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

Chapter 63 The Alliance of the Two Strongest Kings on This Land

"According to the intelligence sent by Duke Gertrude..."

“The eight dukes of Victoria intend to take over Rembiton by passing through Lateran.”

In the council chamber that originally belonged to the Kazimierz Council, Chen Qi summoned him and all of Theresis's military advisors to discuss the war against Victoria.

Liselotte, Chen Qi's maid and a former empress, served as an advisor, analyzing the battle situation for everyone.

"Rembitor is very close to Syracuse and has a very developed Originium mining industry."

"Victoria probably wants to take advantage of the fact that we have just captured Kazimir and the army needs to rest, and seize Rembiton, which is rich in minerals, first."

"In this way, not only can we put pressure on our Originium supply, but if necessary, we can also send troops to harass Syracuse and add chaos to our rear."

"--That's simple, we just need to take over Rembiton first."

Chen Qi was dismissive of Victoria's plan, and his extremely calm words determined the fate of a nation on the continent of Terra.

"Victoria also needs to deploy enough troops on the main battlefield to face our army."

"Therefore, it is absolutely impossible for him to send a large number of troops to Rembiton."

"Send orders to Army Group E, instructing them to launch an attack on Rembiton under the pretext that 'Victoria is violating Rembiton's neutrality'."

"The government of Rembitox must be forced to surrender in the fastest and most overwhelming way possible, without fail."

“…Yes, Your Majesty.”

Now, even without having to deliberately "perform" as an emperor, Chen Qi, whose every move exudes the aura of a dragon and tiger, naturally became the sole focus of this meeting.

Even Liselotte, the former empress, appeared much weaker in front of the all-powerful Chen Qi.

"Is this the most powerful and influential emperor on this land right now?"

"It seems... to be quite extraordinary."

Sitting beside Theresis, the Blood Lord was attending the meeting as a member of the "Sarkaz Military Council".

He fixed his intrigued gaze on the emperor at the very front, whose aura even overshadowed that of the iron-fisted monarch Therese.

"He...is very imposing and has a lot of charisma."

Beside the Blood Demon Lord, the Carrion King, whose face resembled a dried-up corpse, answered the Blood Demon Lord in a voice as dry as rubbing bark:

"Once you have a good understanding of the battle situation, you can make a response plan in just a few words."

"Cautious, yet confident and decisive."

"He was not just a warmonger, but a rational yet dangerous and ruthless monarch."

"It looks like this war is going to be exceptionally interesting."

They are among the oldest members of the royal court, and are one of the most skilled in warfare.

Not to mention those who are not Sarkaz, even other members of the royal court, the Carrion King is rather arrogant.

But this time, he saw in Chen Qi, whom he was meeting for the first time, some of the qualities he hoped a "Demon King" could possess.

"Unfortunately, he is not a Sarkaz."

The King of Carrion murmured to himself:

"He is not an emperor of the Sarkaz, but only a future threat to the Sarkaz race."

"But now, our only option is to cooperate with him to give Sarkaz a chance to survive."

So, what will you do, Theresis?

What method do you intend to use to maximize the benefits for the Sarkaz race?

"So, let's get back to the main battlefield."

Chen Qi focused his gaze back on the map, on the vast territory representing Victoria, and casually asked Therese, who was also observing the overall situation beside him:
“Your Highness Theresis, you told me before that you could create an opportunity to swallow Victoria whole.”

"Now, it's time to reveal your plans."

"—Then, please allow me to explain in detail, Your Majesty."

Seeing that his chance to shine had finally arrived, Therese remained outwardly calm, but only he knew in his heart how big a gamble he had placed.

This gamble could be said to have determined the fate of the Sarkaz.

But ultimately, faced with this momentous opportunity presented by the changing global landscape, he made up his mind, betting everything on the Sarkaz, and slowly revealed his plan:

"Your Majesty may not know this."

"After Emperor Victoria was hanged, the eight dukes began to scheme against each other and have their own agendas due to the vacancy of the throne."

"Among them, the royalist Duke Cavendish invited the Sarkaz to reside in Londinium under the pretext of 'settling the dispute among the dukes'."

"He hoped to use the military strength of the Sarkaz to strengthen the defenses of Londinium and prevent other non-royalist dukes from coveting the throne."

"And even now, this invitation has not yet expired."

