In Terra, I Have No Books to Read

The eyes scanned the map several times before finally settling on Leithanien.

Leithanien was a famous source of mineral deposits on Terra, possessing all sorts of mineral resources. It was only after Victoria colonized it that she was able to transform from an agricultural nation into an industrial one.

At that time, Victoria had also put considerable effort into developing Leithanien's mining industry, advancing technology and upgrading equipment. Then, with the returns from this investment, she ascended to the throne of Terra's rogue nations.

However, that was all in the past; Victoria was now using even naval guns to suppress Leithanien.

Kazdel's steel production capacity still had some surplus, and Theresica wasn't in a hurry, waiting patiently.

Leithanien, to put it bluntly, was a super-large mine. Apart from minerals and the Catus, there was truly nothing else. Victoria had deployed a large corps of warships and infantry so far from her homeland; how long could their supplies last?

In January of the following year, precisely when Sarkaz began mass-producing mortar shells of the same specifications as Ursus, Victoria, believing there would be no major storms, left infantry units belonging to Duke Wellington in Leithanien. Her warships then began their return journey to Victoria.

As soon as Victoria's warships departed, Shapeshifters, under Theresica's instruction, approached Leithanien's independent organizations and invited their leaders to Kazdel.

Leithanien's independent organizations weren't led by a single person but by three. One was a merchant, one a warrior, and the third a doctor.

"Hello, and welcome to Kazdel."

"Why are Sarkaz looking for us?"

The merchant's eyes were filled with vigilance. For organizations like theirs, the danger posed by Fiends was not much different from that of Victoria's suppression forces.

Seeing their expressions, Theresica chuckled and signaled a waiter to bring some food.

"Don't be nervous, friends. I have no ill intentions in inviting you here."

"I haven't had the chance to make friends with Sarkaz yet."

"Uh, hahahaha..."

Looking at the muscular and tense Catus, Theresica explained, "But I believe we have the foundation to become friends."

"What foundation?"

"Two months ago, Victoria sent people to demand that Kazdel export goods to them at a low price, while also demanding that we import their goods at a high price. We paid a considerable price to send them away."

Theresica looked at the merchant dressed in a suit. "I believe you have a deeper understanding of such behavior."

Upon hearing this, the three men's expressions relaxed slightly. The merchant asked, "Then why are you looking for us? To kill Victorians for you? We can't even defeat you."

"Killing a few Victorians is insignificant. What I want is to disgust Victoria."

Theresica said with a smile, "Victoria wants to suppress you, so I will support your independence."

"I never expected Sarkaz to become so benevolent one day... So, what's the price?"

The Catus merchant maintained his composure, signaling his companions to remain silent.

"Of course, there is a price. Your minerals are excellent, and your smelting technology is also what we desire."

Theresica stated directly, "We will provide you with medicine and supplies, such as armor, and you will exchange them for what I mentioned."

Hearing this, the warrior and the doctor's eyes lit up. These were things they desperately needed!

Under the surveillance of Victoria's garrison, obtaining simple melee weapons was feasible, but preparing a set of armor was incredibly difficult.

Every time they engaged in combat with the Victorian garrison, they found themselves lacking protection. Victoria's attacks were often fatal, while their own attacks on Victorian soldiers rarely inflicted fatal wounds because their swords, spears, and clubs were blocked by the armor worn by the Victorian soldiers.

"What do you gentlemen think?"

Theresica asked, though the answers of the three were already written on their faces.

"How much armor can Sarkaz provide us?"

"As much as you want, as long as the minerals, smelting equipment, or technology you provide are worth the price."

After hearing Theresica's confident voice, they nodded without hesitation.

"Agreed, our pact is hereby concluded!"

"Good, I wish us a pleasant cooperation and success in your endeavors."

Theresica casually extended her hand and shook theirs gently.

'Hmm, it feels good to be in a position of strength, relaxed and comfortable.'

The Kazimierz Foot Knight armor and weapons that had been gathering dust in the warehouse were brought out. These were from surrendered soldiers and were undamaged. Medicine was packed with them and transported by transport ships to the desert near Leithanien, where they were traded with the Catus independent organization.

While introducing metal smelting technology and equipment on one side, Theresica began searching for suitable personal land vehicles to lay the foundation for future plans on the other.

However, both Ursus and Yan were heavily investing in the construction of giant mobile structures, and they paid little attention to small personal land vehicles. Looking at the map of eastern Terra, Theresica searched around and found that only Siracusa's personal land vehicles had developed well.

