Chapter Twenty: Negotiations (Part Two)

"This... this will take time," Warrenheit continued to explain. "The creation of a law is not a simple matter. Someone must first propose a bill, then it must be discussed and passed in the lower house. Even if it passes there, it will still be reviewed again by the upper house, which has the power to veto the legislation passed by the lower house, though it does not have the authority to initiate laws itself."

"Time is needed?" The two envoys furrowed their brows lightly. Child was the first to recover, and replied with a deep meaning, "No matter. I suppose we all need time to prepare."

"And there is the first point," Warrenheit added, "which is difficult to incorporate into our constitution, since it clearly states respect for every citizen's freedom of faith. If blasphemers indeed cause substantial damage to the Church, perhaps I could persuade the deputies to pass such a law, since the constitution also declares private property sacred and inviolable, and the Church's property is likewise private. But the first point would provoke a grand debate, as it deeply conflicts with the constitution—it would mean interfering in citizens' beliefs." Warrenheit's expression grew heavy.

"But if Landia does not regard the divine as supreme, how can we trust you to strictly enforce the second point?" Sir Lynde pointed out sternly.

Warrenheit replied without a hint of shame, "You must trust the law."

"The divine is supreme! The Church and the Pope are his only spokesmen," Sir Lynde retorted without flinching.

Child spoke slowly. "Is not the Lord of Radiance the most widely worshipped deity among mankind? Is not the Church of Radiance the greatest among all human churches?"

"Of course," Warrenheit answered, "but according to the spirit of Landian law, even if ninety-nine out of a hundred believe in the Lord of Radiance, and one worships the dwarves' chief god, Ogudin, we must ensure his rights. That is freedom of belief."

"No, such freedom is unacceptable. Even if ninety-nine believe in the Lord of Radiance, eventually the lone dissenter will be converted. By restricting him through secular law, we merely hasten that process. So there is nothing wrong with it; if the end result is the same, why not let him experience the Lord's radiance sooner?" Child blinked as he spoke.

Warrenheit smiled regretfully, refraining from further argument with his guests, but both Child and Lynde could see that Warrenheit was not convinced by their words.

"Prime Minister, there is something you ought to remember. When the people of Landia suffered under the tyrannical Tianlun dynasty, the Church watched but did not intervene. There were other reasons for this, of course, but largely it was believed that a change of dynasty would not cause the faithful to stray from the divine's loving embrace," Child added.

"Prime Minister, you ought to count yourself lucky. Had your remarks been made in the North, someone would already have reported you to the Church for blasphemy," Sir Lynde said harshly.

Warrenheit gave a gentle smile, touching his neck as if to confirm his head was still attached. "Indeed, fortunately, the land beneath my feet is Landia—not Cardia, not Lott, and certainly not Prussia or the Empire of Ross."

"They have always coveted the prosperous South. Yet the divine has always told Emperor Douglas and King Solomon: you are all his children," Child's face showed a faint hint of menace.

Warrenheit's expression finally changed, and Lynde added, "Has Landia forgotten war?"

"Lynde!" The Church's envoy silenced his deputy, replacing his stern face with its original kindly expression. "Oh, let us forget what we just said. Mutual hostility and harm serve no purpose. What do you think, Lord Warrenheit? I trust you will give me a satisfactory answer."

With that, Child waited quietly.

"I have said already: time is needed," Warrenheit spoke gravely. "For both the first and second points—especially the first, which involves constitutional amendment—a grand debate in parliament must be convened. And now is not the regular session; some of the deputies are still vacationing in their home regions. I will notify all deputies at once, but I must tell you: typically, for the second point, to write the punishment for blasphemy into criminal law, more than half the deputies must vote in favor; for the first point, since it involves changing the constitution, at least two-thirds must approve."

––––

Child and Lynde walked side by side out of the parliament building. They refused the escort of the special corps, insisting on visiting the cliff carved in memory of the four pioneers alone.

Following the road, and after making sure there was no one nearby, Lynde said to Child, "Your Grace, it seems Landia is trying to stall."

Child gazed at the approaching cliff-face and narrowed his eyes. "Yes, I think so too."

"Then why do we allow Warrenheit to do this?" Lynde asked, puzzled. To him, once Warrenheit’s weakness was exposed, there should be no further chances given.

"Because we need time as well," Child sighed. At last, they drew near and stopped beneath the carved visages.

Child looked up and said, "Since we have come here, we should not expect a swift resolution. Negotiations are always backed by strength. Only when Landia knows the might of the divine will they understand how their so-called laws ought to be changed."

Child spoke with contempt. "The constitution supreme? It is not worth a single finger of the divine. Private property sacred and inviolable? Should not the faithful devote all they possess?"

Lynde listened quietly. This time he did not interrupt, for he knew Child would explain everything; he was his deputy, and Child would tell him.

"Yet to deal with Landia, we must not underestimate them. The Cardinal Council has long been preparing, fully expecting that only force would finally bring these merchant-worshipping sorts to their knees. But relying solely on the Church’s strength would be difficult. Landia is one of the South’s powers, and in recent years has led the way in navigation. The southern nations all follow their example; in some sense, Landia is their symbol. To subdue them, we must consider the reaction of the southern countries. This time, the Church will strive to persuade the major northern powers to unite in exerting pressure, perhaps even forming a coalition army—and that requires time."

Lynde nodded in agreement. As a high-ranking officer in the Church’s forces, he understood the gravity of the situation. The Church’s army was formidable, but always adhered to the principle of elite troops. If they attacked Landia alone, occupying its territory would be a huge challenge. After all, the Knights of Radiance and the Holy Knights were formed to defend the Church and carry out divine will, not as an invading force. This was the greatest difference from secular armies. Moreover, if war truly broke out and could not be resolved quickly, but dragged into a protracted conflict, logistics and supply would become a significant issue, requiring aid from other nations.

"And most important of all, we must wait for the Golden Fleur navy to arrive in the South Sea," Child revealed a crucial point.

"Attacking by land and sea at once?" Lynde exclaimed.

"Yes. Why do you think I arrived at Golden Fleur before you, and then you obeyed the Cardinal Council’s summons to join me here?" Child smiled. "With a letter from His Holiness, and the promises we have made—those promises being the benefits Landia will pay Golden Fleur after submission. In truth, even without such benefits, Golden Fleur might intervene, since Landia is their rival. If they can suppress Landia, it will only profit Golden Fleur. Their worry is that if they fail to do so, a rash intervention would mean a complete break with Landia. But fortunately, we have persuaded them. Though Landia’s development in recent decades has been swift, their navy is still no match for Golden Fleur’s. As soon as the warships of the Golden Fleur dynasty attack by sea and cut off Landia’s maritime trade, we will immediately exert pressure again as mediators. Then, no matter who, whether Warrenheit or their parliament, if they refuse to yield, the northern coalition will launch a land offensive!"

"If they still refuse, that would be a miracle," Lynde agreed.

Child withdrew his gaze and turned to walk down the hillside. "If they still do not submit, then we will erase the four faces we see now and carve the entire mountain into a statue of the Lord of Radiance."