Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1186 Formal Cooperation (First Update)

This castle hall was originally the Orthodox family chapel of the previous rulers. Before the war, it possessed a considerable amount of wealth and icons. The construction team preserved the church's structure while adding many facilities, transforming the church, which originally relied solely on candles and natural light for illumination, into a preaching venue that met the emperor's wishes. Today, the portraits of past dukes hanging on both sides of the church have long been removed and replaced with the red-and-gold-edged Eagle Flag. The collections in the sacristy and the religious murals that were cut off have been placed by the regent in the Latvian Capital Museum of Culture and Art for all citizens to visit.

As scientific knowledge becomes more widespread, religions that sell the fear of death will lose their mystique and become insignificant. No one will repeatedly say that failing to follow the words in a certain book will lead to eternal damnation after death, nor will anyone emphasize that one must donate money to go to heaven and enjoy everything one never had in life, and no one will believe in the Great Flood or Noah's wondrous inbreeding cruise ship zoo.

"All good things come from within ourselves. We should build our lives with our own hands, not pray to anyone, not even a non-existent god or alien. We must unite as an unbreakable alliance, using every means to safeguard the future of the human race. In the face of justice for survival, no bribe should be given, no atrocity should be tolerated. The financial games made of numbers and paper should be regulated, the wealth built on guns and bullets should be eliminated, the authority established by religious superstition should be overthrown, and personal greed can never compare to the lives of the people..."

The emperor exuded an irresistible aura; even the most malicious foreign journalists bowed their heads during his speeches, as if he held the truth in his hands, rendering the audience incapable of questioning him simply by listening. Unlike his appearances at the United Nations headquarters and the Romanian People's Palace during the First War of Expansion, this time the emperor appeared in a magnificent robe, shedding the unparalleled majesty and aura of that time, and possessing a persuasive power akin to that of an ancient Greek philosopher.

In contrast, the opening speech by the King of Wakanda was rather bland. Even though the King of Wakanda used holographic projection to announce the true situation of Wakanda and its advanced technology to the outside world, it was not as shocking to the audience as the emperor in his robes when he appeared.

"Citizens of Latvinia, you should be proud. Although the world today is still controlled by an order dominated by a few ambitious individuals, you have been the first to break free from ignorance and rekindle your past ideals. We once vowed to fight for our people, to spread the light of science and reason across the entire Earth and even the entire galaxy, and now that opportunity has come before us. Today, Wakanda officially joins our cause. Wakanda, as a nation with advanced technology and civilization, shares our ideals, whether out of personal friendship or national duty..."

The emperor looked down at the crowd, his deep, dark eyes seeming to engulf the souls of everyone present. Then, the emperor abruptly changed the subject, "As our soldiers march forward, they will crush all ambitions that seek to exploit the human race for personal gain, challenge the tyrannical magnates, shatter the hegemony and ignorance they impose on the people of the world with money, arms, and media, and build a world that liberates all humanity with guns and swords."

Diana Lister, wearing headphones, stood behind a curtained aisle to one side of the podium.

She recited the final draft of the speech to herself, often the emperor's next sentence forming in her throat before he even uttered it. While keeping a close eye on the monarch speaking on the platform, she asked the director at the back to check the few seconds of footage reserved for the delayed broadcast to ensure that the image of the imperial army was perfectly presented.

She was in charge of the entire press conference. She had the Emperor's revised speech in her possession, and the Royal Guard had also informed her of their deployment information, so she was familiar with every detail of the event. As for the Wakandas, she reluctantly placed them in the second priority category. After all, compared to the irresistibly charming Emperor, the Wakandas were insignificant, even though the theme of this press conference and speech was cooperation with Wakanda.

She knew very well the source of the emperor's confidence.

The reorganized Romanian agricultural sector seized large quantities of crops from land owned by large capital grain companies and purchased grain from farmers in Latvian currency. Meanwhile, the suspension of meat exports to the EU temporarily averted a potentially prolonged food crisis for Latvia. Daily food expenses also decreased significantly due to the Latvian government's efforts to reduce inflation and stabilize prices. Deals made in previous months further eased Latvia's energy crisis stemming from its underdeveloped oil industry, giving the emperor ample time to address other, more pressing issues.

Although she appeared calm on the surface, Diana Lister knew all too well how hard-won this achievement was.

The Balkan states were riddled with problems, and most people would collapse under unbearable pressure. The emperor and regent not only successfully resolved the issues but also won the support of the Latvians and quelled domestic conflicts. Behind this lay a series of international political maneuvers involving arrests, interrogations, extortion, purges, death threats, and even assassinations. Through the intimidation of his powerful personal military, the emperor forcibly elevated Latvia to a position far above its original place in the global economic chain, to some extent ignoring its own geographical environment and resource output.

To put it more vividly and accurately, every loaf of bread bought by the common people of Latvia had a dagger stained with the blood of the enemy stuck in it, and Diana's work notes were similarly sealed in the archives of those plans, waiting for future generations to explore this difficult history of the empire's rise.

Her assistant, a young woman from another branch of the Lister family, caught a glimpse of the excited look in her boss's eyes behind her gold-rimmed glasses and felt a deep weariness creep into her bones, longing for a long vacation and to sleep forever. Diana Lister's high standards for work were one of the reasons Stephanie Malick trusted her; otherwise, even Dr. Lister's granddaughter wouldn't have entered the center of power so easily. This same high standard was passed on to her subordinates—Diana hadn't slept for over twenty-four hours, and neither had her subordinates. Coffee was drunk like water by all the civil servants in the secretary's office, and even Diana Lister herself drank a strong cup of coffee before the press conference.

"You can rest in twenty minutes."

After the emperor finished speaking, the head of the research department at Wakanda's Hahnburg gave a speech of thanks.

Diana Lister finally breathed a sigh of relief, as the main work would now be handled by the Royal Guard, allowing her to slightly divert her attention. However, her sudden words to her assistant startled the girl. "Don't be so tense. The Emperor has given me a day off, right after the press conference ends." Diana Lister shook her head, tugged at her tightly tied hair, and turned off the microphone on her portable communicator. The assistant noticed fine beads of sweat on her forehead and neck, a few strands of her long blonde hair clinging to her skin, as if the air conditioning in the hall were merely for show. Diana wasn't unaware of her subordinate's fatigue; if the Emperor's schedule hadn't been so packed, she wouldn't have wanted to be so busy either.

"Our job is to follow the emperor around the clock and meet all his work needs," she shrugged, trying to sound casual. "But the emperor himself is a workaholic who works almost year-round. We're just ordinary people; we don't have his superhuman energy."

"So... is the monarch human?" the assistant asked tentatively. "I've seen photos of the monarch on the battlefield. Humans can't cut through tank shells."

"Even if I said yes, you probably wouldn't believe me."

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(End of this chapter)