War Begins

"So, Kang De was willing to return the Titan?"

While Earth's freeloading business is booming, diplomatic efforts in other worlds are also proceeding in an orderly manner.

After the argument that night, the relationship between the interim Grand Speaker and the Executive Officer of Aokexindun actually improved somewhat, as if Kaliusi, who had been entrusted with this mission during the crisis, had compromised with reality.

The following afternoon, they drank tea in the Speaker's office, enjoying a rare moment of rest.

These past few days have been non-stop, with constant meetings with various figures, from powerful domestic figures to foreign diplomats. The core demand in these meetings is singular: please stand on our side.

The results were not ideal.

Because the Kang De problem is the primary issue for the entire continent, Griffin possesses the Age of Gods Mechanism to counter forbidden Forbidden Spell, this is a bargaining chip that would make any monarch bet heavily.

But the established powers on the Council still had to do everything in their power to gain any possible advantage.

Even if it means bowing down to former competitors or even enemies.

Today, Kaliusi received good news from Aokexindun, which is probably the main reason why he was willing to keep the other man for tea. After the upheaval at the Tower of All-Seeing, Kaliusi, who was in control of the situation, had been working to eliminate Griffin's influence in Tula Xiaye and trying to recover the losses.

The most important of these is to retrieve Star-Bearing Titan.

This historically significant strategic magical weapon not only possesses power strong enough to reverse the course of a war, but it is also a symbol of the Arcane Council's power. Standing atop the Tower of All-Seeing for thousands of years, the Star-Bearing Titan is eternally revered by the people and has become the spiritual totem of this nation.

It's gone now.

The top of the Tower of All-Seeing was completely bare, with no sign of the Star-Bearing Titan, which dealt a huge blow to the confidence of the people and could even make the provisional government of the Arcane Council feel like a illegitimate, pseudo-regime.

Public opinion and the will of the people are invisible and intangible, but they are sometimes real and can have a profound and complex impact without one noticing. This cannot be ignored by people like Kaliusi.

So they tried everything they could to retrieve Star-Bearing Titan.

Popular legend has it that after Griffin's plot was exposed, he teleported away with Star-Bearing Titan, meaning Titan was in the hands of the traitorous former Chancellor. This theory is based on the Dragon of Cathay's shout that day, "Look! Griffin has run away with Titan! That bastard Griffin isn't human!"

The simple-minded people believed it without a doubt, but Kaliusi and the others knew perfectly well that the Titan was so big and had such a high energy level that it had no way of having a teleportation module. Looking across the continent, no one but Kang De could capture Titan without any resistance.

Go ask Kang De, that bastard shamelessly admitted it.

The Tower of All-Seeing had no choice but to swallow its anger and plead for the Titan's return, only to be brushed off with empty promises of "it will be returned, it will be returned." The Titan vanished without a trace, and the spies searched Valentan, Distant Harbor, and the Broken Isles without finding a single trace of it.

However, today, Aokexindun brought good news, saying that there were signs that Distant Harbor was softening its stance.

"The Duke said that the reason for not returning it now is because of Griffin's sinister abilities. If it were returned to Titan, and then Griffin kidnapped it again, that would be aiding the enemy."

Kaliusi's face darkened.

This is equivalent to pointing your finger at someone and saying, "You bunch of useless trash can't even hold onto Titan. If I leave it to you, Griffin will just hack it in. I'll just keep it for you."

He said slowly, "We will conduct an operation against Titan..."

Congressman Aokexindun interrupted him, "The Duke says that the Titan are expected to be returned to us after Griffin is beheaded and the situation is under control, but this is conditional."

As expected.

Kaliusi felt a pang of sorrow. These words were clearly an opening line for extortion, but if the Titan could be bought back with money, technology, and resources, it wouldn't be so unacceptable.

He said calmly, "The Star-Bearing Titan was snatched back from Griffin by Duke Kang De; it's considered his spoils of war. Since the Duke returned the Titan, we are generous with our rewards and gifts."

