The streets of the Sorcerer Kingdom were packed with people and bustling with activity, yet everyone tacitly maintained public order, preventing any congestion.
With Quagoa stationed along the streets to keep order, almost no one dared to act recklessly within the Sorcerer Kingdom. Even tourists from other regions and merchants conducting business were required to obey the local laws and regulations.
"His Majesty truly cares about the daily lives of the common people!"
As Neia walked, she reflected silently. The people of the present-day Sorcerer Kingdom could broadly be divided into two groups.
The first consisted of ordinary citizens with no special abilities.
The second consisted of the powerful, those who wielded formidable abilities such as Magic and Martial Arts.
Although they were equal in status, an enormous gulf had already formed between them in practice.
Rank signifies evolution. This was an important theory proposed by the Magic Academy.
A higher rank represented evolution. Compared to those of lower rank, higher-ranked individuals could no longer be considered the same kind of being. Although both were still human, there was a fundamental difference between them.
The Sorcerer Kingdom, or rather, the Three Majesties, all held this view.
Leveling up, or growth, was a form of evolution.
Imagine driving a knife into a bear and a human with the same amount of force. The wounds inflicted would be completely different. It was much the same principle.
Higher-level individuals possessed greater resistance to poison and disease because they had acquired stronger vitality and immunity through evolution.
So-called leveling up, or growth, could be understood as evolving into a higher form of life. It was the first step toward becoming superhuman.
It was much like how substances resembling magical essence generated a powerful force field when gathered together.
There was no doubt that the Sorcerer Kingdom was committed to cultivating the strong, and the Magic Academy was one of the key institutions established for that purpose.
However, that did not mean the Sorcerer Kingdom neglected the existence or needs of ordinary citizens.
On the contrary, the Three Majesties placed great importance on them.
[No one stands in the heavens from the very beginning. Not you, not I, not even the gods.]
[There is no hierarchy among lives. Every life should be respected and cherished, for each is unique and irreplaceable.]
These were the words spoken by His Majesty the Sorcerer Greed King during the Sorcerer Kingdom's first-anniversary celebration.
Neia wholeheartedly agreed with them.
Indeed, everyone began weak and gradually grew stronger. Why insist on dividing people by rank?
Of course, the strong deserved greater benefits. There was no question about that.
Neia was not so obstinate as to deny it. After all, she herself had now become one of the strong.
However, if those benefits came at the cost of exploiting the vulnerable, then they were meaningless.
When the strong raised their blades against the weak, and the weak in turn preyed upon those even more helpless than themselves, it created an endless vicious cycle from which no one could escape.
That was certainly not the justice Neia sought.
For that reason, she paid particular attention to the living conditions of those at the bottom of society.
The results were naturally encouraging. Unlike rulers who offered nothing but empty theories, His Majesty had truly put his policies into practice, granting special consideration to vulnerable groups in many areas.
His decisive manner and willingness to follow through on his words had left a profound impression on Neia.
The contrast was especially striking when compared with the situation in the Holy Kingdom.
"Of course. Hmph! The Three Majesties are far better than that false god of the Theocracy."
Nemu, who was walking beside her, replied with a cold snort.
Having been rescued alongside her older sister, Enri, Nemu naturally knew the true names of Naohara and the other two.
However, to avoid unnecessary trouble and prevent causing problems for her three benefactors, she had never mentioned this to anyone, not even Neia.
Ever since learning that the soldiers who had attacked Carne Village were from the Theocracy, Nemu had harbored deep hostility toward the Slane Theocracy.
The Six Great Gods saved humanity?
So what?
Nemu did not care about the so-called greater picture. The Theocracy had its own considerations, and she had hers.
All she knew was that without the descent of the Three Supreme Beings, she and her sister would likely have died long ago beneath the cold blades of the Theocracy's soldiers.
Her opinion of the Theocracy had always been abysmal.
"Sooner or later, we'll overthrow the Theocracy's tyranny!"
At the thought, the flames of rage in Nemu's heart burned beyond control.
Neia turned to look at her. She opened her mouth as though she wanted to say something, but ultimately remained silent.
[Do not urge others to be kind when you have never endured their suffering. Even if you suffered as I have, you might not be as kind as I am.]
The words appeared in the third paragraph on page 108 of What Is Happiness?, one of the earliest books published by the Sorcerer Kingdom.
Never casually lecture someone about kindness when you have not experienced their pain.
Neia silently reflected on those words.
Indeed, if she were in Nemu's position, she probably would not be able to let go of her hatred so easily either.
A person had to learn to put themselves in someone else's place and consider matters from their perspective before they could truly understand that person's circumstances and feelings.
Neia looked around until her gaze finally settled on a tavern.
Unlike ordinary taverns, its signboard bore a distinctive emblem.
It was a symbol reserved specifically for Adventurers.
Although the Sorcerer Kingdom had not abolished the Adventurer's Guild, it had inevitably made several adjustments and revisions to the original system and regulations.
Seeing that her friend was in a poor mood, Neia decided to take her inside for a few drinks and help her relax.
[Jingle~]
As she pushed open the tavern door, the clear chime of a wind bell rang out.
The moment she stepped inside, a distinct atmosphere greeted her.
The interior was spacious and unexpectedly neat. A faint fragrance of alcohol lingered in the air, without the slightest trace of an unpleasant odor.
In other countries, some uncouth Adventurers would probably have turned the place into a filthy, chaotic mess. In the Sorcerer Kingdom, however, that clearly would not happen.
[First Tier: Cleaning]
It was a unique and practical spell born from the creativity and wisdom of inhabitants of another world.
The Sorcerer Kingdom had skillfully adopted and popularized the spell.
As its name suggested, Cleaning Magic had a simple and straightforward effect. It quickly removed all forms of dirt and dust.
Whether used on clothing, furniture, or floors, the spell caused every stain to vanish in an instant, leaving everything looking brand-new.
When cast over a wider area, it could even clean an entire room in an instant, leaving it spotless and free of dust.
It was one of the most basic household spells that students of the Magic Academy, including Neia, were required to learn.
After all, it could replace tedious daily chores such as bathing and washing clothes, saving a great deal of valuable time.
The Sorcerer Kingdom had also made full use of the spell's advantages by expanding its application throughout the entire nation.
Through carefully designed settings, Cleaning Magic was programmed to activate automatically every day at midnight.
This kept public areas such as the city's streets and squares clean and tidy at all times.
Of course, that did not mean the Sorcerer Kingdom relied entirely on magic to handle sanitation. Although Cleaning Magic was extremely useful, it was still only a supplementary tool and could not completely replace human labor.
For example, if someone carelessly threw garbage onto the street in the morning, they could hardly leave it there until midnight.
Therefore, cleaning staff were still employed to handle sanitation work, with their wages paid uniformly by the Sorcerer Kingdom.
(P.S.: It was really just a way to preserve jobs for ordinary citizens while also preventing daily life from becoming completely dependent on magic.)
"Hey, over here, over here~"
Just as Neia was wondering where to sit, someone called out to her.
She looked over and saw a young boy waving in her direction.
"Naraku-senpai?"
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