Will the kemonomimi encounter Alien Ranch Story?

Even the Dragonfire Shells had a strong weakening effect, which meant that Kazdel's artillery fire failed to shake the enemy fleet.

However, the enemy's artillery units were unharmed, but the ground troops whose positions were also plowed up were in trouble.

Especially in close-quarters combat zones, the Letanian artillery found it difficult to coordinate infantry and artillery fire compared to the relatively accurate Kazdel artillery, resulting in the combat zone being plowed up by artillery fire from both sides.

Both sides' soldiers were simultaneously cursing the artillery of the opposing side and their own troops. There were even instances where two groups of soldiers jumped into the same pit to take shelter from the shelling, and then cursed each other in their respective languages. Once the shelling stopped, they pulled out their weapons and fired at point-blank range.

Chapter Thirty-Six: How strange! Let me take another look!

Chapter 36

"Xiao Qiu, Xiao Qiu, come here!" The blonde fox loli waved, gesturing for the toddler taking her first steps to come closer. "What are you eating?"

"Fruit, you should eat more fruit to grow up healthy..." Xia Qiu showed the other person the unidentified fruit in her hand.

In the suburbs of Satti Oasis, it seemed completely unaffected by the war. Apart from the fact that most of the men were on the battlefield, making it seem like there was a slight imbalance of masculinity and femininity, the overall pace of life and state of being remained the same as before the war.

"Speaking of which, I haven't seen you at school."

"Huh?" Xia Qiu tilted her head, a little confused. "Sister Lisa, where did you find it?"

“Kindergarten…” Linglan looked confused. They weren’t in the same school district, so of course she should go to the affiliated kindergarten.

"But I'm in elementary school..."

"Huh? How could that be? You're only..." Not even four years old yet. You're already too young for kindergarten, so starting elementary school is way too much.

"But I've already finished all my studies. My mom said I wouldn't be able to make friends this way, so she's letting me stay at school a little longer."

Otherwise, they would be about to enter the junior high school curriculum, since the local culture and technology level in Terra are such that the amount of knowledge in junior high school is not much more than that in sixth grade on Earth.

For Xia Qiu, a genetic symbiote, this falls under the category of "preschool education." By Old Xia's standards, her current learning progress is relatively poor compared to her peers. Of course, this is also due to the lack of extensive auxiliary teaching equipment and measures from the Star Alliance.

"Xia Qiu, have you really finished studying? Can you do this problem?" Ling Lan thought for a moment and took out her workbook from her schoolbag. Ling Lan was a normal elementary school student.

"Isn't this simple? Sister Lisa, are you really bad at math? Why do I see that you got half of the ten questions wrong on your winter break homework?"

Xia Qiu revealed the innocent eyes of a young girl, while Ling Lan looked as if she had seen a ghost. This winter break homework was super difficult, okay?

The reason for making the assignments so difficult is that the war is still ongoing. To avoid the children running around and causing trouble or being injured by possible small groups of defeated soldiers at this critical juncture, giving them a large and heavy workload is the best solution.

Asking parents to restrain their children from running around is unlikely to be accepted by the Sarkaz, who are used to living in war-torn conditions, or even by the Ursus, who are accustomed to a more relaxed management style.

In traditional family education concepts, it doesn't matter if children run around everywhere as long as they don't die or become disabled. Most parents are like shepherds, and only a few elite families will invest a certain amount of effort in their children.

But that's something that happens when you reach a certain age. When you're younger, you're still herding sheep.

Therefore, neither policy guidance nor publicity can stop them from abandoning their children everywhere and causing trouble in this somewhat chaotic time.

For example, there have been instances in factory areas where parents brought their children to work, only for the children to run into machines, resulting in serious injuries or even factory equipment damage and shutdowns.

However, from another perspective, even Sarkaz parents from farming backgrounds quickly become more vigilant and proactive when it comes to their children's education and future.

Even by the most traditional Sarkaz social standards, they knew how to read and count.

Even if things don't go well, you can still be an accountant or manager, instead of spending your whole life toiling in the soil or huddling with sheep for warmth in the cold winter.

"Xiao Qiu, you're so smart!"

"Huh? But my dad says I'm pretty stupid... I can't answer any of the test questions he gave me."

"What kind of test questions are there?" Then Lily of the Valley saw a string of symbols and words that looked like a spell, a word problem:

Given the mass, radius, and gravitational constant of a gaseous celestial body, a spacecraft of mass 1 is captured by its gravity and falls towards it. Neglecting gas drag and fluid interference, what is the time it takes for the spacecraft to pass through its center of mass? [This question requires integration.]

"Speaking of which, Xiaoqiu, what has your dad been busy with lately?"

