Ideas were not enough. Belief had to be anchored.
As the Doctrine spread across borders, so too did confusion—was it atheistic technocracy? Was it neo-monarchist control in disguise?
In Persia, Islamic scholars debated its implications. In Greece, Orthodox priests feared cultural erosion. In China, Confucian scholars questioned its harmony.
[System Advisory: Philosophical Ambiguity Detected – Unity Index at Risk]
Mikhail convened the first Council of Harmonics. A summit not of rulers or generals—but of sages, scholars, theologians, and cognitive engineers.
Held in Novosibirsk's Crystal Forum, the goal was to forge a unifying doctrine not of faith—but of functioning belief.
"Let them keep their gods," Mikhail declared. "But let their gods speak to the stars, not just to graves."
Thus began the birth of the Unified Ethos Protocol.
It was not a religion, but an engineered harmony—a modular philosophical framework designed to align traditional beliefs with the Doctrine's pillars:
Progress through Knowledge
Stability through Structure
Liberty through Purpose
Spiritual leaders from Hindu, Orthodox, Buddhist, Islamic, Shamanic, and even tribal animist traditions were offered one thing: survival in the new world with dignity.
[System Update: Ethos Sync Module – Activated | Doctrinal Tolerance: +33% | Cultural Resistance: -20%]
The effect was immediate:
In India, a caste-reformist Hindu Doctrine branch formed.
In Anatolia, a Sufi-Doctrine hybrid school emerged.
In Mongolia, Doctrine Shamans were certified as philosophical guides.
The media dubbed it: "Gears of Faith"—a movement where belief and reason meshed like clockwork.
Yet this new harmony sparked outrage in both extremes:
Radical atheists decried Mikhail's compromise. Religious purists condemned him as a heretic usurping divinity.
But neither could deny the movement's momentum.
[Population Loyalty: +11% | Global Perception: Reformer, Not Tyrant]
Meanwhile, Ortega in South America banned all religious expression to cement his totalitarian grip, creating a stark contrast.
[Comparative Index: Moral Legitimacy Gap Widening]
And as churches began broadcasting doctrine sermons laced with mathematics, neuroscience, and poetry—Mikhail's image transformed from ruler to prophet-engineer.
At the Winter Palace, he reviewed the Ethos reports with silent satisfaction.
"Let them build temples," he said to Elena. "As long as their altars face the future."