Arknights' Lock of Heaven

“That’s ridiculous!”

The dukes' angry rebukes kept coming from the other end of the communication line, and the mayor of Prostov was sweating profusely.

That was exactly what he was worried about; the dukes simply didn't believe that absurd claim.

If it were him, he wouldn't believe it either.

But the problem is, if you don't believe me, at least don't take it out on me.

Unfortunately, it's highly likely that the anger will be transferred to others.

“Pritzer Kenneth,” came the cold voice of Grand Duke Vanya, the mayor’s backer, through the communicator, “do you know what you’re saying?”

“I’m sorry, Your Grace, but that’s exactly what the people on that ship told us,” the mayor explained, feeling aggrieved. “Kane is His Majesty’s man, but she was right under my nose, and she received exactly the same information as me.”

"..."

Upon hearing this, the dukes fell silent.

"Forget it, we probably won't get anything out of him," an arrogant voice came through. "Let's hang up. We need to discuss our strategy now."

Hearing this, the mayor finally felt a little relieved; the agonizing interrogation was finally coming to an end.

But the last voice that came through the communication almost gave him a heart attack.

"waste!"

This is the voice of Grand Prince Vanya, and also the voice of the supporters behind his ability to become mayor.

The mayor's heart sank when he heard this.

How credible do you think this is?

After a brief silence during the meeting of the dukes, someone spoke up and asked a question.

"Don't believe it at all!" Upon hearing this, the Grand Duke of Ural, dragging his ailing body, immediately said in a weak, aged voice, "To completely change the climate of the snowfield with a single technique? Even the scientists at the Imperial Academy of Sciences wouldn't dare to use such a title when they're trying to scam funding."

"Indeed, even if that technique could change the surrounding temperature in an instant, the Sixth Army was wiped out because of it. Although this intelligence is basically consistent with the clues we investigated, a change in an instant is still just an instant."

While making his statement, Grand Prince Vanya didn't forget to stab the Grand Prince of the Urals in the heart, saying, "You can't do anything to change the climate of the snowfields in an instant."

"As for continuously using spells to maintain the altered climate... Ha, even if you filled all of Ursus's Originium mines, both mined and unmined, I wonder how many years it could last?"

"Those Kazimierz people are really delusional. Do they think we Ursus haven't thought of this kind of thing?"

"But with our current technological capabilities, it's completely impossible to do that. The terrifying amount of energy required would be enough to fill the entire empire!"

“I think they’re bluffing,” Duke Belga said calmly. “They’re afraid we’ll attack the Patriots before that ship arrives, so they’re using a vision that the Ursuss wouldn’t even dare to dream of to hold us back. As long as we have a sliver of faith, they can find the time to join forces with the Patriots, and those infected can survive the winter.”

"This will completely ruin our plans. If the infected survive the winter, it means they don't need to plunder the empire in the south to survive. With the help of the Lich King's court, they can also gain a foothold in the snowfield. Our plans will be completely ruined."

"It will also cultivate a force that is completely hostile to us, so my advice is to send troops to attack the Patriots' base immediately to prevent the plan from going in the worst possible way."

Well said, the objectives are clear, and the logic is sound, but what about sending troops?

Whose troops should be deployed?

Look how miserable the Grand Prince of the Urals is now. He even has to stay in bed to attend meetings. Who wants to follow in his footsteps?

The troops on those defensive lines are their pride and joy, the greatest support that has kept their families together. With these troops around, the emperor and parliament are restrained, and the neighbors with ill intentions are kept in line.

If these troops were gone, it would be worse than death for us!

No one understood the importance of military power better than these old nobles. The example of the Grand Duke of Ural was still fresh in their minds. Without fully understanding the opponent's strengths and weaknesses, they preferred to keep their troops stationary on the defensive line rather than risk venturing out.

The people of Ursus do not have a tradition of gambling with the fate of their nation. The mentality of taking a gamble and turning a bicycle into a motorcycle only exists in small countries with scarce resources. Ursus, a large and wealthy country, cannot cultivate such a mindset.

They tend to believe that as long as I don't do it, I can't be wrong.

That is, what is known as 'conservative'.

“I know what you’re worried about, but if those infected really gain power, we’ll become even more passive within Ursus,” Duke Belgaard said passionately, seeing the silence around him. “As you all know, the Emperor and Witt have been trying to win over the infected. If they really join forces, will there be any place for us in Ursus?”

"We can't just stand by and watch this happen..."

