People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

Looking at the dwindling number of people and the increasing number of empty seats in the classroom, she even considered ending it all.

She wasn't the kind of woman who was particularly strong. If it weren't for Jasmine's comfort and the responsibility of passing on intelligence to the Self-Rescue Army, she would have collapsed long ago.

But now, she sees a glimmer of hope.

Looking at the door, Goldin couldn't help but think: Perhaps they really can save Lontinim?

Good fortune and misfortune are intertwined. Perhaps Lentinium, and those who have been struggling in this hellish city, will truly have a bright future!

At this very moment, inside the room...

Ernst and Talulah have also made their first contact with Leto.

"I don't ask for much, I just want a way to live."

Lieutenant Colonel René Leto's expression was stiff; he was deliberately keeping a straight face, trying to make his defection seem more blatant.

"Actually, you can be very open about abandoning darkness for light."

Ernst didn't make things difficult for him; in fact, he even gave him a way out.

In this negotiation, he and Talulah agreed that Ernst would be in charge of the talks, while Talulah would be in charge of keeping a straight face.

So far, the two are working together very well.

Neither of them expected that Leto would also have a tense expression, so much so that when Talulah met Leto's sharp gaze, he, feeling guilty, stiffened his neck and stared back at Talulah.

What should have been a proper negotiation turned into a staring contest.

Ernst could only forcefully interrupt the two of them, tapping his hand on the table: [Sound of a bow]

"Then, state your conditions and what you can do, Lord Leto."

"I can lead the city's defense forces to cooperate with you. In exchange, after the Duke's allied forces enter the city, I need your confirmation that I have always stood by your side! Furthermore, after I cooperate with you, I will stay in your stronghold!"

Leto swallowed hard.

"Isn't this too much to ask?"

Talulah didn't speak; she remained tense. She simply cast an inquiring glance at Ernst.

Ernst raised an eyebrow.

Honestly, is this request excessive?

That's certainly not an exaggeration; it's like a godsend. Ernst had just spoken with Talulah about using this offer to win over the city's defense forces.

He even prepared greater concessions, such as promising that he could continue to serve as an officer when the city garrison is reorganized in the future.

The city garrison definitely needs to be reorganized; even if he didn't mention it, Leto knew it. The Duke's allied forces weren't stupid; they could see through the city garrison's whitewashing tactics, they were simply deciding whether to pursue it or not.

Regardless of the circumstances, the entry of the Sarkaz into the city of Lontinim needs a scapegoat. The city's defense forces, responsible for "protecting Lontinim," will certainly be disbanded and reorganized. If Leto doesn't surrender, he'll undoubtedly be the perfect scapegoat during the reorganization, sacrificed to the gods.

If he chooses to abandon the darkness and embrace the light, Ernst can promise him a position on Talulah's behalf. Of course, it will be a sinecure.

This military campaign is only to seize military power, not to strip them of their titles. I swear by the Sea of ​​Krasde, my intention is not to wage war!

For Leto, who had made so many mistakes, this ending was incredibly fortunate.

If possible, Ernst would certainly like to try him, but he was irreconcilably opposed to the city garrison, which would inevitably drive them to desperation, causing further unrest in Lentinium and increasing casualties. Letting him essentially become Fu Zuoyi was already a good deal for him.

But Ernst was somewhat dissatisfied with his second condition.

Why do you want to go to our base?

Ernst asked.

Leto already had a prepared answer in mind, and was about to reply when Ernst interrupted him first: "Three (;4)￥"

“Let me guess. If we cooperate with the Self-Salvation Army and the Allied Forces defeat the Sarkaz and enter the city, then everything can naturally proceed as you just said. You can stay in the Self-Salvation Army's stronghold, which can be considered as a form of hiding, to avoid extremists like the Blood Demon Lord who might find out about your betrayal and launch a desperate counterattack, taking you with them as well.”

He paused, then continued with a hint of sarcasm.

