I Became The Leader Of A Revolution In A Romance Fantasy

< Chapter 20 >

Eugene Hastings and Visenya Andrastra.

The incident where these two figures, symbolizing the left and right of the Republic, almost died in an explosion left an impact beyond imagination.

However, that impact was not entirely positive.

“The terrorist shouted, ‘I can’t accept a budget like this!’ It’s a sign that the capitalists who think government spending is a sin are behind it!”

“Don’t talk nonsense! Even now, with the whole country turning red, the commies are still throwing a fit that it’s not enough! Aren’t those who publicly complained that the majority only get crumbs while the minority monopolize gold with this budget proposal!”

The National Assembly was (again) split into left and right.

“That bastard is your family’s dog!”

“Where did these punks smear their shit?!”

As finger-pointing flew like gunfire, they only barked at each other.

Of course, no investigation was conducted during this.

– Ah, damn, could it really be our guys?

– On second thought… do we really need to know? Just bashing the other side rallies our supporters.

– You don’t want to dig into this either, right? Yeah, let’s do it right.

They knew well enough without words.

Thus, a bipartisan agreement was reached.

Sitting on one side of the Assembly, watching this absurd theater of idiots and fools, was a man.

#

Recently, I found peace of mind.

Originally, my neck would stiffen every time those idiots and fools went wild,

But now, insomnia, acid reflux, and the sudden chest pain have all disappeared.

‘I’ve got peace like a river.’

Everything is created by the mind.

With a change of heart, the world looked different.

When I used to carry these hopeless people like dead weight and struggled to “win,” my mental state wavered whenever they went “Waaah!”

But now, at such times, a simple ‘click’ in my mind brought me peace.

‘Haha, thinking of this as a folk play that I won’t see for long makes it somewhat endearing?’

Let’s see how well they do until the end.

###

Feeling much lighter, I finished my morning schedule and headed to the cafeteria.

Usually, I don’t like the cafeteria food much, (what’s so great about the rotating menu of potatoes, bread, and cream soup?)

But this time, I needed to meet someone publicly and smooth things over.

However, it seems good things come to good children.

“Oh! Today they even have meatballs?”

“Haha! It’s thanks to the ‘Save Our Farms’ campaign you promoted, Congressman! Thank you so much. You’re the only one who cares about the people’s livelihood, Congressman.”

The young man serving the food said this while placing three large meatballs on my plate.

Each one was almost the size of the hamburger steaks I used to eat before my reincarnation.

Probably, this guy’s hometown raised pigs?

I greeted him and found a seat.

Just looking at the meatballs made me smile broadly.

As I was waiting for the person I had promised to meet, I heard the sound of a tray being placed next to me.

“Ah, Ms. Lize. Did you get the meatballs? Wow, how long has it been since we’ve had meat on the cafeteria trays-”

But before I could finish my sentence.

Ms. Lize, who was glaring at the tray, suddenly extended her fork.

Stab.

“!?”

My meatball!

Ms. Lize snatched one of my precious meatballs and stuffed it into her mouth, chewing it aggressively.

The “Good Child Award” that was right in front of my eyes was brutally taken away.

“Ms. Lize, if you were hungry, you could have just said so…”

Even to my own ears, my voice sounded dripping with grievance.

Ms. Lize flinched but soon resolutely shook her head.

Then, until her face turned bright red,

She forcibly chewed the big meatball and swallowed it.

“You shouldn’t eat it yet!”

Then she reached out to prevent me from eating the rest of my food, closed her eyes tightly, and started counting.

20 seconds… 30 seconds…

Only then did Ms. Lize relax her expression.

“There is no poison. It should be safe to eat.”

“…Excuse me?”

“As long as I am here, you don’t have to worry about assassination attempts aimed at you, Congressman.”

This is driving me crazy.

After that bomb exploded, several things became more tiring, and one notable change was the increased security.

The number of security personnel hadn’t increased, but Ms. Lize started acting as if something serious could happen at any moment.

“Ms. Lize. I appreciate your concern, but why do you have to risk yourself for it? You’re an aide, not some sacrificial talisman.”

“……”

Ms. Lize, thinking she was being scolded, bowed her head with a somewhat dejected expression.

These twisted folks from this primitive, 18th-19th century, or early 20th century-like romance fantasy country are hopeless.

In the end, I had no choice but to demonstrate the wisdom of a modern person.

I sighed and pulled out a thin, long stick from my pocket.

It was a metallic skewer with a cool metallic sheen.

“This is…?”

“Hehe, just watch.”

Ignoring Ms. Lize’s bewildered expression, I used the skewer to pierce the meatball, the bread, the cream soup, and the potatoes.

“Congressman?”

Seeing me act like I was throwing my table manners into the trash, Ms. Lize’s expression grew increasingly peculiar, but I didn’t care.

I carefully inspected the skewer.

The result was satisfactory.

“The color hasn’t changed.”

“???”

“Haha, it changes color if it touches poison.”

This is the method our ancestors used to prevent poisoning, the ‘silver chopsticks.’

These primitive romance fantasy folks.

Bow before the five-thousand-year history of the Korean people!

But Ms. Lize’s reaction was strange.

She hesitated as if she didn’t know what to say, then spoke with difficulty.

“Uhm… Congressman. Is that silver?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Not all poisons react with silver…”

“?”

