The former capital of the Underwood Empire, Spellwood, had now become the capital of the new republic. It was a city teeming with activity, just five days before Lando's exploration of the city of Goldton.

In a grand chamber, a middle-aged man with black hair was seated on his newly acquired throne, exuding an air of authority through his silver robes. His strong build made him a formidable figure, which did not go unnoticed by his secretary. She approached him after a respectful bow and began recounting the latest news. "Your excellency, we have just received word that we have successfully seized control of Emberworth, and our forces are now ready to set sail towards the cities along the western coast."

The self-proclaimed chancellor with silver hair calmly replied, "How much resistance can we anticipate on our journey to Goldton?"

As the capital and many other major cities in the old empire had fallen, the resistance from powerful nobles was dwindling. They realized that their uprising was destined to be crushed. Many cities had recently surrendered to the new republic without putting up much of a fight.

However, Goldton remained the last city standing in the entire old empire. It was a sprawling metropolis and the heart of production in the old empire. Duke Barron, the ruler of Goldton, refused to yield and was fiercely determined to hold onto his power. Vincent, the chancellor, bore a longstanding grudge against Duke Barron and knew that this was his opportunity to eliminate him and his family. Duke Barron was not only one of the few remaining archmages in the empire, like Vincent, but he was also one of Artis’ closest confidants.

Vincent was well aware of Duke Barron's influence and power, which made the task at hand all the more difficult and dangerous. The final battle for control over Goldton would be arduous, but Vincent was prepared to do whatever it took to secure his domination.

Duke Barron was far from doomed, as he had no intentions of surrendering to the old imperial rule as he knew this would be his end. His plan was to resist for as long as possible, hoping that neighboring countries would join in his fight.

Vincent's revolution was a precarious balancing act, with the potential for failure at any stage. Duke Barron's only task was to hold on until that happened.

Vincent's plan relied heavily on the support of his allies. He had gained numerous supporters within his own family, some of whom were also part of his brother's circle of influence. However, even within the old emperor's own family, many descendants were dissatisfied with their current level of power. For most of them, the idea of succeeding their ancestor was nothing more than a distant dream due to the long line of succession. Descendants further down the line would often receive very little, just enough to live a comfortable life. Those who were more powerful would reach high positions, but in the realm of magicians, longevity was common, and many were not patient enough to wait for their predecessor to die of old age or for their own ascent in rank.

This phase of the plan was the most perilous, as a single misstep or wrong word could lead to the execution of all involved parties. Fortunately, no such mishap occurred, and they continued with their preparations, focusing on gaining the support of members of the military. In the early stages, it was crucial to secure the backing of powerful fighters. This way, they would have a chance to fight for their escape in the worst-case scenario, rather than facing certain execution.

There were many influential figures within the military who were not adequately rewarded for their positions. While high-ranking members often received noble titles, these titles were mostly just honorary and did not come with land. Land was a limited resource, and it was rare for the crown to renounce noble titles that included land.

The revolutionaries recognized this discontent and approached those military members who were clearly dissatisfied. Promising them more resources in return, they assured them that noble titles would be abolished, allowing for these titles and their associated lands and resources to be seized.

This was particularly appealing to many military members who came from commoner backgrounds. They were even more motivated to see the end of nobility altogether.

With their fighting force secured, the revolutionaries turned their attention to the economic aspect of their plan. Their first target was the merchant guild, aiming to leverage their economic power to gain more support.

The merchant guild proved to be easily swayed by the promise of lower taxation and the potential of the commoners. The revolutionaries presented a simple equation: by providing basic education for the commoners and enacting laws that protected them from the magicians' influence, they would empower this large population group. The commoners, outnumbering other groups by a ratio of approximately 15 to 1, had the potential to generate substantial wealth if given the right opportunities. This would not only benefit the merchant guild but also the new republic as a whole, even if only through tax revenue.

