Chapter 54: For the Time Being, Touched Upon

Under the influence of Eden civilization, the agricultural system in the Persian Gulf of this world is different from its original historical counterpart, especially in Larlag, the initial contact point.

Firstly, due to El Neim being nearby, not to mention magical beasts, even ordinary wild animals tend to avoid attacking humans, and there are no roaming bandits, allowing large areas outside the city to be used for cultivation.

Thanks to the wealth accumulated through the sale of salt and other long-term trade, the people of Larlag have built a long-distance aqueduct system to bring water from afar and rely on the spread of the Kabbalah tree species within the Eden domain to solve soil salinization and further draw and store water.

“It’s a completely different scene from Orleans.”

Jeanne d’Arc Alter, who came to the eastern farmlands of the city on a dragon with Adam the next morning, was somewhat stunned.

What appeared before her was not the familiar place from her lifetime: rows of leafless trees, like railings and fences, extended out, with plowed fields between them. Two canals neatly passed through the start and end of the tree groups, like the horizontal lines in the character for “field.”

“But compared to the cultivated land that symbolized conquest of nature in my vague memory, this place makes me feel comfortable.”

In white and green.

That was Kingu, who had been brought back with Adam’s permission and had been wandering around the farmlands of Larlag, often asking the local farmers about various odd things.

Like how they got their seeds or what to do if animals sneaked in to steal them.

Often, the local people, bewildered, could only offer simple and disorganized answers, but Kingu didn’t seem to mind and always quickly shifted his attention elsewhere.

“It’s great that you feel comfortable. Since you’ve been living here since you returned, could you introduce us to Larlag’s farming?”

Adam looked at Kingu, whose appearance held an androgynous beauty.

Initially, he was deeply curious about the latter’s origins. However, after pondering in the gaps of time and noticing certain things upon seeing him again, he gradually began to form a conjecture that is likely the truth.

So far, the director hasn’t guessed wrong.

“I think the locals would know better than me, but since it’s your request, I don’t mind.”

Unable to determine whether Kingu caught the hidden meaning in Adam’s words, Kingu turned around with the same gentle expression as always. He first pointed to distant figures laboring, Sumerian farmers plowing the land with oxen.

“As you can see. They enslave animals to serve them, like over there, letting oxen pull the plow to turn the soil and dig trenches, then further treated by people with hoes and other tools. Because of the Kabala tree, the workload is relatively not too heavy.”

“It sounds like you’re somewhat dissatisfied with the use of animal labor.”

Adam glanced at Kingu, who was watching ahead. His tone and expression seemed normal, but his choice of words had a clear direction.

“I don’t mean to criticize, though I do indeed feel bad. I’m just stating what I see, the perplexing facts.”

“Perplexed?”

“Eden people coexist with dinosaurs, and the relationship between the two cannot be applied to the relationship between Sumerians and oxen. The former would never kill dinosaurs specifically for food, but for the latter, consuming meat is commonplace.”

Kingu’s purple eyes reflected something indescribable.

“So, you’re saying you’re at a loss about the ‘difference’?”

Adam gestured for Jeanne d’Arc Alter not to be on guard.

He roughly understood Kingu’s point.

As expected, even in this world, Kingu remains a child of Tiamat. Then, as a “beast” creation, why would he choose to help humans?

At least according to Type-Moon’s setting, “Human Evil” is also “Human Love.” Perhaps, to some extent, Tiamat is trying to understand her children and those not her children.

If Kingu’s existence is explained from this perspective, then his next statement becomes crucial.

“Regardless of how much we advocate for equality, ‘differences’ have always objectively existed. Rather, it’s because of these differences that the world can exist. Water and stone, ocean and land, herbivorous animals, and carnivorous animals that prey on them.”

“Are you saying this is like the sunrise and sunset, a rule that cannot be changed?”

“No, what I mean is, ‘difference’ is a part of our world today, not just ‘evil’ but also brings ‘love’. In my homeland, there’s a saying: Saints are heartless. When one loves all without any ‘difference,’ his love for the individual becomes abstract and distorted, even non-existent.”

Adam stared into Kingu’s purple eyes, as if seeing through them the primordial mother goddess still trapped in imaginary space.

“To a mother, her child is special. It’s because of the difference between her child and others that her maternal love is evident. So she needs ‘non-children’ to make her maternal love clear.”

If Adam’s explanation method is followed, Tiamat in history is indifferent, treating all life equally as children, then spreading a heartless “love” as a beast.

But the appearance of Eden people changed everything. Although recognized by the planet, they are undoubtedly not a race created by the planet or life’s womb, Tiamat would never consider them as her children.

Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise, the unloved Eden people making Tiamat slightly more rational.

Aside from direct violent conflict, there might be a peaceful solution, at least ways to lower the “difficulty level” of overcoming.

“Although I said that, my view is, differences are reasonable but not compassionate. We need to acknowledge their objective existence, then gradually change the parts that do not align with our moral concepts using appropriate means.”

(Author’s Notes: I was very unlucky to twist my ankle and suspect a fracture while going out, so I took some time to write a chapter before undergoing a series of checks and treatments, and I’ll probably disappear until almost the end of the month. I’ll probably start a new book when I come back, and this one will be updated sporadically whenever I have inspiration and time.)

TL: Aaaand That’s it for now! It might’ve been short, but it was a good read, and I had a good time learning about this stuff in English (Cough I only knew the Chinese version)

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