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Wow. That was quite an inhumane thing to do. They reused the techniques that were used on heroes, forced status augmentation, and all the repercussions that came with it. After appraising them quickly, I deemed them at B Grade adventurer level. Compared to the king’s guard, they were about one level weaker. The average person gaining this much power likely wouldn’t survive one more day.

It wasn’t surprising that those two had discovered this spell, given the strength of their information network. And since the people here had already been influenced by their Allure, it wasn’t hard to imagine them resorting to a last-ditch tactic to ensure the mission’s success. The one who had ultimately pushed the townspeople to use this technique was none other than Alks’ father. That alone made me wonder, could the common folk actually win this battle?

A few of the knights were probably enough to hold off all of the enhanced commoners. A one-on-three match would have been manageable. But now, they had to deal with twice that number.

If they managed to defeat one, five more would immediately take their place. And once the royal guards began to take hits from the commoners, their lives would be forfeit.

People were easily swept up by the atmosphere around them. Even if none of these civilians had killed before, the moment the mood tipped toward bloodshed, like in a rebellion, they would start killing without hesitation.

They didn’t need to desire murder. Simply choosing to be part of the rebellion meant they had already accepted the possibility. Only those mentally prepared for that step would have been brought into this stage of the plan.

What made it worse was that the magic they used would soon claim their lives. That meant Avaritia would be the only one left standing, making him the sole winner in this entire setup.

But even if he gained all that power… it would only hasten the world’s end.

The swords of the king’s guards severed the heads of those unaccustomed to battle. Blood sprayed through the air. Some paused, stunned by the sight of their fallen comrades, but most shouted, cast off their hesitation, and charged at the knights.

One knight froze after taking a heavy blow. Seizing the opportunity, the crowd swarmed him and struck again, bringing him down.

People could exert incredible effort once they believed their cause was righteous. It was frightening how powerful that conviction could be. It was hard to believe these were the same ordinary folk from just a few hours ago. Or perhaps they had undergone some training in anticipation of this very day. Even so, many of them had likely never faced true combat until now.

At best, it was something akin to a bar scramble. The king looked horrified as he saw his people with demonic expressions on their faces. I suppose it wouldn’t be strange for something to snap in him, being so desperately rebelled against by the very people he had been protecting. I didn’t know what he was thinking.

The knights protecting him were soaked in blood. When all the people turned their eyes to the king, he looked afraid, even if it was just for a moment. He had probably never faced such direct hostility before.

But he was still the king of a kingdom. He quickly buried his fear.

Up until that moment, he had maintained his composure. But almost immediately, the crowd surged in and overwhelmed him. The sight of so many people piling onto him felt surreal.

Unlike the knights, they didn’t kill him, perhaps because they knew this wasn’t the place where he was meant to die. Alks’ father approached the king, who was now gagged instead of executed. Then, turning his back on the restrained king, he faced the crowd.

“Great job, everyone! We’ve won!”

When he proclaimed it loudly, the people cheered. If the place hadn’t been so drenched in blood, the atmosphere might have felt like the end of a sports game. Everyone celebrated the victory, some crying from relief, others from horror.

“Today marks the beginning of a new chapter in Fraus’ history. But we must never forget those who made noble sacrifices to bring us here. We cannot afford to repeat the same mistakes as the royal family. As of now, only one royal remains, Princess Topersion, who is currently waging war against the Nigel Kingdom. Purge her, and we will finally be free of the royal curse. Until then, we must remain vigilant. But for now… let us bask in our victory! Mizal, gather everyone here. Spread the word, let all know that we have won!”

“Of course! Everyone, follow me! It’s time for our triumphant return!”

Alks’ father called out to someone who seemed to be the leader among the people. He had clearly remembered the man’s name, so he must have had a good impression of them. It might seem like a small thing, but sometimes, being remembered by name builds a sense of trust.

I wasn’t good at remembering people’s names myself, so I didn’t think I could do something like that. Honestly, I felt that matching names to faces was a kind of talent. It would be tough dealing with the nobles, so many faces to memorize…

When the people left the scene of the slaughter and only Alks’ father and the king remained, Alks’ father suddenly started laughing. It was a villainous laugh along the lines of.

“Hahahahahaha… Ha, ha, ha, ha! Ahahahaha!!!”

It was a dramatic, three-step laugh. The way his body twisted as he laughed prompted me to give him quite a high artistic score. And the evil look on his face just added more to the overall feel. He truly looked like a villain.

After laughing to his heart’s content, Alks’ father grabbed the glaring king by the chest, forced him to stand, and began speaking, almost as if biting into his temple.