Chapter 210
Chapter 210
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 210
Chapter Title: Birth of the Collegooton Republic
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Shubanel and the revolutionary forces had consolidated their power, proclaiming the Collegooton Independent Republic.
Opposition was inevitable, of course.
The typical backlash came from the Yumi, who had held higher social status. This was entirely expected, so the revolutionaries managed to smooth it over somehow.
Before declaring the republic, the revolutionaries within the Collegooton region had cracked down on arms trafficking and confiscated all firearms from professions like hunters, as well as privately owned guns held by the nobility. Even if there was resistance, they could control it through force.
But that didn't solve everything.
Opposition arose from the lower classes as well, such as the Banmi and Mumi.
Unlike the Yumi, they didn't resort to violence. Instead, like the revolutionaries at the start, they took the form of protests or lodged complaints at the former Shubanel City Hall, which was set to serve as the provisional assembly for the republic.
Dain said,
"I just don't get it. We gave those people freedom, didn't we? Why are they acting like this?"
Sarcho sighed.
"My thoughts on this, Comrade Dain."
"What is it?"
"People fear change."
"Fear change?"
"Yes. Even if it's a change for the better, it's unknown in the moment. And the future of the Collegooton Independent Republic is uncertain. It might achieve independence successfully, or it could be attacked and wiped out by the Union Kingdom."
Dain didn't deny it.
He had ambitions but wasn't lost in idealism.
Sarcho continued,
"So they want to keep living their stable lives as before. Besides, we didn't get their consent. Surely some of them profited off the Yumi while exploiting fellow Mumi, and others might want to leave a good impression with the Union Kingdom by claiming they resisted if the republic falls."
"Yeah, I get it."
As Dain silently looked down at the small protest group from the assembly building, Sarcho said,
"But we can't harm them."
Dain looked at Sarcho with puzzlement.
"Why not?"
"With just that many people and no weapons, what they can do is limited."
"But they're opposing our republic. Given time, they might side with the Union Kingdom."
Sarcho stroked his chin.
"Hmm, we can keep that in check. We'll use capable revolutionaries to counter the Union Kingdom's Fangs."
"Is there a reason we have to go that far?"
Sarcho said,
"Comrade, isn't that the world we wanted to create?"
Dain blinked.
Sarcho pressed on,
"We said all races have equal rights. We can't create classes now based on something other than race—like who started the revolution first and who didn't. We have to let them speak their minds. We're standing on the land we fought to reach. We can't ruin it with our own hands."
Dain closed his eyes briefly, then opened them.
"Yeah. That makes sense. Let's consider the plan you mentioned."
Using his authority as revolutionary commander and provisional head of state of the Collegooton Independent Republic, Dain established an intelligence office.
The intelligence office was a counter-espionage agency, akin to the Empire's spy bureau or the Union Kingdom's Fangs.
As Sarcho had suggested, they focused on rooting out Fangs agents infiltrating from the Union Kingdom and thwarting their plots.
The office was headed by Rolls, a human retired soldier who had greatly aided the revolutionaries in their first battle.
Dain hurried to handle the tasks ahead for the revolutionary forces.
With the republic's declaration, imports and exports to the Union Kingdom had halted, but smugglers had increased in number. Collegooton bordered the western coast of the second continent, so foreign merchant ships approached cautiously, wary of the Union Kingdom. Maintaining these trade routes was vital for the republic's citizens.
To counter the Union Kingdom's provincial armies gathering by the moment, they declared a state of war, conscripting more soldiers and extending labor hours. Dain, Sarcho, and the revolutionary government all knew this was paradoxical, but they agreed they couldn't just surrender to the Union government.
"Above all, we need to wrap these things up ourselves."
Sarcho said,
"That way, when the formal government elected by the people takes over, there'll be less backlash. We're atoning for our sins before we go."
The official election date was announced, and they began accepting candidates.
Sarcho was a staunch revolutionary who insisted provisional government members shouldn't run, but most, including Dain, worried about something else.
"According to Rolls, traces of Fangs agents are popping up all over Collegooton. There have been a few skirmishes, and we've captured some, but considering the Union Kingdom's resources, we can't just let this election slide."
That was Dain speaking.
Sarcho couldn't ignore it either.
