"It is not power, money or fame that corrupts men. Rather, it's the thirst for it and the wish that it will never escape one's grasp."
- Josefino Realonda, National Hero of Marl Kah
A quote from "Luha ng mga Buwaya" (Tears of the Crocodiles).
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For many people in the Monarchical Republic of Marl Kah, the affairs of the state is not theirs to care for once the election has ended and the regime has changed. In truth, while in an election year, countless campaign parties and catchy jingles can quickly ingrain the name of a candidate running for a government position, six months after their victory, not many among the populace can remember who is sitting at that position for the next 5 years unless they are truly popular and memorable, or they faced scandal and criticism that would be the talk of the town for the next few weeks or years.
Twenty years ago, none of this could be possible given that it was still being led directly by the monarchy. While it's true that people assigned by the king with the responsibilities and authority of a minister or magistrate can fall for these same things, the difference is that once that appointee's controversy become so untenable that they would be causing more harm than good, a royal decree can pull them away as soon as possible instead of having them undergo a lengthy and wasteful impeachment proceeding.
"Ladies and gentlemen within this chamber... can I trust that your loyalty to this nation is unquestionable?"
As such, the question posed by the king to his subordinates is not just a question... it also carried a reminder... and perhaps, even a warning.
"What is the king talking about?"
"Is this about the complaints he received after his stunt in Tenka?"
"Is he going for another publicity stunt?"
"Not this again..."
All around the chamber, the whispers of the politicians filled the air alongside groans, sounds of disapproval and slight chuckling. While there are those whose expressions remained unmoved, many looked at their king with expressions of disappointment, annoyance or confusion.
"Sire! If you would allow me to ask..." Suddenly, the bald man sitting at the forefront of the parliamentary Cabinet seats stood up and asked permission to be allowed to speak, which the king granted. "While it may seem straightforward and we would never mistake your intention to be for the sake of confusing or misleading us, I'm afraid that your question is not exactly clear... Please do enlighten us about the reason why you have asked such a thing."
"Very well then if that would clear this up... My question is just as such. As leaders of your respective regions, provinces, cities and towns, I wish to ask you if you are truly devoted to this nation and its people."
Moments after the king clarified his question, one of the parliament's coalition leaders stood up with a statement spoken with a tone of disapproval.
"With all due respect, your majesty! This sounds a lot like a "shake down". It seems like you are posing this question as a set-up to have us back a statement that you are about to make."
"That's right!"
"Sire! If you are asking this genuinely then it should be more than obvious through our presence here and willingness to even go as far as be at each other's necks just to do our job to serve this nation that we are indeed loyal to Marl Kah and its people!"
The declaration of the politician received the praise of his party members and even those outside of his coalition. After their cheers and claps ceased, instead of a resigned sigh or admission of his mistake, the king's next words shocked them all.
"You say that party leader Megat, but my sources tell me that during the past month alone, you have spent more time indulging yourself and your family in the luxury of five-star resorts and casinos in Qima's Ha Cau island than being present in your office at Jagrad which you are meant to lead during their recent coconut harvest."
"L-Lies! Lies, I say! Where on promethea have you even heard such things, your majesty?! Rumors?! Ramblings of the drunk?!"
"No need to look far, party leader Megat. It's your own spouse. She has confirmed both the duration of your visits and the gifts given to him by the casinos' higher-ups for being a "frequent player" in their tables. If you wish for proof, here is a translated Qiman newspaper from Ha Cau, as well as photos taken by a local tabloid where you can see clearer than day the amount of chips she placed on the table for single hand of poker."
The king's assistant handed the newspaper and photos to the politician that is shaking in shame and terror. Just as the king said, her wife's smiling face can be clearly seen alongside a tall stack of casino chips laid on a poker table.
As he became speechless in shock, another member of the parliament stood up and once again contested the king's question.
"Setting aside party leader Megat's questionable vacation duration and location, that doesn't absolve you of the fact that the timing and perceived context of your initial question is still worthy of skepticism, your majesty. What do you mean anyway with loyalty? Are you questioning its quantity or quality? Have we given far too less or far too poor to your liking?"
"No, party leader Soleh. That is not my intention for this question... what I'm asking is not its quantity or quality, but instead its presence and direction."
"Presence and direction... what do you mean with that, if I may ask, sire?"
"Do you have any loyalty at all? And if so, it is for Marl Kah and our people, or is it for something or someone else?" King Fernando's words caused a hubbub among the politicians for a moment until he continued on. "I do not blame anyone in this room who sometimes fell short of the dedication and honesty that is expected of you as one of the leading figures of this country. As a fellow human being, all of us grow weak, falter, becomes seduced with pursuing our own goals and stumble into mistakes that we would later regret..."
