Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1599 The Lunar War (111)

This was a lavish dinner designed to demonstrate political stance.

The Vladimir family ruled Latvia for centuries, transforming the castle into a palace through constant exploitation and plunder. All the tableware in the restaurant comes from ancient European ceramic manufacturers such as the Sèvres National Ceramics Bureau in France and Meissen Porcelain Factory in Germany, as well as renowned tableware makers like Christofle in Paris and Robbe & Berking in Germany.

Luxury alone is insufficient to describe this banquet; perhaps "extraordinary" is a more fitting description—certainly excluding the receptionist at the entrance of the hall, whose nameplate bore the name Vladimir and who rolled his eyes at all officials (including the Regent)—as if to flaunt the Yugoslav Federation's advancements in applied science, the landscaping plants around the hall were all encased in glass domes, placed on white marble pillars, and bathed in soft light emanating from beneath their pots. No two plants were alike; guests could see white trees that seemed to slowly unfurl and contract in the air like living coral, mimosa plants with golden shell-like leaves, and flowers as stable as a black rock.

The Emperor and his guards, clad in Baroque-style power armor, exuded luxury and elegance. However, the sorority combatants in their black power armor adorned with gold lily reliefs, displaying a military grimness, seemed out of place amidst the opulent atmosphere. Yet, no one objected. Regent Viktor von Doom rose to change seats, and Diana, clad in power armor and wielding a massive chainsaw sword, quickly brought over a chair befitting the Emperor's stature. Everyone set down their glasses, their gaze fixed on the center of the long table—everyone knew the Emperor wouldn't appear before them without reason. Even the opening of the Yugoslav Wars Tribunal, a momentous event aimed at resolving ethnic conflicts in the Balkans, was attended only by the Emperor's representative, Regent Viktor von Doom. The Emperor, who should have been the absolute protagonist in the Balkan unification war, was nowhere to be seen, not even appearing on television.

"I believe everyone here understands that the terms signed by political entities through compromise and mutual constraints have the limitations of their time. It is undeniable that many terms have fulfilled their historical mission to a certain extent, whether it was to ease tensions or prevent war. Treaties that were in line with the historical circumstances at the time could always achieve something. However, treaties with the limitations of their time are not always suitable for the current historical environment, such as the Outer Space Treaty."

As the emperor dropped this bombshell, the diplomats held their breath.

The Star Wars program is the first term that comes to mind for almost every official who has studied the history of the Cold War.

"My rejection of this treaty is not to deny the peaceful significance of the Outer Space Treaty, which is a space constitution. Placing nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction on Earth or in orbits of other celestial bodies is undoubtedly a major threat to international security today. I am pleased to see the peaceful development of outer space by humankind and to see Article 5's guarantee of the lives of astronauts, but we cannot turn a blind eye to the threats we are about to face."

The emperor raised his wine cup, and Ammon, who was standing behind him holding the military flag, immediately understood.

A few seconds later, the meeting room doors reopened, and several members of the Sisterhood of Societies pushed in a glass coffin. The diplomats gasped upon seeing what was inside, immediately rising to their feet, disregarding protocol, to get a better look—since communication and photography equipment were prohibited in the room, the diplomats could only rely on their own eyes and minds to remember what they saw—it was an alien, not one of those seen in the New York or London incidents, but a creature they had never encountered before, with a humanoid form but a deformed appearance. Several dark iron pipes connected to the alien's body, seemingly sustaining its life, leading the diplomats to suspect that the creature was still alive. It was still breathing, or rather, its lungs were still rising and falling slowly, but no one knew how this creature with its fleshy, flower-like body fed.

"In this battle, I led my army to capture a large number of alien creatures. Fortunately, that alien star fortress was too ancient, and much of the knowledge about starting the engine and so on had been forgotten. Otherwise, that star fortress would have come to Earth's orbit to attack humanity, and the difficulty of the war would have increased several levels."

The emperor paused for a moment, drawing the diplomats' attention back to the emperor.

"The Federal Government of Yugoslavia will not persuade the international community to abandon the Outer Space Treaty or urge its amendment. Objectively, countries capable of exploring outer space need a considerable amount of time to make appropriate amendments to the Outer Space Treaty. Although the human race will eventually overcome its barriers and unite to face the threat, we will inevitably pay a bloody price in the process, because alien creatures will not wait for us to be prepared. Only by paying this bill with our lives will we understand that the human race is facing a cold and ruthless universe where the strong prey on the weak. Certain self-righteous, backward, and ignorant ideas are useless in this world. In this universe, there are only three outcomes for the human race: survival, death, or worse. Even death can be considered a form of mercy."

[Portal?]

It's already closed.

Regent Victor von Dum listened to the Emperor's speech while nodding.

He wasn't surprised that the Emperor brought Inhuman prisoners into the hall. The emotions he displayed in front of the other diplomats were entirely an act; no one knew he had been involved in the entire Attilan campaign, albeit through telepathic projection. The vast majority of diplomats were there primarily because he claimed to be able to explain the spacecraft in lunar orbit. Apart from a few diplomats who had been contacted beforehand, most were unaware that the Emperor had been in lunar orbit all along.

The subtext of this announcement was to demonstrate the Yugoslav Federal Government's military projection capabilities to the diplomats present, demonstrating military deterrence in the most cost-effective way. After all, the resources accumulated by the Immortal City in preparation for the Battle of Attilan were already insufficient, leaving little for war on Earth. Some astute individuals had already begun calculating the resources the Yugoslav Federal Government had consumed for the lunar war, but they were curious as to how this war-torn nation could muster so many resources.

