I'm just an internet cafe owner

Both of them had already decided on their targets: ideally, ordinary people who had been abused by the imperial nobility or were homeless, with a focus on children. Tatsumi knew what it felt like to go hungry, and he didn't want to see children go hungry.

Textile factories are simple to operate; all you need is cotton or specified plant fibers to produce incredibly smooth, industrially made clothing. Food is even simpler.

Once you've got it, just throw in anything edible and you can mass-produce compressed food. It may not taste good, but it's plentiful and filling.

You could even throw in non-toxic plants, and the resulting compressed food would be edible, though the taste would be no different from chewing on tree leaves. But as mentioned before, it's a great source of energy and very filling.

At the same time, Tatsumi decided to write down everything he saw and heard in the capital so that he could ask his political commissar Yuri for advice when playing Red Alert the next day.

He didn't yet understand what Epsilon was doing, but with Yuri's guidance, he knew what he wanted to do, what he was capable of doing.

The only drawback right now is the lack of population. If the population grows, our development will be much faster.

But then Tatsumi suddenly realized something: if it were just the few of them, trying to pull people together would definitely be ineffective.

He decided to coordinate their statements, saying they were from the Epsilon branch and that the main force was gathering with the Revolutionary Army in the north. Although it was using the Revolutionary Army's name, at least this way they could get some people to cooperate; otherwise, it would be ridiculous if they were mistaken for con artists.

"By the way, let's produce some food first before we go over. They'll be more likely to believe us if we have supplies."

Chapter 153 Epsilon Slays the Crimson Branch (Bonus Chapter)

Ieyas had little experience, but Tatsumi, who had talked to Yuri countless times, had a mature tone and demeanor.

Entering the city is now extremely troublesome. Because of the incident involving Minato Namikaze, which resulted in the deaths of numerous officials and merchants, soldiers both inside and outside the city are conducting thorough searches. However, Tatsumi and Ieyasu's appearances haven't been revealed, and after entering the capital, they didn't act rashly but walked around normally like ordinary passersby.

As he walked, Tatsumi suddenly saw someone familiar.

Leone, a blonde woman dressed provocatively, was one of the assassins encountered that night.

Leone, who was walking, felt Tatsumi's gaze, and her pupils contracted the instant she saw him. She was a Night Raid assassin, specializing in killing those injustices in the town or those who had a significant influence on the resistance.

However, the failure of this assassination attempt, and the 'miracle' performed by Minato Namikaze, brought the entire Night Raid to a standstill. Everyone planned to be assassinated died, as did those not included in the plan and even those who had contact with Night Raid.

The night raid found no pattern to the deaths of these people. Officials, nobles, merchants, commoners? They were all there. What puzzled them was that the young emperor was not dead, nor was General Bude.

Even after General Bud fought that woman who looked even stronger than Esdeath, he only fell into a coma and woke up without any injuries.

Given the current situation in the capital, Night Raid is currently operating under a free-roaming policy. There are no missions, and everyone can act as they please, but any actions that could expose them are prohibited.

Leone figured he had nothing better to do, so he went out for a drink, and what did he see? One of that group of people.

"Hey bro, hello there!"

" Hello."

Leone sensed the other's aura; it was strange, like that of a superior being yet also like that of an ordinary swordsman. Generally, there's only one possibility in this situation: a superior being disguised as a commoner who hadn't done a good job of it. Combining this with what she'd seen that day, she immediately concluded that this was my theory.

"Hehe~ What a cute guy~ Shall we do something fun?"

As she spoke, she tried to seduce Tatsumi with her body. If it were yesterday, Tatsumi would have been completely seduced. Although he had Sayo, his childhood friend, in his life, they were too familiar with each other, and even the most intimate actions felt nothing to him.

But if it were a mature woman, Tatsumi would have been absolutely shy or even completely infatuated a day ago. But now, in the instant he was being embraced, he actually thought of that bald man.

Yuri's advice reached his ears.

"We can have desires, but in the process of achieving our goals, we should not let other desires control us."

