Chapter 158

Posted by Kuze, ? Views, Released on January 26, 2025

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It was a mindset filled with the taste of red, but it was similar to communism, yet different.

First of all, communism is quite distant from capitalism. You could say it lies at the complete opposite end.

However, the communism Karas desires is mixed with capitalism. It’s about adopting communism as a mindset rather than a system.

‘The USSR tried to hold it as a system but ended up failing miserably.’

Communism clearly has its limits. It starkly demonstrated what happens when human desires are ignored.

Originally, a state should be sustained on a solid foundation, but more often than not, it’s the power elite oppressing the masses.

Ironically, communism was established as a thought to dismantle capitalism. Yet, it ends up behaving just like the bourgeoisie.

‘But wasn’t it said that Stalin only craved power?’

The anecdote is famous that after Stalin’s death, it was revealed he barely had more wealth than the middle class.

Typically, dictators gather wealth like crazy, but Stalin only craved power.

In many ways, he was the closest thing to an ‘iron man’, but being human, he couldn’t overcome his desires.

“So, what do you think? Does it make sense?”

“No, I don’t really understand philosophy.”

“Hmm. Is that so? Well, that’s okay. You can think of it as making a country where everyone eats well and lives well.”

“That sounds great.”

Communism on Earth walked the path of self-destruction for ignoring human desires.

Even in a fantasy world, humans can’t escape their desires, but it might be the closest thing to realization.

Even if power is strong, if individual abilities are robust, it can completely dismantle power. As mentioned earlier, Rod is the most suitable example.

Moreover, it’s not complete communism; it should be seen as a thought close to it. Rather than ‘Lucky Stalin’, we should say ‘Lucky Senator’.

Given the complexity of various ideologies, it could be extremely chaotic. But in a fantasy world, it might actually be a feasible policy and thought.

“But if you were to become the next Emperor, would you really shift things?”

“No. First, I need to put out the fires. The world is tumultuous these days.”

“The world is tumultuous? Why?”

“You, being a student, don’t need to know.”

In a style like that, his mind seems to be in order. He’s not lost in his own thoughts; he can read the situation too.

Besides, he has a knack for reading people’s psychological states, making him quite adept at seizing power. He’s called Lucky Stalin because he doesn’t engage in mass purges.

Even those who are openly hostile to him are usually left alone, as long as he doesn’t directly take away their freedom.

‘There is potential. There is potential.’

Earth’s communism also considered only potential and ideals and turned it into a system. And it completely failed.

Also, the day Karas becomes emperor is quite far off. The current emperor isn’t particularly old, nor will the timing for succession present itself easily.

In just six months, an incident at the Academy will occur, making succession the least of anyone’s worries when so many issues loom large.

“So, what do you think? If you’ve understood my words, you should know how precious the value of freedom is.”

“I know.”

“What do you think?”

What do I think? Just thinking about the story is exhausting.

I wanted to say something along those lines, but sadly, I couldn’t express it.

So, what could I say that would help Karas understand? No matter what I say, he takes it positively.

‘Should I just outright criticize him?’

More like criticism than outright insults. Even if it’s a feasible ideology, human desires cannot be disregarded.

Unlike communism, capitalism can satisfy human desires, no matter how absurd it might be.

So instead of bashing the system, it seemed better to discuss more foundational ideas.

“I lived in the forest. I hunted, ate, slept, rested, and hunted.”

“You were free.”

“But not here. No need to hunt. Just eat, sleep, fight, rest, and play; that’s it.”

I occasionally do hunt, but that was more of an exception. It was more about expanding territory rather than actual hunting.

Karas gave a peculiar expression upon hearing my words. It was a face filled with curiosity about what I would say next.

Having caught his interest, the rest was simple. I wiggled my fingers and spoke my mind.

“But I want to eat more. I want to sleep more. I want to play more. I want to rest more. I want to play with friends.”

“Hmm······”

“Others might not know, but I do. Everyone wants to be comfortable.”

