Chapter 220: Humiliation of Mytilene (1)
「“If there really is a God, I hope you’re listening.”
There is a room where all loneliness and desolation seem to have gathered.
In the source of the world, filled with the darkness of the universe and starlight flowing out.
A small single-room house was floating, and inside, a person was sitting with their head down, hugging their knees.
The crying person carefully raises their head at the sound of a voice.
“I curse you. What were you thinking, making my life like this? You say you planned everything, but why am I so unhappy?”
The head shakes.
Whether it means that they didn’t do what the resentful voice is accusing them of.
Or whether the speaker is not unhappy, it was a denial.
More tears flow.
Transparent tears that touch the darkness become a brightly shining sun, and as the sun shines brightly, other stars rise together.
“So that’s what I’ll do. I’ll destroy your plan.”
『……?』
“I’m going to end this life you planned with my own hands. Then I won’t have to live this damn life anymore, and I’ll be able to break your plan, right?”
『……!』
Stands up.
They look around, trying to find the source of the voice. But it was impossible to find a single thin voice in the vast and lonely universe.
“Goodbye.”
And then they clasped their hands together.
The face that had been shedding tears endlessly touched the tightly clasped hands, wishing for an earnest miracle.
At that moment, the distant end of the space blinked.
🔹🔹🔹
A few days after the Summer Auction.
Second Prince Estilt began reading the newspaper with a bored expression, his legs crossed.
「The Problem of the Seven Wise Men Triggered by the Humiliation of Mytilene.
On the 9th, a war of words broke out between Hero Cain and the Purple Merchants of the Seven Wise Men at the Mytilene Auction House.
As this is an economic newspaper, we will only cover the economic aspects, excluding the political repercussions caused by the debate.
〈Delft〉 The overall stock price of the stock exchange continues to decline.
A series of bankruptcies of small and medium-sized enterprises that were growing in the land of the Seven Wise Men is expected.
In addition, bond interest rates issued by the Seven Wise Men are skyrocketing due to talk of a Demon King threat.
It is clear that the financial system of the upper class, which connects the entire continent like dominoes, will be strained.
…….
Some have praised the fact that the Seven Merchants coordinate commerce across the continent as a flexible and quick decision-making process system.
However, now, shaken by a single boy in his late teens, the risks are becoming apparent.
Moreover, it has been revealed by the Empire and the Holy See that they have been involved in various dangerous activities…….」
Estilt threw the newspaper on the table in irritation.
Morning, the Administrative Duke, who was sitting next to him, clicked her tongue.
And she looked at Elena, who was sitting across from Estilt, reading a weekly magazine.
The faint, shimmering summer sunlight streaming through the large window gently illuminated the bridge of her nose.
Day by day, the perception-inhibiting magic was fading.
Feeling the urgency of countermeasures, she glanced at the magazine she was reading.
「The Red Hands are stained with the red blood of revolution.
It has already been a while since the incident known as the ‘Humiliation of Mytilene’ occurred.
It was also a time when the dangers of liberal ideology, which began with the Free City Alliance, were officially revealed.
The Empire, as if prepared in advance, began to investigate the new nobles who had joined hands with the Free City Alliance, and announced that it would reveal the truth about the rumored ‘Old Noble Hunt’.
According to reliable sources, the Empire’s Special Intelligence Division is already detaining the new noble perpetrators.
…….
The boy hero pointed out that there is no problem with the ideology itself, but there is a problem with those who follow it…….」
Both 2nd Prince Estilt and 13th Princess Elena are ultimately reading articles about this incident.
Morning let out a deep sigh and looked at the short presentation material she was holding.
Perhaps it would be released as soon as she approves it.
「’Pureum’s Fragrance’ Replication Research 32
Result: Success
Cause: Produced by adding a very small amount of witch’s blood and using the compression method used in previous research 28.
Human toxicity: None confirmed yet, only known effect is to make the drinker feel free.
Peculiarity: If you don’t know in advance that ‘Pureum’s Fragrance’ elevates your mood, you are easily swayed by other people’s words.」
Swoosh.
Estilt had risen from his seat and was standing behind Morning. He glanced at the data she was reading and opened his mouth.
“When it is revealed to the press, will it be announced that the harm to the human body from ‘Essence of Pureum,’ which the Seven Wise Men have been smoking all along, has not yet been determined, so be careful?”
“As a press release from the Imperial Administration.”
Morning shrugged casually. And she looked at the man sitting across from her.
Cain E. Walker.
The boy who brilliantly led the final completion of Lesbos’s grand scheme was leisurely sitting in a rocking chair, enjoying the sunlight.
At his infuriatingly relaxed appearance, Morning opened her mouth.
“Island boy, aren’t you causing trouble again?”
It was Morning’s question, who had grasped Cain’s behavior to some extent while living with him.
Even at the sharp question, Cain didn’t even glance at her and just waved his hand.
“You make me sound like a troublemaker.”
“Seems about right.”
“You’re mistaken.”
“You even caused a big incident like this.”
The corners of Morning’s lips curl up.
She was pleased that she would be able to take this opportunity to uproot the Free City Alliance, which had been growing in the shadows of the Empire.
In the past, it would have been impossible to even track them down with the unlimited money wielded by the Commons and the Seven Wise Men, who were thoroughly controlled by ‘Pureum’s Fragrance’.
However, perhaps because it was a tower built on trust and faith, as soon as Cain shook it properly, it scattered like grains of sand.
The Empire’s Special Intelligence Division dug into the gap and was smoothly classifying the new nobles.
And while she was preparing for Cain to cause another big incident, he was just sitting still, so Morning was disappointed.
Cain smiled bitterly and looked up at the empty air.
[You have achieved the feat of shaking the world line.]
[The fixed future line collapses.]
