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

Chapter 27 The establishment of the Ministry of State Security: uniting all forces that can be united.
Convincing the lich, represented by Fremont, to stand aside until you successfully seize power would be a tremendous victory for you.

Whether it's the "knowledge" guarded by the lich race, enough to create weapons as powerful as the Twin Queens, or Fremont's terrifying sorcery, both are capable of overturning the entire situation.

Their inaction allows your plans to continue without any worries, and also completely destroys the Gemini Queen's last resort.

More importantly, the Twin Queens were unaware that Fremont had betrayed them.

They might become even more wary of you, and even show an irreconcilable stance against you, but as long as they are unaware of Fremont's betrayal, the Gemini Queens will not mobilize the entire nation's resources to eliminate you.

After all, in the eyes of the Twin Queens, with their power and influence in Letania, no matter how much trouble you cause, your life is always under their control.

Just like when they overthrew the Witch King.

Although the Electors' collective efforts gave them a significant advantage over the Witch King, it was ultimately the Twin Queens who defeated him atop the tower, bringing about the Witch King's downfall.

On this land, overthrowing a regime has always required absolute power.

[And the Gemini Queens' thinking will undoubtedly give you ample time to accumulate the overwhelming momentum to overthrow their rule!]

[And the foundation upon which you seized power will never change: military strength.]

[Regarding the future elite forces, you sent Jian with almost all of the Golden Law Guards to Kazimierz for training. You believed that entrusting the future "secret police" to her would ensure no problems.]

[As for the reorganization work concerning the formation of a guard force, and a more elite armed guard force—a task that could easily cause huge problems if not handled carefully—you also resolved it very cleverly.]

[After your first military parade following your coronation, you, as the Elector, ascended the high platform to deliver a speech.]

In this speech, you devoted a great deal of time to praising your vanguard members, calling them brave warriors who fought valiantly for the people of Letania.

He also said that without their outstanding contributions, he would never have become the Elector; his position was earned by the blood and courage of the vanguard members.

You said that they had become warriors who fought and bled for Letania, and the term "vanguard" alone could not adequately describe their achievements.

Therefore, you decided to form an army more worthy of their bravery—the Guard.

Their mission is to protect the people of Letania, bring order and stability to Letania, and become their guardian deities.

The bravest warriors in the guard can then join the glorious Armed Guard!

These warriors will not only enjoy superior treatment, but will also accompany you on the journey to defeat Victoria and Ursus, reclaim Bolivar and Syracuse, wash away the shame of Letania, and become true heroes bringing revival and glory to Letania!

The result was exactly as expected.

The vanguard participating in the parade, with everyone displaying fervent emotion and raised hands, expressed their respect. Shouts of "Long live!" and "Victory!" rose in waves, resonating throughout the entire region.

This move further fueled the desire of civilians in your region to join the army.

Many newly surrendered Leitanian civilians in areas not yet educated by your policies never before considered joining the army a source of pride and honor.

But after your speech, everyone in your region, and indeed all of Letania, knows about it.

Your army is the glorious force that will one day wash away their shame and allow Letania to once again stand at the pinnacle of this land!

Moreover, the soldiers in your region enjoy far better treatment than during the reign of the Witch King.

[With the advantages of upholding national righteousness and offering extremely high benefits, coupled with your strict implementation of the "conscription system" within your region, the level of enlistment desire and the strength of your manpower pool far surpasses that of the other eight regions!]

Meanwhile, the entrepreneurs of Letania finally began to express their high expectations for you.

Although you, Gertrude, initially tricked these entrepreneurs into signing the deal with you through a combination of coaxing and intimidation, you ultimately kept your promise and allowed them to make a fortune from the military contracts.

Therefore, without you needing to do much publicity, these well-informed entrepreneurs, after you ascended to the position of Elector, proactively sent letters expressing their desire for you to provide "protection" for their businesses.

As mentioned before, in Letania, nobles generally disdain cooperating with merchants.

For them, finding an elector like you—someone with a friendly attitude towards business and who never lacks orders—to cooperate with is something they could only dream of.

[With the military constantly expanding and the demand for military products unprecedented, you naturally accept all these large corporations that voluntarily surrender.]

[Soon, within just a few months, your party expanded, your guard grew, and nearly half of Letania's heavy and light industries chose to locate their factories and headquarters within your territory.]

Naturally, your territory has become the logistics hub of Letania, with countless products, military equipment, and commodities needing to be produced and transported out from here, bringing you a continuous stream of wealth.

It's no exaggeration to say that you now hold half of Letania's power!

[And you, with a single command, can paralyze the entirety of Letania.]

You have now achieved a level of power comparable to that of the Gemini Queens.

But you know very well that this is far from enough.

To challenge the Gemini Queen's authority, you must gain an overwhelming advantage.