The recruitment efforts of the revolutionaries extended beyond the merchant guild. They sought partnerships with the blacksmiths, enchanters, and alchemists guilds as well. However, these discussions were not as smooth compared to their previous endeavors. Many craftsmen already had powerful supporters who financed their crafts. But Vincent had a solution in place – a new law to protect the intellectual property of these artisans.

According to Vincent's plan, if a craftsman created a new machine, enchantment, or potion that had never been seen before, they would simply need to complete a form to protect their inventions. If it truly proved to be a new invention, only they would be allowed to sell those items. The rights could be leased to a third party, but a fee would have to be paid to the inventor, determined by the inventor themselves. Vincent assured that these laws would be strictly enforced, as it would incentivize research into new innovations. The funds available for research would also increase, catapulting the new republic to the forefront of technological advancement, surpassing other countries that lacked such laws.

The craftsmen were intrigued by this proposition, seeing the potential benefits it could bring to their trade. With this, they became new allies and embarked on the next phase of the plan.

They would exert pressure on nobles and powerful factions using the power of money. They began by canceling previous deals, raising prices for resources, and gradually pushing these groups to the brink of financial ruin and then make their recruitment offers. They started with the economically weaker individuals and slowly worked their way up the power structure. At this point, they preferred to keep the revolution a secret to maximize their ability to leverage their influence. However, even if someone were to accidentally reveal their plans, it would no longer be a reason for failure. The longer they held the secret, the more people they could persuade to join their cause.

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As time went on, rumors of a revolution began to circulate among the upper class of society. Vincent, seizing the opportunity and not letting things go out of his control, made the decision to spread the rumors himself, eventually reaching new allies who sympathized with his cause. He went into hiding, preparing for his uprising. In a matter of months, the rumors of his revolution had spread like wildfire, and he gained several new allies, unsurprisingly receiving significant support from the common population.

This was a time of executions as little by little Vincent’s allies got caught. Not too deterred by the execution of a few allies but hastening his plans nonetheless, Vincent began his final preperations.

Vincent armed his supporters in the military with a secret weapon – a firearm. This new invention allowed non-magicians to have the ability to kill lower-ranking magicians if they were not cautious enough. The firearm fired metal bullets using explosive powder, propelling them at high speeds. Vincent had come across this weapon during his travels after leaving the empire following the struggle for succession.

During his time in the Republic of Enolin, Vincent witnessed the centralized power of the government and how common people could thrive with the right opportunities. While their laws for commoners were stricter than what he planned for his own republic, they still provided better conditions than those in the Underwood Empire. He observed that the common people in Enolin had more wealth and could afford expensive items, creating a distinct and prosperous economy.

Inspired by what he had seen, Vincent pondered how far he could push the ideology of equality. He concluded that it would be best if commoners were granted similar rights to magicians, or at least if the public perceived it that way.

After years of meticulous planning and secrecy, the day finally arrived when Vincent felt confident enough to confront his brother and initiate his revolution.

***

Two months earlier, outside the capital city, two men stood facing each other in mid-air amidst fields of wheat stretching to the horizon. They had moved their battle to this location to avoid devastating the capital in their fight as two Archmages.

One of them propelled himself upwards using flames, veins bulging on his forehead as he shouted at his own brother with a fiery temperament befitting his element. "You bastard! You shame everything our ancestors stood for! I should have ended you when our grandfather abandoned the continent!"

The man opposite, clad in a combat suit made of liquid metal, opened his visor and calmly responded to his brother. "You've already lost, brother. Even your own descendants have joined forces against you. They see that your way of ruling the empire is outdated."

Artis, consumed by flames of fury, retorted to his brother's taunts. "Those ungrateful bastards are simply too greedy for their own good. It has nothing to do with my style of ruling, and you know it."

Vincent smirked in response, unaffected by the heat emanating from his brother. "They may be greedy, but it's your own failure that made them this way in the first place."

