Chapter 716 - 396: Lopasman

But the only difference is that the outcome of the rebellion is entirely different...

"Hurry up! Damn it!"

Snap!

The whip lashed against the back, leaving a deep blood mark and eliciting screams of pain.

On the street, soldiers were escorting a group of people towards the execution platform, whipping them constantly to urge them along.

Among the group being escorted were people of all ages, men, women, old and young.

And the only commonality among them was the simple flame branding on their arms...

Rogel stood on the balcony of the tavern’s second floor, leaning against the railing and taking a swig of strong liquor.

These escorted individuals, sharing common characteristics, came from the resistance under the Lopasman Empire’s rule.

They had a widely circulated name within the Lopasman Empire.

Self-immolators.

This was a resistance organization within the Lopasman Empire, scattered but sharing a common goal and will, which was rebellion.

Every member of the self-immolators would brand a simple flame pattern on their arms.

And the meaning of this name is simple, derived from the mocking words of a noble.

"Their rebellion is like moths heading toward flames, indistinguishable from self-immolation."

In the eyes of the nobility and the believers, what these people do is not rebellion, but merely self-immolation.

After all, this is not a world where everyone is equal in physical terms.

The oppressive class, wielding strong Extraordinary Power, is not afraid of being lynched by the resentful populace.

They will only hang the rebels.

Social hierarchy is rigid, and oppression has reached its peak.

In such circumstances, are there any vested interests who betray their own class?

Of course, there are.

When Rogel in this embodiment traveled around the Lopasman Empire’s territory, he heard of some such rumors.

On a certain island, among the nobility, there was a traitor possessing Extraordinary Power but joined the rebels’ ranks, fighting against his original class.

Unfortunately, such people are always a minority, and their joining the self-immolators only prevents the organization from being easily wiped out like garbage, allowing them to survive until now...

So here comes the question.

Since these oppressors can fearlessly resist, why are there so many islanders now?

The reason for this can only be described as magical.

When the nobles and the Church joined hands to oppress the populace to a certain extent, they were surprised to find the number of common people decreasing.

That’s right, humans are not like water in a sponge, no matter how much you squeeze, there’s always some remaining. If they can’t find anything to eat, what to do? They just die.

They can suppress rebellion, but they cannot make the populace immune to death.

...Oh no, it’s not entirely impossible either.

Fortunately, the god of the Extreme Night Church doesn’t control the powers of death and resurrection.

Otherwise, these common people might have to be resurrected even after dying and turned into tireless zombies to work the fields...

When they became aware of this problem, they realized a change was necessary.

And their change was simple.

We’ll cover the cost of food.

The believers endured hardship, solving the food problem for the common people so they wouldn’t starve, while also taking the opportunity to praise the great deity.

And the cost of solving the food problem naturally fell to the nobles.

The benefits went to the Church, while the infamy fell to the nobles.

Do they have any objections?

Of course not; the nobles were so unhappy, they were gnashing their teeth.

But there’s no choice; since the Church has the bigger fists, without their rule and blood-sucking, there might not be a necessity for the nobles at all.

The nobles seem to understand this point, so they don’t allow the populace to disappear entirely; instead, they try every means to increase their numbers.

If there were no common people, the Church would naturally only be able to bully the nobles.

So, due to the nobles’ forced ’moral awakening,’ the common people now have basic food security.

The three parties have returned to a bizarre point of balance.

All this makes Rogel feel rather absurd.

As Rogel’s mind wandered.

The self-immolators had already been escorted and sent to the execution platform by the soldiers.

And below the execution platform, there were scattered groups of onlookers.

Most people seemed unfazed by the scene before them, their eyes filled with numbness.

Such things are too common.

The execution guards seemed eager to finish their tasks. After saying a few formal words, they proceeded with the execution, not caring if anyone listened.

If nothing unexpected happens, today’s execution will soon conclude.

However, since Rogel is already standing here, something unexpected is unlikely.

Amidst the commotion in the crowd.

A group of masked individuals wielding weapons emerged from all directions. From the branding on some of their arms, it was obvious they were also members of the self-immolators.

These self-immolators roared, launching an attack on the execution team.

They seemed well-prepared, and some possessed Extraordinary Power, quickly overcoming the execution team and rescuing their companions amid the noise.

Seeing this, Rogel tilted his head back and drank the final swig of liquor from the bottle.

Clink.

The bottle hit the ground with a crisp sound, while Rogel’s figure vanished from sight.

...

White Radish Island Port.

Troops of soldiers quickly surrounded from all directions, engaging in fierce combat with the self-immolators.

Boom!

A massive explosion sounded, and a tavern collapsed in response.