The Black Iron Glory
Morsen's Ambition
Chapter 5
Morssen's Ambition
Traditionally, the highest social class in Freia was the nobles, both landed and respected, followed by free citizens. Craftsmen, merchants, and even small farm owners belong to that class. They owned private property and lived in small towns, paying taxes to kings or other noble kings for protection. However, they often suffered personal losses due to the greed of the nobles and local officials.
The third class was the class of commoners, which included normal commoners and powerful people. Commoners were also considered citizens of the city and worked in the service industry or took jobs from local officials to make a living. For example, he was a farmer, but he had no land and could only work in a stable in exchange for food, shelter, and other essentials. On the other hand, those in power were the subjects of the land nobles and had no personal possessions and could not leave power as they pleased. Their personal freedom was severely restricted and they could only survive by relying on those nobles.
The lowest social class is the slave whose life is in the hands of the owner. Although many countries throughout Freia had abolished slavery, the slave trade was still a lucrative affair. Soldiers captured during wartime were an ideal source for new slaves.
After Prince Karjad won the civil war and rose as Stellin IX, he quickly instituted reforms one after another, ushering in new policies for the economy, education, government and military. After all that, he began to completely overhaul the social structure of the kingdom.
First, Stellin IX announced that the kingdom would reclaim full control of all land held for the land nobles. From then onward, the kingdom would no longer have nobility. It led to a revolt of the remaining nobles in the kingdom, but it was quickly suppressed and resulted in gallows on both sides of the street being hung full of the corpses of the dead nobles.
Afterwards, Stellin IX introduced the Bill of Rights for Four Castes which vividly illustrated the four recognized social castes as well as their rights and privileges, causing a massive storm across the continent of Freia.
The bill states that within Aueras, the first class of citizens are nobles. Of course, the title given by Stellin IX was all honorary and came with an annual degree and income, but not a fief.
The second class is citizens. Esteemed commoners or those with military achievements but who have not been awarded the title of nobility as well as many high-ranking officials who go to great lengths to achieve their milestones fall into this category.
The third class consisted of commoners and it was the most numerous of all castes. They are bound to pay taxes and serve their duties. Stellin IX abolished the traditional free citizens and popular dominion models commonly used in countries throughout Freia and unified them into one more common social class. At the same time, it gives them more freedom, such as private ownership of property, marriage, employment, freedom of migration and so on. Most of the commoners were exempted from compulsory labor and allowed to work paying jobs instead.
Simultaneously, Stellin IX abolished slavery completely and all slaves within the kingdom should be given freedom as commoners. Since then, engaging in the slave trade within the borders of the kingdom has been a criminal offence.
The fourth class is the outcasts. They have the lowest status in society and are mostly made up of bandits and captured criminals. Stellin IX valued a good labor force, so that regardless of those who were punished for unforgivable sins that would be put to death, other criminals, debtors, vagabonds, would be punished, and beggars come from that caste. It was essentially a parallel world version of reform through labor. Every outcast had to undergo an unpaid period of labor before they were allowed to regain their status as free commoners.
After Stellin IX sent the Invincible Commander of Dubok Man's kingdom to exterminate the Duchy of Berkeley and absorb his territory, he gave orders to take all 30 thousand captives of the duchy's army as exiles. They would only be released after five years of work as commoners.
After Stellin IX sent the Invincible Commander of Dubok Man's kingdom to exterminate the Duchy of Berkeley and absorb his territory, he gave orders to take all 30 thousand captives of the duchy's army as exiles. They would only be released after five years of work as commoners.
Five decades since the implementation of the Bill, it has become the cornerstone of royal society. It also stabilized many of the kingdom's permanent policies. Not only did it categorize the royal people into four different castes, it also ensured that their respective rights would not be violated and ensured that they carried out their respective obligations to the kingdom.
As for the royal nobility, although they no longer owned the grounds, they were granted a fixed annual income in accordance with their rights that guaranteed their livelihood, which also eliminated the destructive competition between the nobles. Economically, they are not affected. And politically, they were also given a big boost. All elite officials were basically royal nobles. It becomes an unwritten rule.
In addition, Stellin IX created two legislative houses that helped decide royal policy. The upper house consisted of the royal nobility and they were in charge of the affairs of the nobility, the recommendation of impeachment by the lower house and monitoring the implementation of royal policy decisions. They have a certain degree of legislative and judicial power and can veto some laws put forward by the lower house.
In contrast, the lower house consists only of citizens. Most of them were local representatives of the entire kingdom, with a few more rooms reserved for those recommended by the upper house and the king. A member of the lower house was assigned with the local administration, impeaching royal officials and monitoring the budgets and finances of local authorities. They have the right to file a motion and also receive good benefits for their administrative services.
Part of the bill that is most well received is the clause that states that tax-paying citizens have priority in terms of education, military recruitment and government positions. Most of the time, members of local authorities and governments are either nobles or citizens. Within the military, officers who were citizens formed a strong backbone that the kingdom could rely on.
