After being forced to step down, the once-annoying nun eloped with me.

Based on her previous understanding, Nia confirmed that elves are a near-perfect race with extremely high magical affinity, extremely long lifespan, and exceptional skill in various crafts.

If the elves of Gaparia could be immigrated to Isgard through various propaganda methods, and then a way could be found to make them identify with Isgard, then Isgard could have a group of elf members hundreds of years later, who could help Isgard develop.

Moreover, if Isugard could in turn migrate people to Gaparia, they could establish more and more footholds in the surrounding areas of Gaparia.

Secretly gaining control over a region through immigration—frankly, this is very risky, but Ysgard thinks it's worth a try.

So what was Yang Hao thinking?

“I refuse. Miss Nia, please understand one principle—every elf is an important citizen of Gaparia, and every demon is also an important citizen of Gaparia. You cannot take our people away in any way, otherwise please be prepared for all treaties to be null and void.”

"Ah, I see... I understand now."

The natural response was a direct refusal.

After all, the population of the Elf Kingdom is already small enough. Yang Hao still can't figure out how to increase the elves' population.

While I did consider using propaganda to encourage the elves to have more children, I then realized that the prerequisite for the elves to have more children is that they *want* to have children.

Not everyone wants to have a child when they are at their most aware and strongest, and then overdraw their energy and wealth to raise that child for twenty years—for elves, this process can even take a century.

Not to mention, educating children is a heavy task. Unless the elves also intend to give birth but not raise them, it is destined that even for elves, educating children will remain a long-term task that is mentally taxing.

In this situation, how many elves actually intend to have children? Unless Yang Hao suggests something like "fully socialized parenting," which might pique their interest, otherwise... sigh!

The population can't be increased anymore, and under these circumstances, you, Ysgard, suddenly want to take population from me? Aren't you being far too greedy?

Yang Hao was already getting angry—but just then, he suddenly remembered what he had learned during his previous work: there were still quite a few half-elves in the Elf Kingdom...

Hmm... those half-elves probably have a stronger reproductive drive than elves.

Perhaps he really should try to sell some silk products in the Elf Kingdom—although Yang Hao initially thought that there was [oil] in Isgard, after learning that those black stockings were made of real silk, his desire for these silk products lessened.

But now it seems that life really does need more fun—just as Yang Hao was reflecting on this, Nia spoke up again:

"Then, there's another important question—will Gaparia provide any assistance when Isgard invades the Roman Empire?"

"Don't you think this question is a bit premature, Miss Nia? Our cooperation hasn't reached the point where Gaparia can take the initiative to fight for your interests yet."

"Perhaps. But I think this is a fundamental issue that must be confirmed. It will determine whether we will be business partners, ordinary allies, or members of a federation in the future."

"I guess for the first two, Isgard is definitely a place where candy is in one hand and a knife in the other, right? But for the last one, it also means that Gaparia will become Isgard's shared fate."

Yang Hao loosened his stiff shoulders a little, then leaned comfortably against the single sofa, gazing into Miss Nia's eyes. He then looked at her curved dragon horns and the black soft scales that were faintly visible against the white and deep blue of her chest, which was covered by her black and red dress.

"Not only are you questioning whether Gaparia is worthy of being your ally, but Gaparia is also questioning whether you are worthy of being the elves' friend. Miss Nia, you are a black dragon, you should know better than me how long it has taken for the multi-race alliance in your Isgard."

You spent years, decades, even long periods of time building trust between you, and now you expect the elves to give you an answer about whether they trust you after less than five days of formal contact?

He leaned forward slightly, rested his elbow on the table, and then gently tapped a document on the table with his other hand:

"Aren't you all being a bit too hasty, you Isgardians?"

Nia simply nodded slightly, thinking to herself that this man was indeed not to be underestimated.

If he were like an ordinary monarch, seeing the windfall of becoming an ally of another empire, he would probably have accepted it with great joy, and thus fallen into Ysgard's trap.

Ultimately, Ysgard is waging a transoceanic war, and with almost all supplies and reinforcements requiring sea transport, Ysgard desperately hopes that the Elven Kingdom, also a nation on the continent of Elusia, can share the burden of the offensive.

