Ch.240240. Machoism (2)

Time passed quickly at the port city of Machoku in the Wu Empire.

With my eyes fixated on the relatively familiar cuisine I hadn’t tasted in a long time, I dragged Sophia around to every renowned restaurant in the harbor. Partway through, our animal friends who were allowed to accompany us also joined in our excursions.

Surprisingly, in the Wu Empire, all sentient beings are considered legally equal.

Of course, as this is still a human society, deeply rooted discrimination and justified differential treatment based on position inevitably exist. But their concept of equality seems to stem from the idea that… when the Emperor exists in the heavens above, who could claim superiority over another?

Thanks to this unique culture that treats everyone as equal sentient beings as long as they meet certain conditions, I was truly amazed compared to the Western Continent where non-humans are treated merely as slaves or livestock.

How should I put it… In our terms, it’s like griffins maintaining proper social status, living normal social lives, and receiving salaries. This is especially remarkable considering that in the Western Continent, while griffins are certainly considered precious, that value is based on their worth as “powerful mounts.”

Anyway, with the situation unfolding so pleasantly for once, Sophia and I happily toured around this port city as tourists, but…

‘…I guess fantasy China is still China after all.’

Even in this port city, where they supposedly manage their image for outsiders, the dark aspects I witnessed made me feel uncomfortable despite my initially good mood.

First, the most common scene I observed was people’s attitude toward the working class in this country.

In the Western Continent, many people die without protection due to harsh environments, terrible public safety, and guaranteed autonomy for different regions. In contrast, the Eastern Continent strongly emphasizes state responsibility.

As a result, most Eastern Continent citizens live comfortable lives without worrying about being killed by monsters or bandits. This system has greatly contributed to the Wu Empire achieving a population comparable to hundreds of millions, but…

Where there are gains, there are also losses. The irritatingly large population has resulted in devaluing human life.

For example, about 55-65% of the Holy Empire’s territory remains unexplored wilderness.

While this is partly due to nominal rule by monarchs or druid agreements, even excluding these factors, there’s still plenty of land available for development, and the population is insufficient compared to the land.

Moreover, some nations must wage endless civil wars against different races or periodically incoming species, making manpower a perpetually valuable resource.

Therefore, in the Western Continent, most countries suffer from population shortages, which inevitably results in raising the relative value of each individual.

Of course, in countries like the Frankish Kingdom, where the population is relatively large and farmland is monopolized, this tendency is less pronounced. Still, most people have freedom of residence and mobility, keeping human value high.

The Eastern Continent, however, is different.

Their society is fundamentally designed on the premise of control under the name of order and collectivist thinking, creating what seems like something out of an SF dystopia—and that’s no joke.

They use the Five Household Mutual Responsibility System to bind five households together with collective responsibility, preventing farmers from fleeing. In cities, they employ magical surveillance networks created through divination and sorcery to find “traitors.”

Of course, these “traitors” are people who show speech or behavior contrary to the will of the “court” they serve.

Additionally, the Wu Empire is a vast country with diverse environments—barren regions have too little farmland while fertile areas near rivers have concentrated agricultural land.

Yet due to the leaders’ armchair administration trying to evenly distribute population across the country, regions forced to take on populations their farmlands cannot possibly support suffer from chronic famine.

Although reforms are supposedly underway these days… The important point is that this overflow of population has decreased the value of human life, ultimately forming a disregard for human life throughout the nation.

With so many humans, the value of each individual has fallen—in terms of supply and demand, the supply of labor far exceeds the demand.

…Frankly, it’s not my business, but seeing the consequences of this phenomenon makes me feel strange.

Especially when I see supervisors whipping harbor workers loading cargo onto our ship, I can’t help but frown.

I’m not crazy enough to watch blood splatter and flesh scatter with delight, and no matter how you dress it up, people dying in the process only reveals that toxic mindset of treating humans as tools.

Considering that this behavior is supposedly them showing restraint…

‘…What on earth happens inland?’

It’s not strange that such concerns would arise from deep within my heart.

※ ※ ※

And then, as I was returning to the ship, feeling frustrated by the sight of workers being whipped…

“…Hmm?”

“Is something happening?”

“…Seems like it.”

Near the dock where my hired exploration vessel was moored, Sophia and I noticed that the atmosphere around the pier was somehow unsettled.

To put it in perspective, it felt like a brawl was about to break out.

Ordinary-looking people were hastily turning away, seemingly trying to flee from the dock, while official guards responsible for maintaining order were moving toward the harbor, armed with military uniforms and spears.

‘…Spears?’

This sight suggested that something ominous had happened at the harbor.

Typically, regardless of what incident occurs, throughout history and across cultures, authorities don’t immediately kill the involved parties when suppressing disturbances within city limits.

They need to ascertain the circumstances, consider possible connections the individuals might have, and recognize that such urban disturbances might begin as minor offenses.

Therefore, even when incidents occur, unless they’re particularly dangerous, soldiers usually carry clubs or shields when suppressing riots.

Even if workers engage in protests or collective actions that are illegal by this era’s standards, they can’t kill workers who need to be sent back to work.

By these standards, spears cannot be explained as riot control equipment under any circumstances.

While being hit with a club might result in death if you’re unlucky enough to take a blow to the head, being pierced by a spear tip will at minimum cause serious injury and likely death.

Moreover, their spears weren’t simple riot control tools but sharp, properly edged weapons—essentially long-handled swords called guandao.

This original version of the Blue Dragon Crescent Blade is blatantly a weapon designed to kill people, similar to a halberd.

No matter how strict a country is, using such weapons for riot control, control, control…

‘…Right, the Frankish Kingdom takes it even further.’

I suddenly recalled how the Frankish Kingdom sends cavalry to suppress protesters, using horses rather than talk to subdue citizens and serfs, and stopped my train of thought.

Even considering that, I couldn’t deny that the situation was definitely unfolding strangely.

A guandao is clearly excessive armament for suppressing simple riots or protesters.

At the very least, a spear can be used to strike with its shaft without stabbing, but this is obviously a weapon for slicing human bodies apart.

“…Could it be cultists?”

“That’s highly probable. If they’re cultists… it makes sense.”

Therefore, our conclusion was that those soldiers were attempting to suppress individuals such as cultists.

I worried whether our exploration vessel might have gotten caught up in some strange incident during their confrontation, and as I turned my gaze…

Before my eyes, dozens of soldiers were massacring people who appeared to be civilians by any standard.

Slashing with swords, stabbing, beating, and matchlock guns spitting fire as they slaughtered the crowd.

Blades cut through flesh and skin, blood spraying as flesh and severed heads flew through the air. To anyone watching, it looked like nothing but the massacre of unarmed protesters.

The scene reached its climax when carriages—tanks—arrived and simply pushed through the protesters.

It exuded what you might call a distinctly fantasy Chinese atmosphere, flaunting that nuance blatantly.

Then suddenly, I saw a placard that had been split in half and fallen to the ground…

[Guarantee freedom of relig—!]

“…Ah.”

Seeing that slogan, which anyone would recognize as the type of propaganda cultists would use, I finally understood the situation and could watch those righteous soldiers with a joyful heart.