"I like this system."
Utaha was the first to nod in agreement.
"Making those inhuman magus suffer retribution—what's not to love?"
As if envisioning the scenario, she let out a satisfied hum. Among the girls who had fled to this world as refugees, she was the first to be forcibly dragged into a magecraft-related incident, witnessing firsthand how shameless and morally bankrupt magus could be.
The Nakano sisters also recalled the Middle Eastern magus they had encountered and nodded one after another.
Beside them, the Aozaki sisters remained silent.
"If this system were implemented, the living space for magus would indeed shrink drastically. Those without humanity would be wiped out completely, and criminals would decrease dramatically."
Rin agreed with Utaha's sentiment, though she didn't fully accept Roy's proposal without reservations.
"The details of enforcement, loopholes, and how to judge gray areas between good and evil can be refined later. The core principle itself is sound—I acknowledge that."
The system would undoubtedly have flaws, but they were discussing the framework. Refinements could come later. Any new system would require continuous adjustments, but the foundational tenet—"good deeds bring rewards, evil deeds bring punishment"—was undeniably correct.
"But is it really that simple?"
Aoko closed one eye, voicing her skepticism.
"At its core, this system is driven by self-interest, right? It practically denies the inherent goodness in humanity. Isn't true virtue precious precisely because it stems from genuine altruism?"
"That's a philosophical question."
Roy nodded, conceding the point.
"Aoko's right. Acts of kindness are most valuable when they come from human instinct. A system based on incentives inherently undermines that."
"But refugees torn apart by war wouldn't see it that way."
"Those tortured by magus wouldn't see it that way."
"Those wrongfully imprisoned, watching true villains walk free while they suffer injustice—they wouldn't see it that way."
"They don't care about abstract debates on good and evil. They just want evildoers to pay. They just want to escape unnecessary suffering. They just want peace in their lifetimes."
"Yet reality leaves them powerless under violence and oppression. But retribution wouldn't."
"Denying the system because it 'negates human goodness' is a luxury only afforded to those who've never endured such pain. Without walking in their shoes, who has the right to decide for them?"
Roy's words cut like a blade, leaving Aoko's lips stinging.
What mattered more—praising humanity's inherent goodness, or ensuring good deeds were actually done?
If forced to choose, even a fool would know the answer.
At its core, Roy's proposed system was essentially an enhanced version of the law—restraining evil through punishment, promoting good through incentives. The difference was that laws could be circumvented, but retribution would be absolute.
"...Alright, you've got a point."
Aoko raised her hands in surrender, a wry smile on her face.
"But your vision isn't complete yet, is it? Good and evil are relative. Virtue only has meaning in contrast to vice. If everyone pursued good and evil vanished, how would people even define 'good deeds'?"
"When that happens, your system would inevitably collapse. And once it does, the pent-up malice restrained for centuries would burst forth like a flood—potentially wiping out humanity in one go. Don't you think?"
The question was undeniably valid.
But Roy, as if anticipating it, responded with a lighthearted grin.
"That's why we'd need a second system to support it."
"A second system?"
"Yes. In fact, the retribution system is merely supplementary. This other system would be the true core."
Roy paused, raising a finger, his eyes gleaming faintly.
"The deeper modern magus delve into magecraft, the more they lose their humanity. Is this the fault of magecraft itself, or is it inherent to human psychology? I don't know. But I can create an entirely new system—one where the more practitioners study it, the more they're guided toward positive traits. A system that steers humanity toward the right path."
This new system would reward researchers with constructive personality development, naturally inclining them toward benevolence.
This was the true solution—a way to compensate for humanity's flaws from the outside.
The retribution system alone would only restrain evil, not erase it. As Aoko said, if it ever collapsed, the accumulated malice would be catastrophic.
But if, alongside restraining evil, a new system actively guided humanity toward goodness—what would humanity become, millennia from now?
"Moreover, both the retribution system and the virtue-guiding system would only apply to humans. Other races—Dead Apostles, Phantasmal Species, Curses—would remain as they are."
Roy shrugged. "Evil will never be in short supply elsewhere. If humans run out of evils to fight, they can always defend other races, other parallel worlds—hell, even the peace of the universe."
His vision wouldn't suppress human curiosity like Amakusa's plan. If anything, the new system would amplify it. Humanity might expand into the cosmos faster than ever, encountering countless forms of malice along the way.
In Roy's mind, the ideal future for humanity resembled the Land of Light—the utopian homeworld of the Ultraman, where civilization thrived in self-sufficiency and near-flawless morality.
"A society that's produced only two villains in hundreds of thousands of years—isn't that good enough?"
Who could say for certain that the Nasuverse didn't contain an Ultraman world? If he ever found it, he could always pay a visit for inspiration.
As for Dead Apostles, Curses, or alien races—their opinions didn't concern him.
He was human. His allegiance lay solely with humanity.
If other species could serve as stepping stones, fine.
If they all perished, he wouldn't shed a tear.
"...I see. If this is the true core of your new system, if both systems combined form your complete vision... then I have no objections."
Aoko finally understood, shaking her head in awe.
If Roy's plan came to fruition, it would be an unprecedented feat—one that would leave all of history in awe.
"I have one question. Just one."
Rin spoke up, her gaze tinged with unspoken worry as she looked at Roy.
"If your system collapses someday... what will you do?"
Aoko had already raised the practical concerns, and Roy had answered them satisfactorily.
But this was the one question Rin couldn't shake.
"Rin, you're worried I'll lose myself, aren't you?"
Roy met her eyes and instantly understood.
Countless individuals had lost their way over time, their ideals warping into unrecognizable shadows of their former selves.
Roy couldn't guarantee he'd never become like that.
"If the system collapses, then it simply wasn't meant to last."
He answered after a moment of contemplation, his tone calm, devoid of fervor.
"I don't believe my design is flawless. No system should arrogantly assume it'll endure for millions of years. Everything has an expiration date."
"But so what? A system that reaches its limit will eventually crumble. I trust in the wisdom of those who come after. By then, something better will emerge. In the grand scheme, my system would just be one cycle among countless others in the universe—no different from magecraft itself."
"But I can say with certainty: my cycle would be better than the current one. Even if it lasts only a thousand years, those years would be superior to the present. If not a thousand, then a hundred. At the very least, the vast majority would live better lives than they do now. Is that wrong?"
And if it failed?
The worst outcome would simply be the status quo.
Was that wrong?
"No, it's not wrong."
Touko shrugged, smiling faintly.
The others nodded in turn—some thoughtfully, others indifferently.
Even Aoko could only mutter an "Eh" of agreement. She had nothing left to argue.
"So, to achieve this goal, my first step is to become the King of Humanity!"
"—Hah?!"
"What?!"
"Excuse me?!"
The entire room erupted in disbelief. Some stared at him dumbfounded; others facepalmed in exasperation.
Even Touko was caught off guard—Roy had never mentioned this to her.
"Could your topics be any more all over the place?!"
Rin slammed the table, shouting her complaint at him.
"No, it's a perfectly logical progression!"
Roy shook his head vigorously, defending himself earnestly.
"Think about it. To dismantle magecraft and rebuild the system, wouldn't it be easiest if all of humanity worked together? And what's more convenient for that than ruling over them?"
"Besides, look at the state of the world right now. Don't you think we desperately need a legendary hero to fix everything?"
***
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