When Linto rode his horse back to Warsaw City, the riots had basically subsided and were in the final stages. Official soldiers, local gangs, and many brave citizens came out onto the streets to help clean up, treat the injured.
Tokugawa Shingen directed officials to restore the city's power system and issued a city-wide broadcast, telling the citizens of Warsaw City the truth of what happened with embellishments.
As Linto rode into the city, walking on the road, everyone stopped what they were doing.
Even the most arrogant people in Warsaw City, at this moment, voluntarily cleared a path, took off their hats, bowed slightly, and showed their most sincere respect with their actions.
As mentioned before, only a portion of the rebel army were rat members; a large part were local students and workers. If it weren't for Linto, their families would have walked to their deaths because of a schemer's lie.
Linto nodded to them and continued on his way, returning to the Daimyo's mansion. Kakashi and Amber were guarding the Daimyo's mansion. Their job was to protect Tokugawa Shingen. This fat Daimyo couldn't die, at least not until he signed the agreement.
Seeing Linto return, Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief. His body hadn't fully recovered and wasn't suited for combat. If he were forced to fight, he would likely be seriously injured or lose consciousness again.
"Is it over?"
Linto nodded. "Everyone's dead, but—" He looked back at Warsaw City.
"There are more things to deal with." Tens of thousands of rebels and civilians had turned into stone people in the downpour. Only Linto could solve this problem. If left unchecked, these people would truly die after a while. It would take a little time to save tens of thousands of people, and Linto couldn't just ignore it.
Another matter was more complicated. Most of the rebels had been misled by Kurosaki and manipulated by drugs, turning them into bloodthirsty killers. Everyone understood the reason, but...
Would they be held responsible for their murders? This night, the rebels had killed many people – samurai, wealthy individuals, and unfortunate civilians caught in the crossfire. Among the dead, there were certainly some who deserved it.
Similarly, there were others who were just ordinary people living their lives, following the rules. They might not have made any big mistakes in their lives, just practicing, studying, and making money. Due to talent and luck, they became samurai or wealthy merchants.
Did they deserve to die? Everything else could be discussed, but slaughtering innocents isn't something that can be brushed aside by saying you were manipulated by drugs or deceived by others.
Linto pondered for a long time and then said to Tokugawa Shingen, "Gather all the bodies of the petrified people together. I will heal them and, at the same time, extract their memories." This was Linto's idea: by reading their memories, he could determine how many people each person had killed, whether they were genuinely deceived, had malicious intent, or were simply people sent by the consortium to secretly fan the flames and stir up trouble.
"After examining their memories, we will see who they killed." "If they killed people who were already heinous criminals, then so be it." "If they were just unlucky souls who got caught up in it..."
Linto sighed and was silent for a moment. Tokugawa Shingen did his part as a surrender faction, waiting silently. If he weren't wearing the Daimyo's robe, one might mistake him for a fat butler from somewhere. If this scene had happened before tonight and someone saw it, they would have undoubtedly mocked this "ninja Daimyo," thinking he would endure anything to survive, even to the point of disgracing the Land of Wind.
But what happened tonight was too shocking. Those who didn't know the truth only saw Linto shine brighter than the moon hanging high, saving Warsaw City from disaster single-handedly. Those who understood the twists and turns of Akatsuki, realizing it was a death trap set by the consortium, would be shocked by the perfect choices Linto made in such a short time.
Tokugawa Shingen quietly waited for Linto's instructions, without any impatience. Linto was the savior tonight. Even if he had to stand and wait all night, Tokugawa Shingen wouldn't have any complaints.
"...If they killed innocents, I will ask the legal experts from the Land of Water to work with the Land of Wind. You will discuss and decide together." Linto gave his final instructions.
Tokugawa Shingen smiled and nodded. "As you wish."
The night wind blew on Linto's face. He stood by the window, pondered for a moment, and asked, "You seem to have predicted this tragedy tonight long ago?"
Tokugawa Shingen chuckled. "Mr. Linto, with your insight, you should be able to see that Warsaw City, no, the entire Land of Wind is a train that's moving forward relentlessly and accelerating. It will inevitably derail one day, either flying to heaven or falling into hell. We don't know. We only know that it's still running now, and it looks like it can continue to run for a few more centuries." Unlike the Land of Water's decay and corruption, the Land of Wind... overall, it's clean.
But this cleanliness doesn't mean it's better than the Land of Water. The cleanliness of the Land of Wind stems from capital's pursuit of efficiency. Everyone in this country is like being thrown into a sand dune, their moisture sucked out, even the dirt wiped away by the sand. Everyone is naked and shriveled, throwing themselves into factories and mines, sacrificing their lives for capital appreciation. When the consortium, driven by its nature of hoarding wealth, continuously seizes all profits and pushes already shriveled ordinary people to the brink, that's when this train called "Land of Wind" will rush into the abyss.
However, based on Linto's observations of the Land of Wind along the way, this process will indeed take some time, especially in Warsaw City, which is still in the era of consumerism. The true dead end will begin when citizens refuse to consume. If the consortium and the Daimyos see the risk and are willing to invest some funds to establish a welfare system and technological revolution, they might be able to extend the train's running time.
"...Normally, that would be the case, but you arrived." Tokugawa Shingen said, "Mr. Linto, you are a smart person, so I'll be frank. I do intend to give you Gelin City, agree to your tax demands, and accept your many unreasonable conditions, all for one purpose—to buy time."
Linto said nothing. Tokugawa Shingen picked up a glass of wine from the table and took a small sip, saying, "Throughout history, whenever a group of people is about to be exterminated, a few stubborn individuals will appear."
He pointed to himself. "You want to exterminate 'people like us.' Under the guidance of fate, stubborn individuals who will give you a headache will eventually appear. It's a pity that the Land of Wind doesn't have them, so all I can do is wait, wait for 'stubborn individuals' to appear."
"But I am willing to wait, and the consortium is willing to wait, but they are not willing to spend their own money to wait. So, I knew that the moment I decided to 'wait,' a part of the people would inevitably want to blow up my engine, so they could scatter and escape." Tokugawa Shingen was always smiling, as if no matter how big the matter, it couldn't move him.
Linto looked at him quietly. "Aren't you afraid that in the end, the stubborn ones will also be crushed by me?"
"What are you saying?" Tokugawa Shingen laughed heartily. "I'm a surrender faction, what am I afraid of?" This is the way of the old desert people. In the desert, it is most taboo to take away the last bottle of water from someone; it is to leave each other a way out.
Tokugawa Shingen used his patience to leave a way out for both himself and Linto. Linto sighed, "You are an excellent investor."
Tokugawa Shingen waved his hand. "Compared to you, I'm far from it. I only invest in the present, while you are greedier and more terrifying than I am—"
"You invest in eternity."