If the Elven Kingdom were willing to draw the Roman Empire's firepower on land on the eve of Isgard's attack, then Isgard could openly seize important Roman Empire ports by sea, gaining supplies and a springboard for its inland offensive. In this scenario, the Roman Empire would inevitably concentrate its forces to attack a specific location.

If they prioritize attacking the Elven Kingdom, then Isgard can advance rapidly, conquer more land in the shortest time, and force the Roman Empire to surrender.

If they prioritize attacking Isgard, then the Elven Kingdom could conversely advance unimpeded.

If they choose to split their forces, that would be even better—the best outcome would be for both countries to advance simultaneously, and the worst outcome would be for each country to break through their weak defenses after a period of fighting.

After all, the worst thing in war is fighting on two fronts, and the addition of the Elf Kingdom will force the Roman Empire to face the worst possible outcome of choosing one of the three worst options.

The prerequisite for doing so is that the Elven Kingdom is willing to actively participate in this invasion war. Not only that, they also have to become federal allies of Isgard. If they lose, they will have Isgard's aid; if they win, they can share the spoils of victory with the Roman Empire. It sounds like there are no downsides, but in reality, this is Isgard slowly cutting their flesh with a dull knife.

After all, judging from what His Majesty Yang Hao said earlier, Gaparia seems to value its population very much.

So the question arises: why is such importance placed on a country's population? What kind of country would go to such lengths to prevent its citizens from emigrating?

The answer is simple—Gaparia has a very small population! So small that it doesn't allow immigration, and even attempts to persuade people to immigrate are met with hostility!

In this situation, the loss of even one elf means a slight decrease in the strength of their nation.

The more losses Gaparia suffers, the more its regular army will decline. When the numbers drop to a certain threshold, Ysgard, with its relative strength advantage, can then justifiably use the pretext of "caring for its allies" to dump its tariff-free goods on Gaparia, completely destroying their civilian industries and simultaneously binding the quality of life of the Gaparia's people entirely to Ysgard.

At that point, even if Gaparia wanted to develop its own civilian industries, it wouldn't be able to compete with Isogard. Even if they wanted to directly increase tariffs on Isogard's cheap goods, their own people would object...

In this situation, Gaparia will eventually become an overseas province of Issugard, transforming from a [Federal Ally] into a member of its own nation—what a pity. Mr. Yang Hao, you're fucking too difficult to deal with.

Regent, how come you, a capable regent, have become so troublesome after standing opposite us?

Nia genuinely felt nauseous and wanted to vomit. Engaging in diplomatic maneuvering with this man, while not exactly a dangerous ordeal, the invisible pressure was enough to make her want to throw up.

If I had to use a metaphor, he's like a hen that lays eggs. When you're making instant noodles, one of the eggs accidentally falls into the mix with a bunch of rotten eggs, and you can't tell which one is good and which one is bad.

With a soft "plop," it hits the pan. If a rotten egg goes into the pot, the noodles inside will be ruined. But even if you put this good egg into the pot, you'll still feel that one egg is definitely not enough.

The best way to get this hen to lay eggs every day is to keep it at home, but the problem is, the only way to catch this hen is to beat up someone else's whole family in their house...

"Disgusting, so uncomfortable!" Nia muttered. If forcing herself on this man right now could solve all her problems, she would definitely be willing to tie him up and take him back to her room to do whatever she wanted.

But even if he came, it wouldn't solve the problem. So Nia could only sigh and say that today's meeting should end here.

I've already achieved enough results. When I show the contract to Margarita through the magic mirror, I think I can enjoy a period of peace and quiet here.

I just hope that this man will be a little more lenient with me, considering how hard I've worked to promote exchanges between the two countries...

Thus, the first formal meeting between Isgard and Gaparia ended with Nia exhausted.

Yang Hao gained a lot, but he also felt very tired.

Just as he got up to leave, intending to finish his last tasks at the office before going on his agreed-upon evening walk with Theresa, he unexpectedly saw Qinna waiting for him outside the door.

Has something happened to Fen? Yang Hao walked forward in confusion, only to learn from Qin Na that Fen wanted him to attend a meeting that evening.

"But I already have plans with Theresa tonight—"

“Mother Teresa is also here.”

"I see?"

Is it related to Theresa?

Yang Hao sighed, feeling that he had no time to rest at all today.

...........

That night, when Yang Hao arrived at Fen's private meeting room as agreed, he found that the anxious Theresa was avoiding his gaze like a child who had done something wrong.

