In Ark Simulator, why do I always get a tough start?

Chapter 112: We must fight until we achieve complete victory!
In fact, Chen Qi was well aware that with Sherag's current military strength, it was a pipe dream to try to confront the two great powers of Victoria and Letania.
He knew that as long as the two great powers were determined to destroy Shelag, even though Shelag was no longer what it used to be, it would inevitably meet its demise.

However, the reason Chen Qi went to such great lengths to build Shelag to its current scale was to avoid such an outcome.

He knew that both Victoria and Letania were eyeing Sherag's current wealth and its entire industrial base.

Both countries are attempting to capture the most complete Shelag at the lowest possible cost.

Only in this way can Shelag, this natural fortress, have the significance of a long-term military presence.

Only in this way can they quickly restart the Shelag after the war ends, allowing it to generate wealth for their empire.

Chen Qi is gambling, gambling big.

The gamble is on Victoria and Letania, not on the idea of ​​destroying Sherag, so the army enters the country.

Only in this way can Sherag have a glimmer of hope.

Chen Qi knew that gambling the fate of Shelag on the possibility that his opponents would become complacent was an extremely irresponsible act for a ruler.

But Chen Qi had no choice, because Xie Lag was the weaker party.

The weaker party doesn't have many options to begin with.

No matter what choice he makes, all that awaits Kjerag is enslavement and destruction. Only by resisting to the very end can Kjerag escape his destined fate.

Only then can the people of Sherag continue to walk on this land with dignity and freedom.

"Ok?"

However, upon returning to the palace from the underground factory, Chen Qi quickly noticed the missing Enya and Yera.

"Someone is coming."

"exist!"

At Chen Qi's command, the mountain snow ghost responsible for guarding the area quickly came to his side.

Without any further words, Chen Qi coldly pressed on, "Where did the Holy Maiden and the Head Maid go?"

"Your Majesty! The Holy Maiden is heading into the town with the Head Maid and General Fiona."

"According to the Holy Maiden, they received His Majesty's decree to go to the town and command the people of Shelag to resist the invasion and defend their homeland."

The Snow Demon replied respectfully, unaware of the sudden change in the king's expression before him.

"Nonsense! When did I issue such an edict?!"

Chen Qi's furious shout startled the mountain snow ghost so much that he immediately knelt down and didn't dare to utter a single word of rebuttal.

"I have already given the order! Without my decree, the Holy Maiden is not allowed to leave the palace for any reason. Is this how you carry out my decree?!"

After venting his anger, Chen Qi had no time to deal with the trembling snow ghost and impatiently gave another order:

"You, quickly take a squad of mountain snow demons and come with me to the town."

"If even the slightest mishap occurs to the Holy Maiden on this journey, you will all come back to me with your heads!"

It's no wonder Chen Qi is so anxious, after all, war is imminent, and this is the most sensitive period for Sherag.

Assassination, poisoning, terrorist attacks...

In order to seize Sherag at the lowest possible cost, both countries may resort to all sorts of insidious means to deal with him and those around him.

The reason Chen Qi was able to secure his throne in Shelag and ensure that the people of Shelag dared not disobey his decrees was not entirely due to his control of the military.

Chen Qi had long known that Sherag had a large number of people opposing him, and the reason these people hadn't caused any trouble was simply because of the two of them.

One of them is Enciodes, the prime minister, who has chosen himself as the next successor.

The other is Enya, who is a saint and the representative of Jeragand in the hearts of the people of Sherag.

His two younger siblings, one who had won over the upper echelons and the other who had won over the hearts of the people, were the reason why he was able to ensure that there would be no turmoil in Shelag.

Now, what if Enya encounters danger and tragically dies?

Or perhaps Enya is kidnapped by forces opposing her and becomes a puppet against her rule.

Then, there is no doubt that Sherag will fall into a huge civil war!

This is a price Chen Qi absolutely cannot afford.

Therefore, in his anxiety, he didn't even notice that Yera was also by Enya's side, as the Snow Demon had previously reported.

Chen Qi, who was rushing from the sacred mountain to the town, had no idea what kind of scene awaited him when he arrived.

……

"Gentlemen, as I said, I swear in the name of the saint to Jeragand—I have heard Jeragand's admonition."

"War was inevitable. We have gone through countless hardships and difficulties to emerge from darkness and ignorance and have achieved the happiness we enjoy today."

