Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1151 Serayafo (Second Update)

The atmosphere inside the crew cabin of the Pegasus heavy assault transport ship was extremely tense; almost everyone was worried about the Emperor's upcoming itinerary. After Tito's death, Eastern European countries that had accepted neoliberal economic colonization also began playing the electoral games of constitutional democracy, games Lenin abhorred. Even in cases where presidential candidates sought to appear approachable and garner votes, security measures for politicians in constitutional elections were largely disregarded, allowing them to freely demonstrate their elite and down-to-earth nature to voters.

In addition to traditional methods such as poisoning and sniping, non-traditional methods of assassination, such as machine gun fire, landmine planting, and car bombs, are gradually becoming more common.

Although the Infernal Knights and mortal auxiliary troops stationed near Seraphim had taken measures seventy-two hours in advance, such as securing sniping positions, checking for explosives along the route, cracking down on illegal organizations that might possess firearms and dangerous materials, strengthening the inventory of armories of legally armed organizations, and conducting advance reconnaissance of individuals who had made dangerous statements on social media, and even sending four small war engines into the city, the time was simply too short. Much work remained to be done before the Emperor's arrival, so the possibility of an assassination attempt on the Emperor could not be completely ruled out.

Hammurabi instructed his monarch to never approach crowds to avoid being shot at close range, never shake hands with anyone to avoid being pricked with poison, and never kiss anyone's cheek to avoid ingesting cosmetics laced with toxins, among other precautions. If conditions permitted, Hammurabi also wanted to enclose the monarch in a transparent, armored glass dome, but such a measure would never be approved.

"Perhaps a young man is already waiting for me with a pistol!" Emperor Latvinia smugly ran his armored fingers along the exquisite embossed design on his breastplate, the armor, connected to his nervous system, faithfully reflecting the tactile sensation. "They've seen me on television before, why would they be foolish enough to think they can kill me with a pistol? Did Archduke Ferdinand give these people that confidence?"

This question suffocated the Sorority. Tatiana couldn't understand why the monarch could talk about such a dangerous matter so casually. Then the Emperor made another request, one that made the Sorority's entourage want to scream, and some even considered urging the Emperor to cancel the trip.

"If it's just close-range shooting with a pistol or rifle, I demand that none of you lay a hand on me," he said. "I'm not an ordinary person; I can handle this kind of problem myself. Although those players in constitutional democracy and electoral politics are very hypocritical, their methods can still be learned from. I think everyone should want to see an iron-fisted ruler, especially Boch, where the unemployment rate is 40%. There's nothing more direct than personally subduing an assassin."

"Don't make it too bloody. Reality isn't a Disney animation; you won't bleed no matter what kind of injury you get," Natasha Romanov cautioned. "I know you're very strong, so when you're subduing him, don't make it too gruesome. If you break bones and pierce the skin, you're done for. It's best to use grappling techniques to subdue the assassin; it's gentler. But I really doubt why anyone would attack a three-meter-tall giant wearing power armor."

For some reason, Tatiana noticed that the Emperor's expression turned quite dejected after Natasha Romanov finished speaking. Indeed, as Natasha Romanov had predicted, even with the ten-meter-tall war engine leading the way, the armored hordes of Infernal Knights parading alongside, and assault transport ships and fighter jets escorting them, the Emperor arrived at the Sarajevo City Hall via the highway. Even while seated in a convertible hovercar modified from a hover assault boat chassis, the Emperor encountered no attacks from fanatical religious groups—just as Natasha Romanov had said, no one would intentionally attack a three-meter-tall giant clad in golden power armor. The Infernal Knights, armed with explosive guns, banners, and greatswords, kept a close eye on the onlookers along the roadside; even a drug-addicted idiot wouldn't choose this moment to attack an Emperor surrounded by his army.

The reason for not choosing the presidential palace was simply because it was too small and the surrounding area was too crowded. It wasn't even as spacious as the city hall and couldn't accommodate the accompanying Fire Knights, War Engines, and other military personnel. By the time the emperor and his entourage arrived at the high platform erected in front of the city hall, those who were dissatisfied with Latvinia's previous suppression of religion had quieted down.

"It has been proven that Latvia is one of the most technologically advanced countries on Earth. I spend a third of my week in high orbit in outer space, looking down at this beautiful planet from behind armored glass windows, or strolling through the red deserts of Mars, examining the magnificent foundries built atop the highest peaks of the solar system—all the war machines you see today were produced on that planet. Perhaps you think this is too far removed from your reality, but I tell you, once the space elevator in the capital is completed, it won't be a problem. Imagine living in a country where going to space is as easy as taking a long-distance bus—what would you see?" The Emperor addressed the audience below, using suspense as his opening statement. He paused, then solemnly declared, "No gods, nothing at all, only humanity, only us."

Viktor von Dum looked up from behind the mountain of documents and glanced at the television set opposite him.

After watching the television broadcast for a while, he finally felt relieved and went back to his work. The speech he delivered in Seraphim was crucial. The emperor not only openly dissected the differences between the Serbs, Croats, and Bosniaks, stating bluntly that this was merely an imaginary community devoid of real class distinctions and productive forces, but it was also a key factor in the siege of Seraphim. The city's ethnic and religious conflicts were so acute that war and genocide were necessary to resolve them. In a society so deeply divided—where heretics and infidels were practically fighting tooth and nail—no advanced productive forces could develop.

The most direct impact of the Siege of Seraphim was that those who had pointed their guns at their former brothers were plunged into extreme poverty because of their actions, while those who supported populist politicians lost everything in the war. The tragedy of the Siege of Seraphim is still etched in the minds of the city's residents, so when he used that war as an example, everyone in the city listened attentively.

The emperor's solution was exactly what the Latvian government had been doing: completely eradicate religion, eliminate ideological differences, and promote secular education to create a unified community that could accommodate all humanity. The Ottoman Empire, after opening the gates of Constantinople, was able to convert a large number of South Slavs precisely because of the various preferential policies it implemented for believers. Such policies of artificially dividing people into different classes would certainly be labeled "religious discrimination" and "violation of freedom of religion" in modern times, but undeniably, they were quite practical. The emperor and regent, being thorough pragmatists, simply revived these policies from history books.

The main point of the speech, translated, is that without implementing Latvian policies to eliminate division, large-scale industrial projects cannot be carried out, because an unstable social environment cannot generate any industrial output. The people of Selajevo face two choices: to survive by eating their fill or to starve to death while clinging to their faith in freedom. After repeated purges of religious militias and gangs, burning or discarding religious items in one's home would not provoke retaliation from grassroots religious forces; it might even grant some tax breaks or other benefits. Any ordinary person knows what to do; even politicians who weren't arrested swore overnight that they were atheists and entered schools to receive materialistic education.

The choice between the stomach and religion is not difficult. Even if some harbor resentment, they can only feign conversion. While the immortal emperor is still alive, there's no possibility of regret. Within a generation or two, through secular education and sustained suppression, the emperor's atheism will become a deeply ingrained consensus. Both the emperor and the regent possess lifespans far exceeding this timeframe; they can afford to wait, as can high-ranking officials who have undergone life-extending surgery.

Amid a gunshot and gasps of alarm from the crowd on television, Viktor von Dum answered a phone call, then glanced at the television again.

"I understand. Tell him to wait in the reception room."

Please vote for me!

(End of this chapter)