What?

Ms. Lize continued very cautiously.

“Certain components, like those in egg yolk, can react with silver and change its color…”

“…”

“I’m sorry!”

No, why are you sorry?

I should be the one apologizing.

I quietly wiped the silver chopsticks and put them back into my pocket.

I won’t take them out again.

#

But, I never said I wouldn’t use it as a conversation topic.

“Such a thing happened before you arrived.”

“Ha ha ha! Oh, silver reacts with sulfur. You didn’t know that? Ha ha ha!”

The old man sitting with me in the cafeteria, laughing heartily, was the Chairman of the Budget Committee.

The conversation had started with my confident introduction of the ‘Collection of Congressman Hastings’ Foolish Acts,’ causing the aides around us to squirm.

The Chairman’s aides and secretaries exchanged looks that seemed to say, ‘Did Congressman Hastings really do something that foolish?’ while trying to suppress their laughter.

“Ugh…”

Ms. Lize trembled with embarrassment.

Sorry, Ms. Lize!

But I faintly smiled.

‘It seems to be working?’

A war hero. The heart of the revolution.

According to the latest version of the ‘Yoo Praise Anthem,’ I’m even the soul of the Republic.

As all these titles started piling up, I became someone not easy to deal with.

That means I could easily gain respect without even engaging in power struggles, but it also meant I was someone people approached with a certain level of caution.

For some, it meant they would interpret my proposals more defensively.

And this Chairman was definitely one of those people.

So, before getting into the main discussion, it was necessary to ease the situation a bit.

“By the way, I’m really envious.”

“Sorry?”

“Your aides are so loyal. If someone targets you, they seem ready to die in your place.”

“Oh, does it look that way? Haha!”

“Of course. It’s a rare virtue indeed. I wonder if our secretaries would do the same.”

The chairman’s aide trembled like someone struck by lightning.

It was a good time to laugh at someone else’s expense, but he didn’t expect the conversation to drift this way.

I could bet my mustache that his back was drenched in cold sweat right now.

And if I’m wrong, I’ll actually grow one!

I laughed lightly and wiped my mouth with a napkin.

“Stop tormenting your poor secretaries, Chairman. I actually asked to meet you because I have a favor to request.”

“I figured as much. But the cafeteria is quite unexpected.”

“Haha. If I were to visit your office, there would be talks of secret deals and whatnot. It would cause a stir about being anti-democratic.”

“Hmm. That makes sense.”

The chairman nodded.

He seemed to understand and accept the reasoning easily.

‘Meeting like this in public, we certainly won’t be accused of secret deals.’

But on the flip side, everyone would know.

That the chairman and I were collaborating.

Suppressing a rising smile, I pulled out a document.

“It’s just a draft, but I brought something that might be worth reviewing. I thought if we could form a consensus first, it could be pushed through more smoothly.”

“Hmm? What’s this?… Expanded fiscal spending? Again?”

The chairman’s brow furrowed.

He placed the document down with a sharp thud.

“Congressman Hastings, don’t you think this is going too far? The Republic’s finances are already precarious! We’re about to run out of tax revenue as it is! Are you unaware of this?!”

How could I not be?

The history of governments recognizing fiscal deficits as necessary when required is short.

Even on Earth, it’s seen as reckless, and in this romance fantasy world, it’s still considered madness.

Of course, it doesn’t mean that increasing government spending and accepting fiscal deficits is always the answer during a recession,

‘But there’s no solution in the face of a great depression.’

According to the synopsis of the second part of the original work, despite the impending national fiscal crisis due to the great depression, the only country that succeeded in reviving its economy through bold spending and government-led initiatives was the Union of the New Continent.

Other countries tried similar measures but either failed or, fearing fiscal deficits too much, ended up tightening government spending even further, leading to the collapse of their economies.

So, what happened in the end?

‘The frustration from the shattered society manifested as “hatred,” or the entire country went crazy with “revenge.”‘

A snowball effect identical to the one that led to the Second World War on Earth ensued.

Thus, a great war engulfing the entire world erupted.

…And at this rate, the Republic won’t even hold out until then.

The economy needs to stay alive before we can talk about saving this country.

However, trying to convince an old man with no more than a high school level of understanding that fiscal deficits are sometimes necessary is incredibly tiring.

(Even if I miraculously succeed in convincing him, other congressmen will foam at the mouth.)

So, I presented a solution that matched their level of understanding.

“Haha, when did I say I would only increase government spending? Please check the next page.”

The chairman, with a skeptical expression, rolled his eyes before obediently turning to the next page.

And then his eyes widened.

“W-what is this? Divided sale of bonds for commoner patriots?”

I wonder if he’s ever heard of ‘fractional sales.’

But my proposal didn’t end there.

I smiled gently and urged the chairman to continue.

“Please, keep reading.”

“Hmm, I don’t understand a word of this. So… ‘gold bonds’? And something about their issuance and… collecting them into, ‘collections’? What happens when you complete it?”

Ugh, this is why it’s so hard to convince an old man without any prior knowledge.

I sighed.

And as I pondered how to explain this 21st-century concept, I realized there was no easy way.

…How on Earth do I explain gacha and complete gacha?

‘Do I start by explaining Idol Master Cinderella Girls?’

This is going to be a long conversation.