In the public square of Mania City, at the bulletin board.
The notice board, which was usually deserted, was now packed with people.
However, their expressions were either helplessness, dissatisfaction, or anger.
"What? Another tax? Isn't it not time to collect taxes this year? Since when is it being brought forward? "
Looking at the parchment that had just been pasted on the bulletin board, a citizen with a hunchback could not help but ask.
His expression was very dissatisfied.
"Buddy, look carefully. This is the Holy War Tax and the poll tax. Everyone has to pay."
Someone on the side reminded him with a complicated expression.
"Holy War Tax? But didn't they already pay it before? Why do they have to collect it again now? "
The person who asked the question was somewhat puzzled.
"Heh, that was before. After so many defeats in the Holy War, they were all squandered by the nobles. Of course, they have to collect it again …"
Someone shook his head with a look of ridicule.
"Are they crazy?! Fifty silver coins and gold pounds per person? Our family's annual income is only five gold pounds! I still have three children and a bedridden mother. Doesn't this mean that our family has to pay three gold pounds?! With only two gold pounds left, how are we going to survive for a year?! "
The citizens' faces were filled with disbelief and shock. They did not expect that the first edict issued by the new empress after her coronation would be such an order.
"Not only that … If there are men of suitable age in the family, they have to accept the conscription and join the Holy War Coalition Army. Otherwise … they have to pay another three gold pounds for the conscription tax exemption …"
Someone shook his head and let out a long sigh.
"Three gold pounds? Why don't they just rob? "
"Crazy! They're all crazy! The nobles are crazy! Her Majesty the Empress is crazy too! My brother has already died in the Southern Territory. Now, they want our family to participate in the conscription?! I'm the only labor left in our family! "
A citizen said in disbelief.
"I heard that Her Majesty personally approved the decree. If we refuse to participate in the conscription and don't pay the tax exemption, we will be punished with a huge fine …"
"Didn't they say that Her Majesty Theresa is a kind and beautiful Her Majesty? How … How can she be so tyrannical?! "
"Heh, do you really believe the propaganda of the church and nobles? Nobles and royalty, none of them are good! "
"Ridiculous! This is ridiculous! His Majesty has just been crowned and he is already so tyrannical. How are we going to live in the future?! The aristocrats are corrupt, and the church is incompetent. How can we live in this world? "
"Shh … Lower your voice … The entire city is hunting for the Life Cult members. If you continue to complain, the city guards might treat you as a heretic.
Capture the disciples! "
"Can't I even complain? Was he trying to force him to his death? The nobles are so rich and have so many private soldiers. Why don't we let them contribute money and effort?! "
"They are high and mighty nobles. Apart from their lord, who dares to collect taxes from them … Besides, every time the taxes are collected from them, it still falls on us in the end …"
"That's right … Nominally, everyone collected the taxes together, but in the end, the nobles returned all their taxes, while our taxes all went into the pockets of the nobles and the great feudal lord."
"Hmph, there's still the royal family! The pockets of the royal family! I heard that just one of His Majesty's dinners is worth several hundred gold pounds! "
"Bah! Dogshit! The Terence family is dog shit! Nobles were bullshit! The Church of Eternity was also dogshit! I think the Life Cult is right. Those bastards should be swept into the trash heap of history and overthrown! "
"Are you crazy?! You dare to say such things? Such crazy words will get you arrested by the city guards and thrown into the prison of Castle Dororia! Don't even think about leaving that damned place! In the end, if you don't die of illness, you'll be burned at the stake! "
"So what? Since we're going to die anyway, we might as well die with a bang! "
The crowd was agitated.
If not for the magic barrier protecting the noticeboard, which prevented ordinary people from damaging it, and the soldiers keeping an eye on it from afar, Shi Feng would've most likely been chopped to pieces already.
As the announcement spread, more and more people learned about it, and more and more people were dissatisfied.
It wasn't just Manya. As the new announcement spread throughout the Empire, the Empire's citizens everywhere fell into a state of intense dissatisfaction.
