While Count Rielde was strategizing in his study, Aureliano had already fled back to his family estate. Safely under the protection of the estate's servants and guards, the group of noble scions could do nothing but curse and leave. After all, they lacked the means to storm the residence of the Finance Minister.
Inside the estate, Arcadio looked at his terrified son and burst into laughter.
"Sir..." Butler Eaton cautiously called out.
"It seems they'll make their move within the next few days," Arcadio murmured to himself. He then turned to Eaton and instructed, "Go and ensure my esteemed guest is well taken care of."
Eaton quickly obeyed and left the room.
Arcadio remained in place for a moment, pondering. Then he pulled out his Den Den Mushi and dialed William.
...
On the balcony of his estate, William sat cross-legged in a chair, gazing at the ominous sky. Thick, pitch-black clouds blanketed the heavens, threatening to descend at any moment and crush the city beneath their weight.
A crew member from the Morgan Pirates entered the room and whispered into William's ear, recounting the earlier commotion in the noble district. After delivering the report, the crew member quickly retreated. Moments later, the Den Den Mushi beside William rang.
The caller was Count Rielde, the Minister of Internal Affairs. William responded with a single sentence: "Do what you must, just don't forget our agreement."
After hanging up on Count Rielde, the Den Den Mushi rang again—this time, it was Arcadio. William repeated the same words to him: "Do what you must, just don't forget our agreement."
Once the call with Arcadio ended, William tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest of his chair, closed his eyes in thought, and then dialed Harden. When the call connected, he issued a simple command:
"Seal the city!"
...
After putting down the Den Den Mushi, Arcadio felt somewhat reassured. He first summoned Kuro and discussed their plans, ensuring their stories aligned. Then, after some thought, he called for a servant to assist his injured son, Aureliano, who had only received basic treatment for his wound. Together, the four of them headed to the royal palace to meet King Norton I.
Standing before Norton I, Arcadio immediately had Kuro present evidence of Count Rielde's corruption. The evidence implicated Rielde in backing the city's alcohol trade through illicit means. Arcadio then used his injured son as a pawn in a "martyrdom strategy," framing the recent attack on Aureliano as part of Rielde's premeditated revenge.
Norton I appeared visibly surprised. However, as one of the kingdom's four key ministers, Rielde wielded significant influence. The evidence Arcadio provided might have been sufficient to ruin lesser nobles, but it was far from enough to topple Rielde. Moreover, Norton I himself hesitated to act against someone who had been entrenched in power for so long.
Sensing the king's reluctance, Arcadio wisely refrained from pushing too hard. His goal was not to force Norton I's hand immediately but to plant a seed of doubt in his mind. This would pave the way for Rielde to be charged with rebellion later, providing a plausible justification for action. At the same time, Arcadio hoped to provoke Rielde into making his move sooner rather than later.
While Arcadio was entering the royal palace to meet Norton I, a military officer from the royal guard had already rushed to Rielde's residence to warn him.
Inside the meeting room at Rielde's estate, the count stood solemnly before a gathering of nobles. Among them were civil officials and military officers, all of whom opposed Arcadio.
When they heard that Arcadio had brought Kuro and Aureliano to the royal palace, their expressions darkened.
"Everyone, the enemy is pressing forward step by step. We can no longer sit idly by!" Rielde declared.
...
"Deputy Director, are you really not going to leave anyone behind? If everyone leaves, the supplies will surely be stolen!"
Inside the relief center in the slums, a young female worker pleaded with Honoré, the deputy director.
Honoré, who had once collaborated with William in staging a performance, stood with his hands on his hips. "I said everyone leaves—no exceptions!"
The young woman hesitated, glancing toward the warehouse. Most of the workers came from the slums themselves and understood the hardships of life. "But the supplies in the warehouse..."
"That's not your concern," Honoré interrupted. "Orders from above—Kalmar City will be chaotic in the coming days. Get to the military camp near the docks and stay out of trouble!"
Under William's orders, all employees of the relief center evacuated to the military camp near the docks. The relief center, known for its humanitarian efforts in the slums, naturally attracted attention. Its sudden evacuation did not go unnoticed by the residents of the slums, especially since most of its workers had ties to the area, with friends and family scattered throughout. The news that Kalmar City was on the verge of chaos spread rapidly.
As the rumors circulated, they became increasingly exaggerated and detailed, with malicious individuals adding fuel to the fire. Eventually, the original story was distorted beyond recognition. Some claimed a high-ranking official in the noble district was planning a rebellion, while others said William and his backers had been overthrown.
Among the swirling rumors, one fact stood out: William and his armed forces had indeed vanished from the slums. To test the truth of the situation, the leader of a criminal gang sent a thief to the relief center to steal supplies. The thief returned unharmed, reporting that the warehouse was filled with items left behind in the hasty evacuation.
"Has that tyrant really fled with his tail between his legs?"
This question echoed in the minds of every gang leader in the slums.
Before they could celebrate William's departure, chaos erupted in the slums. It seemed that the moment William and his men left, order had collapsed.
Gang members roamed the streets, robbing and attacking rival factions. Fires broke out, and fights over relief center supplies escalated into violent brawls. Some instigators even began inciting residents to storm the noble district.
Standing on a high slope overlooking the growing turmoil in the slums, Dampier smirked sarcastically. Behind him stood several Morgan Pirates crew members disguised as gang members.
...
On the bow of a merchant ship, the navigator lowered his telescope, which had been aimed at Kalmar City. Frustrated, he muttered, "Those damn pirates! It's bad enough they extort us regularly, but now they're outright blocking access to the port—even for resupply! It's outrageous!"
Beside him, the bearded captain patted his shoulder. "Let it go. We can't afford to provoke them."
In the distance, Morgan Pirates' warships patrolled the surrounding waters, their flags bearing the grinning skull insignia fluttering in the wind. They aggressively drove away any vessel attempting to approach Kalmar City.
At the city's docks, other merchant ships were in an even worse predicament. Blocked by the pirates' warships, they were neither allowed to leave nor permitted to disembark.
A Marine warship stationed nearby observed the pirates' brazen actions. Aboard the ship, a soldier hurriedly dialed his superior's Den Den Mushi, which was still onshore.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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