"That is..."
"However! When faced with the responsibility of serving our country, such excuses will not suffice. I believe you already know what I and the Emperor of Tenka talked about during my brief visit in Tenka. With the threat of Marl Kah's exit from Ostadonia, I have urged him to purge as much as possible the corrupted filth that made up the ranks of the Empire's administrative and military services. Military men who senselessly threw legions after legions of soldiers into the meat grinder of war while they lounged on luxurious hotels and drunk away, and government men who abused the loopholes and poorly-worded laws of the empire in order to line their pockets, attain enormous powers and make the hapless and helpless of the empire's populace to dance on their palms for no other reason than fulfill their twisted sense of entertainment!"
With a shout, King Fernando's speech resounded in the chamber and everyone's attention was caught by it.
"Ladies and gentlemen of this chamber! I am here not to only rebuke you but to also remind you of your duties that should've more power over you than it does for me. At present, my crown and throne hold little to no actual power. I am a symbolic leader whose words are only followed by our people through their own will. Unlike I, you have been placed on those positions by their votes and with their votes came an expectation. You are supposed to be their eyes, ears and mouths in this chamber, yet tonight, I have come here to be theirs' as it seems that some of you have forgotten what you should be doing as elected leaders! There are a myriad of words and ways that this can be spoken but all in all, this is what our people wants to tell you: "GO BACK TO WORK!!!""
After his speech, King Fernando sat down on his seat as he let his words echo in the room. For a few moments, the silence of the politicians was deafening. Everyone seemed to be holding their breaths, unwilling to be the first one to break the silence as they know that no matter how much they want to deny it, the king's words really are the peoples' words.
After almost half a minute of silence, one finally stood up from his seat and spoke.
"Your wise words have enlightened us, Your Majesty. Though some of us seem to be unwilling to accept it, there is wisdom and truth in your words. We, the elected, do have forgotten what we should be doing all this time."
"Prime minister, I don't think it's proper for you to speak as if you are representing everyone in the parliament." party leader Soleh replied to the prime minister's words, only to receive a reply that he did not expect.
"Cease with the theatrical act of being a perfect and infallible man of the people, Soleh. There is no point in pretending that the minister of education does not belong to your party."
"You—"
"Everyone! The king is right and I believe that of all the people here, he's the only one who can rebuke us as such without bringing this chamber into another round of threats and fistfights. May I remind you of the reason why the monarchy was reestablished and integrated into the republic system? It's exactly for instances like this when our assembly has lost its way or a proper path to resolution cannot be set without starting off a blame-game."
"With all due respect, prime minister, what the king has asked and spoken towards us is beyond what can be reasonably considered as "rebuking". This is slander— Nay! Libel, I dare say! With the presence of a record-keeper in our midst, the king's words will remain in writing and will be seen and possibly misconstrued in the future!" one of the politicians reasoned, even bringing into the conversation the clerk who is recording the meeting in writing.
"And yet, the truth remains that some of us may have done much worse than what we are being accused of. The king may have overstepped his bounds but it I believe we have done the same far more worse and for longer than what he has already stated!" the prime minister struck his table and shouted the following words towards his constituents. "None of us are blameless here and none of us has any right to excuse their self from criticism! No matter your position, may you be a minister, governor, member of parliament or a mayor, all of us share the same title, and that is none other than: Public Servant! We serve the interests of our people and represent their voice in matters of state. The king's rebuke is not just about exposing our misdeeds, it's to remind us of our place that we have forgotten while we are lauding in our power."
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The meeting of the parliament and the king seems to be as impassioned as the stories describe it to be. While the emotions and convictions they displayed in their speeches are awe-inspiring, the content of it sure does leave a horrible taste in one's mouth.
"Are things really this bad in Marl Kah's politics?" I asked the elderly gentleman beside me.
"It is, at times. It's the illness that any system would contract once it becomes too large to be filled by people who share the same values and vision for their country. As the ancestors used to say: "No matter how meticulous the tailor, the barong would always have a loose thread"."
"I mean, it's not like I'm a stranger to it. The feudal domains are plenty corrupt and even I admit that it's already hopeless to try and change it. However, my expectations that are already low seems to have reached a brand-new low, if they need the king to personally remind them how they got to their positions of power."
"Oh-ho-ho! Trust me, sir Bougainvillea. You haven't seen the start of it just yet."
