Man on the ark, forced to become king

But Cyril could understand; he felt the same way.

Honor, wealth, power—what hasn't he obtained?

His name has been passed down in Kazimierz to this day, and the family motto of Nearl is engraved on the weapons of every knight who fights. The entire nation regards him as a hero.

He was once so immersed in it that he believed he could turn the tide and change everything.

However, after his body weakened and even movement became difficult, he finally realized that neither knights nor merchants were necessities for the people of Kazimierz.

Their needs are simple: they just want to survive.

Whoever can do it better should be allowed to do it.

Therefore, he wasn't particularly resistant after hearing about Margaret's mission.

If the Golden Tree can really do that, then what's wrong with handing over Casimir?

As a knight, a hero, and a revered figure in the eyes of the Kazimierz, his duty should be to bring them a better life, not to indulge in wealth and power.

The premise is that the Golden Tree can do it.

If he couldn't, he wouldn't stand idly by and watch Kazimir be engulfed in war.

"Then let's go take a look, to the edge of the city. Have you been too busy with government affairs to exercise these past few years? Don't fall behind."

Cyril stood up, joking with a smile, and walked towards the door first.

"You're the one who should be worried, old man. You've been lying in bed for so many years, don't fall off a high place later."

------------------------------------------

"You've heard from Margaret so quickly?"

The icy winds swept across the land, carrying snowflakes across the devastated battlefield, where colossal beasts formed of crystal lay prostrate on the snow drifting in the wind.

Lin Lu sat on the back of the giant beast, reached out to catch the leaf that appeared from the void, and raised her eyebrows.

"I don't really understand why you would entrust such an important task to a child who is not even twenty years old."

Theresa lay flat on the side, glanced at the leaves shimmering with golden light, and couldn't help but speak.

In the distant night, bright points of light cluster together, arranged in a regular pattern.

That was Kazdel's Demon King army. Their original destination was Columbia, but due to a temporary strategic adjustment, the enemy became Ursus. So the army is temporarily resting here, preparing to launch an attack together with the Reunion Movement's army.

"But there's still Shining, isn't there?"

"What help can Shining be in this kind of situation? At most, she can only draw her sword and kill people."

Theresa's lips twitched, expressing doubt about whether Shining could provide assistance in planning a nation's affairs.

"Your sister is there too, but given her personality, you can't expect her to do anything on her own initiative. It's a blessing if she doesn't get completely drunk."

Lin Lu said casually, crushing the leaf in her hand.

“Margaret is indeed the one who does most of the work. Who can blame her for having pure blood? With her involvement and the influence of the Nearl family, many things will become easier. Besides, there are only a few countries on this land that I need to worry about, and Kazimierz is not one of them.”

"This is a once glorious kingdom of knights, how can you look down on it so much?"

Theresa thought about it and felt that Kazimierz didn't seem particularly weak. It had a large territory and a developed economy. Even if it had declined a lot, it shouldn't have fallen to the point of being ignored.

“I really don’t think there’s anything to be concerned about in a country that is divided, where power is not centralized, and where the country’s military support is marginalized and trivialized. Even Lateran is better than them.”

"The Kingdom of Knights, that sounds impressive, but besides the knightly orders on the border, what other decent army can they field? Or are they going to send in the city's garrison?"

"If you want people to respect you, you have to show some real talent."

Lin Lu made no attempt to hide her disdain for Kazimierz.

Admittedly, the ideal of chivalry is admirable, but the current Kazimierz is certainly not someone he should take seriously.

He didn't even know how a country that vigorously developed its entertainment industry, turning knights—who had always relied on its military might—into stage clowns, and lived for entertainment to the death, could survive amidst the conflicts between nations. Perhaps their commerce was actually controlled by other countries, and the covetous parties had already obtained a steady stream of sufficient profits, feeling there was no need to waste money on war, which allowed them to enjoy peace.

"If that's the case, then it seems so."

Theresa didn't really know much about the specifics of Kazimierz. She couldn't even manage her own family affairs, so how could she have the time to observe how other countries were doing?

Hearing Lin Lu say that, she felt that it made a lot of sense.

The present-day Qazimir is quite similar to Kazdel during the Civil War; it's normal that it's not valued.

"So you're just going to wash your hands of it and let that girl do whatever she wants?"

"No, I need to get moving."

Lin Lu grinned and spread her hands: "There's no way around it, I still have to take care of important matters. Don't underestimate Margaret just because she's young; she really knows how to get things done."

"Look, she gave me a surprise as soon as she arrived in Kazimierz today. She has convinced her grandfather that as long as we show our strength, the Kazimierz Knights will basically fall into our hands. At the same time, we have a highly respected old man on our side. If they can't put up a decent army to resist, you know the consequences."

"Of course, I would prefer them to stand up and put up a fight, at least to prove that they still have backbone."

"Division, civil war? This sounds familiar."

After a little thought, Theresa could picture it in her mind. She was all too familiar with this routine; she had been doing it this way for the past few decades.

Kazimir is, after all, a complete country. Even though it has declined considerably in recent years, it is unrealistic to simply give up resistance when outsiders interfere in its domestic affairs.

Resistance is inevitable. If the Golden Tree doesn't send troops over, then Kazimierz will inevitably descend into civil war, which may last for a long time, just like... Kazdel.

"So how do you plan to demonstrate your strength? By staging an artificial natural disaster? Or by directly and violently eliminating some people?"

