Another peaceful day in… no, not Parki — the Helvetian Republic.
As people went about their daily lives as usual, strange pamphlets began circulating at some point.
“Hey, have you read this?”
“Read what?”
“The bookstore was selling this booklet at a cheap price. It looked interesting, so I bought one… but the content is pretty intense.”
“You’re not making any sense — what’s so dramatic about it?”
“It’s hard to explain. Here, just take it and read it for yourself. It’s short, won’t take much of your time.”
An anonymous booklet with no known publisher, yet distributed widely across the country.
At around twenty pages, the publication sold like wildfire not long after its release.
At first, it spread through poor intellectuals drawn in by the low price.
Later, word of mouth and pressure from curious acquaintances kept demand rising.
With only about 1,000 copies printed, it took mere days for it to sell out — but the shortage only led to the proliferation of illegal copies.
Some were handwritten, while others were unofficially reprinted by bookstore owners themselves.
Before two weeks had passed, the total number of circulating copies exceeded 10,000.
“Alright, alright, stop bugging me. Let’s see… wait, what?”
“This… this kind of content passed through without censorship and got sold openly?”
Why was it so popular?
<The reason was simple:The words in this booklet were both violently provocative and incredibly compelling.>
<“The Helvetians are truly strange. After being ruled by outsiders for hundreds of years, they show no hint of rebellion. Any other people would have risen up in defiance long ago”.>
<Pitiful Helvetia! A nation of lowly cowards! A country without honor! They have no right to even make excuses when such criticism is hurled at them. How truly disgraceful! The oppressors have judged their nature correctly!”The booklet opened with these words — attacking, belittling, and wounding the nation’s pride.It called out the very feelings many had suppressed, exposing their inner frustrations and stoking their emotions.Bluntly and violently — yet with an undeniable air of realism.”>
<But the Helvetians are not merely a pathetic people. They have a glorious history and a legacy of greatness.>
<They once built an empire that spanned the entire continent. They defeated countless barbarian tribes and cultivated vast lands. They established immense road networks, built magnificent cathedrals, arenas, and cities, and advanced human civilization through countless inventions and innovations.>
Their achievements across countless fields are beyond reproach, unmatched by any other nation or people.
“Immediately after tearing them down, the booklet raised them up again — praising their ancestors’ greatness with vivid examples.It highlighted the glory and honor of their distant forebears, contrasting it starkly with the present-day humiliation and sparking a yearning for that lost greatness.”
Readers, who had long been crushed by the difficulties of reality, began to awaken feelings of pride, patriotism, and national solidarity.
They couldn’t help but think:”We really were amazing back then.”
“Why are we living like this now? Why should a tiny peninsula be split into a dozen different states?”
“Even now, some of these small states and free cities manage to shine on their own. If we all united, wouldn’t we become a far greater and more powerful nation?”
After all, the Helvetians hadn’t truly fragmented or diversified as a people.
Despite the political divisions, they still shared a common language and culture.
Helvetians still made up the overwhelming majority on the peninsula, and their sense of kinship remained strong.
Wouldn’t unification make perfect sense?
If they could cast off the interference of foreign empires and kings and unite as one, they could stand proud and independent once again.
< “Do you wish to reclaim the glory of your ancestors? Do you want to be remembered as proud and honorable forebears to future generations? Then the Helvetians must make just one vow.>
<Not an empty gesture, nor an abstract idea — but a single, unwavering promise to yourselves.>
Promise to once again become diligent Helvetians.
To become disciplined and vigorous Helvetians.
Resolve to gather as one people and accomplish great things together!
<“Anticipating this reaction, the booklet even laid out a concrete course of action.If they wanted to achieve this vision, they needed to unite. End the long era of division and form a single, unified nation and people.It encouraged readers to renew their spirit and will, insisting that with unity and determination, nothing would be impossible.”>
<One people! One nation! One leader!>
<When these three elements are in place, Helvetia will rise again! Like a phoenix soaring from the ashes, it will cast off its humiliations and sufferings and take flight in splendor!>
Awaken, Helvetia!
