People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

He can do it; he won't show any mercy, not even to Sherag.

Therese only places his hopes on others when he himself fails. If the Victorian Alliance, the Universal Summit system, and Ernst are unable to stop his plans, he will absolutely not "stop when he's done."

The "Kazdel Core System" that he wanted to establish, headed by the military committee of the four Saqqaz, to shape the Kazdel hegemony, is undoubtedly contrary to Ernst's "Universal Summit System".

If nothing unexpected happens, after completely defeating Victoria, the Shard's next target will inevitably be Sherag.

This is a greater threat than Agor.

At least Agor was willing to maintain a facade of "cooperation." Their threats were merely a form of pressure, and even at the most extreme moments of pressure, negotiators like Clementsa did not halt the negotiation process.

But what will Therese, the Sarkaz hawk leader, do?

The Shards are too powerful; even the power of Agor's own realm cannot withstand them. Even if Theresis probably cannot unleash its full power, Ernst cannot expect the great god Yeragand to risk his life to withstand it!

There is no doubt that entering Lentinium now is very dangerous.

But just as he had said to Vina, the area outside the city might be even more dangerous than the area inside!

"Moreover, there has never been a better time for all the nations of Terra to realize this than now."

Ernst said slowly,

"Duke of Castle, this is no longer just a matter for you, Duke of Castle, or for the country of Victoria. Kjerag, Lateran, Letania, Columbia, Ursus, and Flame—no country will escape this catastrophe. If you continue to cling to your so-called 'independence,' which is in reality 'narrow-minded,' considering the gains and losses of one person, one city, or one country while ignoring the interests of Terra as a whole, ignoring the fact that we are already a 'community of shared destiny,' then what awaits us is the destruction brought down by Theresis."

"The most profound lesson is right before our eyes: even the dumbest pack animal will feel pain when it is beaten."

“We are one. The threat of the apocalypse is not that far away from us. One Theresis can hold this sword over the heads of each of us, let alone Haisi and the demons.”

"If the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold. If the skin is gone, where will the hair attach?"

Chapter 841 Someone's here! Please, [Preserver], come out of seclusion!

The Duke of Gustave eventually agreed to Ernst's request.

It's no use if she disagrees.

After three battles, Victoria has lost the right to mediate and negotiate; in fact, she has lost it!

Unlike the humiliating situation in Letania, the appearance of the Origin Corner did force the performance at the main venue of the Concert of Nations to be interrupted, and it did almost affect the two queens of Letania and a large number of foreign dignitaries, but after all, things did not really deteriorate to the last step.

Foreign dignitaries were startled, but ultimately no one was injured. The two empresses certainly lost face, but apart from that, Letania did not pay a greater price.

5. Furthermore, the investigation and development of the Origin Horn might even bring more unexpected benefits to Letania! After all, danger often coexists with opportunity. As the culmination of the Witch King's pinnacle Originium Arts, the Origin Horn is a testing ground that can maintain normal order in the warp, and there must be a lot of content worth studying and learning from it.

Even if we take a step back and say that things turned out badly, didn't Helena ultimately benefit from this misfortune and gain a "little sheep Otto"?

But Victoria is different.

Victoria really suffered a terrible fate.

If it were merely a matter of losing face, the Duke of Custer wouldn't have reacted so strongly. The Duke of Custer isn't afraid of losing face; as long as the benefits are significant enough, a little embarrassment is insignificant. But the real fear is losing face, gaining no benefit, and suffering a great loss in the process!

That's exactly what happened with A this time.

The Duke of Fife lost all eight of his high-speed warships, including his flagship. And these weren't small auxiliary gunboats, but proper capital ships! This level of loss directly means that the armed forces of the Duchy of Fife will be essentially rendered useless for a very long time to come!

q Under such circumstances, if any Grand Duke harbors any ambitions and supports any noble within the Duchy of Fife, it could trigger a civil war and cause the entire Duchy of Fife to change hands!

The change of ownership of the Duchy of U may not seem like a big deal, but it means that Victoria's currently stable power structure will once again descend into chaos. And chaos is the ladder.

To give a simple example, if Talulah had built up her power in Londinium and become the next Red Dragon King, and at the same time, a civil war broke out in the Duchy of Faf, leaving a vast duchy and more than ten mobile cities unmanaged, which side would the dukes prioritize to intervene in?

Duke Castells asked himself honestly. Londinium wasn't that important to her; holding Londinium might be equivalent to three large, mobile cities. But it was a hot potato. Taking it over meant rebuilding, dealing with the numerous factions that had arisen from the city's chaos, and facing external pressure from countless dukes. Normally, Duke Castells might have been tempted by the allure of the throne to "advance," but now? Duke Fife had interests in more than ten cities!

