Chapter 13

At 61 minutes past 8 today, the 97th Sulfur Mountain City Judicial Authority Ministerial Conference was convened on time at the Supreme Court, chaired by the Chief Justice, the Insomniac. The conference thoroughly discussed the major issues currently facing the judicial system. The following are the key points of the conference:

The conference determined that all judicial staff must earnestly study the documents issued by Lord Adam regarding the four initiatives of Sulfur Mountain City, fulfill their duties and responsibilities as judicial authorities, abide by laws and regulations, and conduct law enforcement work in accordance with the law.

At the end of the conference, the old model and respected old judge, the Insomniac, made an important speech, urging all party and government agencies and staff to fully understand the spirit of the higher authorities, unite around the second-generation central committee of Sulfur Mountain City with Anne Levin at its core, remain steadfast, and adhere to one core and two pillars...

Well, I can't make it up anymore. Everything except the last sentence, which makes Anne the leader, is a lie...

"Don't say I'm a dictator. I'm here to seek everyone's opinions. I have a big announcement, but don't tell anyone outside yet. In the future, Anne, yes, the precious illegitimate daughter of Margaret and Adam, will be the future leader of Sulfur Mountain City. It's best if everyone has no objections. If there are objections? Well, I will humbly accept them, but just accept them."

I slandered those two fools, thinking this bombshell would shock them, but the four kings sitting below were strangely silent.

They looked at each other, and after a long time, everyone finally looked at the usually honest Kane, who reluctantly stood up.

"Sir... Did you just find out? This matter has been known throughout the city for half a month. We thought you were notifying us to prepare for a power grab."

"What!!"

I was speechless.

Then, it took me a long time to figure out what had happened.

Originally, Margaret had guessed that I wouldn't take the reins and had discussed the successor with Adam. They had chosen Anne, planning a lightning-fast transfer of power before anyone could react... But the big-mouthed Adam let it slip in public, and the explosive news quickly spread throughout the city...

"Who is Anne? If the city lord plans to step down, wouldn't the Speaker of the Citizens' Council, Grant, the Chief Justice, the Insomniac, or the Chancellor of the Administrative Council, Margaret, be more suitable candidates? What are they thinking? Will the other guardians leave? Who will protect Sulfur Mountain City?"

For ordinary citizens, they never worry about who will take power; they only worry about whether the price of vegetables will rise tomorrow or if the housing prices in the city center will drop.

Well, what they truly care about is never the political turnover or the rise of big figures, but whether their lives will change and if tomorrow will still be full of hope...

Now, with Adam, the head of the three giants and the protector of Sulfur Mountain City, planning to step down, and the successor being a girl no one has ever heard of, can she handle the situation? Will other underground city lords seize the opportunity to intervene? Will the other big shots in the city follow her orders?

This seems unrelated to their daily lives, but if the entire city becomes unstable or even plunges into war, the ordinary daily life that is almost luxurious compared to other cities will likely be disrupted.

In recent days, citizens sensitive to political life have felt a strange low pressure overhead, a sense of impending storm that makes it hard to breathe.

"That idiot!!!"

I gritted my teeth. If I had heard this news yesterday and seen Margaret and Adam working day and night, I might have celebrated. But now that I've taken on the task, that fool's actions have become a nuisance.

After a brief assessment, I guessed that things outside must be in chaos. Ambition and violence are never in short supply anywhere. In the past, the three giants could control the situation, but now that Adam plans to pass the baton, there will be no shortage of those who want to seize the opportunity.

I lay back in my chair, with countless bad ideas swirling in my mind, and my fingers habitually tapping on the table.

"Someone must have already stepped forward. Who is opposing, who is supporting."

The Law King Hall is also the intelligence department of the judicial system. When I asked, Lilith stepped forward without hesitation.

"Most leaders of official institutions have expressed their opinions, and at least on the surface, they all support Anne as the city lord. But two powerful figures have not spoken, and everyone is guessing if they have other plans."

"Who?"

"The Speaker of the Citizens' Council, Grant..."

"Him? Truly foolish. When ambition exceeds one's ability, it's only a matter of time before one destroys oneself."

