Chapter 951: The Blame of the Present World
Chapter 951: The Blame of the Present World
Indeed, I didn't expect you to find the crux of the matter.
After expounding on his ideals, Lyon's gaze intensified as he stared at his "Prince Ferne" with a look of astonishment, silently reevaluating him.
Although neither side had openly confronted each other yet, the series of statements made by "Prince Ferne" were as good as a direct confrontation. The true identity of the "Prince Ferne" before him was undoubtedly the former Serpent Director of the Cleanup Bureau.
According to the information Lyon received from Taurus Director, this Serpent Director seemed to be a typical "good-for-nothing." While possessing outstanding talents, arguably the most exceptional Serpent Director in thousands of years, his intelligence and brainpower seemed to be slightly lacking.
However, as the saying goes, even a fool can have a moment of brilliance. Although the proposed solution was extremely unreliable, the Serpent Director successfully identified one of the root causes of the present world's problems—the Cleanup Bureau.
...
In a sense, the Serpent Director's judgment was not wrong. The reason the present world was in such a state was that the Thirteen Kingdoms and the Cleanup Bureau had existed for too long, essentially losing their ability to "self-regulate."
Without the pressure of the Cleanup Bureau, a normal human kingdom would have undergone a few hundred years of development. Once the vested interests had divided up everything they could, they would continue to reach for more without limits. Those who had been exploited would then find ways to exploit others to replenish themselves.
When there was nothing left to exploit and no way out, they would resort to direct violence, overthrowing those above them and starting the cycle anew.
Theoretically, this should have been the case, but this world had an extra factor—the Cleanup Bureau.
Lyon couldn't help but shake his head slightly as he recalled the pair of bandit siblings who escaped from the Sky-floating Crystal Mine in the Kingdom of Korok, as well as the royal ship in the Deadly Realm filled with torture devices and cages in the lower cabin.
To maintain the effectiveness of the Palace of Observation and ensure the stability of the most critical line of defense against foreign gods, the Thirteen Royal Families could be said to have been half-forced to be preserved by the Cleanup Bureau. The sharpest conflicts had always been suppressed, never finding a complete release.
Although the Cleanup Bureau didn't directly intervene, the Kingdom of Korok's ruthless exploitation of the Sky-floating Crystal Mine, the Nation of a Thousand Sails' centuries-long plundering, and the other kingdoms' inappropriate actions all had a significant share of blame attributed to the Cleanup Bureau.
Under the protection of the Cleanup Bureau, the Thirteen Kingdoms barely survived for an unknown period, until two of them disappeared in recent years.
One was the Eastern Carleva Kingdom, which was devastated by the Serpent Director, its entire population taken away, and unable to be rebuilt. The other was the Kingdom of Korok, which pursued "elitism" to the point of having too few citizens, and eventually, with Lyon's help, merged entirely with the Kingdom of De Travel.
As for the other kingdoms forcibly preserved by the Cleanup Bureau, they were indeed as the Serpent Director said—most of them had decayed to the point of being unbearable. If one had to say which was slightly less rotten, it would be the Northern Frontier Kingdom, the Witch Queen Country, and the Kingdom of De Travel where Lyon resided.
...
Ignoring the "Prince Ferne" before him, Lyon glanced at the flying buttress below and the relief sculpture of the Calvin Brothers, which was aided by the Cleanup Bureau. Suddenly, his thoughts took an uncontrollable turn, pondering over these three nations that were also established with the help of the Cleanup Bureau but were relatively harmonious.
The Northern Frontier Kingdom's relative humaneness was due to its "tribal" system. The king was more like the leader of the largest tribe, and power was not centralized, limiting their ability to exploit.
Additionally, the Northern Frontier Kingdom was vast and sparsely populated, with people living scattered across the land. From time to time, there were terrifying disasters affecting the entire territory, and for several months a year, blizzards would block the doors, making exploitation of others a dangerous endeavor, as one could easily meet their end on the journey.
In summary, it's not that they don't want to be human, but rather they genuinely lack the ability to be so.
The situation in the Witch Queen Country is somewhat unique. The lineage of the Grand Witch King is essentially a single line of succession, and each generation possesses near-True God-level abilities, granting them the power to freely peer into the past and future. However, they show little interest in power and wealth within the kingdom.
When I helped them in the past, I specifically observed the Grand Witch King's lineage, and their lives were quite simple. Their so-called royal palace was merely a quaint courtyard, and they rarely involved themselves in any administrative affairs.
The Seventeen Great Associations and numerous smaller associations, which serve as the actual power structure in the Witch Queen Country, are groups that formed due to their practice of Grand Court Secret Methods. Their interest in materials and secret arts far surpasses their desire for wealth and power.
Consequently, the "ecology" of the Witch Queen Country is peculiar. To gain control, one must join the Seventeen Great Associations, but secret arts are not easily learned, and those who do master them often become engrossed, losing their excessive desires for wealth and power.
Even if a chosen one with exceptional secret art talents and no desire to be human emerges, and they can resist the allure of secret arts themselves, they are likely to be casually swatted down by the Grand Witch King's lineage if they succeed in ascending to power.
Furthermore, even if the Grand Witch King can foresee the future, they might not be able to pass on their talents to their children and descendants. They may not inherit the Grand Witch King's strong desire for power, and wealth and status are generally not passed down through generations. Therefore, the path to ascension remains open.
As a result, aside from its loose organization, constant nagging, and shockingly low efficiency, the Witch Queen Country's internal affairs are surprisingly healthy among the Thirteen Kingdoms. It stands out as the only one with such a unique situation, and the only potential source of major problems is the difficulty in providing effective aid during large-scale disasters.
However, the Witch Queen Country has an abundance of various prophets, and there's even a Grand Witch King who can directly see the future. Often, before a disaster occurs, people have already evacuated, using their prophetic abilities to save lives. They compensate for their lack of action with their prophetic power.
Overall, aside from the lack of secret art talents being a barrier to ascension, the Witch Queen Country can be considered a peaceful and prosperous nation, a rare utopia among the current kingdoms.
As for the last relatively human-like kingdom, the De Travel Kingdom, it's mostly because they are too weak.
Lyon took a moment to recall his younger brother's history textbook, "The History of Kingdoms," and couldn't help but sigh softly.
The history of the De Travel Kingdom is essentially a series of beatings. They are bullied by the Northern Frontier Kingdom, which is both poor and starving; the Syo Kingdom, which roams the seas; the Thunderstorm Kingdom, with which they have territorial disputes; and in the future, they would have been bullied by the Kingdom of Korok, which has its eyes on volcanoes.
The De Travel royal family, with their proud bloodline, is naturally born with high-spirited arrogance. How could they possibly endure such humiliation? So, each generation strives to govern and make a difference, with the intention of turning the tables and bullying back.
Although the ancestors of the De Travel royal family generally lacked capability and had their own set of flaws, they often failed to make the right changes.
However, with their unwavering pride, they are truly a force of relentless struggle. They have indeed accomplished many practical tasks, at the very least stirring up a stagnant nation and providing some relief to the struggling common folk...
...
Haha, they are still a bit too green!
As he witnessed the other person's expression change rapidly within seconds, displaying a succession of emotions such as surprise, contemplation, disgust, helplessness, and more, Lyon couldn't help but smirk. Quietly, he retracted the broken half of the rein in his hand.
(End of Chapter)
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