"But now, some people want to easily take this hard-won beauty from our hands."

At night, the newly built auditorium was completely occupied by the Sherag people who had gathered there.

This newly built auditorium was originally constructed to house operas, dances, and various programs choreographed by Sherag for tourists.

But today, as night fell and the Great Hall closed its doors, all the Sherag people who were preparing to welcome a new day were met with a sudden knock on the door.

When they opened the door, they were met by police officers from Chen Huijie's unit and Sherag soldiers from Fiona's unit.

"The Holy Maiden has a divine message to deliver tonight. All Sherag people are requested to arrive at the Great Hall in time to listen to her teachings."

It was a short sentence, yet it seemed to possess a magical power.

Whether it's a vendor entertaining tourists all day, a farmer diligently cultivating the land, or a worker in a mine or factory.

When the people of Sherag received this news, they immediately dropped everything they were doing.

Thousands of Sherag people rushed to the Great Hall with the same solemnity as if welcoming Jeragand.

All of this stems from the influence Enya has built among the public over the past three years.

During these three years, due to the economic plan implemented by Chen Qi, the people of Shelag have had to endure much heavier labor than before while maintaining their livelihoods.

Faced with the boiling resentment in Shelag, Chen Qi understood that relying solely on the army to suppress the resentment would have the opposite effect.

Therefore, he came up with a good idea—to have Enya, who was a saint, take charge of calming the restless people of Sherag.

It must be said that Chen Qi's idea was very effective.

When Enya, in the guise of a saint, personally comforted each of the Sherag people who were nearly crushed by the heavy labor, every Sherag person was deeply moved.

Enya, with a compassionate heart, could not bear to see the people suffer, yet was powerless to do anything. All he could do was use the name of Jeragand to comfort everyone to the best of his ability.

“The suffering will surely pass, that’s what Yeragand told me.”

"Yeragand believes in our King and that he will fulfill his promise. Please believe in him as well."

“I swear to Jeragand as a saint.”

Despite making repeated, confident promises, Enya had no real confidence in her heart.

However, the Manju Institute, which had ruled Sherag with ignorance for a thousand years, is now having an unexpected effect.

The people of Sherag truly believed in Enya's vow.

For the Sherag people, swearing an oath to Jeragand is a promise heavier than any contract in this land.

The dark and despicable methods of the Manju Institute in the past have repeatedly proven to the Sherag people that those who betray Jeragand will never have a good end.

As a saint, Enya frequently left the holy mountain during these three years to comfort the people, explain the divine oracle she had "heard" from Jeragund, and even take the initiative to work with the people.

It was precisely because of Enya's pure yet down-to-earth enthusiasm that the Sherag people were able to get through those difficult three years peacefully.

When Chen Qi finally fulfilled his promise, Enya's influence among the Sherag people as a saintess was unimaginable.

Inside the grand hall, Enya stood on the stage, facing the Sherag people who surrounded the hall on both levels. Displaying the grace of a saint, she calmly and humbly spoke:

"Yelagand told me that the enemy we are facing this time will be more terrifying than ever before. This time, facing an army of steel, perhaps even Yelagand will not be able to protect our safety."

“We, along with our dear families, may die or be injured.”

"And once we let the enemy troops step into the gates of Shelag, we will be met with endless enslavement and bullying."

“Tell me, people of Sherag, who are under the protection of Jeragand.”

"Are you willing to hand over the land of Shelag to the enemy?"

"I don't want to!"

In the first row of the auditorium, Actos, already filled with righteous indignation, stood up and roared, responding first with a shout that echoed throughout the auditorium.

The next second, Enya was met with a thunderous roar from the thousands of Kjerag citizens who shared the same hatred for the enemy!

"I don't want to!!" XN
"Let these invaders prepare to die!"

"Let them know how powerful we are!"

"Your Holiness! Please give the order! Let us go and kill the enemy!"

Facing the shared aspirations of thousands of Sherag people in the Great Hall, Enya felt deeply gratified, but like her brother, she maintained a calm and composed demeanor.

She understood that as a saint, she must not show any cowardice in front of the people.

She is the spokesperson for Yeragand, and she must be fearless.

Only in this way could she convince the Sherag people that they could win.

Enya now understands her brother more and more.

“I have heard your long-cherished wish, people of Shelag.”

“And now, I can tell you that His Majesty responded with the same words to those invaders who tried to make us kneel down.”