Therefore, you have already decided on your next move.

"To unite with the other electors? To overthrow the Twin Empresses?"

In a room at the top of the tower, Gertrude and Fremont were summoned by Chen Qi for a core internal meeting.

“That’s right, this is the only path we can take right now… and it’s the same tactic the Twin Queens used when they overthrew the Witch King.”

Chen Qi nodded, casually toying with an exquisite jade chess set in front of him, and uttered those chilling words in the most indifferent tone:
“I will make them experience a humiliation that is even more profound than the one when the Witch King was overthrown.”

“I want them to witness firsthand the humiliation of those who once placed them on the throne now standing with me. I want them to taste the bitterness of being opposed by everyone in Letania without even realizing it.”

"Only in this way can I complete my revenge."

In Chen Qi's arms, one-year-old Viviana blinked her big eyes, looking around curiously.

But it seemed that even she sensed the seriousness of the atmosphere. She was well-behaved and didn't cry or make a fuss. She just kept glancing into Chen Qi's eyes, trying to understand the emotions of the "father" in her mind.

"Revenge is folly disguised as courage."

Fremont frowned and bluntly commented on Chen Qi's idea, reading aloud with a rather distressed expression:

"You take revenge on those two bighorn sheep, sending them to the gallows like that Victorian emperor, and then what? What good does it do you?"

"Besides, you're someone who doesn't know the value of money. Do you know how much effort and equipment it takes to create creations of their caliber? These are rare and precious creations, and you just strangled them like that?"

"You're not worried about it, but I am! If you don't want it, you can give it to me. I'll have my student Emengard pack it up and take it to Kazdel. Don't waste it!"

“You’re wrong, old man. Revenge is the most crucial part for us.”

However, this time, before Chen Qi could even speak, Gertrude preemptively confronted Fremont, refuting his point of view.

"Old man, don't forget, our party was originally established by resisting the policies of the Twin Queens. There are many members in our party who harbor resentment and even hatred towards the Twin Queens."

Gertrude wore a perfect smile, but her eyes revealed undisguised hostility and displeasure as she said:

"Therefore, we must avenge ourselves against the Gemini Queen. We cannot let our party members down; we will need them in the future."

"Oh? That's rare. You black-haired, black-hearted little dog actually know how to maintain the stability of the party?"

However, Fremont, despite Gertrude's clearly correct analysis, insisted on arguing, his tone becoming increasingly sarcastic:
"I think you're afraid that if those two bighorn sheep don't die, they'll be much more capable than you and steal your position, right?"

"—You old bastard Sarkaz, if you want to die, I can send you on your way right now."

"Shut up."

However, just as the two were arguing endlessly, and had become arguing for the sake of arguing, Chen Qi gave a very authoritative command, which made them stop arguing immediately.

Even Viviana, who was in his arms, was startled. The one-year-old child shrank back cautiously, afraid that any movement she made would anger her "father".

Fortunately, Chen Qi noticed Viviana's actions in time and gently patted her head, which calmed her down.

But he wasn't so kind to Fremont and Gertrude.

“Fremont, Gertrude is right. I will continue this revenge. As for the Twin Queens' lives, I will consider it.”

"But remember, I will not leave two bombs that threaten my rule. If you cannot find a way to render them ineffective, I will have no choice but to kill them."

"Also, Gertrude, don't argue with Fremont." "He's an advisor I hired, and I hope you'll stop attacking him because he's a Sarkaz, understand?"

"……Yes."

"Hmph, you said something fair, kid."

Looking at the two who had finally ended their argument under his strong pressure, Chen Qi remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he was already feeling a headache coming on.

He knew that what Fremont had just said made sense.

Gertrude's ruthless aggression towards him and the Twin Queens stemmed not only from past hatred, but also from a desire to prevent anyone from surpassing her position in the future.

Although Gertrude was a party elder, she also knew that her talents were limited.

In the early days of the party, when there was a lack of cadres, things were alright. However, with the influx of the Earl of Browfield, a representative of the military faction, and a large number of new nobles who declared their allegiance, Gertrude's limited talents made her position seem precarious.

The formation of the guard, in particular, made Gertrude even more anxious, as the training of new recruits no longer required Gertrude's involvement.

Now, seeing Fremont again, Gertrude, whose position is challenged once more, how could she possibly resist fighting Fremont, this newly joined Sarkaz elder who has entered the inner circle?

Unfortunately, given Gertrude's status, she had no idea just how ancient and terrifying Fremont was.

Otherwise, she probably wouldn't dare utter a single word in front of Fremont.

Chen Qi, who had been observing this, had already made plans accordingly.

"The easiest way to unite with the other electors is to find someone willing to cooperate with us."

"Fremont, you've had a lot of contact with the Twin Queens. Do you know which regional electors are worth trying to win over, and which are definitely royalists?"

