Katarina's Greenjackets are at least sensible enough to not wear their Alemannian uniforms to the speech... Given the events of two days ago having a company of men and women dressed like terrorist mercenaries surrounding and patrolling the speech might make people a little bit anxious. Which, given the surprising number of people who have come to see Auguste speak, could easily become as deadly as the other two incidents around Alesia. Katarina had been nice enough to use some of the absurd sum we'd paid her to buy her troops 'disguises', her word for entirely normal civilian clothes... So long as you didn’t look too hard, they’d almost pass for a perfectly normal militia.

I just wish they could have left their 'Leather bayonets' at home. At least most people don't notice, but a handful of city folk have to be very calmly talked down from a panic attack at the sight of them. Survivors of Triumph Square perhaps... Survivors who were going outside again, only to find themselves in the most dangerous place in Alesia today. Poor folks…

I sit myself at the edge of the crowd, where I’ll be able to gauge the people's reactions, and able to escape if necessary... And able to rest on some assembled chairs, a blessing as my recent wounds made 'standing up' something of an issue for me. Pasche sat at my side, staring alternately at my bandages in case a wound somehow reopened as I sat down, and at my face for any sign of pain. Katarina is hidden behind the stage; it was decided that the seven-foot-tall bear woman who would not surrender her halberd should maybe be out of the public eye. Xena is with her too, for obvious reasons…

"Serena, you're sure you have to be here for this?" Pasche taps her fingers on her knee, wearing her mailed gloves and occasionally kicking the leg just a little. "We have soldiers with us this time, we're not being taken by surprise. Surely you can trust us, right?"

I put my hand on hers to stop her tapping, and I give her my best smile. "You should know that I'm the kind of girl that leads from the front, Pasche... Besides, none of you know what that blonde woman looks like, so you don't know to look for trouble. I'm still useful to you in some ways, you know!"

"I... I never meant to imply."

"Hehe... I know it comes from a place of wanting to protect me, Pasche."

"That is definitely part of it..."

She looks down a bit, head weighed down by something. I reach out to stroke her hair. Maybe whatever it is, I can help her with it... Given that she curls up a little more at the touch, it seems that 'maybe' is a 'no'.

"Good people of Alesia! Bakers, tailors, millers, smiths, servants, gardeners, all the rest! I thank you for entrusting me with your time!" Auguste's speech is starting... And I have to admit to being somewhat curious, unlike Pasche who remains curled under my fingers.

The crowd is clearly interested too, all completely focused on Auguste upon his makeshift stage, sitting upon their hastily assembled chairs or standing around in a mass. I have to give it to the man, when he needs to be heard, he can be heard. What my brother is on a battlefield, Auguste is on a stage in Alesia.

"I make reference to your jobs quite deliberately I'm afraid. You see, your labors are exactly what makes this city, makes this country function. Your hard work and skill is what allows our very society to exist! And yet, what is your reward for being the backbone of our very way of life? A meager wage and a small home, a living that does not afford you the dignity your life deserves!"

There are murmurs of agreement among the crowd, little nods and affirmations, and even I must admit that I don't find fault in his words. I still feel the need to slip a hand down to hold Pasche's, but that might simply be because I have not seen Auguste this fiery since I was properly introduced to him.

"So where does the money go? Where do the fruits of your labor, that you rightfully toiled for, that would not exist without your expertise and efforts, go? To Woolen patriarchs, to Cotton capital holders, to rentier and to nobility. To people who haven't worked a day in their life, have not earned a coin or built any foundations for our society, but feel entitled to weigh it down!"

The crowd grows louder, there are cheers here and there, energy courses through the men and women standing before Auguste... This absolutely could cause an incident. I'm not entirely unconvinced it would be justified... Pasche slips off her mailed glove to hold my hand more gently, giving a squeeze, and I run my thumb over the back of her hand.

"Avernia is a rich nation. A nation so rich it's difficult to even fathom how rich it is! And all its riches, all its wealth, it all comes down to you, all of you! Just imagine what we could do with the immense riches of our land, of our people, if only it was not squandered on rent, on unfair taxation, on salaries and dividends to useless capitalists! If we disappeared tomorrow, Avernia would crumble in a single day! If they stopped 'working' tomorrow, we would likely have a fairer country for it!"

