I Became a Witch and Started an Industrial Revolution

“Long live Mitia!!!”

“Long live Mitia!!!”

Bursts of loud cheers drifted from Alos Park to the outside from time to time.

Occasionally, pedestrians entered joyfully, each of them wanting to see with their own eyes the one who had completely changed their lives.

The park had once been the back garden of Count Alos’ family, confiscated and reclaimed as part of the territory.

Today was also its first official day of being open to the public; with just a small admission fee, one could enter to stroll and play.

And since Mitia had not yet left Alos, she took this opportunity to hold her speech here.

For those unable to attend, it was of no matter—trucks fitted with large loudspeakers patrolled across the entire territory, broadcasting her voice.

Amidst the cheers, Mitia stepped onto the platform.

Looking at the civilians below, their eyes burning with expectation fixed upon her, she did not set up any preamble but opened directly:

“The bakers who make bread cannot taste even a single crumb, the cobblers who make and mend shoes walk with their toes exposed, the tailors who weave and sew clothes are themselves in rags, and the masons who build splendid castles and palaces live in huts with wind blowing through the walls.”

“Those who produce everything have nothing; those who produce nothing have everything. Why is it so? Who, in the end, has stripped away everything that rightfully belonged to the people?”

Seeing the crowd below sink into confusion and thought, Mitia gave the answer outright: “It is the nobles! It is all the privileged classes!”

“The castles nobles live in are built by masons. Their extravagant and costly garments are sewn by tailors. The jewels they adore are mined by miners. The delicacies they eat are grown by farmers.”

“Food is what all people rely on to survive, yet the farmers who plant that food lose loved ones to hunger year after year. Even their right to be human is stripped away, and they are called serfs!”

“I believe many of you have once wondered why things are this way. Why is it that even though I only want to live diligently, without breaking laws or doing wrong, I am still beaten, cursed, and starved by those so-called masters?”

Mitia’s voice reverberated through the skies of the entire territory, her questions striking at the very core of doubts buried deep within the hearts of most common folk.

Why was it that living honestly under the lord’s decrees, committing no evil, laboring in the fields with all one’s strength until exhaustion, still could not even fulfill the most basic need of filling one’s family’s bellies?

“The nobles say it is fate. They say it is because you lack noble blood, because you are not diligent enough, because you refuse to accept your lot!”

The noble families undergoing labor reform in dangerous regions raised their heads toward the source of the voice.

From their numb eyes suddenly burst forth intense hatred and incomprehension.

Nobles were of noble blood; their status was sacred and inviolable.

This was what they had been taught from childhood.

They saw nothing wrong with it.

My ancestors shed blood for the kingdom.

The money in my family was earned through the hard work of my forebears.

I do not suffer hardship because my ancestors have already suffered it for me—this life, the next life, and the life after that!

By what right does she judge us? By what right does she confiscate the wealth our families have accumulated for generations? By what right can we not live better than commoners, when our lineage has worked for it through generations?!

If you live poorly, blame your own ancestors for not working hard enough.

How can you blame ours for working too hard? This is unreasonable, barbaric robbery!

In their eyes, Mitia was nothing more than a lunatic—a madwoman who hunted and struck at her own “kind,” a true and undeniable first-class traitor to the nobility.

“One percent of the noble class holds ninety-nine percent of the wealth and resources in this world. Even if ninety-nine percent of their wealth were to vanish overnight, they would still be richer than ninety-nine point nine-nine percent of all ordinary people in the world. On what grounds?!”

“Perhaps some of you still believe in the words of the nobles, holding fast to their claims that they are naturally noble. But please, look now at the very ground beneath your feet. Look at the people around you. Everyone is here—except nobles.”

“You have already proven that without nobles you can live better. But nobles cannot prove that without you they could still survive!”

The densely packed crowd below kept their eyes fixed upon the young girl on the stage.

As she spoke, they thought of the food now in their homes, and the clothing that always kept their bodies warm.

Yes! There were no nobles here now! Everything was created by people like us! And indeed, we were living well—better than before by a thousand times!

The confusion in their eyes gradually faded, replaced by an ever-brightening light.

An unprecedented feeling began to sprout within their hearts, spreading and growing at astonishing speed.

It had a fitting name: confidence.

“This society needs farmers, needs craftsmen, needs merchants, needs scientists—but it does not need nobles!”

With her resolute, cutting words, Mitia’s declaration fell.

Instantly, the crowd erupted in thunderous cheers.

From every direction, the same voices rose in response, shaking the entire Alos territory as if the land itself trembled.

“Everything here was created by us! We can live well by relying on ourselves!”

“That’s right! We do not need nobles!”

“This is the truth!”

“Yes, it must be! This is the truth!!!”

Turning back in realization, they suddenly understood—they truly had gained everything they desired through their own efforts.

All it took was the absence of nobles for their lives to improve.

Again and again, similar voices rang out through the crowd.

The same conviction spread between them.

No longer did they need to run through the rain—because the sun had come out!

“Common prosperity—Alos territory is one of the pioneers of this idea. We have proven this path is viable. Now, every household has milk and bread on the table!”

“We cannot allow the nobles the chance to return! We must liberate all those still suffering under noble oppression, so that they too may live well, so that they too may eat milk and bread!”

“Each of us is but a weak spark, giving off a faint and fleeting light.

But if we gather together, a spark can ignite a prairie fire!”

“Unite with all who can be united! We must unite! Unite again!”

“Let the nobles go mad! Let them walk toward death together with their damned Empire! For the people—will rise upon the ruins of the Empire!”

Mitia raised her arm high and shouted: “Long live the people!!!”

The crowd responded with a tidal wave of voices:

“Long live Mitia!!!”

“Long live the glorious people!!!”

“Long live Mitia!!!”

Anna watched this scene, utterly entranced, then quickly and devoutly jotted notes into her notebook.

She wanted to record Mitia’s every thought and word, to study and memorize them well, so that one day she could spread Mitia’s ideals to more of the people.

While pursuing advanced studies at school, she had read through continental history.

In the history books, stories of commoners overthrowing nobles were not absent.

But without exception, every such story ended with those same commoners transforming into new nobles.

And even… they oppressed the people more ruthlessly and unscrupulously than the old nobles had.

Yet Mitia was the first in history to overthrow the noble class while being a noble herself.

This was both great and precious.

For she had opened a special path—teaching those noble youths who pitied the people, who loathed the rot of society yet found no outlet to change it, how change could truly be made.

In the future, more and more noble youths would surely take her as their example, walking upon the same or similar path.

Just as she had once said:

“This world does not care about one more noble master who exploits the people, who acts with impunity, who flaunts arrogance. But what it sorely lacks—are those willing to change such injustice.”

“Perhaps many will curse me for what I do now, perhaps many will question me. But I believe this: I may be the first noble in this world to act so—but I will by no means be the last!”