Chapter 24: Human(3)
Chapter 24: Human(3)
The moment I gave my answer, something popped up over Leona’s head again—boing. Seeing it happen twice made it clear; it wasn't just my imagination.
Leona wasn't human; she was of another race. Given what had sprouted from the top of her head, she was most likely a Beastkin.
Do Beastkin even enroll in the Academy?
I recalled from lectures that the relationship between humans and Beastkin was abysmal. It was even worse than the historically prickly relationship between elves and dwarves. Because of this, there had never been a case of a Beastkin enrolling in Halo Academy until now.
One might point out the Beastkin occasionally seen in the downtown areas over the weekend, but they weren't students; they were hired as security guards. Thanks to their naturally superior senses, Beastkin excelled in security work.
The primary reason they worked in human society despite the mutual animosity was, above all else, 'money.' The Beastkin nations were relatively new, putting them in a position similar to developing countries. Consequently, many endured cold stares just to earn a living.
She must have her reasons.
But it wasn't my business. She was hiding her identity for a reason, I assumed. More importantly, I needed to address Cecile’s confusion first.
"...Humans can hold hegemony over the world because they’re stupid?"
"Yes."
"Sometimes it’s hard to understand the things you say, Isaac."
Cecile set her cutlery down and stared at me with a peculiar gaze. Her crimson eyes were almost hypnotic, causing me to pause my meal as well.
She seemed to fall into deep thought for a moment, then rested her chin on her hand and spoke.
"Could you explain it so I can understand? You don't need to wrap it in riddles like last time."
"It’s not a particularly grand reason. It’s similar to the point the professor made during the anthropology lecture."
"I'm still curious. Tell me, quickly."
I glanced past Cecile’s shoulder at Leona. The ears that had sprouted atop her head had flattened back down, but her gaze was still fixed firmly on me.
I wondered if she could hear us from this distance, but I shook the thought off and began my explanation.
"As you know, Cecile, humans have nothing going for them except for their high learning ability. We're outclassed by other races in lifespan, physical strength, magic, wisdom, and even craftsmanship. We aren't even particularly good at manipulating mana. A race with a short lifespan and zero innate advantages... can't you see the picture?"
"I don't follow."
"We have the advantage of being quick learners, but what about the era when we started from absolute zero? When there was nothing to learn and no one to learn from, how did we survive until now?"
"Oh? You're right."
Cecile’s eyes widened. She seemed to finally grasp the contradiction.
In my previous life, there were only humans, so we only competed with our own kind. But this world was different. There were races everywhere with innate abilities far superior to humans.
In such a situation, could humans really compete? If humans had been truly 'smart,' they would have hidden away or bowed their heads to live as slaves.
But humans—whether out of stupidity or sheer recklessness—chose to compete with the other races. To the other races, it must have been baffling. What is that guy doing? they probably wondered. Even I would scoff if a random monkey tried to challenge me.
"Naturally, it wouldn't have been easy in the beginning. We had nothing. But humans didn't give up; they began to mimic the strengths of other races. That’s when 'knowledge' began to accumulate, but it was still insufficient. After all, an imitation is just an imitation."
"True."
Cecile nodded in agreement. In reality, while the human population exceeded 1.5 billion, only a tiny fraction could actually stand against the other races.
No matter how much a human struggled, unless they were a once-in-a-generation genius, their innate limitations were clear. The balance was off from the start when an average elf warrior possessed the combat power of a human knight.
"I believe this is also why our reproductive rate is higher than other races. In the early days, we had to choose quantity over quality just to survive, so we increased our numbers recklessly. To other races, it must have looked like a simple-minded, useless struggle. Beastkin at least have physical strength, but humans don't even have that, right?"
"Hmm... come to think of it, don't Beastkin have high reproductive rates too? Even before they were massacred by humans during the Race War, they must have been numerous."
"That’s when the human learning ability truly shines. Historically, the elves were the first to establish a 'civilization,' but the next to do so were 'humans.' Based on the knowledge and skills learned from the elves, we built a civilization and gathered our scattered kin to consolidate power. A race living in tribes versus a race that created a civilization and a society—the difference is already clear, isn't it?"
"I see. The Beastkin only founded their own country about 300 years ago, right?"
As mentioned before, the Beastkin had only established a nation three centuries ago. Apparently, they did so out of a sense of crisis after many of their kind were slaughtered by humans during the Race War.
However, unlike the humans who had a solid foundation, the Beastkin nation felt rushed, and it remained highly unstable even now. There were various ethnic groups within the Beastkin, and a barbaric culture still persisted.
