The Political Tempest Brewed by a Single Utterance

“As per the original plan, I was only supposed to arrive in Saint John City a month from now. However, I acquired a Wyvern Carriage in York Town, and it only took me a single day to fly back!”

“A Wyvern Carriage? Oh, even the Papal Curia possesses fewer than ten of those. But then again, I did hear you amassed a fortune of a million Gold Coins on Battle God Isle. In that case, only a Wyvern Carriage could befit your newly acquired wealth!”

The two men ascended to the Grand Dome Hall on the Cathedral’s highest floor. Once seated, Ferdinand placed a thick stack of dossiers upon the table before Du Chen.

Du Chen perused the dossiers while listening to Ferdinand’s explanation.

“Last year, the Southern Lanning suffered a devastating flood along the Newin River, leaving countless people displaced and destitute. Yet, in recent years, the Lanning Empire’s governance has deteriorated, with corrupt officials and venal bureaucrats proliferating! Many took advantage of the disaster to line their pockets, and even those noble lords who couldn’t ‘profit’ from it disregarded the plight of the victims, continuing to levy exorbitant taxes! As a result, the combination of natural disaster and human malfeasance ignited public fury to its peak, even giving rise to a significant rebel force in Southern Lanning, one that threatened the stability of the Empire and the reign of His Majesty, Bargnar!”

Ferdinand poured Du Chen a glass of rum and asked, “Under such circumstances, what do you believe His Majesty Bargnar would think, and what actions would he take?”

Du Chen replied, “Superficially, he should quell the rebellion swiftly and punish the corrupt officials! But fundamentally, the hearts of the people in Southern Lanning have shifted. His Majesty must exert every effort to regain their loyalty and trust!”

“Precisely, White-Robed Archbishop Francis, your political acumen pleases me greatly. It saves me considerable explanation!”

Ferdinand chuckled, then unfurled a map of Southern Lanning before Du Chen, pointing to the Newin River’s banks. “Just as His Majesty was overwhelmed with troubles, you, a favored child of the gods, went to provide disaster relief. Originally, you took only ten thousand Gold Coins. And, forgive my irreverence, but no one would have considered that a significant sum. While ten thousand Gold Coins is certainly no small fortune, it was utterly negligible against the backdrop of such a catastrophic flood; to call it a mere drop in the ocean would be no exaggeration! Yet, astonishingly, the flood victims along the Newin River used your ten thousand Gold Coins as seed capital, and within a short period, restored a remarkably harmonious order, returning to normal lives! Especially significant was how they had endured hardships together, striving for survival in despair. Consequently, the common folk along the Newin River became extraordinarily united, and public order unprecedentedly stable! And you, in turn, attained an extraordinary standing in the hearts of the Newin River residents. This was, by all accounts, a magnificent accomplishment, but alas, therein lies the rub!”

Du Chen furrowed his brow, for anyone with a modicum of political sense could discern what would transpire under such circumstances.

“Alas, if you had merely provided funds, it would have been simpler. But do you realize, your speech at Antwerp Port, altered and perhaps incited by unknown parties, gradually evolved into…” Ferdinand shrugged with a peculiar expression, “…‘The Newin River Self-Redemption Manifesto’!”

Du Chen was startled. His impromptu, rather idealistic platitudes, had actually been elevated to the status of a ‘manifesto’?

Ferdinand looked at the dumbfounded Du Chen, letting out a wry chuckle. “Do you understand now? In the hearts of the commoners along the eight hundred li stretch of the lower Newin River, your name, Francis, already stands shoulder-to-shoulder with His Majesty Bargnar—perhaps even surpassing him!”

Du Chen, too, let out a bitter laugh, uttering a curse. “Damn it, is someone deliberately trying to frame me?! What monarch in any kingdom would tolerate a subject whose prestige rivals or even surpasses his own!?”

“Indeed, but on the surface, you are, after all, merely a baron with no fiefdom and no army. You haven’t yet reached a point where His Majesty would genuinely fear you! However, another incident occurred not long ago in Saint John City…”

Ferdinand continued, “You received many commoners near the Sigurd Divine Tomb in Rick Province, didn’t you? And you told them that Deputy Commander Arges had cast you out of the family, correct?”

Du Chen nodded. At the time, he had merely dramatized the incident and brought it up intentionally to appear innocent and pathetic before the Grand Matriarch.

“Not long ago, those commoners, grateful for your kindness, arrived in the Imperial Capital…”

It turned out that when the disaster victims from Rick Province, who had benefited from Du Chen’s benevolence, heard that he had been cast out of his home, they were instantly filled with indignation. This was a world of Battle Gods, and for the descendant of a Titled Battle God to be expelled from his family signified an immense humiliation, an utterly intolerable disgrace. Just imagine, if in Du Chen’s previous life, Mr. Jesus had a descendant, but this descendant was driven from his home, subjected to all manner of insults, and even denied the right to worship Jesus—what would Christians worldwide think!?

In truth, Du Chen had absolutely no understanding of this nuance; it merely created the false impression in the Grand Matriarch’s eyes of his boundless magnanimity. Yet, the commoners, raised under the dominion of divine authority, felt outrage on behalf of their benefactor.

Among the commoners who had received Du Chen’s beneficence, most were timid folk, content with secretly cursing Arges under their breath. But how many disaster victims were there? Surely, a radical and daring minority would exist among them. They reasoned: Francis gave us a path to survival, yet because he helped us, he suffered immense humiliation. Could our consciences truly bear that?

