Maxwell was so passive and in despair.
However, sotis in the world there’s a destiny, and at the mont of overturn, so people need to stand up and embrace their inherent mission.
In the deep of the night, Maxwell heard the call of the Winter God.
"Is it you, Scatty, the chilling Winter God?"
Maxwell exclaid in astonishnt, barely seeing the ethereal figure under the crisp moonlight.
"Maxwell, it’s just you now."
Scatty’s words were as brief as countless legends about the Winter God throughout history.
Maxwell stood startled, unable to grasp the aning of this oracle, and when he attempted to inquire further, Scatty had already vanished before him.
"What’s going on... Was that an illusion?"
Maxwell collapsed into a chair, murmuring softly to himself.
That very night, as Maxwell wondered whether it had been an illusion,
a high-pressure atmosphere within the Royal City sparked an uprising, or rather, a rebellion organized by soone unknown, as people openly trampled the laws of curfew, climbing over the streets crowded outside the Palace, demanding the Queen release Maxwell to lead the Kingdom’s army to resist Kaelonde’s invasion.
The current nobles and royals, already headless and chaotic, so thought the Dwarves had attacked, hastening to flee in panic, while the cries of the people startled the Queen, this timid woman sequestered away, who imdiately agreed to set Maxwell free.
Maxwell was almost entirely unprepared for all this, and when the Guards opened his door, he was still unaware, not realizing what was happening until he was brought before the people.
"You rescued , Scatty rescued ..."
Unable to hold back, Maxwell shed tears, after being confined for days, he had despaired of the situation, never expecting to one day stand up and take responsibility for a nation’s safety.
This was a coup, spontaneously initiated by the people of Golan.
Due to the chaos in the Royal City, the nobles and royals argued endlessly, their opinions not united, with no one able to intimidate and unify the others; the chaos persisted, leading the Kingdom towards collapse under the Dwarf onslaught, and the continued defeats only spurred more chaos, a vicious cycle that seed like it wouldn’t stop until Golan was destroyed.
This coup, like a trendous external force, broke the vicious cycle from outside in. Undoubtedly, the Golan people of the Royal City chose a representative, a veteran general of many decades, obeying his authority, following his command. The people’s trust was the source of power, for their collective might was sufficient to overthrow the King and also to crown a new ruler, and Maxwell received their trust, obtained the power they conferred upon him.
From another perspective, the chaos among the nobles created a vacuum of power, and Maxwell filled this vacuum.
Months ago, the nobles and royals had a contemptuous attitude towards the veteran general; they prepared to watch the spectacle with schadenfreude, the entire Kingdom imrsed in an optimistic atmosphere, estimating that the Dwarves would flee before the King’s campaign.
However, Kaelonde’s fierce onslaught shattered all this.
When the King was captured, cities fell one after another, the lands were ravaged, and the people abused, the once-optimism transford into despair; Kaelonde’s Dwarves were invincible, a vast gloom oppressive over the Kingdom.
Now, in the year 317 of the Kao Calendar, on November 17, a general leads his army again, ruling over all of Golan.
.............
The rescued Maxwell imdiately sprang into action.
The elder Earl first gathered a group of veteran soldiers, who were mostly personal guards that Maxwell had brought from the Helong Mountain Range. They had escaped from the battlefield where the King was captured and were now utterly loyal to their own Earl.
The following noon, while the royalty and nobles were still in heated argunt, many among them wished to reimprison Maxwell. However, Maxwell acted more swiftly. He ordered his two sons to lead troops to surround the Palace, and then entered the Palace under the escort of soldiers.
The bright gleam of swords and spears reflected the panic of everyone in the hall. The royalty and nobles had not expected that the Earl, having just been released from house arrest, would turn around and surround the Palace.
The Queen trembled in her seat, her beautiful face pale, reflected in the soldiers’ shining armor.
"Your Highness the Queen, given the current situation, I request the position of Regent. I swear on the crown of Scatty that after rescuing the King, I will return the regential powers."
Maxwell’s voice was cold, full of naked threats and temptations.
The Queen instinctively shook her head in refusal, but was imdiately scolded by the old Earl.
"What are you thinking?! Foolish woman, what are you afraid of?! We’ve already reached this point. If the Royal City continues this chaos, the entire Kingdom will be dood! Are you worried that after I seize power, I will mistreat you? Ah?! Who do you think I am? I have my wife and lover; I would rather fancy a sow than you! But if you don’t hand over the regency power now, then those who will mistreat you will be those old, ugly Dwarves!"
Maxwell’s words were rude and filled with coarse language. After being under house arrest for so many days and enduring so much frustration, he finally unleashed his anger without rcy.
And the Queen, frightened to the point of losing all color in her face, numbly nodded. A nearby soldier stepped forward, took the Scepter from the Queen, and handed it to Maxwell.
Thus, Maxwell gained control over the entire Palace. He acted decisively, putting those ministers who wanted to negotiate or surrender under house arrest or even executing so of them on the spot. He left behind those who insisted on rescuing the King, in order to consolidate the chaotic situation in the Royal City.
After seizing the regency, Maxwell imposed martial law in the Royal City, closed the city gates to prevent anyone from entering or leaving, and organized the city’s army along with nobles who ca from various regions to support the King, as well as a small portion of foreign reinforcents. He personally led the troops outside the city to dig trenches and build defensive fortifications.
Under Maxwell’s iron-handed managent, the previously chaotic Royal City gradually beca strictly ordered and united.
In the Palace’s armory, Maxwell found chanical devices previously captured from the Dwarves. It was apparent that the King had underestimated the Dwarves of Kaelonde before his own campaign, ignoring Maxwell’s advice to not take along the siege machines.
"This is indeed a stroke of luck amidst misfortune."
Maxwell sighed.
From the current perspective, had the King not underestimated the Dwarves and taken those new machines with him, the situation of the Royal City would have been even worse.
After discovering the machines, Maxwell quickly summoned craftsn to modify and install the giant Bed Crossbow on the city walls, and the Steam Siege Hamr was used to guard the city gates.
anwhile, Maxwell learned that the captured Dwarf officer was still in prison. He hurriedly obtained more information about the Path of Divine Creation from him, in order to bolster the defense against the Dwarves’ offensive.
On the afternoon following the day Maxwell obtained the regency, new battle reports arrived from the frontlines. The returning Scouts reported that Era City and Serenpuse Town had both fallen one after another, and the distance between Kaelonde Dwarves and the Royal City of Nuo Lang was now less than six hundred Empire miles.
Despite being anticipated, Maxwell faced such a tricky situation and could not help feeling despondent. The complete downfall and extinction of Golan were already so close.
"This is truly an unprecedented crisis..."
Maxwell looked up to the heavens and sighed deeply,
"There are only forty days left... just forty days..."
Golan Kingdom, still as precarious as ever, once the Royal City fell, the entire Kingdom would inevitably be conquered by Kaelonde. Holding the Royal City was now the final chance.
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