lcionline Chapter 287 Hometown
Chapter 287 Hometown
My hometown..." This question made Howard fall into memories and contemplation.
Just as he asked the nun "What is empire", the nun could not give an immediate answer, and Howard could not give an immediate answer to this question.
"My hometown is in a very far place, so far away that it is beyond anyone's imagination. Even the empire is unaware of its existence." Howard said.
"Are you a dark human?" asked the nun.
Dark humans are humans who do not belong to the Empire.
In the galaxy, humans under the rule of the Empire account for the vast majority of the human population, but outside the light of the Astronomican, in places beyond the reach of the Imperial power, there are still human lives.
There are even rumors that in the universe outside the Milky Way, there is a glorious civilization established by the remnants of ancient humans.
The humans outside the imperial rule are called dark humans.
"I'm not a dark human... It's a bit complicated to explain this, so please don't ask anymore." Howard said.
"Okay." The nun cooperated: "I won't ask."
“My hometown is both beautiful and not so beautiful.”
"Oh?" The nun was curious. "Why do you say that?"
"That world has no orcs, no Chaos, no aliens, not even psykers. Humans are the absolute rulers of the world."
"Then your hometown must be a very beautiful paradise world."
"I suppose so. But Sister, do you think that if the Empire were free from external threats like the xenos and Chaos, would everyone be happy? Would peace prevail?"
"At least most people will be happier than they are now," the nun replied.
"But in my hometown, without external threats, the humans inside began to attack each other for land and interests. The war has never stopped."
Nun: “Uh…”
"In my homeland, while humans conquer the skies and seas, countless of my compatriots suffer from disease, hunger, and poverty. My homeland produces enough food to feed everyone and an additional half of the population, yet some would rather throw away and waste the food than give it to the poor."
"Some people are born to enjoy vast resources without having to do anything, while others die from exhaustion at their jobs without even being able to afford food and clothing. The Empire has all the drawbacks, but my homeland's technology is far less advanced than the Empire's, so they haven't caused too much trouble."
The nun didn't know how to react for a moment, because from Howard's description, his hometown was like a smaller version of the empire, without aliens and chaos, so some humans played the roles of aliens and chaos.
She thought back to the question Howard had asked her just now, "Will everyone be happy without aliens and chaos?" and suddenly began to question her previous answer.
Howard seemed unaware of the nun's inner thoughts and continued:
“But I still love my hometown very much.”
"It's far from perfect, but there's never a shortage of people with noble ideals who strive to make the world a better place. Although wars continue uninterrupted, humanity as a whole is doing its utmost to avoid them. In the era I lived in, the intensity and scale of wars had reached their lowest point in history."
"Although millions of people die of hunger every year in my hometown, the number of deaths from starvation is lower than in any previous era, and the number is decreasing every year. The development of science and technology is not entirely used for war. The increase in agricultural production has fed more people. In the era I live in, an ordinary person may eat more abundantly than the kings of the past."
"Although plagues occasionally ravage my hometown and various incurable diseases still exist, the people living there have never succumbed to these natural disasters. They have achieved brilliant results. Viruses that could kill a person in the past can now be cured at a minimal cost."
"My hometown, like the empire, will continue to repeat the mistakes of the past. However, as history repeats itself, there will always be some people who break out of this cycle. These people transcend the limitations of history. They will identify these mistakes, correct them, and warn future generations to avoid making the same mistakes. Until one day, they themselves are proven to have limitations and are replaced by new theories."
"It's far from being a paradise, but at least it's a place full of hope, so I miss it very much and I really want to go back, but I know that this wish is probably impossible to realize."
When Howard said this, the nun saw the loneliness that was hard to conceal in this human's eyes.
Somehow, she was also suddenly touched, as if her heart was immersed in warm water, like the feeling of being tipsy after drinking. This feeling surprised and flustered her, but strangely, she didn't hate it, and even became addicted to it.
Then Howard looked at the nun again and said:
"Sister, if the day ever comes when the Empire defeats all external enemies, then they will have to face their own internal enemies. I sincerely hope that the mistakes my homeland made will not be repeated within the Empire. Humanity must not be destroyed by itself."
The nun was speechless for a long time after listening to Howard's story. Only when the warmth that enveloped her heart faded away did she say, "It sounds like an imperfect but hopeful world. Your hometown deserves you, and you deserve your hometown, too."
"You're really flattered." Howard said with a smug smile, "But I think it's true."
"Do you have any other questions?" Howard asked.
"No more," the nun replied, and then she added, "Can I stay with you a little longer?"
"Of course, you can stay as long as you want." Howard stood up and drank his drink, then said, "Then I'll continue cooking."
The nun certainly had no reason to object.
The stove was turned back on, and Howard rinsed the pan and put it on the fire to preheat.
Taking advantage of this time, Howard turned on the coffee machine next to him, poured in cocoa powder, sugar and milk, and then started it, allowing the coffee machine to produce rich foam.
After preparing the cocoa and preheating the pan, Howard cut a large piece of butter and put it into the pan, stirring it with a spatula to make it melt faster.
The nun was also attracted by Howard. She took another can of drink and leaned aside to watch this human labor.
After the butter melted, Howard added clove leaves and rosemary, then he peeled off the paper wrapping the steak, which was already marinated.
Howard put the big piece of steak into the frying pan. The pan was too small, so Howard kept scooping up boiling butter and pouring it on the steak, and soon the aroma filled the air.
While cooking, Howard habitually hummed a song, which was also a song from a cowboy game he once played, and was nicknamed "Moving Song" by players.
"I didn't expect you to be such a good cook," the nun said, taking a sip of her drink.
"Actually, I didn't know how to do it a few months ago. At that time, I couldn't even tell the difference between ketchup and chili sauce," Howard said.
"Oh? Then what caused you to progress so quickly?" asked the nun.
"Later, I met a great chef and learned some skills from him." Howard felt that the meat was almost cooked, so he picked out the spices he had put in before and placed the steak on a plate.
The "great chef" he was talking about was actually Freya's chef. Above Flockfanger, Freya had a team of nearly a thousand chefs who specialized in using delicious food to please her.
Although as a warp demon Freya does not need to consume regular food, delicious food is also part of enjoyment, and Freya certainly will not be perfunctory about it.
Before being brought to this planet, he learned a lot from one of the chefs. Cooking is not a difficult task and he is not a fool. He does not have the personality or curse of making dark dishes.
Howard did not stop after the steak was out of the pot. He cut a few slices of toast and sausage, added some fruits and mushrooms, and continued to use the remaining fat from cooking the steak in the pot to fry it. After the toast was slightly browned, Howard beat an egg into it and poured half a can of beans. When the beans started to bubble, he poured all the food into the plate with the steak.
Then he put the plate of food on the table and poured a cup of hot cocoa.
This was his dinner. He hadn’t eaten anything decent for a long time, so he naturally wanted to treat himself when he had the chance.
But just as he was about to start, there was a slight sound of something falling from the balcony of the guest room, followed by a knock on the balcony, and then Mei's voice:
"Mr. Howard, may I come in?"
Well, I’m afraid someone else is coming to steal my food.