Chapter 939 - 398: Peace Envoy
Julie was not a Player, so she couldn’t immediately grasp Olivia’s proposed solution, but her instincts told her that Olivia’s understanding of a "perfect world" was different from her own.
She wondered aloud, "What does it mean to reduce people’s excess self-awareness and implant a predetermined collective consciousness?"
Olivia explained:
"All conflicts between people, oppression, exploitation, discrimination, and even struggles, stem from one thing—self."
"With self, people are no longer pure; they have desires, become selfish, and consider individual gains and losses."
"Therefore, I want to connect everyone using steam rules, using rules to bind them, and replace the concept of ’I’ in their hearts with the concept of the collective."
Julie frowned; she couldn’t imagine the world Olivia described, so she asked aloud:
"What will the world become then?"
Olivia displayed a confident expression and said:
"It’s actually easy to understand. At that time, people will view the collective as ’I’. Working for the collective is working for oneself, thus there’s no pain or feeling of being exploited."
"Because the collective replaces the individual, people won’t harm each other, just as you wouldn’t use your right hand to attack your left hand."
"At that time, laws will no longer be needed, only a set of action norms telling people what benefits the collective, which they will follow voluntarily."
"With the collective as the center, individual gains and losses will be meaningless, and people worldwide will strive towards a single goal: strengthening their collective."
Olivia’s depiction of the scenario was positive and harmonious, but Julie felt uneasy.
She sensed something was amiss but couldn’t pinpoint it, so she looked to Wu Chang for help, hoping he could provide the answer.
Wu Chang sighed helplessly and revealed the disharmonious aspects of Olivia’s vision to Julie.
"Her Majesty Olivia, if the world truly operates according to your vision, would people still be human?"
Olivia’s expression turned somewhat unnatural as she answered:
"Why wouldn’t they be?"
Wu Chang leaned on his cane and approached the Differential Machine, saying:
"By ’people’, I don’t just mean those who look human or belong to the human species, but those we perceive as humans."
"What makes us human is our ability to recognize ourselves. Your Majesty, you’re right; self gives us desire and makes us selfish, leading to conflict."
"But virtues and vices, selflessness and selfishness, are part of humanity’s dual nature; without one part, people become unreal."
Wu Chang turned to Julie and said:
"Julie, as a descendant of the Secret Magic Knight, you should know the path of a Secret Magic Knight is fraught with danger. To resist Mysticism pollution, the first step in becoming a Secret Magic Knight is establishing an anchor in reality."
Julie looked enlightened, seemingly understanding Wu Chang’s point, and nodded, saying:
"Yes, when my father trained me to become a Secret Magic Knight, he made me experience many unforgettable moments filled with joy, sadness, anger, and fear..."
"Each event was meant to make me understand my existence, shaping my perception of myself and the world."
"It’s the experience of establishing a reality anchor that revealed to me what kind of world this is and set my resolve to correct its errors. It’s also what helped me successfully navigate the trials of the Secret Magic Knight and maintain my identity during those five years at the Moonlight Sanatorium despite the environment."
Wu Chang pointed at the exposed giant gears of the Differential Machine and said:
"Even without a reality anchor, a Secret Magic Knight would be lost in Mysticism pollution, losing their sense of self and becoming an empty shell."
"What Her Majesty Olivia intends is akin to using steam rules to erase the reality anchor of ordinary people."
"Turning people into a collective self means their individual wills get lost in the collective; they lose their humanity, becoming flesh-and-blood mechanical parts. They wouldn’t avoid feeling pain; they would lose the ability to feel pain."
Olivia interrupted Wu Chang, saying:
"It’s not like that. I wouldn’t completely erase people’s self-awareness. I would leave part of it so they could continue living outside the collective."
Wu Chang shook his head, saying:
"Your Majesty Olivia, this approach might cause them even more pain."
"Recall your youth, when just the constraints of etiquette, and not being able to use your name as a royal title, caused you pain. If a person’s whole life is controlled, yet they retain some self-awareness, forced to watch everything helplessly without the power to change it, such torment is something you ought to consider."
Olivia’s drooping hand clenched slightly, and she insisted:
"This plan is the result of meticulous calculation by the Differential Machine and will certainly be flawless. There must be a perfect threshold between self and group."
Wu Chang attempted to persuade:
"The Differential Machine is not as omnipotent as you believe. The world will it connects to is akin to the collective will you want to create. They are not omniscient nor sufficiently intelligent; they can only act according to certain rules."