Chapter 549

Chapter 549: The Right to Equality

The next afternoon, in the Water-Bearer Palace.

Lohil and Boley walked down the corridors of the courtyard, passing by some nuns and cultivators along the way.

“Huh, another day of work done. Want to grab something to eat?” Boley walked ahead with light steps, occasionally skipping a bit, clearly in a good mood lately.

After walking for a while, she seemed to remember something and turned around to say to Lohil, “I heard there’s a palace in the northern part of the Water-Bearer Palace that recently got an alchemical instrument to make ice cream. Should we go check it out? I haven’t had one since coming here; I miss the days at Emanas when there were so many things to eat.”

“I won’t go. I have other things to do today,” Lohil thought about going to see Bynis later, hoping she would be there.

“Alright, let’s meet up tonight then.”

Seeing that Lohil had something important to do, Boley didn’t bother her further and turned northward first. Since she became familiar with the nuns in the palace, she felt less constrained when running around alone.

Watching Boley head north, Lohil straightened her clothes and walked towards the central courtyard of the Water-Bearer Palace.

Before the inner palace, four temple knights guarding the entrance stopped Lohil.

“This is where Lady Bynis lives and works. Ordinary people cannot enter without official business or special invitation.”

These four knights wore armor of white and blue (#e4f4f5). Although they stopped Lohil, their tone was gentle as they asked what she wanted.

“I want to see Lady Bynis,” Lohil thought about how to get these diligent guards to let her through.

“Sorry, you need proof or an invitation to enter.”

“Can you tell me what kind of proof?”

“For example, if you’re a bishop of a city or diocese, or if you have official documents, or if you have an invitation from Lady Bynis.”

“Is this enough?” Recalling her recent experiences in the Holy Land, Lohil, trying her luck, took out the badge given to her by the Tribunal when she was there.

The badge featured a cross of a torch and sword with a red skull above.

As the internal inspection agency of the church, the Tribunal had the right to search and act without obstruction. To stop them, one needed extremely justifiable reasons; otherwise, it would be considered rebellion.

“This…” Seeing the badge, the knights at the entrance were in a dilemma. Although the Tribunal had special rights, Lady Bynis was ranked 9th in the Sequence and was also a Scepter Priest. Without formal documents and clear major crimes, she couldn’t be arrested. Such rash behavior would only provoke the displeasure of that great person.

Just as they were hesitating, a nun in a gold-trimmed uniform walked out of the courtyard and said to the knights,

“Let her in. Lady Bynis has invited her.”

Seeing the high-ranking nun confirm it, the knights at the entrance breathed a sigh of relief and stepped aside.

Looking at the young girl who entered, they secretly wondered about her origins. The Tribunal members were usually mysterious, wearing hooded black robes that hid their faces. This was the first time they had seen such a young member.

Inside the courtyard, the nun in white with gold trim led the way and briefly introduced the inner palace.

“This is the Dew Palace, where the Scepter Priest of the Water-Bearer Palace resides. To prevent disturbances from outsiders, few people come here, so your first visit might be troublesome.”

“But after I notify them, you won’t be stopped next time. They are just doing their duty. Please don’t take it personally.”

Although the nun didn’t know Lohil’s exact identity, she guessed from Lady Bynis’ personal instructions that this person must be highly favored by the superior, hence her amiable tone.

“It’s fine. It was my mistake for not asking Lady Bynis earlier, causing this trouble,” Lohil followed behind, curiously looking around the inner palace.

In the middle of the courtyard was a large pond. The water was clear and transparent, revealing the white and light-blue jade at the bottom. A few trees were planted around the pond, though not many, but their lush canopies shaded half of the pond, giving a tranquil feeling.

“This is the Dew Pond of the inner palace. The liquid in it is produced by a sacred relic of the palace, which can be used to treat injuries and illnesses, though it’s usually diluted to reduce waste.”

Unexpectedly, such exquisite gardens could be found even at such a high altitude. The liquid in the pond wasn’t ordinary water but a concentrated form of healing potion. Just a small vial, combined with common auxiliary materials, could produce decent healing potions.

With such a large pond, if all its liquid were extracted, it could produce tens of thousands of potions. The Water-Bearer Palace’s reserves were truly impressive.

After turning several corners, the nun led Lohil into a palace and introduced her to a few nuns inside before leading her up a spiral staircase to a room on the second floor.

Through a curtain made of tiny pearls, Lohil entered the room and finally saw the ruler of the Water-Bearer Palace, Bynis.

She was sitting on a light-blue sofa with wave-shaped armrests. On the other side of the room was a panoramic terrace overlooking the white cliffs below.

Seeing Lohil enter, the nun guiding her stepped back, leaving the space for the two.

“Welcome, Miss Lohil, or perhaps Scholar Lolan Hil,” the priestess stood up to greet her with a natural smile. There were no outsiders, so she didn’t need to hide anything.

“Hello, High Bishop Bynis,” Lolan Hil nodded and sat down under Bynis’ hospitality.

“After our last conversation, we’ve gotten to know each other better. I assume Scholar Lolan Hil is here for serious matters,” Bynis said straightforwardly.

“Yes,” Lolan Hil nodded and then talked about her recent observations, asking Bynis about her views on Clancia.

