"But... what if we put them on drones?"
Theresica interrupted the Confessor. "Drones can maneuver through the air. With concealment Arts, who would notice harmless objects in the sky once the battle began? We could also deploy them in large numbers from above. Wouldn't that make them more effective?"
"You make an excellent point."
After a brief silence, the Confessor nodded. "This is a method we didn't have before. Moreover, the concealed Originium Arts Your Majesty asked me to prepare have already yielded results. Using Originium of one-hundred-percent purity, we can engrave the operating principles of Originium Arts into it, allowing them to be recharged and reused to a certain extent."
"Then get moving. We don't have much time!"
Theresica had Mel brought over. After discussing the requirements in detail, she immediately began modifying the artillery-guidance drones imported from Ursus.
She enlarged the drones slightly while preserving their proportions, then removed the communications relay components inside them. The freed space became a mounting platform for the two Originium Arts modules.
"Boss, I've done everything you asked, but this thing's operational range is now only half of what it was. It also has to return for recharging. Still, the Originium Arts modules are independent and can be removed and replaced directly."
"That's good enough. You did a great job!"
Theresica said in delight, "Put it into production immediately!"
Kazdel's craftsmen had already been imitating Ursus's drones, and Mel's modifications had only enlarged them. As a result, production went extremely smoothly and entered mass production at once.
While the Sarkaz urgently produced equipment designed to counter the Seaborn, the communications equipment airdropped into Saltwind City finally responded. By then, three days had passed.
Inside the command center established in the coastal military exclusion zone, Theresica saw the face of an Iberian inquisitor clearly on the screen.
Although he wore an ornate uniform, his face was covered in grime.
"I'm terribly sorry. Saltwind City's power system has completely failed. I have no way to control its movement and can only let it drift across the sea."
He bowed. "I'm deeply sorry for coming so close to your territory, but could you please provide us with the bare minimum of assistance?"
When people needed help, they were at their least haughty.
Theresica saw no arrogance in the inquisitor. He smiled and nodded. "Of course. We're already in contact with Iberia proper, because you've brought the Sarkaz no small amount of trouble."
"..."
The inquisitor's cracked lips moved. His expression held a trace of astonishment, but in the end he could only keep his face taut and bow even lower.
"I'm truly sorry."
A sharp whistle suddenly rang out. Even the Iberian inquisitor on the other side of the screen could not help showing a hint of surprise.
"Something's crawling out of the sea!" a soldier shouted from the other side.
Theresica immediately stood. "I have to deal with the mess you've brought us. Your Excellency, please think carefully about how you intend to negotiate with our country."
The Golden Nation—whatever happens, it has to cough something up!
Theresica left the communicator aside and, accompanied by a large group of Royal Court Guards, reached the beach. The Sarkaz heavy infantry had already formed a line behind the slope, with soldiers carrying semi-automatic personal crossbows behind them.
Amid the rolling waves, strange, smooth-skinned crawling creatures with limbs slowly emerged. They left the seawater and came onto the beach.
"These are the ones you called the Gougerfish?"
"That's right. The Aegir have always been extremely careful to keep them in their current state."
Gladiia, a woman who placed tremendous importance on etiquette, frowned without the slightest attempt to hide it. "I heard you had prepared some new equipment."
"Yes. Give it a try. It doesn't involve directly fighting the Seaborn."
Theresica reassured the solemn-looking Gladiia, then signaled for them to begin. The Confessor immediately relayed the order.
Nothing around them appeared to change, but the crawling Seaborn began to act strangely. Their movements grew slower. They looked around blankly, yet seemed unable to notice anything.
Then the limbs supporting their bodies suddenly went limp. They could only lie on the beach, feebly stirring the sand, before collapsing one after another and falling motionless. They could not even turn around and crawl back into the sea.
Gladiia: "????"
Chapter 42: The Fiends' Invitation
Gladiia came to the beach and checked the condition of every Seaborn. Without exception, they were all dead, yet not one had a wound on its body.
She had not just arrived on land. She had already spent some time secretly touring Iberia's coastal cities. She knew that the land possessed a special power called Originium Arts, and she had deliberately studied all sorts of variations.
But she had never seen anything like this, nor found any trace of it in the books she had read.
If such an efficient and safe method existed, then what had the Deepsea Hunters been doing by forming their force and sacrificing so many lives?
And this method of dealing with the Seaborn had come from a nation that lagged behind the Aegir by who knew how many years in technology, social structure, and every other field.
Everyone felt a certain pride in their nation, and Gladiia was no exception. Everything about the Aegir was the source of her confidence.
But now... that confidence had been shattered.