"Is that how you perceive me? Someone who only knows how to solve problems with violence?"

"Why not?"

"Well, you have a good eye for people!"

Lin Lu gave a thumbs up, stomped her foot, and raised her chin: "Isn't there a ready-made thing right under our feet? I originally thought this thing was a pretty valuable sample, but it turns out it's just a nice-looking piece of junk that's useless. So let's make good use of it and put it to good use in Kazimierz."

"Use it? What's the use of that... its only use is to feed it to the golden tree as fertilizer, right?"

Looking at the giant Originium shell created by the war mages with magic at her feet, Theresa really couldn't think of any use for this thing other than as fertilizer. Perhaps, it could also be used as a super-sized Originium bomb and thrown into Kazimierz to detonate.

This kind of devilish act is something no one else could do, but Lin Lu definitely could, because he had already done it once in Ursus. The Originium rain that covered the entire ice field turned both of Ursus's army groups into infected.

Throughout the entire history of Terra, it would be difficult to find someone so ruthless and insane.

This guy has never been a kind person, and he's nothing like the good people that people generally think of.

He could end the war against Laterano with zero casualties because of his whims, or he could summon a meteor to destroy thousands of Ursus's artillery array on a whim, watching tens of thousands die. In fact, if the war mages hadn't suddenly gone mad, he might have personally killed those tens of thousands of people.

Given her past record, Theresa felt that even if Lin Lu said she wanted to destroy a city in Kazimierz to demonstrate her power, she wouldn't be surprised, let alone a mere Originium bomb.

"Of course it's useful, at least it's big enough, isn't it?"

"In the end, ordinary people make up the majority of this world. They don't understand intricate techniques, nor can they see the diverse effects of spells. Only what they can see with their own eyes can truly amaze them."

"In short, just add special effects and that's it."

"Bigger is stronger, bigger is more beautiful. This thing is big enough. Just throw it over there. It saves time and effort, and the effect is outstanding. After it lands, it can turn into nutrients and grow a golden tree in Kazimierz. It saves me the trouble of going out to plant a tree."

"...While what you said makes sense, how do you plan to get it over there? This thing has such a strong energy reaction that Xi's painting alone can't contain it, unless she comes over in person."

Having devoured the bodies of tens of thousands of people, it already possesses some of the characteristics of a god, only lacking a conscious mind. If such a large being were to be depicted in a painting, it would most likely damage the painting. Only the world within the painting controlled by Xi herself could contain the body of a god.

However, based on her understanding of Lin Lu, Theresa felt that he wouldn't let Xi Yun go.

"No need for that. I already said we wanted to make it a big event. What's the point of sending it over with paintings?"

Lin Lu shook her head, and an almost tangible halo spread out, flowing into the shell beneath her feet like water. The pure gold color extended and flowed through the veins within the giant beast's body, making the entire massive body glow with a dreamlike color.

One by one, countless purple dots lit up, covering the body like a dazzling galaxy slowly rotating within the colossal creature made of Originium. The lifeless shell seemed to come alive at this moment, displaying the power of a god.

Gravity was neutralized by magic, and the divine body, which had been prostrate on the ground, gradually rose and ascended. Golden-purple light surrounded it, converging into a dazzling halo that illuminated the dark, icy plains where the wind howled.

"You're going to take it from here and fly all the way to Casimir?!"

Seeing this, Theresa had an extremely absurd guess.

However, it turns out that no matter how absurd something is, it becomes reasonable when applied to this man.

Lin Lu didn't think there was anything wrong with doing it and nodded as if it were a matter of course: "Yes, a golden meteorite streaks across the sky and falls to the earth. The whole city is shaken by the earth-shattering event. Don't you think that's very impressive?"

"No, I think you should make an appointment with the psychiatric department of the medical department. Besides, I don't know if such a large piece of debris will cause a shock when it hits the edge of the city, but it's very possible that people will be killed by the shock."

Theresa coldly retorted, completely disbelieving that this behavior, which resembled a mental breakdown, had any real impact.

Who in their right mind would come up with such an outrageous method!

Besides, how far is it to fly from Ursus to Kazimierz? Aren't you afraid of dying of exhaustion on the way?

"It's alright. Shock and shock are the same in terms of outcome, there's no difference. I may stay in Kazimierz for a day or two, or maybe less. You can handle the coordination with Talulah yourself. Remember to pay close attention to Black Serpent's opinions. Talulah isn't very smart, and her decisions may not be reliable. You... I think you should be aware of your own command and decision-making abilities."

The Originium shell continued to rise. Lin Lu manipulated gravity magic and casually gave a word of advice. Theresa, feeling mocked, raised her eyebrows and glared.

"What's wrong with my command abilities? Is there a problem?!"

"If you don't think it's necessary, then it's not necessary. Whatever makes you happy."

Lin Lu looked completely innocent and sighed, "Since you're like this, of course I'll obey you."

"Lin! Lu!"

"I heard you, I heard you. Why are you shouting so loudly? I'm about to leave, you should get off the bus too."

Facing the Demon King who was baring his fangs and claws and lunging at her, Lin Lu remained calm and composed. She sidestepped, grabbed his collar, and casually tossed him aside. The Originium body floating beneath her feet instantly accelerated, transforming into a dazzling golden meteor in the sky, leaving the Demon King behind.

See you in a few days!