Aokexindun nodded slightly. "It's good that you think that way."

Kaliusi glanced at him. "Name your price. What do we have to offer?"

"The Duke hasn't fully decided on the specific conditions yet, but there's one prerequisite."

"I'm listening."

"The Duke said..." the Aokexindun Executor said with a strange expression, "He can return the Titan, but in exchange, the Council must build him an identical Titan."

Kaliusi said unhappily, "The Titan forging technology has long been lost. Even if we restart the ancient golem factory, it will take a long time to collect data and accumulate experience to rebuild one. If we can rebuild one at any time, why bother pursuing the one he took? Does he not want to return it?"

Aokexindun shook his head and said, "Look, I just praised you, and you've already turned into this again. The Duke said that we only need to build one exactly the same; it doesn't need to have all the functions of the original Titan. He will provide us with the specific specifications and details. Our task is to build one as quickly as possible."

Kaliusi was stunned.

"He..." the interim Speaker said uncertainly, "What does he want to do?"

"He said it's to keep as a souvenir," Aokexindun replied, "So he can brag about it later."

Kaliusi stared at him.

"... I didn't lie, that's exactly what he said." The newly appointed executive officer smiled wryly, took out his phone, and opened the chat app. "Look, that's exactly what the Duke said."

Kaliusi saw the exact reply on the glowing screen of the surprisingly high-quality miniature magical artifact. He glanced at it curiously for a few moments, then looked up and murmured, "Mortal Casanova?"

"This is called a 'nickname,' which is the code name you give yourself in this chat program," Aokexindun laughed. "It's very useful; it can almost achieve real-time communication."

Kaliusi's gaze sharpened, then became somewhat lost and bewildered.

The newly appointed executive glanced at him. "What's wrong?"

"I think I understand why you believe Kang De is invincible," the interim Grand Speaker said slowly. "The application of this technology and equipment to the military means that the battlefield situation will no longer be a chaotic mess..."

Aokexindun said silently, "These things are sold to us. Every employee working for the Shogunate gets one, from DD-Boy to phone watches, they all have better ones."

The two remained silent for a moment, then Kaliusi asked, "What's your nickname?"

Aokexindun reacted as if burned, snatching his phone back into his pocket and glaring, "Of course it's Aokexindun, the Senate Executive Officer of the Arcane Council!"

"Kang De didn't write down all his titles, but kept it very brief," Kaliusi said astutely. "How dare you use such a long name in front of him when you admire and obey him so much?"

Aokexindun blushed slightly. "What's it to you! We're talking about the Titan!"

Kaliusi remained calm and said indifferently, "The Department of Magic Engineering and Alchemical Manufacturing has been trying to restart Titan's production line for a long time, but unfortunately, due to lack of technology and experience, there haven't been many results."

"After the Titan was stolen, we had internal plans to find the failed products from the Titan production line and use the technology that had been reproduced to create an identical replica to stabilize morale. But it's still a fake, and if Griffin and the opposition expose the lie, the damage to the prestige of the interim government will be enormous, and we will be ridiculed by all sides."

He looked at Aokexindun: "It's rare for Kang De to make such a suggestion. It's a good idea to repair the fake and deliver it to Distant Harbor."

The newly appointed executive officer beamed with delight.

Kaliusi suddenly said, "Show me your nickname, and I'll agree to the proposal."

Aokexindun was taken aback, then snapped, "Are you out of your mind? This is a matter of national importance! How can we treat this like a joke! What's so interesting about this!"

"I'm just curious," Kaliusi said calmly. "You've suppressed me quite a bit these past few days, and getting some revenge will help me calm down. So, do you agree or not?"

Aokexindun abruptly stood up, turned and left. "I disagree! I refuse to believe you'd disagree with something as important as Titan!"

"If you don't agree, then I'll have to contact Kang De myself—by the way, that nickname, it can be changed, right? Don't even think about secretly changing it. I'll tell Kang De that as long as you tell me your original nickname, I'll agree to his plan, and I doubt he'll refuse."

