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

Theresa continued,

“Brother, do you know how crazy your plan is? You want to turn the entire country into a war machine, turn all the Sarkaz into cogs in this machine, and then drive this machine into other people’s land to fight to the death. You won’t save any Sarkaz people this way, you’re just sending them to their deaths.”

"But it has the potential to succeed, which is better than sitting and waiting to die in a false peace. The Sarkaz should fight to the last man for the survival of their country and nation. We will win, and then our remaining compatriots can live in a peaceful, tranquil world without oppression and discrimination."

"Therese said seriously. But Theresa shook her head firmly."

"Will it really be like that? When a nation has built a peace with the blood of generations, what else can the remaining Sarkaz do besides wage war?"

"Your plan abandons all the beautiful things that this land still possesses, such as art, literature, entertainment, and philosophy. When you abandon all these things and then trample over them to defeat all races, what will the remaining Sarkaz have left? Having abandoned art, can they still create beautiful music? Having abandoned literature, can they still write poems praising beautiful scenery? Having abandoned entertainment, can they still encourage each other in times of worry? Having abandoned philosophy, do they still know what they truly are?"

"When the peace you promised arrives, will the Sarkaz, with all their cores replaced, still be the Sarkaz?"

"Unable to find their purpose in life, they will fall into war again, this time it will be infighting, endless infighting, until the last Sarkaz dies on the assembly line of the last arsenal, until the earth falls completely silent, only then will this war cease, because they know nothing else."

Theresa looked at Theresis and said earnestly:

"Brother, is this really what you wanted?"

Therese fell silent. He closed his eyes, seemingly pondering the future described in Theresa's words. After a while, he reopened his wine-red eyes and looked at Theresa.

"of course not."

He answered, but before Theresa could show any joy, he continued:

“But you have to walk the path to know the truth. The Sarkaz have long lifespans, and I have a chance to make amends along the way. But if you lay down your weapons and seek peace as you say, tomorrow the Ursus people's sword will be at your tender neck. Don't forget who is protecting you, Theresa, it is the soldiers who wield swords.”

Theresa sighed deeply and lowered her head in dejection.

Just as Therese knew he couldn't persuade her, yet still insisted on explaining his ideals, Theresa, knowing that Therese, born into a military family, would never be moved by her words, still couldn't help but try to persuade her brother.

But clearly, both of them failed as expected.

The silence that enveloped the hall did not last long. Theresa raised her head, her eyes regaining the determination she had shown when she entered the main hall, and she spoke:

"I refuse the first option, so what is your second option, brother? To start a war?"

Therese shook her head: "No, of course not. War is not a choice, but a means to force you to make choices you don't want to make."

He paused, then suddenly changed the subject, saying:

"This afternoon, I received some surprising news from the Laterans."

Theresa, and even Kal'tsit standing behind her, raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise on their faces.

They never expected that Lateran's name would appear in this final negotiation that would determine the future of the Sarkaz.

Seemingly noticing the anger that immediately appeared on Theresa's face, Theresis waved her hand:

"Don't get me wrong, I'm not shameless enough to cooperate with Laterano. They're offering me an opportunity that might eliminate a major threat to Kazdel's borders, or even provide a powerful backer to maintain peace. And that opportunity depends on you."

"What do you mean?" Theresa frowned, completely baffled.

"Latland is willing to step in and match you with Victoria's foolish heir to the throne, the Prince of Wales—Wayne Bruce."

Therese spread her hands, a subtle smile appearing on her face.

"It seems the Lion House is down to just two people. The reason Queen Victoria hasn't eliminated the Northern King's illegitimate son after her ascension to the throne is probably due to considerations of bloodline succession. Theresa, the time has come for you to make your choice. Will you accept this goodwill from our 'arch-enemy' and meet with Wayne?"

Theresa gasped in surprise, her mind momentarily blank, seemingly processing this explosive amount of information. After a long pause, she wore the same subtle, wry smile as Theresa and replied:

"Victoria's Lion? They're willing?"

Therese shrugged, glanced at the absolutist beside her, who nodded knowingly, stepped forward, and explained:

"According to the information from the Absolution Master, this Prince Wayne Bruce seems to be a puppet of Laterano, originally a tool for Laterano to completely control Victoria. However, some changes occurred, and Vina, who had been in exile, returned and reclaimed the throne, which led to the current situation in Victoria. Since Laterano dares to make such a demand of us, there is no doubt that they are confident in persuading Wayne."

