Chapter 217: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2)
“No way…….”
Olivia covered her mouth in shock. Elena and Lourens, who were beside her, were no different.
“How?”
The most surprised one was Morning.
━I will go in on my own, so take everyone with you.
While Morning came as the official representative of the Administrative Duke, everyone else disguised themselves as her escorts or priests following Aurelia.
However, they had to find another way for Cain, as the Seven Wise Men would be on high alert for him.
But Cain himself was confident.
━Do you know how tight the security at the Grand Auction House is?
━I know. But there’s always a way.
The group was puzzled by Cain’s confidence. How could he possibly enter the Grand Auction House, where he would be stopped and searched thoroughly?
Surely he wasn’t planning to draw his sword and kill everyone on his way in, as he usually did.
Their worries deepened when Cain still hadn’t appeared by the time they were all seated in the Grand Auction House.
Morning joked that Cain would probably break through the ceiling of the Grand Auction House, and Olivia said it was genetically likely. Just then, Cain entered, dressed in ordinary clothes.
“They just let me in when I said I had business upstairs?”
Cain shrugged and smiled.
Lourens, the head of the Special Intelligence Division and the most skilled infiltrator here, blinked in disbelief.
The fact that there was no commotion meant it was true. If it was that easy, then Cain alone was more capable than 100 Special Intelligence Division agents.
Aurelia and Lesbos, who arrived late, couldn’t hide their surprise at Cain’s appearance either.
[‘Summer’ says this guy is quite a prankster.]
[‘Winter’ clicks her tongue, saying he hadn’t noticed yet.]
〈The Sacred Treasures of the Four Seasons〉 were amused, and Cain brushed his hair back.
His sharp features, thick eyebrows, and purple eyes glinted in the dim light of the Grand Auction House’s audience seats.
“The best way to enter a place where such high-ranking people gather is to break through the secret they want to hide the most.”
“Secret……?”
Cain smiled faintly.
Princesses like Elena and Olivia didn’t notice, but those who had experienced real battles, like Lourens, quickly understood and their jaws dropped.
‘There are times when my days as a mercenary come in handy.’
The nameless mercenary of the western Empire.
No one would remember the name of a guy who could die today or tomorrow, so Cain was rarely called by his name back then.
There was also the fact that he didn’t want to be called by his name after being chased out of Ethelred.
The mercenary market was a strange place. While many strong and skilled individuals sought work, there was also a surprising amount of work for nameless mercenaries with mediocre swordsmanship like Cain at the time.
‘Things that shouldn’t be known to the outside world.’
Jobs that nameless mercenaries often took on were those that could be dealt with by killing everyone involved if things went wrong or became troublesome.
Among them, the most common task was escorting high-ranking individuals for their secret private lives.
That’s when he saw it.
If something was dirty enough and could be overlooked, people would turn a blind eye to it, even if they spat on it.
Swoosh.
Elena handed him a black cloth she had prepared. Just in case anyone recognized his face.
Cain covered his face with the cloth, hiding his eyes, and stepped forward.
He exited through the dark hallway and emerged into the overwhelmingly large auction hall.
Holding onto the railing, he looked down, feeling like he might fall if he missed a step.
It seemed Morning’s seat was a special VIP room, located quite high up.
━Now! This item is━!
In the center of the hall below, an auctioneer with a booming voice was holding a loudspeaker and conducting the auction.
Beep━.
With a low buzzer sound, the signs assigned to each auction participant were raised.
━12 gold! Ah, 15 gold! 18 gold!
It was a competition filled with frenzy.
Whooosh━.
Amidst it all, Cain smelled the faint, silvery scent of ‘pureum’.
A warrior with a sword slays dragons and demon kings.
But what is needed to defeat fellow humans?
Whipping around, Cain leaned against the railing.
The brilliant lights of the Grand Auction House shone like a halo behind him, his sharp features not completely hidden by the cloth.
“Today, we turn back the clock.”
Cain agreed with the values that Commons spoke of.
In the previous timeline, when the Demon King was slain and the Great Wall became a barrier to prevent internal expansion rather than external threats, Cain, who was lost and searching for a reason to live, slowly walked back to Airian Island.
Before meeting Abel, when he had no idea where to go or what to do, the world of freedom he encountered was truly remarkable.
“Perhaps the current system of status and class should be abolished, just as they say.”
In that world, there were no old nobles.
Even though the Iron-Blooded Princess ascended to the throne, she, despite her overwhelming military might, had to choose to marry the hero, Abel.
That was because…
“But will divisions truly disappear from human society?”
The Empire of the previous timeline was only similar in name to the current Empire; everything else was different.
The newly emerged nobles, based on their abilities, occupied important positions within the Empire.
Moreover, these individuals, united solely for their own benefit, prevented the Emperor from ruling as a tyrant. With no opposing forces to check their power, their tyranny became unbearable.
“No, only the names will change.”
While blood defined class now, capital would define status in the era that Commons sought to create.
“Of course, it will be more flexible than it is now.”
It was certainly better than the current rigid system in that those with ability could succeed.
However, the problem was that in order to cultivate one’s abilities, a suitable environment for education was essential, and this was often passed down through generations.
In this place.
No, in this world, only one person.
Only Cain, having lived in a world where Commons’ dream was realized, could say with certainty:
“It is right, yet wrong.”
“……!”
Cain acknowledged the righteousness of Commons’ direction.
Championing freedom.
In shedding the rigid and repressive rules of the world.
Giving opportunities to the ‘common,’ who existed like an insignificant background that no one paid attention to.
An era that sought to unravel the principles of the world through human reason and logic, instead of blindly attributing everything to mystery and secrecy.