For the next few moments, the parliament members argued about how to interpret the words of the king, eventually ending up with them arguing about who among the 8 or so political parties who has seats on the parliament is the worst in these accusations of corruption, until it reached a point where words such as "dissolving the parliament", "charter change" and "forming the 3rd Marl Kahn republic" began to be thrown around.
I only have a mediocre understanding about how the Marl Kahn government works, but I'm pretty sure that whatever those words meant in the Marl Kahn context is nothing to joke about if the expressions on everyone's faces darkened with its mere mention.
"Enough of this farcical argument, prime minister! We are only wasting our time! We've heard it all! We have lacked in serving our people and have, to some extent, overstepped our authorities and influences just to languor on the luxury offered by life. But that doesn't mean that the king can speak like that to us when we have done nothing illegal at all. Right now, all of the accusations thrown towards us are "alleged", which means that using it against us is both illegal and immoral."
"Party leader Armando..."
"With all due respect, your majesty! Please remember that it was YOUR FAMILY that caused all of the chaos and destruction, alongside their repercussions that still persists to this day, that you are accusing us of never caring to address or resolve!"
"That's right!"
"This is not our fault alone!"
One by one, the men of the political party led by Armando stood up. All of them raising their voice and their left fists in support of their leader's voice. I quickly noticed that all of them are wearing brown jackets, white shirts and blue neckties. Seeing this, I turned to Mang Berto and asked him who those people are.
"Oh... that's the Makabayan (T/N: Patriotic) party. They're the rival of the ruling Marangal (T/N: Honorable) party where Prime minister Reynato Makota and much of his cabinet belongs."
"They seem to be... a bit too enthusiastic, may I say?"
"It's normal fare for them. After all, they're the public face of the socialist side of Marl Kah."
"Oh... wait, what?!"
My shock from his answer was wholly justified. After all, I could never believe that the group that I am here to extinguish is just a pistol range away from the king.
"When I said that they're the public face, I meant that. This side of their movement are filled with men who speak with sophistry and formality, rarely ever raising their fists in overt violence. Their armed militant group is the total opposite. They publicly beat and stab their political rivals on the streets whenever they get a chance. Both sides will never admit that they are connected to each other or support the other's actions, but only an imbecile would believe that lie."
I looked at the group again and I finally understood why King Fernando asked me to come here and resolve this situation.
Just like his place in the midst of this parliamentary government where he is an outsider that has the right position and perspective to judge its inefficiencies, I too am an outsider of Marl Kah's government and nation who can judge it from my own fresh perspective.
In practice, I am not beholden to anyone and can speak freely about what I think of them... and in turn, that realization would make me the perfect person to judge if the king is right with his frustrations of the parliament's ineffectiveness or the parliament is right with refusing to be judged by the king.
My musings was cut short when a shout that came from the party leader echoed in the room.
"Party leader Armando! That is enough out of you! While I understand that you and your men has been insulted by His Majesty's questioning of your loyalty, do remember that bringing in the wounds of the past that has long been resolved is not just improper, it is insulting! The monarchy was reestablished because the republic is either unable to properly reflect on its mistakes or unwilling to do so in the first place! Your criticism is valid but keep it to yourself!"
"Hmph! Then I suggest that the king keep his opinions about us to himself as well! For the sake of fairness, of course!"
The meeting continued on for a while longer until the clock neared midnight when all of this has to finally wrap up. At that point, the entire chamber has already agreed on some concessions and decisions with little to no conflict between the sitting parties.
With that, the assistant of the king approached Mang Berto and I, and I was told that I will be called and the assistant will act as my interpreter for the politicians who doesn't speak or lacked enough competence in the Common Ostadonian language. Moments later, that time came and I stood up after the king told me so.
"Ladies and gentlemen, before we wrap up this meeting, I wish to welcome and introduce my guest that I have invited to observe our proceedings. Please, young man, do introduce yourself."
"Yes, sire! My name is Jonathan Hakuryuu H. Fenris Bougainvillea. I am recognized noble with the title of Baron in the feudal domains of Ostadonia whose territory belongs to the region of East Serafina currently led by the Taiga Marquisdom."
I ended my introduction there, but Mang Berto nudged my side and gestured that I should go on. It took me a while to realize that he wanted me to do so because the people here are not as receptive of noble titles than the people in the mainland, as well as my sheer youth and perceived inexperience compared to all of them.
"In... addition, I have also participated in the recent Silesia war where I came to reinforce the beleaguered forces of the Feudal army in Irma island and provided help in the critical battles of Mako Huna, Palau, Yon Island and San Salome."
"Mako Huna? So you arrived to secure it after the retreat of the Atlanterrans?" One of the politicians, a stout man sitting just a few seats away from me, asked that question.
