Today, no different from yesterday, promises a tomorrow that will continue on.
However, those words are idealism. Meaning, they are unrealistic.
The world changes every day. Because a today no different from yesterday never comes, tomorrow cannot be promised. In other words, it means it is nothing more than a small hope wished for because it goes unfulfilled.
The Seonghwangcheong had always dreamed of that ideal only in their dreams.
There are times of prosperity. There are times of decline. There are times when a foolish king ruins the nation, and times when a wise king develops it. Or times when a Demon God appears and sweeps across the world regardless of whether the king is wise or foolish.
Then one day, a today that humanity cannot handle suddenly arrives, and tomorrow is no longer promised. The end of a species comes.
This is something that will happen someday. Therefore, the Seonghwangcheong tried to remove sin from humanity to prevent that destruction.
But the Seonghwangcheong could not do it. Because they alone were not the only humans. To remove sin from humanity, they had to interfere with the human species itself.
They created religion, revered the Heavenly God, and spread doctrine and morality. Over hundreds of years, hundreds of millions of humans believed in the Heavenly God and followed its doctrine.
Goodness and morality. Conscience and duty. Justice and law.
The ones who wove those together, spread them widely across the continent, and established them as the faith of the absolute majority were none other than the Seonghwangcheong.
[What the King calls a standard is morality and conscience, the duty that humans ought to keep. It is the faith that all humans expect from one another.]
The Seonghwangcheong has a standard. Humans hoped for salvation and hope, and the Seonghwangcheong provided it. There is no heaven or hell in the world, but they were born within the human heart.
[Therefore, everyone prays that the King of Humans also acts according to such faith.]
"You all think I have the same standard."
[Yes. The King who slumbered before Year One has no standard. That is why you will need one. For you are the existence that represents all humans.]
If all humans have it, the King of Humans must have it too. But my sister doesn't have that in her heart. For my sister, who was the King of Beasts itself in the age of barbarism before Year One, it is an utterly alien concept.
That is why my sister needs a standard.
Just as measuring length with a span and distance with a stride, she had to use something else as her standard. If possible, the most universal one.
And the most universal standard in the world approached directly.
My sister spoke to the Holy Maiden of Heaven.
"You, will you become my standard?"
Perhaps this moment was the future the Holy Maiden of Heaven had awaited the most. The Holy Maiden of Heaven clasped her hands together.
[Gladly.]
"Good. You're my standard from now on. You're, hmm, there's no worry of losing you so I don't need to carry you around!"
Carrying around probably meant exactly that. It was all the more chilling because of its innocence, but the Holy Maiden of Heaven didn't mind.
For me, it was the worst possible outcome.
I don't know what kind of order the Seonghwangcheong will create. I'm not a prophet. But then the wind stops.
"Holy Maiden of Heaven! My sister is a mass murderer who killed tens of thousands with a single gesture! She's a monster who single-handedly annihilated an empire's army—calling her the King of the Divine is utter nonsense! It doesn't suit her!"
My sister pouted her lips and replied.
"Little brother. That's too harsh."
"You know it's true! The most robust civilization can only be achieved with the most powerful force. Civilization is the most developed form of barbarism! The Seonghwangcheong is just trying to use you! Because, you have nothing but power and barbarism!"
Strip all violence and barbarism from individuals and monopolize it. This is the essence of civilization. Because of this, civilization is the most powerful barbarism. It devoured the barbarism of all others.
"If my sister, who alone can stand against all of humanity, becomes the guardian of civilization, she will become an existence that forever strips all barbarism from humans!"
"...What's the problem with that?"
"What?"
"That's barbarism, isn't it? Isn't it fitting for barbarism?"
My sister said it as if it were obvious, and I had no words to refute it.
"Yes. I am human. And barbarism. I can do anything with power. What problem is there with someone like me taking up a standard and measuring the world?"
It's better than destroying the world with this power, my sister said slightly chillingly. For the current my sister, there's no reason to destroy the world... but there's also no reason not to.
"Rather, I'll ask you. Little brother, you are a pitiful child with no power. You've become quite impressive, but you know. You're weak enough to die even to an ordinary human."
"I know."
"If you're that weak, shouldn't you rely on me instead? You should become my standard and receive my care and protection."
My sister approached me and stroked my head. It was instantaneous. I flinched and tried to pull my head away, but my sister grabbed the back of my head with a strength that refused refusal and rather roughly embraced me. Unable to resist, I was trapped in my sister's arms.
"My poor little brother. Because there's someone as fragile yet precious as you, I have to stomp my feet in anxiety too. If you won't become my standard, I'll have to use another standard. Then I won't be confused anymore."
My sister's embrace is so firm and at the same time so cozy. Being protected by power that shows me genuine goodwill must be safe and comfortable. If I just close my eyes and give in, it's easy.
"...Sister."
