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Had the fire been smaller, the government’s act of stomping on it so ruthlessly in an attempt to put it out might have been more effective, but as it was, it only made things worse.
Even those who had been previously reluctant to disturb the ‘normalcy’ of their lives for the sake of bringing a change that may or may not lead to a better future could no longer pretend to be so indifferent at this point.
Of course, while there might some power in sheer numbers, things were still far from being out of control. After all, even if most people were furious, they were scattered all over the country, and had no way to communicate and coordinate with each other.
At least, they should not have had any such means normally. But what if there was an outside force assisting them from the side?
Despite the numerous restrictions immediately imposed on White Deer’s staff after their banned commercial, the government of Carmen couldn’t do anything about the forces they had already scattered in the shadows.
Naturally, their experience in Blue Dawn played a key role in making everything go so smoothly. Despite the many differences between the two, Carmen’s leadership was just as disconnected from the common folk as Blue Dawn had been before Emilia came along.
Even if the people weren’t as destitute and desperate, they had been suffering injustice for a little too long, and maybe the scale would have been tipped this way sooner or later even without Emilia’s interference.
Of course, her presence as a catalyst made everything change much faster, and the government could only keep tightening the restrictions on both the White Deer and the common folk in an effort to forcibly suppress everything.
Emilia tapped her chin thoughtfully after receiving the news. ‘Do they want to wait it out, maybe?’
Cynthia nodded. “The chances are quite high. After all, mortals are generally very adaptable, but that also means that they get used to things quickly even if they are bad.”𝒪𝒱𝓁xt.𝒸𝑶𝐌
The crimson-haired girl didn’t think that things were so simple, but she also understood her partner’s point.
As long as the government managed to keep things under control long enough for most people to be more annoyed at the constant ‘disruption’ to their lives than they were furious about the injustice they had been suffering, perhaps the fire that Emilia had managed to ignite now would really be doused for a while, even if the embers remained burning beneath the surface.
Of course, there was no way she would allow that to happen. Otherwise, wouldn’t all their efforts go to waste?
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The manager could only sigh sadly when she heard that ‘Little Emi’ had already ‘left’ Carmen under the orders of Crystal. “I guess that’s only to be expected. It’s dangerous for her to stay here, after all.”
It felt strange for her to be so sad about their parting, especially given how ‘annoying’ she usually found the little brat.
She realized that, deep down, perhaps she’d already grown fond of the rebellious, strong, but still very cute little tyke. Maybe… she will really miss Emi, in all her obnoxious, annoying glory.
The manager couldn’t help but chuckle. ‘Although I couldn’t make you into the star you wanted to be this time, I hope that wherever you go in the future, you continue to wreak havoc.’
Maybe if their paths crossed again, unlikely as it was, she would take a more active role in the girl’s development, and really make her an ‘idol’.
Of course, the lady had no idea that Penny had lied to her once again, as she always did, and the girl she was so sadly bidding farewell to in her mind was actually just around the corner, munching on some strawberry muffins while chatting with Noelle.
“Hi, Noelle!”
Although the gray-haired girl waved back at the enthusiastic crimson-haired girl, her frown revealed that her mood was anything but pleasant. “… It’s good to see you so happy despite all the mess.”
Emilia rubbed her nose in embarrassment. “It’s only for a while, okay? Just bear with it.”
Of course, knowing that the crimson-haired beauty was doing it all to seek ‘justice’ on her behalf, at least partially, Noelle couldn’t really get mad at her even if she wanted to. But it still made her upset.
How could those unworthy and unimportant idiots deserve so much attention from Emilia? She should have just taken up this responsibility herself when she had the chance, so the crimson-haired beauty wouldn’t have to go through all this needless trouble for her.
Unfortunately, Noelle knew very well that not only could she not reverse the time and change that decision, but she also couldn’t even voice these thoughts to Emilia or Sam.
With their character, it would definitely inflate their ego to a ridiculous point, and just imagining their smug little reactions gave the gray-haired girl a migraine.
Feeling even more irritable than before, Noelle couldn’t help but frown. “… Anyway, why are you still using that little girl form? If you keep this up, maybe Sam really will become irredeemably perverted.” She paused. “Well, more than she already is, anyway.”
Emilia naturally had no idea what was going on in the older girl’s head, but she was still smart enough to instinctively know where she should and shouldn’t let their conversations head. “I’m in a bit of a hurry, so how about we talk about that later?”
Just as Noelle blinked in surprise, the crimson-haired girl continued without giving her a chance to refute. “Anyway, what’s the situation with the Gray Wolfe now?”
It had to be said that Emilia was very familiar with how her older girlfriend’s mind worked, because as soon as it came to ‘work’, Noelle’s slightly irritated expression quickly turned serious. “Things seem to be going quite well with Ginny and Jasper’s help, and it shouldn’t take us long now.”
The gray-haired girl told Emilia about how the faction siding with Alexander’s father previously had now completely split apart and started eating its own, and even if they realized their mistake now, it was already too late.
The crimson-haired girl smiled. “Good. And the Nightingale clan?”
Noelle sighed. “… They’re not being very cooperative. Even after several of the biggest gangs sending them ‘taxes’ got decimated by us, they just continue to believe it must be the government or the Gray Wolfe’s doing, and we’re just taking advantage of the opportunity to threaten them.”
Quite frankly, she had no idea how anyone could be so delusional. Just thinking about the fact that she shared blood with them and her little boss knew about it made the gray-haired girl feel deeply ashamed.
“I see…” Emilia grinned. “Since that’s the case, then I think it’s time I introduce myself to your parents, right?”
“…”
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