There can't be a Harvest Moon in the RimWorld.

"I was busy preparing these meals, otherwise where would you get so much food? Also, I went to Mount Maders..."

Dart's wife died in a fall from a cliff on the mountain, so he goes up the mountain to pay his respects every autumn.

Upon closer reflection, this long-awaited festival in Mineral Town was less a reflection of Mr. Dart's hopes and more a reflection of his lingering attachment to his deceased wife.

I clinked glasses with the boss and said to him, "Boss, Mineral Town is no longer the Mineral Town it used to be, and life will be a new life. Instead of hoping for echoes from the past, we should focus on the present, think about what we can still do to commemorate these figures that are gradually fading away."

Boss Dart said expressionlessly, "Where did you get these insights from? Why do you look like you've seen it all before? Go do your thing, I have my own life plans."

I walked away dejectedly and sat back in my seat, right next to the guests from the Brown Pool tribe.

Several girls gathered together, chattering away, occupying the spot closest to the television. Yu and Mei, the two little girls, ran around freely after eating, seemingly without a care in the world as no one was watching them tonight.

During the short time I was away, under the influence of alcohol and social interaction, everyone's faces were flushed, and they started shouting and yelling along with Sebala and the other old drunks.

As expected, the adult world is the most boring, and unsurprisingly, we entered the stage of getting drunk and bragging to each other!

Sebala boasted about the ghost stories he encountered during his youthful travels, Old Muchi talked about the strange things that happened when he joined the army, and Boss Dick, not to be outdone, vividly described the inexplicable and bizarre events in the decadent world of high society.

The Brown Pool tribe was more simple and unpretentious. Franky recounted the strange stories about the legless woman and the disappearing companions that had happened during his years as a merchant.

As time went on, Thomas, who was wearing the mayor's uniform, also got drunk. His nose was as red as a light bulb. He struggled to climb onto the table and gave a passionate speech.

"First of all, thank you to our guests who have traveled from afar and brought us so many products!"

Thomas's voice was quite penetrating, immediately attracting everyone's attention.

"For a long time, Mineral Town has been located on the periphery of the outer sea routes, with trade activities far removed from the core areas. Everyone had to rely on their own hands to make a living, and the hardships they endured are beyond words. Today, let us raise a glass to the guests of this town!"

Thomas stood on the table, chest puffed out and belly protruding, raising his glass high. His posture, while enthusiastic, carried a touch of solemnity. As expected, the whole room erupted in cheers and applause, which moved the tribesmen of Bertholdt.

I couldn't help but wonder why I hadn't noticed Thomas the Tank Engine before. He speaks so eloquently. What did he do before?

After thinking for a moment, I finally attributed the reason to him. After all, I've seen him snoring more often than I've seen him speak; it would be a miracle if I were even familiar with him.

Only after the applause and cheers gradually subsided did Thomas continue, "Secondly, we must thank Marcus for his hard work; it is he who has brought us this wonderful event today!"

The applause from the entire audience surged towards me again.

"No problem, no problem, everyone have a good meal and drinks."

My expression was calm, and my breathing was even. I felt no discomfort whatsoever.

Social butterflies like me have to thank the internet for its influence—before I came across it, I was a shy and insecure person who didn't even dare to talk to people. The internet made me cheerful and confident, and now I'm incredibly arrogant.

"The significance of these goods is self-evident. When I first arrived in Mineral Town, I had a grand plan to transform the area and create a completely new development model! Meeting our distinguished guests today has made my plan even clearer!"

Thomas coughed lightly, deliberately pausing to whet the appetite of the audience.

"My plan is to use the goods to create an economic belt centered on the mining town, and then expand this shipping route into a commercial route centered on the mining town! Given that this is a model established through economic belts and trade routes, I would like to call this grand economic plan 'One Belt, One Road'..."

shut up!

Before Thomas could finish speaking, I covered his mouth and pulled him off the table, chugging down two glasses of wine for him, then tossed him aside and stood on the table myself!

"Ahem, Thomas's had too much to drink and actually leaked our draft plan first... That's right, we do have a plan! The original name of this plan was One Piece! I prefer to call it the Grand Line Plan!"

When I cleverly smoothed things over, everyone in the tavern beamed with joy, and another round of thunderous applause erupted.

That was close! This book almost ended again!

