A Person on Terra, With No Books to Read

"I know, this is being saved for later. Bringing it out now means we're training a batch of people first."

Theresica said with a smile, "Whether it's pilots or production staff, these things take time to accumulate. Starting now means we can get ahead of others."

Chapter 90: The Sit-Down War

Hearing Theresica say these were arrangements for the future, Zeppelin dared not delay and quickly ordered the airship factory to prepare for production.

Theresica, meanwhile, personally began selecting pilots, initially setting the number at four: two ordinary people and two Machinists.

Just as Theresica was absorbed in tinkering with his new toy, Manfred suddenly came to find him.

"Your Majesty doesn't seem very concerned with the war in Siracusa these past few days."

"What's there to see? Aren't we at an advantage?"

Theresica said, but Manfred silently handed him a document.

"Your Majesty, please take a look. This is a more detailed battle report."

Theresica took it, glanced at it, and then frowned.

The Leithanians were no longer actively attacking, and the Sarkaz controlled the city of Palermo. The Sarkaz, adhering to their policy of avoiding close-quarters combat with Leithanian Infected when intervening in the war, dared not proactively attack the Leithanian Arts User groups to avoid provoking Infected bombs.

The battlefield in Siracusa was actually tending towards peace!

"What are the Leithanian casualties now?"

"Your Majesty, in the previous battles, the Leithanian Arts Users consistently sent Infected to attack, while they hid behind. Therefore, the actual casualties among the Leithanian Arts User groups are likely very few."

Manfred said, "As for us, because the bodies of the Infected were disposed of very promptly, all remains around the camp were incinerated, so our casualties are also very few."

Good heavens! After days of magical artillery shells flying back and forth, both main forces only sustained minor injuries?!

"The Leithanians are just staying in Palermo, wearing us down? Do they even have anyone supplying them now?"

Theresica was somewhat surprised. People need to eat. The Sarkaz had Lady Sicilia providing supplies, but the Leithanians in Siracusa were the Witch King's army! Now that the Witch King was gone, were the Twin Empresses secretly trying to win them over?

In response, Manfred shook his head and produced another document.

"Your Majesty, this is a letter from the Leithanian combat corps for you."

Theresica took it and opened it. The content was simple, essentially stating that Leithania and the Sarkaz did not have much deep-seated hatred in this war. The Sarkaz could claim to have dealt a severe blow to Leithania if needed, and they would cooperate, only hoping that the Sarkaz would let these Leithanians return home to quell domestic political issues. The reward for this would be a phonograph.

What was this phonograph they spoke of?

Theresica had Manfred find the Absolver to explain what a Leithanian phonograph was.

"Your Majesty, Originium Arts, besides being activated by Arts Users, can also be released with external assistance. We convert the construction of Originium Arts into symbols sealed within Originium crystals. As long as they are charged, they can be used repeatedly. Leithania, however, converts the construction of Originium Arts into sound; they can release Originium Arts by repeating specific syllables."

The Absolver said, with a hint of admiration on his face, "Using sound to release Originium Arts is indeed a good idea. They only need to use a simple mechanical device to rotate a disc, allowing the sound to repeat continuously, thus enabling the continuous release of Originium Arts as long as there is sufficient energy."

Listening to the Absolver leader's explanation, Theresica handed the letter over, "Take a look. You're the expert in this area."

The Absolver leader looked for a while and shook his head, "Your Majesty, a phonograph is not suitable for us."

"Oh? Why?"

"Your Majesty, releasing Originium Arts repeatedly through sound is a Leithanian idea, but the design of the phonograph was actually completed by me personally for Leithania, and its maintenance is extremely cumbersome."

The Absolver explained, "To ensure the repeated playback of sound is accurate, the disc must have fine grooves precisely etched onto it. Production must be carried out by individuals with acute hearing or those skilled in music theory. Only then can the stylus produce accurate sounds as it passes over. This requires over a decade of training, making it completely unrealistic for us to start from scratch."

"Furthermore, each time the stylus passes, it itself causes damage to the disc, making it extremely prone to inaccurate tones. Once this problem occurs, Originium Arts cannot be released normally. Moreover, it is easily interfered with by sharp surrounding noises; once interference occurs, the phonograph cannot function properly."

After the Absolver's thorough explanation, Theresica now understood what a phonograph was. He instructed Manfred.

"We haven't received any letters, but our agreement with Leithania also stated that it was to hold back the Witch King's forces… So, if Leithania doesn't attack, we shouldn't cause any trouble. Every Sarkaz we save is a profit for us."

"Understood!"

Manfred took his orders and left. At this point, the Siracusa battlefield, specifically around Palermo, became truly quiet.

The Sarkaz and the Witch King's army simply watched each other in the ruins of Palermo. The Arts User groups would occasionally fire Originium Arts into empty areas, and the Sarkaz Arts Users would return fire to empty areas in the same manner.

The large number of Infected corpses from before were still being transported out. Siracusa believed that intense fighting was still ongoing within. Although the Twin Empresses of Leithania knew they were fighting a fake war, they had no intention of making it public and instead were actively concealing it.