"Their plan is probably to use you to conveniently pin the assassination attempt on the current Queen Victoria on you, instigate a war between Victoria and Kazdel, and then profit from the war while simultaneously using Vayne to control Victoria. They can also take advantage of the chaos to eliminate the Anglican Church, which has been causing quite a stir lately. A three-birds-with-one-stone scheme, it's a pretty good plan. Of course, there might be other aspects I haven't considered yet, but we might as well turn the tables and put Vayne, this puppet, in our hands. At that time, Kazdel's greatest threat will become our greatest asset, and the geopolitical landscape will be completely rewritten. Even if Ursus wants to attack us, they'll have to think twice about me, the 'brother-in-law' of Queen Victoria."

Theresis looked at Theresia and said solemnly,

"So, this is your second option, Theresa. Everything I've said above ultimately depends on you. If you can do it, then the threat will be gone, and I can be patient and see if your so-called peaceful rise can be achieved. If you can't, then I will take immediate action to establish the Sarkaz military empire. Of course, you can also choose not to choose, in which case I will use war to force you to make the first option—to hand over the throne to me."

"No need to say anything, Theresis."

Theresa smiled helplessly.

"I choose the second one. I can do it, and I want to try."

Chapter 52 I Only Accept Cash

Victoria, Lentinium, 125 Embassy Street, Saints Hotel, 8:00 p.m.

Completely bewildered, Wayne knocked on the door of room 666 and, guided by Mostima, entered the room, which, though not luxurious, had a unique style.

Wayne had no idea what was wrong with the people of Lateran. It was May 7th, less than a week since their last contact, and they were already rushing to him. Weren't they afraid of causing more problems?

It's important to understand that since the publication of the Ninety-Five Theses and the formal establishment and declaration of the Anglican Church of Victoria as orthodox, the Lateran Catholic Church's situation has been far more precarious than merely precarious. People naturally prefer a church with better benefits, more pastors, greater professionalism, and state support. The original Catholic Church has lost its fertile ground in this land; Victoria has essentially become a no-go zone for Lateran forces, much like Kazdel.

The risks Mostima faced in this urgent situation were obvious. If the perceptive Vina discovered that Lateran had been having an affair with the Prince of Wales, there was no doubt that the church's last remaining monasteries in Victoria might not be able to survive.

How dare they do that?

Filled with doubt, Wayne walked through the entrance hall and into the living room. Unexpectedly, in front of the wall where the television used to be placed, which had now been replaced by a cross sculpture, he saw an old acquaintance—the weary Archbishop of Urbino.

Wayne glanced at the smiling archbishop with surprise, and couldn't help but ask:

"I've never heard of a Black Cardinal in Laterano. Urbino, what's with your outfit?"

Urbino's mood, which had been slowly improving after seeing Wayne, instantly soured again. He looked down at his dirty red robe, feeling a bitterness he couldn't express.

What could he do? Could he complain to Wayne that those demons of Kazdel were uncivilized, that they came to deceive and ambush him, and that he was an old priest who had successfully negotiated and was preparing to return home?

Urbino had reason to suspect that the Sarkaz bandits who happened to appear on his route back to Laterano were arranged by Theresis, with the aim of giving him a hard time. Otherwise, how could they have appeared on that secret passage so coincidentally, not only robbing him of all his valuables but also leaving him completely unharmed? They looked at him as if he were a piece of junk that couldn't even be sold. They weren't very harmful, but they were extremely insulting!

His expression changed from red to green, then from green to purple. Just as Wayne couldn't help but turn around and ask Mostima to call an ambulance, Urbino finally sighed and spoke.

“Your Highness Wayne, my dear friend, please don’t ask this question anymore. It’s all part of a painful past. I’m here for our bright future.”

He spoke in a strange accent that made Wayne frown, wishing he could immediately issue a nationwide decree to collect Uncle Sam's spiked boots and Grandma Susan's apple pie and slap them in Urbino's face.

You said the predecessor couldn't do good deeds, but he just liked to hear people talk like that. Once he said it, it became a fixed idea, and now Wayne can't even find a chance to change it.

Suppressing the urge to kick Urbino's ass, Wayne forced a smile and said:

"Oh, my dear friend, what surprise has His Holiness the Pope of Lateran brought me this time?"

As he spoke, Wayne revealed a somewhat sorrowful expression and began to lament:

“Friend, you have no idea how miserable my situation has been lately! In order to reveal Broca’s information to you, I took a huge risk to send an urgent communication to Mostima. However, because of your appalling inefficiency, my sister suspects me, and now I’m even restricted from going out. I have to report in advance even to go out for drinks with friends! Even today, when I sneaked out to meet you, I had to pay a lot of money to bribe the palace guards!”

Urbino looked away, somewhat embarrassed by what he heard.

Although he was also furious, as Wayne had said, the responsibility for Broca's incident definitely lay with Lateran, not Wayne. The Pope had personally issued an oral decree, defining the nature of the matter—Wayne was Lateran's most loyal ally, sending them crucial intelligence to save them when they faced danger, while Lateran, with its slow response and failure to handle the situation properly, was the one most responsible for the entire incident.

