Chapter 470: Beastkin Democracy(1)
Chapter 470: Beastkin Democracy(1)
Starting with its founding king, Hik, Animus had always championed the "Chieftain System," but in practice, it was closer to a monarchy like any other nation.
The "Grand Chieftain," the highest position in the land, ruled over all of Animus, and the title was a hereditary one passed down through bloodlines.
Up to this point, one could say there was little difference between Animus and other countries, but when combined with Beastkin culture, a fatal flaw emerged.
That flaw was none other than the "Holmgang." It was a time-honored tradition—a formal rebellion through which one could rightfully seize the throne.
Before Hik united the Beastkin, it could have been called a culture befitting their kind, but that was no longer the case.
In the face of "civilization," it was nothing more than petty "barbarism." In fact, the Barbarians living in the northern regions were currently locked in a bloody struggle with the Minerva Empire because they insisted on clinging to such ways.
Fortunately, Hik’s descendants were never lacking in martial prowess, allowing them to maintain stable rule for three hundred years.
Recently, however, the very disaster everyone feared finally struck. A Grand Chieftain was murdered because of a Holmgang.
To make matters worse, the individual who became Grand Chieftain through that Holmgang was shot and killed shortly after due to his tyranny. Following that, Animus entered a period of chaos, and the nation’s very existence was imperiled.
The collision of civilization and the uniquely savage culture of the Beastkin had brought the nation to its limits in many ways.
Fortunately, the knowledge Isaac had passed on to Leona helped settle the chaos to some extent, but a sense of unease remained.
Even if they turned the Holmgang—the founding ideology of Animus and a core tenet of Beastkin culture—into a "festival," the limitations of their mode of governance were clear.
For Beastkin, who tended to move according to the logic of power, a departure from monarchy was necessary to achieve more stable rule.
"So, this 'Democracy' is what you've chosen?"
"That's right."
"Hmm..."
Balkan Lions, a Lion Beastkin and Leona’s half-brother, stroked his chin as he listened to the Hyena Beastkin before him.
Meanwhile, Zinai Krochuker—a Hyena Beastkin whose long snout and slanted eyes gave her a naturally devious impression—looked perfectly composed.
Two other Hyena Beastkin stood by her side, assisting her. Naturally, according to Beastkin culture, both were male and were Zinai’s husbands.
One was fanning her from the side, while the other stood ready with a tray of grapes.
The scene exuded an air of debauchery, yet Zinai herself was diligently processing the documents piled on the table.
"You sent word to each of the chieftains as I instructed, right?"
Zinai spoke as she savored a grape one of her husbands had placed in her mouth.
Hearing her question, Balkan nodded and replied in his characteristically heavy voice.
"I sent them as you asked. However, I expect the Tiger Clan to show the strongest resistance. Will it be alright?"
"I'll take care of that."
Despite Balkan’s concerns, Zinai remained utterly nonchalant. It was quite a strange sight to see her so relaxed while her eyes never left her work.
When Zinai was first placed in the position of Grand Chieftain, there had been an explosion of protest, and now she was moving to abolish the monarchy altogether.
Balkan didn't quite understand her reasoning, but he had no choice but to trust her.
I hate to admit it, but...
Zinai was competent. Regardless of the corruption and schemes she had been involved in before, she had displayed immense capability once she took the seat of Grand Chieftain.
Many objections had been raised during that process, but she had been able to become Grand Chieftain because the Lyons Clan had shielded her.
Afterward, she revealed her talents without reservation. She gradually stabilized an Animus that had fallen into chaos and abolished most of the bad habits that had accumulated everywhere.
From regulating the Holmgang, which was ill-suited for civilization, to punishing the culture of "survival of the fittest."
The most significant of these regulations was, ironically, the restriction of "martial force." To be clear, it was "martial force," not "strength."
Beastkin possessed bellicose and rough temperaments, leading them to favor martial force as a solution to all problems. This was why they were called barbaric.
However, this was also heavily influenced by a culture passed down from ancient times. To begin with, the physical abilities of the Beastkin could be considered the strongest among all races.
If the head is dull, the body suffers; conversely, if the body is exceptional, the head doesn't have to suffer.
Monsters? Even monsters recognized the strength of the Beastkin and did not encroach upon their territory—and even if they did, they were all slaughtered.
Architecture? Humans and Dwarves used pulleys because their bodies were weak, but Beastkin simply built things with their bare hands.
Of course, they used pulleys for exceptionally tall structures, but it wasn't strictly necessary.
Because their physical abilities were so superior, a culture of not using one's head had deeply permeated their society until now.
