The sky over Wasser Fief seemed a few shades bluer than before.
The soot and dust that had perpetually shrouded the city had dissipated considerably with the temporary shutdown of the factories and the establishment of a new order.
Sunlight pierced through the clouds, spilling onto the reconstructed streets and illuminating the hopeful faces of the people.
Not far from the base of the Tower, the square that Otto once used for military parades and public executions had now become the liveliest place in Wasser Fief.
Lacey had set up the Workers' Party's temporary headquarters in several large halls on the Tower's ground floor, and every day he would make time to come to the square to personally participate in the promotion and implementation of the new policies.
Dressed in the same simple uniform as an ordinary Workers' Party member, with his sleeves rolled up, he stood among the populace and announced the first decrees of the new administration for the Wasser Fief Grand Region.
"...Effective today, all exorbitant taxes and levies imposed by Otto Gladstone are hereby abolished! Including the birth tax and the death tax!"
"All seized lands and houses will be returned to their original owners! Unclaimed land will be distributed by the Workers' Party to those most in need!"
"We will immediately open public canteens to ensure that no one goes hungry before production resumes!"
"Long live Lord Lacey!"
"Long live the Workers' Party!"
The announcement of each decree was met with a tsunami of cheers from the square.
People cried, laughed, and embraced one another.
To them, Lacey had brought not just food and land, but human dignity.
Just then, the sound of urgent hoofbeats, growing closer, interrupted the fervent atmosphere in the square.
A troop of armored cavalry, holding aloft the royal standard, escorted a magnificent carriage engraved with the royal crest to a halt at the edge of the square.
The cheering of the crowd gradually subsided as they automatically cleared a path, their gazes fixed on the uninvited guests.
A royal envoy stepped down from the carriage. He wore a well-tailored court uniform, his chin held high, his eyes filled with the characteristic arrogance of a capital official.
He scanned the raggedly dressed crowd, his brow furrowing in displeasure as if the very air here was foul.
Taylor led a squad of the workers' picket team forward, blocking his path.
"Who goes there?" Taylor's voice was loud and clear, neither servile nor overbearing.
The envoy glanced at Taylor and the spirited, armed picket members behind him, a flash of contempt in his eyes.
"How dare you! I am an envoy of Her Majesty the Empress, here on her orders to proclaim a decree! Where is your leader, Lacey? Have him come forward to receive it at once!"
His tone was imperious and condescending, as if Lacey were some minor figure who should be kneeling to receive his title.
Taylor watched him with a deadpan expression, neither making way nor going to report, standing there like a wall.
This silent slight was more infuriating to the envoy than any of the heated reactions he had anticipated.
"You... are you defying the Empress's command?" the envoy blustered, his stern exterior belying his inner fear.
Just as the atmosphere grew tense, Lacey's calm voice came from behind the crowd.
"Let him through."
The crowd parted, and Lacey walked out slowly.
He looked at the arrogant envoy, his face devoid of expression.
The envoy adjusted his collar, trying to regain his composure.
He unfurled the golden scroll in his hand, cleared his throat, and read aloud:
"In the name of the Twin Empresses, Herlinmarte Hildegard and Lizelotte Iwegnade! We hereby elevate Lacey, leader of the Workers' Party, to the station of Elector of the Imperial Wasser Fief Grand Region..."
"...From the day this decree takes effect, Lord Lacey shall hold a revered seat among the nine Electors of the Empire, with the right to participate in the Imperial Central Parliament. His will shall concern the future of the Empire, and his vote shall determine the succession to the throne..."
"...All military, political, judicial, and taxation powers within Wasser Fief shall be under his command, with his only obligation being loyalty to the Twin Crowns..."
"...Should any person question or defy this decree, it shall be considered contempt for the authority of the Twin Empresses, and they will be punished severely under Imperial law!"
The proclamation was read for more than ten minutes.
After a moment of stunned silence, the people erupted in ecstatic joy.
Her Majesty the Empress acknowledged Lord Lacey!
"Lacey! Lacey!"
From the crowd, the miner Markus raised his arm and shouted.
"Elector! Elector!"
Claude followed suit.
The next second, the entire square boiled over!
Cheers, whistles, and sobs mingled together, forming a wave of sound that shot toward the heavens.
Their beloved leader had officially obtained one of the most prestigious titles in all of Leithanien. This reassured them more than any decree ever could!
Amid the deafening cheers, Lacey took the decree from the hands of the envoy, whose expression was a mixture of complex emotions.
He turned to face all the people of Wasser Fief, then with a sharp motion, raised his hand high.
"Long live victory!"
The entire crowd imitated their lord's gesture, raising their arms in unison.
Then they roared as one:
"Long live victory!"
"Long live victory!!"
The revelry in the square reached its zenith.
People tossed their hats and headscarves into the air, shouting Lacey's name, their voices filled with boundless reverence and trust.
The royal envoy stood to the side, his face turning pale then green as he watched the fanatical scene before him.
He had thought he was coming to bestow a gift, only to find himself looking like a buffoon.
He could only retreat dejectedly with his men, not daring to utter another word.
...
That night, the news once again spread throughout Leithanien via newspapers and traveling merchants.
This time, the shockwave it created was even greater than that of Otto's death.
Her Majesty the Empress had actually acknowledged the status of this mud-caked peasant?
This Lacey had been formally invested as an Elector!
This news made it impossible for the other eight Electors of Leithanien to sit still.
...
Leithanien, the Heidenshweir Grand Region.
The Elector of Heidenshweir, a burly man with a thick, tangled beard, was sharpening his enormous battle-axe, stroke by stroke, with a whetstone.
Sparks flew, illuminating his grim face.
"A fellow who rose to power through lip service and inciting mobs is fit to be our equal?" he said gruffly to his advisor.
"Those two are becoming more foolish with age. They've forgotten who shed the most blood in the War of the Four Emperors!"
"My lord, this Lacey should not be underestimated," the advisor said with a bow.
"For him to have defeated Lord Otto so swiftly, he must be no ordinary man."
"I have also read his book. The ambition hidden within it is greater than all of ours combined."
The burly man stopped what he was doing and slammed the butt of his battle-axe on the floor.
"In the face of absolute military power, all ambition is a joke!"
"Send out the order: strengthen the border patrols! I'd like to see how well his rabble-rousing tricks work in my territory!"
...
In the east, the Caplania Grand Region, the most prosperous commercial hub.
Elector Meklen Neum, a portly man who looked more like a wealthy merchant than a noble, was leisurely sipping fragrant tea from Yan.
"Interesting, truly interesting," he said to his butler with a smile, setting down his teacup.
"Without spending a single coin on military expenses or shedding a drop of blood, he managed to crack that tough nut, Otto."
"This Lacey is quite the talent!"
"Master, should we do something? He has broken the rules, after all," the butler asked.
"Rules? Rules are made to be broken," Meklen Neum said with a wave of his hand.
"We'll wait and see. Send people to Wischeim and Wasser Fief to make contact with the Workers' Party. See if there's any business to be done."
"Remember, we are merchants. As long as there is money to be made, it doesn't matter who we partner with."
"As for politics... let the simple-minded fools worry about that."
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