A few weeks before Ishmael heard the news.
Doge’s Office, Helvetia Republic.
“Another new work? Leviathan, huh? Quite a unique name.”
Once the ruler of the Helvetia Republic, and now the de facto master of much of the peninsula, Doge Enrico Dandolo smiled as he examined a book.
His voice carried an air of solemnity, but the subtle excitement in his tone betrayed his anticipation.
And rightly so—he had truly been looking forward to this book.
Or, more precisely, to the latest work of the author Ishmael.
“After enlightening us on nationalism and conscription, what knowledge will he bestow upon us this time?”
Every single one of Ishmael’s previous publications had proven to be a boon to both the Helvetia Republic and Dandolo’s own rule.
The Prince and The Social Contract had helped the republic build a powerful military despite its limited resources, strengthening its war efforts.
Even those who would normally have shirked battle now burned with fighting spirit, passionately advocating for militarism.
The support of fellow national states was just a bonus.
Thanks to this, even after losing a significant number of soldiers and expending vast amounts of resources, Helvetia could still sustain its war efforts without issue.
Would you believe it?
A mere pamphlet and two books had reshaped the determination, resilience, and diplomatic relations of an entire nation.
“And On War—that was a true revolution. No matter how many times I read it, it never ceases to impress me.”
That wasn’t all.
On War had been nothing short of extraordinary.
Ishmael must have thought it too valuable to sell, as only a few copies had been sent as a gift.
And honestly?
Dandolo was grateful for that.
The book laid out priorities in warfare, methods to cripple enemy forces, and tactical principles for efficient decision-making—a distilled collection of military wisdom that a minor nation like Helvetia could never have learned so easily.
Normally, such knowledge would only be gained through hard-fought battles and extensive experience,but here it was—neatly compiled in a single volume.
“A treasure trove of military secrets—priceless beyond measure.”
When Dandolo distributed the book to his generals,they stayed up all night reading it.
And the results spoke for themselves.
Before, Helvetia’s win rate had hovered around 40%.
Now?
60–70%.
Their exchange ratio had improved too—for every one Helvetian soldier lost, the enemy lost two or three.
So then—what secrets would this new book contain?
Blueprints for new weapons?
A grand strategy for future victories?
Perhaps intel on an unknown enemy?
Whatever it was, it was bound to benefit the nation.
There was no way Ishmael would suddenly betray them now.
Having come to trust the author through experience,Dandolo eagerly turned the first page, his heart pounding in anticipation.
<“A state is like an artificial man, stronger than any natural individual.
Sovereignty is its soul, giving life and movement to the whole.The rulers and administrators are its joints.Rewards and punishments are its nerves.
The wealth and resources of individuals are its strength.And the sovereign—
he is the brain that commands it all.Without a proper sovereign, a state cannot endure.”>
<“Without the instrument of law, anyone can break a contract at will based on personal gain, inevitably leading to national chaos.The only way to escape such disorder is through the strict enforcement of laws that decisively punish contract violations.”>
Dandolo read from start to finish in one sitting.
Not skipping a single word,not overlooking a single sentence.
It took nearly half a day before he finally reached the last page.
Closing his eyes, he let the contents sink in, carefully weighing every argument.
And then, after much contemplation,he finally muttered.
“How… radical.”
A book advocating centralized rule and monarchical power with such boldness was unprecedented.
Normally, divine authority would be cited to justify such claims (the divine right of kings),but here?
It was all framed through the lens of human nature and social contracts.
“The clergy might foam at the mouth if they see this.”
The fanatics who viewed all things through the lens of faith would never accept it.
<“How can there be a ‘contract’ when the Goddess ordains every royal lineage and watches over mankind?”They would denounce the book as heresy and a blasphemous abomination.And Ishmael had explicitly attacked them as well.>
“We have never granted the clergy coercive power.The only authority we have given them is to preach the Goddess’s word,persuade people to obey,and teach them the path to salvation.Priests and bishops are merely teachers, not commanders.Their words are advice, not law, and we must never forget this.”