All animals, including humans, tend to lounge around when their bellies are full and their backs are warm.

Originally, hunting was the way to consume calories and satisfy calorie needs through the hunt.

However, civilization almost eliminates that necessity. Most things can be resolved with money.

Especially for Earth, where machine civilization is even more developed, there’s no need to physically move a lot. It’s no wonder obesity has become a significant issue.

“Humans are greedy. They have a lot of desires. You’re the same.”

“Am I the same?”

“Yep. Doing what you want, that’s a desire.”

“··· ···”

One of the most primal urges in humans is indeed desire. It’s the heart that fervently longs for and seeks something.

That is the basis of civilization and the driving force of progress, but it can also be a dangerous element that leads to ruin.

As mentioned earlier, communism is an excellent ideology, both religiously and ideally.

It can be said to be the closest to a utopia, but to achieve that, it must ‘satisfy’ everyone.

Does a country exist that can satisfy everyone? To do that, humans would need to be free of all desires.

“We are not free. We cannot be free. We’re hungry, we need to sleep, and we need to rest. This is instinct.”

“So, to gain true freedom, what would it take?”

“Impossible.”

Once birthed as a being, one cannot be free from death.

Starvation leads one closer to death, and lacking sleep or ways to relieve stress also brings one closer to it.

“······Then in the end, freedom was never ours from the start. For every living being birthed into life.”

“Perhaps?”

“If gaining freedom is impossible, and realizing ideals is hard, then what remains?”

After listening to me, Karas seemed to contemplate whether to accept it or deny it.

He wiped the smile off his face and spoke to me with a voice that seemed almost chilling.

He must have felt as if the beliefs he’d held firmly were shattering like glass. It’s unfortunate, but this is reality.

Humans are wrapped in the framework of civilization, which means that reason trumps instinct; outside of that, it’s all the same.

“What remains? There is something.”

“What is it?”

“Progress.”

That’s why humans can endlessly progress. You could say they’re extreme efficiency enthusiasts.

Karas’s eyes widened at my mention of progress. That wasn’t an expected answer.

“I also found hunting difficult. Still, I tried. I grew stronger, and I made axes and spears. Thanks to that, hunting became easier.”

“··· ···”

“Everyone is like that. Everyone progresses.”

Almost no one is strong from the start. We typically call it talent.

Rod wouldn’t have earned the title of Sword Saint right from the beginning. The same goes for Rize.

“Beginnings are different for everyone. So are ends. But they differ because of progress.”

“I see. For living beings, freedom means progress?”

I wasn’t quite sure about that, so I just shrugged. I was simply sharing what I could.

Upon that, Karas nodded, contemplating for a moment. Seeing his gaze shift down gave that away.

“Sivar. Where did you hear that?”

“In a book.”

“In a book? What book?”

“I don’t know. I forgot.”

“Hmm······ Was there such content in the book? I thought I only gave you fairy tales and novels.”

Eli tilted her head, showing curiosity. The smartest move here is to keep my mouth shut.

Saying the wrong thing could only cause confusion. I can’t exactly cite Das Kapital.

[Faith is rising!]

Wait. Why is my faith suddenly rising?

I blinked at the message that popped up in front of me. Did someone say something strange from somewhere else?

“······So that was it.”

At that moment, Karas quietly murmured. Eli and I turned our attention to him.

“That was it!”

“?”

Uh, what the heck is going on?

With arms thrown wide, Karas exclaimed, and I found myself at a loss for words in disbelief.

The scenery around us was slowly darkening, but it felt as if Karas was the only one shining brightly.

His expression was also extraordinary. It looked like he was on something strong.

I had only shared my experience, yet he was creating quite the ruckus.

“I’ve been overlooking human desires! What you said is right! Human desires cannot be restrained even if they want to!”

I never said that far. What on earth went through his mind?

Stunned into silence, Karas suddenly grabbed my hand.

I could have easily shaken him off, but as soon as I met his gaze, I flinched.

