NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter-129 Different Perspectives
“Am I privy to that information?” Ewan asked. ‘Masked Conclave’, this was the first he heard of it.
“It’s not really a secret, just that not too many people know about it, especially at our level,” Kiev said. “My grandpa was a part of it, so I want to join too.”
“What if it was a secret?”
“I would still tell you. I meant it when I said your status will be same as mine.”
“Things that seem too good to be true, often are,” Ewan said. “I haven’t done anything to earn any of that yet.”
Kiev stared at Ewan. “Has someone ever told you that you think too much?”
Her face flashed before him when Kiev said that, and his mind wandered away to her. What might she be doing right now? Was her island anywhere near this area?
“Oh? Someone really has?” Kiev asked with a playful expression. “Someone important?”
“Yeah,” Ewan said.
“Is it a ‘she’? Girlfriend? Wife?” Kiev asked.
“Fiancé,” Ewan said.
“Ah.” Kiev sighed. “You’re engaged…. My poor little sister, she just got her heart broken.”
“What?” Ewan asked.
“Well, I talked about you a few times before and she was there when grandpa also mentioned you. She was the one who kept the ledger for contributions in the last war too, she noticed you there,” Kiev said. “And you’re the dark and callous type, just what she prefers, so she’s now crushing on you.”
“What? Dark and callous? What made you reach that conclusion?” Ewan asked.
“You seemed to like the whole Ketaby thing.”
“You’re holding a grudge for that? I was interested in how it worked. How does that make me dark or callous?”
“That’s what’s dark,” Kiev said.
“You have your definitions mixed up, that’s curiosity in its purest form,” Ewan said. “At best, I have a strong stomach, unlike you.”
“It was the stench,” Kiev said, emphasizing his words.
“Of course,” Ewan said. “It couldn’t be the torture at all. And that delicious and tender meat. You should’ve at least taken a bite though, it was good.”
“That right there, you were able to eat just fine even after what we saw, that’s how callous you are,” Kiev said. “You just don’t care.”
“Just because I could stomach the gore and enjoy the meal, I’m callous? I wasn’t the only one eating,” Ewan said. “This is not something I discovered, it’s not a product of my ‘dark’ mind. It’s existed since before me and it’s accepted everywhere, so why should I be the exception to bear the moral burden.”
“Some things you just don’t do, this was unneeded cruelty. We can procure good food in other ways; there is no need to employ such means for it.”
“I didn’t take you for a moralist. You’ve been fighting in that war for so long, you must’ve done far worse to win.”
“No, I haven’t. And war is different, it’s for survival. But morals are necessary otherwise, especially for a society to maintain stability,” Kiev said. “You don’t think so?”
“Yeah, perhaps for the society. I still struggle with it though,” Ewan said. “My life has been short, but time and time again, morals have only hindered me. I don’t know about you, but it’s a mental restraint to me, to keep the sheep in the herd.”
Ensils stood on the other side of their agreement, so speaking his mind could be a risk for him. Yet, it also came with its reward—him opening up would put the other side at ease. It would be easier for him to integrate if they didn’t resist him. Thus, he laid bare his inner conflict while keeping a tight rein on his thoughts. He couldn’t come off as overly antagonistic.
Kiev sighed. “If we discard that, we won't be any different from the Astylinds, mere slaves to the laws of nature,” he said.
“I think, therefore I am. I can question morality, consider other choices, be apathetic or empathetic, act rationally or emotionally, I would say those qualities make us different from the Astylinds instead of just one trait,” he said. “And I lean towards written laws and rules, they do the job.”
“They aren’t all-powerful though; they can't cover everything and everyone, especially in the wild. We need morals to maintain some form of structure.”
“You’re supporting my point, it is to keep the sheep in the herd,” Ewan said.
Kiev shook his head. “I give up, you’re truly callous. My sister sure has eyes for your type.”
Ewan shrugged. “So be it. I do keep my mind open though. Maybe someday, when I grow up and have more experience, I’ll question the morals again and see whether I was right or wrong. For now, let’s agree to disagree.”
“Hope you see light soon,” Kiev said.
“Maybe I’ll join that new church in the city. They’ll teach me what morals are for sure, even if they must brainwash me for it.”
“Another one cropped up? They never learn their lesson the easy way.”
“Do you want my help with it?” Ewan asked.
“Can you? It’ll make it easier for me if you can deal with it,” Kiev said.
“Push them out, force them to fight for us, kill them, what’d you want me to do?”
“No need to go that far, just make sure their numbers don’t increase,” Kiev said.
“As you wish. A simple threat should do the job.”
“You can use the guards if things get out of hand, they’ll all listen to you. No need to get your hands dirty.”
“Sure, I’ll take full advantage of my new status,” Ewan said, laughing.
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