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

Chapter 52 A New Ally for Letania? The Choice of a Commander for the March into Bolivar?

"I am glad that you have waited patiently until now, Vice President Jackson."

"And, Mr. President Mark Max."

Half an hour later, in a more private reception room, after seeing off the overjoyed Duke Windermere, Chen Qi finally appeared.

Moreover, compared to the council hall where only the Black and White Wolves were present, the important members of this somewhat cramped reception room were actually more complete.

Like the Twin Wolves, the Black and White Twins are responsible for serving and listening in.

Fremont stood silently by, taking notes.

Gertrude, who served as an intelligence officer, contributed many ideas to this plan.

And the guards responsible for protecting the surrounding area and preventing leaks, all appeared here.

It was precisely because of the size of this team that Mark believed the emperor truly intended to have a proper talk with them again.

"I must say, your acting skills are truly superb, Your Majesty."

Standing on the vice president's shoulders, Mark spoke in a voice no different from any other human.

With an animal-like appearance and intelligence almost identical to that of humans, Mark's status as a "beast master" is clearly evident.

However, compared to the pack of wolves that fled Syracuse, President Mark, with his exceptionally broad vision and magnanimity, was clearly much wiser.

"Then tell me your true plan, Your Majesty."

"What exactly are your plans? What role do you need our Columbia to play in your plans?"

"—It's so easy to chat with smart people, Your Excellency."

No, it should be a clever bird?

Chen Qi didn't dwell on this.

"Then, Your Excellency, let me tell you something from my heart."

After Texas brought out a chair, Chen Qi sat down and solemnly said to Mark on the vice president's shoulder:
“Our collaboration with Victoria is nothing more than a formality.”

"If there is any country that Letania would consider cooperating with, it would only be Colombia."

"Your Excellency, war is imminent, and this will be an opportunity to reshuffle the cards for every nation on the continent of Terra."

"Leytania cannot defeat all the countries on its own, therefore, we need a country to share the spoils of victory with us."

"—Then why us?"

Mark asked a very crucial question.

"Colombia is the youngest country in this land. We lack a rich history, and the combat effectiveness of our military is far inferior to that of major powers."

Why did you choose us instead of military superpowers like Victoria and Ursus?

"It's very simple."

Chen Qi, who already knew the answer to Mark's question, answered without the slightest hesitation.

"Because Letania and Colombia currently share the same common goal."

“An old empire like Victoria is a huge threat not only to you, but also to my country.”

"None of us want countries like Victoria and Ursus to become permanent obstacles to our development."

"Therefore, we must all join forces to pull Victoria down from the ranks of a first-class power!"

"Only in this way can we have land under the sun!"

Common goals, common interests.

At this moment, even Mark had to admit that he was both shocked and excited by the emperor's words.

If it weren't for its last shred of reason holding it back, it might have immediately cooperated with Qi and shown an extremely strong desire to join the war.

But Mark calmed down and asked a crucial question.

"Then, Your Majesty the Emperor."

"How can I be sure that after Victoria falls, you won't lead your army to destroy this nascent nation of Colombia as well?"

"Ah."

However, Chen Qi simply smiled at Mark's question and gave an answer that surprised everyone present.

“On this point, Mr. Mark, I don’t need to give you any assurances.”

"We both know that if Victoria is divided between our two countries, then only our two countries will be left in the west."

"At that time, we will inevitably have a real battle for supremacy."

Mark's expressionless face did not affect Chen Qi's performance.

Chen Qi knew that he didn't need to play any tricks with this equally ambitious bird in front of him; Letania and Colombia had completely the same goal.

They all wanted to become the rulers of this land.

Therefore, they will inevitably become enemies in the future.

“But if Colombia doesn’t cooperate with us, you probably won’t even make it through this crisis.”

"Therefore, Your Excellency, you are left with no choice but to temporarily unite with us, a country that will be your future adversary."

“As long as you are willing to cooperate, I can guarantee that we will not occupy Colombia’s colonies in Bolívar.”

"If you don't want to..."

A smile reappeared on Chen Qi's face.

But to everyone present, that smile was tinged with danger.

