Man on the ark, forced to become king

King Ivangelista XI was taken aback, his brow furrowed, and he refused righteously.

"Who asked you?"

Lin Lu couldn't stand this old man who would shift blame at will, so her tone wasn't very friendly.

"I'll speak first, you listen first, don't interrupt."

"You should already know my purpose in coming to Laterano: to bring Laterano under the rule of the Golden Law."

"Aside from this, we have no conflict, and in the end, this matter is not a bad thing for you; the benefits outweigh the losses."

So, I should thank you? Thank you for coming all this way to beat us up?

King Ivangelista XI thought to himself, but dared not say it aloud, remaining silent and waiting for what would happen next.

"Actually, there may be some misunderstandings between us. Mostima and Fiameta may not have explained things clearly to you before."

“I also have some knowledge of Lateran. You established the international messenger system twenty years ago to deepen exchanges between countries and lay the foundation for future cooperation among nations, right?”

"Indeed it is."

King Ivangelista XI glanced at Mostima and roughly knew how the news had gotten out.

However, this was his original plan, so he did not deny it.

"Then, what is the reason? Is it because you learned through some channel that this world will face a crisis, or is it simply for the sake of Laterano? Don't worry, I know no less about this world than you do, and may even know more. What you know, I should know, and what I know, you may not know."

"The false canopy, the origin of Originium, the runaway sea creatures in the ocean, the corruption and contamination by extraterrestrial demons, the history of the Sarkaz, and the origin of Lateran law and ancient devices buried underground."

"..."

Upon hearing these words, King Ivangelista XI's expression changed noticeably, showing shock and doubt. After a moment of silence, he said in a deep voice, "It seems you do know a lot. Well then, I have nothing to hide from you."

"Since you know these secrets, then you should know that the laws of Lateran only benefit the people of Sakota and cannot extend outwards. However, this world is collapsing, and a crisis is imminent. To fight against the future catastrophe, the power of one nation alone is not enough."

"For our fame to be established, nations must unite to break the existing stalemate and create more possibilities."

"To this end, I established the system of messengers from all nations, hoping to rely on the characteristics of the Sakota people to deepen communication and understanding among nations, so that one day in the future, all nations can truly unite and overcome difficulties together."

"Yes, that solves it."

Lin Lu clapped her hands and laughed: "The reason I want to promote the Golden Law is for this reason."

"The laws of Sarkaz cannot cover all races, but the Golden Law can. If the Golden Law is spread across the land, your vision may become a reality. All nations and races can unite and exert all their strength to fight against future crises and ensure the survival of civilization."

"Then what reason do you have to reject the Golden Law?"

...That sounds like the idea?

King Ivangelista XI felt something was amiss, but upon closer examination, he couldn't find anything wrong.

Seeing that he didn't speak, Lin Lu pressed her advantage and continued to deceive him: "Moreover, compared to the laws of your Lateran, my Golden Law can do more."

"Under the Golden Law, no one can harm one another, all races can understand each other, oppression and exploitation will disappear, knowledge will spread through the law, and power can be concentrated to drive the progress of civilization."

"Moreover, the boundary between life and death does not exist in the Golden Law. The living can obtain a longer life, and the dead can be resurrected. Isn't this much more perfect than the laws of Laterano?"

"Another point is that my request for you to accept the Golden Law does not mean that you should abandon your original laws, because your laws will also become part of the Golden Tree."

"From this perspective, the status quo of the Sakorta will not change. You can still live as before and follow your laws. You are simply being integrated into the new system."

"If we don't lose what we already have, but instead gain more to make up for it, isn't that a good thing?"

"To be honest, I can't even imagine why you would refuse."

"Why refuse? Unlike other countries, you in Sakorta do not rely on power and will not rebel to avoid losing your previous wealth and status, will you?"

That makes sense...

King Ivangelista XI took it to heart and the more he thought about it, the more he realized it made sense; it was indeed the case.

From this perspective, Lateran indeed had no reason to reject the Golden Law.

It's not about giving up, but about integrating and complementing each other; that kind of future is exactly what they've always wanted.

Power, wealth, and status—things that are vital to life in other countries—are utterly meaningless in Lateran. Bound by the law, they have never desired or pursued those things.

If that's the case, why not add the better Golden Tree?

Not only him, but also Violet, who had been listening in the whole time, thought that there was nothing wrong with this statement after careful consideration.

Isn't that the logic?

They simply embraced something better, without abandoning the past. What the Golden Tree wanted to do was exactly what they had been doing all along.

"No, why didn't you say so sooner?"

