Above The Sky
Chapter 975 - 975 92 Followers of the Future Sage 7600

975: Chapter 92 Followers of the Future Sage (7600) 975: Chapter 92 Followers of the Future Sage (7600) Culture and civilization are indeed complicated matters.

As an experienced mercenary who has completed missions in places like Whale Song Cliff, City of Knowledge, and The Empire, and ultimately choosing to settle long-term in The Empire, ‘Foreigner’ Green Tide is actually quite familiar with these concepts.

Not to mention anything else, just dietary habits alone can clearly distinguish people from different places.

In Whale Song Cliff, they never lacked salt or seasonings, but have always had a scarcity of high-quality sugar.

Combine that with the Descendants of the Sea frequently going to sea to fight, needing to replenish large amounts of food that can quickly provide energy at critical moments, fructose remains the most common energy fuel, hence the habit of eating sweet things developed there.

In Fiery Flame Land, there is a clear difference in climate between the desert and coastal rainforest regions, but since it’s abundant in various spices, regardless of the food, a lot of spices will be added, making the taste mixed and strong, fragrant and rich, and due to well-developed flour products, there are also many specialty breads and baked flatbreads, considered unmatched in Terra.

As an island nation in the Inner Sea, City of Knowledge has plenty of seafood, similar to Whale Song Cliff, but prefers boiled porridge and simple boiled dishes, adding just some locally produced sauces—a feature in which the City of Knowledge’s sauces are incredibly developed, with practically every small settlement having its own unique sauce recipe, flavorful and distinct, being a significant regional specialty.

There was a joke that the reason why there are more Alchemists in City of Knowledge than elsewhere is precisely because, from a young age, they have to learn how to mix various sauce ratios, which lays a good foundation for the children to learn Alchemy.

Get the sauce ratio wrong, and you might be expelled from your hometown!

It sounds amusing, but Green Tide is well aware that at most it can identify a person’s place of birth, not their true culture and civilization.

Take The Empire, for example.

It’s so vast, and dietary customs vary from region to region.

The northeastern plains of The Empire also have a fondness for sugar and even very similar dishes that make Whale Song Cliff People exclaim ‘another version of us in this world’, but all other aspects of their lives differ from Whale Song Cliff…

they are utterly different.

So…

what is the real essence of civilization?

Is it clothing?

Is it accent?

Is it folk songs?

Or is it some social customs, some unwritten moral codes?

The more Green Tide read, the more he was puzzled by this.

Therefore, he posed this question to the ‘almost omniscient’ Lord in his heart.

Asking him ‘what is civilization’.

That white-haired leader, younger than him but unreasonably knowledgeable, glanced at him, pondered for a moment, and then decided to call a meeting.

Ian was about to give a lesson to these youngsters who were newly appointed officials, starting their leadership for the first time.

This was, in fact, normal practice; Ian often took some time out, under the guise of holding meetings, to supplement his core team with some thoughts and knowledge.

“Green Tide’s question is very interesting.”

At the meeting, the youngest Ian solemnly pointed at the text on the blackboard and said: “What is civilization?

It is a very complex concept, but its essence is very simple.”

“Civilization is not about wearing bizarre outfits, speaking languages with different accents, nor is it about singing songs in different styles, drinking liquor distilled from different grains.”

“Bloodline Kinfolk from Fiery Flame Land value martial prowess and honor, they seek revenge for grudges and are sure to reciprocate favors, preferring death over letting the enemy benefit.

Descendants of the Sea from Whale Song Cliff are generous and passionate, light on life and death, serious about promises, willing to wield swords for a moment’s pride, ensuring to accomplish goals even at the cost of their lives — do the customs of the two have similarities, even identical aspects, does it mean their civilizations are alike?”

“Not at all alike, warriors from Fiery Flame Land are silent and decisive, while Descendants of the Sea swordsmen are hearty and optimistic, distinguishable at a glance.”

“Far Shore Island and City of Knowledge are both island nations, both dominated by educational elites, governing with knowledge and Sublimation Skills, both have Academic Councils and Spire High Courts, their Alchemists even both like to wear pointed hats — but could someone mistakenly confuse the two?”

“Of course not, the gloomy and class-stratified atmosphere of Far Shore Island and the chaotic openness of City of Knowledge, which acknowledges twenty-seven types of self-identification, are completely two extremes.”

“The entire Seven Cities Alliance adheres to the teachings of Embrace Light, but Green Tide, you can distinguish who really are the visitors from Holy Mountain, can’t you?”

—— What do you mean even I can tell them apart?

That’s obvious at a glance!

Hearing this, the Swordsman couldn’t help but comment sarcastically.

Green Tide didn’t mind the Lord using himself as an example; after all, he was the one who asked the question, and indeed, he does find himself confused by these seemingly similar yet distinguishable things.

However, he greatly approved of the description of Whale Song Cliff People.

He hadn’t expected that his own Lord, who had never visited Whale Song Cliff, would have such insight into them, Descendants of the Sea.

“I can, boss.”

At this moment, Green Tide replied and continued to question: “But why?

Even though the two states are so alike, their cores are completely different…

It feels odd.”

“Because all these are not the main features of civilization.”

The white-haired Lord shook his head: “Civilization is the sum of the social morality and habitual behaviors held by a group, from family concepts to habits of what utensils to use, from the accent of speech and specific local terms, from the architectural style of cities and villages to the leanings of local faith…

All these, including those mentioned above, are only part of it.”

“But in essence, it is very simple.”