"His Majesty has made up his mind to gather all the strength of Shelag to defend our homeland!"

"Here, in the name of the saint, I implore the people of Shelag."

"We believe in each other and we can definitely turn the tide."

"We believe that our Emperor will lead you to victory."

"I also believe in Jeragand, and I believe that the fate of Sherag will not end here!"

After saying that, in full view of everyone, Enya suddenly pulled a dagger out of her clothes, instantly freezing the previously excited atmosphere.

The next second, Yera, Chen Huijie and Fiona, who were responsible for maintaining order and protecting the saintess, were all under the gaze of everyone.

Enya merely gritted her teeth slightly and used the dagger to cut a bright red line on her palm.

The auditorium erupted in uproar, with many people even standing up in shock.

However, after doing something that was tantamount to self-harm, Enya's expression showed not a trace of pain.

Instead, he raised his hands high so that all the Sherag people could see the bloodstains on his hands.

“Here I swear, as a messenger of Jeragand, in the name of the saint!”

"I will shed blood and fight alongside every warrior who defends Shelag until the enemy is driven back."

"The day this wound heals will be the day Kherag returns to peace!"

After a moment of silence, Enya's words were followed by thunderous applause from the crowd.

Despite holding her hand, which was only now beginning to ache, Eun-ah's face remained unwavering.

Instead, as she intently gazed at the Sherag people, who had come together like never before because of her words, she suddenly realized something.

She understood what it meant to be "the responsibility of a saint".

She also understood why her brother was willing to bear countless insults and still insist on his own path.

This is their responsibility.

They bear the weight of the fate of millions!
"boom."

However, just as the crowd inside the auditorium was in high spirits, the doors of the auditorium were suddenly pushed open.

When everyone in the auditorium instinctively turned their gaze to the entrance, they all fell silent upon seeing Chen Qi's face as he strode in.

A silence born of fear instantly enveloped the entire auditorium. The previously excited crowd seemed to be overwhelmed by Chen Qi's silent aura, and they didn't even dare to breathe.

"pray?"

"Step aside."

As Chen Qi strode towards the platform, he pushed aside Chen Huijie and Fiona, who were trying to stop him, without saying a word.

However, Enya appeared remarkably relaxed when faced with her approaching, serious-looking brother.

She smiled and gazed at her brother, who stood very close to her, his hand raised high, about to fall on her face.

However, after a long silence, under the watchful eyes of everyone, Chen Qi quietly lowered his hand.

To outsiders, this might seem like a compromise made by the tyrannical king, taking into account the influence of the saintess.

But only Enya knew that this was her brother's soft heart and helplessness towards his sister.

“...Nonsense.”

On the high platform, Chen Qi stared at Enya in front of him. Although his expression did not soften at all, the lowered tone of his voice proved that his worries had subsided.

"As an older brother, shouldn't you sometimes tolerate your younger sister's little tantrums?"

Enya responded to her brother with a calm smile, but her eyes revealed a reliance and trust that only they could understand.

"Alright, brother, let's not keep everyone in Sherag waiting too long."

"Your Majesty, please give your speech."

As she spoke, Enya slowly gave up her position, handing the spotlight over to her brother.

Turning around, Chen Qi silently gazed at the Sherag people in the auditorium, who held their breath and dared not utter a sound before he spoke.

He simply took a deep breath and, with the coldness, pride, and resolve familiar to the people of Shelag, spoke each word clearly:

"—As you all know, the flames of war are about to spread to the land we live on."

"I have already responded. Now, I will give you my response once more!"

Chen Qi spoke with conviction and composure, expressing the shared sentiments of the people of Shelag:

"The fate of Shelag will not be interfered with by any outsider, nor will it be controlled by any foreign emperor."

"We will not decide how long this war will last or how many sacrifices we will have to make!"

"These matters shall be decided by the Dukes of Victoria, the Emperor of Letania, and the President of Colombia!"

In other words, what we mean is—

"They can fight for as long as they want!"

"We will fight until complete victory!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Qi was met with a thunderous and enthusiastic round of applause!

This was the first time Chen Qi had received heartfelt applause and cheers from the Shelag people since becoming the King of Kalan.

Everyone here understands that they may die on the battlefield tomorrow.

But every Sherag man is fearless, unyielding, and uncompromising.

They will fight to the last moment for their country!
(End of this chapter)