Olivia's Proposal

"Based on the proposal put forward by Earl Dawn Drakbo, the Empire will continue to conduct in-depth research in various emerging military fields."

"We anticipate investing 7.2 million Ginar, focusing on mass elemental weapons, long-range lethal weapons, and tracked armored fighting vehicles."

"I object!"

A clear female voice echoed in the hall, attracting everyone's attention. The silver-haired, blue-eyed lady raised her slender hand and stood up from her seat.

She wore a dignified and elegant long dress, and a hint of anger showed on her delicate face, while her blue-gray eyes showed no fear.

That was Olivia, now Imperial Parliamentarian.

She adjusted her silver-rimmed glasses, flipped through the documents in her hands, and continued speaking aloud:

"According to the Statistics Department, military spending has accounted for 20% of the entire imperial budget. Such a scale of military spending is a huge burden on the Imperial People."

"I not only oppose Duke Dolo's further increase in military spending, but I also believe that the Empire should reduce its military spending and invest more funds in education, healthcare, poverty alleviation, and other areas."

"I have a new proposal here that details the measures the Empire should take in these areas and redistributes the budget."

The hall erupted in an uproar and discussion.

"It's that Congresswoman Olivia again! How dare she say such a thing?"

"This is pissing off the military."

"Tsk tsk, they actually dared to directly refute Earl Dawn's proposal, they really have guts."

"Humans are just humans; they only know how to waste resources. Investing money in the weak is like throwing it into the river!"

The Imperial Citizen in the hall had various expressions; some sneered, some remained silent, and some expressed their admiration.

This hall is the renowned Imperial Parliament Hall, the main venue for the Imperial Congress.

The hall is mainly divided into two floors, each with rows of neat red seats that can accommodate tens of thousands of people.

The upper four walls are decorated with stained glass and seven murals depicting the history of the Embers of the Burned Empire and showcasing the emperor's achievements.

At the very center of the dome is a majestic dragon head, its pale golden vertical pupils overlooking everything in the council hall, symbolizing the emperor's supreme authority.

At the south end of the hall is a golden throne and canopy, where the emperor can sit at any time.

In front of the throne was the Imperial Prime Minister Seat, a huge, backless, wool-filled, gold-red soft chair— Lang Pu sat there, looking on with an expression of anticipation.

"Tsk tsk."

"The military is probably in for a rough time; some of them have been asking for a beating lately."

The Ogre's lips curled up slightly, revealing a smile.

If an ordinary person raised objections, Dolo would not let him off easily—but Miss Olivia's identity was simply too special.

Silver Dragon.

He has a very close relationship with His Majesty.

They still reside in the secondary hall of the Iron Dragon Wing Palace, which theoretically allows them to directly report matters to His Majesty.

After the institutional reforms, the empire adopted a bicameral system, consisting of Lower House composed of commoners and Upper House composed of Dragon Blood Noble, also known as the "Dragon Blood Council".

The Upper House is composed of over six hundred Dragon Blood Noble and enjoys legislative and financial powers during the Imperial Congress.

The House of Commons plays a supporting role in the Imperial Parliament Hall, overseeing the work of the House of Lords, assisting the House in legislation, and amending or vetoing bills by exercising the "power of delay" and the "power of inquiry".

While this is theoretically true, members of the House of Commons rarely exercise their power to confront the Dragon Blood Noble directly; they often only offer trivial opinions.

The actual power holders in this country—or rather, the class temporarily granted power by Keosius —are already quite clear.

At this moment, the Imperial Parliament Hall was in Feng Yun.

The members of the Upper House —that is, the Dragon Blood Noble —attended the meeting on three circular red benches on the upper level of the hall, and they looked at Olivia with rather unfriendly eyes.

"Who is she?"

"Military matters are none of their business!"

"Does she, a mere human, have the right to criticize Earl Dawn's proposal? That was at the behest of Duke Dolo!"

"Yes, Earl Dawn is the nominal manager of the Klaubo Wu Military Industrial Group."

The members of the Lower House sat on simple chairs on the lower level, many of them barely daring to breathe, and could only discuss in hushed tones, for fear of offending the Duke.

However, many members of parliament who are academics have expressed their support for her.

"Who... who is she?"

"How could this lady be so reckless?"

"But I think what she said is correct. The empire has indeed invested too much in the military, even to the point of wasting resources and manpower."

But Olivia, holding the documents, stood in her place, staring fearlessly at the Dragon Blood Noble with a burning gaze.

"As a member of the Imperial Lower House, I am entitled to question Duke Dolo's proposal and even to delay it."

"How dare you!"

A Bugbear Earl slammed his fist on the table and glared angrily at Olivia, who was speaking eloquently in the audience.

