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

Chapter 22 The enemy is at the tower, why does Your Highness rebel?

That night, the once quiet beer hall was once again filled with noise.

But unlike the chaotic business environment of the past, those gathered here today are all nobles and generals in military uniforms, of high status.

Although they looked travel-worn, the people gathered here were in high spirits, eagerly discussing and exchanging ideas.

"Why is Earl Qi in such a hurry to assemble his troops? What exactly happened?"

"Could it be that Earl Qi is finally planning to force the emperor to abdicate?"

"Or is it really as Lord Qi said, that the knights of Kazimierz have finally made a move?"

"*Letanian slang*! Why think so much? I've been waiting for a year, I'm about to die of boredom! This time I'm going to really test the results of the army's training!"

However, amidst the commotion, the voice of a stormtrooper responsible for guarding the area drowned out everyone else's.

"Count Qi has arrived!"

The moment the guard's voice rang out, it was as if all the air in the beer hall had been sucked out, and all sound disappeared.

All eyes were focused on the second-floor staircase. When Chen Qi, also dressed in military uniform, appeared in everyone's sight, all the generals and nobles below the stage raised their hands in unison to greet him!

"For victory!"

"For victory."

A year has passed, and Chen Qi, who has become completely accustomed to the worship and fervor of others, responded to everyone with utmost composure.

He didn't speak or give any instructions, but everyone's eyes followed him unconsciously until he sat down at the long table for the council, after which everyone took their seats according to their positions and status.

This time, Chen Qi didn't keep them in suspense, but spoke directly to all the nobles in front of him who had sworn their loyalty to him.

"Fellow countrymen, the time for us to be tested has finally come."

Chen Qi's words instantly ignited the atmosphere, and everyone immediately understood that the promotion that Qi had promised them and that they had been looking forward to was just around the corner!

"Lord Qi, speak! What do you need us to do?!" A viscount boldly asked, his tone filled with barely suppressed elation and excitement.

“My subordinate Marcus has tracked down the movements of someone suspected to be the Elector of Shitong.” Chen Qi nodded and immediately explained the most basic meaning of his actions to everyone.

“Our Elector is suspected of sending a suspicious shipment to the border. According to the intelligence I have received, the recipient of the shipment is likely a member of the Kazimierz government.”

Suspicious goods?

For a moment, the nobles exchanged bewildered glances. Finally, someone took the initiative to ask Chen Qi a question:

"Sir, what is that 'goods'? Why are you so wary of it?"

"Good question."

Chen Qi did not answer immediately, but instead changed the subject with a smile:
"Gentlemen, have you heard the rumor that our Elector Marquis fell in love with a commoner woman on Marigold Street?"

"If we count the days, if our Lord Elector is rather impatient, then even from the time he officially took office as Lord Elector until now, that woman should have been having an affair with him for more than a year."

"What is the most precious thing that two people who love each other but cannot get recognition from each other would most likely create in the past year or so?"

Now that he had said this, everyone understood the implication in Chen Qi's words.

For a moment, disbelief filled the eyes of everyone present. Finally, a count, suppressing his excitement, tentatively asked Chen Qi:
"My lord, are you saying that the 'goods' might be the Elector Marquis's illegitimate child?!"

"—Aside from this, I really can't think of any other valuable items that the Elector Marquis could possibly have that would need to be secretly transferred to the border between Letania and Kazimir."

Knowing the plot well allowed Chen Qi to be certain of the true identity of the "goods".

If nothing unexpected happens, this "goods" is none other than Viviana, the "Candle Knight" who was secretly sent to Kazimierz by the Elector of Shitong and adopted as the daughter of the Grand Knight Commander of Kazimierz!

Of course, she is still just an infant in swaddling clothes.

If it were Chen Qi from his past life, if he knew that he would one day meet a goddess-level character in the game, he might be extremely excited and ask her to sign her autograph as a souvenir.

But now, carrying the hopes of countless people on his shoulders, Chen Qi no longer has the naive mindset he once had.

Now that he knows about Viviana's existence, his only thought is—what value this leverage can bring him!
This baby will be his ultimate weapon to obtain the position of Elector!
It will also help him get closer to his goal of "avenging the Gemini Queen"!

This was not something Chen Qi could think of; all the nobles in front of him who were eager to fight had already thought of it!

"Sir, tell us, what do you want us to do?!"

"—At your command, everyone!"

This time, Chen Qi did not hesitate at all, and everyone quickly stood up after he gave the order, waiting for Chen Qi's command.

