Fangzhou Xier, starting with failing the art exam

"Please give the order so that we can mobilize all our troops to suppress this rebellion!"

“All the troops?” Otto gasped, his bloodshot eyes glaring at him.

"My most elite sorcerer order is gone! The Golden Law Guard is less than half its original size! What am I supposed to use to suppress them?"

"The entire Vase territory has dozens of towns! And millions of commoners!"

"But...but..."

“Sir, perhaps… we can try to appease them first?” a staff member who looked like a civil official suggested cautiously.

"Temporarily abolish the birth tax and death tax, lower the tax rate a bit, and then..."

"Shut up!" Otto kicked over the chair next to him.

“I, Otto Gladstone, Elector of Letania, should bow down to a bunch of peasants? If word gets out, where will I put my face!”

He paced back and forth in the room.

Shame, anger, and a fear he himself was unwilling to admit were intertwined in his heart.

He cannot show weakness, for if he does, the wolves surrounding him, including the other electors, will pounce on him and tear him to pieces.

He must use swift and decisive measures to re-establish his authority!

"Pass on my orders!" Otto stopped in his tracks, his eyes flashing with a mad light.

"Assemble all remaining troops of the Tower Guard, divide them into five teams, and send them to the five cities most severely affected by the unrest! Make an example of them!"

"My lord, you mustn't!" The general with the mustache exclaimed in alarm.

"That leaves the tower's defenses completely vulnerable! What if..."

“What if what? What if?” Otto interrupted him sharply.

"Who are the enemies? Are they those lowly people with pitchforks and sickles? They can't even break through the tower's energy shield!"

"Or do you think that Lacey from Viseheim would dare to bring his so-called Workers' Party to attack my tower?"

He let out a wild laugh: "He wouldn't dare even if you gave him ten lives! If he dares to come, I'll make sure he doesn't leave alive, I guarantee he'll be reduced to ashes, bones and all!"

"I will not only suppress them, I will also massacre the entire city!" Otto's voice turned sinister.

"Tell them to kill everyone in any city that participates in the rebellion!"

"From men to women, from the old to children, kill them until their blood flows like rivers!"

"Kill them until they tremble at the mere mention of my name!"

"I will let all of Letania know what happens when you offend an Elector!"

The staff and generals present were all horrified.

They knew that the Elector had gone completely mad.

But no one dared to dissuade him anymore; Otto's will was the will of the Vassehr.

……

The order was passed down quickly.

Within half a day, the defensive forces inside the tower were completely empty.

The last squad of heavily armed guards, exuding a chilling aura, headed towards a distant city.

They were about to unleash the Elector's wrath upon their unarmed compatriots.

Inside the tower, Otto stood by the window, watching the departing army, a sinister smile on his face.

He could almost see the scene of corpses strewn across the fields and people kneeling and begging for mercy.

……

Holy Letanian Empire: Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Sarkaz Mercenary Group

On the training grounds outside Viseheim, three hundred newly arrived Sarkaz mercenaries stood silently, each radiating an aura that kept strangers at bay.

Their weapons were a motley collection, including machetes, greatswords, bows and crossbows, and standard-issue staffs.

The three leading figures were particularly conspicuous.

The tall man's name was Hedley, and he was the vice-captain of the Sarkaz Mercenary Group.

He carried a massive sword as tall as himself on his back, his face composed, his eyes sharp, scrutinizing the somewhat inexperienced pickets on the Workers' Party side.

The woman beside him, Ines, stood quietly in the shadows.

Most striking was a white-haired Sarkaz girl with a cynical smile on her face, observing Taylor and his tense teammates with great interest.

“Hey, big guy.” She pointed to the warhammer on Taylor’s waist. “Is that thing of yours for cracking walnuts? It looks pretty strong, I wonder if it’s smart enough.”

Taylor's face flushed instantly. He was not a good talker to begin with, and when he was provoked like this, he was about to lash out when Lacey raised her hand and pressed down on his shoulder.

“Miss W, welcome to Viseheim.” Lacey stepped forward calmly, her gaze lingering briefly on Hedley and Ines before finally settling on W’s face.

"We're paying you to fight, not to argue."

W's smile widened, and she pointed a finger at Lacey. "Of course, of course."

"However, let me make this clear beforehand: my 'surprise' is not limited to friend or foe. If your people get too close and get blown to pieces, don't blame me for not warning you."

