Chapter 1784 - 496: There Really Are More and More Demons in the Duchy_4

People discussed angrily.

These nobles claimed that the citizens of Thunder City had sold their souls to the Demon, but it was evident they themselves were the true traitors!

They betrayed the ancient oaths and their homeland.

Though the Campbell Duchy had long been independent from the Kingdom, possessing many autonomous powers including diplomacy, nominally their Duke still pledged allegiance to the King... however, for the first time, the concept of a "nation" was imprinted so clearly in the hearts of every commoner.

They gradually realized that personal honor, factory orders, and bread on the table... everything was closely linked to the Duchy's fate.

If they couldn't unite against those hostile forces, foreign nobles would join forces with internal nobles to take away everything they had bled and sweated to accumulate!

With the birth of the "nation" concept, came the concept of "class".

However, at this time, the commoner class had not been divided by numerous labels and was simply another class opposite to the nobles.

Peasants, free farmers, workers, businessmen, minstrels, and even factory owners belonged to this category.

Even some royal family members who sided with the commoners were seen as one of their own.

After all, in the customs of the Aus Continent, most Free Cities were directly governed domains of the royal family or major nobles. There resided the "landless people" who fled noble territories, living by craftsmanship and trade, forming various occupational guilds, free from the constraints of feudal lords.

For a long period, guilds were the main source of tax revenue for lords.

In such cities, sometimes the King directly appointed the mayor, while other times the guilds would elect their own mayor, and based on that, the King would appoint a Governor to convey royal decrees.

Thunder City belonged to the latter.

At this moment, Thunder City's Governor, Goethe Wilson, stood on the balcony facing the square in City Hall, representing his esteemed Majesty Edward.

"Citizens, fellow countrymen! Soldiers returning from the front lines and those workers supporting the front from the rear! Today is our day of victory in Thunder City! Let us cheer for victory, for we thwarted the Demons' schemes this winter! We protected our Duchy!"

The square erupted with thunderous applause and cheers.

The Governor raised his hand, smiling, signaling for quiet.

Once the cheering subsided a bit, he cleared his throat and continued in a solemn tone.

"This victory not only belongs to Campbell but to everyone who shed blood and sweat for the Duchy! Especially to our citizens of Thunder City, the Royal Family salutes you; without your support, we could not have thwarted the united Northern traitors."

"However... victory does not mean stagnation. To make our Thunder City stronger, the Grand Duke declares we must continue our reforms. If we cannot support this sky with our shoulders, others will demand we kneel under it."

The crowd gradually quieted down.

Everyone awaited the Governor's words; they needed to know who their enemies were and who next to point their guns at.

Yet this time, Edward did not speak of enemies, instead focusing on a topic he had deliberately avoided before—

"Thunder City will expand the size of Parliament! Now, not only will guild-elected members participate, but every district in Thunder City must have at least one city councilor representing the citizens of that area, attending weekly and monthly meetings. The specific numbers will depend on the district's tax and population... The Grand Duke announces that any citizen who has paid more than one silver pound in taxes for six consecutive months for the Duchy is eligible to participate in the election of city councilors!"

The square burst into an uproar.

One silver pound!

This is not unreachable for those who work hard!

The heads of various guilds and stakeholders were obviously caught off guard.

They never expected that just after supporting the Grand Duke's bonds, the Grand Duke would turn around and treat them like night pots, directly expanding city councilors and diluting their power.

This...

Isn't suitable, is it?

Unfortunately, their voices were too small, insignificant in the square, and their surprise was quickly drowned out by the waves of cheers.

Since Thunder City's textile factories defeated the small workshops of textile workers, guilds' power had dwindled, with many guilds even becoming puppets of gold holders.

This wasn't something that happened in Aus Calendar 1054; it had already existed long ago when Duke Aaron Campbell was still around.

For example, the Andes Family was the owner behind many guilds.

From the "VIP seats" outside City Hall, some bankers cast their gaze toward Andes.

They knew this guy was an aide to Edward, and among those who received the most passive benefits, they hoped for an explanation or at least a little comfort from him.

To those gazes, Andes seemed well-prepared and spoke in a soft voice.

"Please trust our Majesty; he has prepared other cakes for us, but some things we must give up... this is for the benefit of us all."

He was a smart man, well aware of his position.

The year 1054 in the Aus Calendar was a turning point in the fate of commoners and nobles but not in the fate of the Andes Family.