Whether the Senate was in turmoil or not, the public didn't know.
But as Tiberius patiently explained each of the eight laws, breaking them down from simple to complex, in clear and understandable terms, he showed the people what benefits they would gain from these reforms.
He also painted a picture of the incredible changes Rome would undergo!
The crowd erupted into passionate cheers.
The shouts were so loud that even on the distant banks of the Tiber River, you could hear the commotion from the town.
The people were utterly enthralled.
Their calls for Tiberius grew even louder, with some even beginning to revere him as a new god.
However, lurking in the crowd, the Roman nobles realized they could wait no longer.
Before things spiraled any further out of control, they had to kill this man with his devilish ideas—Tiberius.
If these thoughts spread, what horrors might be unleashed?!
The young nobles were chilled at the thought.
They were fixated on the idea that if these laws succeeded, the impact on the Senate and the nobility's interests would be catastrophic.
They didn't even consider how difficult these laws would be to implement or the loopholes they might contain.
After all, with the Senate as a band of sabotaging "teammates," Tiberius's reforms wouldn't be any easier than Wang Anshi's in the neighboring dynasty.
Making changes is hard, but causing trouble is easy!
But now, the panicked young nobles could no longer sit still.
They immediately ordered the soldiers to act, casting off all pretenses.
"Kill him!!! Kill Tiberius!"
"Tiberius is trying to restore dictatorship on Roman soil...
He's using the power of the people to push his own selfish agenda!"
"They've got weapons in their hands, a clear symbol of Tiberius Gracchus's rebellion!" one young noble shouted, while another echoed in agreement.
They, along with a large group of soldiers, all filled with murderous intent, turned their eyes toward Tiberius on the podium.
Not completely foolish, they at least knew to invent some justification before taking action.
After labelling Tiberius and his followers as a rebellious faction, they didn't even bother with the still confused crowd—just moments earlier cheering—before unleashing their soldiers.
The soldiers threw off their disguises, drew their weapons, and charged toward the podium.
Any civilian who stood in their way was immediately cut down.
Blood spilt across the scene, and terrified screams echoed through the crowd.
Seeing this assassination plot unfold from the platform, Tiberius's face darkened in despair.
After all, just as Night had predicted, it was no longer a covert attack but an open slaughter.
Especially after seeing innocent civilians getting injured or killed!
"How dare they?"
The Senate was serious!
No reform could avoid bloodshed and sacrifice.
Even though Tiberius had prepared for this mentally, seeing the Senate's blades turned against innocent people filled him with fury.
He shouted, "Damn it! Fight back! Don't worry about my safety—focus on those armed assassins!"
As soon as he spoke, the retired soldiers disguised as civilians around him dropped their cover.
With angry roars, they charged at the noble private soldiers.
Though their weapons were nothing more than wooden clubs due to the circumstances, not a single one of them hesitated.
After all, these were battle-hardened warriors, true soldiers who had survived the battlefield...
And true warriors never shrink from a fight because of inferior weapons!
Moreover, they had the advantage in numbers.
As soon as the retired soldiers surged forward, their numbers quickly overwhelmed the noble private soldiers, outnumbering them nearly ten to one.
Seeing a mass of towering, grim-faced men charging toward them with such overwhelming numbers was too much for the noble soldiers to handle.
And so—
Before they had even covered much distance, the private soldiers turned around and fled, retreating faster than they had advanced.
The young nobles' eyes, once filled with bloodlust and hatred, were now wide with shock and horror.
Wh-what the hell?!
Were there really this many people supporting Tiberius?
And how were they all so strong?
Even without proper equipment, just by looking at their imposing stance, it was clear that Tiberius's side held the upper hand, and they seemed far more disciplined and formidable.
Damn it! This is insane.
One of the young nobles, his voice trembling with panic, yelled, "See! I told you Tiberius is nothing but an ambitious tyrant!
Why else would he have so many soldiers armed and ready by his side?
Look at him, people!
This is the true face of the man! Don't be fooled by his sweet words!
He's not here to fight for you—he wants to use you to seize control of Rome for himself!"
Although the noble was frantically trying to frame the civilians' as' soldiers to claim the moral high ground, he had unknowingly hit the mark—they were indeed retired soldiers.
But no one was listening to his words anymore.
Instead, angry shouts and insults were hurled at him, with many cursing the young noble's family.
Did he think they were idiots?
Did he think they were blind?
A moment ago, they had been quite eager to kill, so why were they suddenly trying to argue their case now that they were losing?
The young noble with his face red with fury after the insults aimed at his family, was like a taunted character in a game.
At that moment, all he wanted was to slaughter the commoners in front of him.
"Keep fighting! These people don't even have real weapons. What are you afraid of?!"
"Do you think their flesh and blood can stop your swords and spears?"
Yet—just as a young noble loudly proclaimed this, in the next moment, his eyes caught sight of a figure slowly emerging from among the soldiers.
As others made way for this individual, the noble's body began to tremble.
He stammered, his voice cracking with disbelief: "Li... Lista—Night?!
No way, the invincible hero... How could you be here? You should be—"
"In the city of Rome, correct?"
Night smiled, his gaze piercing through the noble, calm and calculating, as if everything was under his control.
Facing this "Last Hero of Rome," the young nobles suddenly felt as if they had fallen into a bottomless pit.
This was a trap!
The thought hit the young noble's mind like a tidal wave, and he couldn't shake it.
Trembling, clutching their swords with sweaty palms, the young noble and his few dozen private soldiers found themselves surrounded by hundreds of strong men, led by none other than the "Last Hero of Rome"—a pack of war-hardened hounds led by a lion.
Suddenly, their reliance on superior weaponry seemed insignificant.
The situation had reversed—now, charging forward would be nothing short of walking into the lion's den as helpless lambs.
Night, however, paid no mind to the terrified nobles and their trembling soldiers and started slaughtering.
.....