Chapter 72

[Title: Hey, is there something special about today?]

(Pile of mana pills stacked on a hat)

Today, there sure have been a lot of generous folks around.

Usually, I’d barely get one or two, but now I don’t even know if this is a dream or reality.

Is today some kind of special day?

– Take my money too!

– (Don’t give up, fight back! Con)

– Your poverty isn’t your fault.

ㄴ (No, I keep getting requests for barter exchanges. W-What’s going on?)

ㄴ (Shut up, take my money! Con)

Les Misérables brought about another change in society.

Unlike other races, humans tend to have a higher ratio of individuals with strong individualistic tendencies, leading to a greater proportion of beggars.

Among them were unfortunate children born into poverty.

But soon, people started showing up to hand out mana pills one by one.

“Here, kid. Take this.”

“T-Thank you! C-Can I at least have your name?”

“I’m just doing what I need to do in place of Jean Valjean.”

The so-called Petit Gervais.

Petit Gervais was the chimney sweep boy featured in Les Misérables.

He was also the owner of the coin Valjean stole, and despite crying for its return, Valjean wouldn’t give it back.

Later, filled with regret, he searched the streets for the boy, but could never find him.

Reading that story in the novel, reality took it upon itself to seek out Petit Gervais in Valjean’s stead.

– I spent a hundred mana pills today.

– Ah lol, caught up in the novel’s vibe, I just gave all my fridge money to the kids.

– How infuriating to see them starving in the streets!

ㄴ For real, learn not to starve in front of me again lol.

ㄴ All they do is talk about how terrible it is, but their actions are so angelic, haha.

This soon reflected in the sales at the marketplace.

[All items in the ‘Category/Food’ sold out.]

“What, all sold out?”

Items in high demand, like tuna cans and ramen, had flown off the shelves as soon as they were listed.

However, there were always leftover products when considering all items.

But I never expected them to sell out completely.

Moreover, thanks to the benevolent system, my daily calculation points had soared.

“Looks like I can increase the marketplace sales now.”

Furthermore, the fairy tale’s impact was also evident among the elves.

– Is this… is this literature?

– Those poor little kids… 😢

– The depth is phenomenal. I didn’t expect to be so immersed, even as a non-elf.

– (This is highly regarded by elves… Con)

The elves had a strong pride in their culture.

Perhaps because they were the race of beauty, elves had a keen interest in culture.

At the center of the elven city, Elardrien, a massive library had been established long ago.

– Human literature? Who reads that?

– It’s neither fun… nor touching…

– Elves can truly be seen at the peak of culture.

Especially in every novel and artwork, elves were depicted as the center.

No wonder they were teased by others for being stuck-up, and faced betrayals during the Great War.

However, even those arrogant elves started reading Les Misérables and began to be enchanted one by one.

This was mainly led by the young elves.

[Title: Teehee, I’m Jean Valjean!]

(Cute gif of stealing bread from a bakery)

(Old elf yelling with flushed cheeks from behind)

Heeek, heeheehee!

This is so much fun!!!

[15 likes] [3 dislikes]

– Hahahaha.

– Crazy girl lmao.

– You can tell she’s too weak to chase after him lmao.

– Tomb vs Fossil.

ㄴ (No bad words, okay! Con)

– Elk Knight… true protector of Elard…

– What a cute little troublemaker, you little rascal!

– You~ little unmanageable troublemaker!

[Title: Was this Jean Valjean’s anguish?]

(Cute gif of strawberry cream cake)

(Elf gif eating with tears streaming down)

How much torment must there have been that he felt the need to steal bread?

I wanted to share that feeling.

So today, I bought strawberry cream at the marketplace…

Was it because I was eating while understanding Valjean’s heart?

(Gif of cleaning the plate completely)

When it comes to taste, it seems that the thought is what’s truly important!

[1 like] [51 dislikes]

– Bullet-sucking brat.

– How the hell did you buy that, you little brat!

– Ah… damn.

– (I swear I’ll kill you! Con)

– Valjean ate hard stone bread, while you ate a high-class cake from Head of the Gallery?!

ㄴ (Sticking out tongue gif of an elf Con)

ㄴ Ugh, I just want to grab those pointy ears and punch them with all my might, lmao.

ㄴ (Gif of an elf struggling with grabbed ears)

Of course, the elves have taken a rather odd trend.

“Hm, looks like the usual gallery vibe?”

Our Elgu is with the unmanageable ones, and those lost in their feelings.

And even dwarves, who are still clueless about the trend and drowned in alcohol and the forge.

It was the usual WWE atmosphere of the gallery.

Well, I kinda expected that.

[Concept Article: The Communist Manifesto]

Author: Mark

“Workers of the world, unite!”

But suddenly the UFC appeared…

“Wait a minute, time out.”

I felt my mind go blank.

*

Changing the world doesn’t require anything grand.

In a surge of emotions, it only takes a trivial incident, and everything will begin.

