Uncle, I am not an ordinary office worker.

As Valerie pushed the door open and walked out, she shouted an order. The papal agents lurking beside Amaya immediately pulled out their guard guns and quickly surrounded her.

Amaya watched all this, smiled, put down the conch in her hand, raised her hands, and did not make any resistance. Soon, accompanied by a gunshot, the conch was shot away.

"Damn it, what did you just do!" Valerie put away the fake smile on her face, grabbed Amaya's collar with an angry face, and lifted her up. The thin writer had never been treated like this before, and immediately coughed weakly.

"I didn't do anything."

She replied intermittently, seeming to be at ease, but also as if she was ready to die.

Willif really wanted to punch her directly, but the surrounding Sakota people had noticed the commotion and gradually gathered together. She had to resist the urge to use force in the street. She smacked her lips, handcuffed Amaya who had no intention of resisting, and ordered:

"Take her to the Vatican. Inform the Pope and Roy."

As she spoke, she suddenly remembered something and asked:

"Where's the conch?"

"Here." A special agent immediately stood up, handed the conch in his hand to Amaya, and said with a somewhat ugly expression:

"Cardinal Assistant, this thing is alive. It's a living thing."

Valerie looked down at the inside of the conch. Unlike most souvenirs that were hollowed out and cleaned, this conch still had flesh inside. The squirming gelatinous jelly-like flesh was covered with tiny synapses, filling the inside of the conch to the brim. A lot of mucus-like substances were constantly oozing out as it squirmed. Just looking at it would make people nauseous for a long time, let alone putting this thing to their mouths and blowing it.

As if it sensed that its owner had changed, the creature in the conch slowly stuck its head out. Its body was as soft as a shell-less hermit crab, dotted with two black granular eyes. It only stared at Valerie for a second, and then a mouthpart suddenly grew on the lower part of its jelly-like body, and a mass of mucus shot out of it, heading straight for Valerie's face.

Fortunately, Valerie, who was well prepared for the attack, dodged the slime by just slightly turning her face. She immediately took out her pistol, aimed at the conch, and was about to pull the trigger, but forced herself to stop her bent fingers.

Lateran City has been peaceful for a thousand years, and there has never been a situation like today. The crisis Roy mentioned is inextricably linked to Amaya's arrival. As an assistant cardinal in charge of Lateran's security, she certainly knows the importance of protecting the scene and evidence.

After thinking for a moment, she walked into a souvenir shop nearby. After a while, she came out holding a fishing barrel commonly used by Iberian fishermen.

"Return to the Pope's Chamber," she ordered.

..........

Pope's Chamber, ground floor, lounge.

On this journey back from the earth, Evangelista XI walked even more silently than when he came here.

As a Sakota, the leader of a city-state civilization that has been passed down for thousands of years, and a saint of faith who knows a lot of historical truths, he felt speechless and at a loss for the first time.

He couldn't even find where to start the question.

He knew that a machine like the law could not have appeared out of thin air, and it must have had a creator. But he did not expect that those creators looked very similar to him, they were not holy, mysterious, or even looked not very majestic.

The place where they were was not the kingdom of God, but a fortress made of steel, suspended in the deep and boundless darkness, like a drop in the ocean, drifting and helpless.

They were not even strong enough, so that every letter that Evangelista XI read was a plea for help, every letter was a condolence, and every letter was a cry.

At this point, it is meaningless to ask them who they are, where they come from, why they were created, how they were chosen, because at the end of the letter, they were still longing for the salvation of "Terra".

Isn’t this ridiculous? The salvation that Sakota had been waiting for thousands of years from the creator of the law actually did not exist at all. God was even waiting for them, a group of believers, to save them.

Although what they are waiting for may not necessarily be their Terra.

"Mr. Roy."

Pushing open the door of the lounge and sitting down on the soft sofa, Evangelista XI's tone was as if he were in another world.

"I fulfilled our agreement."

Roy nodded and handed the USB flash drive to Evangelista XI. In fact, this was not a precious thing. Roy did not tell Evangelista XI during the transaction. The USB flash drive was never important. As long as Roy wanted, he could make a train of USB flash drives. What was important was Trevor Friston's permission verification code. And Roy could also ask the keeper for this thing at any time.

