Man on the ark, forced to become king

“That’s right. The leader of the Golden Tree will step in to facilitate the unification of Kazdel. He and Theresa wield absolute power, enough to thwart all the schemes of the royal courts. You don’t need to know more details, just know that unification is inevitable.”

The doctor spoke casually, not really willing to explain in detail. It was time-consuming and laborious, but mainly it was meaningless. Anyway, whether he explained it or not, the result would soon be there and it would be clear at a glance. As long as the goal was achieved, did it matter what means were used?

She stated clearly yesterday that she would visit Golden Tree later, which was certainly not a spur-of-the-moment decision without reason.

Whether she was arrogant or conceited, she felt that she was quite valuable as a 'bargaining chip'. As long as the leader of the Golden Tree had any ideas, he would definitely step in to facilitate this conversation.

That person's thoughts were almost entirely written on their face, so it wasn't hard to guess. The doctor, who had a brief meeting with them yesterday, was basically certain that he was interested.

Compared to Theresa, her kinsman undoubtedly fits the definition of a 'king' better.

Powerful, domineering, and capricious, they will never hesitate to use force to achieve their goals if they are interested.

Such a person is the simplest yet the most troublesome, because he will only act according to his own will, and no matter what schemes those guys in the royal court are plotting, it will be to no avail.

Unlike her, whose only useful trait was her brain, her clansman could roughly assess his strength based on the available information. Conservatively, he was probably on the same level as Theresa. As long as he was willing to stand on the side of Babel, the royal courts and Theresa would have no room to resist and could only passively accept it.

As for his role in Kazdel's internal decision-making... the Doctor has made ample preparations.

Using herself as a bargaining chip to secure the support of the Golden Tree for the Tower of Babel and facilitate unification was the last thing she could do for Theresa.

"However, his intervention is somewhat untenable, as this is, after all, an internal matter for the Sarkaz, and could potentially cause serious trouble."

Upon hearing this, Kal'tsit frowned, her worry evident in her expression.

"Don't worry, none of the things you're worried about will happen."

The door to the conference room used for today's discussion was already in sight. The doctor lowered his voice, confident and composed.

“I’ll give him a perfect reason to intervene, without any hidden dangers. You just need to watch, after all…”

The doctor didn't finish his sentence, but simply shook his head slightly and sighed almost imperceptibly.

"..."

Before she could finish speaking, Kal'tsit could already guess what she wanted to say: she simply didn't trust Kal'tsit's rhetoric and ability to handle situations.

She would naturally be angry if someone else said that, but it was the Doctor, the undisputed legend and the smartest person in Babel, without exception. She opened her mouth, but felt that she really couldn't refute it, so she could only give up and silently lower her head and walk forward.

The Doctor didn't mind. She felt she had been very tactful and had saved face for the old cat. She had even considered not letting Kal'tsit participate in the conversation today. It was good enough that she brought her along. By belittling her beforehand, she could make her realize her limitations and avoid saying anything inappropriate.

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The Doctor, Kal'tsit, Theresa, and Theresis met in the conference room, but no one spoke, and the entire conference room was silent.

Everyone is waiting, waiting for the one variable to appear.

In Kazdel, the power of the Royal Court is even greater than that of the Demon King. After all, the Demon King is merely the inheritor of royal blood and power, while the Royal Court is the epitome of Sarkaz, a council composed of tribal leaders. When necessary, they have the right to choose who sits in the highest position.

Of course, having the right and having the ability are two different things.

shuh~

The conference room door slid open to both sides, and regular footsteps sounded from behind it. The guests from the Princes' Court did not keep those seated waiting for long; they appeared before the atmosphere in the conference room dropped to freezing point.

However, upon seeing who it was, both Therese and Theresia frowned.

Because there was only one person from the royal court.

A young man who looked to be only about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old walked in with steady steps from outside the door. He wore a pure white coat with a black cloak over it, revealing a bright red lining as he walked.

Mysterious and elegant are the first impressions he gives.

Even when facing the Demon King and the Regent, he still walked at a leisurely pace, unhurried and composed.

His blood-red eyes opened, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the room. He slowly bowed, performing an ancient Sarkaz greeting, his slightly effeminate voice echoing throughout the room.

"I pay my highest respects to you, my king."

"My king?"

Theresa leaned back slightly, resting her arm on the table, her cherry-pink eyes narrowing slightly. The next second, a violent pressure filled the entire room like a tangible hurricane.

Click...

The conference room door closed automatically, her long pink hair swayed in the wind, the Demon King's exquisite face was covered in frost, and her voice was unusually cold.

"Who gave you the audacity to be so arrogant in front of me?"

The powerful pressure surged again and again, even causing ripples to spread through the air. Theresa stared indifferently at the young man, as if an invisible shadow was emerging behind her.

"Answer me, Blood Demon."

"I salute you, Demon King."

The Blood Demon Lord's already pale face seemed to turn even paler. Standing amidst the overwhelming pressure, a strange smile appeared on his lips. He then lowered his proud head, knelt on one knee, and showed his submission.

No one expected that the usually gentle Theresa would suddenly erupt, becoming so assertive that she seemed like a completely different person.

Even Therese was quite surprised, wondering to himself whether his sister had really taken his words to heart yesterday, and whether her current behavior reflected her true attitude.

The doctor was also somewhat surprised, but he remained outwardly calm.

She hadn't expected Theresa to be so assertive today, but this saved her a lot of trouble. After all, if she really let the Golden Tree get involved, she could definitely achieve her goal, but she would also have to owe them a real favor.

