"Really, that Roland guy did it anyway......"

"You're not surprised. ”

In the communication room of the camouflaged supply ship "Ruida", Rear Admiral Tristan von Wittelsbach in the communication interface had a serious and dignified face, and he did not seem to have a similar "surprised" reaction.

Half of it stems from the strict self-discipline of Rear Admiral Tristan, who was promoted to captain of the floating destroyer "Rochenthal", and the other half is-

"I've known that for a long time, after all, we're dead friends, and if I'm surprised, I'm surprised that Caspar will be repaired so thoroughly. ”

Captain Parsifal of the Logistics Department took off his military hat and scratched his hair, and with this action, his somewhat messy heart was also combed.

"From various perspectives, it can be said that it is inevitable that we will come to this point sooner or later. ”

"Yes, we all know that guy's temper. ”

"It's not. ”

Parsifal interrupted with a wave of his hand, and his always languid face rarely became serious.

"The conflict between Roland and the Archon is not so much the fate of character as the result of the collision of two ideas, which leads to opposition. ”

“......”

Tristan did not say a word, and it was taboo for soldiers to openly talk about politics in the defense forces, there were vivid cases of Charlemagne's military meddling in politics, and hot-headed far-right elements had to keep a much lower profile in this regard, and Major Commander Tristan could only choose to remain silent in the face of fundamental ideological issues involving the supreme leader and national politics.

"Don't put on an overkill among old friends, it's right that soldiers can't interfere in politics, but it's not necessarily a good thing that soldiers don't understand politics. ”

Parsifal smiled and continued:

"Roland is generally thought to be liberal in his thinking, and he is, but in contrast to the liberal republican idea of 'meritocracy'. Roland went further. What he wanted was 'ethnic coexistence, the right of the people to monitor and criticize the power classes', and preferably a state leadership that could also be born from the people, rather than being monopolized by the patriarchal aristocracy. ”

To put it bluntly, it is "democracy".

"Isn't it the same with our new order?"

Tristan, who let go of his restraints, asked rhetorically.

As the eldest grandson of the Wittelsbach family, he is where he is today. It doesn't depend on background, it depends entirely on one's own talent and hard work. Similarly, people like Caspar can enter the pro-guard without being an elf. All this is a solid proof that Alfheim is by no means a social structure controlled by the elite.

"The monopoly of state power by the nobles of the gate" is not seen in Yalfheim, at least not in Tristan.

"What about changing the gate valve to race?"

“......”

In the face of his friend's sharp questioning, Tristan's silence was tinged with a slight emptiness.

The citizens of Alfheim are divided into five classes according to race: the management class is basically dominated by the elves of the first estate and the hybrids of elven blood of the second estate, the dwarves and gnomes of the third estate and the orcs of the fourth estate can also obtain some positions, and the humans of the fifth estate have basically no access to public office, and joining the army is their only chance to get ahead.

This system will not be shaken for the foreseeable future. And after the war with Charlemagne, and even the whole world under his feet, this system will continue for quite some time.

The reason for this state of affairs is not as simple as the simple and by no means beautiful fantasy that some self-absorbed people say, "We are God's chosen people, and it is our innate sacred mission to dominate other races." In the final analysis, it is necessary to rule over a territory where minorities dominate a territory where the population of other races is overwhelming, and sometimes it is forced by massacres.

There is no need to cite the history of the past. If you look at what the nations are doing in the colonies today, it's generally clear what is going on.

"The more fundamental question is. Our people have been suppressed for too long, and the unpleasant memories of 10 centuries will not simply disappear. No matter what the propaganda apparatus says, 'forgiveness is the prerogative of the strong,' domination of the race is a virtue, the effect will not be as expected. All the public knows is, 'We've won, it's time for us to have the final say.'" ”

Parsifal's smile was a little more bitter, and his tone portrayed his fellow citizens as beings like thieves, as far as he knew. So far in history, the victorious side of the war has done millions of times worse to the vanquished than the thieves.

