Chapter 3389: Interesting Idea
Chapter 3389: Interesting Idea
“So you’re aware of that…” Rui murmured.
“Of course I’m aware of that,” she scoffed. “The Emperor of Harmony of the Panamic Alliance has been warning all nations in the world of the threat that the Evolutionary Army represents. But in my case, his warnings only push me further in favor of supporting the Army even if I don’t desire it.”
“Why not try to seek protection from as many forces as you can?” Rui raised an eyebrow.
“It won’t work. We are far too within the domain of influence of the Moridia Continent.” She shook her head. “If we don’t align with them, then they will wipe us out and turn our nation into just another one of their bases. But if we align with them, then we can negotiate an agreement where we at least get to continue existing, even if largely servile to the Evolutionary Army as a vassal state.”
“And is that what you want?” Rui gazed deep into her red eyes. “You want to turn your nation into a subservient and submissive little slave of the Evolutionary Army? Do you think that will fix your problems? If you do this, you will lose all your commerce, which will destroy your usefulness. Once you are no longer useful to the Evolutionary Army, they will wipe you out. They are not kind enough to simply let you exist.”
She glowered at him. “My ancestors and my family have been dealing with the Evolutionary Army for centuries. We know them much better than you newcomers; we don’t need to be lectured on how to deal with them by people who came from wherever the hell you were for the past 187,000 years. Not aligning them with them is instantly destructive, while submission will allow us to exist.”
“Instantly destructive?” Rui shook his head. “You give them too much credit. The Panamic Alliance does not intend to simply give up in the face of the immense threat brewing in Moridia. We will fight, and we intend to emerge victorious.”
“And what makes you think that you can withstand the kind of power that the Evolutionary Army has gotten its hands on?” she glared at him. “Empty words are meaningless. What kind of solution do you humans have to dealing with the Evolutionary Army?”
“Several,” Rui remarked, heaving a sigh. “But admittedly, they are works in progress. It is not easy to say where they will end up by the time Anthea’s evolved descendants reach their physical prime.”
“So you have naught but uncertainty,” she scoffed, turning away from him. “Why even come here to compel me with such nonsense? Why bother infiltrating my personal chambers if you have nothing to offer?”
“…” Rui fell into thought as he pondered her question.
He was actually decently confident in the solutions that human civilization had. The hemosapiens were only twelve years old, but they would eventually grow stronger, while MECHAs were still proliferating across the Panama Continent. His brother Julian had already commenced the process of integrating true world science with Panamic esoteric science. On top of that, they had gained some powerful technology from the dark elves that would improve the defensive power of the Panama Continent.
If his father succeeded in brokering a full-fledged partnership with the Bournvyrne Empire, then Martial Artists in the Panama Continent would be armed with powerful weapons, making them even stronger.
His father was also focusing on amassing a large military alliance in the long run that was meant to defend against the threat of the Evolutionary Army.
However, until there were concrete visible results, his words were meaningless. Indeed, she harbored great hatred and anger with the Panama Continent for the catastrophic geopolitical ramifications that the Unfolding had had on her country, but she wasn’t acting on her hatred. Instead, she was acting on what she thought was the best course for the country.
His attention returned to the diminutive Empress as his gaze grew more respectful.
She appeared larger than life in his eyes.
“Why did you come here?” the Empress asked with a serious tone as her wary, red eyes swept over him. “You don’t seem like you want to kill me; you could have easily done it by now. It doesn’t seem like you’re trying to extract confidential information from me, either.”
Rui shrugged. “I’m just here for a conversation, trying to understand your reasoning. I don’t think you’re making the right decision, but I have to gain a better understanding of your reasoning. Now it’s just a matter of changing your mind and maintaining your neutrality.”
Her eyes narrowed. “…wouldn’t you want me to join the Panamic Alliance?”
“That would be nice, but…” he shook his head. “This country will probably change too much if you formally choose a side. That would be quite unfortunate because…”
He directed a friendly smile at her.
“I have enjoyed my time in this country so far, even if we ran into some friction with some of your local gangs, which you really ought to fix, by the way,” he told her with a matter-of-factly tone.
“If it were easy to fix, I would have.” She heaved a deep breath. “But the Underworld is inevitable. It cannot be erased.”
He wondered how she would react if he told her that his father systematically eradicated the Kandrian Underworld decades ago in one fell swoop with the power of prophecy.
“Wait…” his eyes lit up with an idea.
What if he used the Eye of Prophecy to try to convince her that sticking to her neutrality was a better option? The Eye of Prophecy could be used to show her glimpses of a distant future, even if it was very scant.
Most likely, he would not have the context needed to understand these visions, but they could be used to convince her of the truth.
While he pondered the possibility, the diminutive Empress simply sized him with a confused expression. She had expected to die by now, even if Rui insisted that he wasn’t there to kill her, leaving her confused as to who the hell this individual was.
’It doesn’t hurt to ask if he’s going to be this open,’ she mused, before raising an eyebrow. “Who are you? I can’t imagine that you’re anybody ordinary if you’re able to infiltrate my person chamber this easi—”
“Rui Quarrier Silas Kandria.”
“Wha-!” Her eyes widened with shock as she recognized the name. “You…! You’re the prince of the Kandrian Empire and the strongest warrior of the Panama Continent!”
“That’s right.” Rui got up, directing a friendly smile at the diminutive Empress. “I have an idea, Empress Schlieffen. I will see you tomorrow here at the same time, got it? Make sure to be alone, ok? Bye-bye.”
WHOOSH
Just like that, he teleported away, leaving the Empress stunned in silence.