Seeing Gladiia standing dazed beside the Seaborn corpses, Theresica walked over and asked, "What's wrong? Is there some problem with our method?"
"...No. The land's method of dealing with the Seaborn is quite distinctive. It simply exceeds my impoverished imagination by too much. I must revise my view of the land."
A polite smile returned to Gladiia's face. "Please be sure to burn all the Seaborn corpses until they are completely carbonized. Otherwise, contamination may occur."
"Understood. I will."
"The impact the waves in the sea had on me still lingers to some extent. Could you provide me with a private place where I can rest alone for a while?"
"Of course. Let Shining take you there."
Theresica noticed that Gladiia did indeed look unwell. He asked, "Do you need a doctor?"
"Thank you for your concern. It is merely some physical discomfort."
Gladiia bowed and left with Shining. Theresica returned to the communicator and began spouting nonsense to the surviving Iberian inquisitors in Saltwind City, setting the facts aside and repeatedly emphasizing how much trouble the Seaborn and the tsunami had caused Kazdel.
The inquisitors had no choice but to keep lowering their posture, asking for forgiveness while requesting assistance. Saltwind City had drifted in isolation for so long that it had run out of food and medicine. If they had not stopped them, its residents might already have begun eating one another.
Once he had said enough and achieved the desired effect, Theresica began playing the good guy and agreed to Saltwind City's request for aid.
The Sarkaz army gathered several fishing boats and brought a portion of the food to Saltwind City's harbor. When the surviving residents saw the Sarkaz delivering food, they cheered and completely forgot the name "Fiends." At that moment, the Sarkaz probably looked more like angels to them than the Sankta did.
Taking advantage of the food distribution, Theresica also came to Saltwind City. He had no particular interest in the place, of course. He simply wanted to wander around openly in front of the Iberians and secretly record a few things, while the inquisitors had no excuse to stop him.
"How much cargo can this city store?"
"********** (Iberian language)"
"Your Majesty, I don't know the exact figure, but it had all been used up a year ago."
Theresica wanted to understand the mobile city's carrying capacity, while the Iberian inquisitor used his own language to prevent his country's information from being leaked.
He did not speak the Sarkaz language, so a woman accompanied him as an interpreter. According to her introduction, she was a student at the Iberian National University of Languages named Amaya, fluent in several languages. She had originally boarded Saltwind City to complete a thesis on the communication methods of low-intelligence lifeforms.2
Compared with the Iberian inquisitor, the female university student had much more to say.
"The Seaborn are truly fascinating creatures. They can communicate with one another as a group, and it isn't merely simple information transfer. Their communication can contain complex meanings and content. They even have a god they worship."
All her topics revolved around the Seaborn. Drawing on the Seaborn knowledge he had learned from Gladiia, Theresica quickly found common ground with her.
After that, Theresica sensed that something was wrong. Previously, he and the woman had merely been chatting casually, but now she had begun taking the initiative to speak to him, and her words had taken on a strange tone.
"The nations of Terra have been in constant conflict. I translated books from various countries, but every one of them praised itself one-sidedly and then defamed everyone else."
Amaya said with expectation, "People always praise self-sacrifice while defending their own selfishness. The Seaborn, however, are extraordinarily fascinating lifeforms. I once observed that their groups would generally save any one of their kind, and individuals would give everything for the group. The self-sacrifice that humans need to praise is simply a common phenomenon among the Seaborn."
"If people could become like the Seaborn, Terra would become a wonderful place... a beautiful world without conflict. Then you Sarkaz wouldn't be called Fiends or rejected by every nation."
"Er... Miss Amaya, I'm deeply grateful for your concern regarding the Sarkaz's plight."
After hesitating for quite some time, Theresica finally squeezed out that sentence. He truly could not think of anything else to say.
Why would she envy the Seaborn? That's bizarre! And in Saltwind City, which is being threatened by the Seaborn! There are actually people here who yearn for them?!
Theresica glanced around and found no Iberian inquisitors nearby, only Royal Court Guards stationed around them. They seemed to think their king was merely passing the time with casual conversation and had not come over to disturb him.
"Miss Amaya, do you think life like the Seaborn is better than ours?"
He had not expected anyone in a world like Terra to consider such a question. Although the woman's current views were somewhat misguided, he did not mind chatting a little longer.
"Isn't a world without conflict a good thing?" she asked.
"A peaceful world is certainly beautiful." Theresica nodded. "But humans and the Seaborn are different. There are only Seaborn among the Seaborn, while humans include Columbians, Victorians, and so on."
"Yet even within a single country, civil war exists."
Amaya closed her eyes, seemingly disgusted. "People are constantly caught up in conflict. Countless beautiful things disappear because of it."
