A Villain's Journey Begins in the Type-Moon World

By the afternoon, the Reunion Movement had almost completely cleared the battlefield. In this battle, the Reunion Movement captured approximately 3 enemy soldiers and killed or executed approximately 2. Basically, no Ursus soldiers were able to escape their encirclement.

These Ursus prisoners are a bit troublesome to deal with; it will take a long time to process them. Fortunately, they are temporarily shackled and cannot break free for the time being.

In particular, Wang Chong only kept the poor Ursus soldiers who were starving. As long as they were all scattered and sent to various villages that supported the Reunion Movement to cultivate wasteland, and carried out labor and ideological reform, he believed that they would soon accept the status quo and become a loyal part of the Reunion Movement.

After all, they had been oppressed in the military camps of Ursus, and they were the ones that the Reunion Movement was able to unite.

While drafting a plan on how to deal with the Ursus soldiers, Wang Chong also checked the spoils of this operation:

"I haven't even had time to enjoy this title I just received, and now I'm getting a new one. System, please tell me about the effects of this [Famous] title."

Upon hearing this, the system immediately displayed the "Famous" effect on the screen:

The prestige of your faction will transcend the limitations of its controlled regions and begin to spread throughout the world. People worldwide will be influenced by the ideology of integration at all times, and there is a certain probability that they will be completely transformed into members of the integrated ideology.

(Note: The degree and probability of influence will increase as power grows and the correctness of the integrated ideology becomes more apparent.)

It didn't have much of an effect, and the number of characters in the title effects was much shorter than before. However, the sheer domineering nature of its effect even made Wang Chong tremble.

"Good grief, the main quest clearly restricted me from using brainwashing, hypnosis, and forceful control to forcibly recruit people into the Reunion Movement, and now you're telling me that reputation titles come with this kind of effect, huh!?"

Wang Chong couldn't help but complain.

"Ahem, how can this be considered brainwashing, hypnosis, or coercion? It's just making sure that the ideas of Integration can't be blocked, and letting everyone know about the Integration forces."

The system coughed a few times and said, "To put it bluntly, I just pressed the acceleration button. How can that be considered malicious brainwashing, hypnosis, or forced control?"

"Okay, okay, as long as it helps me complete the task quickly."

However, Wang Chong didn't rush to switch to the [Renowned] reputation. The Reunion Movement currently doesn't even have a single city; rashly spreading its ideology throughout the world would likely attract too many enemies eager to annihilate it.

Don't forget, even though Wang Chong has Ines overseeing things, he can still uncover a mole every month through [Wang Chong's Praise], and that mole isn't even on their blacklist.

It is conceivable that the schemers' methods are indeed ingenious, and if they are not careful, the Unity Movement will once again become someone else's tool.

That is precisely why Wang Chong needs to be more cautious, especially with the subsequent expansion of recruitment under the "One Call, Hundred Responses" policy, where various mixed forces join in, which could very likely disrupt the existing ecosystem of the Reunion Movement.

"What we need most is time. However... now that the autumn harvest is complete, the food supplies are plentiful, and the flames of war have been fully ignited. Now we must thoroughly digest that power! We must strive for three months to take control of the entire snowfield before winter!"

Wang Chong pondered.

……

"This is the leader of the uprising on the northeastern border."

In the conference room, Talulah began to introduce the situation.

"Hmm? You are... Ethan?"

Wang Chong recognized the lizardman in front of him at a glance. According to the original timeline, Ethan was an early member of the Reunion Movement, but he chose to leave secretly because he could not stand the depravity of the Reunion Movement, and then chose to join Rhodes Island.

Based on Wang Chong's previous recollection, Ethan had already left the Reunion Movement when Wang Chong joined. How come he has now not only returned to the Reunion Movement but also become the leader of this Reunion militia force on the northeastern border?

"Hahaha, wow, I never expected His Majesty to recognize me. I'm truly honored!" Ethan exclaimed, delighted that Wang Chong had actually called him by name. (The rest of the text appears to be unrelated and possibly machine-generated gibberish.)