"Planting flowers? It seems..."

"Are you that free?" Lily of the Valley asked, a little puzzled. Everyone in Kazdel was incredibly busy, yet Xiaqiu's father still had the leisure to grow flowers.

"But isn't his job just growing flowers?"

"Oh, is that so? Isn't he the group president?"

"Isn't the CEO my mother?"

"Isn't your mother the CEO's assistant?"

"Um... I think so—" Xia Qiu looked troubled. "I don't really understand it."

Lily of the Valley came to Kazdel with her family. There was no other way; Victoria was nominally assisting Syracuse in defending against the Sarkaz invasion, but in reality, she had simply seized Syracuse, which was just a pretext.

In a situation where fighting between the two sides would inevitably lead to their own downfall, the upper echelons of Syracuse naturally chose to align themselves with the right-hand man based on their own interests and political leanings.

Because of his extensive connections with Lao Xia's group, the Godfather inevitably bears the imprint of the Xia Group at this time.

Therefore, there is no other way but to go down this path to the bitter end. Moreover, he has seen the little tiger. If the pillar enterprises of one side are related to the other side, then even if this war breaks out, only Syracuse will suffer losses.

Considering this, clinging to Victoria's coattails probably won't do any good. After the two sides make peace, I might end up being handed over to Lao Xia's side to deal with.

Regardless of the current situation or Victoria's consistent style, he believed that the other party was indeed capable of doing it.

However, his sons and daughters seemed to be deceived by those sweet words, and they actually believed that Kazdel was a negative asset that would be destroyed sooner or later by the combined attack of Letania and Victoria.

To demonstrate his resolve and to prevent his troublesome children from making the wrong choice in this competitive world, he transferred Lily of the Valley and a significant portion of the family business to Kazdel.

Now, it seems like a brilliant idea, especially since Letania could perhaps cover up their defeat, but Victoria wasn't so kind, and the Syracuses were also enjoying the show.

Now, it's the Godfathers' turn to watch those who cling to Victoria's coattails live in constant fear, pledging their loyalty and lest Victoria betray them if she can't hold out any longer—as the saying goes, Victoria is only truly reliable as an ally in terms of her "unreliability."

They gave Letania everything help except direct assistance, and everything support except mere backing. That's why Letania was able to fight so badly.

On the other hand, a powerful Kazdel is not in Victoria's interest, but neither is a powerful Kazimierz and Letania!

They firmly believed that Letania would not give up after suffering a defeat, and that to regain their honor, they needed to further solidify Victoria's leadership and position. Only then would it be time for the Victoria fleet to set sail.

Of course, if Letania doesn't cooperate, Victoria might unilaterally negotiate peace with Kazdel, selling Syracuse and Letania for a good price, and then bringing Kazdel into her camp.

It's a ridiculous joke if anyone between nations believes in long-term alliances and rivalries.

Victoria's decision was also related to the relationship between Old Xia and Swire. There was no irreconcilable conflict of interest between them, and they might even be able to establish a deeper cooperative bond in the future, as the other party might not be willing to admit it. But in fact, in the eyes of Victoria's gentlemen, the other party was someone of their own social class.

As long as the exchange of interests is appropriate, it is perfectly acceptable to bring the other party into one's own game. Disputes between the two countries are more about geopolitical threats and parliamentary struggles.

After all, if Old Xia were to be brought in, Tiger's influence in Victoria would be too great, which could change the distribution of power in Parliament and even affect the next Queen Victoria.

This conflict is relatively easy to resolve. However, conversely, Kazdel and Ursus appear to be close allies.

In reality, their conflicting interests far outweigh the possibility of cooperation, because everyone knows that a large area of ​​land in northern Ursus is nominally part of the Ursus Empire, but in reality, it is an exclave of these people.

The emperor may choose compromise and cooperation due to internal and external pressures, but this is not absolute. If Ursus truly rises to power, then this enclave of Kazdel will face a real threat.

No ruler would allow such a part of their territory to exist—a part that obeys orders but is practically independent.

So this conflict might be temporarily set aside when both sides are under pressure, but it could become a trigger once the crisis is over.

Therefore, there are easily sown rifts between the Uzdel and Kazdel alliances, and it is very feasible to bring Kazdel to one's side to fight against Ursus.

However, the gentlemen of Victoria were not prepared to offer such a price upfront. Naturally, they wanted to carefully consider whether Kazdale was worth the price and whether they could have it all.

Conversely, the gentlemen of Victoria have yet to devise any way to sow discord between Kazdel and Iberia.

Theoretically speaking, it would be extremely illogical for Kazdel's military forces not to annex Iberia, which had lost nearly half of its territory and almost its entire army.