These astute individuals concluded that an unknown force was secretly supporting the Yugoslav Federal Government. They exchanged glances, trying to decipher the names on the list. The answer to this question was currently impossible to find, as Wakanda, the first country to establish diplomatic relations with Yugoslavia, was still considered a Third World nation by the international community. They had no idea that a high-tech city and a high-tech nation in East Africa were continuously supplying the Emperor's army with advanced technology, manufacturing high-end chips, war engines, and other equipment—what appeared to outsiders as normal food trade. However, none of those in the know believed the secret of the cooperation with Wakanda could remain hidden forever. Whether it was a complete shift in Wakanda's domestic political environment, the failure of the Yugoslav Federal's hastily launched frigates and accompanying soldiers to protect the cargo ship, or the betrayal of certain officials leading to a leak, the secret would inevitably be revealed sooner or later.

The emperor did not linger in the meeting place for long. After all, what the current Yugoslav Federation needed was peaceful development, not military intimidation. Without sufficient economic resources and a well-trained organization, even the emperor could not accomplish his goals. Surrounded by armed forces, he returned to the other side of the castle, passed through the heavy security of the royal guards, and went back to his office, where he sat on the marble throne that suited his size.

He remained silent for a long time, then sighed.

The Royal Guard summoned servants, and the Emperor rose and walked into the adjacent lounge. During the half-hour disassembly process by several robotic arms, the Emperor in Amon's eyes suddenly transformed into a young man in a magnificent crimson robe. After the golden power armor was removed, the sheathed holy sword leaned casually against the Emperor's lap, supported by his hand. Four minutes and twenty-nine seconds later, the android maid Dina rang the visitor bell, and another Royal Guard in power armor silently disappeared back into the shadows, signaling that the security check on the visitor had been completed.

"Countess, this visit is unscheduled. I hope you bring good news."

"Your Majesty." A beautiful young woman, dressed in a black fitted evening gown and with her long, dark green hair styled in a bun, stood at the foot of the steps, bowing respectfully to the person on the throne. "The mercenary group has completed the Regent's orders, leaving no audio, video, or written evidence. The target is still recovering; the previous injuries have significantly impacted their physical condition, but they remain a top-tier soldier." She hesitated for a moment before continuing, "Will this affect your relationship with Wakanda? As far as I know, Wakanda's imports of quantum chips from our country have decreased by 10.6% year-on-year, but I don't think this has much to do with raw material supply."

As the de facto ruler of Sylkaria, Countess Karkov, after being stripped of power, did not go to the gallows like those who were purged for corruption and treason after the war of unification. Instead, she used her abilities to delay the tightening of the noose. After all, as a usurper, her abilities were far superior to those of politicians who rose to power by inciting public opinion, collecting political donations, or relying on foreign tycoons and intelligence organizations. She possessed sufficient judgment and mental strength to undertake very complex tasks and considerations.

Initially, she didn't give up on trying to interfere in domestic politics, until Regent Viktor von Dum grabbed her by the neck and kicked her out of the political system, at which point Countess Katarina Karkov quieted down somewhat. Now that her life was safe, she returned to the political stage of the Yugoslav Federal Government, even participating in intelligence gathering for some foreign espionage operations as a member of the diplomatic service. Diplomats are spies; this is a fundamental principle of European social interaction, and Countess Katarina Karkov, this flamboyant and beautiful woman, was even more like a brightly colored spider with venomous fangs.

"Thank you for your suggestion, Countess Karkov. The Cabinet will study the possibilities and request a detailed statement from you at that time." Regarding the political situation in Wakanda, there are two voices within the Cabinet. One is the common so-called offshore balancing policy, which might be effective in the short term but would undoubtedly weaken cooperation with Wakanda. The other idea, proposed by the Regent, is to shift the direction of cooperation with the Wakanda royal family by maintaining publicity surrounding the Wakanda throne.

The current King of Wakanda still harbors favorable views of European society, and it's highly likely that the war initiated by the Emperor will sever cooperative relations. The other claimant to the throne possesses radical ideas and has his own perspective on European society rather than simply pursuing so-called civilization; he would be well-suited to be a partner in the future Yugoslav Federation. In other words, the pawns left over from the Wakanda civil war will be put to good use. However, this plan is too far-fetched, has numerous prerequisites, and is of lower priority compared to other plans, so the Emperor hasn't paid it much attention.

"Thank you for your hard work, Countess. But now it's time for me to think..."

"I heard there's been a war on the moon, and the Regent informed the Wakanda embassy beforehand. I intended to dissuade them, because many countries believe we're ideologically incompatible with Europe, and even within Wakanda, there's disagreement about the Yugoslav Federation. But it seems the Regent has his own decision. Fort Hahn, led by Princess Shuri of Wakanda, is the first organization and facility in Wakanda to receive news of the lunar war." Countess Katarina Karkov quickly sped up her speech. She glanced nervously at the Emperor, and seeing no change in his expression, she breathed a sigh of relief. "I've discovered that the Wakandas don't seem to have fully accepted this claim. A few days ago, a shuttle carrying a sky telescope took off from the Golden City airport. This wasn't kept secret; it was done under the guise of a deep space exploration cooperation project. However, while researching, I discovered that the deep space telescope, numbered in hieroglyphic script, wasn't registered in the cooperation plan. I requested an investigation of the records of all the precision equipment manufacturing plants in the Immortal City, but found no relevant records. On the contrary, other components of the deep space exploration project are still under construction."

"Your reminder is very helpful, Countess Katarina Karkov. If you need anything recently, please inform the Sorority; I believe they, as women, will help you resolve the issue. Now, please return to the hall and enjoy the music and food. Please do not mention this matter to anyone; the Regent and I have other plans."

Please vote for me!

(End of this chapter)