Vincent understood that this had little to do with Artis' ruling style. Their descendants could never be satisfied. Once his new republic was firmly established, he planned to send them on suicide missions or personally purge them. They were crucial to the revolution, but he could not uphold all the promises he had made, necessitating some clean cuts here and there.

"Today, I will finish what should have been done years ago. You will plead for mercy when your metal armor melts and merges with your skin!" Artis declared, conjuring a massive amount of flames around himself before hurtling forward to attack his treacherous brother.

Vincent closed his visor, resembling a bulky steel golem, and responded by forming an array of metal drills, each the size of a spear, ready for bombardment.

Meanwhile, Vincent's allies were engaged in fierce battles against Emperor Artis' closest confidants. Explosions and storms of magic shook the entire capital, as devastating spells wreaked havoc with a chaotic display of colorful destruction.

The ruling district would be leveled to the ground on that day, with the exception of the royal palace, which was protected by the best defensive enchantments money could buy in that region of the world.

***

The previous circumstances led to Chancellor Vincent sitting on his throne in the only building that remained standing amidst the ruins and scorched earth at the center of the capital.

"We anticipate minimal resistance between Emberworth and Goldton. Our ships should arrive there in about a week. We are preparing for a siege, so our troops in the north should not arrive much later, ensuring complete isolation of the enemy from the rest of the empire," answered Norma, the secretary.

The chancellor inquired about the situation with their neighbors, as he had been out of touch with the current state of affairs in his new republic due to his injury sustained during the fight with his brother. He had spent most of his time resting and rehabilitating.

"There is nothing too concerning, Your Excellency. The eastern kingdoms seem to be adopting a wait-and-see approach. They will likely strike once we have dealt with the remaining resistance and are at our weakest. We have stationed enough troops on the border to deter any rash actions, as you commanded, Your Excellency. The situation in the north with the Himlonde kingdom is slightly more troublesome. Our spies have reported movement of troops toward our borders. However, we have stationed a significant number of troops there, as it was your main concern. The risk is currently minimal, but we should prioritize dealing with Goldton as soon as possible," Norma reported.

Vincent sat in thought for a few minutes before sharing his own opinion. "Friendly relationship? That's a load of nonsense. If they are making troop movements toward our border, they will undoubtedly attack sooner rather than later. They have had their eyes on the Nevermere duchy for quite some time now. If we can avoid a fight, it would be in our best interest. Fortunately, the Kingdom of Formilthar is our ally in this situation. They still hold a grudge over the territory they lost to the Himlonde kingdom centuries ago. If they openly mobilize their troops at the border, it would greatly deter the Himlonde kingdom—at least until we have our own situation under control. Inform our diplomats there that I personally owe the King a favor if he mobilizes his troops," Vincent instructed.

Norma quickly noted down the orders and sought further guidance. "How should we proceed with Goldton, Your Excellency? While we have strong fighters like Francis Dorsey and Ronald Blanchard on their way, it might not be enough to deal with the duke. Most of our powerful fighters are stationed on the borders to deter our enemies."

The chancellor responded calmly, "Do not worry. Our friends on the council have assured me that they will intervene if the Duke dares to act against our people personally."

The space-time council rarely intervened in revolutions, but seeing that Vincent practically controlled the entire empire, aside from Goldton, they were willing to make an exception and bend their own rules. If the council frequently aided revolutions and uprisings, it would force kingdoms and empires that did not adhere to their laws to unite against them. Therefore, the council usually refrained from intervening under such circumstances.

***

Returning to the present, Lando observed the noble and another young man engaged in an escalating argument when sudden explosions erupted nearby. As Lando and the crowd turned their attention toward the source of the noise, both men with their weapons drawn ceased their dispute and focused on the disturbance. It appeared to be a battle involving at least solid stage mages, if not higher.

Lando soon realized the direction from which the sounds of fighting emanated—it was his temporary home, where his parents were staying!