District 42-Chapter 360: What it takes to make the paradise

That was a joyful day for District 42 because the global war finally ended.

All the Districts of the world agreed to ally with them and imposed the three worldwide laws that would prevent anything to happen that could cause a conflict among them.

The first worldwide law was the GBI. Every human being should have GBI to identify which district they were born in, what was their name, and their birthday as well. It would prevent people to hide their identities and invade other districts with bad intentions.

The second worldwide law was to make huge walls on the borders of each district, so they could separate completely from each other. It wasn’t allowed even to spy what was happening in the domains of each district.

The third worldwide law was that each district needed to be completely independent in all means, except economically since they would still need to export and import goods between the districts. That is, although they can have business relationships, they won’t help other districts with their issues, nor ask for help.

Those three laws based all the districts for centuries, and never once it was broken, particularly because of the GBI’s that prevented them to go against these laws. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Nobody ever knew how the GBI was created. Just that someone modified the DNA of the humans, so people began to be born with this birthmark similar to a bar code that could be scanned. It was impossible to take off even if you skinned your arm or ripped it off. If you did so, the GBI would appear in another place.

The human body, after several generations, no longer could live without a GBI. It was just like living without a heart. It was intrinsic in their DNA.

After the whole world got their GBI and the war finally ended, all the districts began to celebrate.

District 42 was the most joyful one because of that. After all, people there needed to fight with their lives to protect that territory, where most of the districts out there once aimed to conquer.

Wayland and Leif were enjoying the streets of their district filled with people partying the whole day.

It was something exhilarating to see and made both of them really glad.

That folk was already using the masks at that time. Just like Wayland said, he had created the perfect source that would lead them to a paradise society.

Wayland always wanted to ask something to the new King, but he held himself until that point to do so.

"Hey, Leif... Why did you choose this sad expression for the masks? I wasn’t against it in the start, but... you know, seeing them celebrating like that while wearing such melancholic masks in their faces makes me wonder if that is the right thing to do."

Leif thought for a little while.

"Maybe it’s like this so they can always remember to smile"

"Smile? It wasn’t meant to be the opposite?"

Leif shook his head.

"If it was me, seeing a sad expression every single day in the faces of everyone, I would put two times more effort to smile, so I wouldn’t let myself down because of it. These masks are more like a symbol to prompt them not to forget that there is more to see in someone than what they show outside. It’s just by reaching this level of empathy and otherness, that our society will be perfect. After all, the folk is the essence of this district."

Wayland nodded. He knew that Leif sometimes did crazy things, but they worked, anyway.

"We are basically taking their freedom, though. Are you okay with it? Slaving your folk, I mean..."

Leif thought for a second.

"Is it really slave someone? Can you enslave people who are already slaved since the day they are born? After all, freedom isn’t a right as a lot of other people may think. When born, you are bound to follow a path that the world around you leave you to walk on. It’s not like we have the power of choice, anyway, right?"

Wayland felt a bitter taste in his mouth once he heard that. At the same time that he wanted to deny that and prove that he was wrong, he couldn’t. There were two sides to the same coin. Leif was right as much as mistaken.

"I am just saying that I am not sure if taking their free will might lead us to the paradise that we want..."

Leif also had a bitter expression, because he knew the consequences that his acts would implicate in the future. Anyway, he didn’t mind it. He would take responsibility for everything that happened.

"It isn’t the right thing to do, but what needs to be done. This choice of mine will lead this district to nearly crumble down several times. This folk will need to be stronger than ever before. They will need to learn not just to smile before sorrow, but to fight against things that they can’t control. It will lead to the perfect society in the end. After all, the sword is made under heat and hammer, until all its impurities are gone and its form is perfect. Without war and conflict, our district will eventually get weak and break by itself."

Wayland understood what Leif meant. He knew that it was like this. The necessity of such a thing was undeniable. But he was still uncomfortable with it.

’How can a man take such a responsibility with him as if it is nothing much? How can he lead his folk through harsh times without hesitating? How can he face the opportunity of life for eternity and deny it?’

"Why did you deny when I tried to save your life?"

Leif smiled wryly.

"Because I am too good of a leader. This folk needs bad leaders, average leaders, great leaders, and so on. I need to pass my legacy to my children and let this district evolve by itself. This way, I will be accepting the natural cycle that life gave to me."

After that, the generations went by. Leif obviously died at some point, leaving his son, Leif II, to take care of the district. The tradition followed, and at every generation, the reign of the Leifs seemed to get worst.

Leif VI was the last straw for the folk of District 42, and that’s when the Frelsis were born.