This was because Leithania, now without the Witch King, had half of its deployed combat forces engaged in a fierce battle with the Papal Knights. They could not afford to lose any more Arts User groups in an organized manner, as that would mean Leithania losing its foundation on Terra.

They were currently trying to find ways to absorb this force under their command by promising sufficient political status.

However, all of this was causing Russell of Kazimierz to lose sleep.

Kazimierz bordered Leithania, and she desired a weak Leithania. Her willingness to sit down with Theresica to discuss matters was precisely because she hoped the Sarkaz and Leithania would clash due to their old grudges. This would not only weaken Leithania but also deliver a heavy blow to the already underpopulated Sarkaz.

She knew clearly that Kazimierz had paid so much compensation to the Sarkaz, and with the Sarkaz backed by Ursus and Yan, they were now making a fortune. If no interference was applied, Kazdel would enter a period of stable development, potentially becoming a major threat to Kazimierz in the future!

It was a pity…

Russell sighed helplessly. All her plans had now gone up in smoke. Who would have thought that the Sarkaz and Leithania, these two sworn enemies, could actually endure the battlefield and engage in a sit-down war!

Chapter 91: Long Live Siracusa

The Leithanian invasion of Siracusa, with the death of the Witch King as a turning point, ended anticlimactically.

Under the witness of the Laterano Pope, the Twin Empresses signed a peace treaty with Siracusa. The treaty contained only one condition: Leithania would acknowledge Siracusa's independent status.

The Twin Empresses urgently needed to reshuffle the various factions within their country to solidify their positions, otherwise, remnants of the Witch King's influence could always make a comeback. To gain this time, they could only agree to this demand.

Meanwhile, the war reparations that Siracusa needed to pay the Sarkaz had already reached a terrifying figure. In the refugee camps established in Kazdel, there was still a large group of war refugees, and their daily material consumption was also an astonishing number. Lady Sicilia could no longer bear to delay any longer.

She chose to cut her losses and declared the restoration of peaceful relations between the two countries.

"Thank you to Kazdel for their assistance during this time. It is now time for them to return home."

That same day, the repatriation process for Siracusan refugees began. Instead of traveling by Sarkaz airship, they returned home on foot under Lady Sicilia's arrangements. Supply points were set up along the route by Siracusa, which was much cheaper than entrusting transportation to the Sarkaz.

In Siracusa, the Sarkaz also began withdrawing from Palermo, handing over their positions to the returning Siracusan families. The Wendigos, who had just arrived at the war zone, turned around and began heading back to Kazdel. They had prepared for battle, only to find it had turned into an armed parade.

The Sarkaz's straightforward departure brought a sigh of relief to Lady Sicilia. She had truly feared that the Sarkaz would become unwelcome guests who refused to leave.

Excited, Lady Sicilia hosted a banquet, inviting Theresica and some of the Sarkaz officers who had fought in Siracusa.

"The Sarkaz are truly a group of valiant warriors. They can hide in ruins and quietly wait for enemies to pass before their eyes. This is something very difficult for Siracusans to do, yet such brave Sarkaz are found everywhere."

Slightly tipsy, Lady Sicilia's words were full of praise for the Sarkaz army, along with some special thoughts.

"If only Siracusa could have such warriors..."

"Oh? Lady Sicilia, do you... have something in mind?"

Theresica could tell that being so easily breached by Leithanien had left the Lady quite displeased.

"We need better weapons, but mere items are not enough."

Lady Sicilia poured more wine into her own cup and gestured to the waiter not to bother, as she personally refilled Theresica's cup with a drink.

"Siracusa also needs soldiers, a real army, and people worthy of wielding such weapons. I want to send Siracusans to Kazdel to be trained by the Sarkaz."

"Oh? That's a rather unusual decision."

Theresica lowered his head in thought for a moment. "This could lead to our hard-earned military experience being taken by other countries... a considerable loss."

"We don't need a comprehensive force like the Sarkaz. We only need an army capable of completing a few specific objectives," Lady Sicilia said. "For example, urban defense or riot suppression..."

She had reviewed some of the military reports the Sarkaz had publicly shared with her. She knew that the Sarkaz had specifically formed a combat group dispatched to Siracusa, and she was astonished to discover that some Leithanian units, which could chase Siracusans, were rendered foolish in front of the Sarkaz! All of this was achieved in urban defense.

If urban defense was so effective, could Siracusa also form such a force?

Once the idea appeared, it wouldn't leave Lady Sicilia's mind. Being able to defend against Leithanien through their own strength was incredibly tempting to her at this moment.

"Please understand the pursuit of strength by the weak."

Seeing Theresica's continued contemplation, Lady Sicilia didn't waste any more words. She gave a slight gesture, and a nearby waiter immediately brought over a document.

'Please take a look.'

Lady Sicilia made such a gesture. Theresica paused for a moment before opening it.

