NOVPUBAfter lunch, Lanci stepped out of the grand doors of Shalem Palace and stood at the entrance.
Clad in a black overcoat and top hat, his expression was grave, seemingly still immersed in thoughts about the important conversation that had just concluded, weighing the immense responsibilities he bore as a leader.
The streets of Hershalraym were bustling, with citizens going about their busy lives, the city’s din always present on either side of him.
Despite the shadow of war hanging over the city, life continued on.
The citizens around began to take notice of the Prime Minister.
Some stopped in their tracks, looking at him with curiosity and respect.
A few nodded a greeting at him, which Lanci politely reciprocated. The public showed their respect and curiosity, and some even voiced encouraging words, advocating for a vigorous resistance against the Huo Ning Empire.
These interactions brought a slight smile to Lanci’s face, with a glint of gratitude and resolve in his eyes.
Many journalists gathered around, but Lanci revealed no news.
Not until his secretary escorted him to the car and he sat inside the carriage.
He was alone, gazing at the dark interior of the carriage.
"For now, a more cautious method should be employed to balance [Public Opinion] and [Parliament]."
Lanci murmured to himself.
It was as if he was still contemplating this difficult problem.
The nobility and traditional elites of the Palante Empire controlled the military and the upper echelons of power, yet he, as the Prime Minister, now had the support of the people.
Since the powerful could not seize public sentiment on their own, they needed the cooperation of either Lanci or the conservative faction.
To seize power quickly, the first step was certainly to gain the trust of more key power holders and acquire military authority, or to obtain as much private armed force as possible.
Compared to Empress Kexiya, the support of a few generals was far more critical.
"Meow meow..."
Cat Boss peeked out from the shadows beneath Lanci’s feet.
It had been uneasy since Lanci’s conversation with Empress Kexiya began.
Although Lanci was still the same, it did not understand why his primary target of control was the Empress.
"What do you plan to do next, Lanci?"
In a hushed tone, Cat Boss, who had put up a barrier to isolate their conversation, asked, nestled on Lanci’s lap.
"I think controlling [Public Opinion] and [Parliament] first is crucial."
Lanci stroked Cat Boss’ head, inquiring.
"Yes meow."
Cat Boss was certain that even with Lanci’s abilities, the day’s attempts had proven that at best he could only satisfy one side, there was a fixed mechanism of give-and-take, impossible to please everyone simultaneously.
"I had planned to take direct control of the entire Parliament and be the sole decision-maker, but now I’ve changed my mind,"
Lanci verballed his thoughts.
"Meow?!"
Cat Boss suddenly remembered that man named Rocky McCarthy.
"Don’t worry."
For a moment, Lanci cut off the live feed from the Shadow World Record Program; he did not want to be seen too much, lest people from the South Continent start making wild guesses about him.
Right now, Cat Boss was clearly afraid that Lanci would take the path of autocracy; if Xiu Bao were brought back to the Palante Empire to find Lanci had become a dictator and realize their Shadow World was being watched by Ichrite Academy, she would definitely have a meltdown!
Because the Demon Race’s Miss Duchess really goes well with a tyrannical monarch!
It had already let Xiu Bao down once in the Northern Continent; it could not let an accident happen again this time, and it had to ensure Xiu Bao could meet Lanci with peace of mind.
"No, no, no, you can’t do it, so don’t even think about it meow, just stop thinking about it meow,"
Cat Boss thought for a moment and soon breathed a sigh of relief.
Lanci, too, seemed to have realized that with so little time in the Shadow World, and the need to confront the Huo Ning Empire, there was hardly any possibility to engage in internal strife and quickly take control of the entire Parliament.
It’s just not possible.
Cat Boss was quite relieved that Lanci had stopped fixating on the idea.
"Actually, there’s a simple idea I have. I could start by courting the empire’s nobility. Then, one day, a congressional arson case will happen in Hershalraym. When my assault team goes in to rescue, they ’accidentally’ wipe out the conservative faction. And while my troops surround the entire Congress, I will demand the passage of an authorization law. I believe everyone will agree to it at that time," Lanci explained, noticing the misunderstanding look on Cat Boss’s face.
"?!"
Cat Boss was astonished.
It felt that Lanci was truly capable of such a beastly act.
"Meow meow meow, Lanci, promise me you won’t do this! Consider Xiu Bao!" Cat Boss pleaded, desperately clawing at Lanci’s clothes.
It couldn’t let Xiu Bao down again.
Last time, it was ignorant; this time, it truly understood how frightening Lanci could be!
"But I have grown tired of the struggle for power and do not wish to be embroiled in constant open and covert battles." Lanci picked up Cat Boss, his gaze filled with a hint of tenderness.
This was the answer Lanci had obtained in the Northern Continent, within the Protoss Empire.
His intention had always been to make Hyperion happy.
But in reality, he hadn’t seen her much happier in Herram.
"That’s great, Lanci. Let’s take the right approach to help Palante Empire through its troubles, meow," Cat Boss said, deeply moved and wiping away tears.
It felt that Hyperion’s advice had finally stuck in Lanci’s mind.
Lanci nodded.
He believed that at this moment, he and Cat Boss were thinking alike.
There were many nobles in the empire who disliked him, but there were also quite a few who loathed Duke Moriarty and the formidable conservative faction.
He had ways to ally with the powerful; he just needed to make them realize that between two evils, they should choose the lesser, and they would naturally want to remove the conservative faction with his help.
Next, they might hope to use Lanci’s hand to eliminate all of Duke Moriarty’s supporters and then pacify public opinion for a while, planning to replace Lanci in a couple of years.
It would be easy to get the power players to fight each other.
Lanci, the one they most dreaded, would not profit from it personally.
But they didn’t know that once the government began to split, Lanci was actually devoted to restoring Empress Kexiya’s monarchical power.
In fact, combining the background of the last Shadow World Sanctuary Evil Banquet, Lanci himself was still a member of the anti-Blood Clan secret order, and now he held a not insignificant position within the Church, which over the past decade had established a foundation and acquired many followers within the Palante Empire.
These past few days, Lanci was also going to contact the Church and, using his Prime Minister position, provide them with substantial support and arrange for the upcoming month’s events.
He had decided not to destroy the Parliament but turn it into the Church.
He wanted to transition Palante Empire from a constitutional monarchy to an absolute monarchy.
The Prime Minister role, Hyperion didn’t care for it at all.
She favored Priests.
So, he should religiously convert the empire and become Pope himself.
"Don’t worry, Cat Boss. Hyperion will definitely be satisfied this time. Once I bring her back to Palante Empire, there won’t be any more scares," Lanci said, gently patting Cat Boss with a touch of remorse.
Since Hyperion disliked politicians and favored Priests, the answer was evident.
This time, he should focus on splitting the government powers, reshaping the monarchical power, and bolstering religious power.
Once he had built the Church for her, Hyperion could come back and take any position she desired within the Church; it would all belong to her.
But even this was not enough.
Even with full support from the people, victory was far from assured.
He would have to personally court a powerful ally.
He needed to take a trip to the Demon World first; if he could forge an alliance with the Demon World, perhaps Palante Empire’s [Military strength], [Finances], and [Diplomacy] would all surge, further aiding in the complete transformation of Palante Empire.
And regardless, going to the Demon World to find Hyperion was the right move.
