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

Chapter 26 My answer is the Sarkaz's answer!
At the very top of the tower, in the secret chamber where Werner once hid Viviana, Chen Qi brought Fremont here to respond to his conceived plans for Letania's future...

"On this point, I will not change my mind, Mr. Fremont."

As Chen Qi personally brought over the brewed black tea, his tone was unusually firm as he addressed Fremont, who was listening intently without backing down:

"Leytania needs war, and the people of this country need war to vent their discontent and anger. Since I have promised to take back their dignity, I must do so."

"Only by leading them to great victories can I make the people of Letania believe in me and in themselves that they have truly reached the pinnacle."

"Hmph, and then what?"

Fremont, accepting the black tea without ceremony, maintained his blunt and vulgar speaking style, cutting to the chase:

"You want Leitania, which has just experienced the Four Emperors' War, to immediately start another war?"

"Putting aside the question of whether the people of Bolívar and Syracuse will resist if you take them back, do you really think the other major powers will stand idly by?"

"In the Four Emperors' War, Letania paid the highest price but received the lowest reward. Moreover, Letania no longer has Helhunzoren in charge."

"You can't compete militarily or economically. Can you defeat Victoria's ironclad defenses, or the Ussus Bear Army?"

"—You're wrong, Mr. Fremont."

However, Chen Qi, as a transmigrator who was fully aware of the world's structure in Terra, was more confident than the lich lord who had studied music and magic in Letania for over a hundred years in response to Fremont's questioning.

"Now is the crucial period for Letania's take-off."

“You’re right, Letania has lost the Witch King, a powerful being who transcends all understanding.”

"But in the end, apart from its slow decline over the years, all Letania has lost is a top-tier expert."

"But what about Victoria and Ursus, whom you mentioned? What changes have they experienced over the years?"

With an air of absolute confidence, Chen Qi moved to the bookshelf under Fremont's watchful gaze.

And beneath his feet was an area marked with the word "Victoria".

It turned out that beneath their feet in the room was a carpet made up of a huge map of Terra.

Looking down at the vast territory of Victoria, Chen Qi said calmly:
"The Victorian throne has been vacant for a long time since Emperor Alistair II of Victoria was hanged."

"All eight dukes coveted the throne, and each harbored their own secrets and acted independently."

"As for the Steam Knights..."

When Chen Qi spoke of this weapon of war, which was practically a Terra version of Gundam, there was not a trace of fear in his tone.

"In this situation, Mr. Fremont, do you believe that the eight dukes of Victoria will unite as one because of us?"

"Or perhaps a duke would be willing to send such a valuable fighting force as steam knights to fight against us during this sensitive period?"

"Which do you think is more likely: the two possibilities mentioned above, or our bloodless recapture of Bolívar and Syracuse right under Victoria's nose?"

"Woo..."

Even Fremont, the "Guardian of the Temple of Knowledge" in the Sarkaz, had to admit that Chen Qi's question was very accurate after a period of silence.

"Those old cats in Victoria, after driving away all the dragon people from the Tara Dynasty, haven't learned anything else, but they've learned how to fight for power quite thoroughly."

"At times like these, I would rather believe that Princess Theresis and Princess Theresia should rule together as a unified force."

However, even so, Fremont did not choose to believe in Chen Qi's abilities. As if deliberately testing Chen Qi's preparations, he asked again, somewhat impatiently:

"What about those bear cubs in Ursus? They've always been a bunch of warmongers."

"Is that so? In my opinion, their current situation is just that of a hidden dragon and a phoenix compared to Victoria."

Chen Qi was not stumped at all by the question Fremont had posed.

He then walked to the carpet, to the vast territory marked "Ursus," and said calmly:
"After the Emperor of Ursus died of a serious illness, his son succeeded to the throne and implemented a series of reforms aimed at curbing the power of the military and focusing on domestic development."

"To this end, he also promoted a large number of young and strong new nobles to oppose the old nobles who had made military achievements, and the conflict between the two factions intensified."

"As a result, an army-level rebellion broke out within Ursus, and the rebellion lasted for as long as three years."

"This major rebellion has severely weakened Ursus. The rebel army groups have been exiled to the border, and even the troops stationed on the Kazimir border have returned home to defend their positions."

"Plus, Ursus's economy has deteriorated to a point that's almost comically bad since the war dividends have been gone..."

"Mr. Fremont, do you think Ursus still has the capacity to interfere with Letania's actions?"

With just a few simple words, the possibility of intervention from the two military superpowers on the continent of Terra was greatly reduced, and the true state of affairs of the two countries—beset by internal and external troubles and outwardly strong but inwardly weak—was clearly pointed out.

This time, in terms of the analysis of the current situation between the two countries, even a seasoned critic like Fremont had nothing to say to refute Chen Qi.

As a seasoned veteran critic, Fremont knew the tactic of switching topics when he couldn't gain an advantage on one.

"Sleeping Dragon and Phoenix Chick? Heh, I quite like this phrase. According to you, there really isn't much to worry about with two military superpowers on this land."

