Chapter 76
“This is the full account of what happened.”
Having returned to the council chamber with the labor radicals, I stood before everyone and clearly explained all that I had experienced.
As soon as I finished, the factory owners and Mayor Bias pointed to the labor radicals with smug expressions.
“Among the labor radicals were demon worshippers who revealed their true colors and attacked the Saint! What more do you need? These lawless traitors are the root cause of this entire crisis!”
“What are we waiting for? The Pantheon and the Black Fortress are all gathered here! Punish them! Arrest them all and sentence them for heresy and criminal conspiracy!”
I noticed paladins of the White Order behind lomene quietly resting their hands on their swords.
“Holy Saintess, your command?” one of them asked.
“The justification for investigation is more than sufficient,” she replied.
The inquisitors of the Black Fortress, the priests of the Silent Order, the factory owners, and even the royal delegates were all casting disapproving glares toward the labor radicals.
Troublemakers. Terrorists.
And now, a faction infiltrated by demon worshippers.
There was no room for sympathy.
“Saint, do you agree with this?”
lomene and Almeine asked me.
From the shadows, the mages of the Tower of Magic and Erfa watched silently, but their eyes were no less cold.
“These people harmed you, did they not? What are you hesitating for?”
Mayor Bias no longer held back, openly pressuring me to condemn them to death.
Karl Lenaro and the labor radicals stared at me, anxious and tense.
They could try to defend themselves, but no matter what they said, it would be dismissed as nothing more than the pathetic excuses of criminals.
So I spoke for them.
“Punishment, is it? And for what crimes, exactly?”
“They broke the law. And with demon worshippers among them, heresy charges are obvious.”
“I was told demon worshippers were discovered among the factory owners as well. Shouldn’t you be investigated for heresy, too?”
At that, the smug smiles of the factory owners crumpled into sour grimaces.
“We’re innocent. Besides, when the beam of light erupted from your body, all followers of Mammon were exposed, weren’t they? Those of us who remain—doesn’t that prove our innocence?”
“Then the same applies to these labor radicals. You can assume they are not heretics either. As for their illegal actions...”
I turned and looked out through the chamber windows.
The chaos from the general strike I had incited still lingered in the streets below, despite the efforts of the Pantheon’s paladins and the inquisitors from the Black Fortress to calm things down.
“Is it not illegal to destroy the lives of the majority of a city’s citizens?”
The expressions of the factory owners turned grim.
Mayor Bias straightened his tie and responded.
“Saint, we operate our companies legally. We produce vast quantities of enchanted metal, and most of the Empire’s steel is sourced from Scrap Yard.”
“And in doing so, you plunged the city’s entire working class into ruin—and created fertile ground for the cult of Mammon to thrive.”
“…Saint, that’s an exaggeration.”
“Is it? Then perhaps you should take a look at this.”
I distributed copies of the future-planning documents seized from Mammon’s cult by the White Order to everyone in the room.
“These detail how Mammon’s followers planned to manipulate you. What might’ve happened had I not intervened. Go ahead. See for yourselves.”
The factory owners reluctantly accepted the documents.
It didn’t take long before their reactions surfaced.
“A… Great Depression?!”
“They were planning to pit us against the labor radicals in endless arms races to keep the public in fear?”
“A prolonged standoff created by manufacturing mass-destructive magic… this is absurd!”
They were reacting exactly as the labor radicals had earlier.
After giving them time to fully absorb the material, I spoke again.
“Let’s consider what the true cause of this crisis is.”
I pointed out the window.
To the immaculate, shining district where the factory owners lived—and beyond it, the crumbling slums.
“Greed from the capitalists and a lust for power among the labor radicals—both were inflamed to fuel a vicious cycle of destruction. That was Mammon’s plan. It may have started in Scrap Yard, but it surely spread across the Empire.”
I turned my gaze back to Mayor Bias and the factory owners.
“Do you even know how the workers of Scrap Yard live? Do you understand the conditions they endure? Do you know why no matter how many you imprison, new labor radicals keep appearing?”
“It’s because they’re already living in hell.”
I began to describe what I had seen.
Three-year-old children cleaning chimneys.
Five-year-olds working machinery.
Laborers discarded like broken tools the moment they were injured.