"Yes, because when I first joined Reunion Movement, I was in charge of managing the Reunion Movement's roster. I happened to see your roster; I remember you left Reunion Movement before I came here."

Wang Chong spoke slowly.

These words made Ethan somewhat embarrassed. After all, he had clearly escaped the Reunion Movement, but now he had inexplicably returned, which made him seem very fickle.

"Hehe, I didn't mean to blame you. Aren't you wondering why your name is still on the Reunion Movement's roster even though you've left?" Wang Chong asked with a smile.

"Uh, what's the reason?" After Wang Chong brought it up, Ethan also found it very strange.

Is it because they hold a grudge? Because they escaped from the Reunion Movement, the Reunion Movement sees them as a betrayal, making it easier to settle scores if those people want to return to the Reunion Movement in the past?

But Ethan quickly dismissed this idea. The reason he rejoined Reunion was because he once again believed that Reunion had undergone a transformation and was capable of leading them, the infected, to true liberation.

But if the Reunion Movement is such a narrow-minded organization, then it would be impossible for me to come back, and the other people who escaped would not be fools to come back and wait to be purged.

"As Talulah said, as the Reunion Movement gradually expands and its members increase, conflicts and contradictions in thoughts and desires are inevitable. Some may also become unwilling to fight alongside the Reunion Movement due to temporary difficulties or the satisfaction of their desires. Temporary departures and separations are unavoidable."

Wang Chong slowly said, "However, she believes that this separation is only temporary. As long as everyone is still on the path of fighting injustice, saving the infected, and saving those who are suffering, they will meet again one day."

“And by writing down their names, she can say to them again when they return: ‘Welcome back, my comrades, may we continue to fight side by side.’”

“Yes, welcome back, my comrade, Ethan. It’s been one year and twenty-four days. May we fight side by side even further this time,” Talulah said with a smile.

"This...this still feels like the snowflakes are blurring my vision." Ethan was deeply moved. The unease he had felt from escaping and returning to his previous state was now completely calmed.

He wiped his eyes and said, "This time, I will not leave again. Instead, I am determined to make the integration even better! To truly realize the society where everyone is equal, as described in that booklet."

……

Afterwards, Wang Chong and Talulah learned the full story of the Northeast campaign from Ethan. After requesting reinforcements from headquarters, they were trapped in the hills.

Although reinforcements from the Reunification Movement continued to arrive, they were ultimately insufficient. Ethan was part of one of these rescue teams. He led several dozen men, and after a fierce battle alongside the main force, they finally joined up with the besieged Northeastern rebels.

After Ethan arrived, he made full use of his Originium Arts ability to blend into his surroundings by altering his skin color. Relying on his experience in reconnaissance and ambush, he managed to hold off the Ursus army's advance in these hills.

Unbeknownst to many, Ethan had amassed prestige and become the leader of these thousands of militiamen, leading them to steadily erode Ursus's strength. This, in turn, delayed the arrival of the main Reunion forces.

"Now that you have earned the trust of these thousands of people, you will lead them to become an elite force within my Reunion Movement best suited for ambush operations. Are you confident you can do it?"

Wang Chong asked.

"Those several thousand men... Alas, I am only temporarily appointed and I am afraid I am not up to such a great responsibility. Besides, I still have to bear some responsibility for the deaths of those nearly a thousand brothers."

However, Ethan sighed, not really wanting to accept the position.

"Don't underestimate yourself... This is your first time leading the militia, and you've already achieved this much with fewer troops... How about this, if you're not confident, how about you select a few hundred men from these few thousand to follow you? Start with the smaller group and train them step by step."

Wang Chong said slowly, "Given time, I believe you can bring me a formidable army."

"...His Majesty trusts me so much, if I don't agree, I'll seem like a coward." Seeing Wang Chong's attitude, Ethan stopped making excuses.

After completely subduing Ethan and his several thousand militiamen, Wang Chong reorganized his army and, after a day of rest, began to advance in a new direction.