His eyes were so bright they seemed to shine. It was a gaze filled with what could only be described as madness.

“Others might not know, but you have lived in the wilderness! Hearing such words makes them all the more convincing!”

“······”

That seems like an overly broad generalization… No, it’s just that there aren’t many people like me.

Something was happening, but I was too bewildered to react. Karas’s madness was terrifying.

“Good! I’ll make sure to hear what you have to say! No! I want you to share more with me from now on!”

“······Me?”

“Of course! No one understands primal desires like you! With that knowledge, you could help me immensely!”

How? What could I possibly assist with?

I couldn’t wrap my head around it and just blinked in confusion. It was disconcerting, to say the least.

Meanwhile, Karas released my hand and confidently strode into the banquet hall, waving cheerily.

“Then see you later! If you want, I’ll invite you to the Imperial Palace!”

“··· ···”

I wasn’t sure what just happened, but since he was leaving, I waved my hand slowly. Eli inadvertently waved her hand like me.

Thus, I was left standing on the terrace with only Eli. It felt like a storm had just swept through.

“······He’s gone.”

“Yeah.”

“What should we do now?”

“Well…”

Now that we were alone, wouldn’t it be time to head back? I thought that as I moved to leave.

But suddenly—

Eli gently grabbed my wrist.

I looked at her, perplexed. Our eyes met, and Eli flinched before breaking into a shy smile.

“Um… Sivar.”

“Yeah?”

“I’d like to talk a bit more… Would that be okay?”

I didn’t mind. It wouldn’t be bad to have this chat, just the two of us.

As I turned my back in a gesture of consent, Eli smiled brightly. She had such a beautiful face no matter when I looked at her.

Then I moved towards the edge of the terrace, looking down to the lower floor. Many people were enjoying the banquet down there.

“There are so many people, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Sivar, do you dislike crowded places?”

“If I don’t know anyone.”

If I don’t know anyone, it feels lonely even in a crowd. Especially after feeling the warmth of human presence.

Had I not been living with Rize in the dormitory, I might have felt lonely. But starting next semester, I would have to live alone.

“I’m the same. I feel uncomfortable in a crowd if I don’t see familiar faces.”

“··· ···”

“So, how is it when you’re with me?”

Upon hearing her words, I turned to look at Eli. Her gaze was directed towards the first floor, but her face was different.

As she spoke, her face was reddening gradually. I think I got the rough idea of the situation.

“I like it.”

“How much do you like it?”

“Umm······”

“You mean you like it so much you can’t express it?”

She playfully joked with a hint of seriousness. It wasn’t wrong, so I nodded.

Eli smiled broadly at my affirmation. At that moment, her face turned an even deeper shade of red.

“Then… more than Kara?”

“Umm······”

That was a bit of a tricky question. I squinted in thought and finally answered.

“I like both.”

“Both, huh… Sivar, you’re greedy. That’s why I like you even more. If you can choose both, then you should choose them all. Right?”

“Yeah.”

“So if you’re dating Kara, you’d date me too? Would include Grace too?”

Are you suggesting I date multiple people at once? It’s a bit bewildering.

Perhaps it’s due to her being commoner, or maybe she received an unusual education, but she was very open-minded about this.

“Think about it. There’s no need to choose just one, right? As long as you’re capable, you could date several people. Ah, has Sivar not learned about dating yet?”

“Kiss?”

“Kisses can be exchanged between moms and dads, and even among friends. Just give me your face for a second.”

I leaned in as requested. Her face came closer.

I was almost distracted by her presence, which was overwhelming compared to her face, but I managed to hold myself back.

“I still find my gaze wandering towards your chest. How adorable.”

Damn it. Seems like a man’s instincts can’t be beaten.

While I was feeling awkward, Eli closed her eyes and slowly leaned in.

Smooch!

A soft kiss followed. Eli smiled brightly and said,

“This is a kiss. This is something friends can do too.”

“··· ···”

“And this is…”