"Then I'll have no choice but to join forces with Victoria and eliminate Colombia first."

"Compared to an old, decaying empire, Colombia, a newly emerging and continuously rising country, is the biggest threat that Letania needs to be wary of."

"Your Excellency, what is your decision?"

This time, facing Chen Qi's outstretched hand.

After a moment of silence, Mark couldn't help but laugh.

Unlike other "beast masters", Mark knew very well who created him and what the purpose of his creation was.

It still remembers its father and the will he instilled in it.

Unify all wills, and seize all truth.

Let Columbia become Terra's "lighthouse," Terra's sword and shield.

This is Mark's best tribute to his father who created him, and to that vanished civilization.

Only now has Mark truly encountered one that possesses the ability to hinder it and prevent it from fulfilling its ideal.

A formidable foe.

For the first time, Mark felt a sense of excitement.

A feeling of excitement called "fighting against a formidable opponent of equal strength"!
Because during the conversation, Mark had become convinced that he was one of the same kind of "people" as himself.

They were not afraid of being called tyrants by posterity, nor were they afraid of being insulted as warmongers.

They all carried out their will to the end, and spared no effort to follow the path they believed in.

“Then, our deal is done, Your Majesty the Emperor of Letania.”

At this point, Mark no longer hesitated and seized Colombia's only and best opportunity to become a first-class power.

It stretched out its wings and rested them on Chen Qi's outstretched hand.

“I, Mark Max, President of Colombia, hereby pledge.”

"Before the day comes when Colombia and Letania will clash."

"Colombia will stand with Letania to the very end!"

……

After the Colombian president left, the atmosphere in the reception room fell silent once again.

After all, although the plan had been finalized, they still faced an even more important problem.

"...Attack on Bolívar is not difficult. In the face of our regular army, Bolívar's resistance forces have almost no power to put up a fight."

"But the problem is, who should we send to lead the attack and occupy Bolivar's position?" Gertrude stared at the map of Terra on the table, unable to come up with an answer to this question.

The reason is simple: Bolívar's geographical location is simply too far from Letania.

"Bolivar is located at the northwesternmost tip of the Terra continent, bordering Colombia and close to the ocean, making it a naturally suitable country for separatism."

"If used well, the Bolívar will become an aid to our future attack on Victoria, creating a pincer movement against Victoria."

"But if the people we send fail His Majesty... then the army we send to conquer will never return."

After three years of elite education, Texas, though still somewhat inexperienced, was already capable of analyzing the battle situation and expressed her concerns.

"And Colombia too."

Lappland, who received her education and training alongside Texas, also raised her own questions:
"Although we have now reached a cooperation agreement with Colombia, we must also be wary of Colombia's sudden change of heart."

"So, if you want to send troops to attack Bolívar..."

"Then, the person in charge of the army must not only be loyal to His Majesty, but also be a strong person who can hold down Bolivar."

After everyone's discussion, this candidate can be said to have been basically decided.

Among those present, only the Black and White Twins, as well as Mace and Fremont, could claim to be the strongest.

But if loyalty is taken into account, then the only candidate seems to be the mace.

And Fremont, who is willing to cooperate with Chen Qi in order to explore the future path of the Sarkaz.

"—Kid, don't even think about getting this old man away this time."

Before anyone could speak, Fremont gave a cold snort, excluding himself from the list of candidates.

“I’m here to find the answer to Sarkaz through you, not to be treated like a servant by you.”

"Now that the brother and sister have started fighting, my hope of finding the answer before the Sarkaz civil war has been dashed."

"Now I need to hurry and extract some valuable knowledge from you as quickly as possible. I can't leave Letania!"

"So, the only remaining candidate is..."

As soon as Fremont said this, everyone's eyes were focused on Mace, who was wiping his greatsword and remaining silent.

"...I have never led an army; I have always led small, elite units."

He gradually realized that this heavy responsibility could only be entrusted to his own trump card, and after taking a deep breath, he gave his answer:

"If I could be given a general, I might give it a try."

"No need, Jian, I already have someone in mind."

Just then, Chen Qi, who had been deep in thought, suddenly spoke, interrupting everyone's speculation.

