Chapter 3 – Story 102: Abnormality
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Ponpius was terrified. Not of the surrender conditions set by Souma, but of the young man called Divine Son of Destruction himself.
Making all people equal――that is the idea upheld by the Divine Son of Destruction. And certainly, it is an idea that sounds very nice in theory. But, at the same time it’s a complete denial of the existing, dominant ruling system which grounds its legitimacy on lineage and divinity.
The Divine Son of Destruction will need to build a new ruling system which replaces those old legitimacies. Very likely it’s going to be a parliamentary system consisting of representatives of the various races.
This was Ponpius’s deduction.
There exist precedents of parliamentary systems in the West. For example, our neighbor Jeboa actually uses a parliamentary system consisting of ten committee members from the merchant guild, despite crowning kings. But, that’s only possible because it’s Jeboa. Merchants welcome wars in foreign countries, but they don’t like being involved in wars themselves. For this reason, Jeboa practices an appeasement policy towards its neighbors, building friendly relationships to avoid conflict. This, on the other hand, allows them the leeway to make decisions through meetings where the busy committee members discuss the important matters.
However, the Divine Son of Destruction is different. Currently the Divine Son of Destruction has formed an alliance with Romania, but if Holmea surrenders to him now and he repels Romania’s army, it’s going to void the partnership with Romania. Once that happens, Romania will never allow the Divine Son of Destruction to exist. They’re going to challenge him to a war that won’t end until one side is completely annihilated.
In such a tense situation, one won’t have the time to decide important matters through the slow deliberations of a parliament.
So, what should one do about this contradiction? You have to entrust the power of the state to one person as an emergency measure. And who is going to be the one entrusted with the full authority over the state? Of course the Divine Son of Destruction. In other words, the Divine Son of Destruction is going to become someone akin to an absolute monarch, although he himself proclaims the abolishment of monarchies.
No wait, it’s even nastier than that.
Although a king enjoys absolute power in an absolute monarchy, it’s not like the king can do whatever he likes with that power. If he abuses his power too much, it’ll earn him the opposition of the lords and dignitaries within the country. And if those people conspire and stage a rebellion, the king will be chased off his throne, no matter how much power he holds.
In order for that to not happen, the king will thus wield his power within set limits while keeping a close look on the reactions of the lords and dignitaries.
But, the Divine Son of Destruction is trying to build a country where all people are equal. In that case, all powers and authorities of the state will truly lay in the hands of the Divine Son of Destruction. And even if he brandishes those powers as he likes, no one will possess the authority to restrain him.
Out of that worry, the Divine Son of Destruction himself has declared that he’s considering implementing a constitutional government which will restrain the powerful through laws. That foundational principle is actually good, Ponpius assessed.
But, who is the one deciding those laws? Of course, the Divine Son of Destruction himself.
In other words, if he feels like it, this young man can set the laws to be as convenient to him as he wants to. After all, even bad laws are still laws. And a country that values laws above all else will be forced to obey those laws, no matter how bad they might be.
What is waiting beyond that is a perfect appropriation of the country that cannot be compared to something like an absolute monarchy. The country created by the Divine Son of Destruction will be able to become a terrifying monster with the Divine Son of Destruction as its head, unified by the tough chains called law. This new country is going to have the potential to swallow all of the West and even become a huge monstrosity that will destroy everything beyond the West.
Yet, this is no more than a portion of the Divine Son of Destruction’s dread. What makes him so frightening is that way of thinking in and by itself.
Ponpius might have understood if Souma simply married Princess Warina and stole Holmea. He could have easily accepted if Souma completely destroyed Holmea and built a country with him as the king. Likewise, he’d have understood if he dropped the lords of Holmea into slavery, replacing them with former slaves as nobles.
In this era the world was ruled by class systems. The king, who was standing at the very top, was the country itself. And the country was the world itself.
But, Souma denied all of this. Without hijacking, stealing, or inserting himself into this, he said he’d simply destroy the whole system and build a country, where every person would be equal, on top of the ashes.
Ponpius couldn’t comprehend the thinking behind that. He might have understood, if Souma declared that he’d destroy a country out of rage towards that country. He could have comprehended, if Souma said he was going to drop its royalty into the abyss out of pure hatred.
But, this young man talked about all of this without any fervor whatsoever. As if he’s merely informing me about some matters of fact. Yes, everything he said is very natural for him. Be it the destruction of countries or the demolishing of the order based on social status.
This young man holds principles that are different from ours.
Ponpius was convinced of this.
What forms his foundation of how he judges and thinks―so to say, his common practices and values―is completely different from ours. He looks like a young bloke as you can find them anywhere. If someone told me he’s the second son of a large store, who lived a life without any inconveniences and whose biggest selling point is his good looks, I’d immediately agree.
But, if we’re speaking about the person behind that appearance, it’s an abnormality.
How was he able to obtain such common sense? Why is he embracing such values?
At this point, it was already something that went beyond any category Ponpius could grasp. Even if he was told that Souma is something indescribable that merely wore the skin of a human, Ponpius would agree right away. And even if Souma’s head split in two with countless tentacles and pitch-black mud gushing out of there, Ponpius might be surprised, but at the same time he’d actually feel relieved, saying, 「So it was like that after all, huh?」.
Either way, that person who looks and talks like a human, has extended a hand, offering us his help, if we surrender to him. If it’s the Divine Son of Destruction, who has repelled General Darius and smashed Holmea’s strongest 「Black Wall」, it’s probably possible to use that momentum to rout even Romania’s current army.
But, while it may be true that Romania’s army will be repelled, will we be able to say that we were truly saved? Won’t we simply allow something even more terrifying and abnormal to absorb us while trying to escape from the atrocities of Romania’s army?
Ponpius felt fear towards the unknown and repulsion towards that abnormality. Only now he could fully sympathize with Darius having called this young man a monster.
The scary part of the Divine Son of Destruction is not how he crushes his enemies with outstanding strategies, nor is it his extensive knowledge that allowed him to develop his city to such an absurd extent; it’s his abnormality. An abnormality that is going to destroy this world. That is the true essence of the Divine Son of Destruction.
This is bad. If we allow such a being to do as it likes, not only Holmea, but all of the West is going to be plunged into terrible chaos. At this point, I have no option but to end these negotiations, thought Ponpius.
However, at that moment Solon, who had been silently listening to the negotiations, spoke up.
“Do you have a moment, Sir Ponpius?”
When Ponpius asked him with his eyes what he meant, Solon used his cane to point at Shyemul who was next to Souma.
“The zoan girl over there――”
Suddenly being brought up in this conversation, Shyemul sullenly wrinkled up her face, as if asking, “What?”
But, Solon paid no attention to that and continued, “That girl has accepted the Divine Son of Destruction at the very beginning and stayed with him ever since then. I think it’d be interesting to listen to her side as well.”
Ponpius’s eyebrows twitched.
“This person is the aforementioned…”
With the surprised look of Ponpius resting on her, Shyemul tilted her head in confusion.
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