Undercurrents

"His Majesty the King stands with us! It was those greedy factory owners and the MPs they bribed who rejected His Majesty's benevolence!"

On the street, a young man handing out flyers had flushed red as he addressed the surrounding crowd at the top of his lungs.

Newsboys hawked newspapers, while people in taverns sang ballads praising George III.

The tide of public opinion had completely shifted.

The workers of the Kingdom of Loen, along with the broader commoner class, began to regard George III as a savior.

His name was celebrated throughout the streets and alleys of Backlund, and his prestige rose at an unprecedented pace.

However, this guided tide was not content with merely changing minds.

On a main road in the East Borough, a procession of several thousand striking workers was slowly making its way forward.

They held aloft portraits of the King and banners proclaiming "Support the Factory Act." Though the atmosphere was fervent, the procession remained orderly overall.

However, just as the march reached a narrow intersection, a squad of police officers suddenly rushed out from an alley, attempting to forcibly disperse the crowd.

Amid shoving and curses, the conflict suddenly escalated.

In the chaos, a sharp gunshot tore through the din. A bloody flower bloomed on the chest of a young worker at the front of the procession. With an incredulous expression on his face, he slowly collapsed.

The crowd froze for an instant before erupting into screams and roars like an avalanche and tsunami.

The "policeman" who had fired went pale, threw down his revolver, and turned to disappear into the crowd.

Just as a larger-scale bloody conflict was about to erupt, Edwin's will descended.

Those Beyonders of the Reformer pathway stepped in and brought the crowd under control.

A larger-scale conflict was