"Thank you, everyone, for your patience."
Zack took the speaking tool in his hands and stepped forward to the center of the circular platform. Queen Mother stood proudly beside him, her presence radiating authority and grace. Subordinate Woman and Rugged Woman positioned themselves nearby, showing their support.
The crowd fell silent; all eyes fixed on the young man who had just sentenced their former tyrant to death.
"I KNOW things have been hectic for everyone, and what we introduced here today can be a bit confusing," Zack acknowledged, his voice carrying across the assembly. "But you don't have to worry, because we will slowly make these changes around the city and dedicate a special team to help people understand how things are evolving. We'll make sure no one gets left behind in confusion."
He paused, letting his words settle before continuing.
"For now, I will try to give you a brief summary and explain the last section in more detail afterward."
Zack took a breath and began his explanation, his confident clear voice made everyone clear and confident.
"First, we introduced the Effort Points System to replace the traditional Money System. This was done for several important reasons."
He raised one finger.
"Number one: Effort-Based Payment. This means that sectors which previously had no monetary value, or had widely varying and unfair wages, will now have nearly the same baseline compensation with some modifications based on their specific workplace conditions."
He gestured broadly to the crowd.
"For example, a housewife previously had no monetary value assigned to her labor, all the cooking, cleaning, child-rearing, and household management was considered worthless in economic terms. We will now give them a fair amount of Effort Points that reflects the actual value of their work."
Murmurs of approval rippled through the crowd, especially from women who had never been compensated for their domestic labor.
"In the cases of maids and butlers, their payment was solely dependent on the generosity or cruelty of the house they served. That will no longer be the case….a base standard of points will be preset as a minimum wage. Farmers, low-end workers, and many others will also be safeguarded with fair baseline compensation."
He raised a second finger.
"Number two: Deserving people will be placed in positions based on merit, not connections or birth. If you have put in your hard work, then you will be rewarded better than those who coast by. If your work is exceptional, then you will reach higher positions…..no more incompetent people at the top simply because they were born into the right family!"
Cheers erupted from various sections of the crowd, especially from the lower districts where talent had been systematically suppressed.
Zack raised a third finger.
"Number three: To reduce wealth inequality between the rich and the poor."
He held up his hand to forestall protests from the Crown district representatives.
"The important thing to note here is that just because we are giving everyone a better baseline number of points based on their work, that doesn't mean everyone will be completely equal. A house guard would still earn fewer points than, say a doctor since the skills and training required are different. The only thing we are doing is making the gap smaller and more fair. We're not trying to eliminate all differences, just eliminate exploitation."
He nodded toward Queen Mother, who nodded in agreement.
"How we will calculate each and every person's points will be researched more thoroughly in the coming days, and the formula will be published publicly in the future. The same transparency applies to those working in import and export, since the world outside City Of Eirs still operates on traditional money and we need to interface with them."
Zack paused deliberately, giving everyone a breather as he checked his notes for further details. The silence was filled with the sound of people processing this revolutionary information.
After a moment, he continued.
"We believe this system will work because our ultimate goal is to become self-sufficient in everything. That's what we talked about in the second section….foods, energy tools, raw materials, and so on. This was done specifically to remove the monopoly that a few powerful families held over every sector of our economy. The Effort system point is to motivate people to do what they love and when people do what they love good things happen….And with that believe we are sure our City will developed more and more in coming days."
He swept his arm across the plaza to quite the murmurs.
"Now in theory everything will be owned by Queen Palace, but it's the people who will actually control these industries and decide what to produce, how to produce it, how to distribute it and even the profits will be for the people….. And who will overlook everything??? That's where the Leaders of each rock district will play an incredibly important role as representatives of their communities."
His voice grew more enthusiastic.
"The more we produce, and the better quality we achieve, the lower the prices will become for everyone. We'll also be able to export our surplus, bringing wealth into City of Eirs from outside. We still need more skilled people to help with this transformation, so if you know someone who could provide their expertise in farming, manufacturing, or any useful sectors, we welcome them with open arms!"
Zack took another pause, drinking some water to wet his throat. After collecting his thoughts, he spoke again.
"In this next section, we will talk about things that focus specifically on people's wellbeing and working conditions."
His expression became more serious.
"One thing everyone has to keep in mind is that we will actively reduce unfair practices in every sector and try to increase the good things that benefit people."