In that sense, this woman is quite unique.
He could understand Leona since she was a mixed-blood, but in Balkan’s eyes, Zinai was a true eccentric.
When Animus fell into chaos, she had played the role of a sycophant to amass wealth from all over, and now she was sitting in the Grand Chieftain’s seat, developing the country.
The regulation of the Holmgang was good, but the restriction of martial force was a stroke of genius. It had forced many Beastkin to start using their brains.
That didn't mean Beastkin had used martial force indiscriminately before. As the saying goes:
Civilized men are rude because they know their heads won't be cracked for it, but barbarians are polite because they know their heads will be cracked.
The same applied to Beastkin. As long as the other party wasn't rude, they didn't use force.
Provided, of course, that the other party wasn't rude.
"Sigh. What kind of era is this that people still try to solve everything with brute force? We should act rationally, like civilized people."
"..."
"Anyway, that Isaac fellow is truly amazing. How does he come up with these ideas?"
Balkan deeply agreed with Zinai’s grumbling. How surprised had he been—and she as well—while reading Blood and Iron?
Giving the right to vote to every single person and electing a leader with those votes? It was not an idea a person living in this era would normally have.
At the same time, it was a system that Animus desperately needed to adopt. Zinai had sensed this immediately upon reading Volume 4 of Blood and Iron.
"...Zinai."
"What is it?"
"Do you really think this concept of 'Democracy' will take root properly in our Animus?"
"It'll be difficult at first."
Zinai answered Balkan’s concern immediately, as if there was no need to even think about it. Balkan looked at her with a puzzled expression.
She had gone so far as to announce the fact to the press, yet she was showing a negative attitude herself.
He wondered for a moment if she was doing this on purpose because she truly didn't want to be Grand Chieftain, but he changed his mind after hearing her next words.
"No matter what it is, a political system can't easily settle in when it's first introduced. You don't have to look far—just look at the Ters Republic. When the parliamentary system was introduced, how much did the nobles and commoners fight?"
"Then why did you rush it? This 'Democracy' hasn't even been fully revealed yet."
"Hmm... my darlings? This big sister is a bit busy, so would you mind stepping out for a moment?"
As if she were about to say something quite important, Zinai dismissed her husbands who were standing by her side.
Once the Hyena Beastkin had left, only Zinai and Balkan remained in the Grand Chieftain’s office.
After confirming no one was around, Zinai rested her chin on her hands and spoke quietly.
"Do you really think the democracy in Blood and Iron will translate perfectly into our world? I don't think so."
"Then what exactly do you want?"
"The election itself. Even just having an election will fix most of the problems in this damn country."
Perhaps it was because she hadn't become Grand Chieftain by choice, but Zinai referred to Animus as a "damn country."
A leader should refrain from such language, but Balkan didn't particularly call her out on it.
She was someone who talked about wanting to quit every single day, so he could let that much slide. He had no intention of actually dragging her down, anyway.
"As long as we Lion Beastkin are by your side, you'll be safe. Is it really necessary?"
Because he and the rest of the Lyons Clan would keep her in power until the end.
He had been skeptical when Isaac first mentioned it, but once Zinai actually became Grand Chieftain, things couldn't be more convenient.
As descendants of the founding king, Hik, the Lyons Clan always had to be prepared to produce a great Grand Chieftain.
However, ruling a nation was far more difficult than ruling a tribe. The Lyons Clan had plenty of talent to be "generals," but their aptitude for being "kings" varied wildly.
If their kingly qualities had been sufficient, the previous Grand Chieftain wouldn't have been murdered in a Holmgang.
Furthermore, the murder of the previous Grand Chieftain through a Holmgang had planted a seed of doubt within the Lyons Clan.
[If someone stronger than us appears, what should we do then? Must we submissively follow them according to tradition?]
Animus had managed to rule for 300 years, but this single incident had shaken the nation to its core.
If not for Isaac’s advice, and if not for Zinai, who had stabilized Animus with her "sycophantic wisdom(?)," Animus might have split into several factions.
Just as the Human Alliance, the predecessor of the Minerva Empire, had been born as a single nation through endless wars, Animus might have followed the same path.
"With you all around, my safety might be guaranteed. But you all have the ambition to become Grand Chieftain too, don't you? Do you really want to see a Hyena Beastkin like me stay as Grand Chieftain forever?"
"..."
"See? That's why we should introduce elections. So that anyone can have the chance to become Grand Chieftain. So that a wise person, not just a strong one, can lead."
"Hmm..."
As expected of a former sycophant, her words made it sound like a system with only advantages.