They still can't figure out what price Iberia paid to avoid this misfortune, or what Kazdel got in return for making such a relentless promise to help, and more importantly, for keeping it.

Just kidding, it would be like asking the Victorian gentlemen, who have always treated promises like dirt, to understand the principle of keeping one's word is probably no less difficult than asking them to fly to the moon on their own.

Of course, Kazdel's fulfillment of his promise wasn't out of moral high ground—it was simply because Iberia was truly gone, and it was their turn to fight the Sea Heirs—look at how badly the Great Yan was being fought next door.

The war in the Great Yan Dynasty did not remain a secret. However, due to the inability to estimate the combat strength and numbers of Hai Si, most Terrans found it difficult to assess whether the Great Yan Dynasty was capable of fighting or not.

Judging from the actual battle results, the decline of Great Yan may be even greater than that of Ursus. However, if Hai Si is indeed the size and combat power stated in the official gazette of Great Yan, then Great Yan is still the number one behemoth in Terra.

The doctor's opinion on the Great Yan Official Gazette was similar to that of Master Nian: "If you wring it out, you can squeeze out at least half a pound of water..."

However, there is a consensus that "even a centipede dies but does not fall down," and besides, the Great Yan, this "centipede," is not dead yet.

For the Great Yan, this war was similar to the Three Great Campaigns of the Ming Dynasty. They survived, still managed to bounce back, proving that they could still crush the provocateurs. However, what followed was an unstoppable decline.

The battle is nearing its end. The most valuable lands of the Great Yan have suffered heavy losses, but that's secondary. The most critical issue is that the destruction of the Eastern Kingdom has deprived it of an important source of revenue, and the massive military expenditures have almost emptied the coffers accumulated by the previous emperors of the Great Yan in order to deal with the evil spirits and the Year Beast.

Of course, such a ruthless approach, which depletes the resources of one's ancestors, is quite shocking to other countries. The poisonous fire that burned outside the capital for half a month sent chills down the spines of the Victorians.

If this level of sustained firepower were used to bombard Victoria, the capital city would probably only last a week before being completely burned down.

As for the Sea Si, who could fight back and forth under such firepower, the Victorians felt that they might not be able to hold out for more than an afternoon and would have to retreat.

In the greenhouse, Lao Xia was indeed growing flowers, not nectar plants or ornamental plants, but a native Terra flower, intended for pharmaceutical use.

"Done!" A test tube emerged from under the automated extraction equipment. After being labeled, it was placed in a low-temperature storage box. "Terra Anti-Aging Factor, Sample No. T-119-C..."

Although it's unclear whether we can go home, if we can, this stuff will be a huge sum of money, at least enough to cover my daughter's future expenses.

Adults can usually endure hardship, but it's difficult for them to make the decision to let their descendants live the same way.

If the Ark is destined to be used for generations, then the ideal being found by the Covenant would probably be his granddaughter's generation.

These research samples will ensure that future generations can successfully obtain Star Alliance citizenship. Star Alliance citizenship is easy to obtain, but also very difficult. The more resources you have, the fewer hurdles you will face in the future.

"I heard you've created an elixir of immortality..."

"You're overthinking it..." Old Xia scoffed. "This aging factor can only slightly slow down the aging process; it's useless for extending lifespan. The number of times your cells divide determines your maximum lifespan. However, it's very useful for maintaining energy and physical strength in old age..."

"So what are you planning to do?"

"We'll turn it into a secondary product, a physical tonic, for the elderly. It will help repair their physical damage and organ problems to some extent, extend their lifespan, and restore some of their physical abilities. This way, we can get some additional manpower..."

Although the Sarkaz appeared to be fighting very hard, behind their military victories lay the fact that for a significant number of young soldiers on the front lines, the only person left in their families who could still hold a gun was their elderly grandfather.

This is why there were repeated orders to prohibit reckless operations and arbitrary attacks; orders had to be obeyed, and retreat was required when told to do so. As a result, many officers who tried to gain merit by sacrificing soldiers' lives were executed.

If people continue to die like this, there may be no problem with the war itself, but major problems will arise after the war. The most typical example is the Soviet Union. What are the consequences of the majority of the Russian ethnic group dying in large numbers?

"By the way, Master Nian recently brought over a colleague. I heard their expertise overlaps somewhat with yours. Would you like to take a look?"

"My major?"

"I heard he's a professional wine expert..."

"Huh?" Old Xia's mind raced for a moment, but he still couldn't figure out how the wine expert's profession overlapped with his own.

"Just kidding, but the front lines do need a lot of alcohol, not for us, but for the prisoners."

"You're giving drinks to prisoners?" Old Xia was even more confused. What kind of operation was this?