“Embrace the mission engraved in your blood and soul!”
And what kind of response do you think people had after reading these words?
How could they not be entranced by the mix of provocative rhetoric and persuasive idealism?
People repeated the words over and over, committing memorable phrases to heart — particularly the ones most emphasized.
“One people,” A united community that saw each other as family, helping and supporting one another in mutual cooperation.
“One nation,” A state that represented the will of its people, protecting their interests and shielding them from foreign oppressors who spoke different languages and held different values.
“One leader,” A rightful ruler who pursued growth and prosperity, standing for the nation and its people — not for exploitation and greed.
These three elements, the booklet argued, were the essential keys for Helvetia to once again stand as a proud and sovereign nation.
At first, it was just individual thoughts — each person quietly reflecting on their own feelings.
But soon enough, they realized something: everyone was thinking the same thing.
In coffee houses, taverns, and libraries — wherever intellectuals gathered — debates over the booklet’s contents flared up.
People shared their opinions, united in their enthusiasm, and aligned their ambitions.
But it wasn’t just the intellectuals.
Despite the depth of its message, the booklet used simple words and straightforward expressions.
Anyone with even a basic grasp of literacy could easily understand it.
And even those who couldn’t read — when the words were spoken aloud — grasped the meaning quickly and empathized deeply.
“One people! One nation! One leader!”
Voices became shouts, and shouts became roars.
It didn’t take long for the small states of the Helvetian Peninsula, long crushed under the weight of powerful neighboring empires, to ignite with the people’s fervor.
“Drive out the foreign powers! Establish our own government!”
“Make Helvetia great again! Save our brothers suffering under the Kram Empire and the Navre Kingdom!”
“Helvetia! United! Strong!”
The uproar spread rapidly — crossing the seas and borders in no time.
Even reaching the Kingdom of Allein, where Kang Cheonsu’s hideout was located.
*****
“Thank you, man! You saved my life!”
“Haha, you flatter me, chief.”
After weeks of biding his time and playing it safe, his efforts were finally bearing visible — and spectacular — results.
“Does this prove my abilities?”
“No need to even ask — of course it does. As of today, you’re one of us. Your name… it was Cheonsu, right?”
“Please call me Ishmael. I plan to use an alias from now on.”
“Oh? If that’s what you want, so be it.”
The branch leader — who had spent weeks nervously fearing for his position — was overjoyed and poured praise on him.
Thanks to this operation, the leader had managed to dodge the blame for the failure of the academy bombing mission and instead gained recognition from higher-ups.
His standing within the organization had only grown stronger, so his gratitude was inevitable.
“How did you even write something like that? I read it myself — it was incredible. I’ve never seen words captivate people like that.”
“Just a humble trick. I’ve had a knack for oratory since I was young.”
Well, when you borrow expressions directly from the greatest propagandists in human history, it would be strange if they didn’t work.
Thank you, Hitler and Goebbels!
“We can probably leave Helvetia alone for a while. With all this noise, everyone’s attention will stay focused there for the time being. Let’s use this chance to move on to other regions.”
“What do you mean? We haven’t even started real sabotage yet.”
The branch leader blinked in surprise at the sudden declaration, but Kang Cheonsu was serious.
They hadn’t truly started their work yet.
So far, they had merely laid the groundwork and stirred up public sentiment.
Now that the atmosphere was ready, it was time to provoke action.
They had to guide Helvetia’s excited masses toward real, tangible movement.
But this time, another simple pamphlet wouldn’t be enough.
Instead of targeting the masses, they needed to focus on key figures — the decision-makers.
“Chief, if I may ask a favor?”
“As long as it’s within my power. What is it?”
“Please investigate the movements of Helvetia’s leadership.”
What strategies would the republic’s upper ranks devise, now that they’d heard the voice of their people?
One thing was clear — they wouldn’t go against the tide of public opinion.
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