King Ivangelista XI suddenly realized something, and his eyes turned fierce.

Since this statement was prepared in advance, why not have Mostima say it earlier so that both sides can have a friendly consultation on the basis of peace?

If these words had been spoken earlier, this battle might never have happened in the first place. Perhaps the two sides could have sat down together for a cup of coffee and reached a pleasant outcome.

What's going on now?

You came all this way and beat us up, killing many people and causing us heavy losses, and then you said you came with the ideal of peace, so that the law could bless the land.

If we just compromise and join them, what about the beating we just took? Wouldn't that be a waste of time and effort?

This is outrageous!

"You didn't even ask."

Lin Lu spread her hands, looking completely innocent.

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you guys at first too."

"But then I thought about it again. Laterland is, after all, an independent and sovereign country with a long history. If it suddenly came up and said that it would make you ruled by another power, no normal person would agree to that."

"So to avoid some trouble, I think it's more convincing and more acceptable to go directly to your door, beat you into submission, and then sit down for a proper talk, right?"

You big dummy!

King Ivangelista XI's mustache bristled with rage; he wished he could jump over and sit on this wretched fellow until he was dead.

What do you mean by saying that no normal person would agree? Are the Sakortas normal people?

They are all abnormal!

They just come to your door and beg you to submit, then sit down and talk—is that really a talk? He's too embarrassed to call them out!

So you just went through it all in your head without even sending a message, and then decided to come to our door, hang us up, and beat us up before presenting the facts and reasoning with us.

How do you know we won't agree if you haven't even asked?

It’s really... too much!

"My logic is sound, and the result is also sound. There was just a slight deviation in the process, but it's not a big deal."

Seeing his expression, Lin Lu knew that the matter was settled, so she quickly put on a smile and formally extended her hand.

"It seems you agree? Then welcome to the Golden Tree, for the survival of civilization!"

What else can I do if I don't join?

We can't win in a fight, and it seems like a mutual destruction scenario won't work either, since the Holy City is still under lockdown!

You wicked bastard! You devil! You brute!

King Ivangelista XI felt aggrieved, but he managed to suppress it with his good manners accumulated over the past few decades. He forced a smile and reached out to shake hands.

"For the survival of civilization."

"Then, in that case, what about those who died in the war..."

Seeing the two leaders shake hands, Violet thought for a moment and felt that it would be better to bring up some things as soon as possible, so she timidly chimed in.

"Don't worry about that. We'll get all the dead people back for you, but the equipment might be unusable."

Lin Lu knew what she wanted to say and immediately stated: "Actually, from the very beginning, this was a war whose outcome was predetermined. There was temporary suffering, but no one died. Even if you didn't say it, I would resurrect them all after the war ended."

"Otherwise, Xiao Mo would have jumped up and hit me. How could I possibly stay with you guys so obediently?"

Okay, so you knew everything, you just kept it to yourself!

Violet and Ivangelista XI pierced Mostima like steel needles, making her hair stand on end. She shifted uncomfortably, chuckling awkwardly, "I had no choice, you know, this seal..."

"It's solved. Although the process was a bit tortuous, the result was quite perfect."

Lin Lu casually waved her hand, and the two giant emblems that covered the sky shattered instantly. The magic seal closed and turned into a rain of light that poured down from the sky.

The seal on the Golden Tree shattered into streams of light that fell out of the city and into the earth.

Behind them, the shadow of the golden tree that soared into the clouds slowly shrank, solidified, and transformed into a golden tree made of pure energy. Souls appeared from the air and merged into the tree trunk, and golden flames ignited.

This time it's a mass resurrection, so the Golden Law of Rebirth won't be useful; we have to rely on the power of the Life Forge.

Fortunately, the Golden Tree Shadow summoned this time had sufficient energy. The Lateran soldiers who died in the war mainly relied on firearms and other equipment to fight, and there were no particularly strong individuals among them, so the situation was still within the acceptable range.

Golden light spread across the earth, from which countless beams of light rose. Through the slightly dazzling light, one could see bones sprouting and flesh growing within the beams, forming human figures.

The fallen warriors, transformed by the Forge of Life, were marked with the mark of the Golden Tree, regained their bodies, and returned to this world once more.

However, like Violet, the halos above the heads of the Sarkaz warriors have disappeared. Before the Golden Law completely takes control of Laterano, there is no solution to this problem for the time being, and we can only wait until later.

However, as long as the person is alive, everything else is a minor matter, and no one cares about those details.

The cover of war that shrouded Lateran dissipated quietly with the resurrection of these people.