Genshin Impact: Towards Godhood

Babel's silence was taken as acquiescence.

Rules are not to be easily broken.

Firstly, they maintain the interests of the upper echelon, who hold power and naturally will not allow their authority to be challenged.

Secondly, once a rule is broken, others will follow suit.

Making exceptions once leads to more exceptions, and as more people follow, the rule loses its power.

"We all love power, but we cannot resort to any means necessary to obtain it."

"Because what we do, others can also do."

"Today, if I kill an elder to rise to power, others will consider the same method."

Rama spoke with the compassion of a saint: "A son killing his father, a brother killing his brother, a wife killing her husband... this will destroy the tribe."

The elders empathized but struggled to suppress their smirks.

The logic was sound.

But you, Rama, didn't seem to consider this logic in your actions.

Once the established rules are broken, those seeking power will rarely think about contributing to the tribe and rising step by step.

They will consider the simplest path, one already taken.

Using force to seize power.

This thought arises easily but is hard to suppress.

Many lack the strength for such actions, and acting without realizing their limitations only brings trouble to the tribe.

Trouble invites invasion from outside enemies, who will destroy the Tanit tribe.

The elders understood this principle.

But it shouldn't come from Rama.

When he speaks of reason, he sounds like a wise man, but everyone saw he was the first to act.

"This is basic reasoning, Mother."

Rama helped Babel up, his expression sincere, "Do you realize your mistake?"

"Breaking the rules for personal desire brings great trouble to the tribe."

"Putting personal desire above the tribe is the wrong direction."

Babel forced a grim smile, "And what about you, Rama?"

Rama calmly replied, "I am also wrong."

"If I succeed, leading the tribe to conquer the desert and build a new city in the sands,"

"If I overthrow the Akademiya's rule, turning the rainforest into part of the desert instead of the desert part of the rainforest,"

"Centuries later, people will sanctify my name, mythologize my deeds, and crown them with justice."

"But I know, wrong actions don't become right by one person's success."

"Similarly, I won't stop my actions just because they are wrong."

He admitted his actions were wrong but did not concede he would fail. Being wrong doesn't mean the entire endeavor will fail.

Rama believed he could succeed.

At sixteen, Rama spoke gently, as if telling a story.

"I want to do something, to become a hero, not because people need a hero, but because I want to be one. That's all."

"Its rightness or wrongness, its impact, are for others to consider later."

"I am only responsible for doing it."

When you truly want to do something, you don't care if it's right or wrong.

Likewise, this action won't become right just because of your position or its outcome.

If it was wrong from the start, it might end well, but for the doer, wrong is wrong.

"Everyone, allow me to explain."

Rama spread his arms, addressing all the elders.

"First, you cannot stop me."

"I can kill you and leave the Tanit tribe. Believe me, no one in the tribe can kill me."

"Therefore, you should trust me."

"Because if you trust me, you'll get a leader eager to expand the tribe's territory. He may lead the tribe to destruction, or he may lead it to glory."

"Trusting me is a choice for potential. Rejecting me means death."

He sat back down.

It wasn't the central seat, but the elders looked to him, waiting for his words.

"I'm done talking. You can consider it yourselves."

Babel's expression was complex.

Rama had mentioned this during their conversations.

He couldn't eliminate hatred, so he used force and the threat of death to bind everyone to his cause.

Once war began, internal hatred would turn outward.

Of course, some might seek personal vengeance first, but Rama didn't care about the minority.

If they could expand territory, gain resources, and more slaves through war, internal conflicts would dissolve faster.

"People only resist war when it brings no gain, but I will bring them everything they desire."

"So they won't resist war, nor will they resist me."

Though advocating peace and opposing war, history shows that no nation fears or dislikes war.

When a nation gains strength, its first reaction is to expand through war.

If anything, they hate failure and wars that bring no profit.

If every war is a victory and profitable, individuals may resist, but as a collective, the state will not.

The elders fell silent.

Like Babel initially, they didn't want to listen to Rama.

But with a knife to their throats, the reasoning was clear.

They could distrust him and seek revenge later.

But if they rejected him now, there would be no "later."

So, would they show their determination to die with honor or, as Rama suggested, trust in his strength for a better future?

"It's hard to believe you."

Nayram looked at Babel, speaking first.

She was ready to compromise, believing others would follow if she did.

Not because she had such authority.

The elders had no real desire to resist.

Of the nine elders, Babel and Rama had eliminated three. The threat of being killed was clear to everyone.

They didn't want to die.

Even ants cling to life; how much more those who already wield power?

Tanit was not a small tribe; it was a significant force in the desert.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have gained the favor of the Fatui.

Though the common people lived harshly, elders lived well, regardless of the tribe's poverty.

Those with any toughness had softened with such comfortable lives.