"No, sir. I was there during the bold attack of the remnants of the feudal army's Wizard regiment. In truth, I fought alongside my brother, Viscount Joshua Bougainvillea whom you may know from his new nickname of "Sky Splitter"."
"""WHAT?!!"""
The chamber was filled with gasps after I spoke those words. It seems like even though they initially cannot exactly remember where they heard it, my family name has spread far and wide after our contributions to the victory in Silesia.
"Can you enlighten these people why you are here, Baron Bougainvillea?"
"Absolutely, sire! In accordance to the order of the Imperial Senate, I have come to Marl Kah to help its government to maintain stability and to combat potential insurgents that it believes currently lingers in the nation." I answered straight, continuing with something that Mang Berto told me to mention in order to induce a reaction in the crowd. "I have also come here to gather information about whether Marl Kah will remain useful as a member of the Empire."
Not even a moment after I said those words, the entire chamber erupted into shouts directed to me.
"Preposterous!"
"Unacceptable!"
It didn't take a genius to understand why those words were shouted and directed at me. Even I who has only a novice's know-how and experience in statesmanship understood what they're mad about.
"Order! Order in the hall!" the prime minister shouted while hitting his table, trying to maintain semblance among his constituents.
"Screw that! Are you siding with this imperial scum, prime minister?!"
"That—"
Before I became a victim of actual physical violence, a deafening shout came from the front of the chamber.
"SILEEEEEEEEEENCE!!!"
A moment of silence after that shout and its echoes died out, they all turned around to see that it came from the king, making them realize that they went too far this time.
"Baron Fenris Bougainvillea did not come here on his own volition, nor did he desire to be on the side of the Imperial senate! Baron, tell them why you were given this task."
"...It is my punishment for my actions in the Silesia War. After I stole the imperial army and navy's thunder by participating in the Assault of Fort Nickson and other vital battles, they colluded with members of the imperial senate and influential nobles to turn my contributions to the victory into either "insubordination" and "lack of cooperation". They would've stuck in "suspected acts of treason" as well if not for the fact that my participation was vital in the rescue of the survivors in the feudal army and the return of the remains of those who did not make it."
"Are you saying then, Baron, that you did not want to be given this task?" asked the prime minister.
"I can neither confirm nor deny that. One thing that I can do say is that I came here because of that assignment and I have consulted His Majesty about it, which is why he welcomed me as a guest of his."
Once I gave that answer, there was a mix of comments from those around me. From concern to hostility, it was obvious that what they thought of me was drawn from their personal agendas and their party's view of the relationship between Marl Kah and Ostadonia.
"If I may be frank, your majesty, it seems to me that even if you have repeatedly expressed your dislike for the Empire, you are now using an opportunity given by them. Should this be called inconsistency... or do you have some other kind of agenda to use this time, perhaps?"
"Party leader Armando! You are out of line! Keep your silence before I call you in contempt of—"
"I have my right to criticize a person of power just as his majesty does as well! I will not be silenced, Prime minister! Now answer us, your majesty! Do you or do you not commit hypocrisy by stating that you dislike the empire's influence over us, yet you jump to make use of this boy after he was sent here?"
As the party leader threw that question to the king, everyone held their breath, waiting for this response. Moments later, the elderly monarch leaned his chin on his right hand and after a long sigh, gave his answer.
"...Do you really think I need the backing of the imperial system or an assigned imperial observer to do such a thing, leader Armando?"
"What—?!"
"You say that I am being a hypocrite by criticizing the imperial system yet making use of the observer that they sent to find and point out our inefficiencies and mistakes, but if you look at it closely, this is exactly what I should be doing. I hate how convoluted and corrupt the empire is... and at the same time, by welcoming the baron and his assignment here with open arms, I am showing that I don't have anything to hide while slinging mud against them."
The entire room was silenced with the king's statement. For a few seconds, everyone knew that the man they criticized and belittled as nothing more than a symbolic leader from a bygone era has both the moral and political upper hand against them right now. It was only the groaning complaint of the same politician who kicked off this exchange that broke the silence.
"You keep on saying that "I" and "me"... is this too much belief on your righteousness, your majesty?" he spoke with a sarcastic tone, followed by the smug grins of the men behind him.
"That's because I have nothing to hide... how about you— you know what, all of you for that matter. Are anyone of you willing to open yourself up to true scrutiny without any fear?" instead of being intimidated, the king pressed the issue further, gaining the ire of those around them.
"We will not be intimidated by this! All of you better remember that! We are on the right side of the truth—"
"THE truth... or YOUR truth? Be more specific, party leader Armando." this time, the heated question did not come from the king but instead, the prime minister who seem to have finally lost his patience for the insolent tone and words of the party leader.