The newly appointed executive officer froze.

Or rather...

Kaliusi, sitting behind his desk, leaned forward, elbows on the table, hands clasped to his lips, and calmly said, "What will your beloved and revered Duke Kang De think of you if he knew that you rejected my proposal for a mere nickname, thus hindering the Titan return plan?"

"... Kaliusi! How come I never realized you were so annoying before!?"

"Heh," the interim Grand Speaker said sarcastically, "If you yell at me, threaten, or scold me like you did that day, I guarantee you'll see something even more annoying."

"..."

Aokexindun gritted his teeth and flung his phone at the ground. "See for yourself!"

Kaliusi looked closely and saw the words "The Lonely Wolf of the Council" clearly written in the upper left corner.

"Puff."

"Are you laughing at your mother?!"

Kaliusi mimicked Aokexindun's movements, curiously swiping his finger. Suddenly, his eyes flickered, for among the clearly defined rows of dialogue boxes, he saw a strange name.

"Lonely Ice Dragon Girl".

Before the name, there is a portrait, which shows a beautiful little girl with long blue hair as pure as the sky, an innocent and adorable face.

He tapped lightly, and a chat window popped up, displaying a series of text conversations in an unpleasant tone. Kaliusi scrolled with a look of disgust, scrolling all the way to the top.

Are you male or female?

"--What the hell are you doing!?"

Aokexindun snatched the phone back, glanced at it, his face flushed red, and he roared in fury, "Shameless! As the acting Speaker of the Council, you're invading people's privacy! How shameless!"

"Sorry," Kaliusi said calmly, "It seems this is the source of your nickname 'Majestic Pu,' and looks like a strange person like you."

"You were laughing just now! And you're not allowed to talk about her like that! She's not human, she's a dragon!"

The interim Speaker asked curiously, "Oh?"

"Yesterday, I added His Majesty the Dragon Emperor as a friend," Aokexindun said softly. "I found her in His Dragon Emperor's online chat. She's so beautiful, ethereal and otherworldly. I added her as a friend, and she immediately accepted, saying I was the first person to add her. When we chatted, she said she's a newly matured frost dragon waiting for work on Dragon Island, and no one has hired her yet..."

"Both her parents died, and she has a younger brother to support, so she went out to work..."

"She's the most innocent and kind-hearted girl I've ever met... I want to be her Dragon Knight..."

Kaliusi said calmly, "That sounds very suspicious."

"I won't allow you to talk about her like that!" Aokexindun, unable to save face, gave Kaliusi the middle finger. This gesture, universal between the two worlds, was passed down from Kang De to the other world—cultural exchange, cultural exchange.

"Remember the Titan incident! If you don't handle this properly, I'll never forgive you!"

After saying that, he angrily kicked the door and left.

Kaliusi sat there, frowning in thought.

A moment later, the executive returned and roared, "And another one! Do you want your phone too?!"

Kaliusi thought for a moment, then said calmly, "Forget it, I don't trust Kang De's stuff."

"Take it or leave it!"

After the other party left, the acting Grand Speaker tilted his head and muttered to himself, "What would he need a fake for?"

Reaching for the astrolabe placed to the side, he examined it again personally, only to find the result was the same as before. Kaliusi frowned. "Still not here... The Star-Bearing Titan is no longer on this continent, Kang De. Where did you send it? What other secrets do you hold?"

He recalled the feeling of using the phone. Information about Kang De had already piled up like a mountain: his mysterious origins, mysterious powers, mysterious creations... everything, as well as the declassified information about the Battle of the Broken Isles, and the deadly force he displayed in that war.

Whether it's Forbidden Spell or conventional force.

"Is this really something one person could achieve?" Kaliusi murmured. "Or is it..."

After eliminating all impossibilities, even the most absurd conclusion becomes correct.

But...

He gave a bitter smile.

"Even if the guess is correct, so what? Kang De is virtually invincible in the Mortal World; even if the entire world united, it wouldn't be able to force him to reveal the secret... And for the current Council, exploring this secret is simply too much of a luxury."

