword, the cracked shield, the cursed ring, the cold dagger, the black wand.
And without any explanation, only the usual illustrations and images could help people understand—
the cursed ring, the blood-red ring, the gold ring, the cold ring, the soul-sucking ring.
The skull, the snake-shaped wand, the black wand, the chained sword, the severed head.
Many students looked at each other, finally turning toward the several students who had appeared from the dark room.
The professor’s voice, calm yet sharp, echoed through the hall:
“Don’t look at me—look at them. I’m just like you. I’m also rising.”
The classroom fell silent. Many students wore shocked expressions, their eyes wide with disbelief.
A few raised their hands.
Professor Quirrell nodded. “That’s right. The Dark Lord is not the only one to rise. In fact, he’s merely one of many.”
He glanced at the students in the front row, then turned his attention to the back, where a few more had quietly appeared.
“Consider this: in the past few decades, many nations have been conquered, not by war, but by shadows—by fear, by silence, by the absence of light.”
He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in.
“Even in places like Albania, where the Dark Lord’s name is still whispered with dread, there are still those who rise—like the ancient rings of the past, even now preserved in the hands of the faithful.”
The students stared. Some looked puzzled, others disturbed.
One student raised his hand.
Quirrell nodded. “Yes?”
“Professor,” the student asked, “if the Dark Lord is not the only one to rise, then what exactly are we supposed to do? How do we decide who is truly evil?”
Quirrell smiled faintly. “That’s the question, isn’t it? The answer lies within you. There is no universal standard. You must decide for yourself—by your own values. The morality of a nation, the morality of a person, the morality of an act. When you’ve clearly defined your own beliefs, only then can you determine your actions.”
He spoke at length, but it felt like he hadn’t said much at all.
His words lingered in the air, leaving behind more questions than answers.
Yet one student, the one who had raised his hand, seemed to understand.
He leaned back, eyes half-closed, as if trying to remember something.
Then Quirrell spoke again, softer now.
“Do you know why the Dark Lord is so feared? It’s not because he’s powerful. It’s because he’s unseen. Because he is not known. Because he rises in silence.”
A student in the back shifted uncomfortably.
Quirrell turned to him. “Even the most feared of creatures can be defeated. But the greatest danger is not the monster you can see—it’s the one you don’t know.”
He paused, then added, “And that’s why we must learn to see. To understand. To recognize the signs.”
Another student spoke. “But Professor… what if someone is not evil, but still rises? What if they’re just trying to survive?”
Quirrell nodded slowly. “Ah. Then we must ask: what does survival cost? What does it mean to rise at the expense of others?”
The classroom was quiet.
Then Quirrell continued, “The Dark Lord, for all his power, is not the first to rise. Nor will he be the last. But what makes him dangerous is not his strength—it’s the ignorance that allows him to rise.”
He looked around the room. “Ignorance breeds fear. Fear breeds silence. Silence breeds obedience. And obedience… is the true weapon.”
A long silence followed.
Then, from the back, a quiet voice:
“Is that why you’re teaching us all this? So we won’t be silent?”
Quirrell turned. His eyes were calm.
“Exactly.”
The class sat in silence.
Then, as if breaking the spell, Quirrell said, “Now, let’s move on.”
But the questions remained.
They always did.
The lesson on Dark Arts had ended—but the real lesson had only just begun.
(End of Chapter)
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