When the Saintess Arrives, No King Exist-Chapter 703 - 661: Secret Faction Registration Act
"Oh, Mr. Steward, I have admired you for a long time. Although I am a man, who says men can't like men?"
"Yes, I love you too."
"This... I'm afraid I came at the wrong time."
"No, Master Knight, you came at just the right time."
In the next second, three bloody heads pierced on long spears collided face to face, and the Secret Faction member holding the spear shaft even pulled out the tongues of the three heads, flinging them wildly at each other.
"Hahahahaha—"
"It's my turn now, move over."
Sitting by the fireplace and the chestnut wood long table, the Secret Faction members laughed boisterously, slapping the greasy table with rough hands, spilling beer from their cups all over the table.
The once quiet and elegant Knight Hall was now crammed full with over a hundred Secret Faction members.
They wore bright robes, tied colorful headscarves, and had bone beads around their necks. Some even took off their shirts, revealing chests full of tattoos.
They sat hugging their knees or cross-legged on chairs, loudly clamoring, with the mixed smells of bad breath, smoke, sweat, and alcohol filling the air.
The tapestries on the walls had long been taken down and replaced with the flag of the Black Snake Bay Secret Faction—a spider web-shaped six-pointed battle flag, with mysterious and eerie symbols beside it.
The crooked silver candlesticks were nearly snapped in half during the struggle, as the Secret Faction leaders stood barefoot on the table, grabbing bread and lamb chops with bare hands.
Only when the ceremonial officer shouted at the door: "Holy Grandson of the Salvation Army, Horn Gallar, Ruo'an Faction Leader Ruo'an III (Louise), Lightning Witch Jeanne, Shadow Council President Solan, arrived!" did the crowd gradually quiet down.
A group of Secret Faction members seemed to have been cast with a freeze spell, all turning their heads, staring intently at the doorway.
Horn, dressed in a high-collar navy blue embroidered jacket, appeared at the door, wearing a gentle smile, waving to greet the Secret Faction leaders present.
It seemed that the aftershocks of the recent bombardment of Fraser Castle had not dissipated; many dared not even breathe heavily, merely lowering their heads and whispering. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎
In the somber atmosphere, Horn did not feel uncomfortable, naturally striding towards the main seat.
However, just as he was halfway there, an unknown Secret Faction member suddenly shouted at Horn: "Papa!"
In this moment of brief silence, that sudden "Papa!" ignited the entire scene like a spark landing on a haystack.
Many Secret Faction members burst into laughter, some even echoing and shouting "Papa," "Mama," "Grandfather's son," while others cheered Horn's name.
Solan couldn't help but cover his face, while Louise continued smoking calmly, waddling her short legs towards her seat.
On the other hand, Jeanne was rather amused and curiously observing the peculiar people.
Reaching the main seat, Horn sat down assertively and raised his glass: "Well, today we captured Fraser Castle, feeling the happiest. Come, let me propose a toast first."
As he spoke, Horn tilted his head back, downing the beer in his cup in one go, immediately drawing cheers of approval from the hall.
Wiping the beer foam from the corner of his mouth, Horn refilled his cup: "Today, I also want to toast all of you, because today we are no longer losers, but victors. We reclaimed the land that belongs to us, our dignity, with our strength."
Horn smiled, raising his glass, his gaze sweeping over every Secret Faction leader in the hall. The leaders raised their glasses, lamb chops, and dead heads in return.
As the cheers slightly subsided, Horn continued: "However, victory does not mean the end; this is just the beginning.
We conquered the fortress, but there is still too much land in Black Snake Bay occupied, and the Black Snake Bay People still live in fear.
I know the Secret Faction has always been the guardian of Black Snake Bay, protecting this place, a free haven, with blood and sacrifice, but I must ask a question—did we really protect it?"
The hall gradually quieted down, many lowering their heads.
"The Church and Knights have repeatedly purged us, burning our industries to ashes and leveling our homes to the ground. The Black Snake Bay People are wild yet diligent, but even today they still live in poverty, lingering on the brink of starvation." Horn paused for a moment, pointing at the Secret Faction flag in the hall, "Have you ever wondered why?"
"Because they're too strong."
"The land in Thousand River Valley is only half of yours, and they have fewer Extraordinary forces than you, yet they still expelled the Church. This is not an excuse." Horn shook his head, "It's because you're not united, your strength is constantly scattered, and then inwardly exhausted until the Church seizes the opportunity to break you one by one."
"Why did I come to Black Snake Bay? The main purpose is to help my former big brother, now ally, to stand up." Horn's voice was powerful in the Knight Hall, "Black Snake Bay needs a united federation! No longer fragmented factions, no longer each fighting for themselves, but a union composed of all the people of Black Snake Bay!"
The Secret Faction members looked at each other, unsure what Horn would say next.
"But as the saying goes, without small steps, one cannot walk a thousand miles." At this moment, as Louise and Solan silently stood, Horn finally revealed his fangs, "The Salvation Army has already reached an agreement with the Shadow Council and the Ruo'an Faction, starting next week, to implement the 'Secret Faction Registration Act' and County United Council in the Northern County."
As soon as Horn finished speaking, the ceremonial officer entered from the door, handing out documents to the Secret Faction members.
The so-called "Secret Faction Registration Act" means that starting next week, all Secret Factions must register their faction names, locations, and member rosters.
Only registered Secret Factions can participate in the election of council seats. Any Secret Faction unable to secure at least one seat must either dissolve, merge, or relocate.
All Secret Factions not on the 'Secret Faction Register' will be considered illegal organizations, lacking any legal validity or judicial recognition.
Following the "Secret Faction Registration Act" is the establishment of the Northern County Council, where all registered faction members can run for council members.
The allocation rule Horn proposed is based on the township, where each faction registers the population under their control, with one seat granted per twenty thousand people and their land.
As a result, the hundreds of Secret Factions in the eight townships of the Northern County were instantly reduced to less than thirty, and all must be tied to a specific region.
Small Secret Factions unable to secure seats must either join other factions or choose to flee.
Given the current situation in Black Snake Bay, it's almost impossible to implement the kind of household registration in Thousand River Valley.
The reason is simple; administrative personnel are scarce even for Horn himself, prioritized for use in Thousand River Valley, so where can he spare any for Black Snake Bay?
Horn has no way to govern, so he has to let them self-govern.
He can only rely on this method to let the Secret Factions voluntarily register their population and land.
But don't think the Secret Factions can falsely report population and land to increase their seats. In the future, the distribution of taxes and recruitment will be based on the rosters submitted by the council members.
The District Council, composed of all the township councilors in a district, can decide on taxation, conscription distribution, and legislative proposals.
As a result, Black Snake Bay shifts from village-level Secret Faction self-government to township-level regional self-government.
The difference is that due to the urgency of the current warfare, the legislative priority is central, then district, and finally township.
In case of conflicting laws, priority will be given to the higher level, eliminating the possibility of local laws opposing federal laws.
"Let me put it this way." Horn snapped his fingers, "Whoever can bring a register of twenty thousand people and land to the Northern County Council in Long Embankment City will be a councilor."
