179 – True Education (4)
A serious accident occurred again, but somehow we were able to handle it.
The place where the training was held was close to a private residence, so all I had to do was clean up after myself.
But there was nothing they could do about Porori’s food problem. Because all the trees were destroyed, they could not be cleaned up.
“But why did you collect acorns? Preparation for winter?”
“There are those, but they are things to offer to heaven! Soon you will be able to stretch your thumbs!”
If you get so angry, you can even stamp your feet.
Anyway, I still seem to remember the thumb I mentioned last time.
Anyway, what’s the point of bending your thumb in that tiny body?
However, it is an undeniable fact that I made Porori’s efforts go to waste in an instant.
‘So what.’
Porori’s work is none of my business. Because I was doing my job too.
That’s none other than kneeling and raising your hands. I was standing in punishment while Rod cleaned up.
Not even with bare hands, but with a bloody great sword. Because he weighed quite a bit, his arms were starting to hurt.
“Whoa… I guess this is about it. Thank you all for your hard work.”
“··· ···”
“Shibardo, lower your arms.”
“Whew.”
Fortunately, the corporal punishment stopped just before the arm fell off.
Even for me, it was quite difficult to lift my arms for a long time.
After that, I picked up a few acorns and handed them over to Porori. Even though Porori was dissatisfied, he accepted it.
“Shall we start with dinner? Would you like to eat together, President?”
“I’ll decline. If I go, it might be inconvenient. Besides, I’ve already prepared healthy food.”
“Ah, sister. Then, can I call the new friend I made this time?”
After the load, Luna suggested Kara. I’m sure that friend isn’t Erica.
It seems Kara was also curious at the same time. She asked Luna with a puzzled expression.
“New friend I made? Who is that again? Does Sivar know?”
“Yes. My name is Erica, I’m a student in another class…”
“Are you a girl?”
“Yes?”
“Are you a woman?”
“Uh… Yes. Why?”
When I said woman, Kara looked at me with her pointed eyes. The look on his face asks if he is a woman again.
But I shook my head and vehemently denied it. It’s not like that, we just met by chance.
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I don’t know if he read my mind, or if he was more of a “Let’s just listen and see” Thing, but he seemed to pass over it.
“What kind of kid is this? Can you explain more?”
“Yes. First of all, what happened…”
Luna controlled her embarrassment and explained about Erica. I sighed inwardly during this time.
I will tell you in advance that Kara and Erica are extremely poor compatibility. It’s as bad as water and oil.
Kara grew up in an environment where people die unless they harm life, while Erica cherishes life unconditionally.
Just by looking at this, you can see how extreme the compatibility between the two people is. In fact, even in Soul World, they fight whenever they get the chance.
‘It’s okay if you achieve mental growth…’
A player who knows nothing can recruit these two and proceed with the story?
It may be a little comfortable for the body, but it is a structure that depletes the mind. First of all, we have to mediate since they are fighting each other like catching rats.
I can hear with one ear and let it go with the other, but not with them. Every word you say will pierce your heart like a nail.
‘How many choices do we have to make?’
It is a system where the moment you support one side, the favorability of the other side is greatly reduced.
Of course, most players defend Kara. Erica’s beliefs were close to a bullshit philosophy.
Furthermore, the absence of Erica does not significantly affect the story. The demon-related story is a bit difficult, but not so much that you can’t beat it.
“So, I’m thinking of having a meal together. How about you?”
“He doesn’t lack anything, does he?”
Look at this. A number of questions have already been asked.
“It’s not bad, but just think of him as a strange kid. There are more than one or two strange people around us.”
“Ah. That’s true too.”
“……”
Hey. As expected, the snout of chaos is working hard today too!
But the fact that Kara was convinced is absurd. I’m sure I’m included there.
“Anyway, can we eat together?”
“It’s okay. I have to ask a few questions as well.”
So she decided to have her meal with Erica. For reference, I went to look for Ellie, but she wasn’t there.
From what I heard, she was studying at the library. Just because it’s vacation doesn’t mean she’s lounging around.
People who are good at studying and have outstanding talent tend to work harder. Ellie is such a case.
‘For some reason, Soul World also grew as time passed.’
I was not aware of these details because they were not described. Everyone is working hard behind the scenes.
“Hey, barbarian?! Why is the barbarian here…!”
“··· ···”
Couldn’t you swear in a place where I can’t see?
As soon as Erica met Kara, she said something like that to her face. The shocked expression is a bonus.
Although Kara’s reputation is slowly improving, her prejudices remain.
Moreover, the reputation itself is limited to our class, and since Erica is in a different class, prejudice is bound to remain.
“Wow. It’s been a while since I heard you called a barbarian.”
“Are you not feeling well?”
“Not really? I’m going to say that now and move on.”
Kara shrugged her shoulders and acted politely in response to my cautious question.
It was clear that he was mentally mature. Although it’s a really good sign, no one knows when it will explode.
I hope Erica doesn’t say anything unnecessary. Luna may have had similar thoughts, but she barely managed to stop Erica.
“Erica. No matter what, she shouldn’t say something like that out loud.”
“Ha, but…”
“How good of a person is Kara? She won’t hit you as long as you don’t say things like that, so you better control your mouth.”
“··· ···”
At Luna’s warning, Erica kept her mouth shut. She couldn’t help but let her eyes go to Kara instead.
When the stack of dislikes was piling up from the first meeting, we headed to the restaurant to have a meal.
Here, Erica only ordered salad as she is a vegetarian. She said it was a salad, and she only seasoned it roughly without adding mayonnaise.
“Gaia, who arranges life. Today too, we provide daily bread…”
Well, although Erica is a bit unlikable, she tends to give off a pious vibe at least when she prays.