The starting point was precisely at the village chief’s house in some remote village.

“Please, don’t do this!”

“If you take this too, how are we supposed to survive this winter?”

After Head of the Gallery distributed portable generators and heaters, people began to gather.

Not every household had them, so at the village chief’s, people started huddling in groups.

But the price was quite steep.

For local nobles, it was a golden opportunity to collect taxes under the guise of payment.

“So am I supposed to freeze to death for you?”

“Don’t you already have that?”

“Did you see it with your own eyes? Or just pay your taxes on time, huh? Now get lost!”

“Dave!”

With his wife’s shout, Dave, who had become a gallery hunter, rolled onto the floor.

It was due to a soldier in Baron Boris’s guard pushing him away.

However, the soldier didn’t seem too pleased either.

Facing the class society wouldn’t lead anywhere but to losing their heads, so he just turned away…

At that moment, a little kid stood in front of him.

“Don’t steal!”

“What?”

A child who looked about six years old.

It was Philip, Dave’s little child.

The villagers turned a blind eye, ignoring the unfairness.

They understood the hierarchy of their society.

But the kid was too young to understand.

“Why are you trying to take this away?”

Only bad people who unjustly steal things, that’s all it was.

“This is what the people of our village came together to buy!”

With his short arms stretched out to the sides, he stood proudly in front of the entrance.

His voice made people start to look up.

But the solution chosen by Baron Boris was not what the people expected.

Slap!

“How dare a little brat like you!”

He just slapped the cheek of the six-year-old boy.

In the harshly living region of Fron.

Migration wasn’t even an option.

After the Great War, nobles exploited commoners even more, leaving no room for rebellion.

In such an environment, it was impossible to even think differently.

“After all, we can’t go anywhere anyway.”

Baron Boris was right.

– Damn, living is so tough.

– Elard > Kilgroth = Adrian > > > > > > > Fron.

– I’m hungry… damn.

The issue of survival.

The struggle against the cold for existence.

There were environments where the thoughts and ideologies couldn’t even be pondered.

Until the Head of the Gallery showed up.

Until that book began to circulate.

“Ah!”

The child’s face was roughly turned away.

Baron Boris smiled faintly.

This usually resolves things.

Commoners could just be controlled through violence.

But the moment the child’s fair cheek turned black and his lips split…

“W-What the hell?!”

Dave completely lost his composure.

*

When he came to his senses, Baron Boris was gone.

Only Baron and the floor were left.

His trained body as a hunter and sharing high-calorie food from the Head of the Gallery, made him kill the nobleman with bare hands.

But as realization hit, he regained his senses.

Everyone had witnessed it, and soldiers who had just arrived on the scene were aiming their spears.

“Why… why did I do that?”

The soldiers seemed quite flustered as well.

Though a soldier he knew scolded him, there was nothing he could do.

If they closed an eye to Dave, they would be as good as done for themselves.

Just as the soldiers were reluctantly about to execute Dave…

“Wait! Stop!”

The village chief, who had been keeping his back turned, stepped forward.

Hurrying forward, the chief quickly stood in front of Dave, speaking hurriedly.

“Head of the Gallery would have done this too!”

Short but powerful words.

The moment the name of the Head of the Gallery was mentioned, everyone focused, but it was nonsense.

The Head of the Gallery wasn’t there, and it was merely conjecture.

However, the impact of the title “Head of the Gallery” was tremendous in Fron.

While soldiers paused to ponder, one by one from behind, voices began to add in.

“Yeah, he did the right thing!”

“I’m sick of living like a dog!”

“Rise up, people!”

People began to rise as one.

The soldiers, although flustered, soon lowered their spears and joined the crowd.

“If I’m going to earn a pittance from lousy wages…”

“Right, why else would the Head of the Gallery share that book?”

Fron was a cold region.

A rift opened up, and it became unbearably cold.

People gathered around the Head of the Gallery’s heaters to escape the cold, and their solidarity strengthened.

The thoughts ignited through the books began to blaze brightly in the hearts of Fron’s people.

“Let’s put an end to this regime!”

“Die, nobles!”

The flames that had sparked in the outskirts rapidly began to spread to the interior of the noble district.

Nobles were purged, or their titles were revoked, and this soon led to a confrontation at the front of Duke Mark’s Deputy’s castle.

Carrying red torches, the people shouted in front of the gates.

“Open the door!”

“Duke Mark’s Deputy, come out before the people!”

“Don’t hide behind the walls! …Huh?”

As tension hung in the air between them and the soldiers aiming from the castle walls…

Creek

The castle gate, which seemed unlikely to open, suddenly swung open.

And then out rushed Duke Mark’s Deputy in indoor clothes!

“I found the answer!”

As the crowd stood momentarily dumbfounded, Duke Mark ran out barefoot and shouted a declaration to the heavens.

“Communism under Head of the Gallery is feasible!”