I Want It All

Chapter 6 : The Monarch Council

The fall of the Empire and the rise of Cobra. Two events, undisputably linked together, that chocked the entirety of the powers within the continent.

If many expected the Empire to come out weakened from the civil war, its destruction was totally unexpected for the large majority of people. And even in the case of a total destruction, the next course of events should have been its replacement by another power within the Empire's ruling class.

An union of the nobility that would rule their own provinces, a military dictatorship that would establish a martial society and wield an aggressive diplomacy, or a theocratic State to which the people would have turned their faith in hope of receiving the divine guidance in those troubling times.

Of all the possible outcomes from the destruction of the Empire, the one that came out was one nobody could have predicted : The Rise of Cobra.

Cobra, a mysterious faction unknown to everyone that came out from nowhere. Despite not truly hiding it, their political system and economic model were unknown due to their uniqueness, issued from an ideology unseen in the History of this world.

Nevertheless, they were powerful enough to wipe out the entirety of the Imperial Army in a mere day, and had sufficient control to exterminate the noble faction without fearing the consequence.

Those revelations caused an uproar among the other nations, creating uncertainty for the stability of the continent. To the point all the major Kingdoms called for the Monarch Council.

The Monarch Council, the equivalent of the international community within the continent, where the major Kingdoms would meet on a yearly basis or when an urgent situation occurred.

It was the City-State of Arkchester that have been designated as the Monarch Council's headquarter. The reason behind this choice was the City-State diplomatic History, that have in the past been a neutral ground for many diplomatic exchanges between nations, guilds and other organizations.

The City-State also had the advantage of being at the exact center of the continent and of having its independence guaranteed by all of the major Kingdoms.

Added to the neutrality of their soil convinced many guilds to settle their headquarters in Arkchester, from whose the City-State can deduct enormous taxes that make it the healthiest economy of the continent despite only being a single city.

In the official building of the Monarch Council, thousands of people were entering the place. Delegations of countries from the entire continent.

Despite being considered as the international community, only the rulers of the major Kingdoms had decision power in the Monarch Council.

The reason being that it was originally founded for them only, but a major Kingdom was an existence which the economic and diplomatic stance affect the entire continent. So others small/medium Kingdoms and City-States started sending representatives that reported to them the outcome of every meeting.

This is also the reason why other than the major Kingdoms, none of the delegations had the ruler of their countries present. What the point considering they wouldn't had their words to say anyway ? They had more important matters to deal with in their homeland.

But today, there were an exception : The Pope of the Church of Light. Who, for some reason, had decided to assist to the meeting in person accompanied by the third Prince of the Empire, rather than sending a representative.

Because even if the Church of Light had a policy of non-interference when it's come to the affairs of the continent, their influence and the primacy of their religion require they remain updated on what was going on.