The Republican Guard finally arrived, late as always, to confront the mob.
The guards surrounded the consulate so tightly that not even a drop of water could leak through.
The soldiers formed ranks and set up their musket rests, placing their firearms on the forks and aiming them at the rioters at the entrance.
The Kingdom noble on the ground was no longer struggling.
He was dead.
The mob stood at the entrance, lined up in several rows.
Those in the first row carried pitchforks and captured machetes, while the rows behind them were filled with unarmed people.
They stood there just the same, looking at the soldiers in despair.
The captain of the guard stood at the far left of the musket line, staring intently at the mob.
He gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, ready to draw it at any moment.
But he was calculating.
One volley might not be enough to kill everyone in the first row.
If they charged with their weapons after that, it would be a problem.
Furthermore, there was no guarantee the second and third rows wouldn’t pick up weapons from the ground and charge as well.
He considered whether he needed to bring in horse-drawn wheeled cannons to fire grapeshot directly at the mob.
However, considering the massive commotion the horses and cannons would cause, it might provoke the mob prematurely.
That would be more trouble than it was worth.
Could the naval guns aim accurately?
Probably not.
They might hit the other consulates next door instead.
Most importantly, the mob held a firm grip on the narrow outer gate, and they had even placed wardrobes outside as makeshift barriers.
Cavalry wouldn’t be able to charge in either.
Time passed slowly, and the guards remained in a standoff with the rioters.
Finally, the captain could only call for reinforcements, requesting a second guard unit immediately.
More soldiers arrived on foot.
They skillfully began to build barricades, allowing soldiers to prop their guns over wooden walls and stone slabs.
At the same time, dozens of pikes poked through the gaps, pointing directly at the crowd.
A bearded man at the front of the mob walked toward the barricade, putting down his weapon to indicate he wanted to negotiate.
But the guards ignored him entirely, maintaining their formation.
They had no intention of negotiating with the mob, for the horse-drawn cannons were almost there.
The man tried to force a smile and began to speak about the rising price of grain, how his family could barely afford bread, and how they were filled with righteous indignation upon hearing the Kingdom would impose a grain embargo.
He wanted to punish the Kingdom’s ambassador.
As he spoke, he suddenly heard a sound.
It was the rumble of two horses pulling wheels across the ground!
The man immediately turned back to the crowd and shouted, “The cannons are here! They’re going to blow us all away — !”
Countless musket shots rang out from behind him.
Faces of panic and anger were forever etched into his final moment.
The man was quickly riddled with holes and collapsed to the ground.
Many in the first row fell instantly as well.
The angry men, women, and children before them took up weapons and charged at the enemy.
They wailed and screamed in rage, raising their weapons as they rushed toward the barricades.
They were immediately skewered by pikes.
Those in the second and third rows rushed forward to pick up weapons, trying to continue the charge.
Many tripped and were trampled by those behind them.
For a moment, the ground was filled with wailing.
Just as they neared the barricades, attempting to climb over the bodies of the dead, a muffled roar echoed from not far away.
The grapeshot struck the charging crowd with precision.
Even the most sorrowful language was insufficient to describe it now.
Tess closed her eyes, no longer looking at the tragic scene.
Even some of the soldiers couldn’t help but gag.
Veins bulged on the captain’s forehead as he forced himself to stare at the back rows of the crowd to prevent further charges.
Out of the corner of his eye, a soldier carefully flicked a clump of something off his trousers.
The mob collapsed.
They had never seen such a hellish scene.
They no longer stepped forward to fight for weapons.
Seeing that the soldiers were still reloading their gunpowder, the rioters fled through the gates and scattered.
The guards leaped over the barricades to hunt them down.
For a time, shrill screams and desperate pleas for mercy echoed through all the surrounding streets and alleys.
Tess saw a family of three.
‘How desperate must they have been,’ she thought, ‘for the entire family to join this crowd?’
To let his wife and daughter escape first, the father’s frail body blocked the alleyway until a guard’s blade cut him in half at the waist.
Next was the sturdy wife, who threw a nightstool from the alley at the guards just so her daughter could run.
She was shot in the abdomen and fell, clutching her stomach.
Finally, she coughed up a large amount of blood and lay on the ground, her eyes never closing.
As a soldier was about to catch the young girl, Tess twisted her hand behind her back and drew an arrow in one fluid motion.
The soldier grabbed the girl’s clothing and swung his blade down with force, his short sword about to strike.
Suddenly, he felt an irresistible force pin his machete firmly to the wall.
The impact slammed him against the wall, making him feel as if his arm were dislocated, and he collapsed, devoid of strength.
The little girl broke free and ran deep into the alley.
But in places Tess couldn’t reach, the vast majority of the rioters were killed.
Tess felt her fingers grow cold and her blood boil; she had never seen such a cruel scene.
Then she saw a wall where several remaining rioters had been driven.
They were only there because they still carried weapons, and the soldiers were currently reloading their muskets.
A balding old man was performing a simple prayer for his dead companion beside him.
Someone covered their face and wept, seemingly praying for a miracle to occur.
Someone else covered their ears, seemingly just wishing for the shots to be fired quickly.
But in the middle of the crowd, a young man with white clothes and black curly hair spread his arms above his head and spoke excitedly to the armed guards.
Tess’s elven ears heard everything.
“We just didn’t want to starve to death. I worked all day, and it wasn’t even enough to buy bread for my parents. They’re too old to work. Have mercy, sirs. Look at us! Think about how many people have starved to death without ever causing you trouble!”
The volley rang out.
Everyone fell.
Tess stared at the dead youth; his white clothes were almost entirely dyed red with blood.
After the Republican Guard dealt with the mob, they sent soldiers to knock on the door of the elven consulate.
The maid opened it.
“Ma’am, please rest assured, the riot has been completely resolved. Please inform the noble young ladies not to look out the windows or leave the building. We will clean up the scene as quickly as possible. If you require our protection, we can send an entire squad at any time.”
Tess heard him, but she didn’t want to say anything.
She slowly walked down to the second floor.
Liv was there, listening anxiously to everything outside.
Indeed, Tess had given strict orders: Liv was absolutely forbidden from looking outside.
The maid stood by her side, and the curtains were all drawn.
“Tess, what happened outside? It couldn’t be…”
Tess shook her head, telling a clumsy lie.
“Nothing happened, Liv. You’re overthinking it.”
Then, regardless of whether the lie was clumsy or not, she added another sentence.
“Liv, if you want to change anything about this Republic, then do it. I will support you with all my strength. If you need me to convince Mother of anything, I will help you.”
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