As she said her prayers, she could tell that everyone listened to her prayers quietly without even lifting their spoons.
Kara was also looking at her with a rather interesting expression on her face, and although I don’t know why, she seemed to view her more favorably than expected.
It was much better than hitting and fighting every now and then like in Soul World, but for some reason, I felt uneasy.
It feels like a time bomb that doesn’t know when it will explode. I’m hoping that the bomb doesn’t explode.
“Do you pray to Gaia every time you eat?”
“Yes, yes? Oh, that’s right…?”
“If you look at it that way, we are similar to Gulag. We also pray to Gulag before going into battle.”
“······Ah. Now that I think about it…”
Erica muttered as if she realized it too late. She seems to have forgotten that the Kara and other Tatar people believe in gulag.
After that, Erica watched Kara carefully as she ate her salad. It looks like she has something she wants to say.
Kara seemed to have noticed this as well and opened her mouth with a smile on her face.
“If you have anything to say, say it. Just now, you openly called me a barbarian, but now you’re here.”
“······Really?”
“I’ve met all kinds of people in my life, but it’s okay to be a Gaia believer.”
I will definitely be included among those people. This is a guess.
While I was thinking that, I was putting meat into her mouth. Erica, who had been hesitant, quietly opened her mouth.
“So…Princess Kara…What do you think about life?”
“It’s precious.”
“I heard that the Tatar people committed plunder in the past…”
“That’s right. That’s why I’m still being criticized so much.”
“Well, then…”
Were you overwhelmed by Kara’s unique charisma? Or is she unable to keep her mouth shut due to her mature mood?
It is a very different situation from Soul World. Originally, Erica had a strong personality, so she confronted Kara head-on.
But look at now. Anyone can see that Kara has the upper hand and Erica is obedient.
I watched this with interest because it was my first time seeing it. What kind of conversation will take place between the two?
“Even though you know that life is precious, why did you do something that harmed it?”
“I had to survive at that time. Otherwise, I would die.”
“Is there really no way to resolve this peacefully?”
“That’s why my father founded the country. To avoid shedding even the slightest blood.”
Unexpectedly, Kara responded kindly. Even though it was a somewhat sensitive topic, he was not shaken at all.
In particular, the persuasiveness was high thanks to the words that conveyed the experience of a person who had gone through all the hardships of childbirth.
It was so bad that even the stubborn Erica had to swallow her words from time to time. It’s completely different from the atmosphere I was used to.
“Now it’s my turn to ask a question. You said life is precious, right?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Then you value the life of the guy who murdered your mother and will protect him?”
“······Yes?”
Erica opened her pink eyes wide at Kara’s question. The response is, “What does that mean?”
This is the same for Luna. She seemed to be talking about something quite serious, so she put down her spoon for a moment.
I knew the story roughly, so I just munched on my food. Still, I took the attitude of listening.
“I asked if the life of the enemy who killed your mother is also precious. For now, let me just say that I killed him.”
“Ah, no matter how wrong you make a bird, life is precious…”
“Um… So you’re saying I forgive you?”
“Forgiveness is not enough. We will ensure that the punishment is meted out in a way that does not harm life.”
It’s not that it’s not. Erica explained clearly.
Actually, that was also a kind of solution, so Kara nodded her head without saying anything.
“Okay. Next question. You think plants are also life, right?”
“Of course. Plants are life that Gaia herself gave us.”
“In the end, life cannot survive without taking on other lives, right?”
“That…”
Erica is speechless again. In fact, her beliefs can all be refuted with those words.
Life can be extended by taking on another life. A law of nature that does not change once you are born into life.
Erica says she is vegetarian as much as possible, but it is no different from eating life.
“If you were born in a hungry environment, you would have treated it all as nonsense. I would be starving to death right now, but it’s my life and I need to eat first to survive.”
“Well, I think it’s right to help people like that!”
“Cancer. That’s not it. It’s a way of thinking that only people with a full stomach can think about.”
Kara said bitterly. In fact, Erica is one of those people who are full.
She was born as a noblewoman and lived her whole life without worrying about starving, and she never starved at the academy.
Moreover, since she was a believer in Gaia, she would have been receiving care from all over the place. She said there was no way someone like that would starve.
“I grew up in a hungry environment, and now I live in a hungry environment. Maybe that’s why I don’t agree with anything you say.”
“But you realized that life is precious.”
“It’s separate from that? Life is precious? That’s right. You can’t place life at a certain value? That’s right.”
Kara, who said that, pointed out in a sharp voice.
“But we must not ignore the essence itself. Otherwise, why would Gaia create life in such a way?”
“Well, that’s…”
A statement that even touches the essence of Gaia, which governs life. Nevertheless, Erica could not refute anything.
As Kara said, if you make life perfect from the beginning, it will be over. But Gaia didn’t do that.
Therefore, Erica’s beliefs raise great questions about the existence of Gaia itself. She’s a kind of sacrilege.
It was around this time that Erica’s eyes began to shake widely and she became confused. She opened her mouth as Kara wiped the smile off her face.
“More than anything… There is one thing that irritates me the most.”
“··· ···”
“A heart that cherishes life? At first glance, you might think it’s altruistic. In fact, it’s true that it’s an altruistic belief.”
Next, Kara plunged a large dagger into Erica’s chest.
“You’re just so fucking selfish.”
I realized this after hearing those words. Kara has matured a lot mentally.
Originally, it would be normal to start getting irritated, but not now. He is ‘persuading’ in a very quiet way.
Kara herself must have realized that as she smiled bitterly and muttered softly.
“Ha, indeed. Now I too am a civilized person.”