We live in the land of merchants." Blake said, walking to the middle of the Republiekzaal "We sail the world's Seas with a fleet of 20,000 ships, doing business everywhere." Blake then stopped, standing in view of everyone in the hall "We Northern Sergals work together in trade, to garner a good price, to help one another when in danger." Blake nods in agreement with himself, looking at the other Sergals in the hall "What do you think?" Blake asked as he started to pace in a circle "Have we been successful or not? Yes. I can see that some honorable gentleman hardly fit in these benches." Blake gestured to the Governors siting in their benches, some laughing at his little jest "And I ask you, when trading in the east or west, Do you do so as a Royalist or a republican?" Blake asked, looking around as the councilmen murmur to each other "Neither." Blake said, interrupting anyone before they could answer "Why do you think the English block our shipping lanes? Try to halt our trade." Blake paused, looking around, but seeing no one has the answer "We're Sergals, Northern Sergals. The English want to wage war with us because we're Sergals, Free Sergals!" Blake took off his hat and put it on his chest "Because we're in the eye of a superpower, our little country is too successful, too free." Blake let out a chuckle and shrugged "To top it all off we're a Republic. Wherein a man, Sergal or not, is too do as he will. It's a country where we decide for ourselves, where no single leader is more important than the country itself. The English don't want that for us, they fear our freedom, because we're prepared to die for that freedom! That's why! Because won that freedom with our blood, that's why! And I ask you, have you not lost family to the English or Spanish?" Blake said, turning in a circle, his arms stretched out "Was that Royalist or Republican blood? No it was Sergal blood! Our blood! This is our land, it's a land conquered from the water. A country where we earned our freedom."