The Wheel of Teaching
Even so, Sunya was unyielding — once he spoke a word, he kept it without fail.
Enede and Adapa trained in martial arts and sparred every single day. In time they grew accustomed to it, and it no longer felt so grueling. Between sessions they continued their artistic pursuits — sculpting, painting — and sometimes simply meditated or sat idle, letting the hours drift by.
At first Enede had wondered what meaning such a life could hold. But as the days passed, she found it surprisingly agreeable. Peaceful, she supposed. A life of moderate labor, moderate pleasure, and moderate acceptance — it seemed dull on the surface, yet proved deeply satisfying.
Back in the village beneath the mountain, Enede had often shared her body with the men of the village, or with strangers who wandered in from outside. Generously put, she had been open-minded. Less generously, she had been promiscuous. In a distant future, physicians would almost certainly have diagnosed her with nymphomania.
There was nothing wrong with enjoying the act itself. But when it was over, the brief sense of release would give way, after a short while, to emptiness. Lately she had even begun to feel that life itself was growing stale. Looking back now, the memory of herself thrashing her hips so earnestly — when she had never even intended to bear a child — filled her with embarrassment.
"To live a healthy life," Sunya said one day, as though he had read her thoughts, "duty and pleasure must be held in balance."
"A life buried solely in obligation is exhausting, and a life that chases only pleasure becomes hollow. A heart that leans neither way — that is what we call the Middle Way. And to walk the Middle Way, one must have room in one's heart."
It sounded complicated, but the conclusion was simple enough: enjoy in moderation, work in moderation. An obvious truth — yet Sunya had made her feel it for herself, and so his words struck Enede with uncommon force.
As time went on, the renown of the educational city of Ku'ar grew steadily. Even without any command from the gods, more and more people from every corner of the world began making their way there.
"Um… what exactly is Mind Study?"
Nearly a year had passed when a third student found her way to Sunya's classroom.
Ninala was a princess of Bad-tibira.
Bad-tibira was one of the five great cities of Kienkingir, and like the others it enjoyed a highly advanced civilization and abundant prosperity. Her father had doted on her without measure, and so Ninala had grown up sheltered and tended like a flower in a greenhouse, wanting for nothing. Hardship and adversity were distant stories, nothing more.
And yet — why?
At some point, Ninala had begun to feel a hollow restlessness she could not name. No matter how delicious the food, how beautiful the songs, how finely she adorned herself with jewels, the emptiness inside her only deepened.
"I've found a marriage partner for you," her father said one day.
That void took on a clearer shape at his words.
"Don't worry. He'll cherish and love you more than anyone."
"…Yes, Father."
She felt no particular curiosity about who this marriage partner might be. Barring some great upheaval, her life was already secured. Even if the marriage itself brought little joy, she would live in comfort. Just as she always had — she would bear children without trouble or worry, receive her husband's affection, grow old, and quietly end her days.
"…"
The thought of that future only made her more uneasy.
How long am I supposed to live like this?
Has anything in my life ever truly been mine?
The guards who protected her, the handmaidens who attended her — every one of them had been assigned by her father. There was no Ninala in any of it.
She knew perfectly well how spoiled such thoughts must sound. Compared to people who struggled simply to eat each day, she was living a blessed life. She had repeated that fact to herself more times than she could count. And still, she could not rein herself in.
Had she not heard of Ku'ar when she did, she might well have come apart entirely.
"An educational… city?"
"Yes. They say some god with clever hands raised an entire city in half a year. A city with no king, devoted solely to learning. You study as much as you wish."
"…Can such a city even exist?"
"I'm not sure it even qualifies as a city, really. The people who live there are just travelers passing through."
She had never heard of such a thing. A city was supposed to be a fence — protecting its people from the outside while binding those within. Could a city truly exist where one learned as much as one pleased, stayed as long as one wished, and then simply left?
Ninala found herself intrigued by this place called Ku'ar.
"Father, I'd like to visit Ku'ar."
"What?"
The request came suddenly, but the ruler of Bad-tibira granted his beloved daughter's wish. He did not truly expect her to learn anything of substance, but he thought it would be a fine experience. More than that, he could not imagine any danger arising in a city built by a god and sheltered by the gods themselves.
And so Ninala set out for Ku'ar, accompanied by a handful of servants and guards.
"This city was built only a year ago?"
Standing before Ku'ar, Ninala let out a breath of wonder. In sheer outward splendor it did not surpass the five great cities — but it was cleaner, livelier, more vital than any of them. She had wondered how order was maintained without a king; the answer became clear the moment she saw the Lamassu crouched at the gates, standing watch.
The Lamassu regarded them.
Ninala and her handmaidens trembled with fear. Then her guard, Utunai, stepped forward.
"We are a princess of Bad-tibira and those who attend her. O messenger of the gods — will you grant us leave to enter this city?"
With that, the Lamassu shifted aside and cleared the path.
Truly a city made by a god…
Thinking this, she stepped inside — and found clay tablets arranged on stands, each inscribed with writing.
"What is this…?"
"You may choose any of the classes listed here and attend as you please."
A woman who appeared to be a resident of the city had appeared beside her and begun to explain.
"Who are you?"
"I am a guide who assists first-time visitors to Ku'ar. These tablets list the instructors, the content of each class, and the tuition — please use them as you see fit."
Ninala examined the tablets with fascination. The variety of courses was remarkable. She had hoped to learn something entirely new, something she had never encountered before — and just then, one class caught her eye.
"Mind Study?"
She did not fully understand it, but it was a subject she had never heard of, never seen. Gathering her servants, Ninala set off at once for the classroom where Mind Study was taught.
Along the way she glimpsed classrooms packed with students through open windows — and just as many that stood empty, unvisited. They found suitable lodgings, settled in, and made their way to the building that housed the Mind Study class.
The classroom they arrived at shortly after belonged to the latter kind.
"Who might you be?"
As they entered, a handsome young man greeted them. He had rare silver-white hair, and for some reason kept his eyes closed. His body was hard and angular with muscle — the physique of an exceptional warrior.
"Ah — I've come to take a class here."
Looking at him, Ninala felt her face grow warm. A young girl who had never known a man was always vulnerable to a beautiful face.
"Ah, so you've come for the class. Please, sit wherever you like over there."
"Before that… um, what exactly is Mind Study?"
"Nothing complicated. It's a class that teaches what kind of mindset one ought to carry while living in this world."
"Ah…"
It sounded like so much empty talk, and Ninala's expression turned awkward. The others she had brought with her looked much the same.
"Are you certain about this, Your Highness? Perhaps a more practical class would be…"
"No. I want to take this one."
Her guard whispered a caution, but Ninala would not yield. In the end the whole party moved to one side of the classroom and settled in to listen quietly. The room was not large, but with so few students, even their full number fit without the slightest crowding.
Watching them, Enede regarded the newcomers with open curiosity.
"She must come from a very fine house. Look at all the people she's brought along — and those clothes, that pale skin. She looks like she was raised in pure luxury."
"She's the princess of Bad-tibira. The daughter that king treasures more than his own life. I hear she's never so much as gotten her hands wet, except when she bathes."
"My, my…"
Enede let out a soft sound of wonder at Adapa's explanation. She had never imagined she would come so close to someone who seemed to live in an entirely different world.