I Became The Leader Of A Revolution In A Romance Fantasy

< Chapter 25: Parabellum – 2 >

The parliamentary chamber was a mess.

As the New Deal began in earnest, the chaos didn’t discriminate between left and right; everyone started to go berserk.

“How dare you! The noble order handed down from the Great King Taejo is sacred! I can’t stand to see commoners being served as superiors!”

First, there were the royalist Taliban types like these.

“Eeek! The communists are turning our believers away from the Lord’s word with the devil’s whisperings! Eeeek!”

The old-school Catholics, who had their base in the rural areas, seemed to think they were losing control over their traditional support base. They acted like cats who had just discovered a shower, possessed by demons, going on a rampage.

The problem was that it wasn’t just those classified as right-wing (by the old order’s standards) who were behaving like this.

“Why does the government keep meddling with the prices of agricultural products and workers’ wages? Stop disturbing the market, you communist bastards!”

Surprisingly, the bourgeois liberals, who were considered “left-wing” by the Republic’s standards, naturally held this position.

So, were the revolutionaries, who were classified as radical, happy?

Not really…

Republicans, radical democrats, the furiously enraged faction, nationalists, socialists, communists, and even opportunists.

For the “revolutionaries,” who were a mix of all sorts of people, to unite on any issue was as difficult as achieving bipartisan cooperation or unification of the Koreas.

“The revolutionary faction is more like a group loosely united by my presence as their leader.”

Even that was starting to fall apart, as recently, even the sacred leadership of the chief was showing cracks.

So, how was I viewing the situation of my subordinate congressmen murmuring and bickering among themselves?

‘Ah, I wish the revolutionary faction would just fall apart.’

Please, break more.

I wished they would all shatter into pieces until they were reduced to dust.

The reason for copying the “New Deal Policy,” one of the various means to overcome the Great Depression and prepare for the upcoming war, was to cause both the left and the right to split apart.

“The current political landscape of the Republic doesn’t really help the future I envision.”

Even the factions now classified as right-wing could be sufficiently used as my allies, depending on the issue.

And within the revolutionary faction, which currently seemed like my people, there were more than half who needed to be weeded out.

Therefore, all this splitting needed to end before the “party formation.”

So I did nothing to stop the congressmen from raising their voices and grabbing each other’s collars. I just quietly watched the chaos unfold.

That complete mess.

Until today’s meeting ended.

“…Hoo.”

Ah, I really wanted to go home.

Preferably to my rented room in Seoul, South Korea, in the 21st century.

###

Unfortunately, my wish did not come true.

Instead, I was given a cute congressional office.

‘Damn.’

Even after becoming a Congressman, I still felt like a corporate slave. Just how high did one have to climb to escape this dirty feeling?

At that moment, my unnecessarily vivid imagination projected a scene in my mind.

A scene where I was inspecting troops in a military uniform.

Literally above tens of thousands.

– Hail! Hais…

“Ahhh!”

That wasn’t it!

Go away, demon!

“Ah, Congressman?!”

I ran towards the congressional office, as if fleeing from my own imagination.

I ran so fast that I left Ms. Lize, who was urgently chasing after me in heels, far behind in an instant.

But the place I ran to was no paradise either.

A chubby fellow had already taken a seat in the congressional office.

The moment I saw him, my face crumpled involuntarily.

The secretaries, holding a bunch of snacks, surrounded that ‘chubby fellow.’

And they bombarded him with questions, each offering a snack as a bribe.

“What was the Congressman like originally? Was he always so cool, competent, and smart from a young age?”

“Com, competent… He was good at hitting people!”

“?

Eugene Albert Wulfric Hastings.

I suffer because of your karma.

‘You should have learned how to silence people, not just hit them.’

I put on a smiling face reserved for my staff and boldly stepped into the congressional office.

“Everyone, you shouldn’t keep feeding him like that. He needs to lose weight.”

“Congressman!”

As my staff, who were practically my fan club, squealed, the chubby guy who was munching on the snacks lifted his head.

“Hyung!”

Colin Hastings.

In other words, my younger brother.

Today was the day to have lunch with my brother.