And this is not just a hypothetical scenario; it is a future that is happening and can be foreseen!

Moreover, the Duke of Fife was not the only Grand Duke to suffer this fate. The Duke of Abercohn was also severely injured, while Ashworth fared slightly better, but only slightly better.

The direct loss of 30,000 men, an unprecedented defeat, was enough to shake their prestige within their duchy.

This conclusion was reached only after considering the domestic situation and ignoring the possibility of foreign powers taking advantage of the situation.

The future Victoria will inevitably enter a long period of turmoil, and this is only the beginning.

The Duke of Caesars was now forced to acknowledge a fact she should have realized long ago—Victoria's power would be greatly weakened after this battle. Its former dominance and privileged status were now fading with the destruction of the Shard, and that glorious dream was coming to an end.

She had no choice but to agree to Ernst's request.

"Regarding the emergency meeting, I can immediately send a message to the nations of the land, but this will take time, and we don't have much time."

"The Duke of Caesar said earnestly."

The Shard could be launched again at any time, and no one knows how long its cooldown period will be. Ernst has also ordered the Victorian coalition not to retreat at this time. If the Shard fires again, can the coalition hold out until the emergency meeting is held?

But Ernst merely glanced at her, frowned, and said seriously:

"Duke of Caster, there's no need to keep hiding your abilities now."

“Victoria is not ignorant about The Shard, and you do have things that can deal with The Shard, am I right?”

The Duke of Caesar's pupils contracted sharply. She stared at Ernst, the worry and helplessness on her face gradually fading, replaced by deep confusion:

"Prime Minister Ernst, where did you get this information from again?"

Ernst was right. The Shard Tower's attack, which triggered a natural disaster and directly struck the Victorian coalition, was indeed shocking. However, the Victorians were not without countermeasures.

In fact, how long has the Shard stood in Londinium? Would the Victorians have done absolutely no research on it?

Even if they can't figure out anything or its principles, the restoration of the Shard didn't start with the Sarkaz generation. The Victorians had long intended to control this super weapon themselves; otherwise, they wouldn't have placed it in the city center.

The Shard can trigger natural disasters, and in mythology, Victoria also possessed a national sword called the Breath of Kings, which was said to be able to "cleave through natural disasters"!

The legend tells of a battle between the Red Dragon Emperor and the Lion King. The flames he unleashed only melted the sword, leaving the lion unharmed. The sword was later reforged by the Red Dragon and the Lion after they made peace. This legend seems to describe a normal fight between the Lion and the Red Dragon, but as the final battle in the entire history of Aslan's conquest of Victoria, we can simply replace the "Red Dragon's flames" with the bombardment of the Shards, and the sword that split the flames with the sword that split the calamity, and everything will still make sense.

However, most of the time, people don't take legends seriously, and most people are unaware of the existence and function of the Shards, and simply try to connect the Red Dragon's final counterattack with the legend of splitting the natural disaster.

But Ernst was not one of these majority.

“Vina is with me,” Ernst said.

“Vina doesn’t know any of this,” Kester said firmly, shaking his head.

This was indeed a royal secret, but Vina wasn't old enough to know it. No one would tell a five- or six-year-old a secret; such children can't keep their mouths shut. And her father died before she grew up.

Ernst glanced at Kester and continued:

"Gawain told me."

"Victoria's Grand Tutor"

A look of realization flashed across Kester's face.

Despite his seemingly lazy demeanor, Gawain actually holds a legitimate "position" in Victoria, and many people in the upper echelons are aware of his existence.

Like the behemoths, the Beast Lords aren't exactly mysterious beings to the higher-ups. It's only high-ranking figures like Ensiodis who, having traveled and acquired knowledge but lacking access to classified information, are stuck in a limbo, leading them to question whether Yeragand, which has protected Kjerag for millennia from natural disasters, truly exists.

"In that case, I have nothing more to say."

The Duke of Caster shook his head slightly.

"But the Kings' Breed is not yet in my hands. Aren't your men in the city? Send out the Kings' Breed, and that's my condition."

"Otherwise, I really can't do anything about it."

Even a skilled cook can't cook without rice; the Duke of Caesar was less negotiating terms and more begging for food.

She does have the ability to target the Shard, but the Breath of Kings doesn't grant her that power. She can't very well insert herself into the sword pedestal on the Glory, can she?

She's not some legendary swordsmiths who forge swords with their bodies. Most importantly, that fake sword stand doesn't recognize Kester!

Ernst nodded slightly:

“Talulah is a member of the World Summit.”

"I will ask her for help with the matter of the Kings' Breeding. It won't be difficult."

