Two Villains

I frowned as I thought about the Alchemist's question. 

I realised that I should not have used that example. I do not believe in heroes and villains in the truest sense, as I have said before. Everyone is human, with a mix of faults and good traits. I like to think of humans in terms of a normal distribution graph. Most are neither good nor bad. They are just people.

A very select few are angels on earth, having a genuine heart and commitment to good.

But when it came to the Kingmaker and the Alchemist, they were on the other extreme end. I cannot consider them heroic in any way. Yes, the people close to them and their followers might believe they were doing good for the world, but the devil is in the details.

They were both villains who believed they were righteous in their goals.

"It depends on who is telling the story. A lot of people are on your side because you have made significant contributions to technology. But your business and interests tend to dehumanise, eliminate what regular people call the soul." I answered. 

"What does that mean?" The Alchemist asked with genuine curiosity. 

I sighed as I realised that he was detached from humanity, although in a different way from the Mad King.

"You reduce human beings to information processing and memories. Your understanding of a human being is just a brain driving a musculoskeletal body. In other words, a human soul to you is just a CPU."

"I am not saying that you are wrong, but people do not like being told they are nothing but animals with better processing power. Human beings like to believe in something higher. They like the idea of an undying soul."

The Alchemist stared like he wanted to debate me, but he held back. 

"What does the Kingmaker believe?" He asked instead. 

I thought of that man who clung to his idea of righteousness and the divine order of the creator. Once in a while, I wondered how he had come to hold on to his beliefs as a soldier of the creator. 

I could not figure out if it was a childhood belief system that was ingrained in him or something he had picked up along the way. But if I were to hazard a guess, I would say it was indoctrination and reinforcement through association with others who shared his views, creating an echo chamber. 

After all, the Order of the Paragons has been around for a long time.

"The Kingmaker believes the exact opposite, although as I said, you two share some similarities. He believes in an eternal soul that can be sanctified and saved through doing everything right. He believes that the world should follow the natural order of things to be free of sin," I responded. 

"He dreams of a world where people can follow the exact ways of the olden world when religion thrived. His vision is of purity, righteousness and justice as he believes the creator intended in the beginning when the world and humans came to be."

I did not see why I should not be candid with the Alchemist. 

The Alchemist clenched his fists. 

"Are you f*cking kidding me? That is the man controlling the legal system? He is an old relic who wants to drag us back to the medieval world. You cannot possibly think it is alright that he wants to take away everyone's hard-earned rights!" He raised his voice angrily. 

I could not help but laugh sarcastically.

"Are you any better? You are controlling most of today's modern technology. You also want to take away hard-earned rights, just using information, dependence on machines and subsequently, human autonomy," I retorted after a short moment. 

The Alchemist looked insulted. "I am making the world a better place. With the work I am doing, we can abandon human errors and enter into an era where every field is more efficient, safer and consistent."

I looked at him sceptically. 

"Do you really believe that?" I asked him. 

"Of course. I have dedicated my life to advancing the world to a place we have only imagined through novels and movies. On the other hand, he is trying to drag us back into an age where we are controlled by religious b*llsh!t," He ranted with fiery eyes. 

I remained silent for a moment, giving him time to calm down.

"You also want to control the world. You must make peace with that. Is that not the reason you are doing all this work?" I asked with narrowed eyes. "As I said, you and the Kingmaker are not so different despite your differing beliefs."

The Alchemist seemed to calm down and close off. 

"You have to clarify what you mean by that. We are different in every way. I doubt I share any similarity with an old religious nut bag who wants to bring back the Crusades." He almost seemed like he was sulking.

It was quite amusing to me. 

"I think it is admirable that both of you are committed to your cause. The fact that he has dedicated his life to his religion to the point of becoming a knight of a ridiculous old-world order in the modern day shows commitment," I responded. 

The Alchemist scoffed. "That does not explain our similarities."

"I found out a bit about your little basement lab and know your pursuits in increasing the reproduction of people like you and your cohorts. You are very interested in the establishment of a superbaby farm, to put it crudely," I said casually. 

The Alchemist's eyes hardened. "Kyle talks too much. I should have his meds upped."

A slight twinge of anger surged in my heart, but I controlled it quickly. I still could not explain the strange feelings that I had instantly formed for that mad scientist. However, I could not allow it to be used against me. 

I needed to remain detached.

Still, I felt guilty about my next sentence.

"On the contrary, I think he is a little naïve," I replied. "I am not talking about his tendency to talk too much. I am just a little surprised that he has not considered what you might be doing with his research findings."

"A lot of people with brilliant scientific brains tend to forget that research funding is not given for the sake of finding knowledge for the sake of knowledge. They tend to have tunnel vision and ignore the fact that the big money person could use them without their knowledge or consent."

I looked at him meaningfully. 

"You should speak clearly or stop wasting my time," He retorted, but I could see the hidden glint in his eyes. 

But I was not afraid. 

"You are not just a technological guru. You are a businessman with ambitions. You were able to make a huge financial deal with the Mad King because of your ability to handle your business. I would like to come back to that, by the way. That work seems quite fascinating."

I meant it.

"Anyway, if I were an ambitious businessman like you with pro-natalist interests, financial resources, technological access and direct contact with a king, I am sure I could find a way to accelerate my timeline for a baby farm." 

I smirked. 

Well, I think I smirked because my only reference to the expression is from cartoons.