However, the Citizens' Council is at least nominally a representative body of public opinion. If he insists on opposing Anne, it will be a real problem.

And the reason I say "nominally" is because there is some history behind it.

After Sulfur Mountain City was established, to reconcile the increasingly sharp conflicts between various races, Margaret modeled the city after the elven kingdom on the surface and established the Citizens' Council, allowing representatives of various races to deliberate. At first, it achieved some success, but the result was an unmanageable situation.

Initially, only the chiefs and elders of various races were eligible to enter the council. They had high prestige in their own races, and as representatives of their races, they naturally hoped to gain more benefits for their own people. However, the total pie was limited, and when a few powerful races joined forces, the living space and resources of smaller races were naturally invaded. Gradually, as small circles and teams formed, the interests of all parties became intertwined, and the council gained more and more influence.

When a proposal to establish "human special zones" and "dwarf special zones" was put forward, and seeing these proud "big shots" arguing passionately for their own interests, the forces behind them could no longer be ignored. The "wise" great sage finally realized the taste of hoisting oneself by one's own petard.

So, she sought help from the devil... yes, me.

So, drawing on my experience from two lifetimes, I gave her the answer known as the Devil's Letter.

At the time, there were daily parades and speeches by various groups, as if the people's rights were paramount and public opinion could not be violated. Tomorrow, the evil dictator would be overthrown, and the Citizens' Council would take power. But in reality, it had already turned into a form of majority violence against the minority.

Seeing this, I knew that if I abolished the council by force, it might lead to a riot, and decades of effort would be in vain. So, I thought of a trick.

You want to increase the power of the council? Fine, I agree. I'm even worried that you don't have enough people, so I'll allow you to expand the number of councilors and increase the total number of seats.

At the time, the then Speaker, Old Bal, was overjoyed, and that day was even designated as the Victory Day of the Council. But...

...now, it is defined as Fool's Day...

Initially, there were only 30 councilors, and only the major races had enough population to elect councilors.

"How can this be? The council represents every citizen. Thirty people are not enough. The smaller races also need their own councilors. Let's have more."

So, I made a bold move and expanded the number tenfold, to 300!

They were overjoyed. After all, in their minds, more councilors meant a louder voice among the people.

But then, they encountered some trouble. With the number of councilors suddenly increasing tenfold, where would the additional councilors come from?

So, for a time, all sorts of goblin merchants, the second son-in-law of a gray dwarf elder, and the second uncle of a goblin chief wanted to become councilors to show off their power.

"Fine. You are all representatives of public opinion. Why would I stop you?" I gave the green light to the councilor list.

So, the number of councilors kept increasing, and I still thought it wasn't enough.

"Um. Let's add another 100 seats this quarter. You can divide them among yourselves. Don't always let the strong take the lead. You eat the meat, but others should also get a taste. Let the great craftsmen, ordinary citizens, teachers, and scholars have the opportunity to participate in politics."

So, the number of councilors kept increasing. By then, some people had already noticed something was wrong, but everyone was so obsessed with the new seats that anyone who suggested stopping the expansion was seen as the enemy of all.

"Hmph, you half-dragons are just a few people, so you don't want other races to increase their seats. Spit! Selfish lizards!"

"Fine, if we don't add seats, then, damn black-skinned pointy-ears, give us, the children of the earth, your seats."

Well, ignoring this boring process, let's look at the result... Now, Sulfur Mountain City has a population of less than 3 million, but there are 10,000 councilors...

Can you imagine what it's like for 10,000 people to meet in a small hall? Can you imagine how long it takes for a proposal to get 9,000 signatures? Can you imagine how long it takes just to take attendance?

Due to excessive bloat and inefficiency, when they need a month to complete the simplest agenda, the current Citizens' Council is now purely a decoration...

Of course, they have tried to reduce the size of the council, but once power is given, it's hard to take back. Everyone is a representative of public opinion. Who should leave? Why should it be me? Isn't it said that all councilors are equal? Why should it be me and not you?

The position of councilor represents direct interests, and at least a few merchants sponsor each one. If you make someone leave, they will fight to the death.

"Hey, the council needs more grassroots representatives, I think each grassroots unit should have its own voice."

