I stretched. The cool night air refreshed my lungs.
A sense of accomplishment filled my chest. There were dozens of pieces of paper in my hand. I had stayed up all night writing down the entire timeline of what was going to happen in Frankiaās civil war.
It would probably be fine to call this my lifeās masterpiece. Civil wars and revolutions are not simple events. These things require extremely elaborate devices. I had split these devices into three parts and put them together.
The first device was this manuscript of about 15 pages. The title of this manuscript was . The manuscript started with the following paragraph.
ā Even if the price is great, I must break away from this fallacy that is binding me. I must then inform the world of the complete truth and carry it out accordingly. This is the mission that has been given to all rational beings.
The document was written in the ancient imperial language.
The papers I was going to circulate werenāt going to be used on the commoners. Commoners require intense emotions rather than some coherent logic. On the other hand, a mask known as logic is necessary to convince the more cultured and young scholars among the nobles.
They were no different from the commoners even if they were cultured. Even they act emotionally to a certain extent. They simply have a higher āboiling pointā than commoners. Logic was a device that helped cultured people reach that boiling point more easily.
ā Farmers are like slaves as they are under the control of nobles. They are sometimes under the control of large landowners. As we are aware of this, there is no way that we could possibly be oblivious of this fact. This is because our income relies on this very slave system, thus we cooperate with it voluntarily. Adding to this, we know very well that this system is cruel and unfairā¦ā¦.
ā āIf I inherit my parentās peerage, I will distribute land to the farmersā, is there someone who has never made this resolve when they were younger? Why does one bear pride in the morning but resign themselves in the evening? This is because of our lives. We end up wasting 300 libra every year, so we feel the need for the slave system once more.Ā
ā If we were to expose our lofty lives out in the open, then it would be like the following: our lives are not lived as we intended. We simply live according to how our lives flow. We have lost complete control of our ability to control our lives.
ā How could anyone not be aware of this paradox? Until now, people believed that the slave system placed normal people under the control of nobles; however, the truth is the exact opposite. Nobles are the ones who are under the control of the slave system and are thus unable to lead their lives toward what they believe to be the right path.
ā Today, the concerning notion that āthe dignity and level of the ruling class are becoming more feeble as the days go byā, has become the talk of the town. The cause of this phenomenon is none other than that paradoxical slave system. In other words, the ones who are supposed to be the masters are paradoxically put under the control of slavesā¦ā¦.
āAmazing! These are some great lines.ā
I couldnāt help but be moved after reviewing my manuscript up to this point. This was a literary gem.
This wasnāt a scholarly document. This was fundamentally no different from a speech. Speeches are given to persuade the other party, so you must have a grasp of what the other party wants and likes. The target audience of this manuscript was young scholars.\n
Young nobles are brats who are obsessed with honor.Ā
They fear becoming slaves more than anything else and firmly believe that they are pioneering their own lives. However, they know that something like freedom doesnāt exist in the life of nobles as well.
If you were born as the first son, then you absolutely had to inherit everything. If your ruler starts a war, then you had to accept the draft. Second and third sons could at most become knights and wander around. All sorts of responsibilities were attached to them. I was pointing this fact out.
ā The Gods had ordered us to become the rulers of the land. That is why we have been cultivating the land for thousands of years. However, if we look back at it now, we have not become the rulers of the land, but the slaves of the land. This is the result of us knowing what is right but disregarding it anyway.
ā It has been discussed numerous times at conferences and official government meetings about why commoners are poor and what policies must be enacted to improve their lives. And yet, we would always remain silent when it came to the only right and proper method of improving those farmersā lives. In other words, having our land taken from us by the farmers.ā
First, I have to acknowledge their pride. After that, I have to criticize them for how they had betrayed their own pride. I then follow this up by presenting them a detailed outline of what they could do to regain their pride. The important part here was to make the tone of the text sound as if they were being lectured.
Iām reprimanding them bluntly while also giving them the delusion that they could become righteous if they put in the effort. Iām provoking their self-respect and making them act. Putting a fire under their hearts. āThese lines written in the ancient imperial language were seditious lines with decent-sounding logic sprinkled on top.
I guarantee that this alone would be enough to persuade some nobles.
And finally.
ā Land should not be privately owned.
ā Things like water, air, and sunlight should not be considered as products to be sold.Ā
ā All humans should equally share the benefits reaped from the land.
These things must be stated a matter-of-factly. In other words, it has to give the impression that this should be the logical conclusion of everything that was said before. Like this, people will accept this text as a logical conclusion instead of simply as inciting words.Ā
Of course, this would not be enough to persuade some people.
