Simulate the universe, starting with speedrunning Greek.

"Before stating the name of the employer I need your protection."

Let me first explain why I came to find you.

"Proni, Yug..." Night spoke slowly.

His calm voice also resonated with the burly men around him, calming them down.

A stable emotional state makes people more willing to talk to you.

To be honest, Proni and the other retired soldiers were also very curious as to why Night had hired them.

Night: "During the Second Punic War, Hannibal ravaged Italy, causing the majority of Rome's soldiers, the self-sufficient farmers, to either die in the war or, due to the long war, have no time to take care of their own fields. Small farmers went bankrupt and became landless."

The moment Proni and the others opened their mouths that night, their expressions changed, becoming extremely ugly as they recalled unpleasant memories.

Night: "At the same time, the lands of the bankrupt and the newly conquered territories were often annexed by nobles and large landowners, or acquired at very low prices."

When the soldiers returned from the battlefield, they had nothing and nowhere to go.

Therefore, these people flocked to Rome, spending their days idly wandering around.

Proni and the others were in a bad mood. Ye was practically pointing his finger at them and saying that they were just a bunch of idle retired veterans.

At this moment, a burly man, unable to contain his anger and hatred, spoke up: "It's not that we want to do nothing, but the nobles and those big landowners have never given us a chance to survive."

We fought wars abroad for years, and when we returned, our families were destroyed, our wives and children had long since run off with other men, or we were so poor that we had to sell ourselves into slavery.

What have we, who conquered countless regions for Rome, gained?

A new piece of land?

We wouldn't even have time to wait until next year's harvest season before we starved to death because we had no money and had to sell our only piece of land.

Moreover, the most popular crops and fruits grown in Rome today are not something that can be found in just any place.

You money-grubbing nobles have never cared about the lives of us poor people and soldiers.

Seeing the hatred in the big man's eyes, Ye was not surprised at all.

According to Plutarch: "Thus, the poor who were expelled from their own land had no interest in serving in the army or raising children, and thus the whole of Italy felt the lack of free men."

After expelling free citizens, the wealthy brought in large numbers of foreign slaves to help cultivate their plantations.

This is why, later on, one could see all sorts of slaves of different races and nationalities in the Roman marketplace at night.

Night: "You don't need to look at me like that. I'm not a nobleman, nor am I a big landowner."

My purpose in hiring you is to help you change this unfair environment.

"Make the proud nobles of the Seven Hills bow their heads, and return to them the rewards they rightfully earned for fighting for their country."

Not an aristocrat? Nor a large landowner?

Night's words left Proni and the others momentarily stunned.

If that's the case, why is he still so rich?

And soon, they found the answer in Ye's next words: "The person I need you to protect is named Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus."

He will run for tribunal of the plebs this year, and will reinstate laws to nationalize surplus land and redistribute it to Rome’s poor and homeless.

Each person would be allocated a small plot of land of about 30 yoggs to provide for their livelihood and shelter.

Without any pretense, getting straight to the point, the night started with a bombshell, offering these people tempting incentives.

I was immediately shocked, and my mind was in an uproar.

A new land law?!

And—30 yoggs worth of land…

This number, it must be said, was tempting to the retired Roman soldiers who were already homeless and idle all day.

If given the choice, who would choose to be a hoodlum?

Especially those soldiers who had served in the army, made great contributions to Rome, and fought and bled on the battlefield.

As veterans, they certainly have their own sense of pride.

At this moment, they finally realized just how big a commotion Ye and the others were about to cause.

Has the young man from the Gracchus family gone mad?

How dare Tiberius touch such a huge pie as land law? After so many years, Proni and others, who had long seen through the ugly faces of the Roman nobles, knew that the nobles would never allow Tiberius to touch such a huge interest in land.

He was going against the entire Roman upper class and the supreme Senate! What gave that man the courage to challenge the Senate?!

Even Tiberius's father, the Great Gracchus...

"Tiberius?! Is that Tiberius, the one who just returned from the front lines in Spain?"

"Hmm..." Proni suddenly couldn't help but say.

