Steel, Guns, and the Industrial Party in Another World

TL: Etude

True to its name, the Horn Bay Alliance was a political alliance. Over a hundred years ago, several relatively weak city-states united to protect their safety and wealth, gradually evolving into the most powerful political force in the Horn Bay area.

Initially, the alliance was not named “Horn Bay Alliance.” This name seemed too conspicuous, especially since other large and small states and independent territories still existed within the fragmented region of Horn Bay. However, as the alliance grew in strength and repeatedly emerged victorious in several wars, its confident leaders boldly named it after Horn Bay. In maritime trade beyond Horn Bay, backed by the alliance’s national strength, its merchants gradually gained a dominant position over those from other states. Consequently, many ordinary people outside Horn Bay began to equate the geographical term “Horn Bay” with the political entity of the Horn Bay Alliance.

The power center of the alliance was known as the Supreme Council. Initially, it was merely a place for city-state leaders to bicker and did not wield substantial power over the entire alliance. However, its influence gradually increased due to various peacetime activities, such as negotiating tariffs and mediating disputes among members. Further catalyzed by several wars, power progressively centralized in the Supreme Council. Today, it possesses most of the powers of a central government, such as foreign affairs, military, and taxation. Consequently, people outside the alliance have long regarded the Horn Bay Alliance as a sovereign state.

The number of members in the Council was fixed at 150. They were all descendants of the power holders from the city-states that initially formed the alliance. The Council’s seats were hereditary. If a family line became extinct, the last male relative closest in blood to that family would inherit the seat and the family’s surname.

The head of the Council was referred to as the Chairman. Every five years, a new Chairman was elected, who then selected ten members as assistants responsible for various affairs such as diplomacy, military, administration, and law. The Council also convened at least twice a month to discuss major issues of recent times.

On this particular day, the Council Hall was filled with a tense atmosphere. Members took turns passionately debating a single issue: the Horn Bay Alliance’s stance towards the Church.

“One of the Council members stood at the podium, his face marked by grief as he spoke passionately. “Honorable members, I urge you to touch your chests and feel if you still possess the passion of a Horn noble! If your hearts haven’t grown cold, if your passion still exists, how can you turn a blind eye to the many crimes the Church has committed against our citizens?”

As he spoke, tears streamed down his face.

“It’s time to rein them in!”

His speech resonated with many, who echoed his sentiments.

“We must take swift and effective measures to protect our citizens from the Church’s tyranny.”

However, not everyone agreed with his conclusion. Some members stood up, expressing their dissent with boos.

“Horace, you deceitful man! Don’t think we don’t know the ulterior motives behind your words.”

Another member charged towards the podium, loudly rebuking Horace.

“Hey, hey, Simons, respect the order of the meeting!” Horace retorted, visibly displeased.

“To hell with your order!”

Simons turned to the audience and shouted, “Listen to the venomous language Horace is using, ‘trampling on lives,’ ‘poisoning’… Can such words be used to describe the Church that serves the Heavenly Father?”

“I admit that the witch-hunt campaign involves some radical measures that have led to unfortunate incidents everyone wishes to avoid. However, these are inevitable sacrifices to protect us, the common folk, from greater evils,” Simons acknowledged.

Horace, standing nearby, shouted indignantly, “Listen to what Councilor Simons is saying! Can you believe this is how a human talks?”

His previous supporters booed Simons, aware that Simons was a devout churchgoer.

“Hmph! Horace, don’t think we’re unaware of your ulterior motives,” Simons retorted, undeterred, and continued addressing the audience: “Everyone probably knows that Horace’s family is involved in the slave trade. Recently, his auction house was destroyed by a group of good-hearted believers, but few were arrested by the guard. Horace suspects that the Church is hiding these believers, which is why he’s so eager to stir us against the Church. This is personal vengeance without evidence, based merely on suspicion.”

“Shut up, Simons!” Horace, furious, pointed at Simons and said, “I am acting solely out of public interest. I know you’re a devout believer, but don’t let your faith blind you. Moreover, my business is legal. It suffered immense losses because of people claiming to act in the name of the Lord of Light. As a follower of the Lord of Light who has paid every tithe, shouldn’t the Church, as the shepherd of the Heavenly Father, uphold justice? Should it allow evil lambs to bully the good ones within its flock?”

Simons ignored him and yelled to the crowd, “Hear that, everyone? Isn’t this personal vengeance? He just admitted it.”

“Shut up! I admitted nothing!”

The two argued vehemently on the podium, their respective supporters joining in the fray, turning the entire hall into a noisy marketplace.

“Silence! Silence!”

The current Chairman, pounding his gavel on the wooden table, finally restored order to the chaotic scene.

“Now, Councilor Foster will speak!”

As he finished, Joe Foster — the Marquis of Foster — slowly made his way to the podium. Horace and Simons exchanged glances, snorted at each other, and left the stage from opposite sides.

The Marquis cleared his throat and spoke solemnly, “Gentlemen, I don’t wish to preach, but to state a fact — since the witch-hunt campaign began, our alliance’s import and export trade has been shrinking year by year. It’s not just our alliance; commercial activities throughout Horn Bay are in decline. And commerce is the foundation of our nation.”

His words struck a chilling note, making everyone shiver.

“I believe each of us has sufficient devotion to the Heavenly Father, but devotion alone cannot fill our stomachs. We must first address basic physiological needs to fulfill our duties as believers and serve the Heavenly Father better. Therefore, I support implementing some restrictive regulations on the Church’s activities within the alliance.”

Someone from the audience spoke up, “But Lord Marquis, the alliance alone cannot oppose the Church. That’s another fact.”

The Marquis nodded, adding, “That’s why I propose inviting other nations again to discuss strategies.”

Last year, the Horn Bay Alliance had already convened a conference of nations, but it yielded no substantial results, mainly due to the Church’s interference.