Chapter 705 - Execution Ceremony
'Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!'
"May you live long your highness!"
"May your days be full of peace and prosperity, your highness!"
The crowd went wild with his speech, and many of them even cried when they thought of their sufferings all these years.
Their bodies trembled and they all felt a strong sense of hope for the future.
Many hugged each other and even got down on their knees to express their gratitude.
All they wanted was for them and their children to live peacefully and long.
Was that really too much to ask?
They looked at William as if he were their messiah and secretly prayed that he too lived long.
Because they were now afraid of what sort of person might take over if he died.
They all knew Oden's resume and what he stood for.
So as Oden's son, they could see that he meant well for the people.
Just this execution ceremony alone made them firmly believe in his speech.
Sure!
They were still afraid that William might be lying to them.
But the hope that he instilled in them made them decide to trust him for now.
.
Hope was what made them live for so many years.
The hope that things would get better.
So listening to William's speech and seeing his actions ever since he made his presence known, how could they not believe him?
Only they knew how tough their lives had been as peasants and slaves.
They had been beaten, killed and oppressed with some nobles going as far as seizing or burning down their businesses because they had accidentally angered them.
Even those who did business by hawking on the roadsides or using their wagons to transport goods had suffered greatly when they ran into them.
Even seeing them made some nobles feel the need to kill them at sight because they found them dirty and disgusting.
All these years, they had lived like creatures that weren't perceived to be human.
So what could they do against these nobles?
But now, there was hope.
They had all heard William's backstory throughout these past few days.
The young prince and his family had to live in hiding and even work and do some odd jobs that only slaves and peasants could do.
So such a person would undoubtedly understand their pain.
He would know what they needed most and would properly be more qualified in helping them when compared to other nobles.
Again, the young prince himself was a noble who had a massive army that he had been growing.
So he probably had people to serve him when he was within his private lodgings.
From what they knew, he had also gone undercover and worked under some nobles when he was growing up.
This also meant that he knew the problems that other nobles faced.
Especially when weak or lower classes nobles faced extinction from their own fractions if they didn't do what their leader had told them.
In short, this new ruler of theirs had a diverse range of experience and knew the sufferings of the slaves, peasants and nobles.
So a majority of people in all class groups appreciated and accepted him wholeheartedly.
Of course, the information that they knew about William was what he wanted them to know.
He sent his men to spread the news out in order to get this outcome out of the people.
A leader that understood their sufferings ad their need was what most of them wanted.
That way, they wouldn't be bullied by another class group.
.
"Long live your highness!"
"Long live your highness!"
"Long live your highness!"
William looked at the people below and also secretly made an oath to do his best.
After seeing Baymard, he had a clearer idea of how to run his Arcadina.
From human rights to several key aspects, he had realized that the world outside Baymard was truly a gruesome place.
And so he planned to develop his empire into a place that made people smile and live peacefully.
He wanted to be there for th motherless children, those in need or those who felt that suicide was the only option for them.
Once things got better, he hopes that these people would finally realize that the world wasn't so bad after all.
No one knew it, but right now... the person he most admired and respected was none other than Landon.
So his new life long goal is to surpass Landon.
"My people!
Today is the day that you all will be liberated from your cages.
And the people responsible for your entrapment will be executed before your very eyes.
But before we begin, I will like to tell you all that this ceremony would not have been possible without our good friends from Baymard." William said while gesturing to some of the Baymardian soldiers by his side.
-silence--
What did they just hear?
.
Everyone paused for a bit before whispering amongst themselves.
"What?
The Baymardians?
Ah!!
It makes sense now.
No wonder their amazing carriages have been seen running around the place as of late."
"Why are you so ancient, they call them trucks and not carriages.
And you're right.
Now that I think about it, isn't his majesty Landon the young prince's cousin?"
"Yes!
That means that he helped his cousin take the throne from his father.
But I don't blame him.
The tyrant was just too much and had a decade pile of crimes to his name alone.
Such a person had to be removed from the throne for the people's good."
"That's right!
His majesty Landon is a symbol of hope for us peasants and slaves.
So if he trusted this young prince that much, this means that the young prince might also be as kind as his majesty Landon."
"I agree!
His majesty Landon had a chance to take over Arcadina, but he didn't.
This also shows his character too.
Such a person is worthy of being my idol!"
(^_^)
.
William raised his hand to call for silence once more amidst the loud whispers from the crowd.
"Thanks to the Baymard's timely aid, we were finally able to get this far today.
So our gratitude for them must never be forgotten!
That aside, it's time for the execution ceremony to begin.
Men, bring out the prisoners!"