He recalled the heroic tales that had recently been circulating in Rome, in which the eldest son of the Gracchi family became one of only two men to survive that legendary battle.

It must be said that, because of his commoner origins, Tiberius, as the son of the Great Gracchi, was not as hateful or detestable as other old nobles in the eyes of these retired soldiers.

But commoner nobles are still nobles, and many retired soldiers, led by Proni, hesitated about whether they should choose to trust this Gracchus.

Night: "That's right..."

After receiving a positive reply from Ye.

Proni and many other retired soldiers had already begun to waver.

Regardless, such a commoner nobleman who thought of the poor and soldiers is indeed a rare and good official.

If we can't even trust someone like that, then who can we trust?

The other party has already taken the most desperate measures for them, leaving them with no way out.

However, Proni couldn't help but say, "Are you so sure we'll help Tiberius instead of tipping off the Senate?"

He was somewhat annoyed; Night seemed to have taken their words at face value.

Night was wearing a cloak, concealing his face. If Proni had seen that face, he would have been none other than the infamous Roman hero known for his fierceness and strength, the last of Rome's heroes. He would never have dared to speak to Night like that in front of him.

At this moment, only the lower half of Ye's face was visible, and a slight smile appeared on the corner of her mouth.

“You will agree. Your position is predetermined. You will stand on Tiberius’s side.”

Even if you manage to temporarily gain wealth and status from the nobles after tipping them off.

How long do you think this wealth will last...? Dancing with snakes is risky.

Proni understood what the night meant: nobles are inherently greedy, ruthless, and treacherous snakes; they have money but no life to enjoy it.

If you try to negotiate with wolves for their skin, you must be prepared to be purged later.

"And even if some of you choose to tip off others, we won't care..."

At best, it's just a matter of stepping onto the stage of history a little earlier.

Have you ever witnessed a crimson storm?

Chapter 86 Human progress is always born from challenges.

That night, she murmured a word.

—'Red Storm'.

A sense of unease welled up within Proni; he had a hunch that it must be a terrible, unstoppable disaster.

'Storm—is there a red one?'

When such a thought arises, it's as if one can guess what everyone is thinking.

Night: "Human progress always arises from challenges."

Someone asked me how to change the world. I replied that it's simply a matter of changing oneself, one person at a time.

When one person's voice awakens the souls of all who are asleep, the dreams and ideals deep within each person will inspire us with courage and strength.

They roared forward, announcing their arrival to the world with shouts from the depths of their souls.

Beside the Ebro River, I witnessed 39 souls charging into the storm.

They stained the storm with their own blood, turning it a crimson color that matched their very souls.

Tell me, will you be the next storm?

Before anyone could respond, Ye began to recount, from his own perspective, what he had seen, experienced, and heard, the transformation of 39 soldiers beside the longest river in Spain.

Starting with the initial 43 people, we have witnessed death, meaningless sacrifices, and bewilderment.

Then--

They were consumed by rage, driven by a desire to change everything, and desperately wanted to return to Rome.

Perhaps it's because those people's experiences are so similar to my own, except that there's no one like Ye to stand up and ignite the anger in their hearts, guiding them forward...

They were like soldiers who, after completing their military service in a daze, returned to Rome, their figures utterly lost in Rome.

It's precisely because they look so alike!

When they heard Ye tell those stories, they seemed to see another version of themselves, another possibility within themselves.

A single spark can start a prairie fire.

When countless people aspire to the same goal and move forward together, miracles are accomplished.

Although in the end, none of the 39 people mentioned by Yoru met a good end.

But those who fought and roared for temporary freedom, at least proved that they had resisted and struggled, which deeply moved these numb, zombie-like wandering souls.

At least those people truly lived.

Night: "I will wait for your good news."

If you'd like to join us, please contact me at the address above.

He left a note on his last night and prepared to leave.

He has said everything he needed to say. Whether these people are willing to fight back for themselves depends on whether they still have any backbone.

"Wait!!" Just as Ye turned around, Proni struggled violently with his heart, but finally called out to him.

"Who exactly are you?" Proni asked.