Greece brings evildoers.

Chapter 684 What kind of Indian wish-fulfillment novel is this?

Lorne paused for a moment, then realized where Boros's fear came from.
—The caste system!
After invading India, the Aryans divided humanity into four classes based on bloodline, skin color, race, and social status in order to maintain their slave-owning empire.

The first rank is the Brahmins, who were born from the mouths of the "primordial beings." Primarily religious nobles, they possess the privileges of interpreting religious scriptures and performing sacrifices, as well as the right to receive offerings. They are also responsible for overseeing education and monopolizing culture, and are known as the representatives of God, holding the highest status.

The second class is the Kshatriyas, born from the arms of the "Primordial Man." They are primarily military and administrative nobles, governing the country according to the will of the "Gods." Therefore, they possess the privilege of collecting various taxes, command the military, and are responsible for protecting the Brahmin class and the gods through countless lifetimes.

The third class is the Vaishyas, who are born from the legs of the "Primordial Man." They are ordinary Aryans with no political privileges but a certain social status, and they primarily support the state through business and taxation.

The fourth caste is the Shudras, who were born from the feet of the "primordial man." The vast majority of them were conquered indigenous people, belonging to the non-Aryan caste. They consisted of servants, artisans, cooks, and the like, and were the most populous caste.
Besides these, there is another group of "untouchables" who are not even officially registered, also known as "Dalits." They are essentially criminals, without any rights whatsoever, even the right to reproduce is taken away from them, so they are trampled underfoot by the "Primal People," equivalent to lowly and filthy soil.

All of the above are mentioned in the ancient Indian text, the Rigveda, specifically in the Song of the Primordial Man.

Such a system of clear class distinctions inevitably leads to an obvious consequence: a rigid class divide and a lack of mobility between different social strata.

Generally speaking, people of lower castes in India who impersonate people of higher castes may face serious consequences such as violent persecution, social death, and legal punishment. Such behavior can also trigger spiritual pressure at the level of religious belief.

They could very well be executed in the street by people of higher castes.

If Boros really did come from a family that raised peacocks, then given his slightly dark local skin color, he was very likely only a fourth-level Shudra.

But in his description of Alexander, he is a down-on-his-luck prince from the Indian pantheon, belonging to the first rank of Kshatriyas.

Now that his lie about impersonating someone else has been exposed in public by his boss's boss, how could Boros not be terrified?

As an Indian who has the caste system ingrained in his very being, the fact that he can still speak fluently and beg for mercy at this moment already proves that he has a very good mental fortitude.

Lorne understood everything and comforted him with a smile:
"Don't be nervous. Categorizing people by bloodline is outdated. The Empire doesn't follow that. So, your past identity and status are unimportant. What matters is that now, you have repeatedly rendered meritorious service to the Empire through your talent and knowledge, earning the appreciation of Alexander and the Pantheon, acquiring your own land and subordinates, and becoming a true Kshatriya!"

Upon hearing these gentle words, Boros's fear was instantly replaced by a warm feeling.

This lord was indeed as rumored: wise, intelligent, and kind. Any living being around him felt as if bathed in a spring breeze, and felt a heartfelt sense of submission and worship.

But the more this was the case, the more ashamed Boros felt.

"I'm sorry, sir, I lied to you."

"So, shouldn't you repent and tell me your real story?"

God winked and extended an invitation to the sinner.

Boros nodded quickly and began to recount his original experiences.

His original name was Chandragupta, and his surname was "Peacock." He came from a family that had made a living by raising peacocks for generations.

As a boy, he was nearly executed by the King of Magadha for offending a nobleman with his words.

To escape punishment, he set off from the Punjab region and traveled overseas to seek refuge. After a perilous journey, he arrived in a foreign land, where he happened to encounter Alexander the Great leading his cavalry companions in a campaign to conquer cities and territories.

At the time, the high-spirited Alexander paid no attention to this young foreigner outside the battlefield, but Chandragupta was deeply impressed by the conqueror's heroic figure on the battlefield.

In that instant, an impulse arose within him.

So after the war, risking execution for offending the foreign general, he volunteered to join the enemy's ranks and serve them.

To make himself more valuable, he lied and claimed to be the illegitimate son of a prince of the Nanda Dynasty and a maid, who had been persecuted and had drifted there.

Alexander had no doubts, or rather, no concern. He generously invited Chandragupta to join his ranks and gave the foreign prince a Hellenized name—Poros.

Boros cherished this opportunity. Not only did he fight fearlessly, but he also took Alexander as his role model and teacher, frantically absorbing all kinds of knowledge about military operations.

Through his hard work, he rose to his current position and became a general with rich combat experience. Even Seleucus, one of Alexander's favorite generals, was very fond of this ambitious young man and married one of his daughters to him.