Evangelista XI felt extremely complicated when he took the USB flash drive.

He thought he would be very excited at this moment, because it meant that from this moment on, he had truly become the most powerful person in Lateran, he had penetrated the mystery of the law and understood how to control it, he had surpassed the Twelve Saints and became a well-deserved Pope.

But he felt a pang of sadness.

There was no way. Roy had opened his eyes too high, and now a USB flash drive could no longer satisfy him.

He paused and asked, "Sir Roy, can you please tell me what you have gained from the law?"

This question was somewhat beyond the line, but Roy's deal did not prohibit him from asking such questions, so Evangelista XI asked it boldly.

Roy didn't hide much and answered roughly: "Some weapons. Slightly more powerful than guns."

"for example?"

"Like satellite rail guns."

Satellite what?

Evangelista XI was stunned for a moment, and just when he was about to ask what this difficult word meant, the door behind him suddenly slammed.

It wasn't a knock, it was a smash, accompanied by the anxious shouts of the musketeers:

"Your Holiness, something happened! Something happened in Iberia!"

"Wait, Valerie, you can't just barge in..."

"Boom."

The door was kicked open, and the purple figure of Valerie appeared in front of Roy and Evangelista XI. Without much words, Valerie said simply:

"Amaya blew the conch. The conch is a living sea monster. I suspect she is secretly communicating with someone."

"Roy, do you know something?"

"I..." The worst thought suddenly flashed through Roy's mind.

Amaya was probably in contact with the Deep Sea Church. They discovered the aura of the sea on me, so they mistook me for a deep-sea hunter?

But the next moment, before Roy could express his guess, another piece of news that was worse than Roy had expected interrupted Roy's words.

Sakota, who was wearing a civil servant's uniform, panted and pushed aside Valerie and the Gun Riders who were blocking the door of the lounge, and called for help:

"Your Holiness, the Iberian Inquisition has just sent a letter for help to the entire earth!"

"The Great Silence has happened again!"

Volume 1: Chapter 284: Lateran Council (Part 2)

"The Iberian Inquisition hereby issues a warning and request to all nations that exist on this land."

"Thirty minutes ago, the Great Silence attacked Iberia again. The threat in the ocean can no longer be ignored. Unfortunately, although Iberia has sent all its punitive troops and inquisitors to defend our coastline, Iberia is no longer able to resist this threat alone. Before the true enemy of civilization wipes us out, Iberia hopes to get help from the nations of the earth."

"This letter has been sent to all known civilizations on earth. This is not a request for help from a country, but a request from a civilization, a request from fellow humans. Before the final moment arrives, Iberia will continue to resist. We believe that hope will surely come."

The sound and images landed in the office of the Pope's Chamber, hammering at the hearts of everyone present.

Not everyone present knew what the threat in the ocean was, but everyone knew what the Great Silence meant. Even the prosperous Iberia was powerless in the Great Silence, let alone the Inquisition, which was now a dying candle in the wind.

Evangelista XI was one of the few people who knew the Iberian Inquisition best. He was well aware of their pride. If it wasn't for the last moment, if they really couldn't resist alone, they would never ask for foreign aid, let alone let foreign troops enter Iberia's borders - that meant that after the disaster, Iberia would inevitably become a battlefield for other countries to compete for interests.

But now, the fact of the letter for help is in front of everyone. Even the most optimistic people find it difficult to speak, thinking that the threat of the Great Silence will only destroy Iberia and will not affect the many countries around it.

As stated in the letter, this is a disaster that goes beyond the country and concerns the fate of civilization.

"Mr. Roy."

Evangelista XI turned his head and looked at the "alien" beside him, but Roy was busier than him at the moment. His cell phone had been ringing non-stop since a few minutes ago, and Roy, who answered the phone, had a frown on his face.

The calls came from Casimir and Leitania. From Mauna, Darksteel, Viviana, the Teutonic Elector, and the White Queen.

