Chapter 130: Coup Successful
[August, Year 131 — Aboard the Pluton, you led your naval fleet straight toward Abbott City. As this colossal, pitch-black warship appeared in the harbor, the entire city seemed to tremble under its gun barrels. What followed proved a simple truth: there are only two levers in this world that drive people to act — profit and fear.]
[Upon returning to Abbott City, you met with your subordinates, Brynd Morton and Ivan Rivers, and shortly after, your friends Archibald, Louisa, and Molly.]
[From their reports, you discovered that the destructive capabilities of the rebels far exceeded your expectations. In less than half a month, they had completely dismantled the existing social order. Countless confused soldiers had joined their ranks, and in their collective chaos, over 1,200 nobles and clergy were sent to the guillotine. Whether out of concealment or sheer incompetence, most religious sects had also been driven out of Abbott City. You returned as a protector, and like drowning men clinging to a lifeline, the surviving nobles threw in their lot with you without hesitation.]
[Despite a handful of supernatural individuals among the rebels, they posed no threat to you or your professional army. Wherever you went, rebel soldiers surrendered en masse. Within less than 24 hours, you crushed the rebellion with overwhelming force. Blood flowed through the streets like rivers. Yet to your surprise, even after the tide had turned, several thousand rebels near the Darkland Mines seemed to fall under the sway of some unknown power, losing all reason and charging at your forces.]
[As they perished, the people of Abbott City witnessed a harrowing scene that would be etched into memory forever — every drop of blood in the city, even those in the tiniest alleys, rose into the air, forming a crimson current. Countless bitter spirits followed suit. At the heart of this writhing mass of hatred, a blinding light descended from the sky, and within that light, a colossal evil god was born.]
[Though newly descended and not yet at its full strength, the combat power of this being — Nyastora — was terrifying. In an instant, it reduced most of Abbott City to ruins. During the ensuing battle, Archibald, Louisa, and especially Molly, stood out with remarkable performances. Molly, who had become the High Pontiff of the Ascetic Church at just 20 years old, struck a powerful blow against Nyastora with her holy word magic. After a brutal struggle, you all managed to subdue the god together. Molly Cronin ultimately sealed it beneath the Darkland Mines.]
[By late August 131, leveraging the authority gained from quelling both the rebellion and the evil god, you were hailed as a savior by the vast majority of the population. After reaching a tacit understanding with the Church of the Sea God and the Church of Alchemy and Craftsmanship, you launched a coup d'état, declaring the exile of Augustine IV and transforming the Kingdom of Falric into a republic, naming yourself Consul. Your ambitions had taken their first real shape. (Achievement Unlocked: Heart of a King)]
[In September 131, with much of Abbott City destroyed in the battle with the evil god, you decided to build a new city above the Darkland Mines. This new metropolis would serve as the capital of the Falric Republic.]
[At the end of September, you sent envoys to negotiate a ceasefire with the Kingdoms of Ruins and Byron. They rejected your overtures outright, demanding you cede the port of Temple in the southwest. You couldn't help but laugh — really? Did they think you were weaker than Augustine IV?]
[In October 131, you invented the Bessemer process for steelmaking, greatly improving the quality and output of steel, paving the way for the invention of new cannons.]
[By mid-October, you had improved flintlock rifles and formally began developing modern artillery. In just half a month, the new cannons were completed. You ordered the craftsmen to begin mass production of two types of advanced weapons, preparing to give your enemies a rude awakening.]
[In November 131, you rolled out a series of reforms: abolishing serfdom, vigorously promoting industry and commerce, expanding overseas trade, and encouraging shipbuilding. By the end of the month, you had adapted the laws you once drafted in the One Piece world into a new legal code — the Falric Code — which you officially enacted.]
Upon reaching this part, Zhou Ning couldn't help but feel slightly dizzy.
He didn't know much about the other details, but he was absolutely sure the Falric Code existed.
In the game world, the laws in place in the Kingdom of Bryston — and indeed most other nations — including the Corn Act (which protected farmers' interests) and the Poor Relief Act (which secured basic welfare for the underprivileged), could all be traced back to this very Falric Code.
It was basically confirmed now — the world being simulated here was the same dimension as the one in his current game world.
At this point, regardless of how the simulation played out, it was clear that the overarching framework wouldn't change. Compared to his first time-travel, even though he had drastically altered the course of history — last time, Falric hadn't even gone to war, whereas this time it was fighting bitterly and the war had yet to end — he still ended up inventing the steam engine, becoming one of the Four Heroes, subduing an evil god, and building Darkland City.
It was as if something was forcibly correcting the flow of history.
Continue the simulation!
[October–December 131: With your tacit approval, the Sea God Church and the Church of Alchemy and Craftsmanship, both of which supported you during the coup, gradually overshadowed the Church of Earth and the Ascetic Church, becoming the mainstream religions in the Falric Republic.]
[During this period, you also invented a series of new machines to spur industrial development, and issued a new policy — the Clothing Ordinance. It mandated that commoners wear locally produced woolen coats and, on holidays, woolen hats. The aim was to stimulate the domestic textile industry. Due to the high cost of dyes — which had to be imported — the ordinance also stipulated that non-nobles could only wear black and white clothing.]
[January–August 132: One year into your rule as Consul, even though the war continued, technological advancement and industrial development had brought about significant economic recovery. Not just textiles — even steel manufacturing saw rapid growth. A new order was beginning to take shape under your governance.]
[September 132: The new city was finally completed. You named it Darkland. Larger and grander than Abbott City, it would serve as the new capital of the Falric Republic for years to come.]
[October 132: At last able to break away from administrative duties, you personally led the army across the Puyun Plateau and launched a flank attack on the allied forces of the Ruins and Byron Kingdoms. In this campaign, the breech-loaded rifled cannons you invented played a pivotal role — after a devastating artillery barrage, the tide of victory was already in your favor.]
[Despite the Byron Kingdom's massive cavalry corps and the Ruins Kingdom's own band of supernatural fighters, under the double onslaught of your artillery and a knight order empowered by Devil Fruits, you won a brilliant and crushing victory. You really wanted to tell them: "Gentlemen, times have changed!" This triumph cemented the Falric Republic's status as a major power and significantly bolstered your rule.]
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