Miss Wang Weina, even your cousin won't do!

Chapter 129 Mostima Brings the Saintess's Gift

The core city of Londinium, the Victorian Empire.

Today, the core city of Londinium was unusually bustling. Almost every citizen with a little spare cash flocked to the Londinium Financial Exchange in the city center, investing their money in the stock market or buying bonds. Their reason was simple—buying bonds and stocks, especially military-industrial company stocks and government bonds, was a guaranteed sure win!

The Victorian government and the Iron Palace in Londinium officially issued a partial mobilization order yesterday. Her Majesty the Queen, in order to counter the threat from the northern behemoths, formally ordered Victoria to enter a state of pre-war mobilization effective immediately. Frankly speaking, partial mobilization won't have a significant impact on Victoria, especially after the government nationalized heavy industries such as steel, military, and chemicals. Even if production lines originally used for cars, trucks, and drones are converted into production lines for armored vehicles, land ships, and war fortresses, it won't cause much damage to the national economy and people's livelihoods. After all, Victoria has always had a surplus of production capacity. The only difference is that under partial mobilization, the proportion of government spending on the military will increase significantly.

The portion of this increase will come from the national treasury, the reserve fund specifically for handling emergencies, and a small portion will be raised from the public. Issuing some national bonds can effectively stimulate the economy and quickly raise a large amount of funds, giving Victoria more confidence in its war effort. Knowing that war is imminent, military industries and other businesses that will inevitably be prioritized during wartime will naturally become highly sought-after by investors. Without Vina's prompting, people will naturally engage in this sure-fire way to make money. With substantial financial support, military enterprises can rapidly expand production, providing the front lines with more and better equipment.

It is worth mentioning that, as Victoria's army marched to the front lines, Patriarch Boudica specially led many Anglican priests and nuns in a blessing ceremony for the departing warriors.

This is quite an interesting situation. The church, which believes in a deity, prays for the warriors fighting against that deity, prays for their bravery in battle, prays for their unstoppable advance, and prays for their triumphant return. Although everyone knows that the deity worshipped by the monks of the Holy Church has nothing to do with the behemoth causing this disturbance, the very fact that these two sides are on the same page is enough to make it a hot news story that the media is eager to report.

As the Royal Army, in perfect unison, flew in military aircraft to their assembly point in Dublinshire, Victoria's first encounter with the gods began before the End of the Mountains.

Field Marshal Ernest Norfolk, a hero of the Wars of the Roses and a discerning judge of character, was currently in the command post of the rear war fortress, examining the military map and sand table before him alone.

He was the only officer in the command post, not because the other officers had gone to the front lines to command the battle, but because he was truly the only officer at the front.

The original target of the Northern Expeditionary Army was the demons. As a high-ranking officer with knowledge of demons, Ernest was well aware of their cognitive corruption and their bizarre ability to increase power through knowledge. Therefore, dealing with demons always required small, elite forces. The fewer people who knew of their existence, the better. And Ernest alone was more than capable of commanding such a small force.

The trouble lies in the fact that no one expected that the elite squad tasked with exorcising demons, along with the war fortress Ernest was traveling in, would suddenly be forced to change its objective from exorcising demons to exorcising gods, and be forced to stand on the front line against the gods' attack.

Gods and demons are almost two extremes. If defeating demons can only be done with a small, elite force, then defeating a behemoth like a god requires a large-scale army with firepower. Although a war fortress can be called a "mobile military stronghold," it is still somewhat difficult to stop a god with only this number of people and this amount of firepower.

Ernest could only rack his brains to disperse his most elite warriors and restrain the god from entering Victoria's territory from all sides, while conscripting local garrison troops to rush to the front line for temporary support.

"But it's alright, as long as Lentinium launches an attack, everything will be fine."

Ernest muttered confidently to himself, knowing there was no one else in the command post; he was just saying this to boost his own morale.

"I wonder how His Highness Wayne is doing."

“I think I hear someone talking about Mr. Wayne.”

The gates of the war fortress were suddenly pushed open, and Ernest looked up to see a strange girl who had walked in silently.