Some of them came to ask Roy about his opinion on the disaster, some came to ask about countermeasures, and some came to ask whether this disaster was the natural disaster from the ocean predicted and whether they needed to evacuate and mobilize.

Roy answered them one by one, not daring to make any mistakes or omissions. But he still had countless doubts.

Skadi should still be in Casimir or Rhodes Island at this moment. With Kal'tsit taking care of her, there is no chance that she will be possessed by Ishamara. The Deep Blue Tree is already brain dead, and the unmelted iceberg is not aggressive. Who caused the Great Silence?

Can the Deep Sea Cultists awaken the lifeblood of Origin?

Roy didn't believe they had this ability. If they could directly awaken and control the lifeblood of the Origin, then they wouldn't have tried every means to persuade Skadi to return to the group in the original world line.

With the power of the Lifeblood of the Origin alone, the immortal, strongest newborn was enough to cleanse the entire land. But in fact, the only record of the Lifeblood of the Origin reaching its wrath to the point of causing a great Silence only appeared in Suigetsu's monthly team story.

He ate and ate. He ate Ishamara, the Deep Blue Tree, and the unmelting iceberg. He completely lost control and included the entire world in his own ecosystem.

As for the current situation, although it sounds unpleasant to say, even the crumbling Iberia can hold on for half an hour and even ask for help from the outside, saying that it can still resist for a while. So the scale of this Great Silence cannot reach its maximum scale.

Roy's series of actions worked. He saved Skadi, contacted Kal'tsit, and facilitated the Laika Alliance. Although he did not prevent the arrival of the Great Silence, he did make the disaster come much more hastily.

"Don't worry. Follow your arrangements and do your best to send reinforcements to Iberia. I will also go to Iberia as soon as possible."

Roy instructed the Queen on the other side of the microphone. As soon as he finished speaking, Evangelista XI on the side took over and said:

"Sir Roy, I have a suggestion."

He said seriously,

"One of the purposes of Lateran to establish the Messenger of Nations is to promote unity and peace across Terra and to provide a tolerant platform for communication across Terra. I think this is an opportunity. With you taking the lead, Casimir and Leitania participating, and Iberia's request for help, we can definitely organize a Lateran Conference of Nations! Invite representatives from all countries to deal with this crisis together!"

Hearing this suggestion, Roy's first reaction was that you old bastard are quite imaginative. You dare to use a disaster like the Great Silence as a bargaining chip to achieve your goals. Can I let you do what you want?

But after calming down, Roy quickly realized that Evangelista XI's suggestion was not unreasonable.

The relationship between the Terran countries has always been at the level of a small fight every three days and a big fight every two days. It is almost impossible for them to calm down and exchange opinions peacefully. For example, in Victoria and Colombia, Roy could hardly imagine how the Victorian senior officials who always called them "our rebellious child" would communicate with the Colombians.

But the Great Silence provided this opportunity. The best way to unite a group of people with different ulterior motives is not popularity or a leader, but a common enemy. There is no doubt that natural disasters are the common enemy of the entire land. As long as the crisis of Haisi expands to a point where it can attract the attention of the entire land, the final union will be a last resort and a natural outcome.

Roy did not intend to use millions of lives as bargaining chips to open up this communication channel, but he absolutely could not ignore this possibility.

Showing the current situation of Iberia, showing the threat of Hai Si, convening a Terra International Conference in Lateran, and conducting in-depth communication, this is much more realistic than Roy rushing to various countries one by one to explore the extremely unlikely opportunity to mention Shangluo and explain the pros and cons.

As if knowing what Roy was hesitating about, Evangelista XI continued:

"Of course this meeting cannot be held at the cost of the sacrifice of innocent people. So, Mr. Roy, this depends on you. You got the weapons of law from Lateran. As long as you use them and make them have an effect that is enough to shock other countries, this meeting can be held smoothly."

Roy looked at the Pope in astonishment.

His political experience was indeed so insufficient that he had forgotten the feasibility of this.

Although he cannot use tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of lives to pave the way for the necessity of this meeting, he has something that can be used as a substitute, and that is "deterrence."

