Mystery: A Spark

He died of depression.

This is a rather meaningful way of dying, usually found in historical records.

There are several other ways to die similar to it, such as "death from illness" and "sudden death".

If it were said that a single person "died of illness," "died suddenly," or "died of depression," then it wouldn't be entirely unbelievable.

However, when the death toll rises to several dozen, this statement becomes something to ponder.

Especially when such a thing happens in a relatively short period of time, only an idiot would believe it.

"That is truly regrettable. These gentlemen devoted themselves to our country and to ensuring the timely supply of materials during this war. They eventually succumbed to illness from overwork. They are all worthy of our respect."

Arthur, his face grave, took out a handkerchief, wiped the "tears" from his face, and then said:

"Let us observe three minutes of silence for them; their sacrifices deserve our respect."

Upon hearing Arthur's words, the officials and nobles present exchanged glances, their expressions subtly changing.

The truth about those people's deaths was clear to everyone present.

Now that Arthur has suddenly put forward this "mourning" ceremony, those in the know are at a loss for how to react.

Even though they had different thoughts, after a brief silence, they all lowered their heads and began to mourn.

Audrey pursed her lips, hesitated for two seconds, and then lowered her head.

Whether they were truly observing a moment of silence is unclear.

Three minutes passed quickly, and Arthur raised his head, looked at everyone present, and said loudly:

"Ladies and gentlemen, our country has just overcome a crisis, for which many of our compatriots have sacrificed their lives. We should remember them."

"But at the same time, we should also look forward and build our country into a better place, so as not to let down their sacrifices and contributions. Don't you agree?"

“That’s right, we should both remember the past and have the courage to move forward into the future,” Audrey responded first, followed by the others.

"Then, let's discuss Rune's next steps."

After saying this, Arthur took the lead and walked towards the main hall of Sodrak Palace, where he sat down on the throne.

The crowd followed him here and lined up on both sides below according to their status and position.

Given Arthur's current reputation and power, no one dares to object to him taking that position.

Therefore, things like "Do you think my sword is not sharp?" and "My sword is not sharp at all!" will not happen here.

"The main reason why we were able to launch a counterattack from an unfavorable position and ultimately succeed in this war was the valiant fighting of our soldiers. They used their flesh and blood to hold back the invasion of the Fussac Empire, giving us ample time to enter a state of war preparedness."

"Secondly, it is because we have sufficient supplies in the rear. Whether it is weapons, medicine or food, there was no significant shortage during the war, and this is all thanks to the hard work of everyone present."

Arthur first analyzed the reasons for the success of the Patriotic War and acknowledged the contributions of both the military and the government during the war.

Then, he changed the subject:

"But we can actually do better; we just need to make a slight change to the policy."

Upon hearing this, the officials and nobles below immediately became solemn.

Because as the upper echelons of the country, such policy changes will inevitably affect their interests.

"My intention is to establish a national reserve to stockpile food at the national level in order to cope with various emergencies, such as war, and other natural and man-made disasters."

Arthur's voice echoed through the palace, reaching everyone's ears.

"As for the source of grain, I have decided to achieve this by restricting grain prices. That is, we will set a maximum and minimum purchase price for grain each year. When the price exceeds the maximum, we will sell the old grain in the national reserve to stabilize the price. When the price falls below the minimum, we will buy new grain from the market to prepare for unforeseen circumstances."

"Of course, it's not just the national grain reserve that can do this; after the qualifications have been verified, major domestic enterprises can also join this work of macro-control of grain prices."

Silence fell over the palace after he finished speaking.

Arthur looked down at the crowd below, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest of the throne.

Undoubtedly, this was a test, a test of the bottom line of these officials and nobles' acceptance of reform.

If the opposition is not strong this time, then we can take two more steps forward.

However, if the reaction from all levels of society is too intense, Arthur can back down a little and seek other paths.

Arthur had no intention of initiating a massive revolution in the country, after all, the world would end in a little over a decade.

So at this stage, he just wants to make Rune as strong and useful as possible so that it can support his next big move.

During this time, he will also take the opportunity to make the people in the country live better, more easily, and become stronger, more confident, and wiser.

Most importantly, we need to achieve a significant increase in population.

This is not only what the anchor needs, but also what his heart desires.

After a few minutes of silence, Prime Minister Agushid stepped forward, his lips moving as if he were organizing his thoughts.

A few seconds later, he asked:

"Your Majesty, what criteria are used to determine the highest and lowest prices?"

Your Majesty? Arthur was taken aback at first, then realized that he still didn't seem to have a confirmed title.

In terms of position, he currently only holds the substantive post of frontline staff officer, at most including his former position as Minister of Defense.

It certainly doesn't seem right for someone in such a position to be sitting on this throne now; it feels like their position is illegitimate and unjustified.

