255.宗教改革と産業革命
「......で、宗教改革って具体的にはどうすんだよ?」
部下の一人から大量の胃薬を受け取ってそのまま飲んだエレンさんを見て、今度彼の為だけに私の『超薬』スキルで特製の胃薬でも作ってあげようかと考えながらざっくりと説明します。
「そうですね、大雑把に言えば多神教から一神教に変えます」
「支配するべきモノが増えたのは何も領土だけではありませんからね、その地に暮らす人......民族や人種もそうです」
特に『メッフィー商業立国』がある大陸北部なんか言語からして違いますからね、明らかに『始まりの街』があるここ、大陸西部とはルーツからして違う民族や人種が居住しているのでしょう。
いいえ、大陸西部にしたって既に肌の違う人達が入り乱れていますね。
私が最初に殺した重要NPCであるアレクセイさんは軽く日焼けこそしていたものの、白い肌に金髪碧眼でした。
ですがついこの前楽しく殺し合ったロン老師と、その息子であるロノウェさんは浅黒い褐色の肌をお持ちの様でしたし、こちらもまた扱う言語こそ一緒ですが、元々のルーツは違う民族なのでしょう。
そうですね、内海に居るとされているらしい海神を先祖代々崇めていたそうですから、ロノウェさん達が先住民で、アレクセイさん等の『元エルマーニュ王国』に属する勢力が大陸の中央や南部から渡って来た民族......ですかね。
ロノウェさん達も最初に出会った頃は奴隷階級でしたし、そこまで外れてはいないでしょう。
「操る言語や慣れ親しんだ文化すらバラバラなのに、崇める神すらも個人で違うのでは国が割れます」
今は対外戦争が続き、その奥底に潜む差別的な目は外へと向けられていますが、いずれ同じ国民同士で殴り合う様になるでしょう。
新たに獲得した領地や植民地に対する分割統治と、内地の国民の分断では訳が違うのです。
分割統治もあくまでも支配する過程に過ぎませんから、いつまでもやり続ける訳でもありませんからね。
「宗教に一番求められているモノって、何だと、思いますか?」
「......祈り?」
「違います、コミュニティという現世利益です。信仰の道を極めるというのは聖職者だけで、一般的な民衆にとってはあまり重要ではありません」
四世紀に生きた聖アウグスティヌスも、『信仰を求めて教会に来る者は少ない』と人々がコミュニティでの交わりの方ばかりを求めていて、自らの信仰を深めようとしないことに苦言を呈していたくらいですからね。
民衆が宗教に求めているものをそう解釈し、考えるのであれば答えは一つだと思いますね。
「多民族を纏める統治の手段として、全てを受け入れるただ一つの神が必要です」
ほぼ単一民族国家である日本においてはあまりピンと来ない方も多いかも知れませんが、肌や髪の色という見た目、育った文化、操る言語、ルーツすらも同じ民族同士では、それ自体が『仲間である担保』となり得ます。
ですが他民族同士だとそうはいきません......今自分の目の前に居る見た目も言葉も違う存在が仲間なのかどうか、全く分からなければ信用も出来ません。
そこで同じ宗教を信仰していると、同じ価値観や基準で動く同胞だという担保が生まれる訳です。
その為に信じるべき価値基準となる神が複数も存在する多神教ではいけません。
考え方が違えど同じ民族だから仲間だねとなる日本とは違って、違う民族だけど同じ考え方だから仲間だねと、そうしなければならないのですから。
......まぁ日本も完全な単一民族国家ではないんですけどね......大和民族の他には琉球民族を筆頭に朝鮮民族、漢民族などもそれなりに多く居ます。
「目の前の存在が敵ではない味方であるという保証と、どんな存在であろうとも暖かく迎え入れ、地域住民の寄り合い所となる様なコミュニティの形成を目指します」
「......要は、本気で中央神殿に喧嘩を売るんだな?」
「そうですね、彼らの信仰している神々は元は一柱の全知全能の絶対神だったんだと、そうでっち上げますからね」
「一歩間違えれば世界中の国が一斉に侵攻してくるぞ」
まぁ一方的な破門宣告や何やら色々と突き付けてくるのではないでしょうか?