[The one who shall not be named, Silver, gazes at you and the season.]
[Dozens of fateful crossroads have disappeared.]
[Calculating World Line Fixation…….]
[Ain will be temporarily opened until the calculation is complete.]
Normally, countless guidance messages would have popped up before he caused trouble in Mytilene, but this time there were none.
‘I knew something was up, it’s overloaded.’
The message that popped up as soon as he finished his work was under calculation.
It seems that Cain had twisted the direction of this summer auction that much.
The things Cain had done in the past were mostly individual events.
On Airian Island, no matter what he did, it would mostly end within the island, so the impact was small, and even in Academy City 〈Märchen〉, he had overcome the events in his nightmare and reversed the outcome, so it made sense.
However, this Mytilene Summer Auction is a milestone that determines the direction of the world.
It was only natural that it would be overloaded since he had twisted it in a different direction from the predetermined future.
[‘Winter’ advises against accessing Ain. She says Cain is not ready yet.]
[‘Summer’ asks if it was calculated that the fixation would rise enough for him to handle it since it was opened.]
[‘Winter’ asks if he’s saying that Cain should go into Ain because of that.]
[‘Summer’ averts his gaze and mumbles.]
Cain smiled faintly.
As someone who had previously encountered the Sea of Light called Ain through Dragonheart, he didn’t want to approach it.
‘The place where I myself disappear.’
Even Cain would have been swept away by the light if ‘Winter’ hadn’t appeared at the right time back then.
Just thinking about the source of that unidentifiable power sent a surge of fear and dread from deep within him.
Of course, he wouldn’t be swayed.
Because he also possessed the natural reactions of a living being.
It was enough for ‘Winter’ to just stand in the middle and send him on his way.
[‘Summer’ mutters that if it’s Cain’s fate, a day will come when he has to use it himself.]
[‘Winter’ pretends not to hear and turns her head.]
‘That won’t last forever either.’
He knows that the conversations between the seasons, which are deliberately made audible to him, are subtle hints.
Cain inwardly braced himself and turned his head to the side.
He saw the figure of the 2nd Prince, who had somehow crept up on him.
“Are you alright with your new noble backers being purged?”
Estilt smacked his lips and glanced between Morning and Cain before clasping his hands behind his head.
He leaned back in the stiff chair, unlike a prince, and opened his mouth.
“Of course not. My older brother, the 1st Prince’s, faction of old nobles are gaining power, and the Administrative Duke, who’s in charge of the Empire’s finances, is determined to crack down on the new nobles.”
Morning, who was listening, coughed awkwardly and continued speaking.
“I’m not cracking down.”
“Then let’s just say weeding out.”
“…….”
Seeming to agree, Morning closed her mouth.
Estilt let out a light chuckle and continued.
“But what can I do? If I try to support or save them, I’ll be labeled a rebel who can’t even set foot in the Empire.”
Estilt reached out to look for something among the messy newspapers and magazines on the table.
Swoosh.
At that moment, Elena, who was sitting across from him, quickly realized what he was trying to pull out and handed it to him.
“Thanks, little sis.”
“…….”
He wasn’t exactly wrong, since he was the 2nd Prince and she was the 13th Princess, but it was the first time Elena had been called that, so she felt a little strange.
Estilt, who had become a little more at ease, began reading the newspaper editorial he was holding.
“The Empire is doomed. It was the Empire that protected the world from the threat that threatened its very existence. The true face of the unknown liberalism that is trying to shake the very foundation of the Empire’s system has been revealed at this summer auction.”
Just by the choice of words, one could tell how much of an imperialist the writer was.
Estilt read through it disinterestedly and then emphasized the bottom part.
“Those who turn their backs on the Empire and follow liberalism can rightly be called traitors. In that sense, the 2nd Prince, who turned away at the decisive moment, is a patriot.”
“A patriot?”
Cain asked lightly.
“Thanks to you.”
Estilt tossed the newspaper onto the table.
If he hadn’t met Cain beforehand and heard his near-threatening words, he would have passionately supported the Seven Wise Men no matter what.
Ideologically and financially.
For Estilt, who had been almost inseparable from them in every way, that day was the first day he stood alone.
It was the end of his long, comfortable childhood.
And it was Cain, sitting in the rocking chair in front of him with a friendly smile, who had ended that childhood.
“It’s a good thing I pulled out early when public opinion was simmering like this, but…….”
Whizz.
Estilt leaned back with his arms behind his head and looked up at the ceiling.
“I’m broke. My entire faction has been wiped out, so I’m just an ordinary 2nd Prince.”
“I doubt the word ‘ordinary’ can be attached to the title of 2nd Prince.”
“Is that so…….”
“What’s certain is that you’ve become a little freer.”
Cain’s words.
Estilt smiled bitterly at the fact that he had the freedom he didn’t have when he was chasing after it.
At that moment.
Tap, tap.
A strange sound came from the window outside their lodging in Mytilene.
When they turned their heads, they saw a crow the size of a human arm politely knocking on the window with its beak.
“Knocking……?”
As Elena muttered at the strange sight.
Thud!
Startled, Estilt fell backwards.
Creak!
Morning opened the window with a speed she had never shown before.
And she knelt before the giant crow that was slowly walking towards them on two legs.
Estilt did the same.
《The 13th Princess Elena shall be promoted to the 1st Princess.》
The crow began to utter the voice of some middle-aged man.
《Hero Cain and 1st Princess Elena, along with 2nd Prince Estilt and Administrative Duke Morning, come to the Imperial Palace.》
And after calmly delivering the order, it left through the open window.
As the two blinked, wondering what was going on, Morning bowed her head, watching the back of the departing crow.
“Yes, Your Majesty. As you command, Your Majesty.”
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