Chapter 347

According to Liam, Rezo of House Cassalanter hadn't died. He knew about some of what was going on, but hadn't been directly involved, and was ultimately sentenced to fifteen years in prison.

Prison was no vacation. The convicts would serve their sentences at correctional farms, ranches, and mines established by Waterdeep's authorities.

Prisoners serving sentences of fifteen years or more might be assigned to dangerous mines, where the work was grueling. They would get enough to eat, but the food was terrible, and there was virtually no chance of having their sentences reduced. Whether they would even make it out alive was another question.

The Rose Orchard Winery under Rezo's name had been seized and would be given to Gwyneth and the others as compensation.

That compensation was clearly excessive. Land in Waterdeep was worth a fortune; the plot alone was worth tens of thousands of gold pieces, never mind the manor, winery, wine cellar, vineyards, and other assets.

'And who says Waterdeep doesn't know how to play the favor game...' Anser chuckled.

He had already learned of the official announcements from Waterdeep and the royal family of Bral, so he simply went to Osborn for the details and posted both stories directly in the Spirit Net's news section.

Reputation was a form of power in its own right. With enough prestige, everything became easier.

By now, the news section already had quite a bit of content, including gossip and old stories. Most of it had been submitted by Iris and the others, then reviewed and published by Sakkors.

'Not bad. It's starting to take shape.' He nodded inwardly.

Public opinion was extremely important. Once the Spirit Net grew large enough, it would directly influence the direction of public opinion across Faerûn.

Whoever he said was good would be good, and whoever he said was bad would be bad. Using that influence to manipulate prices or stir up popular sentiment and religious faith wouldn't be particularly difficult either.

'We absolutely have to stay neutral in the early stages. Credibility is crucial!'

He wouldn't deliberately manipulate public opinion, but some necessary guidance was important. Otherwise, certain people might exploit the platform and turn his Spirit Net into a cesspool.

...

The sun leaped over the horizon, its gentle light gilding the boundary where the worlds of Toril and Abeir merged. The line twisted and wound into the distance, like a divine mountain hidden among the clouds.

Another ordinary day had begun.

But for many people, there was nothing ordinary about today.

The Spirit Net had been operating for only a single night, yet countless people had already sensed the subtle changes in their surroundings, and many had quietly established a connection with it.

Just like that, the Spirit Net abruptly entered everyone's lives.

Some were wary. Others were ecstatic. Quite a few bewildered novice spellcasters even used the Spirit Net to perform Magic Power spellcasting for the first time.

Raw, violent Magic Power had never been so docile and obedient.

During the months of disruption to the Weave, spellcasters had suffered endlessly. Some stubbornly clung to spell slots, while others actively embraced Magic Power spellcasting and went everywhere buying spell models. Yet the outcome seemed much the same either way.

It was simply too difficult.

Now, they could see hope again.

They didn't care where the Spirit Net had come from. All they knew was that the previously daunting barrier to Magic Power spellcasting had suddenly plummeted, allowing them to cast spells once more. Their wandering hearts finally had a direction again.

Over the course of the previous night, Sakkors had received countless membership applications—not dozens, not hundreds, not even thousands, but tens of thousands!

And that wasn't even many, because most people were still waiting and watching.

There were at least tens of millions of intelligent creatures within the Spirit Net's coverage area. Assuming that one-quarter of them had an Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma score above 12, that still amounted to several million potential users.

Sakkors approved only a little over a thousand applications. Most belonged to ordinary people and low-level professionals, scattered across different regions and representing all the major races.

For now, stability had to come first.

Every Junior Member would receive a codename and a unique runic serial number. Race was a required field, but nothing else was mandatory. Imposing too many requirements would only hinder adoption.

To help them understand the value of the Spirit Net, Sakkors gave every member one free telepathic call and two free Sending services.

'I hope Sakkors can handle it.'

Anser figured Sakkors was probably enjoying every second of it. After all, those Spirit Coins would ultimately be consumed by him and the mythallar.

Who would turn down the feeling of constantly growing stronger?

Anser briefly checked on Sakkors's condition while his attention wandered, then quickly snapped back to the present and clicked open his pocket watch.

