Enlightened Empire

Chapter 334: Unhappy Clergy

Out of Corco’s view, trouble was brewing in the country of Medala. For now though, the king was still happily dealing with what he dealt with most happily: Country development. After his return from Rasacopa, he first ordered an increase in Artemisinin production and dealt with the resulting bottlenecks in terms of manpower, raw materials, and finances.

After he managed to scrounge up some additional funds, he locked himself into his study and did administrative work for a few days, time enough for him to catch back up on his regular responsibilities, and also time enough to get the treasury off his back about cost cutting. With his schedule finally cleared, he had the chance to check out some of the new, major construction projects he had ordered a while ago.

The first and simplest one was also closest at hand. So Corco checked out the world’s first lightning rod, built atop Rapra Castle. Over the years, the castle, as the tallest structure of the city by far, had attracted its fair share of lightning. There were several recorded instances of fires caused by it, so there was good reason to install a lightning rod here.

While Corco didn’t expect the entire castle to burn down from a single lightning strike, he would rather avoid giving his political opponents the convenience of a ‘bad omen’ to stoke flames with. On top of that, the lightning rod could also be used for early experiments with electricity. Despite their current use of primitive batteries, they were still very far away from proper electrical grids, but it was never too early to get started on fun new inventions, at least not as far as Corco was concerned.

Although he checked out the new installation, it really wasn’t anything impressive. What would be impressive about a thin metal wire sticking out of the castle roof after all? He should have known what it would look like beforehand, but without the corresponding lightning to serve up some special effects, it really was a dire disappointment. Thus, the king made his way out of the castle and into the streets of his developing city.

To lift his mood, he decided to inspect the university instead. While it was still under construction, it was fairly far along already, so there would be much to see and much to plan. Best of all, there would be many places to be inspired by.

On his way to the building site in the south of the city, he even met an old acquaintance, someone he could load his disjointed thoughts onto. Because of his status and his known connection to the king, the man was led through the group of guards around Corco, until he stood in front of him.

“King Corco!” the thin priest said. “What a coincidence, I was just about to visit you.”

“Well, you’ve visited me now, Master Watachay,” Corco joked. “Anything specific you want from me, now that your visit is here?”

Over these years, the young priest had become a bit of a messenger between the king and the higher ranking Pacha priests. They had many fruitful conversations during that time. Of course, due to the nature of their positions, not a few of them had been related to religion in Saniya, and the stances of the Pacha priests at large.

“Ah, yes. In fact, I was searching for you, on behalf of master.”

“The old Grand Reader?” Corco remembered the old man in the site of pilgrimage atop Mount Urquna. Not long after Corco’s return to Medala, he had read his future and warned him of an incoming catastrophe. “That’s not much of a surprise. What does he want this time?”

“That is… difficult to say.” The young priest looked at the crowd of people around them, hesitation in his eyes. Finally, he said, “May we go elsewhere? This may be a more private conversation than usual.”

“Sure, just follow me to inspect the new university. I’m sure you’ll like it.” Before the priest had even replied, some of Corco’s guards were already off to organize a palanquin for him. He still didn’t like traveling in the things, but if Watachay wanted a private conversation, and if Corco didn’t want to waste any time, this would be the way to do it.

“Of course, King,” the priest replied.

Not long after, the two sat in the palanquin, and were once again on their way to the soon-to-be university. Outside, the packed streets were slowly passing by. It wouldn’t be long until they passed through all of them and reached the city limits, where the university was being built, so Corco decided to wrap up the conversation quickly.

“Now then, what do you want to tell me?” He motioned towards the priest.

“Again, King Corco, it is not me who wants to tel you anything. I am merely a messenger, sent by my master, on behest of the high priests and grand readers in the north.”

“Since you keep circling around the topic, it does sound pretty dramatic. So that’s fun. What’s the actual issue that you can’t just say it out loud?”

Again, the priest was silent for a long time, but Corco just stared at him until he started talking.

“This time, the message is about the use of the new thermometers in Saniya’s schools,” Watachay said finally.

“They’re not that new, are they?” the king asked back in surprise. In fact, they had developed thermometers years ago already. How were they an issue all of a sudden?

“No, but before, they were only used in the royal laboratories, and not anywhere outside. Up until now, they were hidden away from the general public, being rare, and specialized items. Now, they are spreading to the schools, and soon, they are bound to spread to the shops as well. The commoners will begin to buy them in bulk.”

“Okay,” a confused Corco concluded, “now you need to explain to me how that’s a bad thing.”

Again, the priest paused, but at least his pauses were getting shorter.

“Am I correct in the assumption that the thermometers are made with quicksilver?”