In some cities where the Life Cult's influence was greater, there were even cases of angry citizens storming the mansions of the nobles and city lords, venting their anger …
"Mob! These abominable mobs! Why are they still rioting at this time?! Your Majesty, you must give these mobs the harshest suppression. Otherwise, it will only make more opportunists restless! Especially those heathens of the Life Cult, they are the best at dealing with stupid civilians! "
In the Noble Parliament, one of the ministers of the Regent's Cabinet, Duke Collens, who hadn't left since returning to the Empire, said angrily after seeing the local reports of the riots.
Around him, the other nobles also condemned him and expressed their support for him.
"Hmph, 50 silver coins per person, that's enough for even the poorest afternoon tea. These lowly commoners just don't want to pay!"
"They have the strength to storm the noble mansions, but they're not willing to accept the conscription. They're too idle and lazy!"
"In the end, they're just ordinary people who haven't received Extraordinary education. They don't know that they can have such peaceful days today because of our silent efforts behind the scenes, supporting the prosperity of the human world!"
"Your Majesty! They must be punished! Those arrested participants of the riots must be severely punished! "
"And those people venting their dissatisfaction everywhere in Manya! They're also a potential threat, they must be arrested as well! "
The nobles were all talking at once, filled with righteous indignation.
Theresa, who was already the Empress, wore a crown on her head and held a scepter in her hand. She sat cautiously on the throne, seemingly at a loss.
"Your Majesty! Please make a decision as soon as possible! The pressure of the war is getting greater and greater. We must gather enough funds and troops as soon as possible to counterattack! Otherwise, those heathens may attack the remaining lands of our Empire! "
The representative of the Borunsia Kurfürst family stood up and said with a serious expression.
"Your Majesty! Please issue a decree to severely punish these participants of the riots! "
The other nobles also echoed.
Being shouted by hundreds of nobles in unison, Theresa II clenched her fists, and her fingertips turned white.
Her expression was blank and nervous. She pursed her lips tightly and couldn't help but ask,
"My lords … this … is it really beneficial for us to win the war?"
"Of course! Although it will be cruel, this is indeed the fastest way to gather strength! Your Majesty, the Holy War is a life-and-death battle. In order to survive, we must become the victorious party! And the victorious party will naturally get everything. What we have paid before will also be reclaimed from the spoils of war! "
The representative of the Borunsia family said passionately.
Theresa II's expression was still a little hesitant.
She looked at the agitated nobles a little timidly and asked nervously,
"Then … then what can the civilians get from the war?"
The nobles were slightly stunned.
"Peace, peace and tranquility …"
An old voice answered the Empress' question.
It was Duke Collens.
He smiled slightly and said with a solemn expression,
"Your Majesty, if we win the war, we will naturally have peace. And the civilians will no longer have to participate in the conscription. They can bring the spoils of war back home and live happily …"
Queen Theresa II fell silent.
She thought for a moment and couldn't help but turn her head and look at the three Kurfürst of the Church who had been silent all this while. Especially Archbishop Winst, who was the head of the Regents.
"Your Excellency, what … what do you think?"
As soon as she said this, the eyes of all the nobles stopped on Archbishop Winst.
In those eyes, there was a sneer, arrogance, disdain, and also a warning.
Feeling the various gazes, Archbishop Winst shook his head slightly in his heart.
He took a deep breath and sighed.
"Your Majesty, this war … the Empire can no longer stop it."
"Is that so …"
Theresa nodded as if she understood.
After pondering for a moment, she struggled to sit up straight and said to the nobles.
"If that's the case, then let's do as you say! I hope that this war can end soon and that everyone can live happily! "
"As you wish, the Sun of the Empire, the great Empress!"
The nobles bowed happily.
After the meeting ended and the nobles left, Theresa II heaved a sigh of relief.
Her back was already soaked with a layer of nervous sweat.
She impatiently took off the heavy crown on her head, then seemed to recall something. She hesitated for a moment before putting it back on seriously. Then, she turned around and looked at the only remaining regent, Bishop Winst, and said, "Let's go.