The girl was clearly a member of the Sarkaz race, with a signature halo and six wings of light, but the halo was dark and dim, and the wings were broken and incomplete. She also had Sarkaz characteristics, with demonic horns growing from the top of her head and a black tail swaying from her lower back. She was shrouded in a strange sense of stillness. Although she looked very young, she had the same mature and indifferent aura as Theresa and Kal'tsit.

Mostima glanced at Ernest, bowed slightly to her, and greeted her:

"Hello, esteemed Marshal Norfolk. I apologize for coming uninvited. I am Mostima, Mr. Wayne's... well, let's call him a friend?"

"How did you get in?" Ernest drew a replica gun from his waist. Replicating Lateran's guns was extremely expensive, but not impossible. Due to their convenience, the higher-ups always kept one handy, which could prove surprisingly effective in special situations.

Mostima naturally noticed Ernest's action, but she remained calm, maintaining her composed smile. She slowly raised her hands to indicate that she meant no harm before explaining:

“Of course I walked in. Thanks to my magic, if I want to enter a place, nothing can stop me unless that place originally had no entrance or exit. Not only here, but I have also been invited into the Royal Palace of Londinium before, which you can confirm with Her Majesty the Queen, Mr. Wayne, or Miss Theresa. I have no reason to lie to you.”

"Besides, if I really wanted to do something, it's just the two of us here, and no one outside knows anything about my infiltration, so why should I hide it?"

Ernest paused for a moment, not lowering his gun, but simply lowering his hand that had been aimed at Mostima. He looked the uninvited guest up and down, and then spoke:

"So, Lateran, what are you doing here? I'm busy killing gods right now, I don't have time to discuss religious matters with you. If you want to persuade me to respect the gods, then don't waste your breath."

“No, no.” Mostima shook her head, took out a silver cross pendant necklace from her bosom, and placed it on the sand table. “I am here on behalf of Her Highness the Saintess to offer Lateran’s assistance to Mr. Wayne and Victoria.”

"Latland's help? A silver pendant? Can this thing be blessed and bring me good luck?" Ernest chuckled, his tone laced with sarcasm.

Mostima shook his head: "Of course not, although it was indeed blessed. This is the key. Her Highness the Saintess sent Prince Wayne a weapon to fight against the gods, as a token of gratitude for his long-standing friendship with Lateran."

"arms?"

This piqued Ernest's interest somewhat.

Laterano once enjoyed great renown on the land of Terra for two reasons: first, the highly attractive Laterano religion, and second, its advanced archaeological weapons, whose technology remains unmatched even today. These super-weapons, obtained from the ruins and derived from ancient civilizations, laid a solid material foundation for Laterano's establishment as a nation in its primitive era and its subsequent armed proselytizing. It was precisely because of its advanced religious organization for its time, and its formidable military force capable of protecting its followers, that Laterano's religion has endured for millennia, continuing to this day.

However, upon further reflection, Ernest's interest waned. Mostima had said he brought weapons, but they were nothing more than one or two guns, perhaps not even large ones, just ordinary handguns. How much damage could those things do to a god of such immense size? Frankly, it all depended on luck. Ernest didn't think Laterano would be so kind as to give Victoria anything better.

Because it makes no sense. Even if Laterano and Prince Wayne have some shady relationship (meaning they were fooled), getting one or two guns in exchange would be considered good enough. The Laterano people aren't stupid; why would they give you their best stuff? What more could you want?

However, he soon realized that there were plenty of unreasonable things happening on this land.

Mostima smiled and said, "We've brought you an ancient armory."

Chapter 130 Gods? They'll make sure he never returns!

As Ernest walked out of the war fortress with Mostima toward Dublin Airport to collect the goods, his mind was filled with thoughts of a young girl who might not understand how big an armory was or what was inside.

To put it simply, based on the publicly available archaeological reports from Lateran, combined with survey reports of some ruined and unusable armories found in Victoria, it is entirely plausible that the firepower of an ancient civilization's armory was comparable to that of a fully-equipped army group.

This certainly doesn't mean that a mere arsenal can arm an army group of hundreds of thousands of soldiers. It simply refers to firepower.

