As William and his group approached the royal palace, they could already hear the sounds of battle cries and gunfire coming from within.
By the time they arrived, the noise had gradually subsided. The palace gates swung open from the inside, and a group of soldiers streamed out. Oliver, standing behind William, directed the garrison soldiers to prepare for an attack, but William raised his hand, signaling them to lower their weapons.
Many of the soldiers emerging from the palace were stained with blood, yet they showed no hostility. Upon recognizing William, they dropped their weapons to the ground. The first soldier knelt on one knee and cheered William's name, prompting all the soldiers to kneel, opening the palace gates and welcoming William with cheers.
No matter how carefully Norton I and the nobles of Kalmar City selected their officers, they could only choose obedient high-ranking officers or some middle-level leaders. They couldn't change the fact that the soldiers were still composed of the lower strata of society.
These soldiers might not have been William's staunchest supporters initially, but during his imprisonment, the rulers of the Navia Kingdom had acted recklessly, gradually undoing the improvements William had painstakingly made over the years. Moreover, in an attempt to curry favor with the military, the nobles had relaxed some of the disciplinary requirements compared to William's rule. They foolishly reduced the training of lower-ranked soldiers like Basco, allowing them more personal time and even frequent leave to return home or rest outside the barracks.
This led to these lower-class soldiers being fully aware of and witnessing their families and living conditions deteriorate from the prosperity of William's reign to gradual ruin.
If these soldiers had continued to live a semi-isolated life in the barracks as they did during William's rule, maintaining a certain distance from society and reducing external influence, they might not have been so affected. And with the threat of the Marines and World Government looming over them, they might have continued to obey orders from their superiors.
Unfortunately, reality had no "ifs," and because the strategy adopted by the nobles of the Navia Kingdom focused on winning over the upper ranks, the officers they successfully won over were emboldened without William's deterrence, daring to commit acts they would never have dared before, such as embezzling military pay.
The lower-ranked soldiers received shrinking salaries while witnessing their increasingly impoverished families each time they returned home. They heard rumors about which family's women had to turn to prostitution. Even if they weren't originally supporters of William, under such circumstances, they were forced into becoming his supporters.
When news of the riot at the execution plaza and the collective rebellion at the garrison camp reached the palace, the soldiers there were already restless. And when they heard that William had been released and was heading toward the palace, the situation was beyond the control of the stationed officers.
The officers loyal to the nobles and Norton I urged the soldiers to hold the palace, but someone fired the first shot. This shot acted as a catalyst, and the disgruntled soldiers, as if coordinated, rose up in unison, slaughtering the officers who had been won over by the nobles and the parachuted leaders, turning coat and opening the palace gates to welcome William.
William hadn't planted any personnel in the palace; the soldiers spontaneously defected even before he arrived. Similar to the riot at the execution plaza, it was entirely unexpected.
Gin looked at the soldiers kneeling before him, some very young soldiers even shedding tears uncontrollably amidst the fervent scene. His gaze shifted to the palace, and he muttered, "What a bunch of pigs. Without the Marines, these useless fools are nothing."
"Isn't that even better?" William smiled.
Gin thought for a moment, then grinned and nodded.
Inside the palace, as the sounds of battle reached the gates, the king of the Navia Kingdom, Norton I, and his family sat in the grand hall, sorrowful. The queen kept wiping her eyes, and Norton I's eyes were red.
After William's arrest and imprisonment, Norton I genuinely intended to rally, but due to limitations in capability and time, among other factors, he ultimately ended up in such dire straits.
He looked at his son, who should have been the heir to the kingdom, Norton II, a boy of only eleven, whose eyes were swollen from crying, his face full of resentment and unwillingness.
Choking up, Norton I spoke to his son, "Your mother and I will stay here to distract Morgan William, that traitor. You seize the chance to leave."
He turned to a nearby attendant who stood silently, "Take advantage of the chaos in the palace now and quietly lead the prince away. Even if you escape, don't make a fuss—Morgan William's influence in the East Blue is too great."
After speaking, Norton I stood up and ceremoniously bowed to the attendant. Before being sidelined by William and undergoing a period of "tribulation," he would never have performed such an act.
His face was full of sorrow, and he spoke earnestly, "I entrust Norton II's life to you. Please take good care of him."
After finishing, he called Norton II over and instructed him to kneel and address the attendant as "Godfather."
The middle-aged attendant was startled and quickly dodged, but Norton I persistently pleaded. As a king of a World Government member nation, speaking so sincerely, the attendant, who had been indoctrinated to be loyal to the monarch since childhood, was deeply moved and finally agreed.
Given the urgency of the situation, there was no time for any ceremony. Although Norton II was reluctant, he obeyed his father's order, knelt, and acknowledged the honest-looking middle-aged attendant as his "Godfather."
Norton I then immediately ordered the attendant to take his son away, but Norton II refused to leave, and the queen clung to Norton II, crying, creating a scene reminiscent of the end of the world.
Norton I angrily separated the mother and son, sternly instructing Norton II, "Son, listen to me. You must survive. Don't let your mother and me die in vain. In the future, reclaim the throne of the Navia Kingdom from Morgan William, that treacherous villain. Until then, take care of yourself and ensure your safety! You are the rightful next king of the Navia Kingdom. Even if you face setbacks now, you must stay strong! Now hurry and leave with your Godfather!"
After finishing, Norton I signaled to the middle-aged attendant, who forcefully pulled the silent, tearful Norton II away.
Shortly after the pair left, the palace doors suddenly swung open from the outside, and a group of ministers rushed in frantically. One of them shouted as he ran, "Your Majesty, it's terrible—Morgan William has entered the palace."
(End of Chapter)
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