Chapter 112: I Don't Know, But He Said I'd Bring Glory to My Ancestors and Take the Center Spot in the Family Tree!
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Under Seito's lead, the crowd grabbed shovels, sickles, and whatever tools they could find, marching toward the Lord's Mansion. Before long, they encountered a squad of patrolling soldiers.
Seeing the aggressive crowd, the guards barked a harsh warning. "What do you think you're doing?! Are you trying to start a rebellion?!"
Clang, clang, clang!
The guards dropped into combat stances, leveling their spears at Seito and the commoners. The air turned heavy and silent; it felt as if a bloodbath would erupt at any second. Seito swept a cold, indifferent gaze over them before shouting with righteous fury:
"The Imperial nobility has already jacked up the prices! A single loaf of bread costs fifty thousand gold coins! Are you really going to aid a tyrant against your own people?!"
"You all know what kind of man the Baron is! Do you truly believe he'll treat you well once the official word reaches here? And even if he does, what about your families?!"
"Fifty thousand gold for bread! How will your families survive? How many gold coins do you make in a month? Come on! Tell me!"
The soldiers were stunned by the verbal onslaught. But they caught the key point: inflation was coming, and bread was about to cost a fortune!
In an instant, they thought of their aging parents living in the villages around the capital. They only earned three hundred gold coins a month! If bread hit fifty thousand, their families were as good as dead. Considering the Baron's usual greedy nature, they realized they'd be next on the chopping block.
The soldiers grit their teeth. The squad leader took a deep breath and looked at Seito. "Brother... what is it you're planning?"
"I am starting a revolution!" Seito's eyes turned sharp.
"If the nobles won't let us live, we will unite the commoners and carve out a path for ourselves! If you stand with us, from this day forward, we are Comrades! If the Imperial nobles fall, we are the winners! Every single one of you will have the chance to bring glory to your ancestors!"
The guards' eyes lit up. The way they looked at Seito shifted instantly—it was as if they were looking at a divine figure. Without another word of hesitation, the squad joined the mob!
Seito nodded with satisfaction, noting that his "Talk-no-Jutsu" was as effective as ever. He set off again toward the Lord's Mansion. Along the way, several more squads tried to block them, but after a round of Seito's verbal persuasion, they invariably defected.
The Fatui players watching this could hardly believe their ears as they overheard the NPCs talking:
Guard A: "Brother, why did you join?"
Guard B: "He said I could be a Great General! What about you?"
Guard A: "He said I'd bring glory to my ancestors and get the center spot in the family tree!"
It turns out Seito was using idioms that had recently spread from the Shenyan Empire on Floor 50. They were incredibly inspiring to the common folk.
Finally, the army reached the Lord's Mansion. The elite guards stationed outside glared at them. "What are you doing here?! A rebellion? Don't think the Baron can't handle you just because he got back from the capital yesterday!"
The Fatui players stiffened. He got back yesterday? Wouldn't that expose Seito's lie about the bread prices?
They reached for their weapons, but Seito's eyes narrowed as he barked out one word:
"Comrades!"
The guards froze. For some reason, that word felt incredibly comfortable, like it struck a chord deep in their souls. Seito didn't miss the opening.
"Do you truly wish to remain mere guards? Protecting a Baron—the lowest rank of nobility?! Don't you want to fight for yourselves and your families?" Seito became even more impassioned.
"To be the first over the walls! To be peerless in battle! To achieve eternal fame! Don't you want your names to be recorded in history so that when your descendants open the family tree, your name is on the very first page?!"
The guards felt their blood boiling! To a soldier, these were the ultimate honors. For the sake of glory, they would fight a lifetime. Even if they died, they wanted one of those titles!
The guards were breathing heavily. Even the male commoners were panting with excitement. What man could refuse having his name on the first page of the genealogy? No one!
The guard captain struggled to calm his breathing. "What do you plan to do?"
"Overthrow the Baron! Topple the Empire!" Seito answered without hesitation. "By the Mandate of Heaven, may he have longevity and eternal prosperity! I... am Destiny!"
"Good!" The captain drew his sword. "Damn the nobles! Brothers! Today we rebel against this idiot Baron! Charge!!"
The guards were the first to storm the mansion. Seito waved his hand. "Go!"
In the next second, the commoner army surged forward.
"Kill! Overthrow the Baron!"
"Move aside! I'm taking that dog's head! I'm going to be a General!"
As the crowd poured in, Seito looked at his assembled Executives and smiled. "Well, it looks like the territory is in the bag!"
The Executives looked at him with strange, baffled expressions. They never imagined he could talk a whole town into a frenzy, turning "black into white" so effortlessly.
"Seito, once the territory is settled, I'm going to sleep," Maple said, rubbing her eyes. It was getting late, and it was time for the girls to log off. Sally, Amou, Kanade, Shoko, and Chika all nodded in agreement.
"Got it," Seito replied.
A moment later, a pig-like squeal erupted from inside the mansion.
"AAAHHH!! Treason! Rebellion!! You filthy peasants, how dare you! Let go of me!!"
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Thank you for reading.