At last, Corco understood the problem, but he really couldn’t believe that the priests could be this petty.

“Don’t tell me this is some ‘holy metal’ nonsense.”

“While the priests have agreed that the imperial family is allowed to own quicksilver for its private use, the emperors and their families have only ever used small quantities. No one has ever done anything like this, spreading the holy metal to the masses in the form of tools. My master, and many other grand readers and high priests, have voiced concern that this may trivialize the divine powers of the quicksilver in the eyes of the common folk.”

“Well, then you find me another fluid that greatly changes its volume with slight temperature changes, doesn’t stick to glass and is readily available. Then I’ll stop using the mercury. I’ll wait here, take your time.”

“Then… could its use not at least be somewhat restricted? If you could take a first step back, that would be something I could bring back to my master. This way, they could make concessions as well, without looking weak.”

What do priests need to look strong for? Their political ambitions are more and more out of hand.

Now that another conflict with another group seemed unavoidable, a sigh escaped Corco. This time, the conflict wouldn’t be with any outside forces, nor with his brothers, or his fellow lords. This time, the trouble seemed to come from the priests themselves.

Although Corco’s own faith had suffered a bit with his new knowledge, he had never truly stopped believing in the Divines, despite his best attempts. In the end, he was still an adherent of Pacha, and didn’t want to force a conflict that would put himself opposite its representatives. Thus, he tried to explain his stance to Watachay.

“You’re maybe not aware of this, since you’re not a technical person. But precise temperature control is important in many fields, far more important than you may think. I’m not only talking about the sciences, like chemistry, here, though they certainly matter the most in this regard. Many ordinary people can benefit greatly from the use of thermometers. Getting exact temperature readings at high seas, to estimate and predict the weather and climate on a journey, is crucial, even more now that we have taken to the seas more than ever before in our history. It’s also important for farmers, to predict harvests and make proper adjustments at the right time. You have no idea by how much harvests can improve with the proper temperature control at the right time. How much can the lives of the Yaku be improved by larger harvests alone? Ever since we’ve introduced fertilizer, you should’ve seen the results yourself. With better measurements and more precision, almost every aspect of human life can be improved. Temperature is a big part of that. I won’t deny my people relief, just because some old guys up north are worried about their status.”

Although he started with a calm tone, Corco got more and more riled up as he talked. By now, he had already gotten over his religious inhibitions. More and more, he realized that it wasn’t the heavens themselves that opposed him, nor was it the entire Pacha priesthood. More likely than not, the ones who had sent Watachay to do their dirty work were the same overambitious priests who had interfered in his father’s succession several years earlier.

“King Corco, that seems a bit harsh,” Watachay tried to defend his master, but Corco would have none of it.

“So am I wrong then? The priests have always relied, at least in part, on mysticism to get the people to follow their words. I’m not talking about everyone of course, but priests are people too, and some of them are greedy for money or power, while others might be vengeful. To them, this is just an issue because they will stand to lose one of their mysterious symbols they can use to fool the public. A proper priest, on the other hand, wouldn’t need cheap tricks like that, because they speak on behalf of what’s right and proper. Their word alone carries enough force, so why cling to these old symbols?”

“Symbolism is important for tradition after all, and tradition is what binds us together, and what puts us above mere beasts.”

“Does that view come from you or from your master?”

“King Corco, I am as troubled by my master’s demand as you are, but with the recent sinister prophecies from several grand readers, as well as the quickly changing times, the conservative elements among the priests have been gaining voice.”

“But a bit of symbolism won’t make a bit of difference in whatever future they’re reading. I mean, the changes to this country are coming one way or another. Since they can’t be stopped, won’t it be better to embrace those changes? Rather than complain about the loss of some mysterious symbol, why not highlight the importance the holy metal will now have in the regular lives of the people? This is even in line with the proper faith. What would be a better tool to measure the nature of Pacha’s lands with than Pacha’s holy metal?”

Although Corco thought his spin on the story was clever, the priest still looked unconvinced, so he tried again.

“This wouldn’t be the first time the Pacha faith has benefited greatly from progress,” the king said. “This has happened in several other areas already. Improved optics have greatly increased our mastery and understanding of planetary bodies, for one. The priests didn’t forget about all those giant telescopes I gifted them, right? Didn’t want anything in return, except their continued dedication to astronomy. This mercury business is just a small issue compared to that, so can’t we let it go? There’s other stuff too. Some priests have been spreading their private meditations around in public, through the use of printing presses. It’s not like a minor change in technology is in any way a threat to faith. All you need is some flexibility to go with the times, and the Pacha faith only stands to benefit.”

Corco’s ramblings had only been semi-coherent, forming his point as he spoke, but it seemed to hit the right string with Watachay. Under enthusiastic nods, the priest replied.