The weapons he obtained from the Law, which were left behind by the previous civilization to build the defense circle of the planet Terra, were enough for Roy to form a strategic deterrent, even if he dug out the big killer weapons like the orbital gun. The turrets on the ground, the missiles buried deep underground, and so on were enough.

This is like the deterrence method used by the five gangsters of the United Nations in the past. If a country with deterrent weapons insists on holding a meeting regardless of the cost, will those countries without checks and balances dare not come?

Roy finally nodded: "Let's do it."

"Your Holiness, please convey the message of the meeting to all countries. During this period, I will make a sufficiently obvious movement."

Roy said this and turned his gaze to the south, which was the direction of Iberia.

Volume 1: Chapter 285: Lateran Council (Part 2)

"Did you receive Iberia's message?"

Victoria, the Duke of Godottin's Palace. The magnificent palace is now comparable to the Iron Palace in Londinium, which has been uninhabited for many years.

As one of the grand dukes who are now in power in Victoria, Duke Godottin, like the other dukes, has received letters from Iberia and Lateran. The person she is communicating with is another grand duke of Victoria, the Iron Duke Wellington.

Hearing the words of Duke Godottin, Wellington's old face flashed a bit of solemnity, and he replied:

"Roger that. The Great Silence is a disaster. My army is on the way."

Duke Godoting paused for a moment while shaking his wine glass, and asked with a curious and teasing expression:

"Duke Wellington, do you really believe what the Iberians say? Do you want to send Victoria's soldiers to a foreign country to shed blood and sacrifice? You know, Victoria is now in a difficult situation. Our great capital, Londinium, the City of Cities, is still in the hands of a group of mercenaries with impure motives."

As soon as she finished speaking, the Iron Duke's face showed disgust and contempt without any concealment, and he rebuked her mercilessly:

"If it weren't for you, how could the country fall to this state! How can a bunch of Sarkaz warmongers occupy Victoria's territory! Bah! Insects!"

"Don't be so angry, old man. It's very harmful to your health." Even though a few verbal attacks could not affect Duke Godotin's mentality, such blunt insults did make her feel a little uncomfortable. She put away her smile and asked lightly, "I'm asking about your attitude. Of course, I have to save Iberia from disaster, but you sent the army out of Victoria at this critical juncture. Do I think you have given up the competition for Londinium?"

The competition in Londinium was only superficial. What the grand dukes really coveted was the opportunity to represent Victoria and speak in the name of Victoria, which had been vacant for a long time.

In this competition, the Iron Duke Wellington is undoubtedly the strongest competitor. He won the Battle of the Four Emperors and destroyed the Gallic Empire. He is one of the best in Victoria in terms of military strategy and reputation. He also governs the vast Tara region. His soldiers are experienced in many battles and have unrivaled strength. If he announces his withdrawal, the situation in Victoria will change.

But the Duke of Wellington had no intention of getting entangled with the Duke of Godotdin over these twists and turns in details and the interpretation of a few political codes. He refuted it directly:

"I don't bother to discuss this kind of issue with you. Victoria is my motherland, and I will naturally do my best to restore its glory in my own way. As for your competition, haha."

He raised his hand and decisively hung up the phone. The display screen in front of Duke Godoting suddenly turned black, just like her face at the moment.

"This old thing." She cursed under her breath, but that was all.

At least, she got the information she wanted, and she didn't have to worry about the Duke of Wellington disrupting the situation in Londinium for the time being.

She had plenty of time to send the Gray Hat to infiltrate and have the Cumberland girl find an opportunity to bring out the Breath of Kings. As long as she had the national sword, she would have the key and the basis of legitimacy.

As for what was happening in Iberia, the so-called Second Great Silence, she had no intention of getting involved at all.

Yes, the ocean was too far away for her. Even if Iberia was destroyed, it would not matter to her. As for whether the Great Silence would affect Victoria, she thought it was impossible. Even if it really did, it would not matter.

Victoria is different from Iberia. As long as she wins this competition, a complete and unified Victoria will be able to deal with any disaster, no matter how horrific it sounds - this is the confidence that Victoria brings her.