People starving to death, some throwing themselves into rivers in desperation.
People so denied of care and dignity, they were collapsing from the inside.
“I won’t defend everything the labor radicals have done. Yes, they blew up factories. Yes, they attempted assassinations. But at the root of it all is a broken system.”
“Are you… defending them, Saint?” Mayor Bias asked, disbelief all over his face.
I shook my head.
“I’m not defending them. I’m asking you to understand them. To reflect on your role in creating people who would rather die with a rifle in hand than live another day under your rule.”
The factory owners stared at me, their faces stiff and cold.
But I had no intention of stopping.
“All of Mammon’s followers are dead. That, at least, is fortunate. But if this system stays as it is, another demon lord will rise. One who will feast on the pure, condensed resentment and broken souls of the suffering. And their power will grow. Do you want another catastrophe like this?”
“......”
“That’s why we need to stop thinking about whom to punish, and instead start thinking about how we can help the people outside live better lives.”
I began to explain my plan.
The purpose behind the founding of the Ministry of Labor and Employment, how it would operate going forward, and how the Order of Grace, Karma Company, and the Imperial Court would work together to manage it.
“Exploitation of workers by capitalists must end. Greed must be restrained. And the labor radicals are the ones best suited for that role. They will spread across the Empire, investigating and preventing worker abuse by capitalists.”
The factory owners immediately pushed back.
“You’re telling us these terrorists will gain official power to investigate our companies?!”
“They’ll sabotage growth over petty complaints, that much is clear!”
“These maniacs with authority? We know exactly how corrupt they’ll become! This is outrageous!”
I nodded calmly.
“That’s why the Labor Ministry will be placed under strict supervision by the Pantheon and the Imperial Court. To prevent any corruption or abuse of power. Priests from the Order of Grace will accompany ministry officials—to treat workers injured in industrial accidents and ensure oversight. They won’t be allowed to form their own unchecked empire.”
But the factory owners were far from satisfied.
“This is tyranny! You’re trying to destroy functioning businesses!”
“Saint, with all due respect, you don’t understand how corporations work. If businesses collapse, so will the Empire’s economy!”
Watching them resist so fervently, I couldn’t help but frown.
“If you’re so afraid of being scrutinized, perhaps you should stop doing things that warrant scrutiny. Improve worker treatment. If a laborer is injured, the company must take responsibility. Workers have the right to negotiate. If they ask for a wage increase, you are obligated to consider it—so long as the demand is reasonable.”
“Do that and every company will go bankrupt, Saint!”
“If we continue on the current path, the entire Empire will collapse! Will you just sit back and let demon cults thrive again, feeding on the suffering of workers? I’m asking for the bare minimum! Workers are human beings! Don’t they deserve to live like people?!”
As I raised my voice, the factory owners fell silent for a moment.
“There will be no more exploiting minors under the age of 19. No more using children and teens as cheap labor. They should be in school, not working. You must provide at least minimal welfare for your workers—decent food, and wages that allow them to live with dignity!”
I extended my hand toward the factory owners, too.
“You don’t want another demon lord to rise from the misery of the people, do you? You’ve seen it happen once already. Isn’t that enough? The workers are human beings—just like you.
Don’t treat them as tools. Treat them as partners.”
“.......”
“Don’t create jobs that exploit them—create jobs that help them live. I can’t do this alone. I need you.”
I hoped—truly hoped—that they would take my hand.
Just as the labor radicals had.
I hoped they would cast aside their stubbornness and reach out.
But they didn’t.
The factory owners—and Mayor Bias—didn’t even take a moment to consider.
“Absurd.”
Mayor Bias shook his head, utterly exasperated.
“I understand that you’re a person of great compassion and empathy, Saint, and perhaps unfamiliar with economics and business. But business is cold. If we sacrifice profit out of pity and emotion, then there will be no functioning companies left in the Empire!”
He refused my hand.
And together with the other factory owners, stood up.
“We cannot accept the idea of turning these criminals into a government agency. Nor can we accept the notion of using demon cults as an excuse to sabotage business.”
“.......”
“If I may offer a humble suggestion, Saint—perhaps you should focus on what you do understand.”
At those words, lomene, Almeine, and Erfa all scowled.
“Mayor Bias, I believe that was out of line,”
lomene said coolly.