Kester nodded and said:

"I'll send word about the meeting right now."

"No, no need."

Ernst shook his head.

Caster, who had stood up, sat back down, a hint of confusion on his face.

“I have a way to communicate remotely in real time.”

Ernst paused for a moment,

"Colombia's latest technology."

"Since this matter involves Terra and requires an emergency meeting of the World Summit, I think Duke Castle should no longer care about using Columbia's technology, right?"

The Duke of Caesar pursed his lips, remained silent for a moment, and then nodded.

She sensed that Ernst seemed much more assertive than before since returning from his ocean voyage.

This is a good thing. Because at the diplomatic table, nothing can be accomplished through mere negotiation and compromise. Sometimes, being assertive and letting others know your stance and bottom line is a necessary tactic in negotiations!

And, just as Ernst said, she had no room for rebuttal.

If anyone's to blame, it's the Victorians themselves for dragging things out, creating this whole mess!

Seeing Kessler nod, Ernst also breathed a slight sigh of relief.

That's fine.

Ernst never fought a battle unprepared.

Although he had never fought in a war, he never put all his eggs in one basket and always considered the worst possible outcome.

Those skilled in warfare in the past first made themselves invincible, and then waited for the enemy to become vulnerable.

When he decided to intervene in Victoria's affairs, he was prepared. He didn't expect that Victoria had dragged on for so long while the Sarkaz's Shard was still not finished. Nor did he expect that the Sarkaz, having finished the Shard, wouldn't use it, or simply wouldn't use it at all, and would instead engage in conventional warfare with Victoria. He certainly didn't expect that the Victorians' countermeasures against the Shard would be 100% effective.

To prepare for the worst-case scenario—Sarkaz activating the Shard Tower at full power, and recklessly, intending to "explode Terra! The Shard Tower will spin at a million horsepower, and an Originium storm will sweep across the land!"—he had already prepared a contingency plan.

Only magic can defeat magic, and only the former civilization can stand against it. On the land of Terra, there aren't many figures from the former civilization who can offer Ernst assistance. Even fewer can directly confront the Shard.

So this was the first preparation he made.

Precys was right when he said that he was not fighting alone.

Someone, please summon the Preservator!

Chapter 842 Hello, fellow little animals! I am the Preservator.

This is perhaps the highest-level meeting in Terra's history. It is also the first time in Terra's history that leaders of several major powers, separated by thousands of miles, have been able to transcend the limitations of distance and hold a real-time meeting.

If possible, he would actually prefer to hold meetings in person. The feeling of face-to-face interaction is always different from communicating through a virtual space. Just like how most people tend to slack off during online classes, while in-person classes are slightly easier to attend.

"But unfortunately, the current conditions are indeed insufficient."

"Moreover, you all have important matters of your own countries to attend to."

"I have convened this emergency meeting for the sake of Terra, bringing you all together here, but I am also very sorry that I cannot provide you with an opportunity to meet in person for the sake of Terra."

"But I believe this will not diminish the importance of what we are discussing now."

Ernst said slowly.

He was standing in the meeting room specially provided by the Duke of Caesar, and several illusory figures were sitting on four chairs around the large round table.

The True Dragon of the Great Yan, the Duke of Caesar and the Duke of Windermere of Victoria, the Twin Queens of Letania, Fyodor of Ursus, and the Grand President of Colombia, Mark Max.

Only they were qualified to attend this meeting. Apart from them, even the highest-ranking officials, other dukes, great emperors, Speaker Witt, or vice presidents like Wilson, who were vice presidents of their respective countries, had no right to attend or even know about this meeting.

Ernst has that right.

Ernst was the one who convened this meeting.

The expressions on the faces of these people varied, with the Twin Queens showing more confusion. They had been busy dealing with the aftermath of the Wilderness incident, appeasing the nobles in the country, and eliminating the "remnants of the Witch King's faction" recently, and had hardly paid attention to foreign affairs.

Yes, Victoria's situation has indeed caused quite a stir, but they didn't just start fighting today, so theoretically there's nothing particularly noteworthy.

But no one expected that halfway through their work, a "communication" call would be made directly to their office.

This is a news report from "Columbia" (referring to a specific source).

The Gemini Queens were initially skeptical, because the difficulty of cross-border communication was simply too high, given Terra's frequent natural disasters and the challenges of building and maintaining signal base stations. This technical hurdle was something Letania had yet to overcome.

But when they heard the other party mention Mark Max's name and pull them directly into the "meeting," they knew—things were serious!

Victoria has messed up again! And it's a big mess, considering the last time they caused such a big incident, it didn't turn into this much trouble!

In contrast to them, Fyodor of Ursus appeared much calmer.