Driven by a simple desire to repay his kindness, this segment of commoners banded together, journeying to the Imperial Capital to seek justice for Du Chen. But there were so many disaster victims; even if only one in ten thousand from such a vast population dared to venture to the Imperial Capital to champion Du Chen’s cause, how many would ultimately converge? Moreover, human herd mentality is truly a wondrous thing.

The final tally: three thousand people! Not an overwhelming number, perhaps, but certainly not insignificant!

These uneducated commoners held a simple conviction: we are neither rebelling nor rioting; we are merely seeking an explanation for a benefactor who rendered service to the nation. This act was righteous and beyond reproach. Most importantly, they argued, we are speaking for a descendant of the gods! This in no way conflicts with the laws enshrined in the Holy Church’s Code. Thus, who could find fault with it?

Furthermore, some among these commoners possessed a shrewd understanding. They adopted a remarkably gentle approach to express their views: organizing a massive banner signed by disaster victims, ostensibly to convey gratitude to His Majesty the King for dispatching Lord Francis for disaster relief. And, incidentally, in their letter of thanks, they subtly hinted that Francis’s expulsion from his home was, shall we say, inappropriate...

Du Chen listened with a strained laugh, continuously scratching his head. “Isn’t this just fanning the flames? His Majesty was already displeased with the immense popularity I’d garnered among the populace, and now this…”

Ferdinand shook his head. “If it were merely that, the Holy Church could have helped you suppress the matter! But then things became increasingly… interesting!” He poured himself a glass of wine and continued, “Since we are all men of understanding, and among trusted friends, I shall speak plainly. Please do not take offense if my words seem harsh!”

After Du Chen gestured his assent, Ferdinand shrugged. “The waters of Lanning’s political arena run deep. The matter of the commoners’ petition could have been dismissed as minor or escalated significantly, but it was seized upon by certain politicians! Initially, the Minister of Rites, Wedno—who, incidentally, is Kaman’s father, the one we poisoned—was the first to launch an attack. He falsely accused you of seeking glory for yourself and inciting civilian rebellion!”

Du Chen took a drink of wine.

“Next, your father, Deputy Commander Arges, fearing implication, immediately announced publicly that you had been cast out of the family and that anything you did had absolutely no connection to him!”

Du Chen drained his second glass.

“Subsequently, Deputy Commander Arges’s decree reached the ears of the disaster victims, and the petitioners immediately grew indignant. Simultaneously, Wedno and General Kirisek, the Imperial Capital Garrison Commander who had long coveted your father’s position as Deputy Commander, reached an accord. Using the City Watch under Kirisek’s control, they set a trap to provoke those commoners into anger, thus instigating a conflict and solidifying the accusations against you…”

Du Chen drank his third glass.

“Then, Wedno and Kirisek, allied with a large faction of influential ministers, turned their attack towards the entire Saint Sigurd Cain family. They aimed to use this opportunity to expel the Saint Sigurd Cain family—a prominent political rival—from Lanning’s political stage. Your father, in self-preservation, had no choice but to meet their challenge… The outcome? What was originally a minor incident devolved into a grand melee between the Sigurd Faction and the Aruman Faction, these two major political powers!”

Du Chen drained his fourth glass! “Is there more?”

“Of course! Next, I mobilized the Holy Church’s political resources, intending to help you resolve this matter. However, you had, after all, displeased His Majesty. Consequently, the Emperor covertly supported the Aruman Faction, represented by Wedno, and the tide began to turn against you!”

His fifth glass of wine down, Du Chen remained silent, continuing to listen intently.

“It was then that Princess Yuna, for reasons unknown, rallied a contingent of young, ambitious officials from the Imperial Capital. Both overtly and covertly, they supported you. Though their official ranks were not high, their strength lay in their numbers and considerable influence, thus swinging the situation back in your favor!”

A sixth glass...

“But this is a critical juncture, with the various princes vying for the position of Crown Prince. Seeing that His Majesty intended to ‘deal with’ you, they all immediately sided against you, seeking to curry favor with the Emperor…”

A seventh glass...

“However, Princess Yuna is no ordinary woman. She shrewdly persuaded the Empress Dowager, who had remained aloof from worldly affairs for years, to join the fray. Consequently, the Queen Consort and all the Royal Consorts of the entire inner palace were drawn into this chaotic conflict…”

“Enough, enough!” Du Chen waved his hand, foregoing the eighth glass. He asked weakly, “Just tell me, is the current situation favorable or unfavorable for me?”

Ferdinand shook his head with a bewildered, wry smile. “Chaos, utter chaos! There’s a saying now in the Imperial Capital: ‘In this capital, no one is free from orchestrating intrigues, nor free from being their target!’ The entire Imperial government has devolved into a complete mess. If one absolutely had to categorize it, I suppose one could say… it’s a balance!”

He spread his hands to Du Chen. “Under these circumstances, even if the Holy Church wished to help you, it would be exceedingly difficult. The situation is simply too chaotic!”

Chaotic? Du Chen rubbed his nose and pursed his lips. He hadn’t remembered many of the long list of factions and names, but he understood the gist of it: Wedno wanted revenge for his son, Kaman, and a chain of political cronyism dragged the entire Lanning government into the quagmire.

To put it more simply, his single utterance had ignited a grand political melee within the Lanning Empire!

This grand melee had now reached a delicate balance, awaiting Du Chen to shatter it.

Du Chen pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked, “If I were to simply leave now, how bad would the situation become? Uh, to be blunt, how many people would die?”

He began to calculate the true scale of this ‘good deed’ he had unwittingly initiated.