“Politics… to say that I hate it would be an understatement, yet at the same time, for most societies to exist, we need to make use of it in some manner. It’s truly the nastiest of double-edged swords in existence.” - Arrakir Weson Eguz, former Prime Minister of the Third Elmaiya Empire, retired, circa 372 VA.
“One thing I don’t quite understand is why you didn’t just use the sort of governance the Lichdom uses,” asked Celia during dinner later that day when the carriages had stopped for the night. The conversation was quite private, just her, Aideen, and Oleg, as Kino was being entertained by Jacilqa so they could have their privacy. “That definitely seemed to work… well… much better than how things are run with nobles and emperors and all, at least from what I’ve seen in my own homeland.”
“Celia’s from Clangeddin,” supplied Aideen, as Oleg was unaware of Celia’s past other than that Aideen had met her in Alcidea during her travels and took her in as a sort of disciple since then. “The region she came from didn’t exactly inspire much confidence in the local nobles either, if you get what I mean? The seedy sort who does all the ugly shit.”
“Oh, fair question,” noted Oleg in response. “I suppose when compared to the Lichdom, most places would look chaotic and trashy, poorly regulated and barely secured, but you have to consider, Miss Celia, that most countries does not have the sort of manpower the Lichdom has available, which is the main reason they manage to keep things so regulated and safe over there.”
“I’m afraid even if we have the raw materials, we lack the amount of skilled necromancers which would be needed to raise and control such a large amount of undead,” he continued. “Besides, even if we do, the risk still remains that the one in charge, the one who has control over everything, might end up using it for horrible things instead. The Lichdom worked fine because the Bone Lord is in charge, and we lack such a figure.”
“What do you mean?” asked Celia with some confusion. “I have heard and seen nothing but good things about the Empress. I’m sure she’d be able to make good use of such a setup, no?”
“The problem, Celia, is that the Empress will abdicate or pass on with time,” said Aideen in turn, answering Celia’s question in Oleg’s stead. “Ptolodecca worked because Grandpa was impartial and I daresay mostly apathetic about what the people living on his land does, as long as they do not go out of line, and because he’s eternal. When the person on top changes on a regular basis, that’s when you start having trouble with such a setup.”
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“What respected Aunt is trying to say, is that power tends to corrupt,” added Oleg to the conversation. “Those who could remain uncorrupted in the face of power are common enough, but it is difficult to guarantee that every person that would come into power would not be tempted by it. Imagine if someone who allowed the power to get into his or her head were to come in power with such a system in place. It would be disastrous for the people living under their rule.”
“It’s why we have things in place to make sure that our family, for example, would not have such a person rise to become its head,” added the therian man with a sigh. “In my family, we have a group of elders who would observe the heirs to the family head, and see if any needed to be pruned out, for the good of the family.”
“That’s… horrible,” said Celia as she paled somewhat.
“Our family had been granted with great trust and heavy responsibilities. As such, it is only fitting that we hold ourselves to the standard required to be worthy of such trust,” said Oleg proudly. “Besides, the sort of people who couldn’t be trusted with the position I now hold would probably run the family to the ground anyway, and we wouldn’t allow that to happen.”
“That’s very… pragmatic of your family,” noted Celia with a slightly downcast look. While the girl had been traveling for decades with Aideen, she had not been exposed to a lot of the darker side of the world, and the idea of a family that would willingly dispose of its own members who were considered unfit for the duty they bear was somewhat unnerving to her.
While she had seen family members fighting each other for power – that sort of event was a favorite tale of bards back in the Clangeddin Empire – to see another so callously discard of their family in the name of duty… all while being so personable before her, was a juxtaposition she found hard to process. It would be easier for her to accept such a thing if Oleg wasn’t being such a jolly and genial person before her.
She had difficulty in reconciling the very different sides to the same man she saw before her, in a way.
“Think of it this way,” said Aideen, who seemed to have understood the trouble Celia was going through at a glance. “To you and most other people, I’m this nice lady who’d help them out with healing without asking for compensation, right?” she said, to which Celia nodded in affirmation. “Yet to certain people, I’d be little different than a grim reaper who came for their lives. You know which people. We’ve fought side to side more than once.”
“Ah,” exclaimed Celia in understanding at what Aideen was getting at with her explanation.
“Similarly, there’s no reason Oleg here can’t be a nice, jolly good fellow who enjoys feasting with those he considers his friends, a loving father to his kids and a good husband to his wife, while at the same time, be one of the most feared men in the Empire,” concluded Aideen. “It’s just something that comes as part of the parcel, for him.”