But without my noticing, Thomas the Tank Engine, who had been drunk and lying on the ground, somehow climbed onto another table, raised his hands high, and enjoyed the cheers of the crowd with a delighted expression, and then continued speaking.

"This last toast is also for the residents of Mineral Town! It is you who made this once desolate and remote town what it is! It is you who created the laughter and joy every day! It is you who protected our fleeting peaceful life!"

Thomas's eyes reddened as he spoke, and he emotionally downed the last of his drink in one gulp. He looked at each of the residents in the room and choked out his words.

"It is also you who will support me in completing this plan, and I will surely bring the promised good life! Tell me, isn't that right? Who will you vote for!"

...This Thomas the Tank Engine tactic seems familiar. First, he thanks everyone, then tries to garner votes by appealing to emotions? Aren't we prohibited from soliciting votes and rankings when posting articles now? Where did this person get this professional habit?

But the speech had to be called perfect. Even Bertholdt and the others applauded after listening to it, looking as satisfied as if they had finally achieved their dream.

Gogoias, his face flushed, clapped and roared, fueled by alcohol, "I support you! This vote will always belong to you!"

Who are you? You're not a resident of Mineral Town, so who asked you to vote?

Even the cold-faced melon vendor, Bauer, blushed, while Franky remained the calmest, making no strange moves. He simply leaned closer to Bertholdt and whispered something.

"Professor Bertholdt, do you think it's possible—I mean, just a possibility, without any evidence—that Marcus isn't actually the mayor, and Thomas is?"

Bertholdt pondered for a moment, "Your idea is very innovative. Don't be ashamed to bring it up in the future. Even the most outrageous ideas can be of reference value."

"Okay, teacher."

...You only just realized it now? You two have been pretending to be so profound all day long, I almost fell for it, but what's really going on in your heads?!

In the bustling pub, I decided to stay away from the drunken crowd, so I went to find Mr. Dart next to me, who happened to be looking at me as well.

“Marcus, I’ve also contacted the person you’re looking for, and he’s here.”

I asked my boss to contact the Sailors' Alliance on a whim, and I got news so quickly?

The connections of this Dart owner have always been a mystery, covering all aspects of politics, business, missing persons, shopping, and other fields, and he can get all the information one step ahead of others.

Mr. Dart gestured for me to look behind me.

“Marcus, I’m sorry about Mineral Town…”

Kai, whom we hadn't seen for a long time, arrived at the tavern looking travel-worn, with water still clinging to his trousers.

I gestured for him to sit at the bar, and Mr. Dart poured him a drink and placed it in front of him.

I said, "It's okay, sit down and we'll talk."

Kay removed her purple headscarf, her face still filled with guilt: "When I left, the operations force was still stationed here. Sparrow promised me that we would be compensated for any losses incurred together, but I didn't expect them to take advantage of Zack's unconsciousness and attack again..."

I waved my hand: "This isn't your problem. Even if Mr. Rhodes were still in town, let alone Sparrow's promise, he couldn't stop the Federation's actions. After all, they did offer a discount, they just won't let us spend the money..."

I chuckled coldly twice and turned to ask, "So, what's going on your end? After hearing the news you brought back, did the Navigators' Alliance suddenly realize they should follow your lead?"

Kai said with a wry smile, "Boss Dart told me before that everything you guessed was right. Apart from Chairman Barbossa, no one in the Alliance accepts the information I brought back. They even used the Ghost Fleet, which my grandfather was in charge of, to demand that we hand over decision-making power and that the Kai family pay for the losses caused by the Ghost Fleet project..."

Hey, is that even a question?

The truth may be something that those who care about it can be willing to die for, but it is of no use to others.

Just like the word "treasure," which for most people symbolizes desire, dreams, excitement, and the hope of a lifetime of struggle, it must bring benefits—you can't say that a penniless person finds a treasure and becomes an even poorer penniless person overnight, right? Unless the "treasure" in "treasure" is used as a nickname, like the "baby" in "treasure."

Coincidentally, the current Navigator Alliance is partly composed of those who uphold the truth, and more of them are there for the treasure.

Like I said, since the shipping route from Mineral Town can be developed into One Piece, there are countless different One Pieces in this vast open sea. So, am I supposed to listen to the truth, give up my status, and go back to living my own life?