"... Serena... Was it right for The Convention to take my father?" Pasche gently whispers in my ear, in a sea of cheers which gives its own answer.

I honestly had to think about it... Pasche's father had been arrested for unfair taxation of peasants, it was probably the right thing to do to stop him... "... I think The Convention should have considered the consequences before doing so. It definitely wasn't right to draft you though."

"I was a useless idle rich like the rest. Even if I didn't hurt anyone directly, I didn't contribute. Maybe I deserved what happened to me."

"... If you deserved it, it's only because I got to meet you." I feel rather flushed even as the words leave my mouth, and I find myself grasping for some control of the situation with a nervous little laugh. "Chestnut absolutely deserved better though."

"Better than a shallow grave, yeah... I guess no amount of politics will make me disagree with that." The memory clearly stings, and yet it provokes a smile from Pasche. "... Thank you, Serena. I don't know if I have any answers but... I'm happy to have you at the very least."

And that blush continues, it seems to find Pasche's face as well... Though it drains a little as Auguste's speech resumes. "And why do we do this? As a society, why do the idle rich, the useless owning class, continue to exist? Because they always have. This tragic misallocation of resources, this criminal waste of our nation's prosperity only persists due to inertia, solely because it hasn't been stopped yet! It has no merit, no function which could justify its perpetuation, it is merely a blemish that our society has yet to correct! And for every day we delay another person starves to death in the street! Another family is evicted for not being able to pay the rent! ... Another child dies, because her parents couldn't afford medical care. Every moment we delay is a tragedy, and the Humanist Salon will not abide any more tragedies!"

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

The crowd has reached a fever pitch now, cheering and yelling. If Auguste wanted he could probably send them to the Palace to tear it down brick by brick. With this many people, he might just pull it off too... But Auguste won't do that, I'm certain he won't-

"I heard the King's conspirin' with foreign powers! That all these wars were his fault! That he wants to silence us with foreign troops!" A voice from the crowd…

I turn my head to try to catch the source of that voice, and to my horror I catch the slightest glimpse of a familiar face. A blonde woman, dressed like an Icenian gentleman heading to an opera. This is not going to end well.

"Pasche, we have to get out of the crowd. Now!" I release Pasche's hand and slip her glove back upon it.

While the murmurs of the crowd begin to spread…

"The King's a traitor?!”

"I knew he was weak, but this?!

"They drafted my cousin for this, those bastards!"

"So many dead young men...'

"He was going to kill us all!"

Pasche slips herself under my arm, helping me to my feet. She can't make getting up any less painful, but she can at least make it quicker, and help carry me away from my chair... Just a little too late. The crowd begins to stand as well, the crowd begins to dance to its own tune now... It had taken on a life of its own.

"Ladies, gentlemen, please! We cannot allow our passions and our righteous anger to be misplaced by baseless conspiracy theories! We are not violent savages, we are people who demand to be heard-" Auguste's voice seems so much more distant now that the crowd is riled up and ready for violence…

Now it’ll be up to Katarina's Greenjackets to keep the peace, to make sure no one goes too far... None of them speak Avernian, do they? ... Is it appropriate to pray to Her Majesty to ensure the safety of a mob that wants her dead?

"I bet there's proof of this at the Royal Palace! Let's storm the place!" That blonde woman again, she's directing the crowd with absurd ease... And then slipping past them, into the gallery.

... I can't be in two places at once, either I stop her in the gallery or I try to calm the crowd. This... This is their trap this time! Whatever these paintings are, this woman is willing to let hundreds of people be injured or killed to get them… Her Majesty was willing to die to protect hers... Gods forgive me…

"Pasche, that blonde woman is headed for the gallery. We need to stop her!" My orders sound just a little pathetic as I give them literally leaning on her just to walk.

