Chapter 197: Eternal Spring's Heian-kyo Is Without a Doubt a Demon's Den
"I've heard a bit about the Heian Capital."
After the ship set sail, Noah had Vivian bring Minamoto-no-Raikou over. He gestured for her to sit opposite him and then spoke his mind.
"The earliest descriptions I heard of the Heian Capital were always things like—the eternal spring of Heian, the peaceful Heian, the thousand-year Heian... and so on. They say it's always spring there, without the cold of winter, and the people are all very kind. Everyone lives happily, peacefully, and free from conflict in such a place."
"Last time, I actually intended to ask about this after mentioning your alliance with the Evil Spirits, but your sudden outburst interrupted me."
"Lately, I haven't had much free time, but now we can properly discuss this matter."
Vivian poured tea for Noah and Minamoto-no-Raikou and brought a plate of snacks. Noah picked up his teacup, inhaling the fragrance of the black tea as he posed his question to Minamoto-no-Raikou.
"If it were those Evil Spirits, it wouldn't be surprising no matter what they did. But what about you?"
"As a warrior, what exactly dissatisfies you about such a Heian Capital?"
Upon hearing Noah's question, Minamoto-no-Raikou visibly furrowed her brow and even let out a sigh.
"If everything truly were as it appears, even if the people no longer needed a warrior like me to protect them in such an environment, I would calmly lay down my sword and bow, remove my armor, and return to the fields."
Minamoto-no-Raikou did not resist telling Noah these things.
Because she had now almost confirmed that she had likely misunderstood Noah. His legends were widely spread in the west, and he probably wasn't a Foreign God—just an emperor as powerful as one.
After all, given his strength and status... he had no need to deceive her.
Thus, her initial thoughts remained unchanged.
If Noah were willing to eliminate the Heavenly Fox and accept the people, then even if he took all of Japan into his territory, it would be completely fine.
If she were still in her original world, even knowing she was no match for Noah, if her superiors decided to resist to the death, she would still fight with all her might for her country.
But in this world, Japan wasn't even unified yet. So whether someone rose to unify it or it was unified by someone else, as long as the people could live well, it didn't matter much to Minamoto-no-Raikou.
If anyone wanted to blame her for this, then let them.
After all, no matter what... being ruled by a human emperor was far better than being ruled by monsters!
"But everything the Heian Capital presents is merely how it appears. The reality is far different from what meets the eye."
"Being ruled by monsters isn't something that can be judged acceptable or not based on whether the monsters are good or bad—it's not that simple."
"Because aside from a very small number of exceptions, most monsters are like those Evil Spirits—creatures who will do anything as long as it pleases them."
"To put it simply, compared to humans, monsters act with far less morality and purpose."
"Even if human rulers are completely devoid of morality, their actions still serve some purpose—whether for wealth, status, personal pleasure, or peace of mind.
...
But monsters are different. They might slaughter a city simply because they feel like it today, or surrender to the enemy tomorrow because they don't want to fight. They might even choose death on a whim—such is the nature of ordinary monsters, who act on sudden impulses.
And just as there are evil humans, there are monsters whose behavior is even more incomprehensible... For instance, lighting a fire because it's too hot, or practicing self-care despite wanting to die. Some might ask you a question and kill you regardless of your answer—such monsters exhibit actions that seem utterly irrational and disconnected from any coherent thought process to humans."
"Faced with these bizarre patterns of behavior and actions, I've even seen those who specialize in documenting such phenomena refer to it all as—strange tales.
Among them, the principles guiding these monsters' actions are completely beyond human understanding. Even in stories, they appear terrifying, let alone encountering them in reality.
Monsters are beings entirely different from humans, so the idea of accepting their rule is unimaginable.
Before I explain the situation in the Heian Capital, please be sure to thoroughly distinguish between humans and monsters."
Hearing Minamoto-no-Raikou say this, Noah nodded and gestured for her to continue.
Seeing Noah's response, Minamoto-no-Raikou went on.
"As for the Heian Capital, on the surface, it may appear that way... But as the emperor of a human nation, you must also understand that humans as virtuous as the residents of the Heian Capital—almost saintly—are exceedingly rare. It's hard to imagine even a thousand such saints appearing together, let alone forming a city of considerable size."
"In the Heian Capital, those who commit evil or even harbor wicked thoughts are burned to death by the flames of Amaterasu... That's what the fox said, wasn't it..."
At this point, even without using the power of the Star Performer, Noah could sense the burning rage emanating from Minamoto-no-Raikou.
She seemed utterly unwilling to recall the events of that time.
But after taking a few deep breaths, forcing herself to calm down temporarily, she finally spoke.
"My reasons for first coming to the Heian Capital were complicated, and I didn't come alone. I was accompanied by one of my subordinates."
Hearing this, Noah's eyes flickered slightly.
Although he had long suspected that Minamoto-no-Raikou was sent here by the Distortion, her vague wording now only strengthened his conviction.
...
—So Minamoto-no-Raikou wasn't sent here with Little Kiara, but with one of her own subordinates?
Noah was somewhat puzzled, but he didn't voice his questions right away, instead listening as Minamoto-no-Raikou continued.
"When we first arrived at the Heian Capital, we were immediately attacked by that fire. At the time, we had just finished a brutal battle and were at our weakest. If not for my subordinate sacrificing his life to save me, I would have been burned to death right then."
"It was precisely because of that subordinate's sacrifice that I discovered what kind of demon's den this Heian Capital truly is, despite its appearance as a paradise of bliss!"