"Yes. Anyway, the conclusion is that humans are too stupid to just lie down and die. If we had been smart from the beginning, we would have given up ages ago. Surrounded by beings superior to us in every way, we would have fallen into despair and discouragement."
"That’s paradoxical. Wouldn't being stupid make you die faster?"
"No. Again, it’s because we are stupid, reckless, and foolish that we chose to compete despite having almost no advantages."
"So, it’s about grit?"
Cecile hit the nail on the head. Despite my long-winded explanation, the biggest reason humans survived and eventually took control of the world was their 'grit'—their refusal to give up.
Humans were the race that stubbornly dug into areas everyone else deemed impossible until they made them possible. During the Demon War 3,000 years ago, humans were the ones who fought to the bitter end, regardless of age or gender. If nothing else, human grit could be considered a 'special ability' in its own right.
However, there was one more decisive reason why humans held the world's hegemony today.
"That’s true, but humans also have a much stronger sense of unity than other races. Usually, we're busy fighting among ourselves, but when a crisis strikes, we become one to repel it."
"Like in the Race War and the Demon War?"
"Exactly. Grit that knows no surrender and unity in the face of crisis. These two traits clicked together, allowing humans to seize control."
What’s even scarier is that human potential is limitless. Because humans know better than anyone else how lacking they are, they tend to evolve constantly. Having memories of my past life, I could say this with certainty.
But that didn't mean I had no concerns. I poked at my food with my fork as I spoke.
"Of course, that isn't always a good thing. It can manifest as horrific sins, like the Beastkin massacre. What’s scarier is that such incidents will likely happen again someday. I’m sure of it."
"Why do you think so?"
"You don't have to look far. The Demons were slaughtered just a few thousand years ago. Who do you think led that massacre, Noona?"
"..."
Cecile’s expression stiffened slightly at my question. It might have been blunt, but there was no better example.
"Anyway, do you understand now?"
"...Yes. Thanks to you. Humans are truly complex beings. I should study them more."
"It’s good to know about humans, but I hope you don't learn the bad parts. As you can see from the Demon and Beastkin massacres, humans often commit acts far worse than any devil."
"Thanks for the advice. I'm just glad that, so far, I'm surrounded by good people."
Cecile smiled brightly, looking refreshed. I smiled back at her, then shifted my gaze toward Leona behind her.
She had forgotten to eat and was staring at me intently. It seemed she really had heard everything I said.
"What are you looking at?"
"Oh, nothing. By the way, are you finished with your meal?"
"No. I couldn't eat because I was listening to your story. Do you have another class after this, Isaac?"
"I don't. What about you, Cecile Noona?"
"I have one math class."
"Isn't math incredibly difficult?"
"Not really? I find it easy."
Despite the little incident Cecile was unaware of, the meal proceeded smoothly. I spent a pleasant time chatting with her in the cafeteria until her class was about to start. I teased her occasionally, but since there weren't many people around, it wasn't a problem.
Leona, however, was a bit distracting. Her characteristically blunt stare was starting to feel burdensome.
"It’s already that time. I’ll be going now."
"Alright."
"What about you, Isaac?"
"I'll eat a bit more before I head out. Go on ahead."
"Okay. See you later~"
Once she finished her meal, Cecile waved with a bright smile. I waved back, seeing her off warmly.
With Cecile gone, the nearly empty cafeteria was left with only me and Leona, who was sitting some distance away.
"..."
"..."
I stared at Leona, and she stared right back at me.
I wondered what to do, then a fun idea struck me. First, I placed my clenched fists against my temples, then I suddenly snapped my fingers open.
I was mimicking the ears that had popped up over her head.
"...!"
The effect was immediate. The moment I made the gesture, Leona’s eyes went wide as saucers, and her body went stiff as a board.
Boing—
To top it off, her ears popped out again, completely beyond her control. She tried to hide them in a panic, but it was pointless now that the cat was out of the bag.
Scrape—
As I was chuckling to myself, Leona suddenly stood up. I was about to stand up as well, thinking she might want to talk.
Grab—
"Huh?"
"You. Come with me for a second."
Before I could even blink, she was right in front of me, grabbing me by the collar and dragging me away. I hadn't even perceived her movement.
I blinked in confusion, then hurriedly shouted at Leona as she hauled me off.
"I-I have to clear my tray...!"
"Grrr...!"
"..."
The moment I talked back, Leona let out a savage growl.