The hands were approaching nine.

He looked around. The Black Tower's main hall was already packed.

Nine councilors sat on either side of the long table, in order of precedence:

Veronica, Stoll, Iris, Osborn, Quentin, Graham, Diero Pisaka, Lachman, and Evanwood.

Dozens of seats were arranged neatly around the long table, occupied by senior and mid-ranking officials and military commanders.

Bratt, Giant Tail, Makaria, Adolf, Kaleno, Salian, Little Harold, Pardo, Lin Qiancheng, Moen...

Several unfamiliar faces among them wore standard military uniforms. They were the commanders of Bral's army and navy.

Today marked the founding of the Holrewen Federation, as well as the first formal session of the Holrewen Joint Council.

Notices had been sent out several days in advance. Early that morning, Anser had brought all the attendees stationed across Durlag, White Stone Island, Dawn Town, and Bral into Holrewen.

There would be no need to go through so much trouble in the future. The councilors and other key officials had all been given Paradise Marks, allowing them to apply for direct entry into headquarters next time.

As the doors slowly closed, the hall instantly fell silent. Everyone sat upright, their gazes converging on Anser at the head of the table.

"President, everyone's here," Quentin said, gripping a stack of papers, his voice firm and resonant.

"Good." Anser swept his gaze around the room and smiled. "Everyone, today is a special day. We've gathered here for one reason—to announce one thing."

"The Holrewen Federation has been founded!"

Excitement spread across everyone's faces, and they couldn't help but erupt in cheers.

In truth, they had all known about it beforehand. But hearing Anser formally announce it still stirred emotions they couldn't contain.

Having an official "name" mattered enormously. With a legitimate name came legitimate authority.

Now they all belonged to a single, unified, independent government. They had an official title and identity, and that made all the difference.

"This is a good beginning." Once everyone had quieted down somewhat, Anser continued, "But the situation is difficult, and the future is full of challenges. How far the Federation can go will depend on each of you putting your talents to good use and giving it your full support..."

His speech wasn't long, focusing mainly on praise, encouragement, and motivation.

Judging by the atmosphere, it worked extremely well. Everyone seemed to have even more confidence in Anser than he had in himself.

They weren't expecting Anser to personally handle the work. Rather, they knew he would be the Federation's strongest pillar of support. Whether in strength, reputation, or credibility, he was beyond reproach.

After Anser's brief speech, Quentin, serving as moderator, took over and began the first item on the agenda: introductions.

Everyone came from different places and knew little about one another, so proper introductions were necessary.

Quentin began with Veronica, Queen of Bral, and introduced everyone in turn. Each person stood and acknowledged the room when introduced.

Even the Queen enjoyed no special privileges here. Bral, like White Stone Island, was simply one part of the Federation.

Next came the second item: announcing the Holrewen Federation's governing systems and regulations.

There was too much material to cover in full, so Quentin read only selected portions concerning the military and administrative structure, the council system, the legal framework, the rules of the Commercial Alliance, and other matters.

He spoke for nearly three hours, his firm, resonant voice echoing throughout the hall.

Everyone else listened intently, their pens scratching ceaselessly across paper. Their own futures were involved, so there was no room for carelessness.

Once Quentin finished his presentation, the meeting recessed for fifteen minutes.

Then came the next item—and the one everyone cared about most:

The announcement of official appointments!

Councilor Quentin was appointed the Federation's first Prime Minister, tasked with forming and administering the central government and reporting directly to Anser.

He wasn't particularly powerful, but when it came to administrative ability, no one in the entire Federation could match him.

Stoll was dim-witted, Iris was lazy, Osborn was unwilling to leave the Burrows, and Lin Qiancheng devoted most of his energy to magic...

Taking everything into consideration, Quentin was the best choice.

Anser had already brought him into the Genius Adventuring Party as its twelfth member, strengthening his control over him.

At present, the Federation consisted of four major regions: Holrewen, the headquarters; Durlag; White Stone Island; and Bral.

Holrewen itself held a special status. Bratt served as its governor, while Sakkors was its true controller. It had no military forces, yet its defenses were virtually impregnable.

