For some reason, Allen especially craved this warm feeling of family reunion right now, almost becoming a “family guy.”
He didn’t expect any grand, passionate love; that kind of emotion, as brilliant as fireworks but fleeting, was like his countless short lives—he couldn’t bring himself to like it.
He longed more for someone to accompany him through the long years; he hoped to eventually leave peacefully surrounded by everyone, rather than dying silently in some dark, damp alley like those past Sundays, unnoticed by anyone.
Allen’s ultimate Dream was to have Humanity be like one family, where everyone could understand each other’s hearts and be closely connected.
In the era he originally lived in, Humanity had proposed the concept of a “Global Village” and even invented “Esperanto.”
Humanity had once yearned so much to understand each other, but until the end of his memory, Humanity was still killing and hating each other in endless conflicts and wars.
Looking back at the planet humans inhabit from distant space, can one see those man-made national borders?
Would that “Observer” who destroyed human civilization countless times distinguish between human nationalities and races during the extermination?
Idealists often head toward collapse or compromise.
This is understandable; precisely because they harbor deep Love for Humanity, when idealists discover certain deep-rooted, almost irredeemable ugliness in human nature, they naturally feel despair.
Of course, Allen didn’t consider himself an idealist, nor did he ever believe that the ugliness of human nature was predetermined and unchangeable.
The reason “Preserve Heavenly Principles, Extinguish Human Desires” is wrong is that it misunderstood the root of human ugliness.
Animals evolve into various forms under the influence of the environment; humans, as highly social animals, are naturally more deeply influenced by the social environment.
In contaminated soil, only “flowers of evil” can naturally bloom.
Allen was a madman, a madman who, like St. Leon, went against the tide of the times.
St. Leon founded the faith of the future in an era where religion was declining; Allen intended to personally create the future’s Lamp of Enlightenment in an era where no Lamp of Enlightenment could be seen.
If this generation of Humanity was truly irredeemable, then Allen would choose to give up on reforming them and instead pin his Hope on the future—allowing the people of the future to live in a world with only good and no evil.
“When the granaries are full, the people know manners; when food and clothing are sufficient, the people know honor and shame.”
Humanity will eventually complete the great leap from the Realm of Necessity to the Realm of Freedom.
What Allen had to do was ensure that Humanity could survive until that day.
Believe, for belief requires no reason.
Thinking of this, Allen finally slightly relaxed his tight grip on the “Dawn’s Children” and decided to start pushing the next stage of the Plan.
He picked up a slice of buttered bread and asked curiously while eating: “Butler, while I was asleep, was there any news in the Capital?”
The Butler thought for a moment and said: “The biggest news is probably that the Minister of Finance has fallen and been sentenced to death.”
“Huh? So fast?” This efficiency was so high it even gave Allen a shock. “How many people did this Minister of Finance offend for someone so high and powerful to fall so quickly!”
He suddenly remembered the construction payment his family was owed and asked casually: “Then can that final payment City Hall owes our house be approved now?”
“Thanks to you, as soon as the Minister of Finance fell, that final payment of over two hundred thousand Livre was smoothly approved.” The Butler replied with a smile.
“Damn, these bureaucrats…” Allen took a sip of cold milk. “If our money has arrived, those previous debts… won’t the creditors come to collect?”
The smile on the Butler’s face became even more subtle: “Master, those debts no longer need to be repaid.”
“Eh?” Allen was stunned.
Seeing his Master’s confused face, the old Butler explained: “The Minister of Finance and his main cronies were the biggest loan sharks in the Capital. Now that they are gone and the tree has fallen, the monkeys have scattered. Naturally, we don’t need to repay their money.”
“Holy crap! So it really was everyone pushing the falling wall!” Allen realized. “In that case, wouldn’t those Nobles who owed them money be happy as hell?”
There was actually such a good thing as a pie falling from the sky?
Forget other Nobles, even Allen himself felt a burst of happiness.
Previously, the Laval House was still frazzled by the bankruptcy crisis, and in the blink of an eye, not only were funds abundant, but even the Debt was wiped out.
What happened to the promised hard struggle and diligent farming to repay the debt?
Now that all the money can be used to expand Production, isn’t the Laval House going to take off directly?
“Pretty much. Even many Robe Nobility remained silent about his fall. After all, being as greedy as he was is rare.”
“Why did he hoard so much…” Allen thought for a bit and then felt it was normal. “Right, the guy believed in an Evil God; it’d be weird if his head was normal.”
“Additionally, there is a piece of hearsay,” the Butler lowered his Voice slightly. “It is said that the King intends for Master to take over the position of Minister of Finance.”
“Oh, my dad, my dad is pretty good… cough cough cough! Wait, what did you say?!” Allen didn’t react at first, and when his brain finally caught up, he almost choked on his milk. “Father is going to be the Minister of Finance? Is… is this for real?”
Is this cycle a bonus round?
How come good things were happening one after another, hitting someone as habitually over-cautious as Allen until he was a bit dizzy and confused?
He calmed down and thought about it carefully. Setting aside the Laval House’s protagonist aura and calculating through the Noble circles of the entire Capital, it seemed that besides his father, Bernard Viscount, one really couldn’t find many others more suitable to take over this hot potato.
The position of Minister of Finance, with the Kingdom’s Royal Treasury nearing collapse, was practically a volcano.
Doing it well would be exhausting, and doing it poorly… the fate of the previous Marquis was a living example.
But the more he thought, the more Allen felt something was fishy.
Logically, that Minister of Finance, as the Protector Umbrella of the Thieves’ Guild, shouldn’t have had such low political intelligence as to leave behind such obvious evidence that was easily grasped by others.
Could this guy… have done it on purpose?
Allen knew very well that one cannot use a normal person’s logic to speculate on a Cultist’s train of thought.
Conspiracies and schemes were areas that the Evil God (especially the one who loves power and change) was passionate about. What He liked most was corrupting the powerful and the ambitious; sometimes even failure itself was part of the Plan.
On this point, Allen felt he and They were somewhat “birds of a feather.”
The key was that Allen felt his revolutionary career seemed to be progressing too smoothly, so smoothly it was as if someone in the dark was helping him clear obstacles.
Whether it was the “Observer” or the Evil God, they were actually keen on promoting change; only then would they have enough entertainment to watch.
…Whatever.
Allen decided not to think further.
If the Evil God wants to watch a play, let Him. If anything, the more exciting his play was, the more those guys would be willing to let him continue playing this game.
Today, he said he would rest!
So… what should one do on a day off?
Allen thought for a bit. If Dad really becomes the Minister of Finance, he will definitely need an effective financial reform Plan.
Why not take advantage of being free today to write down the framework first? While he was at it, he could also continue writing the few books he hadn’t finished.
In these quiet years, writing some small books that could overturn the world seemed quite appropriate.
“Butler, please help me get some paper and pens, and bring those unfinished manuscripts from my study. I’ll write here in the dining room.”
The Butler looked at his Master, who claimed he wanted to rest but was about to dive back into work in the blink of an eye, and a wry expression appeared on his face.
Perhaps for the Master, immersing himself in the world of his own thoughts was a form of rest in itself.
He let out a helpless, soft sigh: “Yes, Master.”
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