Revive Rome: Wait! Why not make the empress fall in love with me first?-Chapter 500 - 12: The Final Test and Legacy

The final challenge.

Miel and Mia opened their eyes to find themselves standing on the rooftop.

"This is the final challenge," the figure in the black robe stood beside them, gesturing for them to look down, "just as you’ve seen before."

"The conflict between the Lixini Family and the Medici Family has gradually spread to all areas of Italy. A large number of small and medium-sized companies have been forced to take sides, and the price of taking sides has been economic attacks from the opposing camp."

"To avoid a direct collision leading to uncontrollable conflict, both the Lixini and Medici families have similarly chosen to exert pressure by targeting the other’s allied small and medium-sized companies, which leads to bankruptcies resulting in mass unemployment for workers."

"At present, the job market within Solomon City is severely saturated. A large number of low-end jobs have been taken by synthetic humans and machines, while the high-end positions are monopolized internally by the Torras Corporation giants. The employment options for these ordinary workers are limited; unemployment for them means losing income, losing housing, losing citizenship... almost losing everything."

"So even though they know it’s futile, they still come out to resist in vain, like moths to a flame."

Miel and Mia looked down to see the market below seemingly having received some signal.

Buses were halted, taxis stopped operating, and a surge of passengers and subway staff appeared at the subway entrances because the subway had already gone on a complete strike.

In office areas and commercial buildings, a large number of office workers also unfurled banners and slogans they had prepared earlier and began marching and chanting.

The girls at Flower Square just walked out of a roadside shop and saw the streets already crowded with marchers.

The girls: ??

"What are they doing?" Medea frowned, looking at the slogans the protesters carried.

Strike! Stop the Torras war!

Workers are not your corporate playthings!

...

"Nora? Medea? What are they doing here!" Miel on the rooftop noticed them, and sharply turned her head to the figure in the black robe, "This isn’t a game, is it?"

"No, this is a virtual world," the figure in the black robe replied calmly, "but what you’re seeing is exactly what’s happening in reality right now."

"So what do you want to do!" Mia asked anxiously.

"I told you, I’m playing a game with you," the figure in the black robe said coldly, "you’ve seen it. These lower and middle-class workers have taken a very smart approach, ’nonviolent non-cooperation.’ Because once violence is triggered, they will be no match for the Church Court and the Torras Corporation giants."

"With strikes causing economic damage, they pressure the Church and the capitalists to make concessions. A beautiful and naive idea, heh... but will it really go smoothly?"

"What do you mean?" Miel suddenly remembered the couple that had committed suicide in their own home, a middle-class family, and felt uneasy.

"The best excuse for violent intervention, of course, is to stop violence that has already occurred," the figure in the black robe pointed below, to a few people with concealed weapons blended into the crowd. Suddenly highlighted in the eyes of the two young girls, "if these mercenaries disguised as radical demonstrators suddenly attack Miss Nora of the Lixini Family, what do you think will happen next?"

"In the name of stopping criminal activity, the Church’s Temple Knights will intervene immediately and suppress the march," Miel said with a heavy tone, "So is this what we’re being tested on next?"

"Why would you think it’s a test... never mind," the figure in the black robe gestured dismissively, "do you see the direction they’re marching in?"

"In the central sewer of their route, I’ve pre-arranged several high-explosive bombs," the figure in the black robe gestured, and lights below the road surface lit up red, signaling that bombs were buried underneath, while the march’s frontline participants already unknowingly stepped on them.

At the same time, a button appeared in front of the two young girls.

"By pressing this button, all the bombs buried beneath the road will explode, killing these mercenaries before the attack occurs," the figure in the black robe said coldly, "Of course, given the current density of the marching crowd, a large number of ordinary people will also be involved in the casualties."

"If you don’t press it, then these mercenaries will follow their original plan and quietly assassinate your comrades."

"This is the content of the final challenge, make your choice. Whether you choose to save your comrades or these citizens depends on a single thought of yours."

Suddenly, a countdown appeared in the air, showing there were only 10 seconds left—exactly the time remaining before the mercenaries would close in on Nora and launch their silent assassination.