No wonder Agushid immediately addressed him as "Your Majesty"; he probably genuinely didn't know what else to call him.

"Well, this year is the first year of the new policy, so the grain support price will be based on the transaction price of the whole year last year. As for the future, it will be determined by taking into account the grain market price of the year and factors such as inflation."

Having said that, Arthur rose from his throne, looked at the crowd below, and said solemnly:

"Furthermore, from this moment forward, I will be the supreme representative of Rune both internally and externally, with the title of Head of State. I have the authority to interfere in all policy actions of this country, as well as the authority to appoint and dismiss all officials and to make reasonable deployments of the Rune army."

"Everyone, this world will hardly be peaceful from now on. Although it has never been peaceful for many years, believe me, it will become exceptionally chaotic afterward."

"Under these circumstances, Rune will also face various challenges, and I will lead you to face these challenges."

"If I fail, I will step down, but I will not fail."

"In the struggle that follows, there will only be two outcomes: the enemy will annihilate us, or we will annihilate the enemy."

"If I unfortunately die, please wrap my body in the national flag."

After saying this, Arthur raised his right hand forward and upward at a 45-degree angle and shouted:

"Long live victory!"

The crowd below also raised their hands.

"Long live victory!!!"

Chapter 301 The Holy Rune Empire

Arthur's self-appointment as head of state did not spark any discussion among officials and nobles.

Because this was something they had already anticipated.

Even when the war broke out, Arthur was already a well-known figure in the country.

His subsequent pre-war speeches and court appearances further enhanced his reputation.

After the victory in the War of Resistance against Japan and the signing of the non-aggression pact, there was hardly anyone left who could hold the position of leader of Rune except for Arthur.

Therefore, the main focus of the people present was on the grain price support policy.

After all, this is something that can genuinely affect their interests.

However, since Arthur just stated that this year's food support price will be set according to last year's market price, and last year, due to the enactment of the Corn Act, food prices fluctuated more significantly, the support price will be set more leniently.

This year is different. Due to the rise of the Workers' Mutual Aid Association, even with the outbreak of war, the grain market has maintained a relatively stable price for most of the year.

Therefore, setting this year's support price based on last year's grain market ensures that stakeholders will not suffer significant profit losses. This can be seen as a concession made by Arthur to ensure the policy's implementation.

The benefits of such concessions are obvious.

Some people who were initially inclined to oppose the policy after hearing about it mostly swallowed their words of opposition after hearing about this year's protective price standard.

Because they did the math in their heads and realized that they wouldn't actually suffer much loss this year because of this policy.

Furthermore, considering those who had previously "died of depression," the officials and nobles present, after some discussion, ultimately reluctantly passed the policy.

The first policy promulgated by Arthur was adopted, which was a good start.

So he then proposed several more measures, including adjustments to a series of departments in the Rune government, in order to ensure that his orders were carried out effectively.

……

September 25th, Sunday.

A grand ceremony was held in Backlund.

At the ceremony, the newly appointed head of state of Rune, Arthur Heller, delivered an important speech, summarizing the shortcomings of Rune over the past years and looking forward to the future.

Subsequently, the newly appointed head of state announced three things.

Firstly, the Kingdom of Rune was renamed the Holy Rune Empire.

Secondly, all legal citizens of the Kingdom of Rune now automatically become citizens of the Holy Rune Empire, and they have a new name: the Rune People.

Third, the Holy Rune Empire will promulgate a grain price protection policy to protect the legitimate rights and interests of farmers through macro-control of the grain price market.

The news sparked cheers throughout the Ruen Kingdom, the name "Ruen People" began to take root in people's hearts, and the new leader's prestige quickly reached its peak.

In addition to these, some departments of the Ruen government have also been reorganized.

For example, MI9 was renamed the Military Intelligence Bureau, but it was still managed by the original head of MI9, Celtic. It was responsible for espionage, specializing in undercover investigations and intelligence gathering on threatening foreign forces, including countries, local powers, secret organizations, and even individuals, and taking various countermeasures when necessary.

In addition to the Military Intelligence Bureau, Arthur established a new department called the Central Bureau of Investigation.

It is responsible for counter-espionage, counter-crime, and counter-terrorism work within the territory of Rune, as well as overseeing government officials at all levels, and is headed by Sharon.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) only has investigative powers and the power to arrest after obtaining an arrest warrant; it does not have trial powers.

So where does the power of adjudication lie? That's a matter for another new department.

The Tribunal is the third institution to emerge in the Holy Rune Empire, following the Military Intelligence Bureau and the Central Investigation Bureau.

It operates independently of the current judicial system in Ruen, and its duty is to try any individuals arrested by the Military Intelligence Bureau and the Central Bureau of Investigation who threaten the Empire and its people.

The court was headed by Hugh Deercha, who had just stepped down as vice president of the Workers' Aid Association, and was accountable only to Führer Arthur Heller.