If the new revolutionary government ended up with a president and assembly mostly puppets of the Union Kingdom, Collegooton was done for.
The new government would hold all power in the president and assembly, leaving no way to resist, even for former revolutionary government members.
If the assembly criminalized the revolutionary government's actions and legislated punishments, there'd be no stopping it.
Then Collegooton would lose its revolutionary momentum and fall back into the Union Kingdom's grasp.
Besides, even if some opposed the revolutionary government, major cities like Shubanel, built on laborer support, still backed it—including the revolutionaries themselves.
Thus, the key figures in the revolutionary government were popular.
They were likely to dominate the assembly.
"I know it's not fair. But if we fill the assembly, it's because the people support us that much. That's their freedom too."
Sarcho agreed.
He rejected several proposals afterward, but to meet the revolutionary government's desired assembly size, it was said the popular priest Sarcho absolutely had to run for a seat.
Pushed by his sincere comrades' encouragement—practically shoved into it—Sarcho agreed to run.
Whenever the Union Kingdom's provincial armies moved or word spread of Fangs agents plotting somewhere, newspapers filled with ominous news that made people anxious. But other pages covered new candidates, their past deeds, and future plans.
With election laws not yet established, absurd incidents occurred: beyond personal attacks on rivals in the same district, there were threats and even attempts to bribe local criminals for kidnappings. At the same time, in every district, you could easily spot people raising their voices, begging for votes and sharing their visions.
This unprecedented spectacle wasn't just for Collegooton's citizens.
Nations worldwide watched the first election stemming from the world's first republic with great interest. You could see journalists arriving precariously just in time for voting day after long journeys.
The results were a landslide for the revolutionaries from the provisional government.
Dain became the inaugural president, Sarcho a representative from a Shubanel district. The so-called Revolution Party, made up of former provisional government members, claimed 80% of the seats, overwhelming opposition like the Yumi Party of consolidated nobility and the anti-revolutionary party opposing republicanism itself.
It was chaotic and precarious, yet hope for the future was budding in people's hearts.
Sarcho pulled the graphite pencil wedged in his office door hinge.
Collegooton's fledgling government was burdened but somehow steering the nation. Yet since the election, sporadic terror acts targeting representatives—likely from the Yumi Party or anti-revolutionaries—had occurred.
Thus, the Collegooton intelligence office warned representatives to stay vigilant and provided basic training. Thanks to that, Sarcho had placed graphite in his office hinge to break if intruded upon, alerting him from outside.
Sarcho gripped the doorknob without suspicion and entered, only to spot a shadow in his chair. Reflexively, his hand went to his bosom.
"Stop. Unless you want to get hurt."
Sarcho stood still, letting his eyes adjust to the dark.
The office was dim, but gas lamps flickered outside the window. Soon, he made out the figure in the shadows.
"That mask..."
The red-masked figure nodded at Sarcho's reaction.
"Yes. I am a Fang of the Enraged."
"..."
"Your intelligence agents are pathetic. Graphite in the hinge? A joke? You thought that would stop us?"
Sarcho saw the red mask held a revolver aimed at him.
Sarcho said,
"Slipping into Shubanel undetected just to critique our agents' skills? Hmm, fair point. Or we could switch topics. You could train our agents from inside our office. How about it?"
The red mask listened quietly, then laughed.
"Gotta have that much spine to elbow out the Yumi and snag a seat."
Sarcho withdrew his hand from his bosom and stepped forward to face the red mask.
"What do you want? If you meant to kill me, you'd have pulled the trigger already."
"Right. Not here to kill you."
The red mask holstered the gun.
"Just wanted to talk."
Sarcho clenched and unclenched his fist lightly.
'Not a good sign.'
Maybe taking a bullet would be better.
If the red mask was truly a Fangs agent, he saw more value in a living Sarcho undermining the Collegooton Independent Republic than a dead one.
Rebelling now was too late.
Perhaps there was still a way to turn this around.
Sarcho said,
"You could've requested a representative meeting anytime."
"Can't have others knowing."
"Is that so?"
"Especially your Revolution Party. I don't want what I know reaching you through other channels."
Sarcho asked with interest,
"What story is that?"
The red mask said,
"Your president is reaching out to the Rubeil revolutionaries. Did you know?"