From cannon fodder to sweeping across thousands of stars.

Chapter 558 Onlookers
After hearing Amber's words, everyone had no objections, and their thoughts were consistent with Amber's.

Both parties have come to this point, and the federal government has no intention of communicating with the Atlas Group. It is obvious that they are planning a showdown.

Although the Atlas Group still maintains an absolute monopoly in ultra-long-distance communication technology, the federal government obviously does not want itself, one of the two major forces in the human race, to be restricted by a private enterprise, especially when the country is still unstable.

Rather than letting this ill-intentioned and covetous company take advantage of the turmoil to fish in troubled waters, it is better to strike first and kill it with a slap.

It is true that in the previous rounds of confrontation, the Federation has been at a disadvantage many times.

But in the eyes of a number of federal high-ranking officials including Brandon, Miller, and even Marshal Trafalgar, the Federation did not really use its full strength. At best, it only used one finger to fight against the Atlas Group.

As for the military-industrial complex, there is no need to mention it. The federal government even wants to present a banner to Atlas Group and Amber to thank them for helping the federation eliminate these "cancers".

Of course, they did not realize that the Atlas Group relied on the military-industrial complex to "eat the flesh and drink the blood", and its comprehensive strength grew rapidly, and it was already incomparable.——
"Is it finally time for a head-on confrontation?" Agnes's slightly lazy voice echoed in a small battle room in the side hall of the princess's bedroom.
"Although only four regular fleets of the navy were dispatched, for the Federation at this stage, it can be regarded as a clenched fist and a punch."

"Yes, Your Highness. According to the information from the Naval Intelligence Department, although these four fleets have a lot of newly added ships and soldiers, their serviceability rate is also the highest among all the existing fleets of the Federation Navy."

Natalia, the head of the Royal Guards who had been following Agnes, nodded, and then seemed to have thought of something, and said with an awkward expression:
"Even for the Royal Navy, the fleet that can be deployed immediately and has such a high serviceability rate is only one expeditionary strike group and three standard fleets. Although we still have three celestial fortresses, they are all under overhaul and cannot be deployed for a while."

What Natalia said is exactly the dilemma currently faced by the Imperial Royal Navy.

Although judging from the results of the previous "strategic decisive battle" with the Federation, the Imperial Royal Navy seemed to have the upper hand.

Because in both battlefields, the Federation Fleet lost nearly two-thirds of its fleet, plus the destruction of its mobile fortress, in exchange for nearly half of the Imperial Royal Navy's fleet and a celestial fortress, and severely damaged three others.

But this is just an intuitive loss on paper.

If we look closely at each surviving fleet, we will find that the losses were actually far greater than bystanders imagined.

It seems that half of many fleets have been sunk in battle, but the problem is that the remaining ships that have not sunk are basically all damaged, and the number of ships that can continue to be used in combat is more than 50% reduced.

And those warships that need major repairs obviously cannot be repaired in a short time.

The number of docks within the empire that can carry out warship maintenance and repair is definitely not as large as the number of warships. Even if a large number of civilian and aristocratic docks were requisitioned, there were still long queues of warships waiting to be repaired.

In addition, the remaining docks are occupied by orders from the Navy's "large construction" and it will be difficult to find an empty dock in the empire for the time being. Even small docks have been urgently requisitioned to repair small ships such as destroyers and frigates.

Of course, the current situation in the Federation is similar.

However, since the Federation has always been trying to win in terms of the number of warships, the number of reserve warships and docks exceeds that of the Empire, which also makes the Federation's warship replenishment faster.
However, after hearing what her Royal Guards Captain said, Agnes was not worried. Instead, she smiled and said in a light tone:

"So the Atlas Group is helping us solve our problems, right? If the Atlas Group survives this catastrophe and I have a chance to meet Mr. Amber in the future, I really want to personally confer the title of honorary nobility on him and give him a Silver Dragon Medal~"

Natalia: "But Your Highness, from another perspective, Mr. Amber has also indirectly helped Norton II. During this period, as the threat from the Federation has been decreasing, we found that Norton II has begun to turn around and attack the old nobles. I guess the next step is to 'fire' at us."

What the captain of the Royal Guards was talking about was the recent "great purge" within the Regent's party. Under the command of Norton II, a group of veteran nobles in the Regent's camp were attacked from multiple directions and using different means in a short period of time.

If Amber saw this information, he would know that this was the plot in the game where the Regent and his descendants attacked the Cloak Society. Although it was late, it still happened.
"It doesn't matter. We are now in control of the initiative, so Norton II, who is in a passive position, must do something, otherwise the team that relies on personal prestige will soon be unable to continue.
But what he is doing now is just a temporary solution. When the entire camp falls into the panic brought about by the "Great Purge", many problems will erupt. "

Agnes turned to look at her captain of the guards, and continued:
"We just need to wait for our opponents to make mistakes. Norton II is not a saint. I admit that he has ideals and goals that are noble enough for his class, but judging from the means he has used to achieve his goals, he is at best just a tyrant.

