CHAPTER 1153: CHAPTER 851: OVERESTIMATING SO-CALLED HUMANITY

The scene unfolding before Reiger and the others was undoubtedly a battlefield.

This was a real war, a real battleground.

There was an army assaulting the city, and another army defending it. Both sides used the city gates and walls as their positions, and the plain in front of the city as their battlefield, engaging in a fierce slaughter. The cries of blood, roars, horns, screams, and the clashing of weapons constantly filled the air, creating an atmosphere of death and bloodshed.

Reiger and the others gazed at this scene for a long time without speaking.

"...That seems to be the Luke Kingdom’s army, doesn’t it?"

It was Ivy who first broke the silence and started the conversation.

"Are you sure?"

Reiger already had an inkling, but he still asked this question.

"The emblem of swords and fire, there’s no doubt that’s the flag of the Luke Kingdom."

Ivy pointed to the army behind the attackers, where indeed a flag was erected, displaying a burning flame with the pattern of swords within.

"So, the Luke Kingdom has dispatched troops to attack the border of the Tistis Kingdom?" Leo frowned and said with some annoyance, "The people of the continent are indeed as the priests say, utterly foolish."

This thought arose from the current state of the continent, and it’s a common perception held by all those within the Hidden Land who are aware of the current situation of the Akasha Continent.

During their time at the Franzer household, Ivy and Leo had also talked to Reiger about it.

"In the distant past, there was only one king on the continent, but no countries, because humans were a unified entity back then, their only enemies were magical creatures, not each other."

"Over the eleven thousand years, the Hidden Land has developed far beyond its early days when the population was sparse, but we have never engaged in war, because our enemies remain as magical creatures, not fellow humans."

This was what Ivy and Leo told Reiger when he asked what kind of place the Hidden Land was.

Therefore, in their view, large-scale conflicts between humans are incredibly foolish.

In their perception, humans have always been a single race, a whole. While individual duels due to personal conflicts might be one thing, large-scale wars like those on the continent for power and riches are undoubtedly internal strife, a path to self-destruction.

At least, during the Ancient Magic Civilization Period and within the Hidden Land, wars between people never occurred.

Even the largest conflicts were limited to those between forces or families, with casualties never exceeding ten thousand, or even a thousand, at most several hundred.

But what about the Akasha Continent?

Wars between nations are constant, and in a single war, casualties amount to tens of thousands at the very least. If a war continues, long-term, the deaths and injuries could easily reach hundreds of thousands or even millions, acting as a true meat grinder of people and lives.

If such things happened during the Ancient Magic Civilization Period or within the Hidden Land, it would be utterly unimaginable.

During the Ancient Magic Civilization Period, humans had to face the persecution and brutality of magical creatures. Unity was necessary to survive, so who would dare to engage in a civil war when there was an external threat?

The Hidden Land has also continued this tradition, humans are one whole, one race, with only one temple managing them, and no constant wars between nations.

Living in such a world, Ivy and Leo naturally viewed the state of the Akasha Continent as foolish.

Of course, to Reiger, it also seemed a bit like the words of those who have not experienced hardship.

After all, humans, as a species, do unite against external threats, yet in the absence of enemies, they inevitably turn against those who hold resources for their own gain.

Reiger always thought that humans are inherently driven by desire. Whether for survival or to satisfy personal wants, they would lift a knife against those around them to obtain what they seek.

Even as Ivy and Leo proudly spoke of the greatness of the Ancient Magic Civilization and the peace of the Hidden Land, Reiger would not see humanity as a fundamentally good existence.

Where there are those who praise peace, there are those who yearn for war.

Where some are indifferent to fame and fortune, others pursue power and gain.

Where there is light, there is also darkness, and vice versa.

The world is not black and white, nor can humans be simply divided by good and bad; they are fundamentally grey, capable of turning black or white as the times change.

During the Ancient Magic Civilization Period, humans were heavily persecuted by magical creatures, and without unity, they would fall prey to them. Hence, unity was the only option.

However, in the modern Magic Civilization, though magical creatures are still numerous, they are not as widespread as during the Ancient Magic Civilization Period. Human forces are far more powerful, rendering magical creatures incapable of causing catastrophic disasters and only as unstable wild threats. With no external enemies harming them, naturally, humans would turn towards each other and fight for various reasons.

Thus, to Reiger, Ivy and Leo, though strong, appeared a bit like flowers grown within an ivory tower, untouched by the dark side of humanity and the world’s cruelty.