He began listing examples.
"For jobs, we'll ensure equal opportunity and fair positions for everyone based purely on their skills…. not whether they are disabled, newly married, or planning to have babies. Not whether they're politically active or happen to disagree with their boss on personal matters."
His voice hardened with righteous anger.
"We will also eliminate bad practices like the rampant harassment of male and female colleagues, overworking people literally to death, withholding wages for petty reasons, and creating hostile work environments that crush people's spirits."
As Zack spoke passionately about workplace reforms, several so-called top bosses were being arrested in the midst of his speech. Guards quietly escorted them away from the crowd as he continued talking.
In Queen Mother's private viewing area, Office Woman suddenly broke down crying hard. Tears of relief streamed down her face as she watched the men who had sexually harassed her for years finally getting what they deserved.
Beside her, the pregnant wife also cried intensely, seeing her husband's cruel bosses being led away in handcuffs. She looked down at her husband, who was still unconscious and sleeping like a log on the sofa, exhausted from everything he'd endured.
She smiled through her tears and gently took his limp hand, placing it on her swollen belly. She leaned her shoulder against his and whispered softly, "Child, the promise has been fulfilled. Let's stay together while enjoying the beautiful life we deserve."
Her hand rubbed her belly protectively while holding her husband hand, feeling their baby move inside.
.
Back on the main stage, Zack continued his address.
"We will also be focusing heavily on education. You may not know this, but several top teachers were arrested today for playing with the lives of children… They were selling papers, showing favoritism to wealthy families, and crushing the dreams of talented students from poor backgrounds and also sexually harassing them."
Gasps of shock rippled through the crowd.
"We will expand the school system and try to make education better and more accessible. We're also adding new sections where people who somehow were not able to study due to several reason will be given a chance to rediscover knowledge and pursue learning."
He looked directly toward the Queen's private area, his eyes finding a specific person.
"And yes, that absolutely includes beautiful ladies who want to go back and study to their heart's content if they were prevented from doing so before due to family pressure, early marriage, or any other reason. Education is for everyone, regardless of age or gender."
In the private area, Twin's mother looked at Zack with teary eyes, overwhelmed by gratitude. Her children, sitting beside her, noticed their mother's emotion and celebrated her happiness with enthusiastic hugs, not fully understanding but just feeling her joy.
Zack's voice grew stronger as he listed more reforms.
"Safety is a major concern among our people. As we grow financially stronger through these reforms, we will increase the number of guards in the city to make it a safer place for everyone….especially women and children who currently fear walking alone at night."
"Infrastructure around the city will be developed and improved, and yes, even outside the city walls that have been neglected for decades."
"Product prices will be regulated properly to prevent gouging and ensure fairness. No more charging different prices based on which district someone comes from."
His tone became grave and serious.
"ALL THESE THINGS WILL ONLY WORK IF THERE ARE PROPER RULES, REGULATIONS, ACCOUNTABILITY, TRANSPARENCY, AND PUNISHMENT SYSTEMS IN PLACE."
He began explaining the enforcement mechanisms.
"For example, Effort Points can be deducted if you engage in harmful behaviors… like cheating customers, exploiting workers, or breaking community standards. On the other hand, Effort Points are only given when your work serves genuine value to society."
He provided a specific example.
"A painter just painting alone in his home for personal enjoyment will not be given Effort Points for that hobby. But that doesn't mean he will be given less compensation if he's painting professionally for a company, creating art that others value. The difference is whether you're contributing to society or just pursuing personal leisure. And if they try to sell their art using unfair means or pricing differently than the market given formula then their points will be deducted and he or she may also be jailed depending on his level of crime"
Zack's voice grew harder, more commanding.
"To avoid monopolies from reforming, Queen Palace will retain ultimate ownership rights but as told before will be controlled by common people. And since those things will be controlled by people, houses, and companies then they must provide detailed transparent reports on their inner workings…..all prices, all costs, all decisions must be documented and available for inspection."
He paused for emphasis.
"Anyone who fails to do this, or who hides information and tries to deceive the system, will have their license cancelled indefinitely. No second chances for deliberate fraud."
His eyes swept across the crowd, making contact with as many people as possible.