After the Navigators' Alliance split and reorganized, the members and their intentions were different. At this time, Kai went back and threw out a number, telling everyone to stop looking and that the ultimate answer to the universe was 42. How could anyone give up like that?

On the contrary, the guy who tries to define the alliance's purpose will be attacked by the crowd and questioned about his intentions, goals, and who is backing him.

"Relax. Let me tell you something else. These people who question you are clearly not on your side. What you need to do is find and win over those skeptical centrists among the silent ones, and identify reliable allies. By the way, I always felt that only Sparrow, who was ultimately the one to follow you, could be considered your ally."

Kai's face darkened upon hearing this. No one could accept the fact that his only companion was the mastermind behind the split of the Brotherhood of Navigation, a family feud.

Ironically, within the vast League of Navigators, only the Sparrow and Kai families joined forces to witness the final glory of their ancestral "great nation."

I patted him on the shoulder and said, "Don't worry, I'll introduce you to some new customers. The goods they bring could very well be your chance to turn things around."

I led Kai to the table of the Brown Pool Tribe guests and found Bertholdt and Gray having a drinking contest. The two sat facing each other, drinking one glass after another in a heated exchange, while Yu clapped and cheered them on.

"Come on, Gray! Don't lose!"

...Why are these two clashing again?

The last time they met, one was the chief and leader of the Giant River tribe, and the other was the White Falcon chief and challenger of the Cedar Clan. They had been locked in a fierce power struggle for quite some time. Gray was outmaneuvered back then, and now, so much time has passed, he still holds a grudge?

Franky, who hadn't drunk much, exclaimed upon my arrival, "Chief White Falcon is truly remarkable! I haven't seen anyone like him, someone who can rival Professor Bertholdt, in a long time!"

You're welcome. If Karen had been in this match, we would have won long ago. The problem is we might not even make it out of this tavern.

Then, with his sharp eyes, he spotted Kai's unfamiliar face. "By the way, I haven't asked who this is yet?"

"I won!"

Gray slammed down the drink in his glass, looked at Bertholdt smugly, and then slurred to Franky, "I, I'll introduce you!"

He staggered forward and grabbed my shoulder. "This is my brother!"

After saying that, he introduced Kai, "This is my second brother!"

Finally, he bent down and pointed at You, "This is my third brother... Ugh... Get me a basin..."

(╯°□°）╯︵┻━┻，Then we three brothers thank you. So you're the middleman for the sworn brotherhood? In the Oath of the Peach Garden, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei swore brotherhood with the righteous and loyal Guan Yu?

Chapter 675 Harvest Festival in Mineral Town (4)

I pulled You out of the group of drunks and handed him back to his sister. Then I joined the group of girls. Amidst the noise, it felt like only here could I find a rare moment of peace.

"Ellie, take good care of my third brother and don't let him run around anymore."

"Marcus, you've arrived just in time!"

As soon as I showed up, Karen spotted me and grabbed me, saying, "Tell me, which one do you think is prettier?"

The girls all stared at me, their eyes relentlessly questioning me, as if they would euthanize me if my answers didn't meet their expectations. What was this desperate situation all about? Had I somehow stumbled into a script written by Emiya and Shiki?

Huh? Such a shocking question right off the bat? I just got up and was brushing my teeth when I happened to pass by; I wasn't prepared at all!

I immediately fell silent, feeling as if the piercing gaze had materialized, eventually transforming into a multitude of options piled up in front of my monitor, each pointing to a different Bad End!

...If every ending is a Bad End, then it should be the legendary True End, right? Everyone dies eventually, right?

And what's with even Mei, that little girl, staring at me?! My strategy guide doesn't have such a ruthless option!

Just as I was sweating profusely, my legs were trembling, and I was planning to escape this hellish place at the shortest distance and find some random interstellar wilderness to live out the rest of my life as a pirate, Jay squeezed in front of me and suddenly unfolded a piece of drawing paper!

"Which one do you think looks better? Tell me quickly!"

On the wide white paper are a series of different drawings, some with childlike strokes, some with simple strokes, and some with gorgeous and beautiful strokes. They are all drawn with pencils, depicting different shapes, but all revolving around a hexagonal pattern.

So it was a critique of paintings?

"You should have said so earlier!"

"Why didn't you say so earlier?" Karen looked at me suspiciously.

"...I thought they were judging calligraphy!"

I wiped away a bead of cold sweat. "What kind of competition is this?"