After assigning Dingel to Blois Barrier, Rosen hurried back to Valos. The Blois mission had gone smoother than he expected. By the next day, every barrier in the kingdom had received a letter of support from Duke Blois.
The letter condemned the king's tyranny, expressed sympathy for Duke Valos, and declared alignment with Princess Xia in upholding "justice."
It especially criticized the City Makers phenomenon, with sharp and powerful words directly targeting the king. The message resonated immediately with many City Makers.
Rosen hadn't anticipated this; it was clear Blois had his own intentions, which coincided with Rosen's goals.
Once released, the statement threw the kingdom into a whirlwind of public opinion. Duke Blois' low-profile nature made this public support shocking, even the king was stunned.
"What is going on? A single Valos Barrier—yet one of the three great dukes openly supports it? Am I to be seen as a complete tyrant?"
"Traitors! Damn it! Send 50,000 royal troops immediately! Flatten Blois and Valos Barriers! A few City Makers died, and they dare make such a fuss?" The king's rage reached unprecedented heights, and part of the royal army had already mobilized.
He wanted the world to see that anyone opposing Caligula XVIII would die. As king, he could not be insulted; anyone testing or provoking him must be destroyed.
"I only control two barriers, with roughly 10,000 soldiers, but we can fight. I hope Valos Barrier wins the first battle; otherwise, we're doomed," Duke Blois calmly told Dingel.
"Not being persuaded to surrender is already surprising. Valos Barrier's battle will begin, and the royal army will reach Blois even later," Dingel noted.
The army of another barrier remained loyal to Blois, showing strong allegiance to their duke.
Valos Barrier.
The assembly was ready. Once Princess Xia officially appeared, she would become the barrier's ruler, aiming to overthrow King Andia's reign.
High City Square, formerly a promenade for nobles and a stage for ducal proclamations, now hosted everyone in the barrier—around 200,000 people.
Vick felt tense. With so many people, any incident would be hard to control with only 5,000 city guards and Alice's 2,000 soldiers. The remaining 10,000 guards and 3,000 of Alice's troops were stationed on the outer walls, as scouts reported the royal army was near.
On the high platform, Xia appeared in full regalia, beautiful and dignified. She was nervous but composed, realizing the weight of responsibility she carried before so many people.
The crowd watched her closely. Nobles awaited her decisions; ordinary citizens followed the flow, and the City Makers plotted in secret to seize the barrier and fight for freedom.
"Everyone, move closer to the soldiers. Wait for my signal. First, control Xia and the nobles. These past days gave us rest, but don't forget: nobles' nature won't change. No hesitation," Sparks moved through the crowd toward the nobles.
Rosen stayed among the defenders, low-profile but keeping his Haki active. He sensed the movements of the common people and the hidden hostility. Ordinary eyes might not notice, but to him, it was clear—Blois had indeed chosen a capable ally.
"Alice, pull back Vick's forces. You take the front. There may be trouble, so control the crowd immediately. Do not kill—they are victims too, and we still need them," Rosen instructed Alice.
He noticed a family that had arrived earlier, still nervous and new to the situation, merely following the crowd.
"Understood," Alice nodded.
"People of Valos Barrier, you may wonder why the assembly convenes now. I want everyone to know what tomorrow holds," Xia began, scanning the crowd.
She had gone two nights without rest, studying Rosen's new-order principles and internalizing them. Now, her task was to convince the people. She believed if she accepted it, others—citizens and City Makers—would follow.
Hearing her, the residents grew silent, exchanging puzzled glances. What would tomorrow bring? Didn't such matters always belong to the ruling class? Why us?
"What tomorrow? We have no life but to be oppressed and abused!" someone shouted, likely a City Maker.
"You do have a choice. From today, Valos Barrier abolishes all noble privileges. Important positions will be awarded based on talent alone, regardless of being a citizen or a City Maker. No more distinctions—everyone is born equal," Xia declared calmly, unfurling a banner with the day's new laws.
Announcements would later be posted publicly in the square. The text was small but would become the barrier's enforced law.
"On what grounds? Our status comes from the king! You cannot revoke it—I refuse!" a noble shouted. Losing noble status meant being no different from the City Makers—a humiliation worse than death.
"Baron Secar, recorded for killing 35 female City Makers, under the new law, you are sentenced to death. Details will be posted in the square. Execution now." Xia glanced at him; being in the front row, he was easily identified.
The baron protested, "It was just City Makers, parasites! I've paid fines! You cannot—"
Bang! A shot pierced his head. The remaining nobles fell silent, realizing this new ruler might truly need no nobles.
"Act!" At the gunshot, Sparks leaped into the air. His muscles swelled, and in an instant, he grew from a three-meter man to a thirty-meter giant, bounding toward Xia.
(End of chapter)