As a commoner and a member of the 'feudal landlord class' as described by revolutionaries, I am naturally afraid of true revolutionaries and saints, but a mere tyrant? Haha. I am not afraid of him."
-
While the Imperial Princess Agnes and the Captain of the Royal Guard Natalia were discussing the impending war between the Federation and the Atlas Group, and gradually extending their discussion to other topics, a similar conversation was taking place in the quaint study of Norton II on an earth-like planet in another distant galaxy.

"Sir, have our recent measures been a bit too radical? Many people have come to me and want to ask you to reduce the intensity of this internal cleansing."

Perseus, one of Norton II's staff, spoke up, carefully looking at the figure hidden in the shadow of the desk light.

Although Norton II's face was completely hidden in the shadows, Perseus knew that he had become older and thinner recently, and he would occasionally forget to trim his facial hair.
And because of the recent sudden changes in the situation, the expression of "everything is under control" on this gentleman's face is less and less seen.

At the same time, Norton II's sudden moody personality made him increasingly frightening. Even Astral and Perseus, who were closest to him, were often scolded by him angrily.

And all this, in the eyes of Perseus and Astral, began the night after the news that Princess Agnes of the Empire was about to ascend the throne came out, and Norton II then secretly went to the Grand Palace of the Imperial Capital to meet the old emperor.
"Too radical?"

A cold voice came from the shadows, followed by an even colder snort.

"Hmph. Why do I feel that our methods are still too gentle?"

Norton II's words made Perseus and Astral beside him break out in a cold sweat.

If it was anyone else who just spoke, these two would stand up without hesitation and angrily scold the other person for being out of his or her mind.

Unfortunately, it was Norton II himself who said this.

And this man who has recently frightened many people, under the advice of his two aides, does not seem to have any intention of stopping "spreading terror", but instead wants to create more terror.

"Sir, what do you mean?" Astral asked uncertainly.

He had to admit that perhaps because they had encountered a lot of changes recently and pressure from all sides - including some forces that they had not dared to provoke before, his "childhood friend" began to become more and more unfamiliar.

On the other hand, Norton II also replied in a rare "pleased" tone:
"It's rare that Mr. Amber has attracted the majority of the Federation's attention, giving us a precious 'window period'. Shouldn't we take this opportunity to line up the 'poison blood' in the queue?"

Perseus: "But haven't we already taken action against some of the old nobles before? And we did it to root them out completely."

"No, no, no, it's not enough." Norton II shook his head.
"Not to mention that we haven't completely cleaned up these old nobles yet. From another perspective, these stubborn old guys have corrupted our people too much. Some of the 'rising stars' I'm optimistic about have also been poisoned by them, and their ideas have begun to become outdated."

Astral: "So you mean to continue the 'Great Purge'?"

"why not?"

Norton II, whose entire face was hidden in the shadows, asked back:
"During this period of time, we have not only cleaned up a large number of bad apples and unified the thoughts of most people, so that our goals will not be shaken, but also these guys who have been 'cleansed' have greatly expanded our own strength and are ready for the final 'showdown'. Why not do it?"

After hearing what Norton II said, Astral and Perseus could hardly believe their ears. The lord in front of them really said these things to them.

Although they also admitted that during this period, by dividing up the inheritance left by those "old nobles", the power of the three of them had been greatly expanded, but this approach was not what Norton II would do. However, the two did not dare to raise any objections at this time, and could only listen to Norton II continue to say:
"For now, we just need to focus on the various matters on the Empire side. We don't need to worry about the Federation and the Atlas Group for now. Let's wait until they decide the winner.

After all, no matter which side wins in the end, they will eventually have a battle with us and the Empire in the future."

Hearing this, Perseus, who had had many contacts with the Atlas Group, couldn't help but ask, "Is Mr. Amber no exception? I thought you would admire him very much."

Norton II nodded. "Yes, I do admire him. It is precisely because I admire him that he is a threat to us. It also forces me to think about how to get rid of him, just like I want to get rid of that girl Agnes."

After hearing Norton II's last words, Astral and Perseus couldn't help but be stunned again, because this was probably the first time that the regent expressed this idea so bluntly in front of them.

Before the two of them could say anything, they heard Norton II continue:
"Okay, I'm a little tired today, you two can leave first.
Just keep an eye on the conflict between the Federation and the Atlas Group and don't interfere. As for the next cleansing plan, I will send it to you in the next two days. You can mobilize my men and other resources at will, and make sure to do it cleanly.
Don't let me down, you two."

"Yes, sir, we will do our best to complete your plan! Then we will take our leave first..."

Astral and Perseus immediately stood up, bowed slightly, and left the study.

When the heavy double doors slowly closed, Astral clearly saw his childhood friend sitting at the desk, staring at them coldly with a look he had never seen before.

