Storm of Gods

Chapter 203 Princes are subject to the same laws as commoners

On Saturday morning, the square in front of the Senate was packed with people. Many people had received a rumor early in the morning that Anthony Nasser would be beheaded.

Yes, the Nasser family is undoubtedly one of the most powerful and influential families in the Kingdom of Montaleta. The eldest son of the current head of the family, Viscount Anthony Nasser, will be beheaded for imitating the internal organs demon to murder an innocent woman.

When the people heard the news, they were shocked and disbelieving, because such a thing could lead to the beheading of a nobleman.

People protested, were angry, and hoped for severe punishment for the murderer. In reality, they only hoped that Anthony wouldn't get away with just a fine. Death penalty? Or beheading! They didn't even dare to think about it. The order and power established by the nobility couldn't be erased by a few incidents. So even though the Hexbird newspaper reported his numerous misdeeds, there was still no trial. In fact, many people had already been disappointed in the past few days. They weren't complaining about the king, but rather wanting to change tradition. Even the kingdom couldn't do whatever it wanted.

However, just when everyone had given up hope, Anthony was to be beheaded. What else could this be but a rumor?
Many nobles didn't believe it either. Killing one person meant beheading a knight of noble birth. Was there no law left?
Rumors spread faster than ever before, and soon almost every corner of the city of Heldan knew about them. Everyone was talking about them, and many people flocked to the entrance of the Upper House. They didn't know if it was true or not, but they wanted to see if King Aura would really stand up for them.

As people flooded into the square, no one spoke; everything was silent. There was only a sea of ​​heads as they quietly stared at the empty square, where there was nothing.

But no one left; people just stood there. People kept gathering in the distance, and then a fully armed knightly order appeared. They rode tall horses, were clad in full armor, carried lances, and had swords at their waists. This was the Royal Knights, and their banners bore the symbol of the Golden Tree.

The Knights did not disperse the crowd, but merely maintained an open space in the square. Then a group of workers appeared, assembling components of the guillotine. There was not a sound throughout the entire scene. The crowd had gathered at a distance, making the surrounding streets completely congested, yet the only sound was breathing. This was not just one victim, but countless potential victims waiting.

Two shirtless strongmen lifted the giant guillotine and began to hang it. The guillotine was polished to a high shine and still gleamed coldly in the sunlight, but people saw hope in their eyes.

The guillotine has been struck, and half of the rumor has come true, but will it really be Anthony Nasser?

At this moment, in the cabinet of the royal palace, King Aura XVIII was handling official business with his cabinet ministers. Duke Nasser was present, as were the other ministers, but no one was discussing this matter. The discussion was about the country's tax revenue for this year. Even Duke Nasser remained expressionless, as if it were none of his business.

The moment Anthony was silenced, his death was no longer the issue; the real question was how the Nasser family would appease the king's anger. This was undoubtedly the king's biggest sore spot. Had he known it would turn out this way, Duke Nasser would have shot him against the wall back then.

However, King Aura was fair, and the kingdom remembered their contributions. He did not implicate the Nasser family, and even erased Anthony's killing of innocent people and claiming credit for them in the soon-to-be-publicized crimes, saving face for the Nasser family. Under these circumstances, the Nasser family had to be grateful and support all of the king's decisions. With the Nasser family, who had been the first to speak out, kneeling down, the other families no longer had sufficient reasons to oppose him.

Amidst the anticipation of the crowd, Anthony Nasser was brought out. At that moment, people's eyes burned with fervor, and hope, that tiny hope, had truly become a reality.

Yes, praise be to His Majesty the just King Aura XVIII, execute this criminal!

Anthony was terrified. He didn't want to die. He had given up inheriting the family title because he wanted to live a carefree life, but now his life was over. He had once longed to become a knight admired by all.

He has now achieved half of his wish.

A fat man appeared; he was the cabinet's press officer. The fat man was dressed very formally, wearing a wig and a gold coat. With his belly protruding and his head held high, he walked forward proudly, opened the scroll under the burning gaze, and began to read Anthony Nasser's incriminating evidence in an operatic tone with ups and downs.