#

“Is it really okay to go far? I’m fine with the Capitol’s cafeteria.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine.”

Even if we go back after lunch, we’ll only hear them bickering in the meeting room anyway.

‘It’s my karma, but listening to that continuously is a bit much.’

My patience stack was disappearing one by one.

If it reaches zero, I might become the moustache demon king, so let’s cherish myself.

– Is it really okay for me not to follow?!

Leaving behind Ms. Lize, who seemed almost anxious, we boarded the back seat of the car and left the Capitol.

“Boss.”

The driver called me.

It was a rather difficult subject.

“I’m not a boss or a count. It’s ‘Congressman’.”

“Oh.”

Hidden in the shadows of the driver’s seat, Jini, who was easy to forget was even sitting there if you didn’t look closely, covered up his mistake with a laugh.

“Congressman, the road’s a bit congested. Not my fault!”

“Oh, it really is?”

Jini probably wasn’t talking to you.

Anyway, Colin looked outside as if it was something amazing.

“It’s been a while since the roads were this busy.”

“Huh?”

“Look. Someone’s loaded goods onto a cart, and there are people driving cars too.”

The streets were still suffering from the Great Depression.

But Colin was right.

Starting with the patriotic companies that directly benefited from the New Deal, money began circulating in the market.

The patriotic companies, which began large-scale hiring, guaranteed workers a wage that could at least sustain their basic livelihood.

Even if they weren’t patriotic companies, factories producing goods needed by the country received policy funds if they promised to pay their workers a ‘minimum wage.’

As money started flowing into households that way, the marketplace gradually began to revive.

People who hadn’t yet found jobs began to sustain themselves by selling goods to the newly employed workers.

‘It’s working well.’

Of course, the heart of that marketplace was my 3rd Avenue and Visenya’s 12th Avenue.

From the start, we agreed that even if we poured government funds into revitalizing the domestic market, it wouldn’t be enough unless we had several times the current amount.

So, we focused on setting the minimal conditions for the money to circulate on its own.

‘From here on, it’s beyond my capabilities.’

I could only propose ideas; I wasn’t an economic expert.

Understanding the vast economic structure of a country.

Calculating the amount needed to ignite it with minimal investment.

And specifically proposing the necessary infrastructure so that the spark could spread in all directions.

That was the role of the control tower.

Entrusting that position to Visenya Andrastra was indeed the best choice.

#

It took longer than expected to arrive.

We had to go out to the suburbs of the capital, so there were quite a few traffic jams along the way.

Anyway, we finally reached our destination,

and Jini parked the car.

Colin looked out the window.

He tilted his head in confusion, rubbed his eyes, and looked again.

“Is this the place?”

It sounded like he couldn’t believe it.

I don’t know what he was expecting, but instead of a restaurant, a factory was waiting for us.

I chuckled and opened the back seat door.

“Get out, you fool. Did you think we were going to slice some meat?”

“…If it was going to be like this, we might as well have just eaten at your place.”

“Are you planning to ruin something else at my place again?”

Even now, when I think about that wine that was stolen, it brings tears to my eyes.

Why did I just stand by and watch them open it back then?

Sometimes, when I’m feeling down, I hold that empty bottle and cry.

As we appeared, the people lined up in front of the tent widened their eyes.

“Oh, Congressman!”

“Oh my, Congressman! What brings you to such a humble place!”

Humble indeed.

I told them to pay attention to the appearance, but they didn’t.

While I was looking at the dull green tent, a man in work clothes hobbled out of the factory on crutches.

The man wore a green armband.

“Colo… Congressman!”

“Frank, my friend.”

Frank Smith, who almost habitually called me ‘Colonel.’

Our reliable Stormtrooper accountant, who now manages the Saemaeul Movement headquarters.

“How’s the work going?”

“Thanks to you, Congressman, I’m working happily and with a sense of purpose.”

“Haha, a friend like you should be in politics.”

I patted his shoulder.

The reason the official of the Saemaeul Movement, which aimed to revive the rural areas, was here was because stabilizing agricultural prices involved buying expensive farm produce and selling it cheaply in cities where the consumers were.

