Yes, as a matter of fact, Kouki did eventually figure out that he had messed up. He, however, also needed to be on the receiving end of four brutal curb-stomps in a row before the message fully sunk-in. Furthermore, his reputation still isn't fully recovered from the beating it took! I can't remember... how many times has Heinz gotten totally wrecked in a high-stakes confrontation thus far? He's probably a few losses shy from taking the hint yet.
You shouldn't be able to graduate high school without knowing common logical fallacies. "Appealing to Authority" is one that Heinz mistakes and most common in religious zealots. Nazi's thought that they were doing good. We all at some point have to appeal to authority because its hard to learn everything like you don't need to know how to build a car to drive one. We have safety standards to help build trust protect people. But that trust is not flawless and you are better off knowing everything about your car in case there are mistakes. Heinz unwillingness to analyze the situation and kill a sentient being is atrocious. Its pure prejudice. You don't have to think everyone is lying or dumb but you shouldn't just take the word of anyone including your family, your school and especially your government or religious institution.
This is the reason I personally espouse the idea of misanthropy as a beneficial lifestyle choice. You aren't likely to believe in blatantly stupid crap if you just plain don't like the people who are sharing said blatantly stupid crap with you in the first place! And if the same person proves to be trustworthy, you can simply hate them slightly less than everyone else. It's also a great way of avoiding prejudice, because you despise everyone equally from the get-go!
Totally agree. I don't think Heinz is poorly written at all and I think his motivations make sense. Although IMO he's worse than most people because most people don't challange their world view because they see little reason to. Although this carries it's own issues many people just fall into being part of the mob and stop bothering to self reflect as they don't want to fall out of the group. Heinz isn't like that though. He's not trying to remain part of the group. In fact he's trying to be a hero and role model. He's trying to lead people. But that kind of power and authority comes with deep responsibilities that Heinz is failing to fulfill. He can't act "like normal people" and he needs to challange both his and the world views in order to live up to the role he claimed for himself. Basically he's like if someone said they'd guide you through the forest but never bothered to really confirm if they were going the right way. Sure you can't blame an average person for just going with their gut and trusting they know the way. But if someone specifically promises to guide you they are obligated to do more. This might not be the best analogy but it makes sense to me.
While this may be a great way to avoid shady people its a terrible way to build fun and deep relationships. A grumpy disposition will definitely make it hard to find a spouse. Humans are flawed social creatures we all need to exhibit politeness to show others were not a creep and to peel back other peoples shells to see if we want what is inside.
Well, if anyone's misanthropy is that bad, I'd suggest medication and or therapy. You don't need to like people to be able to interact with them civilly, as literally everyone who has ever manned a cash register can tell you. I wasn't too serious when I wrote that by the way, but I suppose you know that and were just making a public service announcement. Actually being serious, I also espouse the philosophy that nobody is special. Therefore, there are no "chosen ones." Similarly, there aren't any people who are inherently superior or inferior to others, and I make sure to treat everyone I interact with as such. Everybody is going to end up in Hell. It's up to you and your actions to decide whether or not you get the extended visit!
Only under extreme circumstances, this isn't our world, where if it bleeds it doesn't deserve worship, in Lambda Gods died on the battlefield, and many mortals that followed them became gods. To outside observers the Scylla were perfectly fine until the Amid Empire invaded, safe in their mountain territory, and then they went missing about the time both sides got driven out by undead. You keep only looking at it from your pov. Heinz admitted no such thing, he said he felt conflicted while killing women and children, but he thought it was the right thing to do at the time. It's the same thing he was telling Riley, when Van started searching town for his mother. Yup, I said as much, but it really means nothing if you lack the vision to see it happening in the big picture. It doesn't look as hypocritical at ground level. He had some money, he used everything he saved up until Darcia's death just sneaking into Orbaume, and has only been an S-rank for a relatively short while. He's mostly been getting by with patrons, and sponsorships as he trained to take on the Trial of Zakkart. Now he's sealed off somewhere in an undisclosed location for his safety. If a real Hero like Schneider doesn't have the money to buy the freedom of a few villages of Dark Elves, then a fake like Heinz definitely doesn't have it. Context implies that the Devil's Nest was big enough for several Ghoul tribes to hide inside, deep enough that humans can't find them easily, and far enough apart from each other that they don't notice when Noble Orcs start picking them off. Once Van and the rest were chased off, the whole thing was slashed and burned for farming land, a territory much larger than anything the Ghouls inhabited. This is only the case in a world like ours, where atheism is a thing, on Lambda everyone believes in something, the closest thing they have to atheists are the people that knowingly turn to Evil Gods, or outright Demon King worship. This sort of thing happened to Heinz in that Majin village, but while he had misgivings about killing women and children that were crying for help, he ultimately decided that they were like rabid animals, he had to put them down because they had harmed people. That's what Van called him on, and only Edgar was clued in that those people were harmless and innocent. I doubt Heinz will remember that he swore to question Edgar about that, seeing as they are lucky to be alive after that fight, and Edgar is likely to come back different after Rodcorte is done with him.