"Terra has so many different cultures precisely because each of us has our own way of thinking. Those ways of thinking give birth to all kinds of beautiful things with unique charm."
Theresica raised his head slightly to look at the woman before him. "I don't think the Seaborn are particularly good. They lack fully developed thought and have nothing in their eyes but survival. From your perspective, they are selfless. But from another perspective, isn't the god who controls the Seaborn and refuses to let them possess complete independent thought being selfish as well?"
Amaya stood there in a daze for a while, then shook her head. "Please allow me to retain my own opinion. We cannot determine which is more advanced, humans or the Seaborn."
"Of course. That is your right, and it is also what makes us different from the Seaborn."
Theresica said, "Complete and independent thought brings differences, as well as cultures and conflicts with their own unique charm. None of these things can be separated from the others."
"By the way, Miss Amaya, don't you yearn for the Seaborn? How about we conduct an experiment and let you experience their way of life?"
A trace of surprise appeared on Amaya's face. "You... you actually possess such an ability?"
"It would only be a matter of designing an experiment. Miss Amaya, would you like to try it?"
Theresica invited her.
He felt that this woman might prove useful, perhaps filling in the crucial step missing from his plans.2
P.S. Please give me some votes!!!2
Chapter 43: Saltwind City Does Not Exist
At dawn, an old man dressed so ordinarily that he would have been almost impossible to pick out from a crowd entered Kazdel's urban district. He carried a slender sword and a lantern. After seeing him, the Royal Court Guards understood and brought him before Theresica.
"Your Majesty, King of Kazdel, Iberian Saint Carmen conveys the greetings of the King of Iberia."
Carmen bowed. "Thank you for your tolerance and understanding."
"Saltwind City has caused us no small amount of trouble—with both the tsunami and the Seaborn."
Theresica counted them off one by one. "Treating the disaster victims, relocating and resettling the coastal population, the complete loss of our fishing resources, establishing a special military exclusion zone, dispatching troops and increasing military expenditure..."
He spoke each sentence calmly, but the clouds on Carmen's face grew heavier.
"Oh, right. We also sent a shipment of supplies to Saltwind City."
"Bringing your country so much trouble is truly unforgivable. I have come here representing His Majesty the King to discuss everything."
Carmen's face was full of pain, and Theresica's was equally displeased. "I hope our discussion will be productive."
Carmen first proposed compensation for the incident.
Iberia would directly provide a portion of the compensation, either in Rubles or another form. It would then provide the Sarkaz with the complete technology for a mobile city and could even send technical workers if necessary. Iberia would keep this matter confidential, and the Sarkaz would likewise have to keep Iberia's encounter with the Seaborn secret.2
"I'll accept the money, but I don't need a mobile city. We signed an agreement with the Sankta not to build mobile cities ourselves. The Sarkaz keep their word."
"Then... Iberia can fund the construction of one for the Sarkaz..."
"No, that won't be necessary either." Theresica shook his head. The thing would be too hot to handle for the Sarkaz right now.2
Carmen grew nervous. Before setting out, he had deliberately familiarized himself with the Sarkaz's recent circumstances. When he noticed the Eden Treaty between the Sarkaz and the Sankta, he had immediately felt that he possessed the most important bargaining chip.
Yet this young leader did not want it! With the Seaborn threat hanging over them, he actually did not want a mobile city?!1
"Then may I ask... what do you need?"
"The Sarkaz will forget that Iberia was attacked by the Seaborn. All we know is that the Seaborn are threatening the safety of Kazdel's coastal regions."
Theresica said, "The Sarkaz need Iberia's transport-ship technology, as well as technical workers."1
"This..."
Carmen hesitated. This form of compensation seemed more worthwhile, but it was not very safe for Iberia.
"I don't want outdated equipment. I want Iberia's best transport ships, along with technical workers."
"Very well."
After hesitating for a while, Carmen agreed. Following negotiations, Iberia would provide blueprints for a small, high-speed transport ship and the complete blueprints for a large transport ship. They were simple to produce, and their decks were flat and continuous. Once the holds were filled with cargo, the outer decks could also be stacked with goods. Their loading capacity was excellent.4
In addition, Iberia would dispatch the workers needed for production from its shipyards to provide instruction.
"Even in this situation, you still refuse a mobile city. That shows considerable courage, but I still advise you to be cautious. You could try seeking assistance from the surrounding nations. I once heard an ancient Yan saying: 'When the lips are gone, the teeth are cold.'"
"Of course. I will."
Theresica understood Carmen's meaning. He immediately wrote several letters and handed them to Kazdel's messengers to deliver to the surrounding nations, such as Siracusa, Ursus, and Yan. Their contents were roughly as follows.
Before you continue