Ordinary people who become public servants on the other hand must serve dedicatedly for 20 years before being allowed to become citizens. That was the route Morssen took.
At that time, the young Morssen deftly noticed the changes that the Bill would bring. In a sense, this was an opportunity for commoners to improve their status in society and serve in administrative positions. He found it rather risky to join the military when during the 20 years of the reform of Stellin IX, Aueras had fought with his arch-rival Nasri three times. Although they emerged victorious at all times, the number of casualties totaled in the tens of thousands.
At that time, the young Morssen deftly noticed the changes that the Bill would bring. In a sense, this was an opportunity for commoners to improve their status in society and serve in administrative positions. He found it rather risky to join the military when during the 20 years of the reform of Stellin IX, Aueras had fought with his arch-rival Nasri three times. Although they emerged victorious at all times, the number of casualties totaled in the tens of thousands.
That is why Morssen was willing to spend 20 years as a public servant to gain national status. Even though it was a long time ago, it was much safer. Given that he was only 22 by then, he would still be tough and capable in his forties two decades later. He believes that he still has a bright future ahead of him.
So, the young Morssen used his extraordinary intelligence and work ethic to win the trust and recognition of his colleagues as well as the city's former mayor. To the townspeople, he was a sincere and patient worker, not to mention reasonable and impartial. To his colleagues, he was a trustworthy friend with a warm and generous personality and a penchant for helping others. For his superiors, he was a subordinate who could handle all the tasks given to him very precisely and a good target to train and develop.
When Morssen was 28, the city's security chief, Sunny, looked at the talented young man and decided to marry his daughter, 24-year-old Pattisia Sunny, to Morssen. Back then, someone even asked Old Sunny why a citizen like him did not marry his daughter to another citizen instead of the usual Morssen.
Old Sunny replied with a smile that he trusted himself to be a good judge of character and said that he believed that Morssen would rely on his own hard work to finally gain national status. At that time, she and daughter Sunny will become citizens.
The longtime security chief was not wrong in his assessment, when Morssen came to receive five awards of excellence over the next nine years from his service. It was almost legendary for a mere public servant working in a small town. Thus, Morssen gained national status five years earlier and was promoted to the position of chief city secretary.
At that time, he was only 37 and the people and rulers of the city had high hopes on him. He also has a happy family. He has a gentle and caring wife, an 8-year-old son and a 4-year-old son. Morssen has lived the life he dreamed of since his youth.
But one could only look further into the distance when one was on high ground. Even though he managed to reach the position of city chief secretary, he did not want to remain in that position for the rest of his life. He wants to advance his career to the position of mayor, member of the house, and perhaps even prefect.
But that was when Morssen realized how difficult it was for him to continue down that path. Reality is not as smooth sailing as most people imagine. Although Whitestag City is hailed as the number one city in the three southwestern prefectures, it is still a small town under the jurisdiction of Baromiss city in the southeastern prefecture of Balivia. Although he has a great reputation in the Whitestag City, he has no connections and supporters in Baromiss, the capital of Balivia. Without a large figure supporting him, it was almost impossible for him to advance from Whitestag City.
But one could only look further into the distance when one was on high ground. Even though he managed to reach the position of city chief secretary, he did not want to remain in that position for the rest of his life. He wants to advance his career to the position of mayor, member of the house, and perhaps even prefect.
But that was when Morssen realized how difficult it was for him to continue down that path. Reality is not as smooth sailing as most people imagine. Although Whitestag City is hailed as the number one city in the three southwestern prefectures, it is still a small town under the jurisdiction of Baromiss city in the southeastern prefecture of Balivia. Although he has a great reputation in the Whitestag City, he has no connections and supporters in Baromiss, the capital of Balivia. Without a large figure supporting him, it was almost impossible for him to advance from Whitestag City.
Had Dad asked to be made a noble instead of being given a crimson mansion when asked what the prince wanted, everything would have been fine, Morssen thought too often; a thought he also shared with his children on many occasions.
National status is a prerequisite for serving as a local administrator and one needs a good connection to be able to progress from that point on. It was not something that could be achieved by fulfilling one's task with hard work. Of course, if he was a noble, Morssen would not have had that problem to begin with.
Any nobleman could easily be appointed as a local administrator because it was much easier than appointing a national, he said, its complex ties and relationships would result in conflicts of interest and informal assistance that would cause many problems for royal officials.
Ten years passed in an instant and Morssen remained the chief secretary of the Whitestag City. Although the road still stretched beyond him, he was unable to advance a single step. In fact, the ordeal was not enough to dampen his ambitions. Over the past decade, Whitestag City has grown more developed and densely populated, allowing Morssen to see a glimmer of hope.
If he could raise the status of the city to the status of a city, then he would definitely have the opportunity to become a local representative with three decades of special services. His name would spread to the capital and appear before Stellin X and he might even be given a title.
Thinking of it would always ignite a fire in Morssen that would see him dive passionately into his work once again.