—Then, with the war experience and troop coordination techniques you learned from Alexander, you first conquered Magadha, the kingdom that had driven you out, and then you beat up almost every one of the dozen or so large and small kingdoms in India, establishing the prototype of the Mauryan Dynasty?

—What kind of Indian wish-fulfillment novel is this?

Looking at the meek and submissive Boros before him, Lorne felt a deep sense of awe at the wonder of history.

He shook his head inwardly and asked:

"By the way, since your Indian identity is genuine, why don't you tell me about the situation of various human countries in the Indian pantheon?"

"Sixteen powerful nations stand side by side, fighting every day; it's chaotic..."

Boros smiled wryly as he recounted the information he knew.

Due to the persistent oppression of the caste system, the insatiable exploitation by the Aryan Brahmins, and the mutual attacks among the various Hindu sects, opinions and interests were highly divergent across India, leading to intense physical exchanges between countries.

After a long and brutal elimination process, approximately 16 countries have emerged as winners, controlling most of India's wealthiest regions.

These are: Magadha, Vajra, Kashi, Kuru... and so on.

In addition, there are some small countries scattered around.

In short, the word "chaos" doesn't even begin to describe it.

The division is so extreme that it's even more chaotic than the Sixteen Kingdoms period of the Five Barbarian Tribes in ancient China. No wonder India is considered a geographical concept rather than a national one.

Lorne shook his head, and asked casually:

Have you ever heard of Kapilavastu?

After pondering for a long time, Boros suddenly slapped his forehead and said:

"You mean the territory of the Shakya clan?"

Frankly, this country has a very low profile in the eyes of the Indian pantheon.

On the one hand, Kapilavastu was located in a place that was basically outside the jurisdiction of the Indian pantheon, and was a barren and uncivilized land.

On the other hand, Kapilavastu was a weak kingdom. The main Shakya clan lived in 10 towns, including Kapilavastu, Devadatta, Chakri, Shammi, Kuma-thu, Shiju, Miluoli, and Sanjula. Its territory was approximately 2,666 square kilometers, roughly the size of the greater Taipei area of ​​Taiwan Province.

Even more unfortunately, Kapilavastu is surrounded by many powerful states, forcing this small place to try its best to remain inconspicuous and live in constant fear.

Lorne nodded and said, "It should be there. I'd like to go for a walk there. Could you show me the way?"

“Yes, sir,” Boros replied solemnly.

He then mounted his horse and led the way without saying a word.

Although I don't know why this lord would be interested in such a remote little country from the Indian pantheon, as a qualified subordinate, it is very important to control one's curiosity.

Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask.

~~
Two months later, in Kapilavastu, the capital city. At noon, Kapilavastu was shrouded in heat, so intense that even drinking several scoops of well water did not alleviate the thirst; one felt as if the scorching sun was slowly cooking one's internal organs.

Under the Bodhi tree in the distance, a young man is enjoying the cool shade.

His figure was as upright as a sal tree, and his skin was as smooth and translucent as fresh snow. He wore a loose, fine white linen robe, with a gold belt inlaid with sapphires around his waist. As he walked, the robe fluttered like clouds. His black curly hair was tied up with a floral wreath, and a dot of vermilion on his forehead accentuated his long, slender gold earrings. Overall, he exuded a gentleness and compassion from within, like a precious jade with its sharp edges concealed.

At this moment, however, the young man's face showed a hint of worry, as if he was in a bad mood.

His original surname was Gautama, and he was the crown prince of King Suddhodana of this country, belonging to the Kshatriya caste. His mother, Queen Maya, was the daughter of King Devadaha of the Kolika caste in the neighboring country. Due to a difficult childbirth, Queen Maya died seven days after giving birth in Lumbini on her way back to her father's country. He was raised by his aunt, and his childhood was not happy.

Even more unfortunately, the Kapilavastu he lived in was a small and weak country surrounded by powerful enemies.

Almost as long as he could remember, wars had been raging around Kapilavastu.

Killing and being killed, conquering and being conquered, have become almost the norm.

Everything was just to prove their faith to the gods, and then to gain more fame and fortune.

Those who have transcended the mortal body are fine, but ordinary people will suffer.

Regardless of gender, appearance (beautiful or ugly), status (high or low), or strength (strong or weak), in the end, everyone inevitably becomes a handful of dust.

With this realization, Gautama increasingly felt that life was full of suffering, and that all people were drowning in a sea of ​​misery woven from calamities and desires, unable to find liberation.

Therefore, in order to seek peace of mind, he left the royal city and became a disciple of two ascetics, Alarakala and Uddalamotsa, to learn meditation in the hope of eliminating external disturbances and achieving inner peace.

However, no matter how he meditated, the cries, shouts, and wails kept flooding into his mind, making him think of his suffering kin as soon as he closed his eyes, and he could never find true peace in his heart.