"This is a decision made jointly by Duke Dolo and six hundred Dragon Blood Noble, and it carries the highest authority under the Emperor's decree. Is it something you can question?"

Olivia said calmly, "But this is in accordance with the Imperial rules and regulations."

Dolo, sitting on the soft seat of the "Elders," was not angry. He simply waved his hand, signaling Earl Dawn beside him to speak.

Earl Dawn immediately stood up and said in a deep voice, "Consul Olivia, it seems you have never worked in the government and must not understand how the Empire works."

"Increasing investment in the military industry will not only not create a financial burden, but will also bring us substantial returns and a large number of jobs."

"Haven't you seen the Empire's financial statements? The Klaubo Wu Military Industrial Group is a vital pillar of the Empire's finances! If we don't continue to increase investment in the military industry, where will the money come from to invest in education, healthcare, and other fields?"

"That's sophistry."

Olivia retorted.

"The Empire's assets do not belong to the military; they are the result of the hard work of countless Imperial People, and they should enjoy the corresponding rewards!"

"Continue to use this money in the military industry; those Gold Coin will only flow into the pockets of you Dragon Blood Noble!"

One stone stirs up a thousand waves.

The people in the Imperial Parliament Hall were immediately in an uproar. They never expected that someone would dare to openly "declare war" on the Dragon Blood Noble! While scholars and citizens admired the courage of the woman, they also sighed inwardly and felt sorry for this beautiful lady who was as beautiful as Star.

It should be noted that the Dragon Blood Noble are a behemoth in the empire's political, military, and even economic spheres.

If she offends them, this lady will find it extremely difficult to move an inch within the empire, and may even face death.

Earl Dawn said, "As far as I know, according to the Imperial Charter, the powers of the Lower House can only take effect if they are approved by more than sixty percent of the members."

The Hobgoblin Earl glanced around, looked down at the councilors in the hall, and calmly asked, "Councilors, do you support Councilor Olivia's actions?"

"Raise your hand if you support this."

The hall was deathly silent.

The air around them seemed to freeze, and the councilors who had previously vowed to support the cause fell silent.

They are not idealists either.

No one wants to risk offending the military by supporting an ordinary legislator with limited political connections for an unrealistic proposal.

Olivia looked anxious, clutching her skirt tightly with her left hand, but there was nothing she could do.

Because the other party was indeed acting in accordance with the rules.

This is what she saw as the irrationality of the imperial system, where power was actually in the hands of military nobles.

And a legislator like her seems insignificant.

Dawn's expression remained unchanged, but a disdainful smile still lingered at the corner of his mouth. He put away the document in his hand. "Since no one has any objections, then..."

"I have an objection."

A calm voice came from behind.

Dawn looked toward the source of the sound, and his expression became extremely interesting, even astonished.

"Didn't your Military Department personnel read my statement, ' 《Beware of Barbaric Development》 '?"

"The Imperial People have indeed not received the treatment they deserve. His Your Majesty Keosius once said: 'It is unrealistic to expect a horse to run without feeding it.'"

"If this continues, their work efficiency and quality will decrease. It is both reasonable and ethical for the imperial government to provide them with the welfare benefits they deserve."

On the gold-red soft seat symbolizing executive power, Imperial Prime Minister Lang Pu sat up straight, a grotesque smile on his face.

"Since this is your intention..."

Dawn lowered his head, his voice growing softer and softer, completely unlike his previous confident demeanor.

That was the Imperial Prime Minister; when His Your Majesty Keosius rested, he was the symbol of supreme power.

In other words, Lang Pu has veto power over the bill.

"The Prime Minister is right!"

"Duke Lang Pu is truly kind-hearted. If you ask me, the Empire's welfare benefits should have been improved long ago."

"Yes, wasn't the last workers' uprising caused by the military's excessive exploitation of workers?"

Immediately, with the Prime Minister's speech, the parliament hall became lively again, with various factions getting involved.

Previously silent members of parliament began to speak enthusiastically, citing classical texts and supporting the Prime Minister's remarks.

Dolo, who was also sitting in the senators' seat, had an extremely gloomy face, almost dripping with ink.

At his signal, the generals of the military also stood up eagerly and tried their best to refute him.

"Was that caused by the military?"

"You're spreading rumors! Those rioters took Gold Coin from the Northern Nobles! They're plotting to overthrow the empire, which is why they started this rebellion!"

"The situation on the mainland is not optimistic right now. If we abandon the development of the military, how can the empire gain a foothold in the south?"

"But from a long-term development perspective, welfare and healthcare are essential!"

The two sides engaged in a heated debate, arguing until their faces were flushed, and the atmosphere in the council hall became increasingly intense.