“Not at all, Princess. The Saint is proposing to hand the future of the Empire’s economy to these twisted radicals! Under the guise of worker reform and fear of demon cults, they seek to dismantle our industries!”
Erfa responded at once.
“The Saint has a point. Improving workers’ lives is crucial. If we don’t, we’re practically inviting the return of demon cults.”
“And what happens when our companies fall like dominoes under the hands of these madmen? When unemployment floods the streets, when even their meager wages disappear? Won’t that generate even more resentment than before?”
Mayor Bias beat his chest confidently.
“It’s true the workers live hard lives—but it’s a necessary evil! A harsh measure to avoid the worst outcome! Preserving business is more important than their comfort! Why can’t you see that?!”
At last, Karl Lenaro rose from his seat, unable to hold back any longer.
“You capitalist pig—!!”
“Don’t you dare open that filthy mouth in this chamber!! You disgusting rioters!! The only thing you lot know how to do is stir up social chaos and exploit people’s suffering to incite rebellion! Trash like you have no right to speak here!!”
I raised a hand to calm Karl Lenaro and the labor radicals.
At my gesture, they held back their outrage and sat down again—though judging by their faces, it wouldn’t have been surprising if someone pulled out a Molotov cocktail right then and there.
“We intend to maintain the current system, Saint. Improving worker conditions? Yes, that’s important. But right now, the companies are struggling. There’s just no room to breathe.”
Mayor Bias said this while smoothing his luxurious, high-end suit—no doubt paid for by bleeding countless workers dry.
“When our profits improve in the future, then surely wages will rise as well. Saint, the survival of businesses is more important than anything else. If we shake the foundation of the Imperial economy, the resulting suffering and resentment will dwarf what we’ve seen. Please understand that.”
“You’ve seen what happens when your greed runs unchecked. You just saw it. You know what kind of future it leads to. And you still choose this path?”
Mayor Bias shrugged.
“Just fear-mongering from those demon cultists. Fabricated nonsense to scare people. I don’t let that kind of thing sway me. If I did, I wouldn’t have made it this far in business.”
I had miscalculated.
The labor radicals weren’t corrupted yet.
They hadn’t become prison wardens or heads of secret police. They hadn’t yet turned into tyrants who ordered the mass execution of the very workers they claimed to protect.
They were still people. People filled with compassion and rage on behalf of the oppressed.
Which is why, when they saw their possible future, they had the capacity to change.
But the factory owners… were different.
They were already corrupted.
Even when shown their future—told another disaster was inevitable—they refused to bend.
Hardened hearts. Rotten to the soul.
I slowly withdrew the hand I had extended to them.
“Your Highness. That’s enough for now. I’d like to rest.”
Almeine looked at me with sympathy, then officially declared the meeting adjourned.
The factory owners and Mayor Bias rose from their seats and practically rushed out of the chamber.
I said nothing and simply watched them go.
“This… This is how it ends, isn’t it, Saint? This is what always happens!!”
Karl Lenaro couldn’t hold back any longer and shouted in frustration.
“Of course they walked away! Those slimy bastards! They’ll never change! Never!! There’s no way to win by following the law or the rules! The system is the problem—it was built to protect them!!”
“You’re right. The system and the rules favor the capitalists.”
“Then what will you do now? Are you really going to let the poor of this city suffer like this? Please—tell us there’s a plan.”
A plan?
Of course there was a plan.
Even moments ago, I could have hypnotized Mayor Bias and all the factory owners into becoming my obedient puppets.
But I didn’t.
I didn’t want it to be solved that way.
I wanted to show the labor radicals—and the poor of this city—that the law and the system could still be on their side.
That the Empire wasn’t as rotten as they believed.
That this world… was still worth fighting for.
Without responding to Karl’s plea, I stood and walked over to Erfa.
“Erfa, can you set up a magic call?”
“Of course, Amael. Who should I connect you with?”
Yes—power and rules are on the capitalists’ side.
Mayor Bias knows it. That’s why he can act so arrogantly.
But he only knows half the truth.
He forgot the other half.
The fact that the most powerful capitalist in the Empire—
—is on my side.
“Connect me to Jonathan Karma.”
If I can’t beat them with law and order…
Then I’ll beat them with capital.
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