Reizen released a long, overwhelming breath. Golden epaulettes adorned the shoulders of his navy blue uniform, marking his position as commander and bearing the revolutionary army’s insignia.

Emerson asked, “Are you nervous?”

“It’s closer to anticipation than nervousness.”

He smiled while scratching one eyebrow with a troubled expression. In contrast to his stiff uniform, his face resembled that of a novice youth experiencing first love.

Two pistols at his waist.

One rifle that his teacher had just handed him in passing.

Though the responsibility on his shoulders must have been heavy, his ability to smile before the operation seemed beyond ordinary comprehension.

Emerson stepped back and said, “I’ll be cheering from the rear.”

“Yeah, thanks. Take care of any injured, including imperial soldiers.”

“I’m an imperial physician.”

“You’re about to lose your job.”

“Lose my job?”

“Since your workplace is going bankrupt.”

“Ha, really now. Then since it’s because of you, Commander, take responsibility and rehire me.”

Why should I? Reizen shrugged his shoulders playfully.

“You won’t?”

“We’ll see.”

“What do you mean ‘we’ll see’! Do you think medicine grows from the ground? Do you know how much effort went into developing new medicines for the stigma? After all my hard work, you must guarantee my position!”

Though Emerson grumbled, Reizen just grinned without budging.

“Must you tease right before departure?”

Whilton, having finished preparations, strode over and held out a military cap to Reizen.

“It’s fun though.”

Reizen maintained his smile while pressing the wool cap onto his head. His gently folded eyes contained the greatest joy.

“You look in a good mood – sensing victory, I suppose?”

At Whilton’s words, Reizen nodded.

“I received a great gift. The kind of gift I absolutely must unwrap myself when I return.”

To Emerson’s eyes, the current Reizen shone more brightly than any version she’d seen at the imperial palace.

Though difficult to define precisely, he emanated a strong magnetism that made it impossible to look away.

The man playfully spoke while meeting Emerson’s steady gaze from below his left shoulder.

“Let’s go get Emerson fired.”

Instead of answering, Whilton whistled “whee-” while following beside Reizen.

A moment later, when Reizen walked up from the underground headquarters to ground level, the sharp summer sunlight reflected off his blonde hair, making it sparkle like gold thread.

The revolutionary army stood in tight formation before the plaza, fully armed. The revolutionary army officers stood at the head of each unit, looking at Reizen.

Whilton too passed by Reizen’s side to take his position at the front of one unit and shouted loudly.

“Salute to the Commander!”

Thunderous cheers shook the ground.

* * *

“Extra! Extra!”

In front of the train station, boys wearing flat caps ran around holding single-sheet newspapers.

They solicited adults coming and going through the station to buy papers.

Though normally they’d struggle to sell even ten copies, today’s paper greatly interested the nobles and quickly sold out.

“Are there no more papers?”

“They’re all sold out?”

These questions came repeatedly to the grimy-faced boy as he returned home with his pockets heavy with coins.

“Hey, I could sell more.”

The boy circled around the station looking to collect discarded papers that nobles had read and thrown away. Luckily, he found one extra edition abandoned under a bench.

The paper, bearing footprints from someone stepping on it, read:

Sys Imperial Year 49, August 30.

Revolution Breaks Out in the Capital!

Newspaper sales continued to thrive afterward.

The revolutionary army’s momentum proved incredible, advancing to the central imperial palace within a day. As soon as the castle gates opened, they subdued the imperial army with modern weapons and brought the head of the royal guard to his knees.

Though they found the Emperor who had been imprisoned in the main palace by the Crown Prince, the whereabouts of the Crown Prince, Empress, and Second Prince remained unknown.

“Where could they have fled?”

“Probably escaped to some noble family’s house.”

“Even so, is it right for someone who’s the Crown Prince to imprison his father and run away to save himself?”

Commoners held heated discussions everywhere with newspapers in hand. The scene repeated among nobles who bought papers at the train station and boarded trains.

“We need to carefully consider which side to take. Surely they haven’t already captured the Crown Prince and are torturing him?”