"In view of the patience of the people for the war so far, the resulting demand for 'compensation' is at least partially satisfied, and the introduction of a fair but differentiated system is inevitable. ”

"I see, Roland, who advocates 'equality,' could not have accepted this. ”

"If so, fine. Social inequality has existed for thousands of years and will continue to exist in the future. Roland, an idealist but not lacking in realism, could not fail to see this, so he did not adopt a radical reform policy when governing the Saarbadu district, but adjusted the distribution of benefits as gently as possible to bridge the conflict between the parties at the lowest possible cost. I am afraid that at that time, he wanted to use Saalbadu as a basis to verify his proposition, and prepare for the future march into parliament and take the parliamentary line to change the state system. ”

"In that case, it would be too emotional for him to act rashly just for the sake of something unpleasant, and he has already reached this point, so why not put up with it a little longer?"

Tristan stroked his chin with an uncertain expression. Looking at his old friend, who lacked sharpness and flexibility in thinking about things other than the military, Parsifal shrugged his shoulders and let out a long sigh.

"For he has realized that the greatest obstacle to his claims is none other than the consul himself. ”

"How is it possible, that adult's bearing ......"

"It's because you're generous enough that you're in trouble. ”

Parsifal came closer, and with a slightly gloomy expression, he said word for word:

"You know what? Tristan. For democracy, the idea of seeking equality for all and setting limits on power, a wise ruler and his virtue enough to be passed down through the ages are more lethal than 10,000 tyrants and their unspeakable evils. ”

“......”

"The slaughter and sin of the tyrants only stir up the hatred of the people, and for a moment it may seem to be suppressed by blood, but beneath the surface of stability is stuffed with the explosives of anger and the fuel of resistance, if only a little spark is thrown into it at a certain time. A violent explosion would shatter everything. From this point of view, the establishment of democracy requires precisely tyrants. What about Ming Jun? When the people found that they did not need to care about politics, that they could live a good life without demonstrations or even bloodshed, and that they could complain a few words in their free time, and that they would not have to pay any price for it. Who cares if they can speak to the country. Is the power of those in power restricted? I'm afraid that most people will cheer and embrace autocracy. Democracy advocates will naturally stand in opposition to the majority, because they deny the happiness of the people and deny the choice of the majority. For democracy, which promotes respect for the majority opinion, this is nothing less than the worst nightmare. ”

"Does that mean the parliamentary line didn't work from the start?"

"There is at least an eighty percent chance of failure. ”

Parsifal smiled, taking some of the other ideas back to his heart.

In his view, Li Lin's position on the parliament is not so much a legislative body that restricts the monarch, but rather an adjustment body to deal with the social state, through which various opinions are accepted, and when appropriate, the system is adjusted to a certain extent through legislation and bills. So as to maintain the efficiency of the country's operations.

Judging by the principle of action that the lord has always said, "Opinions are allowed, but resistance is never allowed." There is a 90% chance that this will come true.

Taking a step back, the fact that the adult really allowed Roland's small actions was also an extremely difficult test for democratic thought. After all, compared with autocracy, the biggest and most obvious problem of a democratic republic is "slow decision-making". Due to the large number of opinions, the discussion is bound to take a lot of time in order to balance the interests and responsibilities of all parties. More seriously, the people are on the side of the people, who focus on the impact of the results of their decisions, rather than the thoughts and decision-making processes of the big people. When they have the right to choose their representatives, they will not hesitate to use their votes to punish politicians who deviate from their own interests - whether those interests are justified or not. I don't care if it will cause a backlash from others, whether it will tear society apart and bring the country into internal turmoil.

Eventually, democracy turned into populism, and society as a whole became a giant psychiatric hospital for extremists and the mentally ill, social development stagnated, and civil strife spread to every corner. At this point, the consuls came out again to clean up the mess. When the restoration of order and the economy is announced, the lovely people are sure to cheer and embrace autocracy.

It can be said that the parliamentary line was doomed to fail from the outset.

Another thing that cannot be said is that in an authoritarian system, the existence of a "second man" is delicate and dangerous. There's a power struggle, and the water in it can drown.

"What's worse is that. We have a long lifespan, and that Lord is an immortal transcendent species. ”

The average lifespan of elves is 300 years, and there are several generations of humans in the time of a generation of elves...... I'm afraid that dozens of generations of human beings will not be able to see it in their lifetimes, and they will not be able to wait for the news of his death burned to the ground by his grandson.