"As nobles stationed on the border, we have a duty to guard against infiltration by other countries. We must thoroughly investigate any behavior that is suspected of leaking our country's intelligence."

"Currently, Lord Shi Tongling, the chosen emperor, is suspected of leaking secrets to foreign powers. We have an obligation to fulfill our duties!"

"Count Glaufeld!" Chen Qi turned his gaze to the count, who was seated in the front row on the right and was the first to pledge allegiance to him, and gave the order:
"Immediately dispatch troops to the border town to be on high alert for any movements by the Kazimir forces!"

"Yes!"

“Count Feuerbach, you take another team and follow the instructions of Marcus, the head of the logistics department. Make sure to supervise the transportation of that ‘cargo’ throughout the entire process!”

"Yes!"

"—Everyone else!" After issuing the two most important orders, Chen Qi's eyes became incredibly resolute as he made his decision to the remaining nobles.

"Take the rest of the army with you."

"Follow me, march toward Shi Tong's territory!"

"Although it may be a misunderstanding, we must fulfill our duty and make the Elector provide an explanation for his actions."

"Yes!"

Although Chen Qi's words were righteous and righteous, the nobles present, who had been unable to contain themselves for a long time, all knew how long they had been waiting for this opportunity to force the emperor to abdicate.

However, despite Chen Qi's efforts, the nobles still felt uneasy.

The reason is that there is an empty seat in the front row to Chen Qi's right.

Everyone knew that the position belonged to Gertrude, a veteran member of Chen Qi's party.

But why isn't Gertrude here for such a large-scale operation today?
And why did Count Qi not mention this at all?
Was it simply a case of not noticing? Or was Gertrude assigned other important tasks much earlier?
"Ladies and gentlemen, before we set off, I have something to tell you."

Seemingly sensing everyone's unease, Chen Qi clearly had no intention of revealing the most important part of the plan.

He simply gazed at everyone and said meaningfully:

"Once the arrow is released, there is no turning back. From the moment you believed I could bring you a better future and chose to pledge your allegiance to me, you could only go to hell with me."

“If you don’t trust me, you’re welcome to betray me as soon as you leave. But I think you all understand what will happen to someone who has betrayed you once.”

"Therefore, we have only one outcome—victory or death."

"--yes!"

……

"Sigh... I wonder if things will go smoothly..."

Inside the tower of Shi Tongling, the young Elector "Wolner" had been up all night, pacing anxiously back and forth at the very top of the tower.

He was very worried, concerned about what problems might arise in transporting his "goods".

Especially in the current situation, almost everyone knows that there is a count named Qi who is eyeing the position of Elector.

If even the slightest weakness is exploited, the situation I face will likely become even more dire...

"My lord, you can rest assured."

However, standing beside Volner was a knight clad in magnificent dark gold armor, the "Golden Law Guardian" sent by the Twin Queens to protect Volner's safety.

And it is obvious that this person is the highest-ranking member of this team of Golden Law Guards.

"Although Earl Qi is eyeing your position as Elector, based on our analysis, he will not take such a desperate gamble in the current situation."

"He is a cautious man. Since he can take things one step at a time, he will not gamble everything on one thing—moreover, it would be a huge loss to his reputation."

"During this time, Her Majesty's spies will do their utmost to gather evidence, so I think you don't need to worry about anything."

"...Thank you, Brandt. I feel much more at ease with you here."

However, Brandt's words of comfort did ease Werner's tense expression somewhat, but the Elector's furrowed brow still proved that his worries had not been dispelled.

Because what Werner was hiding was a secret known only to him.

His illegitimate daughter, escorted by his men, was being transported as "cargo" towards the Grand Knights' territory of Kazimir.

Not only Brandt, but even the Twin Queens were unaware of Werner's illegitimate daughter.

Even in the tower of Volner, only a few old servants who had served their electors for generations knew about this, besides him.

He fell in love with a beautiful commoner woman, but could not gain the approval of his father or the entire noble class. Therefore, he could only meet with her secretly until his father died for overthrowing the witch king.

At that time, his lover was already pregnant.

Werner clearly lacked the courage to publicly acknowledge this unacceptable love, fearing the ridicule of the entire aristocratic class and the shame it would bring upon his family.

Therefore, he secretly protected his lover, and even the daughter she gave birth to, on the top floor of the tower, forbidding anyone from approaching.

He had covered this up perfectly.

He also planned to protect his daughter like this until she grew up and could take care of herself, and then send her away to live in Letania...