"Proper punishment will be given to anyone who fails to honor the terms written in their contracts. And let me be absolutely clear about this…..PUNISHMENT WILL BE EQUAL FOR EVERYONE. EVEN FOR QUEEN MOTHER HERSELF. EVEN FOR ME."
He let that sink in before delivering his final warning with a slight smirk.
"All in all, work diligently and honestly then you will be rewarded. And if you decide to cheat the system, make sure you run away fast and far, because... SOMEDAY WE WILL CATCH YOU!"
Zack's words echoed like thunder across the courtyard, his voice carrying both a promise and a threat.
The crowd erupted into a mixture of cheers and nervous laughter.
Zack continued speaking for a while longer, answering specific questions and clarifying details as the sun grew less intense on the horizon and began its final descent. The harsh afternoon light softened into golden evening rays.
Finally, Zack and Queen Mother gave a formal bow together, signalling the end of the official meeting. They were about to leave the stage when someone from the crowd suddenly shouted.
"MASTER ZACK! DON'T LEAVE US LIKE THIS! AT LEAST A DANCE IS NEEDED, RIGHT?!" The voice was clearly drunk on excitement and all the happy emotion. "THERE ARE BEAUTIFUL LADIES ON THE STAGE! WHY NOT ASK THEM TO GIVE US A SHOW? WE SAW MISS SUBORDINATE CAN MOVE BEAUTIFULLY DURING THE START OF THE MEETING! SO LET'S END THIS ON A HAPPY NOTE! WHAT DO YOU SAY?!"
"YES! YES! PLEASE, MASTER ZACK!" other voices joined in. "MISS SUBORDINATE, DANCE! DANCE! DANCE!"
"YEAAHH!!"
"MUSIC!! MUSIC!!!"
The crowd began chanting and clapping rhythmically, their energy building.
Zack's expression immediately darkened into a frown. His mind was racing on what to do, when he felt a gentle tug on his blanket from behind.
He turned around and saw Subordinate Woman standing there….shy, fearful, her eyes downcast. She looked so small and vulnerable in that moment.
"Do you want to?" Zack asked gently, his voice completely different from the commanding tone he'd used moments before.
Subordinate Woman shook her head quickly, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.
"Hmm, then if you promise to dance for me specifically later, in private, then I will SHU them away. What do you say?" Zack smirked playfully, his eyes twinkling with mischief.
Subordinate Woman's shyness deepened, but this time it was a happy, anticipatory shyness. She looked up at him slowly, and a beautiful smile spread across her face. Her eyes shone with pure joy and anticipation at the thought of dancing just for him.
"Hehe," she giggled softly.
"Fine!" Zack declared.
He took the speaking tool again and addressed the crowd in a friendly but firm way.
"Yeah, I also think ending things on a happy note is important!" His voice carried slight humor. "But I don't want her to dance for you guys, so I will let her be."
Some groans of disappointment rose from the crowd.
"HOWEVER!" Zack continued loudly, cutting off the complaints. "If any other ladies and gentlemen are interested in performing, the stage is all yours! And with the gracious permission of Queen, we can arrange some booze for everyone! What do you say?"
YEEAAHHH BOOOOZZEEEEEE
Cheers erupted at the courtyard.
"The more applause someone gets for their performance, the more booze they'll receive! So I hope everyone has some interesting skills up their sleeves and is ready to entertain!"
Zack closed the speaking tool and walked away confidently, not waiting for any response. He kept Subordinate Woman close to his side protectively.
"BOOOO! STINGY!!" some people shouted at his retreating back.
"KYYAAA! MASTER ZACK IS SO ROMANTIC!!" women in the crowd swooned.
"HEY! HEY! I AM FIRST! I AM FIRST! I WILL DANCE FOR ALL THE LADIES!!" A bold young man jumped onto the stage.
"BRING ON THE BOOZE AND MUSIC!!"
"YEAAHHH!!"
"WOOOO!!"
"PARRRTTYYYYY!!"
"FOR THE NEW CITY OF EIRS!!"
"YEAAAHHHH!!"
The crowd went absolutely wild with celebration. Music started playing from instruments that had been prepared. Some people decided to leave and rest after the long day, while others decided to stay and enjoy the impromptu party to the fullest.
The plaza transformed from a serious political assembly into a joyous celebration of hope and new beginnings.
.
Zack and the core group went inside Queen Palace and gathered in a private meeting room.