For the next half of an hour, there was some back and forth between the politicians, but none was as heated or interesting as this part of the meeting. By the time that the meeting ended, I managed to learn enough about the internal affairs of Marl Kah to have an idea about where I am in the grand scale of things and where and how I can help out.
"Was it at least a good learning experience, Baron?"
"Certainly is... although I can see that I was not alone with worrying about how complicated this can become now that I am in it."
"Ahahaha! I can see that it already became obvious to you. Keep being sharp, every moment and exchange you have here is something worth keeping in your mind."
"I will."
While we are heading back to the car, Mang Berto asked me about how well I learned in the meeting and told me to keep at it during my stay.
"By the way... I wanted to ask about something that I noticed while we were inside. You said that you participated in the Silesia War, yes?"
"I did. A few months after my brother answered to his duty, I gathered our forces to reinforce them, only to realize once I got there that after we struck Atlanterra's Fort Nickson, it wasn't our side that needs reinforcements."
"That's incredible, then! I mean... You're so young! I didn't expect you to willingly throw yourself into an active warzone like that."
"Gee... You're making me a bit bashful over here, sir."
As we passed through the inner and outer courtyards of the palace, we continued to talk until we arrived outside of the palace where our car was parked. This was the moment when I realized that I was missing something on my person.
"Aw, dang it! I got distracted and left my gun and sword!"
"What? Oh! Darn son! I forgot to ask for it too!"
"Should I head back and get it? I promise it won't take much time."
"No, no, no! Just leave it for now. If I let you head back in, you might be mistaken for a spy and be detained. I'll just have someone send it to the mansion later."
"Alright. That sounds reasonable enough. I just wish they won't play with it or scratch it up."
"Oh trust me! One word from me and they'll coddle it more than a new born. Come on, lad. We need to beat the night-shift lunch rush traffic."
"Aye-aye!"
Mang Berto and I entered the car, with the old gentleman pressing a series of buttons to turn on the various machines in it. A few moments later, the engine hummed to life and the cold air from the air conditioning blew out the humid and warm air that was stuck inside the car.
"Alrighty then! Let's get going!"
Mang Berto disengaged the brakes of the car and stepped on the accelerator, making the engine's humming noise louder as it moved the vehicle. This was from the increase of energy demand and output on the magic-gem powered engine that relies on both magical and alchemical reactions to produce power.
"...Hold on, old man."
"Hm? What's wrong, lad?"
I know that the magic reactions in the engine should be loud and powerful, but I am sensing something within the engine that wasn't there when we came here in it.
It was just a low and quiet, but unusually consistent hum that easily mixes with the sound of the other machinery around it.
*—BZZZTTT!!!—*
"—!!!"
Before my mind can process the information, my instincts kicked in, and in a split-second, I casted a spell to increase my physical speed and power as I took the old man from his seat, kicked away the tightly locked car door and immediately put up a dense barrier spell towards the direction of the car.
*KA-BYAAAAAAAA—!!!*
Just in the nick of time when I successfully pulled the old man away from the car and behind my barrier spell, the car exploded violently to the point that both of us was thrown a few meters away from the wreckage.
For a moment, I lost my bearings but my instincts immediately took control and I stood up to look around for what could've caused this mess. Meanwhile, the gentle and refined old man from earlier let loose his emotions after barely escaping death.
"Put****na!!!" he cursed in the local tongue while clutching his lower back and head that was both hit and in pain from shock wave of the explosion.
"Come on, old man! We can't stay here! I think the car was bombed and—"
Before I can finish my words, a figure from the floating dust around us grew as it neared me and I can see that they are holding something on their left hand.
"DIE!!!"
"—!!!"
It was a knife and its user is someone wearing a jacket with a hood and a white, cardboard mask. After he approached me from the billowing dust cloud, I have no time to block or redirect the attack.
Thankfully, I didn't surrender something earlier that could've cut my chance of surviving all of this.
*CLANK!*
"Wha—!?"
"Clench your teeth, motherf*****!"
"GAH!!!"
As his knife was blocked and stuck on my barrier, I casted a physical enhancing spell on my fist and struck my assassin on the face with it. In just that one punch, I knocked out several teeth and almost made his head to spin backwards.
Moments later, the explosion and the sound of a fight finally gathered the attention of the palace guards and soldiers who immediately ordered all of us to stand down and surrender.
"HEY! HEY! HANDS UP! ON THE GROUND AND HANDS UP!"
"Damn it..."
Just what the hell did I get myself into...