December 3, 1350, Saturday.
Due to the war that had raged for days, the once-prosperous Backlund had completely fallen into a state of depression. Grief and pain seemed to spread like an infection across every face. Some mourned friends and family who had died in the previous air raids, some worried about loved ones on the battlefield, while others merely fretted over the rising price of food once again.
In silence, they left their homes and gathered at nearby squares, for today, Loen's king, George III, was to deliver a speech.
Ordinary civilians did not know what the speech would be about, but out of respect for the king's authority—and because the soldiers going door to door with the notices did not seem inclined to reason with anyone—they still chose to leave their homes. Like droplets of water, they merged into streams along the roads and eventually flowed into lakes known as squares.
It was not just Backlund. In major cities throughout Loen, many civilians gathered in their local squares. Of course, in more remote regions, the requirements were not so strict—
If a household had obtained a radio through a newspaper subscription, they could listen from home.
Soldiers dressed in red jackets and white trousers, carrying metal backpacks and large-caliber steam rifles, stood guard around the squares. Their wary gazes made it clear that they were guarding far more than a mere square.
Compared with the squares guarded by only a single squad of soldiers, Memorial Square in the West Borough had already been surrounded by the kingdom's most elite guards. Today, in Backlund's most famous square, George III would personally take the stage and deliver his speech, while beneath it stood Loen's most distinguished class.
As nine o'clock arrived, George III stepped onto the high platform on time.