"Of all the royal courts, only you have come?"

The overwhelming pressure that had filled the room subsided. Faced with the formidable Theresa, the Blood Demon Lord was very respectful, at least outwardly so.

He remained kneeling on one knee, his voice completely still.

“My king, the others have traveled a long way, so after discussing it by secret means, it has been decided that I will speak to you on their behalf. Your power is as dazzling as a natural disaster.”

"No, even natural disasters cannot resist your will. The Sarkaz will regroup under your command to fight for you and restore your former glory."

"Such a powerful being, summoning your subjects at this moment, are you ready to unite the Great King and personally reclaim the lost glory from our enemies, making those lowly reptiles remember their nightmares once more?"

The Blood Demon Lord respectfully offered his praise, but his question caused the entire conference room to fall silent once again.

Chapter 173 Theresa: I reserve the right of final interpretation

Summon your subjects, assemble your army, and reclaim your glory—good heavens, what are you planning to do?

Are they preparing to relive that nightmarish war that swept the world?

Now, not only Theresa, but even Theresis was a little unsure of what the Blood Demon Lord was thinking.

Is this an attempt to force Theresa to do as they want, or a test?

No one thought he was serious when he said that, because anyone with a modicum of intelligence wouldn't have such a thought, let alone the fact that this was the Great Lord who ruled the entire Blood Demon tribe and had lived for a very long time. History would give him experience and rationality, and he certainly knew how outrageous those words were.

What era was it when the Demon King led the Sarkaz army to conquer the world?

To put it bluntly, the way of fighting back then was still using ancient things like catapults. Modern Originium industry didn't even have a prototype, and mobile cities were a pipe dream. Everyone was fighting with cold weapons, and at most they would use some magic, but that was the limit.

But now?

Modern nations have long since undergone transformations, abandoning primitive land-based city-states in favor of massive steel behemoths. These mobile cities are steel fortresses that roam the earth, equipped with city-defense cannons capable of blasting thousands of troops into the air with a single salvo.

In the past, elite squads could even conquer a city on their own. But now, if a city is moved and its entrances and exits are sealed off, even climbing up the city might be a problem. They might be riddled with bullets by dense crossfire before they even get close.

That's a completely different concept from charging into battle in a large army.

Top-tier experts can move freely among armies of tens of thousands of people because ordinary soldiers pose no threat to them. Being inside the enemy's territory also means that certain long-range coverage methods cannot be used. However, even such experts would not dare to run up to a mobile city and become a sitting duck.

They are stronger than ordinary people, but they are still made of flesh and blood. Some people may be able to withstand several attacks from city defense cannons with their extraordinary talents or magic. So how many city defense cannons, as well as lighter secondary cannons and other long-range firepower, would be in a city?

Even the old men who set up stalls on the streets know that times have changed. The industrialization of Originium has spawned a large number of weapons of mass destruction that have never appeared before. It is no longer the barbaric era of two armies fighting hand to hand. Countries are pursuing stronger, mass-producible armor, and imitation Originium guns and cannons. Cold weapon combat is destined to be relegated to small-scale battlefields or individual battles.

And what about Kazdel?

Division and a protracted civil war have left the country in a state of chaotic anarchy for decades, with even large cities disappearing and being replaced by rudimentary towns and free villages, teeming with scavengers and mercenaries, as if it had returned to the primitive, uncivilized era of ancient tribes.

On one hand, it is developing rapidly and changing every day; on the other hand, its weapons and equipment have been updated and replaced countless times.

On the one hand, instead of making any progress, it has regressed to its original state.

What are we going to use to fight them?

Do you expect sorcerers to use magic to fight against someone's steel cannons?

Anyone with a modicum of common sense would realize this is a completely pointless joke.

The Sarkaz have now reunited and are sticking together for mutual support. Under the leadership of the Demon King, they can at most deter the surrounding countries and prevent them from acting recklessly. They can maintain a tacit understanding and coexist peacefully. As for wanting to fight back, well, that's just a pipe dream.

Theresa didn't think such a idiotic statement would come from the mouth of the Blood Demon Lord. From a personal point of view, she was more inclined to believe that this was a test from the Blood Demon Lord, or rather, from the Royal Court.

They had already made their stance clear during the previous civil war by supporting Theresis, so how could they possibly change their minds overnight?

Even though she, the demon queen, has shown unprecedented power, they still have to witness the result they want in person.

However, their attempt was doomed to fail because Theresa had no intention of changing. She could make some compromises for the sake of peace, but she would not be bound to the royal courts to watch their insane ambitions.

She also believes that the Sarkaz people have the right to live freely, instead of being mired in an endless quagmire of war with no future in sight.

The Doctor knew Theresa very well; he could guess what she wanted to say just by looking at her slightest change in expression. He wanted to stop her, but it was too late.

"If you want to test my decision, then I can tell you my answer now, without any beating around the bush."

Theresa stood up from her chair, placing her hands on the table. Her cherry-pink pupils, faintly shimmering with black and gold, gazed at the Blood Demon Lord who had raised his head.

“I will not declare war on any country, nor do I intend to plunder anything through war. We can rebuild our cities and restore civilization on our own. The ravaged Sarkaz do not need another endless war; they need a chance to catch their breath.”

Even though the past few decades have proven who was right, are you still unwilling to give up?

The Blood Demon Lord slowly straightened up, seemingly somewhat disappointed, his pale face appearing even more gloomy.