Soon, the matter transcended its immediate implications and evolved into a political struggle, a power struggle between the military and the government leadership.

"This"

Olivia, clutching her thick stack of documents, stared at the arguing crowd. She opened her mouth, feeling somewhat bewildered.

"No matter what, I will continue to fulfill my responsibilities."

"This country shouldn't be like this; it can be better."

Olivia pursed her lips and made up her mind.

But she also felt a deep sense of powerlessness, as if she couldn't change anything.

Although the imperial system claimed to be "democratic and equal," it was in reality a tool for various interest groups to engage in power struggles.

A senator like her, without any backing or money, has no way of truly making her voice heard or changing the empire's decisions.

The righteous and kind-hearted Silver Dragon hates this kind of atmosphere.

etc--

Backend?

In the Embers of the Burned Empire, who is the biggest backer? The answer is undoubtedly yes.

Olivia's blue-gray eyes lit up instantly, but then a hint of hesitation and awkwardness crept in.

Is this really a good idea?

In the end, however, Silver Dragon made up his mind to do everything in his power to accomplish this task—even if it seemed to compromise his dignity.

Olivia gazed towards the distant palace and whispered, "Perhaps I can speak with Keosius."

On the outskirts of North Wind Fortress, at the Iron Dragon Wing Palace.

The palace, built against the mountain and shaped like Dragon Wing, remains as magnificent and splendid as ever.

This is the legendary abode of the Embers of the Burned Emperor, the Red Emperor, the Purgatory Calamity, and the Soul-Devouring Dragon — Keosius Klauberwu Norikesius.

In the hearts of many citizens of the empire, the palace where the Red Dragon resided was so sacred that it was comparable to Divine Kingdom on Earth.

In the minds of the vast number of intelligent beings on the Feanso Continent, including humans, Elf, and Dwarf, this palace is a treasure trove symbolizing endless wealth.

Yes, this emperor was quite famous on the mainland as well.

However, what made him widely known was not his impressive record of defeating Oszedro —but rather the Empire's merchandise.

Products adorned with dragon heads and bearing the words "Empire Made" are renowned on the mainland for their novelty, usability, and affordability, and have Fei An Suo every aspect of life for the people of Faanso.

On the brutal battlefield, soldiers fired at each other with guns Empire Made; on cold winter nights, farmers slept peacefully in cotton-padded clothes Empire Made.

According to word of mouth, this Red Dragon Emperor made countless Gold Coin by selling guns, Woolen Sweater, tobacco and other products bearing the words "Empire Made".

Legend has it that this Red Dragon Emperor hollowed out the mountain next to his palace and filled it with all one hundred million of his Gold Coin.

Many adventurers coveted it, but no one dared to try it; even the bravest mostly died within the empire's borders.

Thus, in the stories circulating on the mainland, this dragon with endless wealth slept in a sea of gold every day.

However, in reality, Keosius did not sleep for long during the past year; instead, he was engrossed in studying magic and digesting his own power.

Inside the main hall of the royal palace, an enormous red dragon lay horizontally on the ground, its claws outstretched, flames and lightning intertwining and colliding at their tips.

But the lightning grew dimmer and dimmer, eventually disappearing into the flames.

"Is that so? What a pity, given the nature of Elemental Master, they cannot coordinate two elements at the same time."

"Do we have to go to the Lightning Quasi-Elemental Plane again?"

Keosius sighed with some regret, his breath emitting wisps of Sulfur Scent smoke.

The Red Dragon slowly rose from the ground, supported by its strong forelimbs, but its long, thick tail touched the wall behind it.

"There are indeed some events that are canceled. We'll go and expand the facilities in a couple of days."

The main hall of the palace now seemed increasingly cramped and confined to Keosius.

The current Red Dragon is over forty meters long from head to tail, which, according to the classification, makes it a true "super-giant dragon".

This has exceeded the physiological limits of most ordinary Red Dragon. Even Ancient Dragon that have lived for more than 1,200 years rarely have such a size.

What's even more terrifying is that this is not the end for Keosius, but only the beginning: the Red Dragon is still growing rapidly at the standard rate of a juvenile dragon, and no one knows how big it will grow.

Could it be Progenitor Dragon?

Even the dragon gods such as Tiamat, Bahamut, Sadivo are paying close attention.

But their eyes could no longer penetrate the Empire Domain to see all this; within the Red Dragon's empire, even gods are blindfolded.

Suddenly, Keosius sensed a familiar scent of rain. He used his authority over the Empire Domain to perceive the outside world and saw a former temporary resident appear outside the palace.

"Olivia?"

"What a rare guest."

——Requesting monthly votes——