"Moreover, and more importantly, the Sarkaz clan only decided to form an alliance with Your Majesty yesterday."

"In other words, the eight dukes must not yet know about the alliance between Sarkaz and Letania."

"This also means that I can still lead the Sarkaz army, under the pretext of accepting the Duke's invitation, to strike straight at the heart of Victoria, the capital, Londinium!"

"And as long as my Sarkaz army occupies Lontinim."

"Then we can quickly take control of all the city's defenses in Lentinium and deliver a fatal blow to the heart of Victoria."

"When the time comes, how will the eight dukes react to the fall of Londinium?"

At this point, a dangerous smile, almost identical to the one Chen Qi wore when his scheme succeeded, appeared on Theresis's face. She said calmly:
"Whether they are preoccupied with their own problems and remain indifferent, or they send all their forces to reclaim Londinium from our hands."

"It still couldn't change the fact that when news of the fall of the capital reached the front lines, the Victorian army was thrown into chaos."

"When that time comes, Your Majesty, you can send out a large army to crush the Victorian army on the front lines with overwhelming force. The Victorian army will surely collapse at the first touch!"

This is a near-perfect plan.

[And it was bold and sudden enough that it was definitely not the idea of ​​a military academy student.]

If Londinium were to fall so easily to the Sarkaz, it would practically mean that Victoria's war was lost.

However, this involves a significant risk.

That is, by allowing the Sarkaz army to enter Lentinium, the Sarkaz were temporarily freed from Letania's control.

[And during this time, will the Sarkaz clan truly cooperate with Letania's actions as agreed?]

What if Sarkaz, after taking control of Lentinium, then partners with Victoria?

[Or, after the Sarkaz occupy Lentinium, could they use its strong defenses to keep the Letanian army out as well?]

[It should be noted that Londinium was known as "the city that never falls," and the defensive cannons mounted on its high walls were extremely powerful.]

[Even at 10% of its firepower, the secondary guns are enough to easily melt steel; the main guns, with their power, can penetrate even the armor of Terra's most advanced warships.]

Not to mention, Londinium also houses Victoria's strategic weapon, the "Shattered Tower," capable of unleashing cataclysmic attacks within a certain range.

It can be said that once Lontinem falls, any attempt to invade from the outside, even from Letania as it is now, would come at a tremendous cost.

However, only the Sarkaz, led by Theresis, can enter Lentinium without hindrance.

Only the Sarkaz led by Theresis can help you conquer Victoria effortlessly.

You understand, this is a difficult choice.

【So what would your choice be in this situation?】"...If the Sarkaz clan takes over Lontinim, they will face a strong counterattack from the eight dukes."

"Then, even with the help of Lontinim's strong city defenses, I'm afraid the Sarkaz will suffer considerable casualties."

"Blooming in the center can also be described as being surrounded."

"Moreover, if one of the eight dukes discovers your plan, you may be in danger before you even enter Londinium."

However, Chen Qi did not choose to discuss any of these concerns.

Instead, he asked Theresis the most crucial question—

“Your Highness Theresis, you have placed your army in such a dangerous situation, undertaking the most perilous mission.”

Tell me, what do you want?

"—It's very simple, Your Majesty."

Seeing that her thoughts had been seen through, Theresis no longer concealed them and said, word by word:

“I hope that after His Majesty annexes Victoria, he will grant Londinium, the capital of Victoria, to the Sarkaz.”

"I need Lontinim's technology, city defenses, and internal factories to strengthen the Sarkaz."

“Besides that, the Sarkaz will not take an inch of Victoria’s territory.”

What a huge appetite!

As soon as Theresis finished speaking, the same thought flashed through the minds of Jian, Liselotte, and the Twin Wolf Girl.

[It sounds like taking on the most dangerous missions, all for the sake of a mobile city, is a very worthwhile deal.]

However, it's important to know that Londinium was the capital of Victoria, and it possessed Victoria's most advanced technology, weaponry blueprints, and a vast amount of archives.

If the Sarkaz acquire these technologies, they can quickly replicate them and produce large quantities of Victorian war weapons.

[By then, the Sarkaz will have gained far more than just a mobile city that is easy to defend and difficult to attack.]

They could even use this mobile city to rapidly industrialize the Sarkaz!