Fremont stroked his beard, suppressing the admiring smile playing on his lips, then, stroking his beard and glaring, questioned again:
"But, kid, don't forget that Victoria and Ursus are like the Crouching Dragon and the Phoenix Chick, but Letania also has all the worries you just mentioned."

"The number of Electors of Letania is not much less than the number of Dukes of Victoria?"

"What makes you think that once you become the Emperor of Letania, all these electors will listen to you?"

“This is something that even Herhunzoren and those two sheep queens couldn’t do.”

"—It's very simple."

However, just when Fremont thought his question would make Chen Qi back down, Chen Qi smiled slightly and gave the answer.

"Because I will clear away all obstacles that are unwilling to listen to me during my rise to power."

silence.

For a moment, the sound of their heartbeats and breathing could even be heard inside the room.

After a long while, Fremont, whose expression had somehow become completely composed, finally asked in a calm tone:
"...Do you want to be like that guy Helhunzoren? To establish a one-man dictatorship?"

Chen Qi's answer sent chills down Fremont's spine, even though he was hundreds of years old. It reminded him of his old friend... how he was devoured by the madman.

At that time, the Witch King had already explored a corner of the edge of this world.

He realized that a huge crisis that could threaten Terra was about to strike, and he no longer had time to waste his energy on so-called national affairs and people's livelihood.

He used the most direct, effective, and brutal methods to treat them, and he devoted countless efforts to building Letania into what it is today.

Faced with the Witch King's terrifying, godlike power, the electors dared not utter a word of anger.

At that time, if it weren't for Fremont's defection, he wouldn't have taught the Electors the techniques and knowledge to create twin queens.

The tyrannical rule of the witch king probably continues to ravage this country even to this day.

And now, it seems that another person has inherited the will of his old friend during his madness.

Moreover, he seemed even more terrifying; he did not fall into madness or mania, but made such a crazy decision under absolute rationality.

This alerted Fremont.

He remained outwardly calm, but his Originium Arts were already in operation.

The shadow behind Fremont began to lengthen, stretching all the way out the window. Unconsciously, the sunlight shining in from the outside began to dim, as if some kind of barrier was shrouding the tower.

Fremont had already made up his mind.

If the person in front of him is beating around the bush, but what he means is that he wants to rule Letania by his own will.

He used magic to "exile" him into the abyss of darkness, thus extinguishing his ambition!
"...Perhaps, in terms of the outcome, if I succeed, then in my reign I will hold absolute power, and no one will be able to disobey my orders."

"But after I die, I will leave Leitania a healthier and more stable regime."

"……Um?"

However, Chen Qi's unexpected honesty left Fremont, who had prepared for reading comprehension, somewhat at a loss.

No? You just admit it like that? I've been building up this for ages.

However, Chen Qi's mention of a "healthy and stable regime" did indeed pique his curiosity.

"Boy, are you saying that the political system left by Herhunzoren is not stable enough?"

"...To be honest, Mr. Fremont, in my eyes, Letania's political structure is very deformed and distorted, full of unstable factors."

With Fremont's encouragement, Chen Qi felt more at ease and spoke these words that he had kept in his heart for a long time.

“You always say the Witch King is cruel, but in my opinion, as an emperor, he seems to have a bit too good a temper.” “As an emperor, and one who wields power beyond everyone else, how could he allow nine electors who could threaten his rule and delay the issuance of his decrees to continue to exist?”

"Should we say that it's fortunate that the Twin Queens replaced the Witch King?"

"Otherwise, from the moment the Witch King fell, Letania was probably not far from becoming like Victoria, divided among the eight dukes."

"A country can have democratic elections, dictatorships, discussions, disputes, and even disagreements, but it is absolutely unacceptable for anyone to hold the power to divide the country!"

"Such a political system is destined to be unstable and full of turmoil."

"An unstable, divided country is the cruelest hell for its people!"

"This will cause the citizens of a country to gradually lose their sense of identity with their country."

"If this continues, brothers and sisters who were originally from the same country may even turn against each other and kill one another because of division!"

"This is the real disaster for a country!"

"And I absolutely will not allow Letania to become like Victoria and Ursus, heading towards division, confrontation, or even internal strife."

"For this reason, whether it's a dictator, a tyrant, or a warmonger!"

"Even if I have to bear all the blame, I will still do this."

“I will rebuild a new Letania, a stable regime that can be passed down smoothly for a long time.”

Perhaps the people of Terra, a world where people are figuring things out as they go, won't have a deep understanding of what Chen Qi said.

But Chen Qi, who had studied history, knew all too well just how much disaster a divided country could bring.

Only a powerful and ambitious person would expect to achieve success and fame in a chaotic world, but Chen Qi's concern was always for the common people who entrusted all their hopes to him.

They believed in themselves and that they could bring about a better era.

He absolutely cannot let them down.

"Perhaps in the future, the emperor who rules Letania will no longer be like the Witch King and the Twin Queens, who rely on absolute power to suppress all dissenting forces."

