Chapter 1170 Paradise City

Ligeia was really angry, much angrier than Aiwass and Shylock.

This extraordinary human being, who is only a hundred years old, has already witnessed all kinds of bizarre things and sufferings in the world, and her personality has been half integrated with the path of authority.

Even when she saw the petrified rock city not long ago, Ligeia only frowned slightly.

Because Ligeia, formerly known as Meg, had long understood the truth that "the essence of extraordinary beings is the entity of violence."

Everything changes because of the existence of extraordinary people. Countries without superior extraordinary people will submit to countries with superior extraordinary people; the correct but weak will submit to the wrong and powerful side.

Even if human countries abide by the bottom line of struggle set by the elves, it is essentially because people are afraid of the elves' more powerful violence.

Whether it's Star Antimony, Iris, or even Avalon—if they suddenly gained the ultimate violence that could completely ignore the Theocracy, they would eventually break the rules, rule the world, and become world hegemons. Even other countries and races, if they could become this powerful, the result would be the same.

The state is an entity, but it lacks personality and morality. Strength and weakness are the only overriding, all-determining principle—what the powerful state says and does is right, while the weak remain unheeded, their cries unheeded, and justice unenforced.

——This is the truth of the authoritarian way.

Its essence lies in revealing the truth that "violence changes everything."

Its essence is still the "strong are kings" and "the victors take all," which is the essence of the path of power. Therefore, for Ligeia, she is actually more accepting than others that "powerful extraordinary people can do whatever they want."

But the only thing she couldn't accept was the ignorant fanaticism of these people.

——For her, the word "savior" has a special weight.

Who else is more worthy of the term "savior" than Aiwass, who reversed life and death, reversed desperate situations, and reversed fate?

She witnessed and experienced firsthand how Aiwass saved the world step by step - reversing fate and defeating the "impossible".

Let the dead be reborn, let the old regain their youth, let those who are about to fall into despair and destruction laugh in the sun, let the solidified and corrupt Avalon gain new "possibility", and let the dark future that she had vaguely seen in the promotion ceremony be completely reversed... That is the real savior!

Not to mention, that good master even dared to use the lie of "saving the world" to deceive these desert people and make them pay with their lives for his selfish desires!

The "unconditional loyalty" advocated by the authoritarian path actually has a single prerequisite - that is, the legitimacy and wisdom of the superiors are worthy of the absolute loyalty of those below them at the cost of their lives.

Giving a lie as a reason and excuse for the sacrifice of his subordinates, using deception to make these troll wizards carry out fatal tasks without knowing it, and letting those ritualists who are more loyal to him and superstitious about his lies become the executioners who supervise the death of their colleagues - deliberately sending subordinates to death and using lies to make subordinates kill each other, this is the taboo of the authoritarian path.

Even after being transformed into demons and having their minds and cognitions altered, the two beholders still believed Adil's lies completely—

"Adil gave us flowers and water, honey and olive oil. He gave us sweet and salty, he gave us color, he gave us food."

The slightly larger beholder shook the air and said devoutly, "He has granted us a gift—letting us live in Paradise City, happier than anyone else."

The smaller beholders, in a missionary manner, enthusiastically told the greatness of Adil to the enemies they just wanted to kill, amidst the painful repetitions of the troll wizards:

Paradise City is not like other benevolent cities. The water resources here are not enjoyed exclusively by the benevolent lord and then sold to everyone, but are freely available to all free people.

Not only water, but food is also free.

Every day, copper plates filled with fresh food are placed in the squares and along the streets. These include baked naan, chickpea stew, lamb stew, honey, olive oil, and salt. People can take what they need at any time, and the food supply is constantly replenished.

They get new clothes every year, fruit every month, and a bottle of pomegranate juice every three days - all for free.

People did not need to work or fight. They only needed to devoutly recite "Adil is the Savior" 100 times a day, kneel nine times before the holy images that could be seen at any time in the city, and chant "Praise to the Generous Adil, Praise to the Merciful Adil" to stay in the Paradise City forever. Each person was entitled to the service of three slaves.

There's no concept of money or wealth within the city, as nothing needs to be purchased; everything is free. Money is considered unclean to the residents of Paradise City, and it's precisely because people elsewhere crave it that disputes and conflicts arise.

——Of course, the above free benefits are only available to free citizens.

As the beholder described the gifts of Heaven City in vivid detail with a humming sound that shook the air, the solidified gravel of Rock Cellar City gleamed in the evening sunlight.

The petrified slaves remained in their final poses, some futilely pointing their fingers towards the water, others kissing the sand with their cracked lips, and many more curled up in the fetal position.

Compared to Paradise City, this place is simply hell.

"...a city in the middle of the desert where everything is unlimited and free?"

Aiwass murmured in a low voice, his expression becoming more serious. "That really can be called 'heaven'."

This actually sounds a bit like the Beggars' Version of the Christian Nation.

Regardless of his motives, he did create a rare piece of pure land in the desert.

Sherlock nodded slightly in agreement, but then added sarcastically, "Although the residents of the city have no money, he himself is making money by selling 'things'."

As he said this, he glanced at the troll wizard who had lost his mind.

His "signature products" to feed his citizens are undoubtedly these living ritual bombs that he has added ingredients to.

Judging from the extremely skilled supervision and cooperation of these three ritualists, he must have developed quite a few such unethical products - he certainly did not build Paradise City after stealing the power of amber, which means that he has had similar inventions and products before.

After hearing the Eye Demon's narration, Ligeia calmed down a bit and was no longer as angry and irritable.

Because she could accept this answer.

Treat foreign races, such as troll wizards, as food and consumables in exchange for benefits for their subjects.

Although the authoritarian path has not formed a celestial official representing the "wrong path of Tao", in fact, various concepts and schools that explain the authoritarian path have already existed.

This kind of "cruel benevolent rule" is one of the mainstream factions on the authoritarian path.

Violent racism, or the means of sucking blood from foreign races and foreign countries to feed one's own subjects, are all ideas that belong to the authoritarian path.

Ligeia frowned and asked a question that was very important to her: "You said... the food cannot be eaten by slaves, and the free people have no money to buy food for the slaves, and there is no market in the city. What do the slaves eat?"

"Slaves have their own place to eat."

The Eye Demon replied.

"hehe……"

At this moment, the Night Demon Vignes suddenly let out a mocking chuckle.

The little crow shook its head and said, "You really don't understand what it means to rest in peace... You're not even asking the right question."

The pure black crow stared at the Eye Demon with its crimson pupils and asked sternly, "How many free people are there in the city?"

"Three hundred and twenty, my lord."

The Eye Demon answered respectfully and sincerely.

——This number is less than half of that of Rock Cellar City!

"How many slaves are there?"

"That's a lot. Probably around 80,000 or 90,000 people, maybe even more... I don't know the exact number."

"……What?"

Sherlock was stunned.

(End of this chapter)