Chapter 99 Praise
As the standoff between the Black County coal union and the authorities grew longer, scholars and legislators began to publish articles discussing how to balance the profitability of coal mining and the treatment of workers.
"...Sir, the improved explosives formula you funded us is very effective. The demise of 'Furnace' has caused many people great sorrow, but we have still made great progress in our struggle," the union's new contact wrote to Mr. Nova. "Many officials have shown signs of softening and backing down. They have contacted us privately to try to negotiate terms. Those masters and overseers who usually wield whips are afraid of us because they are nothing if we don't work for them."
As usual, the professor sent back a thick envelope.
Deep in the mine where even the air was covered in coal dust, a small group of people, whose bodies were black except for the whites of their eyes and their teeth, uncovered the letter wax in the dim light of an abandoned mine, and carefully took out a stack of letter paper and a package of something that jingled.
The crowd stirred slightly. Among them were coal miners and slaves sold to the mines, their foreheads branded with black blood. They were even thinner than the people Jack had seen on the coal train, horribly thin, and all of them had varying degrees of physical deformities due to overwork and mining accidents. In comparison, they were lucky, not dying from cage failures, gas explosions, and mine collapses, and could continue to work for the mine until they died of severe tuberculosis.
The worker known as "Four Eyes" unfolded the letters and read in the dim light: "...May the 'Furnace' rest in peace. He must know that you are engaged in a difficult and great cause. The program is very important. Everyone should know what they are fighting for. I don't truly understand the actual situation. The information I received from your letter is too little. I can only give you an answer after an on-site investigation. The part I provided is for reference only. Secondly, the picket system I mentioned last time needs to be continuously improved. When necessary, we must be ruthless and make decisive decisions. I don't want to be the one to pour cold water on you, but please remain vigilant in the near future and be extremely careful not to be divided one by one by those in power..."
Many people didn't care what was in the letter, and countless pairs of eager eyes stared at the seemingly heavy money bag in the hands of the union member. It was not until the other party read the end of the letter that they cheered softly.
"—In addition, attached are donations from teachers, students, and readers of Baita University. It's not much, but it's a token of our appreciation. Please accept it. You are not alone."
Young intellectuals naturally sympathize with vulnerable groups and are keen to participate in social governance. Students at Baita University spontaneously organized student clubs to openly discuss politics and express their views on campus.
The society with the largest number of supporters is the "White Tower Youth Association". One of its core views is that the essence of the outbreak of the Bolek County strike is that civilians lack the right to move forward, which has led to poor communication between the empire and the people's voices cannot be conveyed in a timely manner. Therefore, the Blooming Conference system needs to be adjusted as soon as possible to significantly increase the rights of the Third Council.
The Blooming Conference is a consultative meeting held by members of the three levels of parliament whenever the Silver Iris Empire encounters major national issues such as succession to the throne, change of popes, quelling civil unrest, and foreign wars.
The First Council, the Holy Council, consists of clergy from various major Vatican temples. However, due to the growing power of the Glorious Church in recent years and the Blooming Conference being held in the Royal City where the power of the Church is most concentrated, the work of the Holy Council members is jokingly referred to as "reporting to the God of Light."
The Second Parliament, the Royal Court Parliament, is one of the most basic and largest bureaucratic institutions in the political operation of the Silver Iris Empire. The upper-level members are mainly composed of nobles, while the lower-level members are mostly emerging wealthy people such as big businessmen, big bankers, big landowners, and big mine owners.
The third parliament, the Citizens' Parliament, is composed of civilians such as the general public, small and medium-sized merchants, scholars, artisans, trade union representatives, and farmers' association representatives. It has the smallest number of people and the least power, and is the "non-existent person" in the Blooming Conference.
These young people specially invited professors including Mr. Nova to serve as advisors to the White Tower Youth Association, and wrote a passionate joint letter to the Oakensale Society, imploring them to speak up for the poor workers and for the Third Parliament at the Blooming Conference.
"It's useless," Owl had sneered privately to Nova. "If just talking could make wolves spit out the fat meat in their mouths, then the greatest animal trainer in the world would be a bard who talks nonsense, not our 'Beheading Queen'."
At least they did something. The professor refuted him bluntly at the time, which was better than doing nothing and mocking those young people who were still full of enthusiasm.
Then they had another, rightfully so, quarrel, which ended with Wyatt clutching his throbbing forehead and dragging his old friend away, with Azuka standing behind the professor with his half-smile on his face.
Nova began accepting submissions from students, screening and polishing them before publishing them in the Limin Daily. But this did not make his work any easier. Things were changing faster and faster, and new problems and disputes arose every day.
