Chapter 96: The Contradictions of Sumeru
Nahida had been back in Sumeru for two months.
During this time, the Akademiya noticed a surge of unrest among the people.
The primary issue was that Sumeru's citizens were becoming increasingly resentful, and after conducting investigations, the Akademiya discovered that the root of the dissatisfaction stemmed from their inability to obtain the knowledge they desired from the Akasha System.
They believed that the Akademiya was interfering with their pursuit of happiness, leading to growing discontent and resentment toward the institution.
However, the Akademiya was also aware that, while public dissatisfaction was understandable, the speed at which it escalated seemed unusual.
The rapid rise in public resentment suggested that someone might be fanning the flames.
Their suspicions were correct—the reason the people quickly became aware of this issue was due to Nahida's subtle influence behind the scenes.
Upon returning to Sumeru, Nahida had begun laying the groundwork to reclaim power from the Akademiya.
As for how she planned to do so, Nahida decided to implement the strategy suggested by Felina.
As previously mentioned, while the Akasha was a remarkable invention, its existence brought little benefit to the majority of Sumeru's people.
Why was that?
The Akademiya's governance through the Akasha was far too rigid and restrictive.
The Akasha operated on its own set of criteria, evaluating an individual's aptitude and potential before assigning and distributing knowledge deemed most suitable for them.
This system was somewhat akin to the talent-assessment pillars often seen in cultivation novels—if one had exceptional talent, they would receive divine-level techniques to practice; if their talent was poor, they would only receive basic training methods.
"Isn't it fair to allocate resources based on ability?"
"Advanced knowledge should be given to those with greater talent, as they can make the most of it. Giving it to those with lower aptitude would be a waste of time and effort—it's better to provide them with practical skills instead."
Nahida voiced her thoughts.
During their lesson, Felina smiled at her response and lightly tapped Nahida on the head.
"You're not wrong, but you're looking at this purely from the ruler's perspective."
Felina explained patiently, "Society is diverse. A nation certainly needs leaders, ministers, and elites, but it also needs people to run restaurants, farm the land, and handle sanitation work."
"Different individuals play different roles and professions, ensuring the proper functioning of society."
"The Akademiya uses the Akasha to evaluate everyone's aptitude and assign corresponding knowledge accordingly. This is undoubtedly an efficient method," Felina continued, carefully guiding Nahida's understanding.
A person with lower intelligence and limited knowledge but abundant physical strength would not receive advanced mathematics knowledge from the Akasha System after their aptitude is assessed. Instead, they would be provided with agricultural knowledge to help them quickly contribute to production.
This approach reduces their trial-and-error costs and enhances Sumeru's overall productivity.
At first glance, the Akademiya's approach seems correct. However, the reality is that the overly rational sages of the Akademiya have ignored human nature.
What is human nature? It is never being satisfied; it is the constant desire to improve.
"I am poor, so I must work hard to learn new skills to build a family, buy the things I like, and live the life I desire."
"I have spent my whole life farming, feeling the toil of facing the soil every day. I hope that my next generation can leave the fields, explore the broader world, and live a better life."
Current hardships are acceptable, but I hope to find a way out through hard work and acquiring new skills.
However, things are different in Sumeru. The Akademiya prohibits the circulation of books, and the only way for people to acquire knowledge is through the Akasha System.
As previously mentioned, the Akasha is controlled by the Akademiya. Whatever knowledge you receive from it the first time essentially determines your future.
If you receive agricultural knowledge, then you are destined to be a farmer for life.
If you receive medical knowledge, then you will be a doctor for life.
If you receive construction knowledge, then you will be a mason on construction sites for life.
In other words, the Akademiya has sealed off the path of using knowledge to change one's fate, cutting off the social mobility for those at the bottom.
Even if the Akasha's decisions are mostly accurate and the assigned knowledge is indeed the most suitable for individuals, so what?
The essence of human nature is greed—they want a better life!
If I try to learn something myself and fail, or if I attempt to start a business and it fails, then that's on me. I'll accept it and return home to farm pigs.
But if I've never even been given the chance to try, and I'm told from the start that I can only raise pigs for life, how could I possibly accept that?
Trying and failing, then coming to terms with reality, is entirely different from having your fate predetermined from birth.
What the Akademiya is doing makes the people feel like their destiny has been locked in place by an unchangeable system.
Some might argue that other nations allow the free circulation of books—can't they just leave for the other six nations?
The reality is that 70% of a country's population will never have the opportunity or the means to leave their homeland in their entire lifetime.