When the council is filled with community grandmothers and fish vendors, and the position of councilor becomes as common as cabbage, the idea of seizing power or fighting for family and racial interests becomes a joke.

Now, most councilors argue to the death over small issues like whether to impose tariffs on fish products, and the "leaders of major families and big shots" are often sprayed with spit by ordinary people, even leading to physical fights.

As for major decisions? Well, from the start, other government departments often complete the work before the council can make a decision.

"What? Are you waiting for your decision? Sorry, if we don't handle it, the batch of agricultural products will rot / the wall will collapse / the allied city will declare war on us."

Moreover, to revise the council's system, it must be passed by the legislative body, and the legislative power of the Supreme Court is in my hands... Well, the council can continue to argue and fight, and I have even brought snacks and friends to watch the "gladiatorial games"... cough, yes, observe the democratic evaluation.

Well, the councilors are indeed great representatives of public opinion, but the current council can do nothing. They spend 90% of their energy and time on endless internal conflicts, and the voices of those big shots? Well, sorry, everyone is a selected representative of public opinion, and everyone is the same, so there are no big shots.

So, the powerful and ambitious are drowned in the vast sea of people.

There are not no smart people, but the council system is a new thing in this world, and I am a seasoned player. By the time they realize something is wrong, it's too late to turn back.

"Increase the number of council seats and expand the council's influence, isn't that what you want? Now, you want to go against public opinion? How do you plan to explain it to the citizens who elected you?"

Well, they can only swallow their teeth and keep quiet.

But to not realize they've been tricked at this point is truly stupid, so I am also called the "cunning Insomniac" and "that devilish masked man." Naturally, the relationship between the councilors, the Speaker, and their forces and our judicial system has always been poor.

"Grant's opposition was expected. He is as ambitious as his foolish father, Old Bal, but unfortunately, his father had some shrewdness, while he is as stupid as a pig. He doesn't realize that once Adam and Margaret make up their minds, no one in Sulfur Mountain City can stop them. A fool who thinks a tiger that hasn't eaten for three years has become a vegetarian. Hmph, who is the other silent fool?"

Suddenly, Lilith, who had been talking non-stop, fell silent. The room was quiet, and everyone's gaze turned to Kane...

This time, the honest and just knight looked up at the sky, pretending to be invisible. After a long time, when I had already guessed that I had said something foolish, Lilith, with a determined look, reluctantly spoke.

"It's you, so we thought you were preparing for a power grab..."

So, I was speechless again.

"Eliza, why didn't you tell me? Maybe I should reduce the budget for the intelligence organization."

Based on the principle that the Four Kings must have a fifth, my fifth king is the head of the intelligence department, "The Listener," Eliza.

Through the mental link, I received the answer from my maid-in-chief.

"Truly sorry, the day the news came, you were staying overnight at the city management detention center. I couldn't sneak in to deliver the intelligence. Later, the intelligence should have been placed on your desk. Didn't you see it?"

Thinking about how long it had been since I last worked, I glanced at the mountain of files that had almost made the thick willow wood desk wobble, and silently cut off the link with the sharp-tongued maid.

Even from a distance, even with surprise and respect in her words, I could imagine her smirking with satisfaction.

Closing my eyes and lying back in the chair, I fell into deep thought. There's no need to dwell on the past; what's important is the future!

Although the council itself is ineffective, if the deeply rooted major families oppose together, it will indeed be a big problem. Dealing with those old guys requires more than just force, which is why Adam came to me for help.

One brilliant idea after another flashed through my mind, and of course, calling it a conspiracy is also fine... Gradually, a perfect plan took shape.

"Alright, listen to my plan..."

After I proudly finished explaining my plan, they were stunned.

"This... Sir, isn't it a bit excessive?"

"Sir Insomniac, although it's not illegal, it's... against common sense? Against morality?"

"I oppose. This idea is too crazy. If the outside world finds out, the reputation of our four halls and one court will be ruined."

"I find it interesting. Boss, let's do it. Whatever you say, I'll do."

Looking at the commotion among the Four Kings of the judiciary, I smiled proudly.

"Ha, as a farewell gift, let's have a good time."

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