I'm not saying, in this case, that Heinz needs to deny Alda in the way that atheists deny the existence of higher powers; that'd be unfathomably stupid in a world where the Gods have been unequivocally proven to exist, and even Heinz isn't that teeth-achingly moronic. Everyone acknowledges the existence and power of Alda, even the Vida worshippers. But nobody can be forced against their will to obey the commands of a God that they, themselves, do not wish to obey, barring that one instance of shenaniganry involving Fitun. If, at any point, Heinz feels like a command from Alda has crossed even his own incredibly deep moral event-horizon, he can literally just choose to say "no" and do nothing. Alda cannot force him to obey his instructions. None of the Gods of Lambda can do that; not even the Evil Gods. Free will is still an absolute. What Alda can do is hope that the automated Status System that Ricklent left behind will remove enough titles and skills from Heinz that he doesn't become a hindrance in the future, and maybe send an oracle to that dipstick of a Pope he just set up in Amid to warn him that Heinz had failed. Naturally, it's unlikely that Heinz could even conceive of the thought of disobeying his God. But it's still technically possible. And since Alda isn't able to properly manifest in Lambda anymore, Heinz would essentially get away with it without any truly major consequences. EDIT: I actually enjoy this little debate! It's refreshing having actual discussion, especially after leaving the borderline toxic comment sections from a WH40k YouTube channel; no common sense to be found anywhere...
During the last year there's been a particularly relevant real-life example of how vast numbers of people will blindly follow nonsensical and provably-ineffective instructions dictated to them by government officials who are, by all accounts, merely mortal. In a world where gods are known to exist it would be ridiculous if Heinz questioned Alda any more than he already has. It should take quite a lot of experiences for him to change his fundamental understanding of the world, more than just a couple instances of uncertainty.
Judging by what we hear of other people's experiences with talking to gods, he would probably just assume he heard him wrong. Lets not forget how many people are still protecting Schneider, on Alda's orders.
"Schneider... Danger" *Alda limiting his message to 2 words so there is no way any part could be missed or misunderstood, "I let down the god and only got part of his message! Schneider must be in danger! Priests, to arms!"
Good, Evil - this is two arbitrary words. To some people homosexuals are evil, to other they are normal people. To some people humans eating meat is evil, to other they just eat food. Who is right? Who is wrong? Who have the right to decide it? What is Evil? What is good? Who have the right to decide it? Be it Alda. Be it Vida. Be it Heinz. Be it Van. This is just different sides. None of them are completely right or wrong. Before Van come to world all undead was just mindless monsters who kill on sight. So is it wrong to say undead are evil? From novel we see that behavior of monsters and undead change after they meet Van. Human and all others live in circle. Here are few groups of people. One or few people from one group done something bad to one of few people from other group. In revenge other group done something wrong to them back. But first group become angry because of this and started to argue with second group. War may also start. Lets take Africa. Here are countries who starve. Why they starve? Some will say, because they don't have food to feed people. Others will say, because they have more people than they can feed. Both are right But how they will try to solve this problem will be different. First group will bring food and feed them. Other group will bring condoms to them and will say to use it. Result of first group will be temporary stop of starvation and many will say how they are benevolent, but amount of people will increase in country, because they have now food, but don't have anything to do except sex. In long term here will be even more starving people or first group will need to work hard, grow more food and bring to starving. Second group will give only condoms, so many will starve to death and other people will call them cruel and without conscience. But after some time starving will be solved. Because will only be left enough people to feed from food they themself make. So, which group is good and which is evil The same apply to Alda, Vida, Heinz and Van. All of them have they own justice, good and evil. Author moves novel to Van side. I too think Van side is better. In war, hero is the one who killed most enemy, but at the same time he is the most cruel devil in enemy minds. Because in the end both side have children who will cry if they parents got killed.
