As Justinian waits for the citizens' response, he bit his bottom lip.
For him, his speech should be immaculate, even enough to get him top marks in a play, but this is more than just a play; this is real life.
And with the citizens looking silently at him, their minds still calculating who to trust.
Justinian decided to play his trump card.
"And replace him with my steward!"
He yelled out abruptly.
He wanted to play this card at a later time, but with such a hostile situation where unrest could spike again at any second.
This was the best choice he could make.
"Did...?"
"Matthias? Replacing Perval!?"
The citizens began smiling, even if they didn't trust Justinian fully; the mention of making Matthias the new castellan, who would completely control the city, was more than enough to motivate them.
The words of Justinian and the words of the castellan all pale in comparison to Matthias, a powerful character in the novel itself.
The crowd began to chant, hands raised in the air as they slowly parted in the middle, making a path for Justinian to cross.
Snowkeep (Capital): Unrest (64%)
"Down with the castellan!"
"Remove the traitors!"
While all of them sounded supportive, it wasn't directly at Justinian; they were just playing along to get what they wanted, to have Matthias be in charge.
They couldn't care less about Justinian at this point.
And even if a few people didn't agree, the growing crowd kept them in place; fitting in with the majority matters most when you're surrounded.
So even diehard Rhyne supporters are forced to play along.
Justinian slumped forward, catching his breath as he laughed in excitement. He just narrowly avoided a full-on revolution in his lands.
"Incredible, my lord!"
Javier yelled out beside him, his eyes beaming with support; he was as naive as he looked.
But Justinian preferred that, which means he was loyal.
"The people dragged Louis from Versailles because he lacked the will to stand before them. If I march with them, I seize that will instead of losing it."
"Hmm... did you say something, my lord?"
"It's nothing."
Justinian only smiled before waving his arm, causing his mantle to billow in the cold air, a calculated move as he moved downward.
"Let us go, Javier."
The militia parted with his movements, allowing Justinian to finally begin his first public act as duke, one that would make his traitorous vassals move faster.
But it was better to take action now than keep them scheming.
The more they grow restless, the more they'll mess up.
As Justinian walked across the snow-ridden cobblestone streets, the crowd behind him followed, with Javier by his side to prevent any attempted assassinations.
'This feels unreal...!'
'My inner nerd is getting to me...'
Justinian mused, everyone in the modern world dreamt of this, going back to times past and using modern knowledge to dominate the medieval world.
And he was getting to experience it firsthand.
'If I remember correctly...'
The castellan's manor was near the great river by the right of Snowkeep itself, one that facilitated trade and was the main source of living for many people, where many species of aquatic life thrived under the ice that blanketed the river.
The Red River.
One that got its name for its strange red color that came from Snowkeep's rich iron mines.
Snowkeep's second main source of living.
'Now that I think about it... with enough effort, this land could be cultivated into a metropolis.'
Justinian spoke, looking around the city made of stone, smirking as he walked.
'The city is naturally tough as well... makes it nearly invulnerable to incendiary volleys.'
Justinian could already see it in his mind, the perfect fortress city, a perfect hub of trade that borders two nations.
"My lord?"
Javier's sudden words cut him out of his daze, causing him to flick his eyes in front of him.
They arrived at the castellan's manor sooner than expected.
By the manor's gates stood two guards, two frozen in fear as they saw Justinian, the ghost duke who barely showed himself.
Now, in front of them, with a crowd of angry citizens.
"Want to change sides?"
The guards immediately kneeled, dropping their steel spears as they bowed in fear. The Castellan doesn't pay them enough to handle that big a mob.
"Javier."
Javier nodded as he heard his name being called by the duke, immediately taking point with his halberd tight in his hands.
"Wait here, and wait for my signal."
Justinian looked behind him past his shoulders, flashing one crimson eye as it subtly shone.
[The Book of War Responds]
+15 Prestige
'Prestige...?'