エレンさんの言う通り、一歩でも間違えれば十字軍の様なモノが組織されてしまうでしょうね。
「そうですね、なので我々は新しい宗派として売り出します」
「現在の中央神殿に対する不満や疑惑なんてモノはそれこそ山の様にあるでしょう? それらを全部ぶちまけてやるんですよ、上手くいけばカトリックとプロテスタントの様に真っ二つに割れますよ」
「こっちの世界の話です」
彼らは堕落しているとして、本当の信仰の道とは何かとは色々と理由を付けて非難しつつも新しい宗派を作り出す。
ルターなんかをお手本にすればまぁ良いのではないでしょうか......地球の出来事が全て当て嵌る訳ではないので、このゲーム世界に合わせて改良は必要でしょうが。
「全く新しい宗教を作って集団改宗させるよりも、今あるモノを乗っ取るだけですから穏やかです」
「あぁ、そう......」
宗教に関しては改めて家の資料を漁ろうと考えながら、エレンさんの出してくれたお茶を口に含んでから話を切り替えましょう。
「次は産業革命についてです」
何やらもう疲れた様子のエレンさんに向けて、まずは機織り機の設計図を手渡します。
「機織り機と言います。まず最初はそれを導入する事から始めましょう」
エレンさんに細かく、これを導入する事でどんな利点や問題があるのかを説明しながら、比較的に作るのが簡単である事を教えます。
私の話を聞いていく度に眉間に皺が寄っていく彼の顔に首を傾げながらも、話を続ける。
「なるほど、生産スピードが格段に上がるのは分かったが......何のエンチャントも付いてなければ、防御力もほぼない装備に意味があるのか?」
「それは戦う職種に限る話でしょう? 大多数の一般市民は身体を隠せればそれで良いんですよ、市場もそちらの方が大きいですし」
ですがまぁ、ここはゲーム世界でしたね......エンチャントも防御力もないただの衣服の価値は想定していたよりも少し下がると見た方が良いでしょう。
この大量生産する過程で一定以上の付与効果が与えられる術が見つかれば良いのですが......そうですね、それは検証班であるユウさんに投げてみましょうか。
とりあえず我々は大量生産に伴って、消費型経済への移行を目指します。
「ついでに圧倒的な生産性で殴り、他国の繊維産業も壊滅させてしまいましょう」
「......あぁ、怖い怖い」
「原材料を安価で大量に仕入れ、そして完成品を他国に売り付ける......その過程で先ほど話した一神教を布教しつつ植民地にするのです」
──白人がアフリカにやってきたとき、われわれは土地を持ち、彼らは聖書を持っていた。彼らはわれわれに目を閉じて祈ることを教えた。われわれが目を開いたとき、彼らは土地を持ち、われわれは聖書しか持っていなかった。
ケニヤの独立運動のリーダーであり、初代大統領でもあるジョモ・ケニヤッタの言葉です。
現実世界に生きていた私には地球の歴史という、このゲーム世界に生きる
......確か、こういうのを知識チートや内政チート、等と言うのでしたっけ? ユウさんとマリアさんがその様な事を言っていた気がします。
「銀行の設立により資金を用意し、それを元手に産業革命を行い、その圧倒的な生産力で他国の産業を食い破り、我々の作る製品に依存したところで布教と民間の商会による土地の買収を進めるのです」
「......悪魔か?」
「そうして買収した他国の土地では原材料の生産と採掘のみをやって貰います......そして溢れる程に多く生産した我々の製品を買い取って貰う独占市場とします」
「......悪魔だ」
多分というか、確実にエルさんも似たような事をするでしょう......大陸西部の北端と南端からお互いに徐々に勢力圏を伸ばしていき、そして自国や属国の国境がぶつかった時が総力戦の始まりです。
それまでは一先ずの準備期間といったところですかね。
「産業革命などに伴って発生するであろう、我が国の失業者に対する対応などは後で細かく話し合うとして、大まかにはこんな感じになりますね」
ユーラシア大陸の西部に位置するヨーロッパ地方から産業革命や植民地獲得競走が始まった様に、ゲームでも大陸西部からそれが始まるのは個人的にとても面白く感じられますね。
そう言って話を締め括ると、エレンさんは酷く脱力し、ソファの背もたれに身体を預けながら一言だけ発します。
「──胃薬を持って来い」
「へ、へい!」
255 The Reformation and the Industrial Revolution
"...So, what exactly do you mean by reformation?"