“In fact, I don’t dislike Clancia; on the contrary, I quite like it,” Bynis replied, taking out two cups and pouring amber, clear tea for both of them. The tea was cool and refreshing, like mountain spring water.

“However, personal preferences aren’t enough for me to align with you. I still need to consider the overall will of the Church and future developments.”

“Let me ask you a few questions first, Scholar.”

“Please proceed.”

“First, do you think absolute equality among people is possible?”

“No,” Lolan Hil didn’t dodge the question but gave a direct answer.

“Good, it seems Scholar isn’t naive,” Bynis remarked.

“If equality among people is impossible, why promote such a concept?”

“Though absolute equality may not be achievable, equal rights—rights free from oppression and bullying—are possible. For a nation or organization to advance to a new stage, entering a new era, equal rights are necessary. They greatly maintain social stability and enhance cooperation.”

“Why are they necessary?”

Bynis looked at the young-looking girl with interest. She expected Lolan Hil to speak of ideals like love and beauty, but instead, she found her pragmatic.

“Because the age of individual dominance is gradually being phased out,” the girl organized her thoughts.

“As various industries and fields deepen, the primitive production model based on individual entities will become increasingly difficult to adapt to complex and deep practical demands.”

Lolan Hil knew her explanation might be hard to understand, so she began to elaborate.

“Just like making a knife versus building a ship.”

“In ancient times, a hero might dominate battles with a sharp sword and armor, but as times progressed, he could no longer defeat an armored ironclad warship. Cannons and crossbows could easily defeat this outdated knight.”

“What if this hero is ranked 9th?” Bynis pointed out the fact that extraordinary beings could greatly reduce the technological gap in this world.

“Then with the same population base, we can train more 9th-ranked individuals,” Lolan Hil proposed another viewpoint.

Bynis pondered for a moment.

“Other organizations and nations can also train 9th-ranked individuals. Why do you think your nation can train more talents?”

“Because we have more trust and respect,” Lolan Hil explained the most basic aspect of human nature.

“Nobody likes to be bullied and oppressed. They take away your possessions, harass your family, and take most of your earnings.”

“When rights are unequal, there will be plundering and suppression from higher positions.”

“While this situation is comfortable for a few individuals at the top, it is a huge drain for the entire nation and will lead to its gradual decay.”

“If my own children are not excellent or strong enough, I’ll kill those competing with them. Perhaps this sounds extreme, but the cost for nobles to kill commoners is very low, allowing them to do many similar things, such as depriving poor children of education or resources.”

“They keep the populace ignorant, making it easier to control them since they lack the ability and awareness to resist.”

“When rights are unequal, the upper class fears resistance from the lower class and suppresses it, creating a deadlock. This hinders the liberation of productivity, keeping it locked.”

“People won’t work wholeheartedly and contribute their wisdom and ideas under the threat of violence. In such oppressive environments, only intense aggression and destructive desires emerge, sometimes leading to mutual destruction.”

“But the current world doesn’t seem as extreme as you describe. The Cangcui Empire’s obvious bloodline theory and noble rule haven’t led to these issues,” Bynis said.

“Because it’s still in its primitive stage. Most people are farmers, and few participate in industry. But with societal progress, dense workshops or factories will open, concentrating populations unprecedentedly. As industries deepen, the demand for educated workers increases.”

“At that time, numerous educated individuals with certain thinking abilities will gather. How will you persuade them to accept themselves as mere slaves without complaint?”

“They watch intricate and beautiful items being produced by their hands, yet you tell them that only a fraction of their efforts is rewarded.”

“How can they accept such obvious exploitation without resentment?”

“Even if the oppressors are far stronger extraordinary beings, grievances still arise and accumulate, just lying dormant for now.”

“As times develop, every industry becomes more complex and deep. From hundreds of industries today to thousands or tens of thousands in the future. When faced with unfamiliar domains, how can the elite, living in luxury, trust the oppressed, resentful lower classes?”

“Each extension of the trust chain adds risk. When the chain reaches seven or eight levels, the number of supervisory personnel might exceed actual workers. How can such a state develop?”

“Rather than saying love and beauty grant everyone equal rights, it is because equal rights allow nations and societies to advance to the next stage, creating a beautiful world.”

“The primitive agricultural era will eventually pass. Many traditional notions may not apply, even to extraordinary beings. This is the choice of the times.”

Lolan Hil explained from another angle how equal rights shaped modern society.

After listening, Bynis pondered for a long time. Only when Lolan Hil finished drinking her tea did she slowly regain her composure.

Unlike secular nations, the church’s personnel had decent education, but their focus was on human goodness and inner peace. Their solutions involved enlightenment and acceptance of reality, akin to soft water slowly eroding hard stones.

But Lolan Hil proposed that if a stone appeared, it should be removed at its source. If it caused discomfort, the door should be opened, and everyone should help remove it.

People shouldn’t deceive themselves with lofty notions of bloodlines, race, or birth. True happiness comes from creating value with one’s own hands.

The priestess watched the silver-haired girl quietly, as if seeing her for the first time. Under her delicate appearance lay remarkable foresight and firm belief.

She closed her eyes for a moment, pondered, then reopened them.

“Congratulations, Scholar Lolan Hil, Star Witch of Clancia. You have successfully persuaded me.”

“I agree to join forces with you to witness the arrival of a great era.”

(End of Chapter)