The situation in Europe was far more complicated than simply creating new organizations. The governments were interested in establishing professional guilds similar to those appearing in other parts of the world. Such guilds would make managing professions easier, allow knowledge to be organized, and provide a direct connection between skilled workers and the authorities.
However, Europe quickly encountered a major obstacle. The existing trade families already controlled most of the important knowledge reserves within their fields. Any new guild that was created without their participation would have little value because it would lack the experience and accumulated knowledge needed to become influential.
The politicians understood this problem very clearly. They needed cooperation from the trade families if they wanted these guilds to become meaningful institutions. Without the participation of the old families, the guilds would simply become empty organizations filled with people who lacked the expertise necessary to guide their professions.
However, this created another problem that worried many leaders. They feared that these new guilds would simply become another extension of the trade families. Instead of creating organizations controlled by the governments, they might accidentally create powerful institutions that answered only to the old families.
The politicians had no illusions that guilds would remain completely independent. They already expected that different factions, families, and interest groups would appear within them. Competition between groups was natural, and they understood that some level of influence from powerful families was unavoidable.
Yet they preferred that situation over creating one centralized organization controlled by a single faction. A divided system would prevent one group from gaining absolute control over an entire profession. As long as different groups balanced each other, the governments believed they could maintain some influence.
Unfortunately, this was another reason why European leaders continued returning to the great houses for advice. The great houses had spent generations building relationships, collecting information, and understanding the complicated networks of the trade families. Their influence within the European Union remained impossible to ignore.
The great houses were not simply wealthy families. They were organizations that possessed enormous amounts of knowledge about the economic and professional structure of Europe. Their connections allowed them to understand problems that ordinary politicians could not easily see.
This was the environment that Lara Klimt had to navigate. As she approached the study of Orazio Vassevilliers, she could not help but sigh. Meeting him was something she had dreaded for some time, but she knew that eventually every high-ranking European official had to have such a meeting.
Orazio Vassevilliers was not someone she looked forward to dealing with. His position, his influence, and his connection to the great houses made him a difficult person to approach. However, avoiding him was impossible now that her own position had changed.
Lara had already spent twenty years as an influential politician within Europe. Despite that long career, she was still considered relatively young at forty-six years old. Her experience and achievements should have allowed her to rise much higher much earlier.
However, her political career had been restricted for years. Three years ago, everything changed when the leaders of every European country were accused of conspiring with corrupted humans. The accusations spread quickly and became the perfect excuse to remove many influential figures from power.
The accusations themselves were not true, but the situation served the interests of certain groups. Many politicians who had gained too much influence over the European Union were removed, and the balance of power shifted once again.
Lara understood the real reason behind what happened. The great houses had been uncomfortable with the growing influence of certain politicians who wanted to change the structure of the union. Those politicians threatened the traditional balance that had existed between nations, families, and organizations.
Lara was one of those politicians. She had openly supported reducing the power of individual countries and creating a more united European Union. In her opinion, Europe needed stronger cooperation and fewer divisions if it wanted to survive in the changing world.
Her ideas were not without support. In fact, her achievements proved that she was more than capable of handling a major position. Three of the ten most influential laws passed in Europe during the previous twenty years had been created because of her work and political efforts.
By any reasonable standard, Lara was qualified to become a minister. Her experience, intelligence, and accomplishments placed her above many people who held higher positions than her. Yet political reality prevented her from reaching that level.
The countries that opposed her ideas ensured that she remained limited to ordinary parliamentary positions. They did not want someone with her beliefs gaining enough authority to change the balance of power within the union.
The great houses also could not openly support her. While some of them respected her abilities, supporting her would mean appearing to support the transfer of power away from individual countries and toward the European Union itself.
That was a risk they were unwilling to take. The great houses had spent centuries maintaining their influence, and openly challenging the governments would create unnecessary conflict. As a result, Lara had been left without the support needed to advance further.
For years, she remained stuck despite her abilities. She watched others rise into positions they were less qualified for while she continued working from the background. It was frustrating, but she understood the political game well enough to know that patience was necessary.
Then, everything changed. With the restrictions and political suppression finally removed, Lara was offered the position of Minister of Professions. It was the first major opportunity she had received in years.
For the first time in a long while, she felt genuine excitement about her future. The position matched her interests perfectly because professions, knowledge systems, and organizations were exactly where Europe needed reform.
The creation of proper professional structures would determine how well Europe adapted to the new era. The world had changed, and old methods were no longer enough. Skilled workers, craftsmen, researchers, and experts needed a system that could connect their knowledge with the needs of society.
As Minister of Professions, Lara finally had the authority to begin making those changes. However, she knew the challenges ahead would be enormous. The trade families, the great houses, the governments, and countless professional groups all had their own interests.
Her first major challenge would be finding a balance between them. She needed cooperation from the old powers without allowing them to completely control the future of Europe's professions. It was a difficult path, but it was exactly the kind of challenge she had spent her entire career preparing for.
That was why she stood before Orazio Vassevilliers' study despite her hesitation. She knew the conversation waiting inside would not be easy. Yet if she wanted to change Europe, she needed to begin by speaking with those who already held the power.
With one final breath, Lara opened the door and stepped inside.