“Nah, I don’t think so. If they had, they would’ve declared the civil war over and wrapped things up.”

“I heard rumors they’re going to publicly execute His Majesty. I just want to know if the Crown Prince is alive or dead. We need to know where to place our hopes, don’t we?”

But despite the revolutionary army’s all-out search efforts, the Crown Prince didn’t appear anywhere for a month.

The Emperor and Crown Prince were considered the foundation of the Sys Empire. For the revolutionary army to declare complete victory, they needed to take the heads of these two symbolic figures.

But unlike the Emperor who fell into their hands at once, the Crown Prince’s whereabouts remained completely unknown, and suspecting some noble was hiding him, they conducted searches throughout the country.

And while the revolutionary forces were dispersed searching for the royal family, the noble alliance army attacked.

Sys Imperial Year 49, September 15.

Noble Alliance Army Recaptures Imperial Palace!

“How could someone who’s supposed to be the next Emperor use such underhanded tactics!”

The commoners despaired.

“See, there’s nothing nobles can’t do when they unite.”

The nobles cheered.

Now the boy with newspapers didn’t even need to move from his spot in front of the train station – people would come give him money and take papers themselves.

Not having to walk around selling made things easier. With the extra time, the boy appeared more presentable than before, perhaps having bought new clothes with his increased newspaper prices.

“Boy, I’ll take one too.”

A noble lady approached, held out coins, and bought a paper. A noble couple with a parasol walked down the street having a worried conversation.

“Dear, it’s a frightening world. How could commoners do such things… Though thank goodness His Highness recaptured the palace. I hope nothing as terrible as a month ago happens again.”

The elderly noble couple clicked their tongues, lamenting these unimaginable events.

An old man in a worn suit and fedora excitedly spoke, spraying spittle.

“End times, end times! How dare those lowly commoners threaten His Majesty the Emperor and chase after His Highness! Such things must never happen again, no sir! Absolutely not!”

But unlike before when commoners would silently pass by such words, their gazes grew sharp.

“Hey, old man, what did you just say?”

“What? Old man? Looking at you, you seem to be some commoner trash – how dare you call me old man! You deserve to die!”

“The ones who deserve to die are you nobles!”

When the elderly baron loudly insulted commoners in public, a commoner youth in his 20s who couldn’t contain his anger anymore engaged in a heated argument that turned violent.

In such cases, commoners who assaulted nobles were typically shot on the spot, but this young man was investigated by the police and sent to court.

“How can this be, Your Highness! The status of the royal family and nobles falls day by day – that’s why the baron suffered such an incident!”

Seeing this, nobles from various regions were outraged and came to the palace to pressure the Crown Prince to execute the young commoner immediately.

Sys Imperial Year 49, October 30.

Noble Alliance Army Attacks Revolutionary Army Base in Miellin Outskirts – 198 Killed, 23 Detained.

A newspaper page blown by the wind fluttered like a leaf before landing at Melissa’s feet.

From summer until fall, the revolutionary army and noble alliance army went back and forth in civil war.

Contrary to Reizen’s plan to end the revolution at once, Selheim had planned for a long war, abandoning the palace to flee and gather the noble alliance army to move.

During this time, Melissa maintained absolute rest while protecting Miellin territory. Her body was so weak she could hardly leave her room, and since even slight movement could cause miscarriage, she spent more days sitting than standing.

Though Reizen occasionally sent letters and fruit to the territory, Melissa never opened any of them.

Sometimes he would personally buy and send toys or clothes for the child whose gender remained unknown, but she showed no interest.

So when the noble alliance army advanced to the Miellin outskirts and they had to pack and evacuate, Melissa instructed them not to bring those things.

“My lady!”

The people of Miellin castle were planning to take the train from Glinford station to Duke Rockbell’s territory.

“My lady, this way!”

But when the castle people rushed together, Melissa slipped away alone to the side. Though Laila called out to her from afar while bouncing along, she deliberately looked away pretending not to notice.

A boy was selling newspapers in front of the train station.

Melissa’s eyes remained dry as she looked at the pictures of the revolutionary army and her husband in the newspaper.