This was originally meant for Tatsumi, who caused the deaths of two spiritual experts due to his momentary greed, but for some reason he felt that the words were appropriate to use here.

The soft touch made Tatsumi feel as if he were touching ordinary flesh and fat, and his brain successfully suppressed the physiological urge.

"Please let me go."

"Tch, boring."

Leone didn't dare to act recklessly anymore. The power that Minato Namikaze and Kushina displayed that night had already left a psychological scar on them. Some of them even felt that fighting was meaningless, and that it was better to just wait to die when facing such powerful opponents.

That's why we let them out to relax; facing something that's like a god is really detrimental to their mental state.

Tatsumi didn't let Leone off the hook, asking directly, "Are you from the capital?"

"Oh, is there anything I can do for you? But I need payment."

“Take me to the slums, I need some people who can do work for me.”

She fell silent for a moment, then looked at Tatsumi warily and asked, "What are you going to do?"

"I want them to have enough to eat, I want them to have a safe living environment, and I want to overthrow the emperor and the nobles."

"what?"

Leone was shocked and looked into Tatsumi's eyes. Although his face was expressionless, his eyes were serious, without any evasion or cloudiness.

How did you do that?

“I have this.”

Tatsumi took out a 'cookie,' which was made in the food processing plant built by the base vehicle.

Leone picked it up and put it directly into her mouth. The slightly bitter taste wasn't exactly delicious, but it wasn't unpalatable either. As an assassin, she knew from the moment she swallowed the food that it was a dish that could quickly provide energy and a feeling of fullness.

For the poor who can't even afford to eat their fill, this alone is enough to make them risk their lives.

What exactly do you want to do?

"I want to make more food and more clothes. I need manpower, and I need absolutely loyal manpower."

Tatsumi didn't reveal his information. Although they had met once, the other person was still a stranger, and one must be wary of strangers. This was something Yuri emphasized to him as he advanced the plot. As a result, he controlled a psychic expert to use psychic powers in front of the crowd, leading to the operation being exposed and ultimately resulting in the mission's failure.

Leone hesitated, but considering Tatsumi's powerful backing and the magical properties of this food, she nodded.

"I know where they are, you won't hurt them, right?"

"Yes, I will never hurt any innocent people. I just want to give them a stable job so they can have a stable meal."

"Okay, I'll take you there."

Having come from the slums herself, Leone knew how cruel they were. She led Tatsumi through the slums, turning left and right, until they arrived.

Led by Leone, after turning left and right, they arrived at an alley lined with dilapidated houses. Leone extended her hand: "The people here, if you give them food, they'll do anything for you, anything..."

Men, women, children. The elderly? Ordinary people might live to old age, but the poor will never live to old age. The average age in the slums is less than fifteen, because slightly older women can sell themselves, and men can be used as cheap labor.

Only adults with physical disabilities or illnesses and children who are completely incapable of autonomy are abandoned here. Their only goal is to eat their fill and survive.

Looking at these people, Tatsumi took a deep breath.

"Find me five suitable people."

"it is good."

Even though Tatsumi was younger than her, Leone felt completely exposed when standing in front of him. This was simply because Tatsumi had faced the bald man so many times that his innermost thoughts had been read so thoroughly that he had developed a similar aura to Yuri's. This aura made people subconsciously feel like their very underwear was known.

But in reality, Tatsumi's brain is thinking, 'It really is big.' Yes, his brain can control his body and prevent it from being influenced by desire, but now that someone is helping him, he can't help but complain a little.

As for taking a few more glances? Absolutely not. Compared to physical intimacy, he's more looking forward to the internet cafe's opening tomorrow and having an in-depth conversation with the political commissar.

Chapter 154 Tatsumi's Plan to Overthrow the Empire

"What...what are these?"

The Empire now possesses firearms, but these are not mass-produced firearms; rather, they are weapons 'customized' using materials from dangerous species.

Although its power is not significantly different from that of conventional firearms, its production is extremely limited.

