"I thought you were really bold, but it turns out you were all talk," Rosen said, finally feeling relieved as Alice turned and left. A paper tiger—she had intimidated him before, but now it was laughable.
"Wrong timing, no tech to modify. Next time," she added.
Rosen: …
"Impressive," Vic muttered, watching the formerly downtrodden City Makers now working efficiently—no, citizens now—astonished by their transformation.
A few days had passed since the assembly, and every promise Xia made had been implemented.
The City Makers' morale had completely changed. Their productivity soared, and in their spare time, they even farmed.
Though the Barrier's inner land was limited, they could now hunt, fish, reclaim wilderness, and grow vegetables. Their income had improved.
Previously, failure to meet work quotas meant brutal punishment, often death. There was no time for hunting or fishing—the nobles only saw them as tools, not creators.
Now, working for themselves, they performed just as efficiently. Even the supervisors were idle. Damn, everyone worked so hard, what use were supervisors?
"Captain, why are you carrying bricks yourself?" a soldier asked, surprised to see his leader join the workforce.
Before, cruel overseers punished City Makers without mercy, but that was under noble supervision—if the workers resisted, the overseers alone suffered.
Those cruel overseers had been removed alongside the nobles.
To win hearts, Xia used a system of collective reporting, which engaged the City Makers and exposed those who had killed innocents.
"They seem happy. Let's see if it differs from our work," the captain said.
The soldier was speechless—this was busywork for no gain. Could they even earn extra pay?
"The wood is enough, but the house looks different from what I imagined," Sparks said, hammer in hand, inspecting crooked wooden walls. Previously controlled tools were now available for use once registered.
The previous intense labor hadn't exhausted Sparks; it had strengthened him. Now he worked about nine hours a day, leaving plenty of free time.
Energetic, he became the first to attempt building a house, though he lacked talent.
"Brother Sparks, why build a house now? If the King's army comes, it might get destroyed. Better to earn money; if we lose, at least we have something to escape with," joked a companion weeding nearby.
"He dares. Damn it, I can't let some army destroy my work. By the way, didn't you plant a small vegetable patch?" Sparks retorted. Though imperfect, it took days and trips to the outer forest for quality wood.
"Planted a bit outside. Damn… if the army comes, my patch will be hit first. Why attack Valros Barrier? They're full already," his companion muttered.
"They fear Princess Xia threatens their rule. Her kingdom leaves little room for nobles," another speculated.
"Touch my house, you're dead. Same for my vegetables. I won't let the Barrier suffer; my wife is still recovering," Sparks said.
"The army should be close."
"Yes, soon," Sparks replied, eyeing the reinforced walls. Even so, facing multiple armies, the Barrier might not hold. This was only the vanguard; a prolonged battle could bring the full force of the kingdom.
Could their improved life vanish so soon?
"My spies in the capital report the King's army is mobilizing for war. Blois has gathered troops; Remont has started moving. But a noble squad hasn't followed the King, likely swayed by Blois' petition. This weakens the King's control—a good sign," Rosen summarized.
"Now it depends on how well this war is fought," Xia said, concerned. They were outnumbered, and Rosen couldn't act recklessly.
Most only knew of a strong guard by her side. Repeated appearances might reveal patterns, but he wouldn't act openly, only covertly.
Intelligence reported 80,000 troops camped in the forest outside the Barrier. The army had cleared nearby woods to prevent ambushes.
From the tower, Rosen saw the endless soldiers—80,000—a daunting sight.
They were setting up siege weapons. Even though powerful individuals existed, skilled coordination and strategy made defeating strong foes common.
"Is that a giant? Bigger than Sparks' transformed size," Rosen observed. Reports identified him as James, a giant army captain, indebted to the King and serving him.
His size rendered normal walls nearly ineffective; cannon fire barely harmed him unless focused. His defense was formidable.
Boom! Suddenly, a deafening roar came from above.
James had grabbed a sharp boulder and hurled it with his forty-meter frame; even a massive rock became a mere projectile.
"Enemy attack!" the alarm rang out.
"Too big! Fire the cannons!"
"It's no use! Too big, it won't break." The high-speed boulder evaded most firepower; single shots were futile.
"Here it comes! Damn! The King's captain himself! How do we fight a giant?!"
"Enlarge! Titan body, iron fist!" Sparks leapt from the wall, his body suddenly growing massive. He smashed the boulder with one punch.
"A giant? No, did I just see that? A Devil Fruit user?" James was startled. What had begun as a test attack was interrupted by this unexpected power.
(End of Chapter)