*see my favorite novel on Latest Discussions* hope someone posts a new chapter *see last 3 page is nothing but huge walls of text* ............................well that's enough internet for today
Argument has gone on way too long and too repeated. Heinz is a normal person promoted beyond his capability. Surrounding himself with yes men. It's a trend in this novel. Alda was one of many gods and proclaimed himself the god king. Surrounded with yes men. Rodolt is his own yes man. If his system was really perfect he could just sit back as automated systems dealt with every possible contingency. Makes me wonder if someone else built it for him or he stole his position. Van himself has objected that he doesn't know what he's doing from the time he was made Ghoul king. Went with it anyway because those effected by death charm insisted. As the protagonist it works for Van. Unknown to Heinz he's just all kinds of screwed at this point. Alda has invested too much in his training to switch horses at this point. If he asked to quit Alda would just have Rodolt rip out the thinking part of his soul and turn him into a remote puppet. They already discussed doing that to any other heroes that refused to fight Van for them. Heinz is the type of character that COULD have been the protag in another novel. Plot armor went to someone that made him the antagonist. Seen plenty of other novels where the protag killed the wrong person. Their younger sister then shows up and forgives them for no reason. If she doesn't forgive the protag she will then randomly run into trouble the protag can save her from to assuage his guilt and she joins his harem.
People who think homosexuality is evil or act like its a toss up are definitely uninformed with capability of committing genocide because they don't think for themselves on what is right and wrong and get their guidance from a fairy tale book. It's not hard to think that kings long ago probably wanted more people to go to war with so they decided to dissuade commoners from putting the hot dog in the wrong hole. Read common logical fallacies on the internet they even make a book for 13 year olds. Once you know them you can stop with the false equivalences. Alda is god who trying to commit genocide because he can't share. Vida faction weren't mindless monsters before van came they were the same sentient beings that just faced extreme prejudice. Van a victim of aldas persecution decided to liberate his fellow vida followers from slavery and murder.
Yes, a thousand times, yes. This is Heinz's second biggest problem. Heinz is being guided by people who never, ever rebuke him when he's about to do something even he himself has stated as wrong. As a prime example, in chapter 200 Dinah (the dwarf shield bearer) loudly decried the two rookie members Jennifer and Diana for believing the adventurer's guild at face value that ghouls are some kind of mutant undead, stating that with even a little bit of thought, this makes absolutely no sense, but she never, ever reminds Heinz that the reason he and his party fled to Orbaume and joined the "peaceful" faction is that he got snookered by a client on an official guild request and turned over an innocent woman to be publicly tortured and burned at the stake, so Heinz continues to take requests to hunt down sentients and sell their body parts for cash without ever investigating the merits of the quests or the clients that placed them, and he has the gall to get mad at people who call him out for not changing and repenting like he boasts. In fact, at one point, Jennifer even tells him it's the perfect form of atonement for putting a target on Van as an infant by hunting him down and killing him himself "to end his suffering." It's not until Heinz is on the receiving end of the beatdown, where he sees how it feels to be the target of that kind of "atonement" that he realizes it's wrong, but even then, that's only temporary until he hears what he believes is a passable excuse absolving him of the guilt for his actions. As for that last part... HOLY MOLEY, that is some straight up evil there. Alda needs to be locked away, yesterday, for even considering it.
You are making mistake here. They are not uninformed, they think for themselves on what is right and wrong, they don't get their guidance from a fairy tale book. Why? Do you think cake is delicious because someone told you it is delicious or you think it is delicious because you tasted cake and like it? Most people don't get any guidance from a fairy tale book, they just don't like it. They are not uninformed, because they just don't like it. It is like people who say earth are flat. Do you think they are uninformed? And because of this they believe Earth is flat? No. They think for themselves and decide what is true and what is false, what is right and what is wrong. And they decide that homosexuality is wrong and evil. Kings said homosexuality is evil? It is you who are uninformed. When kings ruled world homosexuality was more tolerated than now. It is current people who don't tolerate it. In Rome homosexuality was norm, even not gay tried to put it in. Maybe Catholicism was against it, because sex in nature was wrong to them.
If enough people believe it, then it must be true, like all those people that believe anything they see on the internet. Hell, it's even considered the one provable psychic power, get a group of people together, ask them a question they don't know, and whatever the majority guesses is usually correct.
So on Earth the gods are created from beliefs, a point that the "undead" became a god after Van died. On Lambda great gods were originally there, but new gods can be raised up by either receiving devotion or divine power from another god. Van is actually split into 2 entities with Banda on earth, if he can successfully merge with his Earth bound god form how strong would his soul be?