Laterano's signature and elite unit, the Pope's Gunlance, wields a revolver-like weapon said to be able to "revolve 3,600 times in a single breath, mercifully saving all beings." The firepower of the revolver-wielders is so great that even fully armed knights in steam-powered armor cannot withstand it. During the Victorian Northern Incident, the crossfire of three revolver-wielders easily leveled an entire hilltop, forcing a Shadow Guard skilled in lightning magic to flee in all directions. And the revolver-wielders possessed by the Pope's Gunlance are far from the most powerful weapons preserved intact in the Ruins' armory.

As is well known, Laterano is a city-state. Although its influence spans the entire Terran continent, its core is merely a single city. Such a small nation possesses so many invaluable relics; logically, it should be a case of "the common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime." However, in reality, from ancient Gaul and Kazdel to later Victoria and Ursus, almost no nation has ever attempted to destroy Laterano. The reason is simple—Laterano possesses [deterrent weapons].

Deterrence-level weapons, as the name suggests, are weapons capable of directly deterring nations across the land, like the Sword of Damocles hanging overhead, reminding nations not to cross the line. There are many interpretations of deterrence-level weapons, but in Wayne's past life, the most famous deterrence-level weapon was only one—the nuclear bomb.

Whether the deterrent weapon in the ruins' armory was a nuclear weapon was unknown to Wayne, and perhaps no one except the Pope of Laterano himself could say for sure. However, everyone knew that Laterano did indeed possess such a weapon, and that it was stored in an armory within Laterano's territory. This was because, during the golden age of Ursus's expansion, its army had defeated Laterano's most elite Papal Musketeers, but when it attempted to further annex Laterano, it suddenly ceased all hostilities, released prisoners of war, and withdrew from Laterano's sphere of influence. According to the mutual speculation and communication among the rulers of the various kingdoms, the reason was that they had received direct deterrence from the Laterano Pope, this "nuclear expert."

However, for Laterano, deterrent weapons can only be a means of self-defense. The guillotine is always most terrifying before the blade falls; once deterrent weapons are used, the deterrent effect disappears. Laterano clearly lacks the ability to simultaneously deter all nations, nor does it have the courage to openly confront and expand its territory. It understands that it possesses deterrent weapons unmatched by other countries, and if it attempts to grow larger, in a place like Terra where people hold extreme views, see things in black and white, and are driven by a life-or-death mentality, it will inevitably attract a united attack. Therefore, it has always held fast to its core territory, focusing on spreading its ideology rather than resorting to force, to avoid giving others grounds for criticism.

In any case, such weapons are still kept in the armory, so one can imagine how incredible it was to Ernest that Mostima said, "He sent over an armory."

The situation was so bizarre that Ernest began to have wild speculations: Could the Pope of Laterano be Prince Wayne's biological father? Otherwise, why would he send such things out? Or was that so-called Saintess another of Prince Wayne's long-lost half-sisters? In any case, Prince Wayne's sisters had already crossed racial boundaries, appearing in Aslan (Vina), Drak (Reed), and Katarina (Ambrose also called Wayne "brother," though only nominally, and Wayne didn't include her in the royal family). If there was another one like Sarkaz, Ernest felt that his worldview, broadened by Prince Wayne's influence, wasn't entirely unacceptable.

But when he returned to Dublin and arrived at the airport, seeing with his own eyes the three transport aircraft bearing the Lateran insignia parked there, he realized that Mostima was not joking! Lateran had indeed sent an armory!

And, His Highness Wayne might actually have a saintess sister or a pope father!

“Ahem, I… Victoria is very grateful for Lateran’s friendly assistance to our country.” Ernest sorted out his chaotic thoughts and began to speak in official jargon, but halfway through, he felt that doing so was too troublesome, so he simply asked directly, “Then, what is the price?”

“Her Highness wishes to visit Prince Wayne and Her Majesty the Queen in Londinium, and at the same time, to bridge the differences between the Catholic Church and the Anglican Church,” Mostima replied in a serious, official tone, then added in a low voice, “No price to pay, Her Highness requested it.”

Ernest glared at Mostima, thinking she was treating him like he was senile. How could a saint approve such a big thing? "Where is your Pope? Where is the College of Cardinals?"

"His Holiness the Pope has Alzheimer's. The College of Cardinals has studied and approved the decision."