Because of this incident, Wayne might be suspected and monitored by Vina, which was also expected by Laterano. Now that Wayne has brought the matter to light and used it to accuse Laterano, Urbino can't find any fault with it.

He could only obediently lower his head and sincerely apologize to Wayne:

"I'm so sorry, my friend. This was a miscalculation on Lateran's part, causing you to suffer undue pressure and humiliation. We swear that we will do everything in our power to make it up to you."

"I only accept cash."

Wayne spread his hands, speaking bluntly.

Urbino was taken aback, blinked, wondering if he had misheard, and opened his mouth wide to exclaim, "Huh?"

Seeing this, Wayne repeated, "I only accept cash, or you can find a way to transfer the money you have in Colombia directly to me. Otherwise, given my current situation where I even need to report when I enter and leave the palace, giving me a bank card is not as good as giving me a fruit knife; at least the latter can be used to peel apples."

Urbino paused for a moment, then nodded helplessly.

Although it was a bit blunt, Wayne was right. Given his current state of house arrest, giving him a bank card that couldn't even find an ATM would be completely useless. Only cash could be used freely in this situation.

Urbino chose to tolerate Wayne's slightly displeased, somewhat commanding tone. After all, Wayne had always been a complete playboy. Although Lateran had won his respect for a long time through manipulation and support, this religious reformation incident had undoubtedly shaken the prince's superstitious faith in Lateran. This trust would need time to be repaired, and in the time it took to win Wayne's forgiveness, it was unlikely that he would regain his former goodwill.

However, it was worthwhile, considering that Wayne was the most loyal, outstanding, and suitable candidate among the puppet representatives Lateran had supported on the land over the years. Ultimately, the Holy See had wronged them first, so they couldn't expect the Holy See to be all smiles again.

"I will arrange for someone to exchange this 'monastery aid subsidy' (the official name for the aid funds negotiated between Wayne and Lateran) for cash from the bank and deliver it here in a few days. In order to thank Your Highness for your outstanding contributions to Lateran, and also to express Lateran's sincere apologies to you, His Holiness the Pope has specially approved a special aid of 300 million Lateran gold coins."

"Then thank you for your generosity, Your Holiness!" Wayne was overjoyed, and a smile naturally spread across his face.

He had originally thought that because Victoria had been basically purged by the Anglican Church, Lateran would reduce its support for him, and might even be exposed. To prevent his bank cards from being frozen, he insisted on accepting cash directly. But to his surprise, Lateran was so generous that not only did it not reduce its financial assistance, but it even planned to give more!

Okay, give me more, give me even more, lots and lots! I, Wayne, will accept any offer! I will definitely use this money to "benefit" Laterano!

Urbino paused, and seeing the satisfied expression on Wayne's face, he changed the subject and continued:

“Your Highness Wayne, as a friend, I have always had a question and a concern. As the heir to the great Aslan bloodline and the future King of Victoria, you seem to have always lacked a suitable companion by your side.”

Urbino looked at the bewildered Wayne and asked earnestly:

"As your friend, I dare to ask, do you have someone you have in mind?"

Chapter Fifty-Three sounds like they're having an affair.

"As your friend, I dare to ask, do you have someone you have in mind?"

Urbino's expression was serious and earnest, but the more serious he looked, the more confused Wayne became.

Why are you asking this? Is Laterano planning to develop a matchmaking service? Which type of fluorescent light tube are you planning to recommend to me?

While Exusiai is undeniably cute, she's a bit too energetic, and with her numerous exploits of destroying her alma mater, she's a no-go. As for Mostima, Wayne certainly likes her, but even a fool would know that Mostima would never agree. And even if she did, it would only be out of a sense of completing a mission. Forcing things won't work, and Wayne doesn't intend to accept that outcome.

As for who else....

Ambriel?

A familiar phrase suddenly flashed through Wayne's mind: "I'll lead you guys to fight, knife him, knife him!"

No, no, absolutely not. The déjà vu is too strong. Playing games with Ambriel is fine, but blind dates are out of the question.

After thinking for a moment, Wayne raised and lowered his eyebrows, looking at Urbino with a strange expression, and asked:

What do you want to do?

Urbino forced a kind smile onto his old face, rubbed his hands together, and said with a smile:

"His Holiness the Pope is deeply concerned about His Highness the Prince's loneliness, so he has personally intervened to arrange a marriage for him. What do you think...?"

"I heard that priests in Lateran Catholic Church can't get married."

Wayne scoffed, giving Urbino a knowing look, and rubbed his index finger and thumb together.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. It wouldn't do me any good to have my Pope breaking the law, right?"