"What should we do?" Mia immediately became flustered, "Do we press it?"

"Wait a minute!" Miel also hesitated nervously.

If it were a choice between a comrade’s life and the lives of unrelated strangers, she’d naturally have only one answer.

But Nora and the others were not some defenseless, weak girls! Even if these mercenaries launched an assault, could they really harm them?

Was it justifiable to kill so many innocents just as a precaution?

"Make your move now!" Mia exclaimed excitedly, "No one will know it was us!"

"Don’t forget Medea’s ability to conspire!" Miel insisted, "She can sense incoming malice! It’ll be fine!"

"But what if!" Mia couldn’t help but reach out to press the button, "We can’t take that risk! Just for some strangers!"

"Wait!" Miel grabbed her hand and growled, "Listen to me! Don’t press it!"

Mia stared at her blankly.

She had never seen the usually amiable and approachable Miel show such firmness towards her.

"Fine!" Mia felt a mix of emotions, disappointment, and resentment, and then she crossed her arms, remaining silent.

Soon the countdown had reached its end. In the parade below, several people quietly squeezed through the crowd, moving toward the girls watching the commotion from the storefront.

Before they got within two meters of them, one of the girls with wine-red hair looked up and swept her gaze over the crowd.

The mercenaries froze, almost instantly losing control. The next second, they drew weapons from their arms and began mercilessly slaughtering each other.

Blood and flesh flew in all directions, screams erupted from the panicked parade crowd, spreading like a virus. However, the two girls on top of the building let out a sigh of relief.

Regardless, they had made the right gamble.

Their companions weren’t ambushed, nor had innocent people been dragged into the incident.

"So for you, are the lives of these people worth the risk of your friends being attacked?" The man in the black robe looked down at Miel.

"No." Miel shook her head calmly, "Actually, there’s not really a bomb under the road, right?"

"Ha?" Mia’s mouth dropped open in shock.

"Why do you think that?" The man in the black robe seemed surprised.

"Because of purpose." Miel answered, "Every test you’ve designed has a strong purpose."

"Mike and Maggie’s suicide was to show us the state of ordinary citizens."

"The professor’s murder was to make us realize the cause of this situation and point the finger at the Church Court and Torras Corporation."

"Obviously, you have a political stance on the side of the citizens, opposing the resource monopoly of the Church Court and Torras Corporation. Then it’s even more unlikely that you would sacrifice these innocent citizens who stepped out to protest just to test us."

"Hmm." The man in the black robe looked at Miel strangely, and after a long time, he slowly said:

"You know? Maybe I... not just I, Aske might have underestimated you, Miel."

He pulled down the hood covering his head, revealing a scholarly face with high cheekbones and deep eyes.

"Master?" Mia exclaimed, and Miel also looked surprised, "Sir Rasul?"

"It’s me." Rasul, the mentor from the Ilanian Assassin Organization, revealed his true face to the two girls, "I must say, you two are outstanding and have passed my test perfectly."

Just as Mia was about to run over cheerfully, she was stopped by Miel’s outstretched hand.

"Why did you test us?" Miel asked calmly.

"I’ve told you." Rasul smiled faintly, "I will give you a ’chance to change fate.’"

"But I had to make sure you were worthy of accepting it."

"So..." Miel hesitated slightly, "What exactly is the ’chance’ that can allow me to congeal the Fate Law?"

"It is an inheritance." Rasul said seriously, "An ancient and noble inheritance that since the Fourth Epoch has been known by many names."

"The Ancient Solomon Empire called us ’Freedom Society,’ while today the continental countries call us ’Assassin Brotherhood.’ In fact, the Assassin Organization is just our facade."

"Our real core organization is known as the ’Revolutionary Army,’ operating under the cover of the Assassin Brotherhood, always dedicated to helping people all over the world who yearn for freedom and a future to break free from the unequal exploitation order imposed by the Church Court and the Torras Corporation."

"Of course, the name Revolutionary Army is top-secret. Currently, only the Church Court has a vague awareness of our existence through Raphael’s calculations of Chaos."

"And they call us..."

"...Anti-Christ."