"Agh! I am dead!!" Mother Silja slumped dramatically onto a sofa; her usually low energy look now got more depleted. Gloomy came and gently massaged her aching fingers, which were cramped from hours of delicate work.
"TYRR! TTYRR! LURRR!!"
Tyra and Lurvi, the two small flying creatures, came zooming toward Zack and started speaking loudly in their chirping language, clearly agitated.
"Sorry, sorry! You guys must be so bored being not able to do anything interesting," Zack said gently, patting their cute little heads with affection.
"TTYRR! LURRR!"
Both creatures immediately climbed onto his shoulders and settled there, nodding enthusiastically while nudging their soft faces against his cheeks. Their tiny bodies vibrated with contentment.
"I want to go with you guys this time!" Sio pouted angrily, looking first at Oliver, then toward Zack with pleading eyes.
"Fine, you can come along," he said, shaking his head in defeat. There was no point trying to keep her away when she was this determined.
Gracie stood behind Oliver, giggling at Sio's successful negotiation. But suddenly, her mind went completely blank when Oliver reached back, grabbed her hand in front of everyone, and gently pulled her forward to sit beside him.
She just froze there, her brain refusing to process what was happening. Her face turned bright red.
Everyone in the room noticed this public declaration but simply nodded approvingly, accepting their relationship as official.
Mother Isafold, came close and sat down beside Gracie. She wrapped her arms around Gracie in a warm hug and spoke soft words of advice and blessing that only Gracie could hear.
Slowly, Gracie's face grew even warmer, her expression shifted from shock to pure happiness. She nodded eagerly at whatever Mother Isafold was telling her.
Mother Isafold's three husbands also came over and congratulated Gracie warmly, welcoming her into their extended family circle.
"Sighhh,,,,now my both girls are facing love problems," Queen Mother said with maternal exasperation. "I hope they clear their minds and hearts soon enough."
She came over and patted Gracie's head gently, giving her official blessing to the relationship.
Slowly, everyone in the room came forward to congratulate Gracie and wish her happiness in her future with Oliver.
"Hey! What about me?! Why are you all ignoring me?!" Oliver roared in mock frustration, his arms spread wide dramatically.
"Huh, brother, we're in the same boat," Zack said with a knowing smirk, patting Oliver's shoulder in solidarity. "I hope we both get to see the other side of our confusing relationship journey eventually."
Everyone laughed at their shared predicament…two powerful young men completely at the mercy of the women they loved.
As the laughter died down, people began settling into their seats for the serious discussion ahead.
"Hey! Finish what you want to discuss quickly! I have work to do!" Tool Guy spoke loudly, always impatient and focused on his projects.
"NOOO! I can't go on!" Miss Phoebe's large body suddenly seemed to deflate, becoming noticeably smaller. Her face was completely drained of energy; dark circles suddenly magically appeared under her eyes. "I will go home for a while, and if I'm still alive tomorrow, I will come back!"
"Me too!" Mother Ariana also raised her trembling hand slowly, barely able to lift it above her shoulder.
"HO HO HO! Such weak ladies!" Grandma laughed heartily, thoroughly enjoying the moment. "Maybe I should train you like I train those crying babies who think they're tough!"
"Are they alive?" Sasha asked with concern.
"More alive than me, for sure!" Chieftess Anihoa glared from her position slumped on a different sofa, still recovering from being dragged into the workshop chaos.
"HA HA HA! Well done, you two!" Sasha patted Maid Nima's head affectionately. Interestingly, Maid Nima was actually fine….she'd somehow avoided the worst of the chaos.
"I hope our son is helping her properly and not playing around," Miss Laoise spoke with worry in her eyes.
"Hmm, if he's not doing his job properly, then a beating is necessary," 3rd Rock Leader said seriously, cracking his thick, calloused fingers menacingly.
"They are doing fine, Sir Leader," one of the expert Queen's guards reported respectfully. "Your son is performing his duties admirably."
"Well, I can help more! I am still fine and have energy!" Miss Eva spoke up enthusiastically.
"Me too!" Kyra added immediately.
"Hmm, Miss Eva, I forgot to tell you, but your husband will be released tomorrow morning," Leader Remek spoke casually while reviewing some documents. "We can't have him taking up a cell when we have real criminals to house."
