A No-Win Situation

"Great God of Justice. Things are not going as smoothly as we had hoped."

Kneeling in the center of the Temple, Gabriel gazed at the illusory orb of light appearing in the sky and reported solemnly.

"Dideyasi is relatively easy because of Saintess Catherine's presence. However, there is considerable resistance in the Xialuo Kingdom, and I am very worried about the consequences if this continues."

"Don't worry, Gabriel."

The voice of the God of Justice echoed in the Temple, tinged with disdain.

"Those nobles are merely concerned about their power; they're used to their privileged lives and won't easily accept change. However, they should also understand that they cannot defy us."

"I understand what you mean, great God of Justice."

Gabriel nodded, then a look of confusion appeared on her face.

"Please forgive my rudeness, but I still don't understand why you would make such a suggestion at such a critical juncture? Changing the political system can happen anytime, but right now..."

"That's precisely why we must do this. I should have told you before. Now is the best opportunity. Normally, these nobles have plenty of time and energy to scheme against us, but now? With the evil shadow of the Magic Empire looming over us, do they still have the time and inclination for that? Don't forget what I said: destruction precedes construction. Only in this way can we create a more democratic, free, and happy future for the human world."

"I understand, great God of Justice. Suffering is always temporary, and for the sake of long-term benefit, we must naturally consider sacrifices... However, progress is not going smoothly at the moment, and perhaps we will need to spend more time."

"It's all up to you... Gabriel, destroy that evil Arcane Mage, let the light of justice return to the earth... guide the hero to victory."

As the light faded, Gabriel stood up again. She gazed at the statue before her, remained silent for a moment, and then turned and walked out of the hall.

Gabriel called "unsuccessful" was actually quite successful. Two weeks after the speech, two of the six members of parliament had secured a majority and become commanders of the military supply for their respective regions. Of course, the other four members did not remain silent. They led their supporters in a large-scale march and protest, claiming that the two new members had not followed the rules and were suspected of blasphemy and bribery. Although the protests were loud, they were forced to end shortly after they began. Faced with this chaotic situation, the Federation Council immediately decided to stop all demonstrations and restore normal production and life as soon as possible. Although the four members were very reluctant to do so, they had to stop their actions after the vote. After all, both Catherine and King Xialuo had hinted on different occasions that if this farce continued, they would not hesitate to expel the four from parliament.

If the previous result was a 6-6 tie, the commoner councilors have now clearly split into two factions. They lack the majority power to defy the decision, especially since the Temple itself has warned them to "respect the sacred and just election results." Therefore, they can only give up dejectedly.

As Angela said, they are no longer united.

When parliament resumed, everyone's stance had undergone a significant change.

"Given the current situation, I believe taxes should be increased."

One of the civilian members of parliament spoke up; he was one of the two who had been granted the qualification of commander of the military supplies allocation.

"The armies of the Magic Empire are eyeing us menacingly, ready to fight us. Our current equipment and supplies are simply insufficient to support our annihilation of those evil and terrifying undead armies. Only after I took office did I discover that so many soldiers don't even have weapons; they're even training in makeshift armor made of cowhide. This situation cannot continue. I suggest we increase taxes on the people by thirty percent... no, fifty percent!"

I object.

Catherine shook her head.

"Dideyasi's tax rate is indeed low, but that's because we don't have much wealth. Under the previous tax rate, the people were able to live a stable life. But now, if the tax rate is raised by half, it will cause discontent and popular uprisings. Besides, our regular army has sufficient funds and there is no need to levy extra taxes."

"Your Highness, the Merciful Saint."

The senator bowed slightly to Catherine before speaking again with a smile.

"I understand your kind heart, your unwillingness to let the people live in suffering. However, now is not the time to discuss these matters. Indeed, the people are currently living a peaceful and harmonious life. But if we do not have sufficient resources and strength to defeat the invading undead army, their peaceful and harmonious life will be lost! For the sake of future peace and happiness, some temporary suffering must be endured! I believe our people will understand this, and for future happiness and lasting peace, they will certainly be willing to sacrifice their current time and money! I can guarantee that!"