“Kid, I told you, I won’t help you until you’ve successfully climbed to the top.” Fremont smiled mischievously, stroking his beard with obvious pride.
"You have to rely on your own abilities to make judgments. Aren't you quite capable?"

"...Then there's no other way."

Having achieved the expected result, Chen Qi rearranged the chess pieces in his hand once more before resolutely placing a single move and saying:
"Then we'll have to rely on ourselves to gather intelligence."

“Gertrude, I would like to entrust this matter to you.”

"what?"

However, faced with Gertrude's astonished expression, Chen Qi simply nodded affirmatively and rationally judged:
“Gertrude, your military talents may be limited, but you may have some outstanding abilities in intelligence.”

"I plan to put you in charge of our intelligence department, and I've already thought of a name for it."

"How about calling it 'Ministry of State Security'?"

As he spoke, Chen Qi calmly placed another piece on the board. Watching his black pieces gradually devour and eliminate the white pieces on the other side, he remained silent for a while before giving his guidance once again.

"To defeat the Gemini Queen, we must have an absolute advantage. Therefore, we must strive to win over all available forces and unite all those who can be united."

"As for those die-hards, we must eliminate them without mercy, gradually eroding the Gemini Queen's base and reducing the forces she can mobilize."

"I only have two requirements for your work."

Chen Qi turned his gaze to Gertrude, whose expression had turned serious but whose eyes were burning with desire, and said with a slight smile:

"First, everything about the 'Ministry of State Security' is a top secret of our party. We must never let outsiders, or even non-core members of the party, know about it, and we will never acknowledge the existence of this department."

"Everything in the department must be kept top secret."

"Secondly... for the friends you want to win over, do everything you can to win them over and make use of them."

"As for the enemies you want to eliminate, I also allow you to use any dirty means to eliminate them."

"Can you do this?"

"...Intrigue and intrigue, investigating incriminating evidence, are my forte."

Gertrude smiled faintly; she finally understood why Chen Qi had summoned her.

Looking at the entire party, there is probably no one more adept at using intrigue and scheming than Gertrude, who poisoned her own brother to seize power.

This "Ministry of State Security" is practically a department tailor-made for her.

More importantly, by possessing intelligence, she essentially held the secrets and weaknesses of everyone in Letania.

Such power, such control... This filled Gertrude, who had an insatiable desire for power, with immense excitement.

"However, I also have a small request, my dear Prince Qi."

Gertrude gave an evil smile.

"Intelligence requires money and connections, so may I ask, what kind of authorization have you granted me?"

"--everything."

"You may mobilize all troops, nobles, and soldiers in this region at any time, as long as you have my permission."

Chen Qi's answer was so decisive that it made Gertrude, who was eagerly awaiting the answer, jump.

"As long as you can help us achieve results in the future Council of Nobles that will shake the Twin Queens, I will grant you any request."

The Noble Council, which the White Queen had mentioned to Chen Qi before, is a large parliament that only nobles of earl rank and above can participate in.

However, since the fall of the Witch King and the ascension of the Twin Queens, such a parliament has not been convened for more than a decade.

And this is the perfect place for Chen Qi to overthrow the rule of the twin empresses.

Gertrude, whose desire for power had been satisfied like never before, gave Chen Qi a satisfactory answer.

"I certainly will not let you down, Your Highness."

"Okay, go ahead. Compile a list of the people you need and give it to me."

Only after Gertrude left, satisfied, did Fremont, who had remained silent until now, finally ask Chen Qi, who was still playing with the chess pieces:

"Are you really comfortable entrusting intelligence work to her?"

"This person has long been blinded by the allure of power! She will stop at nothing to seize power."

“That’s right.” However, Chen Qi was also well aware of this, and said calmly:

"That's why I put Gertrude in charge of intelligence work, keeping her far away from military power."

“Gertrude’s forte is finding fault and plotting, but no one likes someone who holds their weaknesses in their hands. Such a person may be powerful for a time, but without military power and the ability to rebel, she will eventually only burn herself.”

"I just hope Gertrude can come to her senses soon, otherwise... after I die, no one will be able to protect her."

“…Boy, you’re really starting to look more and more like an emperor.”

However, Chen Qi remained unmoved by Fremont's words, which were neither a compliment nor a warning.

He remained silent, moving the chessboard in front of him.

In the end, Chen Qi's black pieces had eliminated almost all of the opponent's white pieces.

Apart from the last "King", the white pieces have no other pieces.

Although the outcome of this game is not yet decided, the result can be determined at a glance.

Upon closer examination, the lone white "king" piece gradually resembled the appearance of the twin queens...

Gemini Empress.

I wonder what you will feel when you realize that nobles, commoners... everything is no longer on your side?
Bonus chapter for today! Let's aim for the first round of recommended spots!
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(End of this chapter)