"GAH!" Miss Eva shuddered visibly, her earlier enthusiasm got drained very quickly, she then looked desperately towards Miss Phoebe. "I think….. Leader, you can let him stay inside for a while longer until he forgets about how angry he is at me!" She laughed embarrassingly.
"Yeah! Take mine too!" Miss Phoebe added quickly, equally desperate to avoid facing her angry husband.
TWITCH TWITCH
"No, can't do that!" Leader Remek said firmly, completely ignoring the pleading eyes of those two ladies.
CLAP CLAP
"Now focus, everyone!" Queen Mother commanded attention by clapping her hands sharply. "Kyra, Leader Mikalela, please come forward and explain your plan."
"KEKEKKE! FINALLY! I WILL KILL THAT BITCH AND FULFILL MY LONG-HELD DREAMS!"
Leader Mikalela laughed with wild intensity, then immediately bowed deeply toward Queen Mother.
"Thank you, Queen! Thank you so much for this opportunity!!!"
Leader Mikalela's eyes suddenly grew wet with unshed tears. She clenched her belly hard, her hand pressing against her abdomen.
"Hmmm, you and the other women who suffered all these years deserve this," Queen Mother said gently. "Your efforts and skills will always be our priority. Go on and give us a good news soon!!!"
Queen Mother nodded and stood, pulling Leader Mikalela into a warm embrace.
"Yes! Thank you! Thank you!" Leader Mikalela, in a rare display of vulnerability, showed her true emotions. Tears streamed down her face.
Mother Julia also came forward and hugged her tightly. "Veny would be so happy hearing about this," she spoke softly "She always complain that you are being rude to yourself and to your husbands, I hope you can shut her mouth now"
"For sure!!! Heheheh" Leader Mikaela laughed sweetly as she slowly calm down and hugged Zack telling her how grateful she is, Zack just nodded and gave her a warm hug back.
After some time Kyra and Leader Mikalela stood together at the centre of the room and began their explanation, their expressions turning serious.
"Since Grankell is no longer in the picture, many people have suddenly shifted their support and protection to the 1st Rock Leader," Kyra took a breather and kept speaking. "She's been operating in shadow for years, but now she's ready to show her fangs with the support of many people.... before she could do that we have to eliminate her."
Kyra added to the explanation.
"We can't directly arrest her yet because her illegal business operations are more hidden and sophisticated than Grankell's were. Most importantly, no one really wants to become a whistleblower against her since despite her bad reputation she does give them a bare minimum resources to live."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"Maybe after hearing the details of today's meeting and seeing Grankell fall, some people will gain hope and courage to come forward. But we can't wait and rely on that happening. We need to act now before she consolidates power."
Leader Mikalela's eyes flashed with determination as she spoke
"I have already sent someone to inform Princess not to go to the 1st Rock District with her group for her meeting."
Both women looked around the room, making eye contact with everyone.
"We will now explain the details of how we plan to get her."
As they began outlining their strategy, a tense atmosphere slowly crept into the room. The celebration outside seemed distant and unreal compared to the dangerous mission being planned.
Everyone leaned forward, listening intently. This was the next major battle in the transformation of City of Eirs….and it would require cunning, bravery, and precise execution.
The party outside might be celebrating today's victories, but inside this room, they were already preparing for coming war.
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END OF CHAPTER
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Author Blabbering
No one really knows how many failures a person can survive before they feel broken.
Sometimes one failure is enough to shake someone deeply.
Sometimes a hundred still cannot silence a determined heart.
The truth is, goals are rarely reached in a straight line.
Behind almost every meaningful success is a long collection of delays, doubts, wrong turns, quiet disappointments, and days where giving up felt easier than trying again.
Failure does not usually break people all at once.
What hurts more is losing hope slowly — believing that effort no longer matters, that progress is invisible, or that everyone else is moving ahead while you stand still.
But human beings are strange in beautiful ways.
Even after exhaustion, something small often remains:
a reason, a dream, a memory, a promise to oneself.
And sometimes that tiny remaining spark is enough to begin again.
Reaching a goal is not about never falling.
It is about learning how to carry disappointment without letting it define your entire future.
So the real question may not be:
"How many failures will break you?"
Maybe it is:
"How many times are you willing to rebuild yourself while chasing something that truly matters to you?"
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