"Luxury Sedans," that's what the Siracusans called them. He had ridden in one before; it was similar to Earth's automobiles in all aspects. Apart from some flashy features, production wasn't difficult, making it suitable for training workers.

Theresica immediately sent a letter to Lady Sicilia, requesting to purchase the production license and technical documents for Siracusa's Luxury Sedans. She readily agreed, as these were merely civilian products.

Siracusa's Luxury Sedans thus arrived in Kazdel, where they were given a new name—Mercedes-Benz cars.

Chapter 103: Bottleneck

Although metal smelting technology and equipment, as well as the production license for Siracusa's Luxury Sedans, were obtained, these things did not immediately belong to Sarkaz.

Factory construction, equipment installation, worker training, the formation of a production system, and even the ability to independently improve products—only after all this could these acquired items truly become Sarkaz's.

All of this would take time, possibly even years. It was like a research project; Theresica could provide the most favorable environment, but the outcome could only be catalyzed by time.

However, after Victoria's military intimidation, it was publicly known that Ursus and Yan's diplomatic stance leaned towards Kazdel. This could eliminate a lot of unnecessary trouble for Sarkaz. As long as Sarkaz didn't cause trouble, other countries would have to weigh their options carefully before making a move.

This period of peace will be a rare opportunity for the Sarkaz to recuperate. Theresica's policies for providing infant and toddler supplies for ages 0-6, and for ages 6-12 relying on the education system, have reduced the mortality and death rates of Sarkaz children to below 6%. Furthermore, last year's newborn numbers were several times higher than previous records!

A Banshee had frankly said, "It's been over 100 years, and this is the first time I've seen so many children."

Just wait 20 years, and Kazdel will welcome a population boom.

However, that is a future vision. Current Kazdel is still plagued by a shortage of people.

Theresica called Mel, then connected to Siracusa's communication base station, remotely contacting the Computer Trio to set up a video conference.

"During the production process, can we replace a certain production step with machinery that uses fixed motion patterns or repetitive movements?"

Theresica asked them. Kazdel's exported industrial products are mainly concentrated in civilian goods. Ursus, which doesn't care much for light industry, and Siracusa, which was reduced to ruins by Leithanien, are the main export targets.

But these two places have too large a market, and Kazdel cannot fully cater to them. Yet, Theresica stubbornly wants to corner the market to earn more money to supplement Kazdel in all aspects. Equipping artillery and updating technology are all money-burning endeavors!

But he didn't want production workers to work overtime.

With a shortage of people and an unwillingness to exploit Sarkaz workers, Theresica could only turn to automation, drawing experience from Earth.

After hearing his idea, the Computer Trio discussed it for a while.

"Boss, your idea has great potential. Replacing workers with machines in some production steps is highly feasible, but..."

They paused slightly. "Machines have the possibility of malfunctioning. If something goes wrong, only professional engineers who understand the machine's internal structure can repair it. However, it is currently difficult for Kazdel to assemble a qualified support team."

During the conflict between Siracusa and Leithanien, the three of them were sent to Kazdel for temporary refuge as a precaution. At that time, they witnessed Kazdel's backwardness.

And Theresica, whose thinking could be described as avant-garde, seemed like an anomaly compared to other Sarkaz in their eyes.

Hearing their words, Theresica helplessly covered his forehead. Kazdel had only just sent out its first batch of university students. There was still a long way to go in terms of technical development.

"Boss, if you want to expand production, why don't you recruit workers? Many people have gathered near Kazdel now."

Mel spoke up, and the fact was indeed so.

As Lungmen's mobile landmasses continuously gathered and pieced together, although the mobile city was not yet completed, it had already reached a considerable scale. Many international enterprises had already set up branches there, transporting their goods to Lungmen, and then selling them to Yan or other places through convenient airship transportation.

After Kazdel implemented its policy to aid desert refugees, the security on the desert between Lungmen and Kazdel improved significantly. In addition to airship transport, merchant caravans also traveled back and forth using land routes. Several fixed refugee settlements had appeared in the desert, and passing merchant caravans often stopped there for a while.

However...

"It's a good method and can solve the problem, but there are some political difficulties."

Theresica sighed. He had considered this method before.

But the whole world rejected the Sarkaz, and similarly, the Sarkaz also rejected other alien races. Aiding refugees was a direct order from him, and it was carried out by young Sarkaz, which did not cause any major waves. As for the previously introduced infected individuals from Ursus, they were all useful technical personnel, and the older generation of Sarkaz couldn't say much.