"The weakness of the original absolute monarchy was that the degree to which it functioned well depended on the personal ability of the monarch, and the founding monarch was majestic and strategic, and the successors who succeeded him deteriorated from strength to failure, and there are many examples of the last monarch being miserable. Democrats and republicans had the option of 'keeping the seed and waiting for the moment,' and as long as they didn't let the ideas pass on from generation to generation, they could always wait for the opportunity to rise up when the dynasty was in decline. But this is not possible in the era of Neo-Gilmania, not to mention the Lord, our own lifespan alone is enough to make them disappear into the long river of history. In the face of the strongest poison of 'time', any ideological proposition will gradually fade away like a beautiful woman, and eventually disappear from people's field of vision. ”

"So, Roland is actually ......"

"He must have been aware of this, too, and when the boots of our army stepped on the Champs-Élysées, and the people and soldiers cheered with tears in their eyes, 'Heil!Mein.Kaiser!' his ideals, and the world, would follow an irreversible fateful track. For him, this is not something to rejoice, because of his childhood experience, Roland hates most about being unreasonable and forcibly imposing the results on others. ”

Fate can make people stop thinking and turn free will into worthless waste, and the "irresistible" quality is precisely the most characteristic of Li Lin's new order.

"Roland ......"

Parsifal hesitated, then lowered his voice to speak his suspicions.

Most likely, he sensed this and wanted to cast a wave before the world settled down, and at worst he would try to preserve the seeds of his ideas and ideas, hoping that people would take care of them and sprout them in the distant future. Believe in people's kindness, believe in distant and small possibilities, and stand up for it. ”

"Really...... Magnificent and stupid ideas, this romantic conception is very suitable for an idealist like him. ”

"That's the kind of person he is. In the worst case, he will find a strong-fortified facility like the fortress of Iserlohn as a base and form a 'Iserlohn Republican government' to fight the consuls, and with the help of complete defenses and the 'Thor's hammer, it may be really successful.' ”

"It's not funny at all that jokes can mislead people into being involved in the rebellion. ”

Tristan lowered his voice to warn, and after sighing at his friend, who was particularly dull in some places, he asked:

"What about you?"

"How?"

"Roland and Caspar have both made a choice in their lives, and I have long decided to sacrifice everything for the country as a soldier, and you are the only one left who has not decided where to go in life. Isn't your only valuable head still thinking about being a salary thief until you retire, and living the rest of your life with your pension after retirement?"

"It's Tristan, you know me. ”

Scratching his head in embarrassment, Parsifal, who was always lazy and a little childish, had a yearning and happy expression on his face.

"Well, the captain's pension and pension should be enough for me and another person to live a modest life, if I want to live a little more comfortably...... I can also use my status as a retired soldier and the relationship with the logistics department to consult military history archives, earn some extra money as an amateur history writer, and have a son who is as handsome as a unicorn and makes good black tea...... You can drink black tea with brandy every day. I think this kind of life is probably the best for me. ”

"Do a good job in your salary before that. ”

Controlling the urge to hold down his forehead, Tristan taught:

"I have not bothered to discuss the question of whether your personal style is in line with military discipline, but I want you to at least know that it is the army that pays your salary, pension, and pension, and at least it is worthy of the blood and sweat of taxpayers. ”

"Yes, yes, Lord Major. If Alfheim can't live for generations, who will ask for the hard-earned pension? So, I joined the army for the sake of the stability of my old age. As an officer who has a beginning and an end, I will definitely work well. ”

"That's good. ”

Tristan's stomachache disappeared from the communication interface, and Parsifal let out a long sigh as he lay on the table like mud.

The foursome who were inseparable in the military academy at the beginning are now divided into two hostile sides, even if they have been mentally prepared, the shock and pain when they receive this news will not be alleviated. The only thing to be thankful for is that Parsifal doesn't have to go to war, and it is basically impossible to fight Roland head-on, but standing on the sidelines and watching former friends fight each other, isn't it even more sad?

"I really want to retire early......"

The deflated words leaked unconsciously, and before he could continue to be sentimental, the piercing alarm tore the air of peace. (To be continued......)