"But what if everything in this country is entrusted to a powerful figure as strong as a god?"

"Then when this strongman falls, the only fate of this fragile nation will be disintegration."

"Only by uniting the will of countless ordinary people and surpassing the achievements of gods can a nation truly endure."

"And that's what I'm doing right now."

Chen Qi turned his gaze back to Fremont, who was now deep in thought and no longer spoke.

Now, he was speaking fluently, expressing his determination to this old friend of the Witch King.

"I am gathering all the power that can be gathered in Letania. As long as we can all work together as one, the power we can unleash will be unimaginable in Letania when we were all acting independently."

“I know that my hands will never be clean on this journey; they will be stained with blood and I will be burdened with sins.”

"...But I will never regret it, and I will never look back."

“Mr. Fremont, if you think I’m wrong, then you can kill me here at any time.”

"But if you want to witness the rise of a new country and the success of a new political system, then please wait and see."

"...I think this is perhaps the answer the Sarkaz clan is so eager to know right now, isn't it?"

The Sarkaz clan wants to know the answer.

Fremont had to admit that Chen Qi's words were enough to strike at the deepest desire in the heart of any Sarkaz.

Although the lich race, under his leadership, had long since left the destroyed Kazdel and settled in Letania, which was still under construction at the time.

But this does not mean that Fremont has forgotten Kazdel and doesn't care about anything related to their Sarkaz clan.

The Sarkaz, a race that once ruled this land countless years ago, but has now been reduced to a "rootless race".

They had no homeland, no place to stand, and could only drift like rootless grass across the land.

Their departure was simply because Kazdel at that time was no longer able to protect the "knowledge" of the lich race.

They need to place this "knowledge" in a safe and stable country until Kazdel is rebuilt.

Only then will their "knowledge" be passed down.

This knowledge will greatly help in the reconstruction of Kazdel and the revival of the Sarkaz race in the future.

Now, the revival of the Sarkaz clan seems to have finally seen a glimmer of hope.

Theresa and Theresis, this brother and sister pair, showed everyone in Sarkaz the hope of rebuilding their homeland.

But all the Sarkaz knew that the siblings had opposing ideologies, and neither of them could convince the other.

Theresa May advocates for development, inclusion, and peace.

Therese advocated revenge, war, and establishing a foothold.

They all seem to be right, yet none of them seem to be entirely right.

This brother and sister, whose ideologies clashed but who both harbored great ambitions, found their conflicts growing increasingly acute under the watchful eye of the old lich, Fremont…

Fremont understood; Qi was right.

A country needs everyone to be united and to operate under a single governing philosophy. There must be no tendency for division or even civil war.

But who is right? This is a question that Fremont, as a Sarkaz, is also searching for.

And now, he seems to have found the best practitioner.

Is his philosophy correct?
Is everything he's doing actually what the Sarkaz need?

Fremont wanted to know.

"You boastful, glib-tongued brat, how dare you speak so arrogantly in front of an old man like me."

"Do you know that even Helhunzoren has to be very polite to me? And you've come here to give me a lecture?"

While Fremont feigned amusement at Chen Qi, his eyes, fixed on Chen Qi, betrayed a barely suppressed curiosity and admiration.

"Those two flamboyant sheep and gloomy sheep said you're definitely not Helhunzoren's son. I had some doubts before, but now I believe them!"

"You brat, you're definitely not a child of Helhunzoren!"

"Even if he lives to the end, he will never have the same determination as you!"

"Haha! If that old man really had a son like you, he'd be so happy he'd play a lot more tunes!"

At this moment, the old lich also made his own decision.

He betrayed us.

Just as he betrayed the mad Witch King to help the Electors create the Twin Queens, he now intends to betray the Twin Queens as well.

But Fremont felt no remorse for it.

Herhunzoren's cruelty and incompetence forced him to kill his former best friend in order to ensure the survival of the lich race.

This time, he had no choice but to betray the twin queens, who, while doing a decent job, were far worse than he had anticipated, in order to ensure the survival of the Sarkaz clan.

"Qi. That's your name now, right?" Fremont addressed Chen Qi by his name for the first time, his tone as coarse and direct as ever, but with a touch more appreciation.

"Since you want to prove that your path is correct, then let me see how you manage to defeat those two sheep without the help of this old lich."

"This is an even more difficult path to power than that of Helhunzoren."

"If you succeed, I will spare no effort to help you build a new Letania, just like I did for Helhunzoren back then."

"I'd like to see whether you'll be remembered in history or utterly destroyed!"

To cater to fans who are not very familiar with congee, I will explain and clarify some congee-related terms at the end of the video.

Sarkaz: A race on the continent of Terra, suspected to be native to Terra, which can be simply understood as a "demon" race.

If any readers have questions about the vocabulary related to "porridge," please feel free to point them out in the comments. I will try to answer them when I have time to review the comments.
Please give me your support, and please add this to your favorites and read it! (I'm begging you!)

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(End of this chapter)