“That is what I said to master. I’ve made use of the presses myself, and to good effect. I have even heard faithless men debate my words after I had nailed them on their tavern doors, though they did not use the kindest words. Of course master did not approve, and scolded me vain for it.”

“Well, I think you’re just being reasonable,” Corco said. “You think you have something to tell to the world. Why would you not want as many as possible to hear that message?”

“However, many priests won’t see it that way. And it’s not just those less noble among us,” Watachay preempted Corco’s argument. “Many of the priests, especially the older ones and ones from the east, prefer stability over the potential benefits of progress. Why change what has worked for centuries? That is what they would think. This is an opinion that is especially popular among the high priests and grand readers. With the most important messengers of faith, your reputation has soured quite a bit. You may be the least favored among the triumvirate kings at the moment.”

“Wait, just because of the mercury thing?” Corco was shocked by the revelation. “Pacha’s ignored religion all his life, despite his name. Ever since my return that guy has only ever cared about power, and he’s openly fought the priests for it. He’s even struck deals with faithless outsiders. And Amautu has even switched religions, he’s not even a proper Pacha adherent anymore with his Chutwa scholar nonsense. How am I the worst?”

“If only this was an issue of the quicksilver alone, their reactions would not have been this harsh. However, there was also the issue of the cartographers who had to work with traveling folk, against their wishes. And what’s more, they were forced to erase the Eternal Ice from the maps. Erasing a site of pilgrimage from the records like that has made many priests unhappy.”

“Well, it wasn’t me who melted the ice. Even if there’s been a few disagreements, I’m still better than my brothers, aren’t I?”

“But the other kings have never promised anything to the high priests. Many priests have expected great things from you, so many have been disappointed by your cold attitude in these cases. By comparison, no one has ever had any trust in the northern kings, so they could not be disappointed. And then there was the issue of the judges as well, which has been seen as the biggest breech of promise. Phasing priests out of the courts, and punishing some heavily for their judgments, has largely been seen as a slap in the face for many.”

“You can’t be blaming me for that one, right?” More and more, Corco was in disbelief over the nonsense opinions of the priests. “How can I keep those judges on when they can’t even follow the letter of the law? Have you read the reports of their interrogations? Some of them weren’t even trying to hide their contempt for the kingdom’s laws. I can’t let a judge who’s not interested in fair judgment keep his position, and I can’t pardon them either. Otherwise, other judges will just do the same, abusing the power of their office for their own purposes. They’ve been warned before, so they really should have known better.”

“I understand all this, but…” A deep sigh escaped the priest. “My master and his peers are far away from Saniya, and they only see the results of your actions. While their views are flawed, they cannot be ignored. This is not a simple conflict to resolve, and I understand that. And I myself do not blame you, King Corco. Ever since you played that piece on the koto atop Mount Urquna and ignited my own passion for music, I have considered you half my master. However, my true master now has developed a serious distaste for you. And he is not the only one. Many of the older priests are very upset, and consider you a traitor to their cause. I did not come with any wise advice, or clever solution, I just came to talk, to see if a conflict could be avoided somehow.”

With Watachay’s final words and his almost pleading expression, the truth finally dawned on Corco.

“No one ordered you to talk to me,” he said. “You came here by yourself, right?”

“I simply cannot believe that the differences between the two sides are all that large,” a frustrated Watachay said. “We have had many conversations, you and I. And I understand that you yourself are a deeply religious man.”

“I wonder about that.”

“You are, even though you may not express your faith in the same way as most. Nevertheless, I know that you value the Pacha faith, just like you value the Yaku traditions. If only both sides in this conflict could take a step back, this entire issue would be easy to resolve, I’m sure.”

As the priest spoke, the palanquin stopped. A look outside told Corco that they had arrived at their destination. Although they were still talking, the king was happy for an excuse to end their talks before they began to run in circles, or get at each other’s throat.

“Well, for now, there’s no use talking about this. Because this doesn’t only depend on me,” he concluded. “I don’t mind having a conversation about the place of the Pacha faith in my kingdom’s future, but you said yourself that the other priests didn’t send you. They don’t even want to talk to me, even though they have such a big problem with me. I wasn’t even aware that there was a problem until you told me. For now, I’ll have to order my thoughts, so I’ll consider this issue once we get back from the inspection. Then I’ll give you an answer, if I can come up with one. But first, how about we simply spend some time appreciating all the good our progress has brought, despite the trouble it always seems to make. We’re already here. Follow me, I’ll introduce you to the future of the world’s education, the shining beacon of enlightenment: Sohcahtoa University.”

Without waiting for the priest’s reply, Corco left the palanquin.