Chapter 16: Questions Before the Assembly
"Your Grace!"
"Long live His Grace!"
Amid waves of cheers, Arthur calmly stepped down from the carriage. Surrounded by a few guards, he made his way into the State Parliament.
Inside, Arthur saw Governor Evan directing his staff in tallying the election results.
As the most populous state in Australia, New South Wales also had the most intense electoral competition.
Even though it had been allocated the most Lower House seats among the six states, calling the process "one in ten thousand" wouldn't be an exaggeration.
Currently, the governors of the six Australian states also served as interim cabinet members. By Arthur's special approval, they had been granted direct entry into the Lower House for this first session.
Of course, this would only happen once. If they failed to win the next gubernatorial election, or failed in future Lower House elections, they would have to temporarily step away from national politics.
"Your Grace!"
Governor Evan quickly spotted Arthur and paused his work to greet him.
"Your Grace!"
Everyone in the parliament chamber echoed the greeting.
"Governor Evan, how are the elections going? Are things progressing smoothly?"
Arthur nodded and glanced at the pile of documents beside Evan, asking as he walked outside toward the candidate registration area.
"Everything is going very smoothly so far, Your Grace. We've seen no signs of fraud, which is something worth celebrating," Evan replied with a smile.
Ever since Arthur had secured his royal authority in the last meeting, Evan had resigned himself to reality.
Rather than foolishly try to challenge Arthur for power, it was better to use his capabilities to secure a high position in the new government.
"That's good to hear. How many new candidates have registered today?"
Arthur asked as he reached the candidate registration zone.
"Compared to the past six days, the number of candidates today has dropped significantly.
Perhaps people realize that entering the race on the final day puts them at a disadvantage, so we currently have only a few signing up," Evan explained, pointing at the line.
Arthur looked around. Though the crowd was large, only about fifty people were actually lining up to register—far fewer than on previous days.
After all, it was the last day of the election, and any votes gained today would likely be minimal.
Arthur smiled and stepped forward, stopping in front of an obviously excited man.
"What's your name, sir?"
"K-K-Conlet, Your... Your Grace," the man stammered, overwhelmed by Arthur's presence and the fact that he was being spoken to directly.
"Conlet, is it? No need to be nervous. This is just a normal conversation. Are you here to run for office?" Arthur asked kindly, unfazed by the man's flustered demeanor.
"Yes, Your Grace. If our home hadn't been so far from Sydney, I wouldn't have arrived so late," Conlet replied, finally speaking clearly, though his eyes still avoided Arthur's gaze.
"Good luck, sir."
Arthur smiled and patted Conlet's shoulder before turning his attention to others nearby.
"You're candidates as well?"
Arthur addressed the crowd, noticing two composed middle-aged men who stood out among the sea of nervous faces.
While most onlookers showed signs of awe and anxiety—as expected when standing before the highest authority in the nation—these two remained noticeably calm.
When they realized Arthur was speaking to them, they immediately responded,
"Yes, Your Grace!"
"Can you introduce yourselves briefly?" Arthur asked with a smile.
"Of course, Your Grace," Henris began, but his friend Martin spoke first.
"My name is Martin. I'm an official with the Sydney municipal government," Martin said respectfully.
Not upset about being preempted, Henris waited until Martin finished before continuing,
"Your Grace, I'm Henris, also an official in Sydney's city government."
"And what are your goals in running? Or what do you plan to do if elected?"
Arthur was intrigued by their composure and decided to ask more.
"Of course, to develop the nation and improve the quality of life for all Australians," Martin answered.
Though Australians were primarily descended from Western immigrants, their standard of living was still far behind that of more developed powers like Britain, Germany, France, or the United States.
Martin's first thought, naturally, was to improve economic income and living conditions.
"Very good. And you?" Arthur turned to Henris, clearly more interested in his answer.
"Your Grace, in my years working for the city government, I've seen far too many people die because they couldn't afford medical care, and far too many families go bankrupt trying to save a loved one.
I know this can't be solved overnight, but I'm willing to dedicate myself to that cause," Henris said seriously, glancing at Arthur and noticing his interest. He continued:
"Of course, I understand that this depends on the country's development. Australians shouldn't focus only on immediate personal gain—we must prioritize national growth.
Only when our country becomes prosperous and developed will the government have the means to help the poor and improve everyone's lives.
The people must trust the nation, and the nation must protect the people.
If that balance is upheld, Australia will have no fear of stagnation, and its people will have no fear of poverty."
Clap! Clap!
Arthur was the first to applaud.
"Well said, Henris," Arthur smiled.
"As long as the people trust their nation and work together to build it, and once we are prosperous and powerful, we can then give back to the people.
The people and the nation complement each other.
Reviving the country and enriching the people—that is our ultimate goal!"
(End of Chapter)
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