However, Balkan was someone who had received various educations to become Grand Chieftain. Though he hadn't attended the Academy like Leona, he was second to none when it came to wisdom.
Thus, he looked intently at Zinai and voiced his concern.
"Do you think others will accept this so easily? I expect the Tiger Clan, in particular, to put up the greatest resistance."
"I know. They'll throw every insult in the book at me. They'll say a hyena with no warrior's soul is destroying tradition on a whim. It's predictable, really."
Zinai chuckled as if she had already anticipated that much. Then, she leaned back against the throne and spoke nonchalantly.
"You don't have to worry about that part. I'll make it so they have no choice but to accept it. Even the Tiger Clan will have to think twice, given the precedent."
"Precedent..."
"What else? The Grand Chieftain Holmgang incident."
Balkan’s expression crumpled slightly at the mention of what could be called the worst incident since the founding of Animus.
The Grand Chieftain Holmgang incident remained the greatest stain on the Lyons Clan.
"The way I see it, the current system collapses too easily under rebellion. A monarch is the strongest pillar supporting a nation, but ironically, they are also its greatest weakness."
"But even in a democracy, isn't an election just choosing a king in the end?"
Zinai clicked her tongue at Balkan’s words. It was a rebuke for thinking so simply.
"My dear man. An election isn't something to be thought of so simply. Look at the Weimar Republic in Blood and Iron. Not just the Nazi Party, but various parties are playing politics to seize power."
"I am aware of that."
"And those things called 'parties' live on 'votes.' Giving everyone the right to vote is the same as saying everyone holds power. By giving their vote to someone, they grant them power, and the parties put on all sorts of shows to earn that power."
"Just hearing about it makes it sound incredibly complicated."
"You've understood it perfectly. That's exactly what I want."
Democracy is complicated. And this complexity is what makes democracy more robust.
Count Kamar had said that a king elected by 51% might oppress the remaining 49%, but politics is not that simple.
"A king elected through an election possesses legitimacy by that fact alone. What if someone is dissatisfied with that legitimacy and requests a Holmgang? Not only would they be denying that legitimacy, but they'd also have to deal with the aftermath. And they'd be making fools of the people who voted—do you think the bellicose Beastkin would just ignore that?"
"Are you saying a rebellion might occur?"
"It's highly likely. Bloodshed might even break out in the process. It's unfortunate, but that's only natural."
It was a bitter truth. Democracy grew by feeding on the blood of dictators and citizens.
A political system only holds deep meaning when the citizens achieve it themselves, rather than having it forced upon them by a specific class.
"Instead, we have to be careful to ensure that unanimous consent doesn't happen. We also need to create laws that even the Grand Chieftain can't touch."
"You'll have a lot of work to do."
"Why me? Five years after democracy is introduced, I'm stepping down immediately. Oh, I'll probably have to run in an election at least once to make sure the system is working properly."
So that was her goal. Balkan looked at Zinai with cold eyes as she revealed her true intentions.
Regardless, Zinai responded with a brazen expression. She was the Grand Chieftain, after all; he couldn't just touch her.
Balkan let out a deep sigh and shook his head.
"Do as you wish. You'll be the one dealing with the consequences anyway."
"I'd appreciate that."
"But can this really be considered just? I heard that in human society, democracy gives birth to another form of discrimination."
"You mean the idea that giving the same single vote to a warrior who can slay a dragon and an ordinary commoner is inherently unfair?"
This was one of the biggest reasons human society was skeptical of democracy.
Zinai smirked upon hearing that and gave a clear answer.
"But it's equal, isn't it? And which are there more of: people who can slay dragons, or ordinary commoners? Heroes save a nation, but the people sustain it. The more opportunities that come to the people, the more the nation develops."
"..."
"Above all, our Beastkin are far from discrimination because anyone can become a warrior. How many members of the Dog Clan have taken the heads of the Tiger Clan?"
Just as Zinai said, unlike humans, Beastkin were fundamentally "warriors." They were a race that boasted immense power in terms of their physical bodies.
There were plenty of Beastkin who had their ribs broken by a kick from a Rabbit Beastkin. Even if they looked weak, they could never be ignored.
And though Zinai hadn't realized it, this characteristic was perfectly suited for democracy.
The "gun," famous for making everyone equal with a single shot, had allowed democracy to flourish; the Beastkin’s natural strength served a similar purpose.
"So, just keep protecting me—"
Just as Zinai was about to continue.
CRASH!
"Where is that hyena brat?!"
The door shattered, and a thunderous tiger’s roar filled the Grand Chieftain’s office.