Oh, so the Pope really is getting dementia. "I wish him good health," Ernest said sincerely, while a series of doubts swirled in his mind: How could the College of Cardinals approve this?

Generally speaking, that's impossible. But Her Highness is a mental mage. And her abilities differ from Vayne's forced commands; she is a [Guidance].

In the short term, coercive orders are certainly more effective. But in the long term, the guidance of Saint Michael can truly change a person's mindset. Currently, the upper echelons of Lateran, apart from His Holiness the Pope himself suffering from Alzheimer's, are all staunch Vygotes. How loyal are they? Even Urbino is considered a spy within their ranks.

The Holy Maiden was practically offering Laterano as her dowry. Unfortunately, she couldn't marry; Laterano's doctrine forbade high-ranking clergy from marrying. So what could she do?

"Give it away for free."

Mostima Road,

"Let's inspect the goods. I know what you're thinking; there are no deterrent weapons."

Ernest nodded in disappointment.

"But it has everything except deterrent weapons."

Ernest raised his head excitedly, his eyes gleaming with a long-lost light.

"With the few people you currently stationed on the border, arming them to the bone should be no problem at all. Combined with your war fortress, holding off the god before the regular army arrives and preventing him from entering Victoria's city limits should not be difficult."

Ernest let out a sharp breath; if this were a cartoon, hot air would probably be gushing out of his nostrils right now.

Beyond this formidable mountain range lies the impregnable Victoria Wall! Anyone who dares to invade will suffer a crushing defeat!

Gods? Hmph! I'll make sure they never return!

cnm, it's on fire!

Chapter 131 Across a Thousand Years, the Good God Comprehends the Truth of the Evil God

The word END in Victorian has complex meanings such as end, conclusion, and termination. Within the vast territory of Victoria, only one region has the honor of being named "END"—the End Mountains, which run across the northern border of Victoria and separate the wilderness, demons, from civilization and mortals.

The mountains were once the battlefields of the giants. In the era before civilization arose and the land of Terra was still in chaos, the giants, possessing immense power and extraordinary abilities, were revered as gods. They either acted as benevolent gods, protecting the weak humans, concealing their power, coexisting with humans, and establishing the foundation of early civilizations, or they acted as malevolent gods, scorning the rising mortals and resolutely refusing to share the land with these weak races. They were arrogant and aloof, with a high opinion of themselves, and wherever they went, they inevitably stirred up bloodshed.

There is no strict dividing line between good and evil. At least before the outcome of the final battle, the two types of gods simply represented two different ways of life. But later, as the civilizations protected by the benevolent gods matured and the evil gods gradually faded from history, they were given the titles of "good" and "evil" by later mythologists and historians.

The End Mountains were once a battlefield where the gods of good and evil clashed. On the other side of the mountains, in a land teeming with demons, a place untouched by the Victorian civilization, lies the territory where Zú Mis now stands.

Here, countless weapons, varying in size and shape, were stuck upside down in the ground. They stretched from the vertical rock face near the mountain, seemingly sliced ​​clean by a blade, to a point less than ten paces from the giant, all the way to the distant, seemingly endless foothills. Broken, rusty weapons littered the valley shrouded in oppressive clouds. And in the very center lay a broken greatsword… no, words like "great" or "giant" hardly do justice to this weapon—if it can even be called a weapon at all. The broken hilt alone was the size of a grown man; including the exposed blade, it was seven or eight people tall, resembling the towering clock tower of Londinium from afar.

Compared to the completely rusted swords around it, this giant sword was incredibly new. Years of wind, sun, and rain seemed to have had no effect on it. The mysterious patterns on the blade still retained their original appearance when it was forged, intricate and beautiful, and seemed to bear traces of civilization.

Zul'Miss stared at the engraved greatsword, its third protruding from the ground. This greatsword was an artifact, undeniably an artifact. It came from a malevolent god who once resided in the central basin of Terra, now the core industrial region of Victoria. A thousand years ago, Zul'Miss had fought this very place. The malevolent god wielding the greatsword sought to annihilate the fragile Drak people, eradicating Victorian civilization from the central basin. Zul'Miss, as the protector of the Drak, fulfilled his promise, leading the Drak warriors in a three-day, three-night battle, finally driving the god from the central valley and slaying it north of the End Mountains.