Catherine and King Xialuo exchanged a surprised glance. Although they had both known that the two councilors would change after assuming these positions, they hadn't expected the changes to come so quickly or in such an exaggerated way. Catherine clearly remembered that just a few days ago, this councilor had promised in his speech to do his utmost to protect the people of this land. But now...

"We have already squeezed out enough funds financially."

A civil official spoke up.

"These are extraordinary times, and we are naturally prepared. We have already discussed and plan to temporarily allocate 300,000 gold coins to each region as a supplement to the initial funding. Of course, this can only proceed after Her Highness the Holy Maiden and His Majesty the King have proposed and approved it."

"Thirty..."

Upon hearing this, the two former civilian councilors' eyes widened immediately. They remained silent for a moment, then the other one coughed, breaking the silence.

"This is for the people's sake, so we naturally have no reason not to pass it, right?"

"Don't even think about it!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than another member of parliament stood up—he was one of the four losers.

"Don't think we don't know what you're up to. We will absolutely not agree to this. I'm here to demand a new resolution: if this military funding is to be allocated, then we must supervise it on the spot!"

"Overseeing military spending is the job of the commanding officer!"

Upon hearing this, the congressman jumped up as if he had been bitten on the butt.

"This is a classic case of overstepping your authority, and I strongly oppose it! Don't forget, this is not even within your jurisdiction; you have absolutely no right to do this..."

"As representatives elected by the people, we have the right to audit and be accountable for all financial flows! The people have the right to know exactly where their tax revenue is going. Is it for the armor on soldiers in the army, or for the finest wine in taverns? These are questions we must be concerned about!"

"You're just using this as an excuse to make trouble, and I strongly oppose it! We will not accept such a self-serving proposal!"

"... This is blatant slander..."

Ultimately, the meeting ended in another round of arguments. Catherine felt a little dizzy; she felt she had heard more arguments in the past few days than she had heard in the entire past decade. However, watching the commoner councilors argue, Catherine couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction.

Just as Miss Angela said, these people have absolutely no ability to threaten their master... They are just a bunch of useless trash.

At the final meeting, neither of the two resolutions passed. The aristocratic faction, led by Catherine and King Xialuo, rejected the proposal to increase taxes on the people, with a vote of ten to two (the four commoner councilors also opposed it). The second resolution rejected was the proposal to send a special envoy to monitor the distribution of military funds, which received eight to four votes (the two commoner councilors, who had become commanders of military supplies, naturally wouldn't allow this resolution to pass). The only resolution that passed was the decision to distribute military funds to all regions. After all, even the commoner councilors couldn't possibly oppose it at this critical juncture; otherwise, if word got out, their prestige would be greatly diminished.

The two councilors then made a strange request: they wanted to designate the manufacturers and suppliers of the weapons. Although Catherine and King Xialuo frowned at this, they ultimately approved it.

"Why did they specifically designate the weapon manufacturers? I think that question doesn't even need an answer."

After leaving the council chamber, King Xialuo wore a disdainful expression.

"I wonder how much these guys actually got from those people."

"Based on the intelligence I've received, it should be two thousand gold coins per person."

Catherine glanced through the documents in her hand, then responded with a smile.

"After all, the Divine Paladin Order are watching them."

"Only two thousand gold coins?"

Upon hearing this, King Xialuo frowned.

"This isn't even enough to cover a nobleman's expenses for half a year, yet you've managed to win them over? Just like that? You bought the weapons supply rights for two military districts for four thousand gold coins?"

"You mustn't forget, Your Majesty, they were once commoners. Perhaps, in their entire lives, they've never even seen such a large sum as two thousand gold coins."

Catherine was no longer worried about these pointless resolutions. She had experienced firsthand that whether they were implemented smoothly or not, they would ultimately fail. Therefore, Catherine's biggest concern had shifted to something else. As Magic Angel who had established a connection with the source of magic, Catherine could clearly sense that Li Lin had not left Dideyasi.

Li Lin's reason for coming here this time wasn't simply to avoid Princess Shirley. However, thinking back to what happened that day, Catherine couldn't help but feel a sense of powerlessness.

Let's have a democratic vote.

Li Lin, who was giving a speech while looking out the window, made this suggestion with considerable pride.