Had he messed up his work? Or had he gotten himself into some serious trouble? Yang Hao was completely bewildered and had no idea what had happened, while Fen explained to him in detail some things he hadn't learned during the meeting...

twitter.

As Fen continued her explanation, Yang Hao, with a strange expression, put his arm around the evasive Theresa's shoulder:

"I'm aware of what you mean by the Bayrzan Empire. I will approach them with the utmost caution—but what does that have to do with Theresa?"

Finn merely glanced at the flustered Theresa, then calmly conveyed with her eyes that "I can't help either," before suggesting that the girl in her arms should explain.

And so, in a whisper as soft as a mosquito's buzz, like a child caught doing something wrong, her voice trembling with sobs, Teresa recounted her story to Yang Hao. The things she had been hiding: the prophecy she knew so well, and the Bayerzans who seemed to follow closely behind after its fulfillment.

She kept apologizing, as if she had committed some heinous crime, begging Yang Hao for forgiveness.

But—faced with her plea, Yang Hao only said, more confused:

"Why should I forgive you? Theresa, what did you do wrong? You did nothing wrong, so wouldn't my forgiveness be as meaningless as eating air?"

The nun stiffened for a moment, then asked in a tone tinged with tears and confusion:

"Why...why aren't you angry? It's because I hid so many things that this happened...why aren't you angry at all?"

Why should I be angry?

"Because of me...because I kept so much from you, that's why things have turned out this way! I can't handle this, and now I can only rely on you, which is making things even more difficult for you when you're already so busy... *sob*..."

As she spoke, the already nervous nun almost burst into tears.

She was terrified. The sudden arrival of Bayer Zans not only disrupted her original state of mind but also planted countless seeds of pain and unease in her heart.

What if Yang Hao dislikes me because of my concealment?

What if Yang Hao thinks I'm a bad woman like that saint or that witch because of my concealment?

What if he leaves me because I kept it a secret?

After her defenses were suddenly shattered, her mind was filled with anxious and chaotic thoughts. These thoughts, in turn, further weakened her mental defenses.

She never wanted to become the prophesied empress. Even though Finn had given her psychological counseling beforehand, she was genuinely terrified of such a terrifying thing.

What's even more frightening is Yang Hao's unknown attitude.

If you hide it once, you'll hide it again. If you hide it for ten minutes and don't tell the truth before it becomes completely unspeakable, the hidden story will keep escalating.

It's like a pair of parents who secretly steal coins from their daughter's piggy bank to cover living expenses—once or twice, there's a chance to explain, but what if the money in the daughter's piggy bank has been stolen for eighteen years? Who can explain what happened then? Who would dare to admit to their daughter that this story has been hidden for eighteen years?

The parents in the story were afraid of their daughter's attitude, let alone how afraid Teresa would be of even the slightest bit of anger that Yang Hao might show!

She was afraid Yang Hao would be angry with her. Even though she had mentally prepared herself, she was still afraid.

Her heart was pounding, and though a thousand words seemed to well up in her throat, they all turned into a sob—Teresa waited, weeping.

Instead of Yang Hao's "acknowledgment," she received his warm, rough, calloused hands gently wiping away her tears.

"So why should I be angry?"

The man sighed and gently pinched the nun's cheeks to make her look at him.

"Theresa... I'll just ask you one question: have you ever been angry about the stupid things I've done along the way?"

Like when I distrusted the Listeners, like when I let my vengeful heart kill everyone in Kagard, like earlier when I forced you to leave your homeland at the church... Theresa, were you even a little bit angry with me back then?"

"Ugh...no, no...but..."

"That's more like it. You've tolerated my countless acts of capriciousness, it would be strange if I were angry about your past. Besides, everyone has secrets, haven't I also hidden some secrets from you that I can't tell you?"

To be honest, I don't care what trouble your past might cause us. We'll have a home, children, and a life together. We'll solve all problems together, whether they're from the past or new—isn't that what a family life is all about? So why should I get angry over something so trivial?

The man comforted the nun in his arms. Hearing his words, the nun finally couldn't hold back anymore.

She grabbed Yang Hao's clothes and burst into tears.

Seeing this scene, Finn could only sigh and say, "Why don't you just hold the wedding here in Gaparia?"