Volume 4 Chapter 16: Glorious Revolution (Part 2)

  Under the night sky, the streets of Lushipa echoed with intermittent gunfire and explosions, scattered fires burning between tall buildings, reflected in the clouds, revealing a faint crimson glow, like a brilliant sunset. Beneath this cruel beauty created by violence, countless lives were rapidly disappearing in mutual slaughter, despite having the same appearance, speaking the same language, and living in the same city, but at this moment, they seemed like sworn enemies of generations past, stabbing knives deep into each other's bellies.

  Although the government troops abandoned their resistance in the evening of the coup and surrendered one after another, all major key departments in the city were taken over. However, for the coup plotters, the battle was far from over, and a new round of fighting under the cover of night was even more bloody and brutal than during the day.

  Supporters of the old regime did not give up resistance even after the collapse of the government army. These vested interests, who had gained enormous wealth under the Xie Fuzhi regime, were well aware that once the government fell, they would be subject to a severe settlement. They burned their own mansions and warehouses, collected any weapons they could find, and moved to strategic locations to continue their resistance. Along the way, these die-hards went on a rampage of burning, killing, and destruction, trying to destroy everything that could not be kept, so as not to let it fall into the hands of the coup plotters. The coup army also retaliated with a crazy order of "kill without mercy", mobilizing civilians to kill all family members who were left behind by the die-hards, even throwing babies into the raging fire.

  The Archbishop of the Church of Xuefolas, Eagle, disguised himself as a vagrant and narrowly escaped from the capital. He then gathered a group of people in a nearby village and launched a counterattack against the coup forces. First, he turned the empty palace into ashes, and then reunited with the remnants who had escaped from the city, trying to establish a stronghold to wait for reinforcements. However, as the situation became clearer, his motley crew quickly deserted and fled. Seeing that things were not going well, Archbishop Eagle disguised himself again and slipped away with some of his followers to organize a government-in-exile overseas.

  The fiercest battle took place at the Army University, which was originally built as a giant fortress. At the same time, it had accumulated a large number of weapons and ammunition for teaching purposes. More than 3,000 students and teachers loyal to the old regime firmly defended themselves here. The elite of the army were far more aware of urban defense warfare than the citizens who had just picked up their weapons and the sailors who were only good at naval battles. Under the siege of tens of thousands of insurgents, they stood firm. The coup forces tried every method, including fire attacks, airborne assaults, underground explosions, and toxic gas warfare, but despite the piles of corpses that fell, they could not win. In the end, it was not until the third day after the coup that the students at the military academy laid down their arms and surrendered under the personal persuasion of the Elf Queen.

  Although the gunfire has not yet completely subsided, this does not prevent the insurgents from enjoying the fruits of victory. For the citizens who participated in the battle, revolution is for a better life. Since blood has been shed and the government has been overthrown, next should be to plan well for oneself and one's family, how to get more things back home.

  The government troops had not yet surrendered, and the armed citizens rushed to various supply stations and mansions of the rich, eagerly starting looting and plundering. The frenzied citizens carried weapons everywhere, smashing, robbing, and burning. They vented their long-accumulated anger wantonly. Lushipa instantly became a paradise for criminals, and every resident was transformed into a beast in an instant, tearing each other's throats to snatch others' property and protect their own.

  Pistols and crossbow bolts flew back and forth in the alleys, the wails of women and children and the screams of men echoed through the burning houses. The city had become a huge arena for beasts, every guy in it was busy killing or being killed. Even the leaders of the coup could not restrain these atrocities - so-called revolutionaries, who did not even know how to fear and respect life, how much reason could they have? So-called "glorious revolution", but actually not glorious at all. Only naked madness and bestiality.

  But when the sun rose again, apart from the sound of gunfire from the military academy, everything else had basically returned to calm. The impoverished city residents, covered in blood, had finally vented their destructive desires and, carrying large and small packages on their backs, were jubilantly rushing back to their families in the slums - ironically, the slums, which were usually the most lawless areas of the city, were now the quietest, simply because there was nothing left to loot.

  In the midst of the bloody and smoky city, the poor alleys were filled with the sounds of cooking food, and the long-unseen fragrance wafted out from each household, spreading into the air, attracting children to shout with joy. The rebels, like returning bandits, sang and danced, indulged in stolen fine wine and delicacies, as if celebrating a grand festival. For them, revolution probably meant having a holiday every day.

  However, for the high-level leaders of this coup, the current situation is still far from good enough to celebrate with a banquet.

  In the auditorium of the Naval Academy, a temporary throne for Queen Akordia was set up, and high-ranking officials of the new government filled the hall. Since the palace and most government agencies were destroyed in the battle, the command center of the coup army could only be transferred to the relatively intact Naval Academy, and the widest auditorium naturally became the temporary venue for the royal court meeting.

  Now, Queen Akdina sat on the hastily constructed throne, listening to her ministers discuss their next move. Originally, as one region after another fell under their control, everyone was in high spirits and already preparing for a celebratory feast. But after hearing the report from Princess Freyja and Foreign Minister Daniel, who had just rushed back

  Everyone's eyebrows were tightly furrowed, and they found that the situation was not as optimistic as they had imagined.