However,
I have no power. That is why I must scheme, read the room, and struggle. I must make allies rather than enemies, combine the knowledge I have, and secure my safety.
I must gain the power and knowledge to escape from here. So I did.
"I need that."
Human Rate.
The heart muscle twitches and blood flow accelerates along the blood vessels. Sparks fly through the nerves and muscles burn hot. The regenerating flesh endures the recoil that would break my body as it surges with power.
I grab my sister's arm and pull it off.
"Oh."
As if truly unexpected, my sister's eyes widened.
I hear the sound of steel structures being gripped and twisted. A large crack forms between our feet and gradually widens. The two massive forces—my sister's and mine—push against each other, destroying the surroundings.
Having pulled off my sister's arm like that, I took a step back and spoke.
"Humans must stomp their feet in anxiety. They need unease and fear. Because that is proof that we are weak."
The power my sister has had since birth, I forcefully catch up to using the Demon God and knowledge. Since it's not natural, there are shortcomings, but having opened the Human Rate, I can sufficiently resist my sister's power when she holds no hostility.
"Humans are still beasts. Fragile beasts that fear death and injury. That is why they cooperate with others. Because they don't want to be attacked. They consider others' feelings. Because they don't want to become enemies. They help each other. Because they must show that it benefits both."
From birth I was weak and ordinary. All I had was mind-reading. So I always read the room, bowed when I needed to bow, used my appearance and eloquence to win favor, and lived receiving high evaluations through mind-reading.
I never attack or antagonize others without reason. Doing so would only hasten my death. I lived helping others little by little. Because there's nothing to lose from winning favor.
Nevertheless, if someone becomes my enemy, I counterattack with certainty and thoroughness. Because then they won't easily make up their mind to attack me.
"Humans can do anything. That such humans ultimately cooperate, establish order, and build civilization is also something they can do."
"Then shouldn't you help me even more?"
"No. I'm not saying that's good. It means that's the conclusion reached by a fragile beast after being frightened and scheming."
If my sister measures the world with a standard, no other conclusions remain. There's no need to scheme anymore.
"If you eliminate the Emperor and become the supreme ruler of the Empire, humans will no longer be able to do anything."
[That is the position of the strong.]
The Holy Maiden of Heaven slowly walked forward, dyeing the surrounding scenery in her own color. Every time she moved, the surroundings seemed to erode. A paradise that shouldn't exist in the middle of this battlefield briefly flickered and vanished.
[There are humans who can do nothing. Those who are weaker, more deprived, unable to reach any conclusion. Those for whom even the tomorrow immediately ahead is uncertain.]
There is a woman. Having given birth to a child with a congenital deficiency, the woman has no life of her own even as the child reaches adulthood, busy supporting them. Her husband died early, her income is meager, and though the child groans and cries out in pain, there is nothing the woman can do. She merely endures and lives on.
There is an old man. Past seventy, his memory is incomplete. He often heads toward dangerous places while walking. Unable to remember even his children and throwing tantrums, his exhausted children eventually turn away from him. Today too, having forgotten his late wife's voice, the old man wanders the dark streets.
There is a child. Unfortunate enough to be born to a couple who sees the child as the other's avatar whenever they fight. Unable to rely on either mother or father, the child clutches their head and prays only for these hellish days to end.
Common and trivial tragedies visible in daily life float to the side and disappear. The Holy Maiden of Heaven calmly passed over the fleeting tragedies and spoke.
[They scheme, struggle, feel anxious, fear others, and ultimately fail to overcome a trivial accident, and tomorrow never comes for them.]
They have no agency. They have no power to take or provide something to survive. They are ones who would have died and disappeared long ago without order. Whether robbed or killed.
[It's the same for humanity. We cannot always be strong. Compared to a harsh world and powerful Demon Gods, even humanity becomes the weak, and tomorrow will disappear.]
And the same goes for humanity.
Without order, humanity too might have disappeared long ago. What would this world have been like if the Demon Gods had no common sense, morality, or even a slight hesitation? The world would have already sunk with holes riddled through it.
Without goodness and morality, survival is impossible. They are indispensable elements for maintaining civilization.
If they are indispensable, what problem could there be in protecting them so they don't collapse?
[An order that never collapses is the greatest blessing for such weak ones. The King of Humans will become the blessing and peace of all.]
"Even so, will you create more tragedy?"
There's already no way to reverse this situation. There's only one thing I can do now. I shouted desperately.
"The Emperor of the Empire has a thousand years of history and legitimacy! No matter how much you're the King of Humans, the entire Empire will try to protect the Emperor! Then much more blood will flow than in this war! If you make my sister Emperor while shedding that much blood, she'll become the new King of Sin!"
[Such a thing will not happen.]
My condemnation was useless. If she's a Holy Maiden who sees the future, she would have already arranged for this much.
[Because the most peaceful and stable succession of the throne will take place.]