So, in this world ruled by gods, where exactly is the path to salvation for humanity? And how should we walk it?

Gautama grew increasingly confused, and looking at the numb and empty faces of the people in the city, he sighed heavily.

"The elephant is startled! The elephant is startled!"

Just then, a cry of surprise came from the sandy ground next to the elephant stable.

Seemingly due to the extreme heat, a mad elephant named "Snow Mountain" broke free of its chains with bloodshot eyes, its massive tusks tearing through the wooden fence as it charged toward a flower girl carrying a flower basket on the street.

The jar of flowers in her hand had a faint shimmering of water.

Clearly, that was the mad elephant's target.

But the flower girl was so terrified by the approaching giant elephant that she stood frozen in place, trembling like a leaf.

The dust kicked up by the elephant's trunk had already hit the girl's face. Fearing being caught in the crossfire, no one dared to step forward to stop the mad elephant, and they had already scattered and fled.

A tragedy is about to unfold.

"careful!"

At that moment, Gautama, standing under the Bodhi tree, rushed out of the shadows without hesitation, and with extraordinary courage and will, stood in front of the mad elephant.

It must be stopped!
With only this one thought left in his mind, he suddenly raised his hands, grabbed the elephant's trunk with his left hand, supported its belly with his right hand, and stomped on the ground with both feet, his robes billowing like clouds.

"Get out of my way, you beast!"

With a thunderous roar, the colossal elephant, weighing over ten thousand pounds, was tossed over the towering palace walls of the royal city like a clay pot, and with the lightness of a lotus falling into water, it plunged into the moat outside the city, stirring up ripples.

"Your Highness! It was Your Highness who saved us!"

Some sharp-eyed members of the Shakya clan in the crowd recognized Gautama's identity and couldn't help but cheer with excitement and admiration.

Gautama suppressed his doubts, smiled, and waved, calming the restless crowd.

He then bent down to pick up the basket of flowers that had spilled on the ground, and looked gently at the terrified little girl in front of him, saying:
"Young lady, I'll buy all these flowers. You were quite frightened today, so go home and rest early."

Seemingly influenced by this gentle demeanor, the little girl's pale face gradually regained its rosy hue, and she obediently nodded before turning and running into the crowd.

The matter has been resolved satisfactorily, but...

Gautama looked down at his hands and the ground beneath his feet, where several meters of pit had been trodden out, and looked puzzled.

I'm just an ordinary person who has learned samurai skills. When did I become so strong?
Just as he was racking his brains trying to figure it out, the immense power within him that could crush mountains in an instant suddenly vanished and flowed into a certain place in the crowd.

Gautama turned his head and saw a young man standing under the Bodhi tree where he had been standing, smiling and waving at him.

Behind him, a man and a woman stood respectfully, like two dutiful subordinates.

Gautama seemed to be deep in thought, and took the initiative to step forward and ask:
"Judging from your attire, you don't seem to be members of the Shakya clan?"

“We are from Punjab. This is my master, a great Jain, who happens to be practicing here recently.”

Boros, who was in charge of the negotiations, stepped forward and introduced Gautama.

A highly accomplished cultivator?
Gautama's eyes lit up, and he immediately put his hands together and asked:
“Master, I have recently been trying to use meditation to calm my mind and seek liberation, but I have been unable to do so. Please enlighten me.”

"Can meditation resolve the issues in one's heart, but can it resolve the issues in the world?"

"what for?"

"Your thoughts encompass the world, and your vision encompasses all living beings. Yet here, slaughter continues, injustice reigns, and countless people are drowning in a sea of ​​suffering. Even if you close your eyes, can your heart not see? If your heart is not at peace, how can you find tranquility?"

After hearing the explanation from the person in front of him, Gautama suddenly understood.

But at the same time, the sorrow on his face deepened.

As this master said, there are too many people suffering in this world. Even if he doesn't go to see them, how can he not think about them?
Looking at the desolate royal city and the numb expressions of the Shakya people, Lorne couldn't help but shake his head and sigh:
"Meditation, meditation, this method is nothing more than blending into the mundane world. It is like a small boat sailing on a river; it can only save oneself, not others, let alone help the deceased to ascend to heaven, and it cannot cure the great diseases of the world."

Gautama was initially somewhat disappointed, but then, as if he had thought of something, his eyes lit up, and he stared intently at the figure before him:
"How can I use the Mahayana teachings to universally liberate all sentient beings? Please teach me, Master!"

Hooked!
A barely perceptible smile flickered deep in Lorne's eyes, then he clasped his hands together and said:

"I dare not presume to teach you; let's just consider this a mutual verification of what we've learned."

—Truly a master, forever possessing the humble and devout heart of an apprentice.

Gautama was deeply moved and held the man before him in even greater reverence. He then sat upright under the Bodhi tree.

A debate about "salvation" thus began.

(End of this chapter)