This is the last thing I, an incompetent father, can do.

However, the sudden rise of Earl Qi, who has been like a raging flood, has disrupted his plans.

This ambitious man, who was gradually encroaching on the region he controlled, forming alliances with more and more nobles and generals, and was also deeply loved by the common people, made Volner feel an unprecedented sense of crisis!

He realized that Qi's massive campaign to promote himself was for the sake of his position as the Elector Marquis!
He also guessed that if he were to actually lose, the secret hidden in the tower would surely be discovered by Qi, that ambitious man.

By then, Qi's only daughter had become his hostage.

Then he, the former chosen emperor, would probably become a sponge in the other's hands, to be squeezed dry until the last drop of water was drained from his body.

He will never have a chance to recover. And his daughter will forever be this ambitious man's plaything.

If that's the case, even if I die, I'm afraid I won't be able to repay the debt I owe to my wife and daughter.
Therefore, after weighing the pros and cons, and in order to prevent his wife and daughters from being captured, Werner had to make this difficult decision.

He sent his lover to Colombia for refuge.

Meanwhile, he secretly sent his daughter to Kazimierz.

Volner dared not send his illegitimate daughter to other Letanian nobles, for he was too wary of Qi's influence.

Especially after witnessing how so many nobles were willing to obey his commands, Walner became even more worried.

What if one day, a nobleman I can trust reveals information about his illegitimate daughter in order to surrender...

By then, this shocking scandal would cause his image in the eyes of the people to plummet, and he would only lose his position as Elector even faster.

Therefore, he had no choice but to send his daughter to Kazimierz.

At least, the Grand Knight Commander of Casimir was an upright knight.

She will temporarily take care of her daughter to help his wife and daughter reunite in Kazimierz in the future.

At least, Kazimir is a military power.

Even in the worst-case scenario, if Qi really becomes the Emperor of Letania, he would likely find it very difficult to defeat Kazimir.

Werner chose to keep this a secret, and Brandt was completely unaware of his plan.

Theoretically speaking, Werner's actions were a complete cover-up—even the Twin Queens didn't know he had an illegitimate daughter, so how could Qi have known?

Even if Qi Zhen was extremely cautious and had taken precautions, theoretically, her plan was foolproof.

But for some reason, Warner still felt uneasy, which kept him awake all night. He could only anxiously wait for news from the guards he had sent to escort the "goods".

But Warner didn't know that he was destined to be disappointed.

"Da da da."

"Come in!"

Upon hearing the knock, Warner, without even waiting for Brandt to speak, eagerly let the person outside in.

But when the door opened, the person who stepped into the room was not the Jin Law Guard he had sent, but a private soldier who looked extremely flustered.

"Choose...choose the Emperor! Something terrible has happened!"

"What happened? Tell me slowly."

Under Walner's watchful gaze, the private soldier swallowed hard, his voice hoarse with terror as he said:

"Your Excellency, Earl Qi has rebelled!"

"He has led an army and forced his way through the city gates, heading towards the tower! Please, sir, prepare quickly!"

"what?!"

The shocking news from the private soldiers made Walner and Brandt, who was standing next to him, feel as if they were still dreaming.

However, after sensing the increasing rhythm within the tower's barrier and the growing clarity of the sounds outside the tower, Brant reacted immediately!

"Everyone! Protect the Elector! Head to the control panel in the tower! Be ready to engage the enemy at any moment!"

Soon, several Golden Law Guards suddenly appeared from the shadows. Before Walner could even react, the Golden Law Guards grabbed his arms and moved him toward the control panel on the tower.

The tower was not only a residence for nobles, but also a highly defensive fortress.

Skilled sorcerers can use the tower to unleash powerful and terrifying Originium Arts; therefore, the tower is their strongest fortress at this time.

But when Brant and Warner, at the control panel in the tower, observed the army surrounding it, they couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat...

"*Leytanian slang*! How many troops does Count Qi actually have?"

"This can't be summarized as just a few thousand people... Is it ten thousand? Twenty thousand? Just how many people did he organize to join the army?"

Looking at the vanguard, who had completely surrounded the tower and were dressed in uniform, tall and imposing military uniforms, wielding various weapons, even someone as powerful as Brant felt an immense pressure.

Although the intelligence provided by the Queen's Voice led him to anticipate that the mobilization capacity of the territory controlled by Chen Qi would be terrifying...

But after witnessing such a massive army firsthand, Brant was still deeply shocked.