It contained the previously decided reinforcements for the Siracusan War, but some changes had now been made.

Siracusa now needed to rebuild, and the significant deficit in civilian equipment would be met by production from Kazdel. This would be an order no less substantial than that from Ursus. Furthermore, for the next ten years, Siracusa would declare unilateral tax exemption on all export goods from Sarkaz.

At the same time, along the border between Siracusa and Leithanien, Lady Sicilia wished to construct a defensive line. The bidding for this line was open, but the terms in Kazdel's language were already attached below.

Frankly, this treaty was very tempting. If signed, Kazdel's civilian industry would experience tremendous growth.

However, Sarkaz also needed to export some truly valuable items.

For example, mortars, semi-automatic crossbows, and the like...

"What a fine treaty. I can hardly resist it," Theresica said with a smile. "But there are a few minor issues."

"What issues?" Lady Sicilia waved her hand, and the surrounding waiters immediately withdrew.

"Mortars. We are currently using all original Ursus models, and Kazdel itself doesn't have many in reserve, so exporting them is impossible. However..."

Theresica paused here. "We Sarkaz do have replicas, though their operation is somewhat more troublesome than the Ursus ones."

"What's the difference?"

"The Sarkaz ones don't shoot as far, but they can reach 3.5km. Also, their rate of fire is slower, but we can produce them and stably supply them to Siracusa, including instruction and training."

"Agreed," Lady Sicilia nodded. Her immediate priority was to solve the problem of having them at all. As for their quality, that could be addressed later.

"And then there are the semi-automatic crossbows. I'm afraid those really cannot be exported."

Theresica smiled helplessly. "Their parts wear out very quickly. Sarkaz is currently researching whether to continue using semi-automatic crossbows because they impose a huge logistical burden and require extensive training for soldiers to master."

"However, Lady Sicilia, you don't need to worry. We have a batch of single-shot crossbows of Victorian origin, which are of very good quality. If you wish to purchase them, we can supply you and provide a large quantity of bowstrings and arrows. The price for arrows would be about half the usual price."

Theresica smiled, awaiting Lady Sicilia's decision. The crossbows themselves weren't expensive, but things like arrows were different. Archers themselves required training, and combat would consume them.

After implementing segmented procedures and assembly-line production, Kazdel's arrow output was astonishingly high. This was why the Sarkaz dared to equip themselves with semi-automatic crossbows in large numbers.

If Siracusa were to follow suit and equip themselves with semi-automatic crossbows, even if Theresica allowed exports, Siracusa would be crippled by the massive consumption of arrows.

Importing Victorian single-shot crossbows would be more in line with Siracusa's consumption levels. With Kazdel's assistance, they could easily afford high-intensity daily training. Moreover, Kazdel had acquired a batch of these from Victoria and later produced some themselves, only to be followed by the semi-automatic crossbows, which then ended up gathering dust in warehouses.

Now that Siracusa had a demand, Kazdel had the perfect opportunity to clear out some inventory.

Lady Sicilia seemed to have considered this issue as well. After some thought, she agreed to Theresica's suggestion and opted to import Victorian single-shot crossbows for Siracusa.

The atmosphere was always cordial when cooperation went smoothly. Just as the two were about to discuss other aspects of their collaboration, a Sarkaz officer ran up.

"Your Majesty, this is a message from the Absolver for you."

Theresica gave Lady Sicilia an embarrassed smile before taking the letter. His expression immediately soured.

"What's wrong?" Lady Sicilia asked with concern.

"Nothing, really. The Leithanian just broke their promise."

Theresica said with a half-smile, "Cultured people are truly something else."

Chapter 92: Very Strong, But Doesn't Understand Politics

"To prevent the spread of Oripathy, the great Empress has decided to establish dedicated Infected communities. Please vote."

"Aye."

Inside the High Tower Council Hall in Leithanien, a plenary session was underway. The Electors were reading out the Empress's policies one by one, then having the nobles present vote.

Any policy brought to this hall had already been discussed by the Electors. Whether a policy was enacted or rejected was a foregone conclusion; the votes here were merely a formality.

The vast majority of the mid- to low-ranking nobles in the council hall were familiar faces. They knew better than to stir up trouble and instead tacitly accepted signals from the higher-ranking nobles, playing their part as unthinking vote-casting machines.

To them, the Witch King and the Empress were just different names for the same thing; there was no fundamental difference.

"The Infected social welfare that was previously distributed directly will, upon the completion of the concentrated communities, be managed by local nobles and distributed appropriately. We hope all of you will fulfill your duties diligently and manage the Infected communities well."

As the Elector finished speaking, the nobles in attendance smiled. The Empress, like the Witch King, had risen to power through her own strength, but managing the country still required the support of the nobility. By handing over the management of funds to them, the Empress was essentially buying their loyalty.

"What a benevolent Empress."

"Leithanien is truly fortunate."

The nobles praised her. Just as the Elector was about to continue, a well-dressed attendant rushed in, flustered.

He tiptoed behind the Electors and whispered something into the Elector's ear.