He shook his head sadly; overnight, the Council was facing the threat of division and even national extinction.

"Griffin... I will not allow the Council fall at our hands. No matter your reasons or grievances, I will kill you and make you pay the heaviest price."

The interim Speaker took out a scroll and began writing spiritual texts.

This is an order from the Supreme Decision-Maker, commanding the Department of Magic Engineering and Alchemical Manufacturing to begin executing the order.

He imitated the Titan and delivered them to Kang De.

"A fake... Ha, a fake."

As he wrote, he sneered, "Collecting as a souvenir... What a joke. I've never heard of someone trying to fool themselves with a fake; I've only ever heard of someone trying to fool others with a fake."

"Then Kang De..."

Signature, seal ring, signature, and solidified scroll.

Kaliusi closed the command book in his hand, "Who are you trying to fool with this fake?"

The order was given, the ancient Titan production line was restarted, and the historic Golem Factory began to rumble into operation. This transaction of counterfeits was just one part of the turbulent political landscape of the Council. As time passed, undercurrents were surging beneath the surface of the continent, and conspiracies were brewing.

About an hour or two later, explosive news from the north of the Council once again shocked the world.

Before the envoys of various nations, Griffin, the former Grand Speaker of the Council, finally appeared and once again accused Kang De, Kaliusi, and others of plotting the massacre at the Tower of All-Seeing. He vowed to seek justice for the victims, to "seek power and status commensurate with their contributions" for the North, and to continue fighting for the interests of the Council.

He accused Kang De, who had appeared out of nowhere in the past year, of being the culprit behind all the bloodshed, turmoil, and chaos. He called on the entire continent to unite, expel the Cathayan, send him back to his homeland, and restore order to the continent as it should be. He also called on the elves, the empire, the Council of wise men, and even the nobles of the entire continent who had been offended, challenged, disrespected, and humiliated by Kang De to unite.

The heroes gathered to attack Kang.

To this end, he promised all nations that any force willing to stand on his side and join the cause of justice would receive support and assistance from the Age of Gods Mechanism, which was powerful enough to resist the Forbidden Spell. Those who made significant contributions and maintained a firm stance could even transfer their technology and share the fruits of their labor.

If we are temporarily afraid of Kang De's tyranny, we can secretly support and help him. As long as we oppose Kang De, we can all be good friends. We must not allow the Easterners to humiliate the masters of this continent with impunity!

At the end of this world-shaking announcement, Griffin declared that his loyal army had been mobilized and was about to serve as the vanguard against Kang De, stripping Kang De of his disguise and mask before the world, exposing his weakest side, and proving to the world with a resounding victory that once Kang De's Forbidden Spell and alchemical weapons were sealed, the so-called power of the Dragon of Cathay was nothing!

Furthermore, an ultimatum was issued to Goth.

They urged Archduke Reknos of Goth to repent and distance himself from the Cathayan were dividing Germany, interfering in Goth's internal affairs, and usurping Goth's power, and to join the great cause of overthrowing Kangxi.

If they remain obstinate, the army will destroy all Goth cities along its route on its march to Distant Harbor, punish all nobles who do not resist Kang De, and show everyone the consequences of submitting to the Cathayan.

He also appealed to all Goth People that if the Grand Duke remained obstinate, then every Goth People had the right and the obligation to overthrow the rule of the Taidariel Family.

If a nobleman can control a city and declare independence from the Grand Duke's rule, then in the name of the Council, he is guaranteed to be the master of that city.

If a nobleman can overthrow Reknos's rule and declare that the entire Goth is severing ties with the Cathayan, then, in the name of the Council, he is guaranteed to be the new Grand Duke of Goth!

This declaration spread like wildfire, sweeping across the entire world.

Five minutes later, the authorities in the Distant Harbor summoned all diplomatic personnel and announced the news to the public via broadcast.

The Distant Harbor Shogunate and the Griffin rebels have officially entered a state of war.