Those longswords and spears, weathered and rusted to the point of appearing as if they would shatter at the slightest touch, were the very weapons of the warriors of yesteryear. The power of mortals was utterly insignificant in an era of divine strife. In the end, almost all the Drakians who participated in the war perished. Their swords and heroic spirits remained here, surrounding the divine greatsword, not as objects of adoration and reverence, but as menacing, oppressive gazes.

Zul'Mith was the patron god of the Drakians. For thousands of years, He steadfastly upheld His duty, even as the Drakians gradually corrupted and the civilization of Victoria, established by the last Drakian king, had become a power tower built from the blood and flesh of its people. The casualties and backwardness caused by their oppression were no less devastating than the sacrifices in the war against the gods. Yet, Zul'Mith never abandoned His protection. Until Aslan's expedition, the immortal race, led by the gods, was deeply divided on whether to continue protecting the Drakians or to adapt to the times and allow mortals to confront the crisis directly, undergoing a normal dynastic change. Ultimately, they split first, and the Victoria War broke out.

History always repeats itself in dramatic, even laughable, cycles. Thousands of years ago, like a grand dream, the triumphant protector of Victoria, Joss Mis, probably never imagined that one day he would be like the evil god he had defeated, rebellious and turned against the people of Victoria, and driven north of the End Mountains, to the battlefield where he had once achieved immortal feats.

The territory belonging to the gods and immortals—the Mis Domain—was removed from Victoria's regional divisions. Zul'Mis's name was erased from Victoria's history. King Aslan, who defeated the gods, was crowned with the Victorian laurels and led Victoria to revival and hegemony in a way that surprised even Zul'Mis.

Zul'Mith stood on the battlefield north of the End Mountains, watching over the remnants of the Drak tribe, who could only lurk in the north. He would occasionally glance around the battlefield; the dense array of forged swords seemed like pairs of eyes, watching him, questioning him: why, as a god, could he defeat the evil god, yet fail to protect the thrones won by the blood and tears of his warriors? But no one in the vast wilderness could answer his questions. Only the greatsword at its center, in the spirit of the long-vanished evil god, mocked his millennia of efforts—all in vain, a futile endeavor.

"call--"

The gods, who can conjure clouds and rain with a flick of their wrists, are not filled with anger, but rather with deep sorrow.

He refused to believe he was wrong. Victoria's civilization had grown under His protection, and the Aslan outsiders were despicable usurpers. The civilization they created, this new Victoria, no matter how prosperous or powerful, was flawed. If the Drak people were to decay over a thousand years, who could guarantee that the Aslan, whose lifespan was even shorter than the Drak, wouldn't suffer the same fate?

Only He, only a truly immortal god, can bring true order to this country; only a truly immortal god can protect the millions of people of this country; only a truly immortal god can decide everything—who is right and who is wrong, who should be crowned king, and who should step down in disgrace.

Yes, that's exactly it. Only the gods have the right to set all the rules, because they cannot be wrong. The reason He was defeated by the first Aslan king was not because the Aslans were so strong, but because He overestimated King Drak's power. If He had decisively suppressed those who didn't know what was good for them from the beginning, the situation would never have developed to this point. Mortal civilizations, existing independently, have no reason to exist; only under the supervision and guidance of the gods can they become stronger.

Resistance means destruction!

A ferocious red light flashed in Zú Mis's vertical pupils, reflecting the ancient hilt of the greatsword. The mysterious patterns of the other god gradually became clear in his mind. He reached out and drew the greatsword, which was as tall as a mountain.

The earth trembled, and the crimson light emanating from the sword dyed the sky red, as if vying with the rising sun for brilliance.

He drew the sword of the evil god.

After thousands of years, this once benevolent god finally grasped the truth that the evil god had believed for thousands of years.

God is supreme.

"Victoria!"

No longer directing their anger at a single person, nor their revenge at a particular family or emperor.

Zú Mess unleashed his fury upon Victoria. He brandished his greatsword, intending to wipe mortals and their creations from the earth.

Then, they were given new shelter and guidance on how to survive on the earth.