Honkai: Man(Sludge) From Future

Welt was right. Noldrei had always been a man of decisive action.

And now, that decisiveness was on full display.

The man didn't think he was spreading new things too quickly; in fact, he believed the current mess was a result of the people of the old era failing to distribute resources fairly and treat every nation with equity.

And to be honest...

Welt thought so too! The man from the future was absolutely right!

What other explanation was there? They were producing enough to provide everyone on Earth with a comfortable life.

Sure, there were logistical constraints like transportation, but those were no excuse for unequal distribution. Unfair distribution was just that—unfair. After all, the methods of distribution were entirely controlled by people, not by some other mysterious force.

Within Academy City, opinions were divided on the idea of branching off a portion of the Stigma Battlesuit's power.

It would mean the emergence of another, alternative Academy City, a prospect that was truly unnerving.

The people inside Academy City probably never imagined Noldrei was already planning to build a "New Academy City" to replace them.

Welt shared Noldrei's feedback with the others in the conference room.

After a brief analysis, they concluded that while building a New Academy City might not necessarily benefit the current one, it would undoubtedly foster healthy competition within humanity as a whole.

"It seems our Emperor is well-versed in the art of checks and balances. Even we are not simply his golden geese." Otto mused for a moment before continuing, "In that case, the moment he saw Kevin, the moment he learned of the Previous Era, he must have already planned to use the people of that era to create a new civilization with a different genetic makeup, one that stands in opposition to Academy City."

Overseer Otto wasn't worried. Knowing Noldrei as he did, he was certain the man would never put all his eggs in one basket.

"So, what's it going to be? Do you decide whether to let more people go out and build a new Academy City?"

That question put them in a difficult position. No one in the room truly believed that a new, autonomous city could be built in a place like that.

Thinking about it, Tesla found something odd. "If the people over there aren't suited for Stigma born from a modern, urban civilization like ours, then what kind of Stigma would they be suited for?" she asked.

Otto explained, "We at Schicksal have had many Valkyries from other religions. Although they rarely crossed paths—I seldom assigned them to work together—occasionally one or two would possess different powers. Susannah, for example, is a Valkyrie from the Dubai area. Even without deep religious faith, she was heavily influenced by the local Arab civilization."

"Figures like Attila, the Knights Templar, Avogadro, Nobel, oh, and Einstein, for that matter. All of them were heroes who made their mark on history. So, a Stigma isn't just related to an individual's learned ideology, but also to the history that exists within human civilization."

"The existence of a Stigma isn't something that can be controlled simply by one's intellect or understanding of modern civilization. It's more about—will. A Stigma is born when one's will crystallizes in a single moment, even if the power it generates has no relation to the scientific laws we understand in reality."

"As a being that shares its origin with the Honkai, a Stigma can no longer be understood through purely scientific observation."

Upon understanding the subtle relationship between Stigma, Honkai, and human civilization, Tesla realized that Noldrei seemed to have also perceived the inherent limitations of Stigma itself.

He didn't want humanity to be solely bound by the power of Stigma, and the group that controlled Stigma had to be under his control. This control couldn't just be through simple military force.

At this thought, Tesla's fundamental sense of responsibility for human civilization welled up. "I support his decision to build another Academy City," she declared. "The problem is, how do we convince our own people to help realize his vision for a new world?"

Cocolia, of course, needed no convincing. She had gone from being a Soviet to a North American, and then from a North American to a citizen of the Far East. The concepts of nation and ethnicity had long ceased to have any meaning for her.

She would charge wherever the Emperor pointed.

"I agree with Tesla. The situation in Academy City has been getting more and more out of hand lately. They've started to think their actions are justified, to the point where they've lost all sense of boundaries. Not even killing people, not even the strictest rules can restrain them anymore."

Welt had long been dissatisfied with many of the problems within Academy City. If an external system were established, it would surely force the people here to rein themselves in.

"Since we have a basic consensus, let's decide on a course of action."

Otto knew this would be the outcome. He had no intention of stopping them, but in his view, their idea was utterly futile.

Why? One only needed to look at Schicksal's various branches to know. There was no such thing as healthy competition; struggles between different factions would only lead to more powerful divisions.

'Just you wait,' Otto thought. 'You're in for a real show.'

The Overseer had been a leader for five hundred years. What kind of schemes hadn't he seen? A mere difference in direction? It was just a matter of purges, political rectifications, and a few people dying. No big deal.

This scene was exactly like the situation between the North American Branch and Schicksal HQ back in the day.

'It seems we're walking down the same cyclical path,' Otto mused. 'I just wonder if our new Emperor of Earth can handle such a dangerous situation.'

Otto was somewhat looking forward to seeing what Noldrei would do. As the Overseer of Schicksal, his choice at the time had been to suppress the development of civilization, and along with it, his brothers in the North American Branch who just wanted to live better lives.

But the development of civilization wasn't something you could just suppress whenever you wanted. In the end, didn't Tesla still manage to create something as outlandish as mechs? Coupled with the use of the Moonlight Throne and giant robots, human civilization had progressed to an absurd degree.

"Theresa, come here! Grandpa has a job for you."

Theresa, who had just been sitting in on the meeting, suddenly heard her grandfather's gentle tone and immediately had a bad feeling.

"Theresa, go to the Middle East and help Mr. Noldrei build the new 'Academy City'. I hope you can be of some use in the coming days."

The expression on Theresa's face froze. The juice in her hand suddenly didn't taste as sweet.

Ever since her taste system had been repaired, it was the first time she had felt the influence of her emotions on her sense of taste.

'What's the meaning of this? Why are you all kicking me around like a burden! Am I... am I not a Herrscher anymore? Haven't I already fused with the Core of Reason? Why?!'