It was not until the door was completely closed that Astral felt the thorny feeling of being targeted by a prehistoric beast and becoming its prey gradually dissipated.

On the way out of the manor accompanied by the waiter, these two closest aides of Norton II kept their heads down and said nothing. Even when they got on the special car heading to the Aerospace Port, they remained silent.

He just turned his head slightly and looked at the old manor gradually disappearing into the distance outside the car window.

The manor, which was a little shabby but had a unique temperament, now looked as gloomy as an evil dragon's lair under the dark clouds above.
The silence between the two was not broken until they boarded Astral's flagship, the battleship 'Royal Flail', and entered a meeting room with 'black box mode' turned on, and Astral spoke first.

"My Lord, he is becoming more and more strange."

"So even your 'childhood playmate' feels this way? I thought I was the only one who felt this way." Perseus replied:
"Then do you think that all the changes occurred after the adults secretly met with His Majesty?"

"That's right." Astral nodded. "So now I'm very curious about what they talked about. I'm even more curious about why His Majesty was able to have a secret conversation with the Lord all night, but he kept claiming to be recuperating from a serious illness?"

"Well, I'm curious too, especially after the news of the princess' coronation came out. But this matter is obviously not something that the two of us can get involved in."

Perseus sighed helplessly, and then continued:
"Anyway, I have recently realized what it means to be with a king like being with a tiger."

"Who isn't?"
-
Thousand Star Empire, capital star.

As the residence of the elven royal family, the Elf Royal Court is located deep in an ancient and mysterious forest. If a human psychic visits this place, he will be surprised to find that every inch of land is filled with psychic energy.

The sunlight shines through the tall ancient trees, leaving mottled shadows on the ground. Various rare and exotic plants can be seen everywhere, satisfying all human beings' imagination of an ancient elven kingdom.

The courtyard of the contemporary Phoenix King is also located in the heart of the royal court, where there is the most exquisite design and the most tranquil atmosphere.

The courtyard was surrounded by delicate vines and colorful flowers, with a pool of clear green spring water in the center. Several rainbow-colored water lilies floated on the water, and occasionally some translucent psychic dragons roamed around, adding a bit of vitality to this quiet space.

When Ellenita stepped into the courtyard, this "rich woman" from the Yuge family who has been a big shot in the business world in recent years (referring to the past few decades) could not help but put on the most solemn attitude.

She was wearing a plain long dress embroidered with intricate golden patterns that sparkled in the sunlight.

However, the owner of this luxurious long dress couldn't help but feel a little nervous, especially after seeing the two people sitting in the distance.

"Your Majesty," Ellenita bowed slightly, her voice gentle and respectful, "It is a great honor to be received by you and the Queen here."

At the other end of the courtyard, a tall elf sitting on a chair made of unknown wood slowly stood up.

He is the modern-day Phoenix King, possessing an unsurprisingly handsome face and a pair of green eyes that seem to be able to see into people's hearts.

He was tall and graceful, and wore a robe woven of silver thread and decorated with patterns that symbolized power and wisdom.

At this moment, the ruler of the Thousand Star Empire, a famous representative of the "Lie Flat Faction", was looking at the visitor in front of him with a gentle gaze.

Next to the Phoenix King sat an equally beautiful female elf, she was the Queen of the Phoenix King.

After seeing Alanita, she also stood up, with a warm and friendly smile on her face, giving people a feeling like a spring breeze.

"You are worthy of being the most shining 'pearl' of the Yuge family. Miss Alanita, your arrival makes this courtyard even more dazzling."

The Phoenix King's voice was deep and magnetic. Although it was just a polite remark, every word seemed to be carefully crafted.
"Please take a seat. We have something important to discuss."

As the two sat facing each other, a breeze with a psychic aura blew from the depths of the ancient forest, bringing a hint of coolness and seeming to foreshadow the seriousness of the topic to come.

"Recently, the war in the human world has intensified. The war between the Federation and the Star Dragon Empire has just come to an end, but now there is a direct conflict with the Atlas Group.
In addition, many Roma people have joined the "internal conflict" of the human world because of their work in the Atlas Group, which has led to some "not so good" voices in the country recently, so I would like to hear your opinion on this matter."

The Phoenix King went straight to the point. Although his tone was calm, it was not difficult to detect the concern contained in it.

Ellenita sighed softly and lowered her eyes, as if thinking about how to organize her words.

After a moment, she replied in a very 'official and serious' way:

“Indeed, this dispute has affected many innocent lives. Amber, cough, I mean, the actual controller of the Atlas Group is my good friend.

Although there are mixed reviews of him in the country, I believe that everything he and the Atlas Group have done so far has not affected the interests of the Thousand Star Empire."

Hearing this, the Queen beside the Phoenix King smiled slightly, showing a look of delight, and teased:

"Oh? Are you really just good friends? I heard that you guys are often together and your relationship is extraordinary."

"Ah this."

(End of this chapter)