āSo I have to add a few more instruments.ā
I continued to review my manuscript with a grin on my face. Interestingly, there wasnāt a single mistake in my writing. I have never been grammatically incorrect ever since I came to this world. It felt like some unknown power was being applied to my linguistic ability, but it didnāt particularly matter. \nā The earnings received from the land must be shared equally. Therefore, farmers should receive their own land, pay the land fee according to a joint agreement, and the money will all go to a joint funding. This joint funding will naturally be used for the sake of the farmers.
ā The rent fee will be determined by the local government of the farmers.
Thatās right. I have to give them a detailed suggestion.
However, Iām not an expert when it comes to policies. How could I offer a detailed explanation in such matters? Thatās why I used cool-sounding words like ājoint agreementā, ājoint fundingā, and ālocal governmentā.
I made it seem like something impressive was being said.
Normally, proper nouns have the power to discourage people. If you change the sentence āLife has always been fuckedā to āLife is fundamentally irrationalā, then it makes the line sound like you are making some sort of profound statement. Nobles enjoy this kind of rhetoric. Even more so the younger they are.
Stimulate their pride, disguise instigating words as a logical conclusion, and give a detailed explanation on how to bring that logical conclusion to reality with fancy words. This should be enough to persuade a large number of nobles.
Now for a final uppercut.
ā That is correct. Throughout all the problems that happen in our lives, there is no way for us to know the significance of those problems nor can we understand them. Why was a man named Hans born? Why did I do something nasty? Why are some people dying while I am still alive? Why have I turned away from the truth?
ā Trying to understand all of this, in other words, trying to understand the fate and providence of the Gods cannot be done by my power alone. Nonetheless, it is possible to implement the divine will of the Gods that has been engraved in my conscience. We know this.
ā Thus, as we continue to contemplate endlessly, there is something more new and awe-inspiring that approaches our hearts. The sky above where the stars sparkle and the conscience within me. As we behold and feel these things before us, it will start where I stand and continue to the worlds beyond the infinitely vast worlds according to that glorious divine willā¦ā¦.
āCāest si bon! Cāest si bon!ā
I subconsciously became a French gentleman as I was in awe. A literary ability that could have definitely lifted me up to stardom if I had been born in Paris was right here.
The final part covered religion and ethics. Everyone has a side to them that is passionate about religion and ethics. Even the coldest of people will become greatly invigorated if their sense of ethics is ignited. After talking in a logical tone in the beginning, it ends ethically. Kuh.
āIām in awe of my own talentā¦ā¦.ā
I looked up at the sky momentarily as I felt deeply moved. I could see the darkness of the night running away over the mountains because they were so surprised by my talent. I see. I have finally gained the power to make even the sky fear meā¦ā¦. This talentā¦ā¦ this geniusā¦ā¦ even I canāt help but be afraid of myselfā¦ā¦.
\nWell, either way, this will give more rights to commoners. It would only be right for the humans on the continent to thank me. Iām pulling forward the revolution that you guys would have done anyway some day in the future. Furthermore, Iām also generously establishing their factions for them! Itād be only right if they built a statue in honor of the virtuous Dantalian.
Up to this point was the second device.
If the first two devices targeted nobles and cultured people, then the third device was aimed at commoners. This wasnāt a speech. It wasnāt a scholarly book either.Ā
It was simply a song.
From Kresy to the Hydrangea WarPoitiers and AgincourtBlack hills stained in tears and bloodWe have only walked barefoot
Let us advance, sons and daughters of the land.Scream till your throats burn,our moment of glory has arrived!
From the Scarlet Fortress to the Ulm PlainsBoeotia and NemeaListen to the hellish scream of the enemyResonating throughout the hills and river!
Raise your bloodstained flags of war!Raise your bloodstained flags of war!
The enemy is approachingto take the heads of our wives and lovers!Grab your spears, comrades!Stand at the front!
O Goddess, give us salvation on every hill and river!O Goddess, allow justice to sing!
Let our enemiesā blood overflowon our parched land!
āThis should be somewhat effective.ā
I grinned. It was a song of revolution. Iām not sure how exactly the song will be composed, but Iāll commission the people at Keuncuska to leave it to the most renowned composer in the demon world. I do hope that the human revolutionaries are pleased by my little gift.
***
TL Note: Thanks for reading the chapter. The next few chapters were very annoying for me to translate. Dantalian phrases a lot of the lines in the manuscript from an awkward perspective. Not only does he keep switching the tense around, but it keeps going from first-person to third-person and so on. I guess it sort of works fine in Korean, but it felt really awkward to do in English. Hence why these chapters took longer to translate.Ā
In any case, I hope you guys are having a better time surviving the heat than I am and Iāll see you guys in the next chapter.