This is far beyond the military power that a few mobile cities could unleash.

As a military empire, Ursus probably doesn't even have an army group with that many members!

"Brant."

However, at this moment, facing the overwhelming encirclement from the outside world, Warner, who had regained his composure amidst despair, suddenly interrupted Brandt's thoughts.

"Please turn on the tower's communication equipment. I'd like to speak with Earl Qi."

"Sir, this..."

However, before Brandt could speak, Werner shook his head with a wry smile and said softly:

“There’s nothing to worry about, Mr. Brant. Although I don’t know why, the fact that Qi dared to lead his army here means that he must already be confident.”

"Given the current situation, we can only hope that Her Majesty the Queen will notice something amiss and send troops to reinforce us before our tower is breached."

"Perhaps I can still stall for time."

"……Yes."

Now, Brant had to admit that even with their assistance, the tower could still be breached against such a force.

Werner might be their only hope; let's see if this Elector can buy them some time.

……

"Hmm? Is this... a function of the tower?"

Meanwhile, Chen Qi, who had personally led his troops to surround the tower and then halted their advance, noticed a magical screen made of Originium Arts that suddenly appeared at the top of the tower.

Soon, Chen Qi saw a young, handsome face appear on the screen, addressing everyone:

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am Werner von Hochberg, Elector of Shitong."

"Please have your leader come out and speak."

"Sir, this might be a trap."

As soon as Werner finished speaking, several generals surrounded Chen Qi and solemnly offered their suggestions:
"The tower is equipped with extremely powerful defensive capabilities. If you are exposed, the Originium Arts released by the tower may kill you, so you must not show yourself."

However, after pondering for a while, Chen Qi revealed a mysterious smile in response to everyone's suggestions.

"No need."

“If he wanted to kill us, he could have activated the defenses from the start. The fact that he wants to talk to me now only shows that he is afraid of us launching a forced attack on the city.”

"Perfect timing. I don't want to make huge sacrifices to besiege a city. Why not take a city that can be taken with our bare hands?"

As he spoke, Chen Qi ignored the advice of the generals around him and resolutely stepped forward.

Only when he reached the very front of the army, to a position that even the generals dared not approach, did he raise his head and call out loudly to Werner, who was also staring at him on the screen:
"Your Excellency Elector, Earl of the Slums, I, Qi, greet you here."

"...Count Qi, why have you led your army here?"

On screen, Werner looked at this ambitious man he had only heard of in rumors and asked his own questions with neither arrogance nor servility.

"You forcibly broke through the city walls and led your army to surround the tower. Are you trying to rebel?"

"rebel?"

However, upon hearing this word, Chen Qi smiled and shook his head, then uttered a question that surprised everyone.

"I would ask the Elector Marquis that very question!"

"Elector! Why did you send your daughter to Qazimir as a hostage? Are you colluding with foreign powers and plotting a rebellion?!"

"!!!"

The shock was so profound that it silenced the entire tower!

Inside the tower, Brandt, visibly shocked, almost instinctively turned his gaze toward Werner.

However, when he noticed Warner's face turn deathly pale for a moment, Brandt already knew the answer.

Qi was not lying!
"you you……"

At this moment, Warner, whose weakness had been exposed by Chen Qi's words, was unable to utter a single rebuttal when facing Chen Qi at the foot of the tower.

Chen Qi, of course, wouldn't give him time to think.

"If Your Excellency wishes to provide evidence, then I can tell you that I have already dispatched my troops to the border to gather evidence!"

"This is a matter of national security. If it is all just a misunderstanding, then I am willing to resign my earldom to apologize to you, sir."

"But if it is true that you are plotting a rebellion, and you intend to resist stubbornly, then I will have no choice but to lead my troops to storm the tower!"

"...You're willing to risk everything just because you've heard some baseless rumors, Earl Qi?"

However, with his heart already half-disheartened, but still holding onto a sliver of hope for his plan, Warner could only force himself to remain calm.

On the magical screen, he gazed at Chen Qi, who exuded absolute confidence and whose sharp aura resembled that of a king descending to earth.

After a long while, Werner, who had already lost ground, finally managed to utter a faint retort.

"If you're going all out like this, aren't you afraid that one wrong move could lead to total defeat?"

"—Your Excellency Elector, you may not know me."

To this, Chen Qi merely smiled faintly and responded firmly:
"Throughout my life, I have always given it my all."

Taking into account some readers' suggestions, important figures will now be accompanied by corresponding illustrations.

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(End of this chapter)