"Alright, alright, Duke Belgaard, you've said it well. Don't say it again," Duke Vanya interrupted him sarcastically. "Your Third Army was finished a long time ago, so you can say that. Anyway, it's not your turn to go to the front lines."

"But our troops are still here. What if something unexpected happens?"

“Listen to me. Like I said before, I have some contact with the Elector of Letania. Let me make a deal with him and have him check whether the Lich King’s Court is still in the Tower of Trilintelme.”

"really."

"Grand Duke Vanya is right."

"I agree."

As soon as he finished speaking, a chorus of agreement arose; what the Grand Duke of Vanya said truly resonated with them.

Sending troops? That's impossible. What if we end up like the Grand Prince of the Urals and lose everything?

Let's figure out the situation first.

"By the way, does anyone know anything about Kosichek's situation?" a voice came from behind. "I don't believe he's just dead."

After all, almost all of his plans came to fruition after that incident; how could it be possible without someone watching over him?

People are more inclined to believe that it was a staged death.

“No, we can’t get in touch with him no matter what we do,” Grand Duke Vanya frowned upon hearing this. “Even when I seized his territory to force him to come forward in order to contact him, I still didn’t get any response.”

Were you trying to force him out? The people around you saw through it but didn't say anything.

If Xia Yu were to see this meeting, she would definitely feel a strong sense of déjà vu.

These warlords, outwardly friendly but inwardly at odds, valued their armies more than their own lives. They remained unmoved when allies were in trouble, and even when strategic objectives were right in front of them, they refused to act for fear of losses...

It looks so familiar!

The other side is much simpler.

"This is simply...this is simply..."

After hearing what the girl, Kaine, said, the Emperor of Ursus was speechless.

“Unbelievable,” Speaker Witt finally managed to utter after a long pause, “What do you think, Kayle?”

“Me? My opinion is that this is just bait,” Kaine sighed. “His real purpose is that snowfield defense line.”

“Him? I always feel like you have some misunderstanding about that person,” Victor sighed upon hearing this. “How about this, I’ll arrange a channel for you, and you can return to Saint Jun Castle as soon as possible.”

"His Majesty and I need to discuss some confidential matters, so I'll hang up now."

After saying that, he hung up the call.

Then he and the emperor looked at each other in bewilderment.

"This...this...how is this possible?" Emperor Ursus was extremely flustered.

Speaker Witt was in no better shape.

"Now I finally understand why Lord Kal'tsit was so confident that we would go to her on our own initiative."

Fragments of a 424-year-old?

"Now I finally understand why Lord Kal'tsit was so confident that we would go to her on our own initiative."

Upon hearing Speaker Witte's words of reflection, the Emperor frowned.

"So, you trust Lord Kal'tsit that much?" he asked suspiciously. "Even with something as absurd as this, you actually..."

“Your Majesty, perhaps you think this is just a trap, but deep down I still want to believe it,” Speaker Witt sighed.

"If only such technology really existed."

“I see,” the Emperor nodded upon hearing this. “Should we contact Lord Kal'tsit?”

“No, we’re not going to do anything,” Witt said, shaking his head slightly. “Isn’t that man going to use this as bait to lure the old nobles? We can just watch.”

"Let's see just how tempting that so-called bait really is, and whether it's worth Ursus's effort to get involved."

"In my opinion, similar technologies probably exist, but they can't be as perfect as they claim. They're either limited by energy or they're still in the semi-finished stage."

“The fact that they dared to use it as bait means that they can at least fool people on the surface,” Speaker Witt sighed. “Ah, if only it really existed.”

"In that case, as long as we have it in our hands, all the problems that Ursus is facing will be solved."

Yes, it would be wonderful if that were true.

The emperor couldn't help but nod.

Why does Ursus love war so much? It's because the snowfields are simply not a place fit for humans.

When did the late emperor's brilliance and martial prowess begin?

It was his decisive action in joining the siege of Gaul, despite opposition, that laid the foundation for Ursus's eventual partition of Gaul during the War of the Four Emperors. He accumulated enough prestige through this war before he could gradually implement his reforms.

If Ursus possessed the technology to completely conquer the extreme climate of the snowfields, it would be no less valuable than the vast tracts of land gained from the Four Emperors War.

Countless Ursus people will unite for the benefits this technology brings, just as they united for the authority of their father in the past.

But we can only dream about it; how could such technology appear out of nowhere?

Unless it's a relic from a previous civilization... well.

Relics from a pre-existing civilization?