Chapter 514: Corsica's Future
The sky darkened.
Filippo sat on the hillside overlooking the village of Nungia, pieces of shredded newspaper at his feet. He stared blankly at the village in the distance, but his heart was a battlefield of anguish.
He knew the independence movement faced a critical juncture. Setting the village ablaze was the only way to resolve the current crisis, ensuring the independence faction could continue resisting the French.
However, doing so would also mean allowing a man guilty of rape and embezzlement to remain the leader of the independence movement. Filippo had previously dismissed accusations of Paul's corruption as baseless, but the rape case in London made him believe otherwise.
If he chose not to start the fire, the independence movement he had dedicated his life to might splinter, lose control of the provincial assembly, and ultimately collapse.
Yet, the only person capable of uniting the independence movement was Paul…
But Paul was a vile, despicable criminal—a monster.
Could Filippo bear to watch his lifelong dream of independence dissolve into nothingness?
He sat in turmoil, unable to make a decision. At some point, he let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head repeatedly, as if the weight of his choice had crushed him.
Suddenly, he stood up and briskly walked toward a steep incline to his left.
If he couldn't make the decision, he would leave it to God.
With that thought, he leaped from the nearly vertical slope, his body tumbling downward, striking jagged rocks along the way and leaving a trail of blood behind.
The next day at noon, a villager discovered Filippo's body at the foot of the hill and rushed back to inform the parish priest.
When Agosta and the chief guard realized Filippo had been missing all night and the village of Nungia hadn't caught fire, they began searching for him. They arrived just as the villagers were heading to examine the body.
In London, Paul's rape case lost public interest after just two weeks. He posted bail and returned home. A political figure of his stature was unlikely to be toppled by such a "minor scandal."
However, the incident continued to snowball in Corsica, becoming the dominant topic of conversation and widely known across the island.
This was largely due to the relentless efforts of the anti-Paul faction, with covert support from the pro-French group. The front pages of local newspapers were plastered with details of Paul's case daily.
Bartolomeo went as far as purchasing thousands of copies of the London Gazette, which carried the original story, and distributing them across towns for free.
The onslaught of negative publicity caused Paul's faction's campaign to crumble. In the elections held after the scandal broke, they won only one seat.
The anti-Paul faction emerged as the biggest winner, gaining support even from those who had previously dismissed their accusations as slander. Additionally, some voters, disgusted by Paul's disgrace, turned away from the independence movement entirely, boosting the pro-French faction unexpectedly.
A month later, the Corsican provincial elections concluded.
The anti-Paul faction, led by Bartolomeo, secured 35% of the seats. Their covert ally, Girolamo, backed by Chalmers' funding, was poised to win the position of assembly speaker with a clear advantage.
The pro-French faction, led by Count Buttafuoco, won 33% of the seats—a record high since France's acquisition of Corsica.
Paul's faction, despite its collapse, managed to retain 18% of the seats, thanks to their strong start in the campaign.
The moderates fared the worst. Having been labeled as sympathizers of Paul, they won only 14% of the seats. In political battles, indecisiveness rarely wins favor.
A Vineyard Outside Ajaccio
From a distance, Girolamo spotted a portly nobleman approaching the gate. Turning to Bartolomeo, he said quietly, "He's here."
Bartolomeo adjusted his collar and strode forward, cutting off any chance for the visitor to initiate pleasantries.
"Speak quickly. Say what you must and leave."
"You're quite cold, aren't you?"
The visitor was none other than Count Buttafuoco. Despite Bartolomeo's hostility, he tipped his hat courteously before speaking.
"You may want to rethink that attitude. After all, we'll be seeing a lot of each other once we start working together. It'd be better if we got along."
"Working together?" Bartolomeo scoffed. "What cooperation could we possibly have with you?"
Unfazed, the count smiled.
"Surely you've noticed. Together, your faction and mine hold over two-thirds of the seats in the assembly."
Bartolomeo frowned, recognizing the significance of the count's observation. A two-thirds majority meant the ability to pass legislation unopposed.
"So?"
"We can work together to propose laws that will permanently bury Paul and his cronies."
Bartolomeo was taken aback.
Although the anti-Paul faction had gained the upper hand in the elections, Paul still wielded significant influence within the independence movement.
Eliminating Paul's faction through legislation would make Bartolomeo's group the core of the independence movement. He might even rise to become its new leader.
His mind raced. If this goal could be achieved, cooperating with the pro-French faction might be worth considering.
Bartolomeo's demeanor softened. He gestured toward the house.
"Come in. Let's talk."
Several hours later, Count Buttafuoco departed, having accomplished his mission.
Inside the vineyard's house, Bartolomeo turned to Girolamo.
"What do you think about working with them?"
"This is an opportunity," Girolamo replied confidently. "It's just one piece of legislation. Afterward, we'll cut ties with the pro-French faction."
Bartolomeo nodded in agreement.
However, he overlooked a crucial detail: the legislative vote would be public.
If Bartolomeo's faction allied with the pro-French to suppress Paul, they would forever be seen as collaborators with the French.
And once a tactic like this is used successfully, it's tempting to use it again. With their financial backers also working covertly against them, Bartolomeo's faction was bound to become deeply entangled with the pro-French faction before long.
From Joseph's perspective, these fledgling politicians playing at elections were as naive as schoolchildren compared to the sophisticated political scheming of the modern era.
A week later, under newly elected Speaker Girolamo's leadership, the Corsican Assembly passed a new law with overwhelming support.
The law decreed that Paul would be permanently stripped of Corsican citizenship. Any Corsican who contacted him in any way would be charged with treason. Paul's personal assets were to be confiscated by the Corsican Assembly as restitution for his embezzlement. Additionally, all of his written works were banned from sale in Corsica.
While these measures ostensibly targeted Paul alone, they effectively uprooted the Paul faction from the independence movement.
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