Chapter 413

"If you don't know how, I can teach you."

"It's fine, I can." Shajin smiled slightly, "... Of course I can."

"……"

The rain poured down as the golden-haired woman half-knelt in the mud, her arms tightly clasping the little boy in her embrace, gently wiping the dirt from his face with her hand.

"We have to part here, Kakawasha. The Katika people are coming."

Kakawasha could no longer tell whether what was on his face was rain or tears, his voice trembling constantly: "Why? The Katika people have already taken all our money and food, and killed our parents... what else do they want?"

"The Katika people are cruel, bloodthirsty, and insatiably greedy. They want everything, so they will get nothing." The sister supported his thin shoulders, comforting: "This is a ruse, an act of revenge. Remember? Today is the Day of Kakawa, and also your birthday."

"They know the Aweijin People will definitely hold a ceremony today. Taking advantage of this rain, they will come to destroy our covered wagons and take everything they want."

"But the Katika people don't know that this time we will resist, and the black-clad people from the heavens are also on our side. The Katika people have no chance of winning against them and will surely pay the price for their arrogance."

"If it weren't for this rain, the Katika people wouldn't act, and we wouldn't have a chance to resist. This is all a gift from the mother goddess, and you are Kakawasha—your good fortune will bless your sister's success."

——

Attack on Titan

"I want... I want to kill them all..."

When he saw Kakawasha's sister kneeling on one knee in the mud, Eren again recalled the scene three years ago when his mother bade him farewell amidst the ruins.

Tears slid down his cheeks, yet his face showed no trace of sorrow; he clenched his teeth, as if a familiar scorching feeling surged from his stomach to his throat, every tight gap between his clenched teeth oozing a blood tang like iron rust, as if he longed to tear the Katika people's throats apart with his own mouth.

"Eren, Eren..."

Mikasa's voice came from beside him, and only then did Eren snap out of his reverie, accompanied by a stinging sensation in his palm—only then did he realize he had accidentally pierced his own palm while clenching his fist.

"Sorry, Armin, Mikasa..." Eren said shamefully shaking his head, "I'm just so angry; I really can't understand why the Strategic Investment Department isn't taking action—do they really have to wait until all the Aweijin People are dead before they'll step in?"

"That's not the case, Eren. First of all, this area is not under the jurisdiction of the Strategic Investment Department, but the Market Development Department." Armin showed a regretful expression, "I'm afraid they have no interest in this large-scale massacre between the two tribes."

"Why not let Diamond come? He isn't the envoy of Preservation? How can he allow this to happen right under the company's nose?!" Eren almost hysterically shouted.

"What the hell have these bastards preserved?!"

"……"

Armin was also at a loss for words; he also hoped that Diamond would be in charge of this, perhaps the envoy of Preservation could bring something different?

But unfortunately, for Kakawasha, there are no more 'ifs'.

"Armin, you said that someday... the Market Development Department would come to our world?" Eren suddenly asked.

"Probably... yes." Armin hesitated, "If someday we could drive out all the Titans, then perhaps the Market Development Department would notice us and connect our world to the universe."

"If that day really comes... as long as I'm alive, I will definitely give their supervisor a hard punch." Eren said through gritted teeth, word by word, "... just as a punch for Kakawasha."

——

"But... but someone could die, you'd also be in danger... how is this good luck? Why are you doing this?" Kakawasha wiped his tears, choking uncontrollably.

"The Aweijin People repay vengeance with vengeance. The mother goddess is calling me, my parents are waiting for me, I must respond. But she has bestowed good fortune upon you, so you must live on."

The woman opened Kakawasha's clenched fist with her own broader, warmer hand, gently pressing them together... She closed her eyes and kissed Kakawasha's forehead, whispering word by word: 'As long as you live, the blood of the Aweijin People will not run dry. So run, Kakawasha, don't be afraid, don't look back. Go to the other side of the mountain. The rain will accompany you, the rain will bless you.'

"And we will meet again under the aurora of the next Kakawa..." The woman tightly grasped his hand, "May the mother goddess close your eyes threefold..."

"May your veins forever pulse..."

"May your journey forever be untroubled..."

"... the ruse will never be exposed."

"Goodbye, Kakawasha."

"……"

"The spokesperson for the Company's Market Development Department confirmed that a small-scale rebellion had broken out in the ownerless star region of Cigangniya, and the situation has now been effectively controlled——"

"The rebels come from a local 'Katika' clan, which has long held a grudge against the company, and their work in the area has caused severe negative impacts for the Market Development Department——"

"That clan launched a large-scale assault on the 'Aweijin' clan under the company's protection, resulting in 6,728 deaths, 3,452 missing, and the wounded have currently been taken in by the medical relief organization Trauma Front——"

The spokesperson finally said: The Preservation's great hammer will surely fall upon all life, regardless of life or death, species, or thought, to defend the basic rights we are born with.

——

Blessing the Beautiful World

"Get lost, company! Ahhhhh——!"

Aqua somehow got hold of a pillow emblazoned with the words 'Interstellar Peace Company' in large letters, and then spent the whole morning frantically pounding it, shouting hoarsely with each strike, exciting everyone who heard it.

"Krippen's three hammers smash Breeding, saving the universe! Yet you can't even protect a small clan of a few thousand—saying that would embarrass Krippen! Go eat shit!"

"Ahhhhh——!"

Although Aqua's fists lacked any destructive power, her excited emotions surged her body with water elemental energy, and with one punch she soaked the pillow through, as if she had made the words 'Interstellar Peace Company' cry.

"Uh..."

Kazuma pointed at the pillow Aqua had been beating fiercely, then turned to ask Megumin: 'Where'd she get that thing?'

"Oh, recently the footage on the sky-screen greatly highlighted the company's inaction, making many adventurers angry, so someone put a pillow with the words 'Interstellar Peace Company' on it for people to punch to vent."

"There's such a thing?"

"What's this, there are adventurers who max out their defense skills and pretend to be Preservation, impersonating the company's black-clad men and Katika people, openly getting beaten in the street—ten bucks a hit, they've been making quite a bit lately… I'm also planning to go out and hit him with an explosion spell."

"If we let Darkness go up there, wouldn't she get rich quick?" Kazuma had a sudden inspiration.

Megumin let out a soft sigh: 'Kazuma, just cut it out—you don't know how much people hate pretending to be company employees and Katika people… If you pretend to be a company worker and get beaten, it feels good at first, but afterward? Not only will the adventurers' guild front desk not give you quests, even monster-hunting parties won't want to team up with you. If you go drink… the tavern owner, knowing you pretended to be a Katika person, will inevitably water down your liquor.'

"I even suspect... the Demon King's hatred rating right now isn't as high as the Katika people's."