Chapter 1013 - Turmoil in the Imperial Capital
The emergence of the ‘Royalist Party’ happened before the church spread the news. The so-called Royalist Party was in fact the people who supported Lilian. Among them were politicians, military representatives, and civilians. This wasn’t too surprising. After the bloody incident that happened in the square, many were displeased with the Light Parliament. The church criticized the parliament for the riot in Casabianca, while foreign nations ridiculed them. In the parliament, some opposition leaders seized the opportunity and placed pressure on the parliament. Not only that, but the military was also discontent. They thought that the parliament went too far this time. Besides, the military constantly sent out soldiers to protest against the parliament. With the presence from the Mercenary Association, Alchemist Association, Royal Magic Association, and Mage Tower, the parliament expressed that they were under a lot of pressure.
Sometimes, politics was as though two children bickering, with one pointing the finger at the other, screaming: “I’m not gonna play with you anymore! Go play with someone else!” And now, while the civilians were dissatisfied with the parliament, a new political group quietly appeared: the Royalist Party.
Under the banner of supporting Lilian, they protested the parliament’s arbitrary actions and asserted that they should help Lilian regain her authority. Of course, they weren’t that foolish to call for the disbandment of the parliament and let Lilian gain full power and whatnot. Instead, they traced history and requested the parliament with evidence to give up their authority and allow the original decision-maker to regain her position. Of course, Rhode was clearly aware that those scoundrels were unlike Lydia who worked purely for faith. Instead, they were more like Cao Cao[1] who ‘held the feudal overlords and controlled their vassals’. They made their own political demands through supporting Lilian. Rhode had to admit that those guys were rather smart because Lilian didn’t usually get involved with politics. If it weren’t for the blown-up incident involving the retired soldiers, Lilian wouldn’t have gotten herself involved.
But the observant politicians found something that they wanted from within.
Lilian was a pure ruler who was free from desire. She might be smart, but she wasn’t passionate about having power. For instance, after managing the incident with the retired soldiers, she did what she should and didn’t use the chance to demand for more. If she were greedy for power, she would have used the opportunity to wipe out all the parliament members and appoint her trusted aides in their places. But she didn’t do it. She let the parliament handle and clean up the aftermath themselves, which explained how apathetic she was. Well, this was fine too because through this way, the practical power would still fall into the hands of her subjects. Second, she was basically a figurehead in the Country of Light due to the parliament. If the ‘King’s Party’ could help her ascend her rightful ‘throne’, they would also be benefited greatly. Gilding the lily wouldn’t attract enough attention, but sending charcoal in a snowy weather would save lives. When that happened, their power and position would become much stronger.
The final and most important point was that Lilian wasn’t an empty shell. In fact, she actually possessed true, powerful strength. But the strength didn’t come from the various military armies. Instead, it was from her direct dependents, the Battle Angels. Although the parliament once did their utmost in spreading the ‘Angel Threat Theory’ and tarnishing the reputation of Battle Angels, it was undeniable that no one wanted to fight the Battle Angel Army. On that fateful night and in the face of a hundred Battle Angels, the city guards didn’t even dare have the thought of resisting them. This went to show just how powerful the Battle Angels were. It might be hard for a Battle Angel to take down a thousand enemies, but it wouldn’t pose an issue to deal with only a hundred enemies.
Lilian was pure, innocent, and a ruler who lost her authority. She also lacked the desire to rule despite the strength in the palm of her hands, and she could resist the parliament. With such an attractive opportunity hanging before them, it was normal for people to have designs about her. Even if they were to fail, they could still use the strength of the Battle Angels under Lilian to avoid a massacre. No matter from which aspect, there were a hundred benefits without a single harm.
The parliament was awfully busy handling the earlier incidents. Facing the requests to resign and apologize for his offense, Nakvard firmly refused and expressed that he would stay in office until the next election. On the other hand, the opposition group led by Greig was resolute in Nakvard’s immediate resignation. They were even prepared to start a demonstration to force Nakvard into abdication and also announced that when necessary, they would trigger both houses to re-evaluate Nakvard’s elected legitimacy. These messy situations threw the parliament into a turmoil and now, the appearance of the Royalist Party, raising flags and shouting to reclaim Lilian’s legal authority, left them even more frustrated.
Not only that, but also the church’s announcement was like a nuclear bomb being dumped on Casabianca.
According to the church, only those who worshiped and revered the dragon soul protection and dragon soul heirs had the rights to be resurrected. If that were the case, it would be a huge blow to the parliament. Although it was only limited to accidental death and dying of natural deaths didn’t count, who wouldn’t be involved with accidents in their whole lives? Besides, according to the intelligence the parliament received, the military seemed to be the most earnest. This was something that the parliament hated to see. Soldiers were their only trump card, but if they chose to worship the Light Dragon… what would be left of the parliament?