The condensed version of the evidence still ignited public anger, and everyone stared intently at Anthony Nasser, not just Anthony, but also those wicked nobles.

"...His Majesty the Great and Just King Aura XVIII now sentences Anthony Nasser to death by beheading," the chubby boy announced, his hands moving in a passionate tone, swaying with the crowd. The crowd's excitement was deafening, but this was not the end.

"His Majesty the King has promulgated the new laws of the Kingdom. Every citizen of Montcareta is a child of the King. From this day forward, princes will be punished the same as commoners." The frenzied crowd seemed to hold their breath for a moment, then erupted into a deafening roar that soared to the heavens. With the cheers, the guillotine fell from the sky, and Anthony Nasser's head flew into the air. The cheers reached their peak, and at the same time, Aura XVIII solidified his absolute prestige among the people of Montcareta. History would record this momentous event.

This divinely favored kingdom always produces a great king at every turning point in history.

The cry of "Long live the King!" echoed throughout Heldan, and the King's fame would spread throughout Moncalet and the Abyss with the messengers. From this day forward, no one could shake the rule of Aura XVIII, not even the Great Wise King.

The cabinet members who were working also heard a faint rumbling sound, seemingly cheering for the king. The fact that they could hear it even here was probably rare for Heldan.

Meanwhile, the Hexbird Newspaper was also in a frenzy, with everyone working overtime to produce a special edition, constantly detailing Anthony Nasser's crimes and the misdeeds of the nobles. This time, the prince was to be punished the same as the commoner, which was actually a royal announcement that the privilege of nobles to be exempted from punishment through ransom or other means would be abolished. This would be the most direct deterrent to these nobles.

Even the eldest son of the Nasser family, a pillar of the nation, was sentenced to beheading. Whose neck is tougher than that?
This is the most direct and blatant form of deterrence.

The citizens poured into the streets, releasing their joy and excitement. In the end, His Majesty the King stood with them. He was one of the greatest kings in the history of Montcareta, and in many people's hearts, he was already the greatest king.

On the Celestial Star Tower of the Tenri School, Vladimir felt a powerful surge of willpower flowing into his body. He knew that His Majesty the King had succeeded, and that not only the Kingdom of Moncaleta would benefit from this, but also the Tenri School. As the Tenri School's ideals were realized, their power also increased significantly.

Vladimir, who had already reached a critical point, finally took that half step, and golden light illuminated the Star Tower.

This time, a true demigod was born. After hundreds of years of accumulation, the School of Heavenly Principles finally gave birth to a demigod under his leadership.

Within Star Tower Academy, countless members of the Heavenly Principle School were kneeling before their school's demigod, signifying that their path had been recognized by the supreme will, no longer a cult or a heretical sect, but a truly sacred path.

Vladimir knew that executing Antony would not achieve the desired effect. Everything stemmed from the princess's words, "Princes are subject to the same laws as commoners." This elevated what was originally an action to weaken the privileges of the nobility to a national level of progress. Only such a strong will could help him take this crucial step. The difference between the new path and the traditional path lies in the difficulty of this step.

When His Majesty the King consulted with them, they chose to abandon exposing all of Antony's crimes in exchange for the Nasser family's support for abolishing privileges. With the Nasser family's defection and the King's "wrath," the matter was able to proceed smoothly. Of course, the nobles did not admit defeat, and they certainly prepared for what would follow.

What they didn't know was that His Majesty the King was willing to sacrifice even the privileges of the royal family, a move that would hurt himself before hurting the enemy—a move whose power was beyond imagination.

They anticipated a huge response, but they never expected such an unexpectedly positive reaction from the public. If he has gained so much, His Majesty the King must have gained even more.

Just as Vladimir was filled with the exhilaration of realizing his ideals, a dark cloud, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, enveloped him, as if to freeze his very soul.

crisis.

An extremely serious crisis, one that could destroy the kingdom and the School of Heavenly Reason, is approaching...

(End of this chapter)