"But... What about the crowd?! What do we do about-"

"Without that woman riling them up they should calm down soon! We just need to trust Katarina's troops-"

The crack of musket shot suddenly draws the attention of everyone in attendance, from Auguste to the crowd to the Greenjackets. For a moment, I try to discern which mercenary had been stupid enough to fire upon civilians... And found that none of them had. Gendarmes are closing in on the speech... And were opening fire upon the crowd and Greenjackets alike. The actual Gendarmerie!

Auguste had said they were known for trying to provoke a fight at his rallies, but this surely was too far! Unless… Unless the blonde woman provoked the Gendarmerie somehow? Does she even have that power, that kind of pull? Just who the hell is she?!

I don’t have time to speculate, whatever’s happening here requires me to be a General again. “Pasche, take me to Katarina! We need to give the Greenjackets their orders!”

"R... Right!"

Pasche, it turns out, is as reliable a steed as she is a rider. She manages to quickly rush me over to where Katarina and Xena are hidden, along with a handful of Greenjackets, presumably protecting their boss. Katarina gives me an odd look, clearly not expecting to see me back here…

"Katarina- ... Wait, I can't speak German..." I curse myself for my ignorance under my breath, knowing some of that foreign nonsense right now would be a big help. "Xena, tell Katarina to tell the Greenjackets to protect the crowd from the Gendarmes. Whatever’s happening here, we need to prioritize their safety!"

She relays the order to Katarina, who then bellows it from behind the stage. The sound of incredibly loud German seems to make the entire world go silent for a moment, until the muskets sang again. It seemed we had a proper gunfight on our hands... The subsequent sounds of screaming and wet squelching implied a 'Leather Bayonet' fight on our hands as well... Maybe the crowd could be frightened into inaction…

Auguste quickly joins us behind the stage, having well and truly lost control of the situation. "... I knew the gendarmes were desperate to discredit us, but planting people in our crowd to shout conspiracy theories? I did not expect-"

"Auguste, that wasn't the work of the gendarmes... It was that blonde woman!" I feel almost stupid saying it, attributing an incident like this to a single mysterious woman was a touch absurd I had to admit. "She was riling up the crowd, and I'd bet anything that these gendarmes are here because of her!"

"... Whatever the reason this is happening, I need to get everyone out of here safely. Do you think your people could secure an escape route for the crowd?"

"I think they could-"

Pasche shakes my shoulder very gently, clearly not wanting to cause me much pain but requiring my attention. "If we did that, if we had them all break out, then the remaining gendarmes would probably be coming right for us next as we head into the gallery. We'll be surrounded, and outnumbered, and we don't even know if the blonde woman has people in there ready and waiting for us yet! ... The crowd can probably overcome the gendarmes, there are enough of them. Then we can storm the gallery in force! ... Surely that's the safest option..."

Auguste looks aghast, staring at Pasche as if looking at a ghoul. "Hundreds of people would die doing that. Civilians, people who just want a better lot in life! And who even knows the consequences of brawls with the gendarmerie, real or fake as they may be! ... Serena, we simply can't just throw these people into the jaws of this conspiracy!"

I swallow, every second I delay is another dead Greenjacket, another stray shot hitting a poor baker or miller or whoever else! ... And this is why I have to be here. So I can make the stupid decisions.

"... Katarina, tell the Greenjackets to break out of the gendarme's encirclement, and to evacuate Auguste and the crowd. We'll make do with the men we have here."

Pasche makes a noise somewhere between a scream and a garbled curse, but simply sighs and nods. She's probably very glad she wore her armor to the speech, and that she had replaced her snapped saber. She's probably a lot less glad that I'm her friend right now.

Xena, looking surprisingly relieved by my poor decision making, passes my instructions on in German. Katarina gives another guttural scream, and then points Auguste towards the crowd, trying to give him a smile. Auguste freezes for just a moment... But nods, and rushes to join his flock. Which left Katarina, Xena, Pasche, myself... And ten Greenjackets, to follow the mysterious blonde woman into the gallery.

I'm regretting not going with Pasche's plan already, but it helps to know that I'd regret the alternative for the rest of my life. And if I end up regretting this path for the rest of my life, at least I won't be regretting long.