When organisms began to adapt their genes to environmental changes through sexual reproduction, many intelligent species developed different divisions of labor: females were responsible for creating means of production and continuing reproduction, while males were responsible for producing resources and maintaining the safety of the species. The most intuitive example is a lion pride—lionesses are responsible for hunting to feed the pride, while males without blood ties to the lionesses guard the territory and look after the cubs. When invaders attempt to encroach on the territory, the stronger males drive them away, using their lives to defend the pride and the offspring. The matriarchal structure of human civilization developed along this model, and even as society evolved into patriarchy, such gender divisions continued.
But with the development of productivity, production was no longer limited to individual strength, and as the idea of liberating productivity and gender equality began to spread, women finally began to realize their own potential. In Solomon Damonet's view, this ideology greatly benefited the productivity and technological advancement of the human species, which is why The Unified Truth continuously promoted the liberation of women. The lecturers tirelessly explained to Latovinian women the rights they inherently possessed and called on them to acknowledge the responsibilities they bore.
They encouraged women not to place themselves in the role of the weak or as victims begging for pity, nor to ignore their responsibilities while only seeking to enjoy their rights. Instead, they must recognize their strength and wisdom. Rights and obligations are inseparable twins. Latovinian women must stand up and fight like every Latovinian man, striving together for a beautiful future world. Those who merely wish to sit back and reap benefits without effort should be scorned—in early education surveys, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Undying City realized that such ideology was easily accepted by Latovinians. This was because a significant portion of the Latovinian ethnic makeup came from settled Roma people (known as Sinti). Though they had altered their culture, the genetic legacy of matriarchal society had been passed down through generations, and women retained a mystical status in their cultural traditions.
Even though Solomon knew that, for a species, the role of females is to create the means of production and reproduce the next generation—a directive that violates the selfish nature of gene continuity—he still hoped to make the best use of everything and everyone. Under the strict limitations placed on artificial intelligence, the existence of mech-servants in the Undying City was the best embodiment of the ideals of The Unified Truth.
At dawn, when Sophia got up to wash, dressed in her military uniform and insignia, and lifted the curtain to step out into the military camp tent, walking through the cold mist creeping in from the forest, she found a large group of young women dressed as peasant wives standing before her. The young girls, previously whispering among themselves, immediately fell silent upon seeing her and, following the basic military training taught by the lecturers, formed a not-so-standard line. Outside the military-controlled zone stood many women who were either too young, too old, or too hesitant. They nervously glanced toward Sophia's tent, whispering in hushed voices.
A messenger clad in a bulletproof vest jogged over. After receiving permission, he leaned in and quietly relayed Victor von Doom's orders and the current status of the residential area. Sophia nodded expressionlessly, adjusted her peaked cap, pulled at the sleeves of her long black coat, and strode toward the young girls. The messenger, lagging behind, didn't catch what she said to them, but a few minutes later, he saw the girls blushing with excitement, visibly stirred—especially when she showed them her chainsaw sword. However, some of them turned pale, hesitated, and the messenger narrowed his eyes, gripping his rifle tightly.
Sophia took note of everyone's reactions. She had already studied the records and could now associate each face with a name. She had evaluated them in her mind, using standards established by the intelligence department of the Undying City—standards that every disciplinary officer had to learn. As she led the diverse-minded group of young women through the military checkpoint, most of the women outside raised their hands in cheers. Some middle-aged and elderly women, along with their descendants, waved flags they had embroidered—deep red banners with the laurel-crowned eagle emblem. Some initially wanted to take out three major Arcana tarot cards but were stopped by lecturers hidden among the crowd. Superstition was strictly forbidden in the camp, a hard rule.
Though the flag was crude, it symbolized, to some extent, the effectiveness of the Undying City's education.
Victor von Doom stood at a distance, coldly watching as Sophia led the girls onto the armored personnel carrier heading to the sealed training camp. Not all the women who had volunteered would pass the tests to become soldiers; some might become field medics, accountants, or fill other valuable positions. Even so, the civilian personnel of the Undying City all possessed strong military attributes—whether medics or accountants, they were required to carry firearms and melee weapons and, when necessary, to have the courage to kill enemies or themselves.
He was genuinely curious to see how many among them would persevere. He knew Solomon's plans were somewhat idealistic—not everyone could practice the absolute rationality of the Undying City or see the future as its sovereign did. Not everyone upheld the beliefs outlined in The Unified Truth. On the battlefield, many who initially seemed strong had made different choices when faced with the ultimate fear of life and death, betraying the teachings of the political commissars.
Victor von Doom quickly pushed this thought aside and turned back into the command tent, where the scent of coffee, tobacco, and parchment filled the air, flooding his lungs again after the forest's clean air had washed them. He hadn't rested properly for several nights, working at high intensity every evening. Just the previous day, Sophia's proposal to extensively use mech-servants had given him a major headache—after all, harming one's own kind was hard to accept without a heart of steel. Especially for the Western liberal elites—if they saw mech-servants, they might even go back to supporting the death penalty. Victor believed such a bad reputation would not help Latovinia's future—but when the whole world was already in chaos, such concerns seemed trivial. At that point, the entire human world would struggle to resist the alien fleets entering the solar system, and only the Undying City would possess the strength to fight back.
That was the real enemy of the Undying City. Solomon had never considered other human nations true adversaries.
As the scheduled war date approached, the Latovinian army began probing attacks and training against the petty landowners while actively stockpiling strategic resources and building bases. This battle might not be confined to Latovinia alone. If NATO and the U.S. military forcibly attacked under the guise of "humanitarian intervention," then the Western oligarchs' armies would face the sovereign of the Undying City and the Undying City itself, which defended the north. As a counterattack, flames of war could very likely spread across Europe, and even the entire world might burn under the ideals of the sovereign of the Undying City.
This outcome was inevitable. The Ministry of Internal Affairs had long prepared for the worst-case scenario.
Only fire can reforge steel—burn away weakness and compromise to forge a blade that strikes into the galaxy. The Undying City's technological level was, compared to the ever-weakening European military, a higher-dimensional force. Even without the army's support, Solomon alone was capable of waging the entire war. If not for the sovereign's belief that much of the city's technology still needed to be converted into practical use, that Latovinian ideology still needed to be spread, and many industrial facilities had to be seized by non-violent means—this endeavor couldn't rely solely on force—perhaps Victor von Doom would already be seated in the White House, signing declarations on his behalf.
Regardless of what the future holds, the world would soon know that Latovinia is home to a group of warriors burdened with ideals.
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