  "Currently, except for the Army University which is still in fierce battle, our military has controlled the entire Yongju Island." Princess Freya, who had just come down from the battlefield, hastily changed into a white robe and came to the ceremonial hall to attend the imperial court meeting, with an unmistakable smell of blood all over her body. "However, the four large comprehensive warehouses in the city and suburbs of Lyushipa were all burned down by the rebels, and many small warehouses in the city were also burned or looted by civilians. Therefore, food and fuel supplies may soon be in short supply, hoping that mother can make early preparations."

  "It shouldn't be that serious, right? There are still some stored provisions in the fleet base, and there are also quite a few captured goods in the port..." A naval commander was about to retort when he was interrupted by Princess Freyja.

  "What we are now supplying is the entire population of 500 people on Yongju Island, not just those few soldiers in the fleet! How long can our stored provisions last for the whole island?"

  "In that case... three months at most." The naval commander replied after a moment of hesitation.

  "The current Yongju Island has been fully industrialized, and there are still several coal mines for fuel. Food is basically dependent on imports. The amount of grain reserves directly determines how long the regime can be maintained. Moreover, the attitudes of various places are not yet clear, and it is unknown whether we can get timely supplies from outside." Daniel explained that he had been fighting continuously for a day and night, with bloodshot eyes, but still insisted on coming to the meeting. "What reactions have other regions taken towards our actions, Your Majesty?"

  Queen Akurdina turned her gaze to a middle-aged elf wearing a wizard's long robe, who was the communication officer in charge of ultra-long-distance magical communication and was responsible for contacting areas outside of Yongju Island.

  "Your Majesty, apart from the Carinthal front-line troops, several fleets and some colonies on the continent of Mazka that have completely pledged allegiance, the governors-general, garrison commanders and ambassadors of vassal states all over the world are ambiguous about our actions this time. Although they nominally congratulated Your Majesty on eliminating national traitors, they did not express further support or take action to eradicate local Xiefula churches." The spirit mage immediately followed the queen's instructions and reported on the dynamics outside. "The leader of the rebels, Archbishop Iggle, has escaped through a transmission gate, and our army only killed his deputy, and he is still at large. In Agralon in the East, the local Xiefula Church declared the establishment of a puppet government and announced to all regions that it would launch a crusade against us."

  "That is to say, if I were to forcibly requisition grain and other supplies from the local warlords, it's likely that they would be driven into the arms of the rebels. However... The queen tapped her hand on the armrest of her throne, looking somewhat troubled. "Furthermore, our army still needs to continue eliminating the remaining rebels. At the same time, the fleets of Natsurriel and other countries may also take advantage of the situation to launch an attack, and the military actions will definitely consume a large amount of supplies..."

  "Mr. Daniel, can you control the food rationing, try to save as much of the existing grain reserves as possible, and use some substitute foods to hold on for a while?" Standing behind the queen, Princess Elenita saw her mother worried and couldn't help but step forward, "The World Tree controlled by the royal family can still provide some food. The several military stables on Eternal Island have almost no livestock left, but there are over 10 million pounds of black wheat and bran left as fodder, which should be of some use."

  As for Allenita's rationalization suggestion, Daniel could only respond with a wry smile.

  "With all due respect, Your Highness's opinion is unlikely to work. The newly restored royal authority has yet to establish its own prestige, while the tens of thousands of violent mobs in the city have too much power. For those mobs, revolution is a daily holiday, as long as they can loot freely, it's all the same whose life they take. Not to mention making them eat horse feed, if we can't provide food and daily necessities at a standard much higher than before, they will riot again and put on the throne those ambitious people who are willing to give them more bread, fruit, clothes, and wine."

  "Daniel, my lord, do not call them 'rabble'. They are all loyal subjects of mine." Queen Akdina rebuked with a frown, but her tone was not severe.

  "Please forgive my improper words, Your Majesty." Daniel bowed his head in apology. "However, allowing uncontrolled civilians to hold power for a long time is not the right way, I implore you to make arrangements as soon as possible, Your Majesty."

  "I naturally understand this point, but if the citizens are not mobilized, how can we defeat the rebels in such a short period of time? Now even I am unable to restrain them, and can only take things one step at a time. Otherwise, there wouldn't be all these troubles."

  "Your Majesty, the affairs of the gods are not something that we mortals can intervene in." A priest immediately stood up and said seriously, "After all, Xuefeng has been prosperous for over a hundred years. Even if the gods join forces to attack him, it's not guaranteed that they will succeed with one blow. Moreover, he has already been expelled from the divine kingdom, his power has greatly diminished, and he should no longer pose a direct threat to Your Majesty's cause."

  "I have no intention of complaining. I am merely stating a fact." The queen glanced at the pastor and shook her head, saying, "Alright, I will try to resolve the local issues within three months, no, two months, so that they can resume their supply of goods to the capital. Do any of you have anything else?"

  "Your Majesty, I beg to speak frankly. Even if all regions quickly pledge their full allegiance to you, they will not be able to provide much grain for the central government." A former official from the Ministry of Transportation hesitated before deciding to advise the queen, "Due to the abnormal weather, last year's entire Ferren..."