Councilor Graham was appointed governor of Durlag's local government, responsible for all affairs within Durlag.

Councilor Quentin concurrently served as governor of White Stone Island's local government, with Lin Qiancheng as his deputy, assisting him in developing the island.

Bral would retain independent self-governance and remain under the administration of the Cozar royal family.

Aside from the headquarters, the primary responsibility of the three regional governments was to pay taxes.

On the military side, Stoll would serve as commander of the Federation's armed forces, with Makaria, Giant Tail, and Froidin as deputy commanders to help shoulder his military responsibilities.

Froidin was the commander of Bral's Royal Navy. Under his command was Bral's most powerful—and most expensive—Starsea Fleet, consisting of five magical ships of various types and a complement of 350 personnel.

After Bral joined the Federation, all military forces other than the Royal Guard, mage corps, and other units directly subordinate to the royal family were naturally supposed to fall under the central government's direct command.

Ownership of the magical ships remained with the royal family, which was temporarily leasing them to the federal government.

Froidin would also take over the military responsibilities previously held by Bral's governor, becoming Bral's highest-ranking military commander and reporting directly to Stoll and Anser.

Bral also had an army of only 300 troops, commanded by Sollfrank, one of the major local nobles.

Anser had no intention of replacing either military commander. As long as they remained faithful to their duties and made no mistakes, he was willing to place a certain degree of trust in them.

The Durlag City Defense Force would be reorganized into the Durlag Army under Makaria's command, with its strength provisionally set at 1,000 troops.

The White Stone Island Defense Force would be reorganized into the White Stone Island Army under Giant Tail's command, with its strength provisionally set at 600 troops.

Aside from military and administrative affairs, the Federation's most important institution was the "Federal Commercial Alliance," which Councilor Iris would directly manage and oversee.

Fort Jacqueline already had a large commercial team. Splitting off a portion of it would be enough to get the organization up and running.

If the other councilors wanted to participate, they could either assemble their own teams and join or hand their goods over to Iris for transportation and sale, paying only the required fees.

The Commercial Alliance would become one of the Federation's largest sources of tax revenue and would receive priority access to all kinds of resources.

Osborn would oversee the Bral branch, while Kaleno would oversee the Dawn Town branch. In other regions, the local governments would directly support the Alliance and provide every possible convenience.

With the Federation only just established, Anser made no sweeping reforms and continued using the existing administrative systems.

The next step was to recruit personnel, accelerate restructuring, establish the basic framework of the central government, determine appointments for officials at every department and level, and set salaries and benefits.

"This is the founding proclamation of the Holrewen Federation. Each councilor should take a few copies and post them publicly." Quentin distributed long document tubes to the councilors one by one.

Curious, Veronica pulled out the scroll. Before she even unfurled it, she saw an enormous crest printed on the back of the parchment:

The back of a six-winged being floated amid a vast sea of stars, mysterious and unknowable.

Everyone exchanged knowing smiles. The crest was far too distinctive. One glance was enough to know exactly who it represented.

At that moment, Iris glanced at Anser and spoke up of her own accord. "Everyone, I recently discovered something interesting called the Spirit Net."

She paused and swept her gaze around the room. Sure enough, the expressions of several mid- and high-ranking officials from Durlag shifted slightly.

White Stone Island and Bral weren't within the Spirit Net's coverage area, but Durlag was. Well-informed professionals, or those with particularly keen senses, should already have noticed the Spirit Net's existence.

"To make communication and coordination within the Federation easier, I suggest that everyone join..."

After her brief introduction, Bratt spoke up in support as well, leaving everyone else increasingly curious.

Seeing this, Iris directly guided everyone in sensing the Spirit Net and applying for membership.

When they saw that the President voiced no objection, they felt somewhat reassured and didn't refuse.

Before long, exclamations of surprise rang throughout the hall.

Anser merely smiled without saying anything. However, to avoid arousing suspicion, he approved only a handful of membership applications, including Quentin's.

The others would have to join gradually over time.

'Off-network communication consumes an enormous amount of energy. I wonder when the Spirit Net will finally cover all of Toril.'

---

I will post some extra Chapters in Patreon, you can check it out. >> /TitoVillar

---