Though the wording was polite,and he never outright criticized religion itself,the message was unmistakable—a direct challenge to the privileges of the clergy.
Those drunk on power would never accept such an argument.
Dandolo himself was not particularly pious,but even he could see that this was dangerous.
Talk like this wouldn’t just anger the priests—it would summon the Inquisition.
“But…”
“This… is useful.”
“Nothing in this book harms me—it only works to my advantage.”
After all, Dandolo was an elected leader—a lifelong dictator chosen by indirect elections.
He had authority, yes—but not the divine legitimacy of a hereditary king.
Outside his republic, he was respected as a statesman,but he was never treated as nobility.
So why would he care about divine right or clerical approval?
He had never needed them, and he never would.
But.
Someday, he wished to establish a dynasty—a hereditary monarchy of his own.
To do that, he needed a legitimate justification for his rule.
And now,this book had given him one.
“A monarchy founded on popular support and social consensus, rather than divine will…Yes. That could work.”
All he needed was a proper acclamation.
With the people’s recognition,he could silence any republican opposition or foreign
resistance—all in the name of public will.
“I should start laying the groundwork.”
He had found the perfect ideology—now, he simply had to build his image and gather support.
Not just in Helvetia—but also in Sanctum Dominion and the Haikal Kingdom,which he had recently conquered.
A strong reputation would be crucial.
And first…he would start by changing his title.
Helvetia’s dialect had some differences from traditional Helvetian,so he needed a term that suited both the republic and his ambitions.
Something authoritative.
Something that truly embodied leadership.
And then, the perfect word came to him.
“Duce.”
Duce of the Helvetia Republic.
The Great Leader of Helvetia.
That was Enrico Dandolo’s new official title.
* * * * *
“What a peculiar move. Does he just want attention?”
“Perhaps. According to local reports, he has quite the appetite for honor and fame.”
The sudden appearance of a familiar title was a bit surprising,but upon further thought, it wasn’t really a big deal.
He hadn’t overhauled the system—he had merely changed his title.
Whether Enrico would end up like Mussolini or not was something to be watched over time.
“More importantly, what about the reactions from other countries? What’s the response from the Allein Kingdom or the Kram Empire?”
“Surprisingly, not too bad. Though due to its sensitive expressions, no one is openly discussing it.”
Leviathan hadn’t caused the same frenzy as my first pamphlet or the 115 Articles of Rebuttal,but it had left an impact on the political landscape.
For instance—in the Allein Kingdom, the royalist nobility had begun using its arguments.
Since they had turned against the Holy See due to the war,they were now leveraging the book’s logic to justify the monarch’s authority in place of religion.
The Holy See constantly issued condemnations,so stubbornly clinging to the divine right of kings alone could soon put them in trouble.
Regardless of personal faith,it wouldn’t hurt to have a backup ideology in case of emergencies.
“Navarre, on the other hand, is absolutely losing its mind.”
“That was to be expected.”
In contrast, the Kingdom of Navre was practically having a seizure.
Their king was a devout believer,and as an ally of the Holy See,he was leading the charge in denouncing the book.
It was said that after reading it once,he had ripped it to shreds in a rage.
That reaction was understandable.
The entire premise of Leviathan directly contradicted the doctrine of divine right and the church’s anointing of kings.
“As for Artium, the books must have just arrived, so we’ll need to wait for a reaction.”
“That’s fine. We have plenty of time. Besides, I already have a good idea of how they’ll respond.”
Without a doubt, they would use the book as propaganda against their enemies.
Something along the lines of—”They are so blinded by false beliefs that they have forgotten who truly grants them power.”
They would twist my words to fabricate slanderous narratives.
As a political science professor, I didn’t even need to see it happen to know what was coming.
“Ah, and we’ve finished investigating Hispania.”
“That country next to the Kram Empire? I was wondering why they hadn’t joined the war.”
“Yes. Turns out, their internal situation is quite severe.”
With that, Kalia handed me a thin stack of documents.
As I flipped through them,I let out a short sigh.
“Ah… So it was flooding.”
The whole country had been devastated by floods,wrecking both their economy and livelihoods.