“The direction is right, but the method is wrong.”
Morning nodded in agreement.
In the process of instigating conflict between the old and new nobles to shake the unshakeable system of the existing Empire, the blood spilled by the Empire began to flow like rivers.
Wiseman nodded.
To ignite this conflict, they attempted to sacrifice everyone in the academy city of Märchen.
Lourens also nodded.
He had witnessed it. How they treated witches. How they viewed humans, trying to control them with the scent of ‘pureum’.
Aurelia clasped her hands together.
Olivia smiled bitterly.
And the young Lesbos, once a golden goblin, closed his eyes tightly and spoke.
“If only I hadn’t supported them…….”
The self-reproach of a victim.
Morning placed a hand on Lesbos’s shoulder and said,
“Instead of saying such useless things, repeat after me.”
“……?”
“I will kill all those bastards who tormented me.”
“……!”
“Instead of crying and blaming yourself, take up your sword. And stab them. You have two very powerful figures backing you up.”
Morning winked at Cardinal Aurelia, who responded with a slight nod of affirmation.
The innocent victims were what connected the Empire and the Holy See, who were as incompatible as cats and dogs.
“Therefore.”
Before Cain’s eyes, the image of Abel, dying in his arms from his own sword, flickered like a phantom.
Those who dared to manipulate even the hero for their own purposes.
‘Now that I understand their intentions,’
He couldn’t forgive them even more.
To ensure this Abel’s happiness and avenge his death, Cain, who had crossed timelines with the 『Four Seasons』, gripped the railing tightly and declared,
“Operation ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, commences.”
To stop the era of Commons.
To prevent themselves from becoming sacrifices to Commons.
Extraordinary individuals united, centered around the hero.
🔹🔹🔹
The auction grew even more heated. Before the last nine treasures were to be sold,
Thump━.
━Please welcome, with a round of applause, the head of the Seventh Division of the Seven Wise Men, Mr. James J. Purple!
“Waaaaaaaah━!”
The crowd, already whipped into a frenzy, erupted at the appearance of the elderly man, who could be considered one of the wealthiest individuals in the world.
Purple, hiding behind an alias, ascended the podium and slowly raised his head.
Tens of thousands of auction participants.
The master holding the world’s money.
Whether they stood on the soil of the Empire or the Holy See, what they ultimately sought ended up in his hands: the currency 〈Del〉 that he issued.
“Do any of you know the name of this island where the Mytilene Auction House stands?”
“…….”
Silence met his quiet question.
Strangely enough, while the name Mytilene was mentioned frequently, the island itself had no name.
As if someone had erased it from history.
To obliterate any record.
“Lesbos.”
At that moment, Lesbos clenched his fists.
The very act of Purple uttering his name felt like an insult, and he wondered what he intended to say next.
“The name of this island is Lesbos. A name given in an era when dragons soared through the skies and devils roamed the earth.”
Shhhhk━.
Purple raised his hand.
And as he did, purple banners began to unfurl across the floor of the Grand Auction House, centered around him.
The banners bore the emblem of their trading company, a cutely drawn golden goblin.
“I say this for the first time here, but there once lived a golden goblin on this island. He was the foundation of our Seven Wise Men, a being who earnestly wished for world peace.”
And Purple had skinned that very Lesbos and sold his golden hide.
“He is no longer with us.”
Nicholas had told the truth on his orders and was undoubtedly dead.
If only he could go and confirm it himself, he would even dig up the corpse and sell the bones, but it was a place he couldn’t reach, so he feigned sorrow, letting a hint of regret seep into his voice.
“However, his will lives on in us, the Seven Wise Men. To strive for world peace. To ensure that ordinary, common people can achieve their full potential!”
“…….”
Silence descended once more.
Although the words of the frail old man seemed to hold no power, the burning passion contained within them slowly began to ‘infect’ the listeners.
Purple pulled out a single gold coin from his pocket and held it up high.
“With money, you could achieve anything. This money, attainable by anyone! Buy it. Buy peace, buy the future, buy your own brilliant lives!”
Click.
He flicked the gold coin with his thumb.
And at that moment,
Crackle━!
From the ceiling of the Grand Auction House, something burst with a soft sound, and tiny gold fragments, like dust, began to scatter down.
“Waaaaaaaah━!”
Tens of thousands of spectators roared with delight at the limitless shower of gold. Amidst the clamor, Purple raised his voice even higher.
“Believe in us. Believe in money. Money gives you freedom. But freedom is also possible without money.”
And the colors of the company banners spread across the floor began to change.
The mercenary city of 〈Antwerp〉.
The magic city of 〈Lil〉.
The merchant city of 〈Delft〉.
And the banners of other cities belonging to the Free Cities Alliance.
“If you desire freedom. If you wish to ignite a revolution in this world. And if you yearn to succeed and pass on that brilliance to your descendants.”
“…….”
Purple drew out his words.
With blazing eyes, he addressed those who had tasted a freedom, or perhaps debauchery, born of gold and pleasure.
“Let us overthrow the old system.”
“Overthrow! Overthrow! Overthrow!”
“We stand behind you. We are prepared with military might, wealth, and magic.”
“Waaaaaaaaaaah━!”
The deafening roar threatened to shatter eardrums.
The minds of those intoxicated by the euphoria of ‘pureum’ now held only Purple.
Craaaash━!
A bolt of pure white lightning, shooting up from the ground towards the heavens, tore through the clamor in an instant.
“Bullshit.”
Cain stood alone by the railing, looking down at Purple.
His voice was low, but it carried a force that reached even those at the farthest corners of the Grand Auction House.
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