As for the reason, it was also easy to figure out. The soldiers were prioritized over the citizens in the allotment of supplies, which led to complications in the winter months. However, these were supplies that the Alzar Kingdom brought over themselves specifically for the war effort. It was never meant to feed the masses. When the Imperial Council abandoned the stronghold, they were ruthless in transporting the stored food here, leaving nothing for the invaders to take. The burden in feeding the populace thus fell to the kingdom.
General Petra felt the urge to scoff. When the kingdom sieged the stronghold, most of the populace here decided to do nothing and curled up inside their homes to die. They were resigned to their fates, knowing that the kingdom would not hesitate to massacre them. Yet, the second the kingdom decided to give them a bit of mercy and meaning, they thought they became indispensable. They became arrogant, thinking they could negotiate! It was truly the saying, 'give them a bite, and they would eat the whole pig'. How audacious! General Petra would publicly execute the people behind this to ward off any notions of rebelling, but she had to consider another person's thoughts. Princess Elizabeth, the one who advocated a peaceful governance model, could be said to be the cause of the current predicament.
"For now, I have assigned more patrols throughout the stronghold, and I have designated key restricted areas. Anyone found entering these areas are to be killed on sight with no questions asked. I have also arranged special subjugation forces to be deployed at a moment's notice should things turn violent and the search for those responsible remain ongoing; however, our preliminary investigations have revealed that a third party is instigating this. From what we know, the Imperial Council is likely to be the one involved. It's possible they've been planning this from the very beginning," she spoke to the person sat behind her.
"They're weaponizing their own citizens," Elizabeth sighed emotionally. "Please send a notice warning everyone the consequences of rebelling. Should they continue despite that, then… you have permission to do as you deem fit."
"Does that include a kill on sight order, Your Highness?" General Petra asked with a sharp gaze. She wanted to see how resolute the princess could be in these difficult times.
Elizabeth was at a loss. Of course, she understood why General Petra asked, and while she could have dodged the question, she felt it was important to make her stance clear. She sympathized with their cause. Having lived as a poor farmer on New Havens for most of her life, there were times when their crops or livestock died, which left them without food. They then had to scramble up whatever scraps they could and stretch it out as long as possible. She discovered that sleep was the best way to ignore hunger pangs. No matter how hungry she was, she could sleep through it! And when the pain was too much, she would sip another bowlful of tasteless and stale stew before resting again. That vicious cycle… It was hard to describe to those who never experienced it for themselves. Thankfully, those experiences were few and far in-between, and never lasted long enough to cause any lasting problems; however, it was because of these experiences that she could sympathize with the people in the Yunyun Stronghold. It was all too familiar to her.
Everyone wanted to fight for happiness, and it was the same whether it be the Alzar Kingdom, the Xingyuu Empire, or the Zino Kingdom. In that respect, the situation here could be considered irresolvable. It was impossible to appease everyone! If she rejected their demands, then things may turn violent, and the kingdom would have no choice but to suppress them. It would be no different from enslavement! Accepting their demands was also unfeasible since it would weaken the kingdom's war efforts and lower morale. Who would want their hard-earned food going to their enemies? Insubordination was the least of their concerns. A rebellion by their armed forces would be the worst-case scenario! By that point, there would be no room for tears. Everything would spiral into chaos! Compromising here might also anger both parties. She wanted to protect everyone but alas as they say, man proposes and god disposes. The world was not so easy.
"…As an absolute last resort, you are permitted to kill on sight, General Petra."
"Thank you, Your Highness."
"How are preparations for what we've discussed before? Is it ready?"
"Yes, Your Highness. General Dennis helped lay the groundwork before the Battle of Liguang and I supervised it in his absence. Rest assured. Everything is ready."
"Let's hope nothing goes awry," Elizabeth muttered.
The Imperial Council was probably planning this from the very beginning, waiting for the kingdom to fall into their trap, and what a devious trap it was. It could strike the kingdom down in one blow! If the Imperial Council was preparing to make a move now, then it meant they were ready. The decisive moment had arrived! The fate of the war would be decided in these next few days!
***
Every year, no matter who or where it was, everyone seemed to celebrate the passing of the current year and welcome the coming of the new one. It seemed to be a universal tradition throughout the world and the Yunyun Stronghold was no different. The Xingyuu Empire had a different way of celebrating it compared to the Alzar Kingdom or the Zino Kingdom. It was much more colorful and vibrant, yet it carried a powerful tightknit sensation. It made everyone instinctively feel welcomed. In the end, the kingdom did not stop the winter festivities, or do anything at all as a matter of fact. Warnings were made to caution anyone from rebelling, and the consequences were listed in detail, but nothing else besides that. It seemed like they did not take the dangers seriously. And like this, December 31st, K.A. 515 had soon arrived. It was the end of the year!
Red streamers, banners, lanterns, and flags were set up throughout the city square, alongside special street stalls and shows. The originally dull space was populated in a rich array of festivities! Although the people were poor, they went all out for the most important celebration of the year! Crowds filed into the city square wearing their best clothes with wide smiles and excited voices. Everyone was in a great mood. It would have been lovely in normal circumstances, but today was anything but normal. Fully armed patrols marched through the streets, spotters manned the buildings, glider squadrons flew overhead, and officers surveyed everything from above. There was a massive military presence as a heavy domineering air suffocated the festival grounds. The citizens were like trapped insects in the middle of a gigantic cage!
Cheering could be heard at the center of the city square. A few people on a makeshift stage shouted their demands, while people below clapped or cheered in response. Everyone had a different idea for what they wanted, but it could be summarized as equality. They wanted the same rights and protection, the same food and drink, the same working conditions and statuses as the Alzar Kingdom. They wanted equal treatment! Every passing second, the energy in the crowd rose exponentially as more people arrived. And when crowds grew to a certain extent, their gutsiness would inevitably swell too. That was the power of the herd. A single person might be too scared to do anything, but add ten or twenty people, and they would dare do things they never dreamed of! While nothing happened yet, the tension became palpable. It seemed like a collision between the people and the soldiers was imminent! The situation was reaching a tipping point!
A group of people watched everything from a nearby building. Someone laughed, "Looks like the Alzar Kingdom has their hands tied already. Maybe there's no need for us to do anything?"
"The kingdom has over a hundred thousand soldiers stationed in the Yunyun Stronghold, which is many more times than us. This isn't big enough of a commotion yet," Rat said. "Everyone knows the plan, right? We need to finish everything before they catch on. Afterwards, we'll regroup here before leaving the stronghold. Our transport has already been secured. If no one has any questions, then let's begin!"