If they were to allow refugees to work in Kazdel now, these people would explode. The ensuing problems would be endless and tangled.

On this basis, Theresica had also considered an alternative solution: sending some obsolete machine tools to the refugee settlements to have them produce some parts instead.

But after the Banshee's investigation, the results were not good. Those refugees had a lower cultural level than the current Sarkaz. If they were to become a substitute for Sarkaz labor, the initial investment would likely be huge, time-consuming, and labor-intensive.

'It would also cause the Sarkaz to lose their advantage in industrial products when conducting scattered transactions with them.'

Alas, Kazdel's development seemed to have reached a temporary bottleneck. Everything could only proceed step by step, pushed forward by the slow passage of time.

"Let's end the meeting here. Sorry for taking up your time."

Theresica smiled apologetically, then reached out and ended the communication. He then walked towards the door, wondering if he should issue a notice to all Sarkaz on Terra, thinking of calling back all the scattered Sarkaz.

However, he didn't know how effective it would be. The commotion would definitely be huge, likely attracting a lot of attention, and it might even create security risks.

'Ah! My head hurts.'

Mel opened the door for him, but before he could walk out, an officer rushed in.

"Your Majesty."

"What is it?"

"A caravan we sent to transport a batch of arrows to Siracusa was robbed."

Upon hearing this, Theresica's eyes widened. They still couldn't stay quiet? Who would cause trouble for Kazdel at this time? Are they blind?

"Who was it? Leithanien? Victoria? Or Kazimierz?"

Theresica thought for a moment, listing the names of countries he had had conflicts with since ascending to the throne, but the officer kept shaking his head.

"Then who exactly robbed our caravan?!"

"Apologies, Your Majesty."

The officer's face was covered in sweat. He gritted his teeth and said, "We... don't know..."

"What?!"

Chapter 104: Venting Anger

Who robbed the caravan, and they don't even know? Are the Sarkaz also capable of such ridiculous actions?

Theresica quickly asked, "Are there any bodies left at the scene? Where are the Absolvers? Have they intervened in the investigation?"

"Your Majesty, the Absolvers have already intervened in the investigation," the officer nodded. "A few enemy bodies were left at the battle scene, and the Absolvers have already begun extracting intelligence."

Hearing this, Theresica hurried to the Absolvers' research building. But as soon as he walked in, he saw several medical personnel rushing out with three stretchers. Lying on one of them was none other than Salus!

"What's going on? How did it turn out like this?"

"Your Majesty."

After the leader of the Absolvers bowed, he said to Theresica, "We are analyzing the enemies who raided the transport team, using their corpses to determine which faction they belong to."

"What are the results?"

"It's not clear yet."

The leader of the Absolvers shook his head regretfully. "The Originium infection in these people is extremely severe. Many have Originium crystals in their brains, and their memories are in complete disarray. This has made our work very difficult. Salus was hit by a reverse flow of information while organizing memories."

"How is she? And those two Absolvers, are they alright?"

"Please rest assured, Your Majesty. They've only fainted."

Hearing the Absolver's words, Theresica breathed a sigh of relief. It would be a huge loss if Sarkaz's currently scarce technical personnel were lost because of a few people who came from who knows where.

"What about those corpses? Let me see them."

"They're over here. Please follow me, Your Majesty."

The leader of the Absolvers led Theresica into an area separated by a heavy metal door. The temperature here was extremely low, as if they had arrived at the ice plains of Ursus. Moreover, workrooms were set up at intervals, each equipped with ice platforms emitting cold air.

The corpses were placed on the ice platforms, and many Absolvers were gathered around them, carrying out their work.

"Your Majesty, this is where we urgently extract memories," the leader of the Absolvers introduced.

Theresica moved a little closer. The wounds on the corpses had already been covered with white cloth. He could only see the grayish-white color of the exposed parts of the bodies and the messy clothes they wore.

"These clothes... they look a bit like Ursus's... Could they be from Ursus?"

Theresica suddenly felt a chill, but the leader of the Absolvers denied it.

"Your Majesty, there's no need to worry. Their bodies do not bear any clear national or identity markings. They are simply clothes with Ursus cultural characteristics, which we also have here."

With no immediate results from the investigation, Theresica could only inform Lady Sicilia of the current situation and arrange for a new batch of arrows to be sent to Siracusa.