The Martial Unity

The final reason was that the policy came from his largest political opponent, and he was almost obliged to push back on the matter unless it was truly something that he ought not to oppose.

"What do you mean?" Guildmaster Bradt replied blankly.

"Don't play dumb!" Chairman Deacon barked back. "What is the meaning of this policy? How could you force a policy that is ripe for exploitation from the underworld and criminals of all kinds? You'll turn the Shionel Confederation into a breeding ground for criminals all across the continent!"

"Criminals who are mostly criminals in other legalities," Guildmaster Bradt corrected. "Furthermore, these criminals will immediately be captured and deported to other nations where we have extradition treaties as per our international protocols, correct? At worst, they will be denied entry into our nation because the new policy that has just been passed laxes identity verification registration only for legal and passed migrants after they have already joined the nation. It does not apply to immigration protocols, do not pretend as if you do not know this."

Chairman Deacon gritted his teeth. Technically, he was not wrong. After all, it was true that any wanted fugitive would get deported, or at the very least denied entry into the country, however, that did not mean they could be stopped from entering the nation.

"Those immigration protocols only prevent them from entering the nation legally," Chairman Deacon pointed out. "They do not stop them from infiltrating the nation. The borders of the nation are simply too far and vast to prevent all Martial Artists from entering them."

"That's an issue that has to do with border security and surveillance than anything to do with the internal policies of the Shionel Adventurer Guild," Guidmaster Patrick frowned. "Why do you bring that up?"

"Because the new policy allows for illegal immigrants to register with the guild anonymously and set up businesses anonymously," Chairman Deacon retorted coldly. "That used to not be the case, as only those who entered the country legally were allowed to register with the guild, this allows illegal immigrants to freely enter the Shionel Dungeon and register with the Adventurer Guild."

This was a valid point that could not be denied.

"That is true," Guildmaster Bradt nodded. He had already anticipated that somebody would bring this up. Denying such a thing with pedantic arguments would only reflect bad on him. "However, the solution to our inadequate security cannot be to mold every other law to account for that. We should instead strive to secure our borders as much as possible. Even without this new policy, it is still possible for illegally immigrated Martial Squires to engage in work surrounding the Shionel Dungeon due to fake identities and backgrounds that can be obtained from the underworld. We need to develop a far more rigorous and secure system that can ensure that we do not need to bow down to those who exploit the holes in our system. Your suggestion reeks of cowardice and fear, I instead aim to show the world that our country's security is not a joke that can be treated lightly. That is why I intend to bring forth a motion to explore a higher budget and a greater allocation of resources to the Shionel Border Force that will allow our protectors to fulfill their duties better."

This earned some approval from the cabinet ministers, Guildmaster Bradt had cleverly relied on a nationalistic sentiment to deflect Chairman Deacon's criticisms of the policy that he had passed being harmful to the nation.

"And if it doesn't work out, are you willing to take full responsibility?" Chairman Deacon narrowed his eyes.

"I have always taken responsibility for my decisions and actions," Guildmaster Bradt remarked, giving Chairman Deacon a knowing look that the latter did not understand. "In time, you will understand the true wisdom behind my actions."

Those were cryptic words, but people did not doubt them immediately when they considered the man uttering them.

Who was Bradt Patrick? A man who came from truly nothing. He had risen to the very peak of the economy of the Shionel Confederation through his deeply shrewd and ruthless analytical insight and decision-making, before sizing.

His credibility was extremely high, and it became clear to everyone that there were deeper considerations to this policy change that they did not quite understand yet.

Chairman Deacon only grew more alarmed at that realization. It brought him deep anxiety at not understanding his opponent's actions and decisions. There was no doubt that this policy was in the interests of the guildmaster more than anyone else, which meant that it was naturally against his own interests.

He didn't know what to think about the matter, but he intended to get to the bottom of it.

If he didn't keep up, he would have the rug pulled out from under his feet, and he will have squandered the one opportunity that had presented itself in the form of the Shionel Dungeon to usurp his formidable rival. The Shionel Dungeon truly benefited him more than it did anybody else given the sector that his company operated in was almost made for it.

The previously hopeless gap between him and the guildmaster of the Shionel Merchant Guild had been shortening at a steady pace. The massive capital that he had gained as a result allowed him to sway more support from many of the cabinet merchants of the Shionel Merchant Guild, steadily building his political capital. His faction was slowly catching up to that of Guildmaster Bradt, and he predicted that there was a realistic chance of him winning when the next election, which was in over a year, came.

That was why he was particularly paranoid about the timing of this policy change. A single policy change could cause a ripple effect that could snowball in that time and ruin his plans. He didn't like that he was unable to understand the full depth of his opponent's plan, though he knew that it was by no means as innocent as it seemed on the surface.