Chapter 97

He Ping felt very strange, why would he have such a feeling? Since coming to this world, he should not have seen many people, and with his current memory, he would not forget anyone he had seen, especially someone with such a strong presence. Even if he had just glanced at them, He Ping would not forget. But now, he had never seen this person's face before, yet his eyes seemed familiar.

Hmm? At this moment, He Ping noticed another issue. This person was clearly standing in front of him, but He Ping found him very ethereal, as if he could disappear at any moment. It felt like an illusion rather than a real person. Could this be another application of magic science? Was this person just a projection or a mirror image, not the real body?

"Hello, son of humanity."

The voice echoed throughout the council hall. The person did not open his mouth, as if the air had spontaneously produced vibrations, forming sound that then reached everyone's ears. What kind of way of speaking was this? The person was clearly here, but it felt like he was everywhere. And what did "son of humanity" mean? The tone was as if he was not human himself.

Not human? Eyes seen before? Face never seen? Same as the city's name? Saved him yesterday? All these clues linked together, and an answer appeared in He Ping's mind. He exclaimed in surprise, "You... Could you be... the guardian of this city... the City Beast!?"

"Indeed, it is me. My name is Gars, and I have been the guardian of this city for over a hundred years."

So that's how it is! The Great Elder had mentioned that humans could communicate with the City Beast. Since learning this, He Ping had been guessing what form this communication would take, but he never imagined that the City Beast could transform into a human and speak in human language, face-to-face.

After everyone greeted Gars and he sat down in one of the chairs, the Great Elder said to He Ping, "With the arrival of Lord Gars, our Council of Elders is now complete. This way, I can give you a detailed introduction to the situation in Gars City, our current state, and the prophecy I have seen."

He Ping perked up his ears. Different civilizations were indeed not easy to grasp. Since coming to this world, his sense of surprise had never disappeared. Every time he adapted to a surprising fact, another one would appear. Now, although he had a basic grasp of some common knowledge in this world, comparable to that of a child, he was still a blank slate when it came to the social dynamics of this city.

"Gars City operates under a democratic system. Other cities might be different, but in Gars City, there are three institutions responsible for the management and operation of the city: the Council, the City Hall, and our Council of Elders. Each institution has different responsibilities, managing different aspects of the city's power. Similarly, each institution has its own backing, and there is no hierarchical relationship between them; they are all equal."

The Council, City Hall, and Council of Elders—He Ping silently memorized these three terms. Although they might have different meanings in the Landon language, in his view, this management and operational method was similar to that of the main world. However, here, there was no concept of a nation, and cities were completely isolated and independent. What kind of city it would become depended entirely on how the management and operational personnel guided it.

The Great Elder continued, "The ten of us are the elders of the Council of Elders, which you already know. Our duty, or rather, the duty of the Council of Elders, is to guide the entire city. Most of the time, we do not interfere with the specific laws and measures of the city, but when we believe there might be a mistake, we will correct it. The Holy Light Guard, controlled by Hans and the others, is the direct armed force of the Council of Elders."

Guidance authority—He Ping was not unfamiliar with this. In the main world, the Party Committee possessed such power. Seeing that He Ping understood, the Great Elder added, "Of course, we cannot stand on armed forces alone. As mentioned earlier, each of the three institutions has its own backing. The backing of the Council of Elders is Lord Gars, who is sitting here. The guidance authority is the power granted by Lord Gars to the Council of Elders."

"Next, let's talk about the City Hall. You have already met Mayor Mason. The City Hall holds the administrative power of Gars City and is responsible for the city's specific operations. All public facilities in the city are under the management of the City Hall. The City Hall has the largest number of people among the three institutions and the most complex structure, with many subordinate departments. The City Hall also has its own armed force, the Public Security Force, which consists of three battalions."

Public Security Force? Like a combination of police and urban management? But it sounds like a military organization on par with the Holy Light Guard. Although the place is not large, it has all the organs, and it is even more complex than in a country, where there is only one army. Now there are already two, and the Council has not been mentioned yet, so there will probably be a third. In this small city, there are three independent armed forces.

"The backing of the City Hall is the public facilities they manage, such as streetlights and roads. But their greatest backing is the 'Shield Core'!"

"Shield Core?" Another term He Ping had never heard before.

"The entire city is isolated by a shield, which you have seen. This shield is maintained by the Shield Core, representing the highest technological achievement of the Landon Empire. As long as there is enough Seven Star Crystals for energy supply, the shield, which has a certain defensive capability, can be maintained indefinitely. In this world, this is the true lifeline of a city. The Shield Core is in the hands of the City Hall."

"Finally, let's talk about the Council. The Council has the legislative power, and the laws and regulations of the city are formulated by the Council. The administrative bills of the City Hall must be reviewed and approved by the Council before they can be implemented. The Council's direct armed force is called the Constitutional Guard, also consisting of three battalions. The Council members are elected by the people, so the Council represents the will of the citizens. The backing of the Council is the entire citizenry."

"Mayor Mason of the City Hall, Speaker Fleur of the Council, and I, as the Great Elder of the Council of Elders, are the representatives of these three institutions."

After listening to the Great Elder's explanation, He Ping was unsure whether to call it simple or complex. The three institutions stood in a tripartite balance, checking each other to prevent any one from becoming too powerful. Each had its own armed forces and backing, with different powers and responsibilities. Regardless of efficiency, this was indeed a very suitable system under the current circumstances.