Wang Chong said slowly, "Given time, I believe you can bring me a formidable army."

"...His Majesty trusts me so much, if I don't agree, I'll seem like a coward." Seeing Wang Chong's attitude, Ethan stopped making excuses.

After completely subduing Ethan and his several thousand militiamen, Wang Chong reorganized his army and, after a day of rest, began to advance in a new direction.

Chapter 218: The Situation in Ursus

"What did you say? The entire army was wiped out!?"

A week later, in the council hall of Saint-Germain Castle, Fyodor looked at the devastating battle report, his face ashen, as he stared at the group of nobles below who refused to utter a word.

"Fine, very well. You wanted material support, and I gave it to you. You wanted people, and I gave them to you too. But what message did you bring?!"

Fyodor slammed the battle report to the ground; the Ursus emperor was now furious beyond measure.

"The elite Fourth Army, a full 50,000 men, had been bogged down in the mountains by the enemy for over three months without being able to take them down. And now they've been wiped out so easily! Well done, they're all my meritorious generals and soldiers!"

Fyodor angrily retorted, "Why don't you just lead the bandits into Saint-Germain Castle, change the world, and make you the new founding fathers?"

"Your Majesty, please forgive me..."

A group of people repeatedly apologized. "Where are you, Lin Yong? Where's your time? Where are you, Lin Zai Zai?"

"Grand Duke Constantine, what assurances did you give me?"

Fyodor stared at the representative of the old military forces and sneered:

"You entrusted me with the entire task of suppressing the bandits, promising that Marshal George of the Fourth Army would resolve the matter within three months. But the result was that a reinforced division of 50,000 men was simply annihilated by the enemy!"

"Grand Duke Constantine, do you intend to watch the bandits grow stronger, or are you all simply incompetent?!"

“Your subject is guilty…” Grand Duke Constantine’s expression did not change much; he simply lowered his head.

“You are indeed guilty! You have plunged the eastern region of Ursus into chaos! Now that the bandits have captured these 50,000 troops, the entire eastern region has risen up in rebellion in the blink of an eye! Everyone is raising the banner of overthrowing the tyranny of Ursus.”

Fyodor, enraged, laughed coldly:

"Good, really good! Under the 'protection' of your Third and Fourth Army Groups, the people of the Eastern Snowfield are all living in peace and prosperity, and are all happy and content. They are all united and marching towards the capital with their banners raised high."

"I am willing to personally travel to the snowy plains of the Eastern Region and join forces with Grand Duke Baikal to sweep away the world and bring peace to the entire Eastern Region from now on."

Grand Duke Constantine slowly said:

"I beg Your Majesty to give me another chance, and I will certainly give you a satisfactory answer."

Upon seeing Constantine volunteer, Fyodor sneered three times and then said, "If you disappoint me again, don't come back. Die for your country!"

"Your subject...accepts the order."

Constantine slowly agreed.

……

After the meeting, Fyodor summoned Witte back to his study.

“Your Majesty, you shouldn’t have acted so impulsively. Grand Duke Constantine is, after all, a representative of the old nobles. Such strong suppression might backfire and cause further turmoil in the country.”

Witte offered some words of advice.

"Another upheaval? Aren't we already in a state of turmoil? Look... look, according to their statistics, the number of resistance forces, large and small, on the eastern snowfields has exceeded 100,000, and if you include the civilians, it's only more!"

Fyodor angrily shouted:

“A full 100,000 people have rebelled, and that’s just in the rural villages. If the people in the cities in the east are also affected, we may be facing millions of resistance.”

"Even if they weren't as terrifying as those bandit groups, these millions of people, even if they were just a rabble, would be enough to cripple the entire empire! These damned parasites have driven my people to this state; I would gladly tear them apart!"

"Alas... Although life in the Eastern Snowfields is indeed difficult, what's even more terrifying is the horrific ideology of that bandit army, which is harmful to people."

Witt then took a small white booklet from his chest and handed it to Fyodor.

