Amos’s meaning was very simple.
Earlier, Castorice had said that the Citizens’ Assembly was not a trustworthy enough system because citizens would cast votes recklessly for all kinds of reasons.
But in reality, the biggest flaw of the Citizens’ Assembly was that it lacked sufficient accountability.
Voters voting with their feet was not important.
Proposers putting forward absurd motions was also not important.
Voters voting with their feet to pass absurd motions was still not important.
What was important was that even if voters used their feet to approve an absurd proposal, the proposer still had the ability not to carry it out.
Just like how Amos had toyed with the little Chimera.
Aside from eating while sulking, it had no second option.
Even if voting was meaningless, could it stop eating?
To the Citizens’ Assembly, the Senate played exactly that role.
Although most members of the Senate were also elected by citizens from various city-states, making it seem fair, it was just like the conflict between sweet and salty flavors where snacks ended up benefiting.
The demands and interests of the different city-state groups were all different.
Ambitious people only needed to occupy some seats, then guide things a little, and the city-states would begin fighting each other while their own faction profited from it.
Thinking carefully, the Senate really had done quite a few things under the banner of righteousness that they never intended to follow through on.
For example, saying they wanted to reform Okhema’s military structure so citizens would know what was protecting them and warriors would know what they were fighting for, trying to take military authority away from the Chrysos Heirs.
But the Chrysos Heirs and ordinary warriors were on completely different levels of combat strength.
Without the Chrysos Heirs, who could confidently say they could protect Okhema?
Then there were claims that the Chrysos Heirs spent too much on fire-chasing, and laws should be passed limiting their privileges, requiring them to regularly report to the Citizens’ Assembly and declare their expenditures.
But the Chrysos Heirs rarely took money directly from the Citizens’ Assembly.
Which Chrysos Heirs didn’t have some special skill?
Who would care about the Citizens’ Assembly’s tiny amount of money?
There were also things like the Chrysos Heirs should obey the Citizens’ Assembly’s command so they could secure the greatest benefits for Okhema.
The Chrysos Heirs should create special programs explaining the source of their extraordinary abilities and help other citizens gain extraordinary powers as well.
The Chrysos Heirs should lead by example, voluntarily abide by the rules, and serve as role models for other citizens.
One after another, again and again, these votes achieved absolutely nothing except giving the forces that proposed them more reputation, status, and benefits.
The title of Chrysos Heirs was truly useful.
One only had to pretend to speak for the citizens, and the citizens would vote with their feet.
The three girls all had their own thoughts, but Castorice was the one thinking the most deeply.
After all, Hyacine and Cyrene were still young, while Castorice, despite her youthful appearance and somewhat slow-witted personality, had genuinely lived for thousands of years.
She had long formed her own views on social structures.
She sharply sensed the significance hidden within Amos’s Chimera experiment, so she was the first to ask a question.
“Lord Amos, I understand your point of view, but I still have one question.” “After saying all this, what exactly are you trying to tell us?” Amos smiled.
“I’m not trying to tell you anything.
I just want to recover some of my image points in your minds.
The customs of the Kremnoan people are too rough.” ‘Image points?
Kremnoan people?’ The three girls blinked, still not understanding.
Amos continued, “Since you know the Citizens’ Assembly is useless, how do you think Okhema should be changed?” Cyrene thought for a moment.
“Revise the laws and establish legal accountability?” Amos nodded.
“Correct.
But for laws to truly sink into people’s hearts, a prerequisite is still needed.” Hyacine said, “An eye for an eye?
Apply the demands the Senate places on the Chrysos Heirs to all citizens.” Amos nodded.
“Also correct.
But to make citizens accept being treated the same as the Chrysos Heirs, that condition is still necessary.” Castorice remained silent.
Even when the other two looked at her, she said nothing.
Because as Death and Life’s attendant, she understood the weight of that word better than anyone.
“Stop keeping us in suspense and tell us already~” At that moment, little Ica suddenly spoke, “Doo~” (It’s slaughter.) Remarkably, all four people present understood those words.
Their eyes widened.
Hyacine was shocked that little Ica could say something like that, while the others were shocked that little Ica had actually answered Amos’s question correctly.
Even Amos himself looked surprised.
“I didn’t expect I underestimated you, Ica.” Amos solemnly expressed his respect to little Ica.
Unfortunately, that sentence seemed to have used up all the wisdom little Ica had accumulated.
Afterward, it turned around and went back to eating and drinking.
After a while, the topic returned to normal.
Cyrene muttered, “Slaughter…
how many people need to die before it counts as slaughter?” Amos thought for a moment.
“Too few won’t convince anyone.
Too many will easily stir public anger.
So we can only compromise and kill them all.” “Considering the target is Okhema’s largest faction, there should be at least a thousand people.” “A thousand?!” Hyacine cried out.
Even Castorice revealed a shocked expression.
The latter immediately said, “Lord Amos, every life has its own meaning.
Killing over a thousand people at once will definitely result in wrongful convictions among them.” Amos nodded.
“Yes.
But you will understand me.” “This isn’t a matter of understanding or not…” Castorice wanted to say more, but Amos interrupted her.
“I don’t mean you’ll understand me because of personal feelings.
I mean you’ll truly understand me.” “This is rather complicated to explain, so…
let’s eat first.
Think about it.
I’ve already gone out of my way to explain things to you.
