Chapter 491: 2.2 Master·Pinokangni (162)

Before the new master, five puppets knelt; they had all lost their former masters—some didn't know whom to sing for, others waited until their masters returned. They were hesitant, confused, or loyal… but after Xing used the clockwork trick to adjust their hearts, they all regained their rationality.

"Thank you, foreign guests! Now the servants have regained their reason." The new master exclaimed to the circle of puppets: "Everyone! Your former masters will never return; only by helping each other on the righteous path, encouraging each other with truth, can you find fulfillment among yourselves!!"

"Defeat the false illusions—embrace each other!"

After saying that, the monsters charged at the train team, but fortunately Jizi warned them in time, and the few quickly disposed of them.

The new master disappeared, and the puppets returned to a respectful bowing posture.

"It's a shame that, even in the end, they remain a bunch of slaves granted the right to freedom." Xingqiri said regretfully, "This is the second act. In the illusory harmony, the Land of Exile gradually moves toward the Star of the Gala."

——

Attack on Titan.

"Slaves granted the right to freedom..."

Eren repeatedly pondered those words, but he couldn't quite grasp what Xingqiri meant. He looked puzzled at the boy beside him: "Armin, are we slaves granted the right to freedom?"

"No." Armin shook his head, gazing up at the towering wall outside the Survey Corps' camp: "To be precise, we don't even have the right to freedom. If we could one day drive all the Titans beyond the wall, perhaps then we could claim the right to freedom."

Frankly, after hearing Xingqiri's remarks about the "Seven Rest Day," he even felt that driving the Titans away wouldn't count as freedom. After driving out the Titans, then what?

... They still have to toil for a living, paying heavy taxes each year to the Royal City. The towering walls remain, blocking the passage between the outer commoners and the inner nobility.

In other words, as long as this world maintains a distinction between nobles and commoners, true freedom will never arrive.

"What's wrong, Armin? You look unhappy." Eren stared at him curiously; ever since Armin raised that question about freedom, his expression has grown increasingly grim.

"Ah… nothing." Armin shook his head. "I'm just wondering what we'll do after we drive the Titans away."

"You don't want to go see the sea?"

"Yeah, I mean after seeing the sea… seeing the sea isn't my endpoint."

"Ah, Armin, I didn't expect you to think of something so far off." Eren felt somewhat moved, "I'm imagining living together with you and Mikasa… the three of us side by side; that life would surely be free."

——

"This is the process by which Pinokangni gradually became a family's fief; after Harmony arrived, the Land of Exile underwent tremendous changes, not all of them for the better."

"What a lot of drama these people have—they're all veteran actors." March Seven sighed.

After leaving the second act's drama, Xingqiri's voice echoed once more from the heights.

"He gathered the stars, and with Chen Mingfadu established codes of conduct for the people. He took a keyboarded great harp as the instrument; used symbols of pronunciation and counting as notes; took a river that flows downstream but not upstream as the melody; and, using Chen Mingfadu's codes, defined the musical form. Thus people found their unique place in the movement—this is the Fifth and Sixth Days."

"The prelude before the third act is called the 'Order Ode'; just from the title, March Seven guessed it was meant to sing praises of order."

Xingqiri also said he had shown everyone Pinokangni's past and present, and hoped they understood why he wanted to change the status quo; what he would reveal next was Pinokangni's future.

However, the puppets here are strange; they bow to Xing and the others, yet they cannot be tuned with the clockwork trick.

All the puppets chanted in unison: "We need no king. We are by nature the supreme rulers of all things."

"I can't change their emotions…" Xing also felt embarrassed for a moment.

"Can't change? What do you mean?"

Xingqiri: "Please forgive my rudeness. I forgot to tell you all that this final act alone was already written."

Then another battle ensued; according to the puppets' words, Jizi quickly grasped the meaning of this act.

"This is the final act—actually much easier to understand than the previous stories… he wants to drive out Harmony and establish an empire of order." Jizi nodded to everyone, "Let's go. When the prelude ends, the main piece of the Harmony Grand Festival begins."

——

Blessing for the Beautiful World.

"Oh oh oh! Let's fight, let's fight!"

"Tear off those wings on his head! Xing!"

Seeing the great battle about to begin in the heavenly canopy, the tavern erupted; many adventurers raised their cups, cheering on the train team.

"Huh? Am I the only one supporting Xingqiri?"

Seeing everyone's fervor, Huihui lowered her voice and leaned toward Kazuma: "I think Xingqiri is great, you know, the Seven Rest Day! If he wins, it's like creating a heaven—nobody would have to work, you could do whatever you want! Kazuma, don't you think that world would be awesome?"

"It really is awesome, so I'll back the train team in beating him." Kazuma said expressionlessly.

"Huh? Why is that?"

Huihui, think about it: if he creates a heaven, what does that have to do with us? And he won't invite us to Pinokangni. What can I do? All I can do is envy bitterly those who live in Pinokangni.

Kazuma's face was filled with envy; his hand gripping the cup's handle couldn't help trembling.

"Rather than let others enjoy a week of seven‑day rest, I'd rather see Xingqiri lose. At least then I'd feel a bit better in my heart, right? Aqua."

The blue‑haired goddess nodded, her face equally twisted with jealousy to the point of wanting to spit blood. Back when she was in Tianjie, she even had to meet daily KPIs for sending otherworldly heroes from the Japanese region. The Seven Rest Day…… she, a goddess, had never even enjoyed it!!

——

The moment the crowd left the frame, the entire opera house's environment shifted.

The crystal chandelier in the dome flared suddenly, myriad beams of light like swords piercing the darkness. The whole opera house began to emit a low rumble; countless golden boxes flew out from the dome, set into the surrounding walls—each a self‑contained little stage.

A wide red carpet unfurled, leading straight to the feet of the train team; this was the grandest opening, and also his most sincere invitation.