Perhaps due to prolonged overwork, a certain demonic figure at Baita University had recently become increasingly acrimonious and erratic. He'd sometimes driven many students and colleagues, who were once afraid of him, to lose their temper and start arguments with him over academic and even political views. Unable to win the argument, they'd always slam the door and storm out of his office with a sullen face and clenched fists—but soon after, he'd call them back in, patiently and sternly explaining everything word for word, sometimes even giving them a chance to get their hands on some of his homemade cookies.
Despite this, there were still many people who were so infuriated by the professor's words that they sincerely wanted to beat him up. This was when the God's Favored One came into play. As long as the God's Favored One was present, the beautiful blond young man could calm everyone down with just a gentle smile and a few words, even making them feel guilty for their own misconduct.
"Did you cast a spell on those unreasonable paramecium?" In private, the professor stared at the man with an inquiring look, until he pinched his chin with his fingers and turned away gently.
"No, it's just that I know what they want." The God-Favored One replied calmly, "If they crave recognition, I will give it to them. And because they crave more recognition from me, they will continue to adjust in the direction I guide them until they achieve the goal I need."
The black-haired young man slapped his hand away and stared at him for a moment. Just when Azuka thought he was about to mock his coldness, hypocrisy, and deep scheming, he frowned seriously, as if dealing with an obscure paper. "I still don't understand—how on earth did you do it? Is this also some kind of confusion magic?"
"Hmm." The savior lowered his eyes and thought for a moment, then leaned down slightly and cupped the black-haired young man's cheeks with both hands: "For example, do you like hearing me praise you?"
"......?" Nova was a little dazed, and happened to meet those blue eyes that looked extremely sincere, with a clear and gentle smile.
The other person looked at him tenderly, his voice like a tide swallowing him up bit by bit: "You are a wonderful, lovely person, pure and resolute, vast and broad-minded. I will always return to you again and again, walking and walking, until I can no longer endure the so-called freedom of the world without your soul..."
Those soft whispers, like the finest down on a dove's breast on a church eave, or ten thousand trembling clouds, would have made any creature with a beating heart blush under his gaze.
"If possible, I want to share your fate and bear all the most unfortunate pain in the world for you, including insomnia, anxiety and heart palpitations..." His voice gradually lowered, with a strong and bewitching tone: "-So can you drink one less cup of coffee today?"
Nova: “…”
Nova: "First of all, you are also a very good friend, emotionally stable, clear-headed, gentle and tolerant. Secondly, we are partners, and 'sharing the fate' is the inevitable result, whether it is pain or joy."
Nova: “Finally, no.”
He refused coldly: "Don't try to deprive me of my remaining coffee rights."
The man was stunned for a moment, then suddenly smiled silently and rubbed his face with his palms.
"You see, that's why I can't control you." He sighed, loosened his hand, looked at the other person with a smile, frowned, took a step back, and rubbed his ears hard.
"Don't talk so close to me next time. I'm not deaf." His nemesis scolded him coldly, and with the tips of his ears rubbed red, he looked shy.
But Azuka knew that was not the case, because as always, he did not see any fluctuation in the highly transparent eyes behind the other person's lenses, except for a slight uneasiness and instinctive avoidance.
The professor looked at the man with a puzzled expression as he gave him a helpless look. He was finding it increasingly difficult to understand this man's emotions. He thought for a moment, then suddenly realized, "I think I understand what you mean."
"……Um?"
"Thank you for the compliment," he replied seriously. "But I can't praise most creatures in the world whose brains are tangled and shrunken, unable to think for themselves. Not making personal attacks is my greatest tolerance and concession. You're amazing, at least in this respect."
“…It’s the best.”
Someone who was "very good" glanced at him calmly and replied dimly, "If you 'praise' others like this, I will be very angry."
...If such a day really comes, he doesn't know what he will do.
The man fell into deep thought again. Just when the savior thought his nemesis was about to blurt out something particularly irritating, the other party suddenly said seriously, "I like to hear it."
“…”
"Although I'm not used to your world's... overly direct and passionate style of expression, which is lyrical," he frowned, as if trying to organize his words, "I find I don't dislike it. Perhaps it's because I'm just an ordinary person who also desires admiration and recognition from others..."
"So you can continue to praise me." The black-haired young man emphasized expressionlessly, "-but don't even think about touching my coffee."
The author has something to say:
Blooming Conference, a reference to the Spanish Council and the French Estates-General
Whoever loves should share the fate of the one he loves. - Bulgakov, The Master and Margarita
You have such a vast and broad soul, and I will always, always return to it. Kiss you, kiss you, kiss you. - Disco Elysium
I can give you everything I have and will have, and I can bear the pain of the most unfortunate fate in the world on your behalf. - Edward Asadov, "I Can Wait For You For A Long Time"
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