"What miserable weather!"
Dennis, the city sheriff, glanced at the overcast sky and grumbled.
It had been two days since William's promotion from knight to baron was officially approved in the royal court meeting.
For some reason, the weather over the past two days had grown increasingly stifling. The air was thick with humidity, an unusual occurrence even for an island nation like Navia Kingdom.
Everyone could tell a torrential downpour was imminent, yet the rain stubbornly held off, as if waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Beside Dennis, a uniformed officer stood fanning him with his cap, bending over backward to curry favor. However, the wind he stirred was just as hot and oppressive as the air around them. Irritated, Dennis shoved the sycophantic subordinate aside and led the way forward.
Today's royal court meeting had brought good news: William, the man Dennis had sworn allegiance to, had finally been appointed Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs. This gave him legitimate authority over the slums, including their crime, public order, education, and healthcare. It was this development that kept Dennis motivated to patrol the streets despite the sweltering summer heat.
The officer Dennis had pushed away showed no sign of displeasure and quickly rejoined him. Glancing at the sky, he cautiously suggested, "Sir, it looks like the rain could start at any moment. Perhaps we should head back before you get drenched."
"Being indoors isn't much better," Dennis replied dismissively. He wasn't truly that dedicated to his duties, but his time working under William had taught him a thing or two about his new superior's personality. He knew William valued diligent subordinates.
Dennis, a man with a penchant for gambling, had placed all his bets on William. Now that William's career was on the rise, Dennis was determined to prove his worth.
Leading a small group of officers, Dennis patrolled the streets one by one. When they reached the half-constructed city wall that marked the boundary between the noble district and the commoners' area, they spotted a group of well-dressed, arrogant young men swaggering out of the noble district.
Though Dennis himself was of noble birth, his family had fallen on hard times. He was well-acquainted with the behavior of these noble scions and had no desire to cause trouble. He led his men to the side of the road to avoid any confrontation.
As the group of about ten young nobles passed by, they glanced curiously at Dennis and his officers, who were drenched in sweat from their patrol. They openly pointed and made mocking remarks, laughing and jeering without restraint.
"I wonder how many girls from the slums are dreaming of becoming phoenixes," one young officer muttered bitterly, "only to be toyed with by those guys." His tone was a mix of envy and resentment.
"As long as they're not forcing anyone, it's none of our business," Dennis said indifferently, turning away. In truth, he knew that even if they were forcing someone, there wasn't much he could do. Such cases would inevitably be swept under the rug.
Just as Dennis and his team were about to leave, they noticed the group of nobles suddenly stop in their tracks. One of the young men at the back pointed toward the noble district behind them. Hearing the commotion, Dennis followed their gaze and immediately felt a sense of foreboding.
Emerging from the noble district was none other than Aureliano Buendía, the only son of Finance Minister Arcadio.
Aureliano had recently recovered from poisoning—poison that William had specifically prepared for Arcadio. William had never intended to kill Arcadio outright, so the poison he used was relatively mild. After receiving proper treatment, Aureliano was well enough to leave his sickbed and sneak out in search of entertainment.
Unaware of William's involvement in the poisoning, Dennis was astonished by Aureliano's resilience.
"Wasn't he poisoned? How is he out and about already?" Dennis thought to himself.
Arcadio was far from popular among the nobles in the district. On one hand, he had shattered the centuries-old unspoken rule among the aristocracy—similar to the saying "the law does not apply to the privileged"—by "ordering" Kuro to arrest and persecute other nobles on a large scale. On the other hand, his reliance on two individuals the nobles deemed lowborn and cunning—Kuro and William—had further fueled their disdain. Arcadio's tacit approval of Kuro's actions and his elevation of William to high office had made him a target of widespread contempt.
Dennis glanced at the group of young nobles and noticed their tense expressions. He guessed that someone among them might have had a family member recently investigated by Kuro.
Sure enough, with a shout, the group charged toward Aureliano, who was accompanied by only three robust servants.
The scions, furious, surrounded Aureliano and began beating him while hurling curses at both him and his father.
Aureliano, however, wasn't one to back down. The noble scions, lacking any real combat skills and generally unfit, struggled to land effective blows. Protected by his three servants, Aureliano barely took any hits. Enraged, he pointed at his attackers and shouted, "You—you... I'll remember all of you! I'll tell my father to have Kuro throw your entire families into prison!"
His threats only incited the young nobles further. Dennis and his officers quickly intervened, trying to separate the two groups.
However, they were vastly outnumbered. Aside from Dennis, the other officers—most of whom came from commoner or even slum backgrounds—were intimidated by the nobles' status and hesitated to act decisively, fearing they might accidentally injure someone.
One young noble, whose uncle had died in Kuro's prison, was particularly enraged by Aureliano's taunts. In a fit of fury, he pulled a small knife from his pocket.
Dennis caught sight of the motion out of the corner of his eye and was horrified. He tried to intervene, but it was too late. The knife flew through the air and struck Aureliano in the shoulder.
Aureliano let out a scream of pain. Most of the combatants, caught up in the chaos, didn't even notice the knife. Clutching his bleeding shoulder, Aureliano stared blankly at the wound before turning and running back toward the noble district. As he ran, he shouted, "Murder! Murder!"
His two remaining servants scrambled to follow him. The group of young nobles, unwilling to let him escape, gave chase. Dennis and his officers exchanged helpless glances, cursing their luck, but they had no choice but to follow.
The sight of more than twenty people brawling and chasing each other through the noble district was a rare spectacle. With tensions in the district already running high, news of the incident spread rapidly.
It wasn't long before the commotion reached the ears of Count Rielde, the Minister of Internal Affairs. Frowning, he paced his study in thought before summoning his butler and servants.
"Go and inform the other lords," Rielde ordered. "The noble families of Navia Kingdom have had enough of Arcadio's tyranny. The Buendía family has become a target of universal scorn in the noble district. It's time to remove this treacherous minister. Prepare the troops."
After taking a few more steps, Rielde added, "Bring me the Den Den Mushi. I need to make a call to Stolt."
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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