When the Saintess Arrives, No King Exist-Chapter 620 - 583 Constitutional Convention (Part 3)

"Spend the night with me, and I'll push your bill through, how about it?" Moliat, sitting on Horn's lap, gently caressed Horn's ear with her delicate hand.

Putting down the petition in his hand, Horn turned his head: "Stop messing around, Catherine saw the hair on my shoulder last time."

"Let her see if she wants to; she won't figure it out," Moliat chuckled, wrapping her arms around Horn's neck, preventing him from looking at the petition, and whispered into his ear, "Haven't you already seen it? We've discussed it thoroughly."

"No, we need to let those representatives feel involved; it's very important."

Horn wasn't planning to create any two-chamber representation institution for these people's representatives, but rather something like the Daiying Imperial Council's Advisory Council.

Giving the common folk a channel to voice their opinions, to stimulate their sense of political participation; otherwise, they would always be just city dwellers, not Thousand River Valley people.

When these representatives return, bringing their insights back locally, even if the constitutional assembly is merely a façade, it would still bring considerable change to the regions.

"Do you think those people's representatives can rally local support for you when they return? There are many farmers, but they're too weak," Moliat straightened up, her previously playful expression now a cold snicker, "You have the Blessed, so the future is certainly yours, but that future might be fifty years away."

Looking at Moliat, who seemed to mature in an instant, Horn felt helpless; it appeared to be Moliat seated on him, but there were two individuals sitting.

At times, she was the pouty little witch, at other times, the cold Female Grand Duke, but what remained unchanged was that both personas were of sly old foxes.

"How intense was it this morning?" Horn shifted back to the constitutional assembly instead of contending on this matter.

Despite her icy demeanor, the Female Grand Duke didn't release Horn, perhaps due to habit or for some other reason, "Judging by the sentiments, the intensity this morning was sufficient, it needs to cool down; let's put it aside for the afternoon and discuss other matters."

"It needs cooling already?" Horn stroked Moliat's back like a cat, "Seems like the constitutional assembly will conclude much faster than we anticipated."

As they say, major issues call for minor meetings; much of the constitution draft's content had long been discussed by Horn and Moliat.

Horn actually knew that the first article of his charter would never pass, because too many people relied on the crown for their livelihood.

Nobles, large and small landlords, Armed Farmers all hoped for a king; rashly removing the monarchy would easily cause a situation where "The lord is gone; why should I pay taxes?" "The lord is gone; there's no law; I should go robbing."

Horn's support came from the farmers and laborers who comprise ninety percent of Thousand River Valley's population.

But their strength was too weak, and most fatally, they were politically apathetic, having more of a resigned attitude.

There were also potential supporters among the petty citizens, shop owners, artisans, and small merchants, but the problem was they all depended on guilds and big merchants for survival.

These big merchants and artisan masters conducted business with nobles because nobles had wealth, centralized resources, and doing business was more convenient.

Thus, Horn's cards were only the people's support in Langsande County, robust military power, and the merit of defeating Prince Kongdai.

With these three cards, Horn would definitely have a significant role in Thousand River Valley's future leadership; however, implementing his contract theory would not be so simple.

Yet he couldn't avoid bringing it up, because the officers and monks of the Salvation Army urgently and idealistically demanded it.

This was the aftermath of intensely propagandized wartime, which required a gradual cooling off, letting them face reality, and dissuading attempts to establish an Earthly Heaven in three to five years.

In situations where Moliat faced nobles and knights who attempted a return to the Thousand River Valley Kingdom era under the Kush Family's rule.

Retrogression wasn't what Moliat desired, but she needed the nobles to support him.

Thus, both had to play their tune together, leveraging their unknown underground connections and opponent's pressure to enact internal reforms.

Even the result of the sovereignty source dispute, the script of Horn and Moliat's mutual step-down, had been prepared.

Cooling, heating three times; each party completely exhausted, letting Catherine come out as a mediator.

And the final outcome would be:

"Thousand River Valley's sovereignty derives from the Holy Father's absolute authority; both nobles and tenants are the Holy Father's earthly servants. The noble's authority is based on their service to their domain and protection of their tenants, and tenants express adherence to the Holy Father's will by acknowledging noble leadership."

This actually blurred some of the human-granted sovereign power element but retained the monarch-people contract element.

This compromise could temporarily quell disputes but planted seeds that would influence the future.

"Have you decided what you'll say this afternoon?"

"Let's discuss the issue of the sacred elective monarchical system," Horn flipped open the "Charter Draft," "Otherwise, under the existing 'Noble Law,' there's truly no way for you to reasonably become the Autocratic Duke."

Horn intended to provide Moliat with the secular lord position in Thousand River Valley.

The essence of this action is to improve Thousand River Valley's perilous external environment.

In a society where rulers are predominantly nobles, Moliat's royal bloodline triad is evidently stronger than some Honey River commoner.

At least in the future, when the Pope launches the Chao Character Army, volunteer crusading knights will be significantly fewer.

The current Thousand River Valley is still very weak, with powerful noble traditions, seeking a period of peaceful development can only involve temporarily advancing Moliat as the monarch.

However, this involves a problem of title inheritance.

The Thousand River Valley's war was waged without proper claims, driving out the King's rule in this area.

If Moliat wishes to legally acquire the Thousand River Valley's lord position through noble law, there're typically three options:

Firstly, if the royal or kingly family has decided, she's appointed as Thousand River Valley's lord.

Secondly, the Church ordains her as the lord.

Thirdly, per basic law, an election by nobles.

If the Thousand River Valley King's title were still with the Kush Family, there would be no need for all this, just direct inheritance.

But the problem is this title was already offered to King Leia, and King Leia handed actual control to the Church.

With Moliat ousting the former two, Horn replacing the Church's authorization was clearly not widely accepted externally.

Thus, elections must rely on basic law for legitimacy.

Electing the monarch isn't considered unique in today's Empire.

In fact, the Divine Ael Empire's Imperial Emperor is elected, just through the clergy, monks, and major nobles.

Even the Norn Kingdom employs elective kingship, with three hundred Great Monarchs voting to select a new king following the previous King's death.

The Norn people sometimes even elect foreigners as Norn Kings, but this evidently leads to internal disunity, making administration problematic.

Hence, a Norn leader promoted succession law, inscribing "Foreigners, alien races, or animals not allowed to participate in monarch elections" into the law.

Securing local nobles' support and recognition is one way nobles acquiesce in title deprivation.

However, Moliat's monarch election must involve Salvation Army monks' voting and oversight, not confined solely to noble voting.

This is the "sacred" aspect of the "Sacred Selective Monarchical System."

"Ding ding ding—"

Horn glanced at the wall clock, supported Moliat's bottom, and let her down: "Time's up, we need to go, Your Highness the Despot."

Donning the iron mask, draping the scarlet toga, she turned back into the cold, merciless Duke Hemashi: "Please, Your Excellency Shepherd Leader."