At this question, Gertrude's heart leaped into her throat.
She hailed from a family of Witch King remnants and held complex feelings about that era.
She was intensely curious how Lacey, the gravedigger of the old era, would judge its founder.
Everyone expected Lacey to offer a relatively neutral, or at least a carefully considered, evaluation.
However, Lacey just scoffed.
"Thud!"
Flemont slammed his teacup down on the table, splashing tea onto the back of his withered hand.
For the first time, a clear look of displeasure surfaced on his placid, ancient face.
"Young man, arrogance is a manifestation of ignorance." Flemont's voice turned cold.
"In the early days of his rule, Herzog amended the incomplete Golden Law score, which had been fractured by Siracusa's independence, and made Leithanien whole again."
"He transformed the nobles' secluded research towers into universities open to all talented commoners; furthermore, he vigorously weakened the real power of the regional Electors, centralizing authority."
"Do these achievements, in your eyes, deserve nothing more than a scoff?"
As someone who was both a mentor and a friend to the Witch King, Flemont genuinely recognized his dear friend's early accomplishments.
Lacey's flippant laugh was tantamount to a complete repudiation of the years he and his friend had strived together.
Facing Flemont's rage, which could almost freeze a person's soul, Lacey remained calm.
"Lord Flemont, I acknowledge everything you've said," Lacey stated frankly.
"But have you ever considered the true quality of these so-called achievements?"
He stood up and paced before the bookshelf, as if organizing his thoughts.
"Amending the Golden Law score was indeed a great feat, but it's also undeniable that Siracusa became independent during the Witch King's reign."
"Turning research towers into universities sounds like a blessing upon the masses."
"But I ask you, does the son of a miner who can't even afford to eat, or the daughter of a farmer who cannot read, have the opportunity or the qualifications to enter a university?"
"This so-called openness was merely a shift from being open to a small clique of nobles to being open to another small clique of wealthy merchants and lower nobility."
"For the common people, who make up over ninety percent of Leithanien's population, nothing changed."
"As for weakening the Electors..." Lacey turned, a sarcastic smile playing on his lips.
"That was indeed his most successful accomplishment in the early days."
"But what was the result? He weakened the old centers of power but failed to establish a new system that could truly serve the nation."
"He merely concentrated power in his own hands."
"When he became obsessed with some unknown matter and neglected the affairs of state, the long-suppressed Electors immediately counterattacked, seizing even greater power than before, which ultimately led to Leithanien's decline and the Witch King's own demise."
"In hindsight, it was more like political suicide."
Lacey walked back to the table, placed his hands on it, and looked down at Flemont.
"Lord Flemont, let us instead discuss the fundamentals."
"The Witch King ruled Leithanien for over a hundred years. During that time, did Leithanien's economic strength improve? Did agricultural output take a quantum leap? Were there any innovations in the army's equipment or tactical doctrine?"
"None at all!"
"The poor remained poor, and the nobles remained nobles. The social class structure was as rigid as stone, and the path for upward mobility for the lower classes was as narrow as the eye of a needle."
"All he did was repaint the exterior walls and replace a few fancy tiles on a house whose foundations were already rotten."
"If performing such superficial deeds is enough to be hailed as a once-in-a-millennium enlightened ruler, then I'm afraid every monarch on Terra could leave a glorious mark in the history books."
"As the sovereign of a nation, regardless of his personal hardships or aspirations, he must prioritize the country's development and the people's welfare above all else."
"He failed to do so. Therefore, he was a failed ruler. That is my evaluation, nothing more."
His words were like a volley of cannon fire, each one piercing the heart.
The entire study fell deathly silent.
Hoederer and W didn't dare to breathe.
They had never heard such bold, such seditious words.
This was a thorough refutation of the Witch King, leaving him with no redeeming qualities.
The anger on Flemont's face gradually faded, replaced by a complex expression.
Shock, contemplation, sorrow...
He opened his mouth, but found he could not muster a single powerful word in rebuttal.
Because everything Lacey said was fact.
Facts that "gods" of the old era like them had selectively ignored.
They saw the glory of the Witch King resisting the Gallic invasion, they saw his greatness as an Arts caster, but they overlooked his failures as the monarch of Leithanien.
"You... you young rascal..."
After a long moment, Flemont finally uttered a sentence.
"You see things more clearly than any of us old fossils."
He leaned back into his chair, seeming to age years in an instant.
"So, what do you plan to do? What difference can your Workers' Party bring to Leithanien?"
He asked, and this time, there was no trace of a test in his tone, only a genuine question.
"Very simple." Lacey sat back down, his expression returning to calm.
"Politically, we will completely abolish the Elector system and establish a strong central government."
"Economically, we will nationalize vital industries such as mines and railways, and vigorously support light industries that benefit the populace."
"Militarily, we will build a modern army that truly belongs to the people."
"Technologically, we will break the tradition of 'valuing arts over crafts' and establish a national academy of sciences, giving artisans and scholars equal status."
"As for Kazdel..." Lacey glanced at Hoederer and W, "Perhaps it could serve as a model."
"The future of a race cannot depend on just one or two heroes; it must be built upon a system that allows all its people to utilize their talents."
The ghostly blue flames in Flemont's pupils flared violently.
The blueprint Lacey described was far grander than Herzog's vision had ever been.
The two continued their in-depth discussion for a long time, talking about everything from Leithanien's tax reform to the future of Sarkaz mercenaries.
Flemont was more like a scholar thirsting for new knowledge, constantly seeking more.
By the time Lacey and the others took their leave, the sky was already brightening with the dawn.
Standing at the doorway, Flemont watched Lacey's retreating back and said slowly, "Lacey, I will be watching you, to see if the world you paint is a paradise or another hell."
Lacey did not look back, only waved his hand.
Back in the carriage returning to Wasser Fief, the atmosphere was completely different from when they had arrived.
For the first time, W put away her cynical smile and was lost in thought.
Hoederer also changed his previously somewhat distant attitude, asking Lacey a few questions.
The group left Trullinczentyr by carriage.
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