  Agriculture has been severely damaged. With the destruction of war, the grain collected from various places is not enough, and the front-line troops are eating the accumulated food stored on Yongju Island for many years. In these few months, the granary on Yongju Island has been transporting large quantities of grain to various places, but not a single grain ship from outside has arrived. Now, let alone asking various places to supply more, the governors may still ask Your Majesty for food." He thought for a moment and added another sentence, "These are all things that I have handled in the Ministry of Transportation, absolutely without error."

  "Is it that serious?" Queen Akdina was visibly startled. She looked at the communication officer with a skeptical gaze, "Is there such a message?"

  "It's true, just now Karinsha's frontline has sent an urgent telegram requesting replenishment of food and ammunition." The communications officer nodded in agreement. "The governors of Lapalia, Jondas, and Shaya have also successively sent telegrams demanding emergency allocation of grain for famine relief, otherwise there will be a risk of full-scale riots. These communications were just sent to me, so I haven't had time to report to Your Majesty yet."

  "How could this be?" The queen slapped her forehead in frustration. "Since Ferren continent is hopeless, Mazca continent's colonies should still have some reserves, I remember that the grain yield there shouldn't be small either... What's wrong with you all, why do you look so gloomy?"

  After an awkward silence, Daniel, the most junior member of the coup group, was pushed forward. "Uh... if I may speak frankly, Your Majesty, have you been paying attention to the war reports from the Mazka continent recently?"

  "Haven't seen you for a while, what's up?"

  "That's because the enemy, Tukum Suleiman, has launched several large-scale offensives in a row. The army stationed by our country on the mainland of Mazka has completely collapsed, and all major grain-producing areas have fallen into the hands of barbarians."

  "Then withdraw the legions from the Karinshan front and throw them into Mazka to take back the grain-producing areas!" The queen gripped the armrest tightly, her knuckles whitening. "Isn't that what the army is for?"

  "It's probably still not going to work." Daniel shook his head, "We've been stuck in a stalemate in that area for too long, and the time for planting has already been delayed. Even if we manage to retake those areas with great effort, it will be impossible to get any grain before autumn. By then, Yongju Island would have become hell due to famine."

  "This won't work, that won't work, what am I supposed to do now? Am I supposed to kneel down and beg for peace from the nations of humanity, sacrificing our land for food?" The queen was clearly on the verge of a breakdown.

  "Your Majesty, you absolutely cannot do this." A hoarse but powerful voice echoed in the hall, and Tluth, the representative of the strongest military force in the coup group, stood up and walked to the front of the throne. The queen immediately felt a little guilty and closed her mouth, looking at the old marshal who was twice her age with the eyes of a student looking at a teacher.

  "This war indeed needs a decent end, but absolutely not now!" Marshal Tullus unfolded a huge world map in front of everyone. "Since the start of the war, our army has not achieved a single victory on land that is worth mentioning, only a string of defeats. In such a terrible situation, if we want to seek peace talks, the conditions will be harsh to the point where we cannot accept them at all. Moreover,"

  He paused, then drew a large circle around the location of Ferren with his short, thick fingers. "This time, the abnormal climate and crop reduction are spread throughout Ferren! Even human nations are no exception, they are also in a severe food crisis. Even if we are willing to cede a large piece of land to beg for peace, there is no country that can allocate grain to solve our difficulties."

  "Are we to seek peace with that savage leader Tecumseh, and ask him for enough food to sustain us through the crisis?" Princess Elenita retorted.

  "This won't work either, Tekumse's original territory was mainly on the plateau, which is absolutely not a good place for grain production. The newly fallen plain granary area also suffered from war damage and will not produce grain until autumn. Moreover," General Tullus drew a line on the map of the Mazca continent, "Tekumse's condition must be that we completely withdraw from the Mazca continent. Can we agree to this?"

  The people fell silent, and the Mazca continent was the source of wealth for the Elf Kingdom, as well as the material basis for launching the "Great Elf Invasion". Losing this vast and rich land, the government's finances would immediately go bankrupt, and the large army would soon be unable to sustain itself. Even the country's economic system would be in danger of coming to a halt, and a considerable part of the elves' standard of living would have to return to relying on clear water and fruit for sustenance every day. The elves could give up all the occupied territories on the Ferrin continent, but they absolutely could not give up the Mazca continent.

  "So, begging the enemy for peace is futile, and solving problems with our swords is the only right way. How many years has it been? Haven't we always come this far?" General Tulius concluded, raising his own sword to gesture to everyone.

  "But you're saying that other countries are all short of food, so even if we send troops, where can we go to grab it? Besides, my country is in chaos and I can't dispatch many troops anyway." The queen said with some confusion.

  "No, there is one place that has not been devastated by war and natural disasters. The land is fertile, the grain is piled up like a mountain, but the military strength is extremely weak. It is currently the most suitable target for our attack." Marshal Tullus pointed his hand from the continent of Mazka to the north, stopping on another vast land, "It's here, the New Nazaril Thirteen States that have been neglected by us!"