While staring at Eren-san, who received a large amount of stomach medicine from one of his subordinates and drank it, I briefly explained while thinking about making him a special stomach medicine just for him with my [Super Medicine] skill.
"Well, roughly speaking, we'll change from polytheism to monotheism."
"The reason why we have more things to control isn't just because of the territory, but also the people who live there... The ethnic and racial groups."
Especially in the northern part of the continent, where the Meffy Commercial State was located. Not only was the language different, it was clear that different ethnic groups and races lived there. The same went for the western part of the continent, where the City of Beginnings was.
No, even in the western part of the continent, people with different skins had already jumbled together.
The first major NPC I killed, Alexei-san, was slightly tanned. Not to mention, he also had fair skin, blond hair, and a pair of blue eyes.
However, Sage Ron and his son, Ronove-san, whom I had fun partaking in bloodbath with just recently, seemed to have dark brown skin. Moreover, while they spoke the same language, their origin was different--
I had also heard that their ancestors worshiped the Sea God who was said to reside in the inland sea. So I guess that Ronove-san and his people were the natives and the forces belonging to the former Kingdom of Hermagne. Then, people such as Alexei-san probably hailed form the central and southern parts of the continent...
When we first met, Ronove-san and the others were of the slave class. As such, my conclusion was probably not that far off.
"Considering the languages we use and our customs are already different, if even the gods we worship are different for each individual, the country will split."
Now that the foreign war had ensued, the discriminatory eyes which lurked in the depths of the war were directed outward. But eventually, the people would start fighting each other.
There was a difference between dividing and conquering newly-acquired territories and dividing the people of the mainland.
Dividing and conquering was nothing more than a process of ruling, so it wasn't like we were going to keep at it forever.
"In terms of religion, what do people seek after the most?"
"...Faith?"
"No, it's the worldly benefit of the community. Only clergy cares about mastering the path of faith, while the general populace don't care."
St. Augustine, who lived in the 4th century, also complained that instead of deepening their own faith, people were only seeking fellowship in the community. He said something along the line of,
As such, if I were to interpret and think about what the people expected from religion, there was only a single answer.
"As a means of governing multiple ethnicities, we need a single god who accepts all."
In Japan, which is almost a mono-ethnic country, this may not be so obvious to many people, but when people of the same ethnicity share the same skin color, hair color, culture, language, and even roots, this in itself can be a "guarantee that they were friends."
But that wouldn't work if the person came from a different ethnicity. Some might feel incapable of trusting another simply because they looked different.
Therefore, if they believed in the same religion, they'd have a sense of security and camaraderie, who had the same values and standards.
For that reason, it shouldn't be a polytheistic religion in which there were multiple gods that served as the standard of value to believe in.
Unlike in Japan, where people who had different mindsets became comrades due to the same ethnicity, I'd make it so that people of different ethnicity became comrades because they had the same mindset.
...Well, Japan wasn't a completely homogeneous nation, either. But beside the Yamato race, there were also many ethnic groups such as the Ryukyu race, the Korean race, and the Han race.
"We aim to create a community that can guarantee that the presence in front of us isn't an enemy, but an ally, and that we'll warmly welcome any presence while becoming a gathering place for local residents."
"...Basically, are you going to fight with the central temple?"
"Well, I'll make up a story that the gods they believe in used to be a single, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, and absolute god."
"If you make one wrong move, all the countries in the world will invade at once?"
If anything, it'd become a one-sided excommunication.
Like Eren-san said, if I made even one wrong move, there'd be a crusade.
"Hence, we'll sell it as a new sect."