Industrialization meant that the Sarkaz could quickly establish their own defense forces.

The revival of the Nasakaz clan is truly just around the corner.

But precisely because of this, you can be certain that Theresis will never betray you.

To prevent the fall of Londinium, Theresis will undoubtedly lead the Sarkaz in a desperate fight against Victoria's counterattack.

And the only person in this world who can offer him such a huge reward is you, the one who can conquer Victoria.

“Tell me a reason, Your Highness Theresis.”

Chen Qi, who knew Therese's thoughts, showed not a trace of anger on his face.

On the contrary, his smile widened even more as he asked Therese:

Why do you think I would promise you such a generous reward?

"Do you really think that Leitania can't defeat Victoria without your help?"

"Or do you really think that after the great war, Letania will not take back Lentinium from the Sarkaz?"

"—You won't, Your Majesty."

However, like Chen Qi, Theresis, who had a clear understanding of the situation, calmly stopped the Blood Demon Lord behind her from getting up because he thought he was threatened.

He stared directly into Chen Qi's eyes without fear. On this land, two of the most powerful monarchs were engaged in the most intense political struggle.

"Because, compared to the Sarkaz, there are countries you need to be even more wary of."

"Oh? Who is it?" Chen Qi narrowed his eyes slightly, already having the answer in his mind.

"—Ursas"

Chen Qi's heartfelt words fell together with Theresis's words.

[As you and Theresis both know, after conquering Victoria, the Ursus Empire became the foremost obstacle in your ambition to unify this land.]

The fall of Victoria will inevitably make the Ursus Empire aware of the danger, and they will make all necessary preparations to deal with this great war.

They might even take advantage of your vulnerability during your conquest of Victoria.

You need to be wary of Ursus, and even more importantly, you need to preserve enough troops and strength to fight against the Ursus legions.

And you may still need the power of the Sarkaz to help you fight against the most powerful nation on Terra.

Therefore, you will inevitably have less energy to focus on the Sarkaz, who are not yet a significant threat.

However, all of this political maneuvering was answered by Therese with only a simple three-word response.

Theresis knew that the wise and decisive King of Letania before him could also see through all that he was thinking.

In fact, he had already made this plan when he decided to extend goodwill to their clan.

Finally, in the council chamber, Chen Qi and Therese looked at each other for a long time before they couldn't help but smile at each other.

The next second, the laughter of these two most powerful monarchs of Terra, filled with a mixture of admiration and wariness, echoed in the council hall.

Inside the council chamber, Jian looked bewildered as he stared at the two emperors who had suddenly burst into laughter.

Lappland and Texas, though vaguely sensing something, still seemed unable to quite understand it.

Fremont, who remained silent, shared a genuine smile of satisfaction with the monarch he had chosen, just like his two old friends from the royal court.

On Chen Qi's side, only the former empress Liselotte, after some contemplation, realized what Chen Qi and Theresis were thinking.

However, Liselotte, who was slow to realize what was happening, felt even more horrified.

Although she had been reduced to a maid, Liselotte, who had always viewed everything from the perspective of an empress, only realized this now.

Just how vast is the gap between myself and the two most powerful rulers of this land?

"—I grant your request."

After a burst of laughter, Chen Qi gave Therese the promise she wanted without hesitation.

"After Victoria is destroyed, Londinium will be occupied by you Sarkaz."

However, whether the Sarkaz can actually bring Lentinium, along with its technology and defenses, back to Kazdel is uncertain.

[Of course, you wouldn't want to see the Sarkaz rise either, after all, Letania and the Sarkaz clan share a deep-seated blood feud.]

It's hard to say whether the Sarkaz will unleash their flames of vengeance upon Letania once they possess sufficient power.

But all of this will be a long time from now.

What you should be focusing on right now is this "feast" of dividing up the enormous cake called "Victoria"!

In your dreams, you return countless times to the battlefield of the Four Emperors' War.

[Leytania paid a heavy price in that war, only to have the victories that rightfully belonged to you snatched away by the two military superpowers, Victoria and Ursus.]

This humiliation inflicted immense suffering on the Leitanians, and it also fueled countless Leitanians' desire to wage a war of revenge against Victoria.

Now, that moment has finally arrived.

[It's your turn to lead the thousands of enraged Letanians and face Victoria!]

(End of this chapter)