But what did she see now? Inside the strange building, weapons, food, and clothing were being mass-produced. Those recruited by Tatsumi, suitable for combat, were sent into the strange building, laid on beds, and given helmets. Would they be ready to fight soon?

Even children with physical disabilities can be fitted with mechanical limbs to walk normally and even work.

"This? We commonly call it a base vehicle. It can move and deploy quickly. Once deployed, it can construct buildings and produce some necessities."

Tatsumi explained the machine, "With it, as long as there are sufficient raw materials, I can produce food continuously. Minerals, meat, and plants can all be used as resources. It can prevent countless people from going hungry."

"So, what's the price?"

Despite her wild exterior, Leone is actually quite sensitive. Having lived in the slums of the capital for so long, she understands one thing: everything comes at a price.

"The cost? I don't know. I just hope that in the future, everyone will have enough to eat and everyone will have a place to live. I haven't thought about anything else."

"Do you want to be the emperor?"

"emperor?"

Tatsumi shook his head: "I think that kind of thing is boring. I'll say it again, I just want everyone to have enough to eat and wear. You're an assassin, right? Although many things require assassination, I want to say that being an assassin has no future."

Are you trying to recruit me?

"I guess so. I need some really strong people to help me."

"Thank you for the compliment~ If there's nothing else going on, I wouldn't mind bringing a few more people over for you..."

Leone, who lived in the slums, understood all too well how important what Tatsumi showed was. With these things, many people wouldn't starve or freeze to death in winter; in fact, they would have real hope of survival.

Although he was an assassin for the revolutionary army, and the revolutionary army was overthrowing the empire, the revolutionary army didn't tolerate idlers. Moreover, could these people really hold out until the revolutionary army arrived?

For her own conscience, she would choose to have no assassination missions during this period.

They brought some people who were truly unable to survive to Tatsumi's side.

Meanwhile, Tatsumi was checking everyone's condition. Those who were fit for combat would enter a virtual space to simulate combat based on their actual physical abilities through the 'combat simulation' program within the barracks.

This is a common method of soldier training in the Red Alert world. By using this virtual reality combat simulation method, ordinary people can gain some combat experience in a day, and if they have enough talent, they can even quickly become qualified soldiers.

As for the loyalty of these people? Tatsumi wasn't worried at all. He had only spent a day with Yuri, but Yuri had taught him how to win people's hearts and how to control them.

Tatsumi won't send them to their deaths, but he won't let them eat for free either. The slogan of ensuring everyone is well-fed and clothed is enough to invigorate the temporary recruits.

Especially after witnessing Tatsumi's abilities, they were willing to join Tatsumi's team and fight for this dream.

Yes, the food from the base wasn't very tasty, but it was filling and provided energy. The clothes weren't fancy, but they were comfortable and warm.

Over the next few days, Tatsumi allocated his time perfectly. The first six hours were Terraria, and the next six hours were Red Alert. Dual play would reduce the overall speed, but Terraria doesn't actually have that much content. The total playtime is about fifty hours in game mode, and you can finish it in real difficulty. It will take more time, but if you're aiming to complete it, with someone making a guide, you can finish it in over a hundred hours.

During these past few days, Tatsumi has been completely immersed in the game Red Alert. Yuri has even become his mentor, constantly answering his questions.

"Oh! My dear heretic, do you really think that a revolution led by a group of impoverished nobles and wealthy merchants will implement a new system? Heh, I wouldn't even do something like joining forces with a foreign race, would I?"

"Believe me, if productivity doesn't improve, they will be the next emperor."

"If that world truly exists, then you heretics can use the mental power I taught you to control it. You've actually forgotten how to use mental power? Well then, let me teach you."

So far, most of Yuri's people have played the role of the heretic commander, but Tatsumi is the first person to be personally taught mental powers by Yuri.

It's amazing. Although the learning time was very short, and he couldn't achieve mind control like Yuri, when Tatsumi returned to his own world, Leone, who had been freeloading, looked at him incredulously.

"you…"

"Are you wondering why I've changed so much?"