If my actions still end up seeming just as inhuman, wouldn’t all this performance have been for nothing?” Under Amos’s sincere gaze, Castorice said nothing further.
After dinner, nothing happened that night.
Early the next morning, an attendant knocked on the door.
“My lords, please hurry to Dawncloud!
Lord Mydei and Lord Phainon have started fighting!” The three were startled and hurried toward Dawncloud with Amos.
Along the way, after questioning attendants and passersby, they learned what had happened the previous day.
During the Citizens’ Assembly, Mydei had suddenly been assassinated.
Fortunately, his immortal body had taken effect.
After instantly elbowing his way back from the Underworld, Krateros, the former State Preceptor, current military advisor, and Mydei’s teacher, discovered a strange bone on the assassin.
After examination by the Demigod of Strife and a group of scholars, the bone was determined to belong to an organization called the Cleansers.
Rumor had it that every Cleanser was a highly skilled assassin.
Besides their natural talent for assassination, the more important reason was their unique method of inheritance.
They murdered their predecessors, extracted their spines made from a special metal, then used alchemy to replace their own spines with them.
In this way, they inherited all of their predecessors’ skills and memories.
The price was merely having their personalities influenced by those memories, or even having their entire personalities completely overwritten by their predecessors’.
The Crown Prince had been assassinated, and the Kremnoan people were furious.
Many generals dusted off their old skills and publicly performed a Grand Memory Restoration Technique.
The facts proved that when it came to utilizing blood and fire, the Kremnoan people were superior.
Secret letters, contact methods, member lists, whether the assassin knew them or not, the Kremnoan people found them all.
After that, the Citizens’ Assembly descended into chaos.
Some Kremnoan people climbed to high places and angrily shouted, “The cancer in Okhema isn’t outside!
It’s right here in this Senate!
It’s these esteemed senators!” The Caenis faction, which had once assassinated Aglaea in a previous life, was caught completely off guard by the Kremnoan people’s attack and could only hastily retaliate.
Fierce conflict erupted between both sides.
Yet the library had remained peaceful and quiet all night, completely unlike a place located within a city experiencing internal unrest.
Clearly, although the Cleansers hiding in the shadows had some ability, in front of Khaslana, who had full knowledge that Caenis was the leader of the Cleansers; Amos, who had mastered Soul Alchemy and could easily determine whether someone had used the Cleansers’ inheritance alchemy; and the Kremnoan people, who excelled most at killing…
The Cleansers were little more than children.
The Kremnoan people captured the vast majority of the Cleansers with extreme efficiency.
But just as they were preparing to execute them, Phainon, who had originally stood with Mydei against the Senate, stepped forward.
Phainon believed that although the Cleansers had committed many evils, they should not all be condemned with a single blow.
More importantly, aside from the bones made of that mysterious metal, there was currently no second method to identify a Cleanser.
Therefore, to avoid wrongful convictions and also avoid letting any Cleanser escape justice, these people should be imprisoned temporarily and examined and tried one by one.
This move was undoubtedly a provocation to the Kremnoan people.
Mydei immediately argued his case.
The two could not agree and soon started fighting.
The chaotic Dawncloud then began seeking help everywhere, summoning all kinds of important figures.
Unfortunately, their authority meant little before the power of the Chrysos Heirs.
The Kremnoan guards overseeing the sacred duel refused to let them approach the battlefield.
Even if they got close, the two combatants paid no attention to what they said.
Eventually, an attendant reached the library.
Upon seeing that the newcomers were Chrysos Heirs and that most of them had a good relationship with Mydei, one of the Kremnoan guards gave a signal.
Without any obvious movement, Krateros, who stood high above observing the battlefield, turned his head, glanced at them, then nodded to the guard.
Passing through the front courtyard and climbing the long staircase, Amos saw a black-and-blue energy cube floating in the air from afar.
Then came the rumbling sounds of battle, mixed with the two fighters arguing.
“You clearly know how important judgment is to Okhema, so why won’t you do it?
Do you want Okhema to become a lawless land where laws have no meaning?!” “Judgment?
Who will judge them?!
Who can judge them?!” “Ever since Kremnoan and Okhema formed their alliance, the Kremnoan people have fought day and night defending the cities.
But where are the supplies Okhema promised?” “A few scraps of food, worn-out tents, not even enough oil to maintain our weapons…” “If this is Okhema’s sincerity, then let me show you what the glory of Kremnoan City truly is!” The group climbed the stairs and entered the Demigod Assembly Hall just in time to hear those words.
Then a loud boom rang out.
Mydei kicked a white-clothed figure flying through the air.
The figure crashed heavily beneath the spectator stands of the Demigod Assembly Hall, sending dust everywhere.
Behind Mydei, the spectator stands packed with Kremnoan people erupted into cheers.
“Good!
That’s the reasoning of Kremnoan City!” The three girls cried out in alarm.
Hyacine even pulled out her staff and instinctively prepared to save someone.
But when the dust cleared, the figure that had been kicked away walked out as if nothing had happened.
“Pah!” Phainon spat out a mouthful of saliva streaked with golden blood.
The sword in his hand had been battered beyond recognition by Mydei’s fists.
He simply threw the sword away, rolled up his sleeves, and sneered, “So this is a Kremnoan man’s fist?
Feels” Behind Phainon, the previously silent citizens could not help but shout as well, “That’s it, Phainon!
Keep your spirits up!
Don’t disgrace Okhema!”