“What is this?” Fyodor asked.

“These are propaganda brochures from the Reunion Movement that my men recently confiscated. They record the reasons for their uprising and their propaganda about the organization,” Witt said slowly.

Fyodor frowned as he opened the brochure and flipped through it page by page. At first, he was somewhat dismissive, but as he read the chapters analyzing class contradictions and the root causes of evil, his expression grew increasingly fearful.

"This is... a dragon-slaying technique!?" After taking a look, Fodor's expression turned extremely ugly as he spoke.

"That's not all, Your Majesty. The ideas in this pamphlet are so profound that they could overturn the entire world order, because it uses the simplest language to dissect the very essence of how this world works. It not only enlightens the people, but also teaches them how to fight back, and lets them see clearly who they should deal with."

Witt said slowly:

"And this is just a propaganda manual used by the Reunion Movement, this band of thieves. I really don't know what kind of ideological transformation they will undergo once they officially join the Reunion Movement."

"That is precisely why, even though the internal conflicts within my empire were far from reaching a point of complete escalation, they were still prematurely ignited. I'm afraid it's because those people have been influenced by these ideologies."

"That is precisely why, even though the internal conflicts within my empire were far from reaching a point of complete escalation, they were still prematurely ignited. I'm afraid it's because those people have been influenced by these ideologies."

"This idea is so avant-garde and shocking that young adults who lack sufficient experience are almost inevitably captivated by it. Even the Ursus soldiers, who always value honor, are no exception."

"Once they accept this ideology, it's no wonder they become part of the Reunion Movement. Your Majesty, the most urgent task is to thoroughly investigate this book immediately and prevent it from spreading among the people. Otherwise, even if the current Reunion Movement is suppressed, such ideology will probably be able to completely overthrow my vast Ursus in less than a century."

After hearing this, Fyodor did not immediately agree to Witte's request, but instead added:

"No, it's not just about thoroughly investigating this book... Anyone found to be harboring this book should be sentenced to death!"

"Your Majesty! But..."

Just as Witt was about to say something, he saw Fyodor reveal a ruthless look and say:

"Either don't do it at all, or do it thoroughly and cleanly! Witt, as someone who also built his fortune and power on Originium, you should know better than me how destructive this book is to people like you."

“…Yes.” Witt sighed and nodded.

"Also, Witt, send five more inner guards! We've already lost three of the ten inner guards we sent out earlier. We were planning to let them seize the best opportunity to eliminate the Reunion Movement's high-end combat force. Now we must find the guy who wrote this propaganda manual!"

Fyodor's eyes were filled with murderous intent as he said, "This kind of madman shouldn't exist in this world! He must be completely wiped out!"

“Yes…” Witt accepted the order.

……

"Oh? So the emperor actually sent out his inner guards again, and this time the main target is me."

At this moment, in a large mining area, Wang Chong was in his house, remotely contacting a certain "conspirator".

“That’s right. One of the guards sent out this time happens to be my partner. And I’ve successfully persuaded him using the concept of integration,” Black Serpent said slowly.

"Hmm? The Inner Guards are people who have to fight against evil spirits at all times. Even I have to admire their willpower. How could you persuade them so easily?" Wang Chong asked in confusion.

"People always place too much fear on the internal guards, but they don't realize that they are the ones who most want the country to be strong and last forever. For them, this is the cornerstone of their fight against evil."

Black Serpent slowly said, "The concept of this country can refer to the Ursus Empire as a whole, the structure ruled by the royal family, or every individual born on the land of Ursus."

"Therefore, for the Inner Guard, it doesn't matter who the emperor is, or even whether he is from Ursus. As long as the nation born on this land can become strong and protect them from being devoured by evil, they are willing to serve that person. This is not such a difficult thing to accept."

"Fine, let that emperor do whatever he wants. The more he tries to stop it, the more he'll fan the flames. Under immense pressure, those ordinary people of Ursus will eventually side with us. The seed has been planted; we're just waiting for it to take root and sprout."