It was at this moment that he seemed to have made up his mind and turned his gaze to a beautiful figure that no one had expected.

“...Hildegard.”

"Are you willing to lead the army to Bolívar and shoulder this heavy responsibility?"

"Your Majesty (Qi)?!"

When Chen Qi gave her answer, no one present, not even her sister Lizault, expected it.

Liselotte turned her gaze to herself in surprise, to her sister who was mixing coffee, and her expression became slightly complicated.

She was not unaware that her sister's attitude had softened considerably ever since she and Qi had gone to Syracuse alone.

But she didn't voice her suspicions, simply assuming that her sisters had adapted to this kind of life.

But today, Chen Qi is entrusted with the heavy responsibility of a nation to her sisters.

Liselotte couldn't help but think about it more.

Could it be... after that incident in Syracuse?

Hildergard, already...

"...Why me?"

After a long silence, Hildergard, who had finished brewing the coffee, asked Chen Qi without even turning her head:

"Aren't you afraid that I'll betray you once I get to Bolívar?"

"Not afraid."

Chen Qi's answer was extremely straightforward, and he smiled faintly:
"Not only because your 'soul chains' are still under my control."

"Moreover, I believe that you will do your best to make this a better Letania."

"Occupying the Bolívar will be entirely beneficial to Letania's future."

"And I believe that you will use the most effective and correct methods to rule the people of Bolivar."

At this point, Chen Qi's expression relaxed slightly, and he couldn't help but sigh:
"...It's like when you were in Syracuse, you chose to endorse my approach."

Chen Qi had no idea that his spontaneous remark had caused the two sisters' hearts to skip a beat.

However, the reasons for the sudden cardiac arrest of these two sisters were completely different.

Hildegard found it difficult to describe her feelings at that moment.

Is it joy? Or distress? Or perhaps anger and embarrassment, a refusal to admit that she has accepted him?

But she had to admit that she was the best choice.

She is powerful and incredibly loyal to Letania.

More importantly, she knew how to command troops.

And she must admit... she will indeed do as Chen Qi says.

After all, if war is unavoidable, then occupying the Bolívar is the best solution for Letania's future.

But for Liselotte, Chen Qi's words just now finally eased her anxiety.

At this point, Liselotte had to confirm this fact.

Her own sister had probably truly betrayed her and chosen to serve Qi.

But why is that?
Wasn't Hildegard the one who hated Prayer the most for humiliating them?
Why was she so captivated after just one trip to Syracuse? What exactly happened?
But before Liselotte could figure out the answer, Chen Qi revealed his entire plan.

"I am handing over the command of Army Group C and its officers to you."

"In addition, I will assign Gertrude to you as your partner to assist you in your work."

"His Majesty?!"

Gertrude, who never expected to be one of the candidates to go to Bolivar, stood up in utter astonishment.

However, Chen Qi, who had anticipated Gertrude's violent reaction, explained in a gentle manner:

“Gertrude…right now, the only person I can send out, the one least likely to betray me, is you.”

"Perfect timing, this is an opportunity for you too."

"We are lacking intelligence on countries like Bolivar, Letania, and Victoria. I hope you can maximize the role of the Ministry of State Security during this trip."

"Go there and properly assist Hildegard, and also keep an eye on her for me. This is your new task."

"In the future, perhaps in Victoria, or perhaps in Colombia."

"We will meet again then."

"……Yes."

Seeing that her king was determined, Gertrude, unable to find any reason to object, had no choice but to suppress all the unease and struggle in her heart.

In the end, with tears in her eyes, Gertrude simply gave her beloved king a military salute to express her resolve.

"I will certainly not fail in my mission, my dearest... Your Majesty."

As soon as she finished speaking, Gertrude, not wanting others to see her tears, turned around abruptly and strode towards the door.

Gertrude didn't know why she had lost her composure and was so sad.

Perhaps it was a woman's intuition that told her—

This parting may mean that I will never again see the king I admire and love.

This is the first chapter of the day! There will be another chapter tonight!
Please, dear readers, add this to your favorites and give it your support! *sobs*
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(End of this chapter)