“Our people will follow the rules,” Lacey said flatly. “I’m more concerned about whether you will.”

After remaining silent, Hedley finally spoke: "Mr. Lacey, we are mercenaries. Our reputation is our life. We will do everything that is written in the contract."

"But we are not responsible for anything outside of the contract."

“Very good.” Lacey nodded; this was exactly the kind of professional attitude he wanted.

Gertrude stood aside, watching the group of dangerous Sarkaz with a slight frown.

She whispered to Lacey, "Are these people... really reliable?"

Lacey nodded.

He remembered that Theresis had connections with the Sarkaz mercenary group at Kazdel Scar Mall.

Therese described Hedley as steady and pragmatic, suggesting he wasn't someone who disregarded the spirit of contracts.

He took a deep breath and walked onto the makeshift platform.

Instantly, all sounds in the square disappeared.

More than three thousand pairs of eyes were focused on him alone.

Lacey looked around, then said loudly:

"Brothers, comrades, friends!"

“While we stand here, our compatriots are being slaughtered in the territory of Vaser!”

"Otto Gladstone, that butcher, because of his stupidity and failure, turned his knife against the unarmed people!"

"The army he sent is burning their homes, robbing them of their last rations, and treating our brothers and sisters like livestock!"

"Tell me, can we just sit idly by?"

"No!" Taylor was the first to roar.

"No!" the three thousand patrol members shouted in unison.

Lacey raised her hand, signaling for quiet.

“I know that many of you were once miners, workers, or farmers.”

"You too were once trampled underfoot by noble lords. Your sweat fattened them, but in return you received whips!"

"You all know better than anyone what that feels like!"

"Today, we stand here not to invade, not to conquer, and certainly not to become new masters!"

His voice suddenly rose in pitch.

"We're going to tell the people of Vaser that they are not alone!"

"Moreover, it is to tell all the oppressors of Letania that an era that belongs to us has begun!"

He turned toward Gertrude's guards.

"Soldiers of Count Gertrude! You swore allegiance to this land and its people, not to some tyrant. Today, you will fight for justice!"

He then looked at the group of Sarkaz mercenaries.

"Warriors from Kazdel! You have come for profit, and I assure you, Otto's treasury has enough wealth to satisfy your appetites."

"But I also believe that the joy of overthrowing a tyrant with the weapons in your hand is something that money can't buy, is it?"

W chuckled softly, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

Hedley remained expressionless.

Finally, Lacey's gaze returned to the workers' pickets, his eyes becoming incredibly determined.

"Comrades, remember our flag!"

"Where our flag goes, it must bring order!"

"Fairness must be brought!"

"We must bring new life!"

Lacey's arm shot up suddenly.

"Now, I command—"

"All troops, move out!"

"Target! Wasser Territory!"

"For the Workers' Party!"

"For Letania!"

"For victory!"

The scouts and the Earl's guards were the first to respond, raising their arms high.

The members of the Sarkaz mercenary group looked at each other, and subconsciously raised their hands as well.

"For victory!"

"For victory!"

……

……

Vaser Territory.

Miner Claude hid behind the window of his wooden house, tightly covering his young daughter's mouth.

The sounds of guards shouting and sporadic cries could be heard from the streets; it was the henchmen of Elector Otto collecting the last remaining grain.

He heard that half of the towns in the neighboring town had been slaughtered because of the resistance.

Fear permeated his very bones, but deep within his heart, a tiny flame still burned.

Suddenly, the earth began to tremble slightly, and a series of heavy footsteps sounded, approaching from afar.

Claude's heart leaped into his throat. Which of Otto's armies had returned?

He peered out through the crack in the window and witnessed a scene he would never forget.

A troop is marching rapidly along the muddy main road.

Leading the way was a group of people wearing identical green uniforms, marching in unison, displaying strict discipline, and gazing firmly ahead.

They held aloft a red flag, its sickle and hammer emblem standing out starkly against the gloomy sky.

Yes, it's the Workers' Party!

Just as Claude was filled with excitement, the procession passed through the residential area where Claude lived, and one rider broke away from the main group, leading dozens of patrolmen as they came running towards them.

Claude recognized the leader as Marcus, the miners' representative who had escaped a few days earlier seeking help.

Marcus shouted excitedly, "Folks! Don't be afraid! We're back!"

"Mr. Lacey has led us to liberate Wasser territory!"