章節 1: Seeds

Linam City.

The biggest and most populated city in the expansive Austrian empire, a top tourist destination, and the technological capital of Europe.

Atop a hill right outside it is stationed a tent, and inside, Casey Kane is finalising his work.

"Are you ready for this evening?" Asks Koulis Synthwar, Casey's loyal assistant.

"No." He sternly replies. "But this needs to happen. That man up there, the king, he sits on his throne, everything served to him on a sliver platter while the common citizens, while I have to suffer!"

"I understand, but is it really good idea to go against him?" Koulis asks again. "He has allies in Europe, one of the most powerful armies and some say he's got superpowers!"

"BULLSHIT!" Kane slams his fist on the table in front of him in anger. "There are people STARVING out there while he's lounging in his castle eating fillet mignon and robbing the city blind! I'm sick of the monarchy dammit! How many more people have to die so he can get another golden chandelier for his hallways?! Because that's where all the tax money is going."

"I will go out there and speak tonight. And I will keep doing so until what I say goes. Go and put up the flyers, we need as many people as possible." Kane ordered his assistant, and he immediately grabbed the flyers from the table and rushed out of the tent.

Several hours pass, and the time for Casey to give his speech has almost arrived. A crowd of around 50 people have gathered around the stage in the central square of Linam City, and are all patiently waiting for the speaker to arrive.

A couple minutes pass and Kane walks upon the stage.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen. You don't know who I am or why I'm doing this, so allow me to explain. Ten years ago, my parents were confronted by officers of the King's tax collector force. They had broken into our home, in order to collect that week's money, and when my father didn't have the money to pay, being barely able to provide for our families, they shot and killed him and my mother. Over the years of sharing my experience with different people, I've found out I wasn't the only victim of this excessive violence. And by looking around I've also discovered that despite the heavy taxation, no improvement has been made to the city or any place in this so-called empire. People starve on the streets, are hunted down by tax collectors, buildings collapse on their heads and during all that the King used the money that we pay for him to fund the corrupt police force and decorate his castle! WELL TO HELL WITH THAT!" The crowd was shocked by this sudden change in demeanor, but that didn't slow Kane down.

"I say it's time for some change! If we all band together, we can bring the king down! He's a frail old man, he's been ruling for what, a century now? We'll march up to his castle, and stick his head on a pike! He may have an army, but what are they fighting for huh? A loser in a cape who barely pays them?" Kewmed's speech had basically devolved into maniacal yelling, but after being in silence for so long, that's exactly what the people wanted to hear.

This went in for a couple more minutes, and when Kanw was done, loud clapping ensued. Casey knew what he had done. The 50 or so people that were present were inspired and told everyone they knew about what had transpired that night at the stage.

Over the next 6 months, Casey Kane would go on to give many more speeches, the numbers of his supporters rising by the day. After he had gathered a decent enough following, he went on tour, visiting other regions of the empire, mainly in the general region of the province of Linam City, Soweiland, but occasionally going to other places as well.

Soon enough, the police had been made aware of Kane's campaign against the monarchy, and his tour would turn into a full blown manhunt. He would go to a place, give a speech and immediately be chased out. Seeing the lengths the police would go to just to stop a protestor made many support Kane. Even some of the king's supporters, seeing how much trouble the police was having catching two dudes in a wagon, deemed them incompetent, and switched sides

All things do come to an end however, and Kane was eventually driven out of the country. He took refuge in the nearby United Ottoman Provinces, specifically the Yugoslav region, where he has set up a camp.

Although it was unceremoniously ended, Kane's campaign did have results. Many were inspired by his words, including members of the king's court, even getting the attention of the monarch himself.

The seeds of revolution had been planted.