"But similarly, if the situation reverses and the Allied Forces are defeated by Theresis, then you can stand up and openly say that you have successfully infiltrated the Self-Salvation Army and obtained information such as Talulah's appearance and the Self-Salvation Army's hiding place. Then your 'betrayal' can be completely explained as 'going deep into the enemy camp, gathering intelligence, and waiting for an opportunity to act,' which is a feigned surrender."

“Sarkaz may not believe this, but since you have indeed been to the Self-Salvation Army’s stronghold, you can take our pledge of allegiance.”

How could the ragtag Victorian coalition possibly stand against General Therese's million-strong army!

"You've got a good plan, Mr. Leto. It's a shame you're a soldier; you should be a politician."

You're not even close to becoming a civil servant.

Seeing Leto's grim expression, Ernst knew he was right.

Talulah frowned, looking quite displeased, and appeared ready to turn and leave.

Ernst said it wasn't his arrangement. Talulah was probably genuinely angry.

She hates two-faced people the most, especially those who betray their teammates!

Alina almost died at the hands of this kind of person!

Ernst quickly pulled her back, while looking at Leto:

“Mr. Leto, you are exceptionally insincere.”

"I'll give you a new offer. If you can accept it, we can continue talking. If not, then we'll take our leave."

"However, you can think about it. In this situation, are you the only city garrison soldier looking for a way out?"

Leto pursed his lips: "Please go ahead."

"The city defense forces and the self-defense forces are cooperating to reclaim the land currently occupied by city defense outposts and Sarkaz mercenaries."

"Attack the Sarkaz? This..." Leto hesitated, but Ernst shook his head.

"You can pledge your allegiance to Sakazna, but not to us? To the Duke's Alliance, to the Red Dragon Na?"

"What makes you think we would unconditionally trust a soldier who has betrayed his country?"

Leto was speechless for a moment, and after a long while, he nodded with some difficulty.

"Secondly, the city defense forces need to assist the self-rescue forces in restoring order after they have initially gained control of Lentinium."

That's not difficult; the city's defense forces are doing just that, only they're helping the Sarkaz. Leto agreed quickly this time.

"the last one."

Ernst Road,

"I need the city defense forces' help to assist Talulah in opening the gates of Londinium at the right time!"

Leto was suddenly startled:

"What about the Sarkaz outside the city?!"

"They are tied down by the Duke's coalition forces, and their main force will not have a chance to deal with you."

Ernst said slowly,

"Lord Leto, there's something you've been overlooking all along."

"No matter how many conditions Talulah and I agree to now, or how many opportunities we are willing to give you to clear your name, the stain on your record will always remain."

"Because this stain isn't something only a few of us can see, and the crimes you committed are not something we can forgive."

“You and your Londinium city garrison know perfectly well what you and the Sarkaz have been doing this past year. The millions of residents of Londinium know perfectly well too. You can convince me and Talulah, you can fool the Grand Duke, but how will you face the eyes of the people?”

The eyes of the masses?

Leto had never thought about this question.

He felt that as long as the Red Dragon agreed to protect him and the Duke didn't settle scores with him, he could rest easy!

But actually?

Leto was just a Liberi; his life was fragile. Any citizen who had ever been betrayed by him and his city garrison could plunge a knife into his heart on a night when he let his guard down!

He's not that hard to kill.

Even if he could hire an unlimited number of guards to protect him at all times, so what? How was he supposed to survive in the city of Londinium, relying on those "lies"?

The eyes of the masses are discerning. Given the current credibility of the Victorian government, even if it issues a hundred situation reports, it will not be able to whitewash Leto's crimes.

Moreover, Ernst knew that, given Talulah's personality, she wouldn't publish a single one!

"What you've asked us for is just a way to survive. But ultimately, you have to walk your own path."

"We're not going to carry you to the finish line."

Leto fell silent.

He couldn't find any loopholes in Ernst's words, and he knew that all of this was bound to happen in the future; Ernst had just told him in advance.

Unless he actually does something, regardless of whether he holds a high-ranking official position or a sinecure, he will be criticized and humiliated for the rest of his life, living in constant fear of retaliation.

He is a sinner, and he must atone for his sins.

As a soldier, Ernst pointed him out the best place for redemption.