The people of Sumeru have no way to escape. They can only lower their heads and live under the vast web of the Akasha System.
The Akasha System has existed for a long time, and the reason Sumeru has remained stable until now is due to two major external pressures: the crisis of the polluted Irminsul and the looming threat of the desert people, which united the rainforests in a common cause against outside forces.
But now, the desert has gained independence, and the crisis of the Irminsul has been resolved. There is no longer a unifying external threat to keep the people of Sumeru together.
When a crisis ends, people begin to focus on their inner needs.
With peace restored, the people of Sumeru have gradually lowered their guard and started paying attention to the internal issues that have been festering, leading to growing discontent.
"Have you ever heard of the 80/20 rule?" Felina asked. "It states that 20% of the people control 80% of the world's wealth."
"What I want to tell you is that only a small fraction of people benefit from the Akasha System, while the vast majority of Sumeru's population have had their entire lives restricted and dictated by it."
"The upper echelons of the Akademiya may hold great power, but the power of the people is even greater! The 80% who make up the working and farming classes are more than enough to overthrow the Akademiya!"
In her office, Felina patted Nahida's shoulder as she prepared to leave. With a mysterious smile, she left a lingering remark:
"What do you think would happen if, at this very moment, someone were to ignite the conflict between the people and the Akademiya... and step forward to lead the rebellion?"
Since her return from Fontaine, Nahida had been operating in the shadows, quietly fanning the flames of discontent between the people and the Akademiya.
One day, she disguised herself as an ordinary middle-aged man from Vimara Village and went to the outskirts of Sumeru City, claiming to be there to buy seeds.
In no time, she had blended in with the local farmers.
Once she had earned their trust, she heaved a deep sigh of frustration in their presence, lamenting,
"Sometimes, I feel like this world is incredibly unfair."
Farmers, after all, spent their days tending to their fields and crops, and when evening came and dinner was done, there was little else to do. They would gather to chat and pass the time, discussing everything from national affairs to personal woes.
Hearing Nahida's dejected tone, the group immediately grew curious and asked what was troubling her.
Disguised as the middle-aged farmer, Nahida took the opportunity to vent,
"You know, ever since I was a child, I dreamed of getting into the Akademiya, learning useful skills, and making a lot of money to improve my family's life."
"But the first time I put on the Akasha Terminal, all it gave me was knowledge about farming."
"At first, I didn't understand why the Akasha only provided me with such knowledge. But as I grew older, I gradually came to realize the truth."
"The Akasha System must have judged me as foolish, yet strong and suitable for farming. Since I come from a family of farmers with no resources to support my studies at the Akademiya, it only granted me knowledge about agriculture. And so, I can only farm."
"But lately, I've been thinking—was my fate already decided by the Akademiya and the Akasha System from the moment I was born?"
"People always praise farmers, calling them the backbone of society, but we all know how little our crops sell for. Farming can sustain us, but improving our lives? That's nearly impossible!"
"My grandfather, my father, and now me—we've been farmers for three generations. Our lives are still difficult. And when it comes to my son, my grandson, will they also be deemed unfit by the Akademiya and the Akasha, forced to continue farming?"
"Is my family forever bound to this fate, always at the mercy of the Akasha and the Akademiya?"
"Hey, hey, hey! You can't just say things like that!"
The moment Nahida finished speaking, a few farmers shuddered and rushed to cover her mouth.
Good grief! Saying such things in Sumeru was like complaining about the emperor's policies in ancient times—practically treasonous talk!
With her mouth covered, Nahida appeared to snap back to reality and hurriedly apologized.
However, the cheerful atmosphere that once filled the group was now gone. The farmers, who had been casually chatting just moments ago, were suddenly silent.
Although they told Nahida to stop speaking, his "unintentional" sighs had struck a chord deep within their hearts.
On the surface, it seemed like he was merely venting his frustrations, but every word he spoke hit them right where it hurt the most.
Because they too were farmers—how could their lives be any better?
Suffering through hardship wasn't the worst part; the worst part was not even realizing how much they were suffering.
"My son, my grandson... will my family never escape this fate? Will we always be under the control of the Akasha and the Akademiya?"
Nahida's words planted a seed of awakening and rebellion in their hearts.
And despite their nervous attempts to hush her, Nahida was certain that within a few days, everything she said today would spread throughout the entire village.
And within those few days, many of these villagers would likely lose sleep over it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
19 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon:
Patreon.com/DaoOfHeaven