I took a bite of a winter vegetable placed on the stand. The texture and moisture were good.

A smile spread across my face.

“It’s fresh.”

“We’re proceeding as you instructed. The road maintenance is sluggish due to winter, though…”

“No, no, this is excellent.”

In this underdeveloped world without refrigerated containers, having fresh vegetables meant they had been transported quickly from the farms to here.

In reality, farmers suffered from the completely destroyed agricultural prices, but in the cities, people suffered from not being able to buy food.

Although the workers’ wages in the city had plummeted, the lack of a modern distribution network meant that the cost of transporting goods to the city was astronomical.

In other words, the role of the Saemaeul Movement was to control the nationwide distribution network.

“Congressman.”

At that moment, a man approached.

He appeared to be a worker at this factory, and he lowered his head, tears streaming down his face.

“Thank you so much. Truly… Thanks to you, I don’t have to worry about not getting paid every day, and I can buy food cheaply. I heard it’s all thanks to you.”

“Haha, how could it be thanks to me? It’s all thanks to you all.”

“What…?”

The man widened his eyes, seemingly unable to imagine a ‘distinguished person’ giving credit to him.

I smiled gently and pointed at the factory.

“Everyone, what does this factory produce?”

“I heard it’s tractor parts.”

“Yes, that’s correct. The parts you make become tractors, and those tractors will revitalize the rural areas. Our young warriors leading the Saemaeul Movement will bring them to the city, and you will buy food with the hard-earned money you’ve worked for.”

I spread my arms wide to the people who had gathered around.

“To me, all of this is thanks to you! Your diligent labor, your belief in a better future, and spending the money you earn wisely and as needed, instead of hoarding it! This is what saves our country. So thank you? No, I should be the one thanking you!”

I almost knelt down in a show of gratitude.

“A politician can only do so much. Respecting your labor, ensuring that those who work diligently receive their rightful compensation, and creating a country where you can dream of tomorrow! But the true saviors of this country are none other than you.”

Colin was looking at me curiously.

###

We ate the same lunch as the other workers.

Cheap agricultural products selected from the Saemaeul Movement tent were cooked into a simple meal for just a little money.

A bit of hard bread, some vegetables, and a boiled egg were all there was.

But even that, the workers ate gratefully.

And when they went home, they bought as much food as their daily wage allowed and returned like heroes to their families.

‘But this alone can’t be said to ignite the frozen economy.’

This was only the first stage.

An emergency measure to stabilize the livelihoods that were on the brink of collapse.

‘The next stage…’

As I was recalling what Visenya had told me, Colin suddenly asked.

“Hyung, did you mean what you just said?”

“Huh? What do you mean by that?”

I must have been looking at him with a skeptical expression without realizing it, because Colin replied in a somewhat deflated, creeping voice.

“Oh, no. It’s just strange… You never used to say things like that.”

“……”

I felt a bit guilty.

Instead of answering, I put my hand on Colin’s shoulder.

“How’s your studying going?”

“Huh? Oh, uh… Hehe, now that you mention it, it’s also weird how you found out about my advisor in the midst of all that chaos after the revolution.”

From what you’ve heard so far, you can probably guess that this loafer is spending money on tuition instead of earning it himself.

It’s hard to criticize him for it, though, because he’s already going through the worst punishment by being an ‘undergraduate researcher.’

I pointed at the factory.

“What do you think?”

“About what?”

“The tractor.”

“Uh, well…”

As this foolish chubby guy scratched the back of his head, I bestowed a revelation upon him.

Just in case.

An investment in his career, set aside purely on the off-chance.

It’s time to collect on that investment now.

“Your professor’s research project.”

“Huh? Oh, yeah.”

“It’s prepared to be applied to tractors. The lab, development costs, production line. It’s all here.”

“What?!”

It seems my dull-witted brother only now realized that the location of this factory is unusually close to the university he attends.

Without caring about his dumbfounded face, I continued saying what I needed to say.

“Can you develop it within a year?”

The prototype of the ‘agricultural tractor’ with an infinite track system.

… I trust that anyone with eyes wouldn’t mistake it for a menacing tank.