"Open the city gates at the right time, rush onto the battlefield, kill a few Sarkaz, and then come back alive."

"You can be a true soldier who has gone astray, turned back from darkness, and embraced the light."

The path has been shown; the rest is up to him to walk it.

Only by continuously moving forward will his path to survival truly continue to extend.

Chapter 852 Anana

I am Theresia, a Sarkaz.

I am a person who has long since passed away. My resurrection was an accident. The Exorcist clan, including their leader, the former Demon King Quesatushta, paid for it with their lives. The person who is now living in the city of Londinium is nothing but an empty shell.

He was indeed still Quesatushta; the Carrion Eaters could sense the life force emanating from him, and the Blood Demons could perceive the excessively pure bloodline within him, refined through countless trials of sin. But his core was no longer the same.

His information has been altered.

This is a rather complex issue, involving the essence of Originium. Theresa's research on Originium is considered to be at the forefront of the entire Terra region, but the more she studies it, the more she realizes the countless characteristics of Originium that are completely beyond her level of understanding.

To put it simply, she viewed Originium as if it were a running bug.

The countless seemingly unrelated data contained within can, with a little editing, create or recreate a life out of thin air!

That's all information!

To be fair, it's hard to say whether Theresa or the Witch King is more skilled or less. It's just that Theresa has a "foolproof terminal"—the survival of civilization—that she can put her ideas into practice at any time. For example, creating a garden full of summer snow grass.

This technology, comparable to that of a creator, is merely an application of the insignificant Originium.

The true creator of Originium demonstrated to Theresa through her own means that this technology could be used on "humans".

Theresa found it hard to imagine that the Quesatushta who once wholeheartedly shouted "Hehe, I must live!" and distrusted everyone, an extremely selfish man, would one day suddenly say something like "I will protect the Shard with my life," and that he actually actually stayed there.

His past obsession with the Demon King's crown had vanished, his desire for immortality had died down, and he no longer even spoke of Quessina—her sister and daughter, who was also the most important "family member" and "perfect creation" in the eyes of the pardoners.

All those things—emotions, thoughts—were erased as a form of information. Now, within the shell of Quesatushta, there is only pure "faith"!

That belief is also a kind of message.

Quesatushta remained Quesatushta; there was no observable change in the ship of Theseus, except for the altered thoughts in the mind of the captain at the helm. Had he not acted so openly, he would have remained completely unnoticed.

But that Creator was using this method to warn her.

—[Sarkaz, who has committed the sins of arrogance and greed, you can only go this far; you cannot go any further.]

—[Ahead lies the realm of God!]

"Your Highness, we'll be at the battlefield soon."

Manfred's voice rang out not far behind her, interrupting Theresa's thoughts.

She looked up in a daze. The Sarkaz airship didn't have the advanced "camera projection" of the Columbia Preserver. In front of Theresa was an observation window pieced together from dozens of large glass panels.

The sky over Terra is clear, and from the airship, the battlefield layout is immediately apparent.

The army of scavengers had already engaged in close combat with Victoria's forces. The Victorians possessed a significant advantage in weaponry, and their determination to launch a strong attack was unexpectedly unwavering. The cannon fire from their high-speed warships resounded from morning till evening, seemingly without end. While the scavengers' flesh and blood were formidable, they were finding it increasingly difficult to withstand the onslaught of cannon fire.

Under pure firepower suppression and a fighting style that disregards almost any cost, the scavenger army seems to have begun to show signs of retreating.

But Theresa knew that Niezirei wasn't driven to the brink of destruction so quickly; he still held a superweapon no less powerful than the Shards.

It was a city, a city completely transformed into a carrion altar, a city that she and Theresis had built with their own hands, a city called Kazdel.

If necessary, Niezilei will detonate the city. The pent-up power released from the altar explosion will grant the Carrion Eaters a massive boost to their combat strength for a short period, and countless deceased Carrion Eaters will rise again as spirit banners to continue fighting!

The Victorians had underestimated the Sarkaz for far too long, believing they were waging a modern war—high-speed warships, artillery, and a constant stream of soldiers were all they had to offer. But they were actually fighting a "war of gods"!