The setting sun, red as blood, dyed the vast square a crimson hue.
The air was filled with dust, sweat, and a faint smell of blood.
Ragged refugees, men, women, old people, children...
They were like weeds that had been ravaged by a hurricane and then stubbornly regrown, packed densely in the square.
Their eyes were no longer turbid, no longer filled with pain, but rather full of hope and anticipation.
They were still themselves but they had been completely renewed.
At this moment, all the refugees' gazes were fixed on the figure on the high platform. That figure was not tall, even a little thin but it filled them with a sense of security.
As long as he stood there, he was like the sun, bringing warmth, hope, and strength to people.
Haruki's gaze swept over the crowd. Everyone stared at him intently, waiting for him to speak.
Haruki's gaze settled on the three people: Kojiro, Genra, and Muramasa.
His voice carried an undeniable decisiveness. "Comrade Kojiro, Comrade Genra, Comrade Muramasa."
A hint of confusion flashed in Kojiro's eyes.
Genra asked directly, "Haruki, why are you calling us 'Comrade'? What does 'Comrade' mean?"
Muramasa also looked at Haruki curiously.
Haruki smiled and explained, "'Comrade' means a companion with shared ideals. Calling each other this makes us feel closer and reminds us to always remember our ideals."
He looked at the dense crowd of refugees before him and said, "From now on, we will address each other as 'Comrade'."
His voice spread throughout the square.
The refugees called out this unfamiliar term with novelty.
"Comrade?"
"Comrade..."
"Comrade!"
"..."
They called out to each other.
This address seemed to genuinely possess magic. The distance between them was inexplicably shortened by this term.
"Comrade Kojiro?" Genra deliberately called out.
He had a brilliant smile on his face. "This address isn't bad at all."
Kojiro nodded. "Indeed."
This address could quickly bridge the distance between people.
Kojiro looked at Haruki, who stood at the highest point, a bright light flashing in his eyes.
What an amazing person!
Kojiro was certain that Haruki would definitely change the Ninja World in the future.
"Comrade Kojiro, Comrade Genra, Comrade Muramasa, move out!"
"Lead our comrades to inventory and register all the assets of the merchants of Nibi no Utsu one by one!"
"Grain, cloth, gold and silver, residences, land deeds..."
"Every stitch and thread must be recorded."
Kojiro, Muramasa, and Genra all knew Haruki's plan, so they didn't have the slightest doubt or hesitation, and they responded in unison, "Yes! Comrade Haruki!"
Haruki immediately felt the heavy burden of the task on his shoulders.
The refugees in the square watched him with bated breath. They didn't know what he was going to do, but they trusted him.
A person who would help them rise up and protect them was definitely not a bad person.
After Kojiro, Muramasa, and Genra led the ninja and samurai away, Haruki looked down at the countless gaunt faces below the platform.
He took a deep breath, and his clear, powerful voice rang out again. "Comrades!"
Just one address made countless people tremble.
"Today!"
"Right here!"
"We will personally break this man-eating order!"
"The wealth of Nibi no Utsu no longer belongs to any exploiter!"
"I announce that after our comrades have inventoried and registered them, all houses and land confiscated from the exploiters will be fairly and justly distributed by the distribution committee formed by our comrades to every comrade who needs it!"
"We will ensure that tillers have their land! Residents have their homes! We will ensure that the fruits of labor return to the laborers themselves!"
A deathly silence lasted for several minutes.
The refugees looked at Haruki, who had said these words, in disbelief.
Distribute... distribute to them... Is this true?
After several minutes of silence, the refugees suddenly erupted into a frenzy.
"What? Give them to us?"
"Houses? Land? Is it true?"
"Oh my god! I'm not dreaming, am I?"
"We actually survived to this day!"
"I never dreamed this day would come!"
"..."
Unbelievable ecstasy instantly overwhelmed everyone.
The refugees stood stunned, erupting in earth-shattering cries and cheers.
"We're saved!"
"We're saved!"
"This is actually true?"
"He didn't lie to us!"
"Thank you, Haruki-sama! Thank you for your grace, Lord!"
...
The refugees' waves of gratitude rose higher and higher.
The refugees spontaneously surged forward, wanting to get closer to the high platform, closer to Haruki, who had brought them hope and vitality.
However, facing their gratitude, Haruki on the high platform showed no joy.
He looked at everyone sternly, his voice overpowering all the cheers. "I said!"
"In the new Nibi no Utsu, there are no 'lords'!"
"All of us are comrades who build peace, maintain peace, and spread peace!"
"If everyone is truly grateful to me, please call me 'comrade'!"
Red light illuminated the earth.
Listening to the repeated calls of "Comrade" around him, Haruki showed a satisfied smile.