"Your Excellency, when do you think … the war will end?"
Archbishop Winst was slightly taken aback.
He lowered his eyelids and smiled.
"It will, Your Majesty. The war will end sooner or later."
Theresa II seemed to be dissatisfied with this slightly cunning answer.
She frowned her beautiful eyebrows, but soon she was no longer conflicted. Instead, she stroked the scepter in her hand and murmured,
"I'll work hard … I'll work hard to become an Empress who makes her people happy …"
"I'll work hard. I'll study hard!"
She said with determination.
Hearing the young Empress' words, Archbishop Winst's gaze was a little complicated.
He lowered his head slightly, hiding the trace of guilt in the depths of his eyes.
…
At the same time.
In the eastern part of the Western Territory, in a solemn noble castle.
Demacia sat on the throne of the castellan, playing with the exquisite spoils of war he had just seized while scrolling through the various information about the continent in the game system.
That was the summary of the players scattered across the continent. Ever since the war, the players in the entire server had been spontaneously doing so. Many of them were provided by the Amway Chamber of Commerce.
It was precisely because of this that although Demacia had been leading troops to attack the cities in the Western Territory and engaging in guerrilla warfare recently, he knew many things that had happened on the continent like the back of his hand.
"Tsk … the Empress of the Holy Mania Empire has passed away. The new Empress is a little girl who's not even fifteen years old. As soon as she took office, she issued a series of tax and conscription decrees. The civilians of the empire are really miserable."
Not far away, a few other Nature's Heart players were also looking at the "news" of the continent of Segers and shook their heads slightly.
Demacia's movements paused slightly.
He put away the gorgeous noble ornaments in his hand, muttered to himself for a moment, and stood up from his seat.
"Molly, where are you? Come over for a moment and help me lead the team. "
He sent a message in the friend column.
After a while, the Valkyrie player in gorgeous armor pushed open the castle door.
She frowned slightly and was a little puzzled.
"Dema, you're not leading? Are you going offline? "
"No."
Demacia shook his head.
He packed up his equipment and said, "I'm going to Maniania.
"I'm planning to make a trip to Mania. I have something to do."
"Maniania City? Now? What are you going there for? "
Molly under the Moon frowned and was very puzzled.
Demacia smiled slightly.
"To fulfill a friend's wish and a promise of mine."
After saying that, he walked out of the castle.
When he came out of the castle, he whistled.
Not long after, a two-legged flying dragon flew in front of him.
Demacia did not hesitate and stepped on the Wyvern's back. The Wyvern spread its wings and flew to the east.
…
Not many players noticed Demacia's departure.
After Demacia left the Western Territory, Theresa II's decree was also sent to all parts of the empire.
With the new decree issued from the Holy Mania Palace, the empire's nobles began a harsh suppression and pursuit of the rioters.
For a time, the people who were angry and rebelled because of the new tax laws and conscription laws were easily suppressed.
It could not be helped. The ordinary and unorganized people had limited power after all.
In the face of the nobles who possessed Extraordinary powers, they were as weak as children.
Even if these nobles also lost a lot of strength because of the Holy War, they still had some influence.
However, during the suppression process, not many nobles noticed that the guards they sent to suppress the rioters did not seem to be as passionate as usual.
The guards were also people.
Many of the Professionals who became guards were just civilians in the first place.
In the face of such a harsh decree, even the guards who worked for the nobles were not as supportive as they appeared to be.
However, this calm did not last long.
With the official implementation of the decree, as the frequency of the pursuit of rioters and rebels increased, the accumulated dissatisfaction of the people became stronger and stronger.
A subtle atmosphere filled with the smell of gunpowder began to spread in Manya City and the various cities of the Empire.
At the same time, in the underground of the empire's cities, where the nobles and priests could not see, the preaching of the Church of Life also began to develop at an even faster speed.
This naturally aroused stronger suppression from the nobles and the church. However, the stronger the suppression, the stronger the will to resist.
And this will to resist finally reached a critical point with the passage of time and the suppression of the nobles and the church again and again.
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