Mysteries: Arcana Wars

Chapter 494 The Torrent Cannot Be Stopped

Fenneport, Fenneport City, Cinque Terre Council.

"Touch! Touch!"

A small hammer is used to tap the wooden platform.

"quiet!"

The speaker straightened his back.

"This is the first cycle meeting of the first council in the sixth century of the Kingdom of Feneport, 1326."

Myster Holland yawned widely in his seat.

Today, Mister is attending this council meeting as a member of the delegation of the Church of Mother Earth.

The council is the decision-making body of the Kingdom of Fenneport. Representatives are elected from among the citizens to participate in the council's daily operations.

As each vote was cast, the kingdom's highest decision was made amidst arguments and clamor, transforming into banners that commanded the war chariots.

The council was the supreme symbol of democracy and equality in the Kingdom of Fenneport. Any scholar who mentions the Fenneport council invariably praises it as a benchmark for the new era of state systems.

The Castilian royal family, which once held absolute power, gradually lost its substantial control over Fenneport under the impact of new-era monopolistic industries and giant conglomerates.

In order to keep up with the historical trend and to preserve the last vestiges of dignity for the old guard, the Castillo royal family reformed and established the parliamentary system, with Castillo holding a permanent seat in the parliament to participate in the decision-making of state affairs.

The Church of Mother Earth, where Myster belongs, is similar. Under the impact of New Age thought, it no longer insists on ruling the people's faith and has become a separate institution for edification and assistance. The church's finances have also been completely decoupled from state funding, and it mainly generates profits through its assets in agriculture, food, and medical industries to maintain the church's normal operating expenses.

Like the Castino royal family, the Church of the Earth Mother has a fixed number of seats in the council.

Compared to the old days when they sat high and mighty on the throne, the Castillo royal family and the Church of Mother Earth are now more like a "company" that stands on equal footing with conglomerates, joining the battle of the new era's market and capital.

Here, whether you are royalty or a church member, a commoner or a tycoon, as long as you have the ability to sit in this spacious Guilin Council Hall, you will equally possess a supreme vote and participate in the decision-making of national affairs.

But is that really the case?

Mister scoffed at this superficial equality.

He didn't think Fenneport was a good place—nor did he mean any other place was good.

The Loen royal family held absolute power, and the parliament existed in name only. The centralized atmosphere made Mister feel oppressed and suffocated.

The cabinet, ministers, members of parliament, the royal family... all these messy and complicated systems are nothing more than tricks set up by the royal family to maintain its rule.

As a parliamentary state, Rossdale's divine authority, that of the Church of the Lost and Forgotten God, overshadows the parliament. Institutionally, the parliament has complete control over Rossdale, but the church's strong presence cannot be ignored. Despite not interfering in national affairs and not even having a fixed seat in the parliament, it acts like an invisible hand, overshadowing the entire country.

Parliament operates openly, while the church operates covertly, each holding its own power, and together they function as the state.

The exalted status of the state religion did not turn Rossard into a repressive and conservative intellectual environment; on the contrary, the archipelago's historical ties with pirates fostered a free and unrestrained social atmosphere.

Few people go hungry in Ross, but the accidental death rate is high, making it a place where you can live freely and die randomly.

Under pressure and interference from foreign financial groups, Rothschild has barely maintained a stable state, and for the past few centuries it has been trying to reduce its presence among major powers.

Needless to say, in Intis, the entire parliament and government had long lost all substantial control, and the affairs of all parties in the country had long been controlled by major financial groups.

In particular, the Gustav Group monopolized several sectors of people's livelihood and effectively controlled the lifeline of the entire Intis.

It's more accurate to call it the Gustav Group's Intis than the Parliament's Intis.

Compared to the absolute power of the king in the Looney, the free and unrestrained nature of the Rothschilds, and the monopoly of the Intis, Fenneport is more like a never-ending and brutal competition.

The rise of conglomerates was unstoppable, and those who controlled capital were not content with ordinary wealth. The incompetent Castillo royal family gradually declined until it could no longer suppress the rise of major conglomerates in terms of economics and politics, ultimately leading to the implementation of the current parliamentary system.

The royal family has been dethroned and transformed into a participant in the market struggle.

The parliament, which appears to be based on equality and democracy, has actually been completely controlled by major financial groups. The number of seats in parliament is their battleground.

The entire Fenneport market is rife with endless battles between major conglomerates, making it difficult for any single entity to dominate. Today you hold market share, but tomorrow your competitors could crush you, leaving you with no absolute advantage.

The competitive tactics employed by conglomerates are a hundred times more vicious than the apparent struggle for seats.

Assassination, monopoly, bombing, spreading rumors... This is a war without gunfire. The common people can only eke out a living under the pressure of major conglomerates.

Mister hated this world, but he didn't know anything that could change it.

"Now, let's hear from our first proposal of the day, Mr. Rodrigo Ishdar..."

The downfall of a conglomerate is easy, but the birth of a new order is extremely difficult—a realm beyond the reach of even extraordinary abilities.

Kill one conglomerate, and other conglomerates will rise up; eliminate all the conglomerates, and other similar powerful classes will occupy the high ground.

It could be a powerful new prime minister, a resurgent royal family, a damned foreign power, or even their Church of Mother Earth.

It's nothing more than becoming the next Rosde, the next Rune, the next Intis, or something else entirely.

Oh, by the way, the Silence Pact does not allow churches to interfere in society openly. Being able to have a few seats in the council is already the greatest tolerance that major churches can show.

Then there's nothing for our church to do. Go home, wash up, and go to sleep.

Extraordinary qualities can be weapons, can be protection, but what is needed for an ideal era that is constantly evolving is the will of the people.

Thinking about this, Mister started to get a headache.

He is not someone who is good at thinking about so many philosophical questions, and he is even less suited to be a politician in the council.

Fortunately, today Mister and his colleagues' task is clear: the bishop has conveyed the will of the Church to them, and all that remains is to vote in accordance with the Church's will.

"...Now, please cast your votes..."

The members of the Church of Mother Earth exchanged glances, then stood up and cast their votes against it.

But will our opposition really be effective?

Mister expressed strong skepticism.

The unrest of the times has turned Fenneport upside down.

The restless lower classes, the destructive wealth wars, the unsold production capacity... countless acute social problems confronted Fenneport, forcing various conglomerates to make the best decisions.

A decision that would allow them to profit, shift blame, and cover up their decline.

The best decision.

Unfortunately, no ordinary people were included in this decision.

In the eyes of the conglomerate, they are not worthy of sitting at the boardroom; they are merely a vague entity, a number that can be adjusted at will according to the company's will, a consumable that can be used at any time and is inexhaustible.

Mister could not stop this social trend, nor could he change the will of the tycoons, and he had no idea where Fenneport's future would lead.

"boom!"

A wooden mallet determines fate.

"The proposal is approved!"

The torrent could not be stopped.

"The Republic of Feneport, toward the Kingdom of Rune..."

"Declare war!"

Happy New Year everyone!