"There're mountains of dissatisfaction and suspicions about the current Central Temple, right? If everything goes well, it'll split in half like the Catholics and the Protestants."
"Oh, it's irrelevant."
While accusing the Central temple of being corrupt, I'd declare the new sect as the true path of faith with various reasons.
It'd be nice to use something like Luther as a model. However, not all events on Earth could be applied, so it'd be necessary to make improvements according to the game world.
"Rather than creating an entirely new religion and performing mass conversion, it's just a matter of taking over what already exists, so it's more peaceful."
"I, I see..."
After sipping the tea prepared by Eren-san, I decided to switch the topic. As I pondered about the subject matter, I fished through the documents pertaining to religion.
"Next is about the industrial revolution."
I handed over the blueprints for the weaving machine to Eren-san, who seemed exhausted.
"It's called a loom. Let's start by introducing this."
While explaining in detail to Eren-san regarding the advantages and problems behind introducing such a tool, I also told him that it was relatively easy to make.
As I explained further, the confusion in Eren-san's face grew.
"I see, while I understand that the production speed will increase dramatically, but... is there any meaning in creating equipment that offers no defense or enchantments whatsoever?"
"But you aren't supposed to bring it to combat? The majority of ordinary citizens are generally under no risk of danger. As long as it can hide their bodies, it'd suffice. Besides, the market is bigger there."
It was obvious that the value of a mere garment with no enchantments or defenses would be a little lower than expected.
It'd be nice if I could find a way to impart some effect in this process of mass production.
For now, I aimed to move to a consumption-based economy along with mass production.
"With our overwhelming productivity, let's crush the textile industry of other countries."
"...How scary."
"Buy the raw materials at a low price and in large quantities, then sell the finished products to the other countries... Colonizing them while propagating the monotheism I mentioned earlier in the process!"
When the whites came to Africa, we had the land and they had the Bible. They taught us to close our eyes and pray. When we opened our eyes, they had the land and we had nothing but the Bible.'
Those were the words of Jomo Kenyatta, the leader of Kenya's independence movement and also its first president.
I, who lived in the real world, had knowledge about the history of Earth that the NPC didn't. Therefore, I shall use it effectively.
...Is this what they call knowledge cheats or domestic affairs cheats? I think Yuu-san and Maria-san said something like that.
"By establishing a bank, we'll prepare some funds. Then, we'll use it as the basis for the industrial revolution, and with its overwhelming productive power, we shall triumph over the industries of other countries. We're proceeding with the acquisition."
"...Are you a devil?"
"In the acquired land of other countries, we'll only produce and mine raw materials... and we'll make it a monopoly market where they'll buy nothing but our overflowing products."
"...You're the devil."
Perhaps, or rather, I was sure that Eren-san would eventually do the same. From the northern to the southern ends of the continent's western part, we'd gradually extend our spheres of influence. Afterwards, when the borders of our own country and our vassals collided, it was an all-out--the beginning of the war.
Until then, it was just a preparatory period.
"We'll discuss in detail later how to deal with the unemployed in our country, which will likely occur with the industrial revolution."
Just as the Industrial Revolution and the race to acquire colonies began in Europe, which was located in the western part of the Eurasian continent, I personally found it very interesting that the game began in the western part of the continent.
Upon hearing that, the terribly weak Eren-san collapsed on the sofa and only said one word--
"--Bring the stomach medicine."
"U, understood!"
Genocide Online ~Playtime Diary of an Evil Young Girl~
ジェノサイド・オンライン 〜極悪令嬢のプレイ日記〜
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/genocide-online-playtime-diary-of-an-evil-young-girl/
Action Adventure Fantasy Psychological
Adapted to Manga Aristocracy Assassins Beautiful Female Lead Cold Protagonist Cruel Characters Dark Depictions of Cruelty Evil Organizations Evil Protagonist Famous Protagonist Fearless Protagonist Female Protagonist Gamers Gods Gore Lack of Common Sense Level System MMORPG Modern Day Murders Overpowered Protagonist Psychopaths R-15 Royalty Ruthless Protagonist Sadistic Characters Sword And Magic Virtual Reality Wars
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n7796fc/
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