"Whoever you dislike the most later, let Anna kill him."

Catherine understood, of course, that this was a necessary step to destabilize Parliament. After all, if a member of parliament were murdered so quickly, it would naturally cause a huge uproar. Moreover, this happened not long after the battle for the position of commander of military supplies allocation ended. Catherine could say with certainty that the murder of any member of parliament, regardless of which side, would arouse suspicion and discussion among the public.

If the senator in charge of the deployment was killed, then the four losers would be the prime suspects.

If one of the four civilian councilors is killed, then the two councilors who are in charge of the deployment will naturally become suspects.

It can be said that although Li Lin's actions seem rather pointless, each one would cause considerable problems.

Ultimately, they also determined their goal.

Back inside, almost everyone noticed that their owner was in a bad mood today.

"Damn it!!"

She stormed back to her room, angrily throwing down the documents in her hand and sitting on the sofa, snorting.

Although she had anticipated this outcome from the beginning, she still couldn't fully accept it when it arrived, even with mental preparation. Why? Why didn't those people choose her, but instead chose those two glib-tongued fellows?! What a joke! Could they protect the country? Could they lead it forward? Yes, a country must be led by someone as intelligent, capable, and tolerant as herself! Those people were so foolish! So ignorant! They didn't know what they wanted at all; they were incapable of making any rational choices! They were simply incapable of making the right decisions!

However, it's too late to complain now. So what should I do next?

"Those two bastards have betrayed the people and become lackeys of the nobility. They no longer deserve to sit in this position!"

The female senator felt a surge of anger just thinking about the mocking smiles of the nobles at today's joint meeting. What were they laughing at? This must have been planned by those nobles beforehand! Now she had to come up with a new way to get out of this predicament; if things continued like this, her position in parliament would become increasingly passive. She really shouldn't have listened to those nobles' lies and agreed to this damned thing.

However, that's not important. Since there's such a precedent, these nobles will surely offer the same bait to win him over in the future. And when that happens, if he takes the initiative, he can likely become a member of the vested interest group... But 300,000 gold coins! That's a huge windfall that most people wouldn't even dare to dream of...

The female senator closed her eyes, forcing herself to calm down. Then she opened her eyes and was surprised to find a little girl in a black cloak standing in front of her.

"...!!"

The female senator instinctively tried to scream, but the instant she opened her mouth, a cold light flew from the girl's hand, accurately entering the female senator's mouth through the gap. Then, accompanied by a heart-wrenching groan, a soft, bright red object flew out of the female senator's mouth and fell to the ground.

"...!!...!!!"

"When you draw your sword, you must be quick... and precise... cough cough..."

Just as the female senator collapsed to the ground in excruciating pain, writhing and covering her mouth, the girl slowly spoke. Behind her, thirteen dark shadows appeared out of nowhere. They remained silent in the darkness, watching the woman before them.

"Furthermore, if you want the opponent to give up resistance as quickly as possible without suffering fatal injuries, you should do it this way..."

As she spoke, Anna reversed the dagger and struck the female senator's neck forcefully with the hilt. With this action, the female senator felt a numbness throughout her body, and then her limbs became unresponsive.

"... The force shouldn't be too much... nor too little... cough cough..."

Anna's voice was almost inaudible, yet it reached everyone's ears clearly.

"We need to carefully consider the target's... bleeding time..."

A cold glint flashed across her face once more, and the female senator could only watch helplessly as two large wounds appeared on her wrists, from which blood slowly seeped and began to flow.

The cold, the fear of death overcame the pain and numbness. The female senator opened her mouth again, but blood choked her throat. Her eyes widened in horror, completely bewildered. Had she been killed? Why had she been killed? Who was this girl? Why did she want to kill her? Who sent her? The female senator's consciousness began to fade. She felt her body growing cold, and the shadow of death loomed over her soul, ready to reap this fragile and insignificant life.

"At last..."

The female councilwoman's vision was blurred, and she could no longer see the person in front of her clearly; only a blurry black shadow flickered in front of her.

"... It's also quite necessary to disguise it as an accident..."

As Anna spoke, the female senator felt as if something heavy had struck her head, and then, the flame of her soul was extinguished so easily.