In Terra, I Have No Books Left to Read

"Leader."

"Mhm."

A calm voice came from the other side, and Ahemoni's expression instantly turned tense. "Leader, my negotiation hit a snag. They're asking for 150 machine tools of various types."

"Mhm."

The voice on the other side remained calm, but Ahemoni grew even more nervous.

"My strategist."

"Here!"

"When do you think Victoria will be able to reacquire the ore from Leithanien?"

Although it was a question, Ahemoni felt that the leader already had the answer. She took a deep breath and said in a low voice.

"Leithanien's momentum for independence is growing stronger. Although the Duke of Cumberland has dispatched a unit, command far from the homeland likely won't be effective. The various dukes are causing trouble frequently, and the Lion King can't gather enough force to forcefully cleanse the colonies. Furthermore, there's also the possibility of..."

Ahemoni dared not continue. She didn't know what the leader was thinking, so she could only offer a conclusion: "For the next two years, Leithanien's ore likely won't flow into Victoria. Even if it does, it will be immediately seized by those dukes."

"Then, complete today's transaction properly. Don't try any tricks. They want 150 units... so give them that, according to the loss rate stipulated in the Victoria International Cargo Transport Agreement."

"As you command."

After settling into the inn, Theresica was both excited and worried. He paced back and forth in the room, unable to sit still.

Kazdel's industrial foundation was finally coming into being, but it hadn't become a reality yet. It was still in Victoria!

"Tomorrow's transaction is the most crucial part."

Theresica looked at Zeppelin and solemnly instructed, "You need to thoroughly inspect those machine tools tomorrow. We can't let any defective ones slip through!"

"I will. I definitely will."

Zeppelin was overcome with emotion. Kazdel would no longer have to use those relics from a hundred years ago! Sarkaz soldiers would finally have decent armor and weapons! If only it had been sooner, how many fewer Sarkaz would have died!

The old Sarkaz covered the corners of his eyes with his sleeve, facing the wall alone.

"Congratulations on your success, but I must inform you that the situation has become a bit tense."

The Shapeshifter spoke at this moment. "The town is now hiding quite a few Victoria soldiers. The beggar across the street, the woman selling colorful flowers – these are all Victoria soldiers. Their knuckles show signs of years of training."

"We haven't been exposed, have we?"

"No, please rest assured. These Victoria soldiers are not targeting us."

The Shapeshifter explained, "There have been multiple instances of military Originium being stolen from the garrison warehouse in this town. Coupled with Victoria's recent Originium shortage, a large number of soldiers have arrived."

"Uh... Deepcolor did that?"

Theresica was astonished. They were actually preying on their own kind?

"Yes, that's correct."

The Shapeshifter nodded. "There are the most Terra people here, so naturally, there's the most cover."

As soon as he finished speaking, a commotion suddenly erupted on the street below. Theresica pulled aside the curtain slightly and saw a group of plainclothes soldiers chasing two teenagers.

They ran in a panic, heading towards the inn. The woman selling flowers on the street suddenly abandoned her flower basket and pinned one of the teenagers to the ground. The beggar on the other side cooperated perfectly, pinning the other teenager from behind while he was stunned.

The two teenagers struggled and cried for help. The soldiers rushed over one by one, holding down their limbs. However, at this moment, the townspeople also gathered, and a large crowd blocked all escape routes for the soldiers.

They shouted loudly.

"The garrison is attacking people!"

"Quick, save the children!"

The soldiers were squeezed into a tight group. They tightly clutched their scabbards to prevent any accidents, while constantly calling out, "These two are thieves! Please calm down and do not obstruct military affairs!"

The scene was chaotic.

"Has it really come to this between the Terra people and Victoria's administrative bodies?"

"This is nothing. It just means the situation has exceeded expectations. At least the intelligence that the Terra people want independence is correct, but the other piece of information is a bit off."

Following the Shapeshifter clan leader's gesture, Theresica saw several figures lurking on a tall building. Although they had no insignia, the crossbows in their hands were Deepcolor equipment they had seen before.

Theresica looked back in surprise, but when he looked at the street, he only saw the chaotic and excited crowd, and the slowly spreading bloodstains on the ground.

"Hey! Isn't Deepcolor the independent armed force of the Terra people?"

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Chapter 16: Revealed

The intelligence error caused Theresica a moment of slight disarray. He had to rethink Deepcolor's position. But it all seemed to have no impact. Deepcolor was indeed opposed to Victoria, just not as a force of the Terra people.

"Perhaps it's another local ethnic group, annexed by war, wanting to use the Terra people to their advantage?"

Theresica guessed, and the Shapeshifter clan leader gave a degree of agreement.

"The dominant race on the mainland is Feline, but the cultures between different groups are vastly different. This kind of situation is not impossible."

The transaction could not be canceled. After instructing everyone to be careful tomorrow and having the Shapeshifter make some preparations, everyone went to rest. However, the farce on the street had not yet subsided.

Two officers from the Victoria military arrived. Heavily armed heavy assault troops charged into the crowd, using their shields to push the chaotic masses apart.

But the restless residents of Little Hill County refused to yield. They surged against the human wall of Victoria soldiers, pelting their shields with stones and garbage.

"They killed our children!"

"Get out! Murderers!"

The shouts from the crowd came in waves, making it impossible to identify any ringleaders. The officers could only come to check on their colleagues who had been sent to apprehend people.

"How is it? Are they seriously injured?"

The slightly lower-ranking lieutenant colonel looked with concern at the plainclothes soldier covered in blood. As the person in charge of the apprehension operation, he didn't let the accompanying medic-adept treat himself. Instead, with a tense expression, he ordered the soldier to quickly tend to the townsfolk lying on the ground, their chests pierced by crossbow bolts.

"Lieutenant Colonel Leto, we had apprehended two people, but two crossbow bolts were fired from somewhere. One died instantly, and the other is being treated," the soldier reported to his superior. At this moment, another officer interjected.

"Did you catch the culprit?"

Hearing his question, the soldier looked at him with confusion instead of answering. Lieutenant Colonel Leto quickly made introductions.

"This is Colonel Hamilton. The security of Little Hill County will be under the Colonel's responsibility in a few days."

The troops in different regions of Victoria had their own command structures. When officers and soldiers from different areas gathered, they did not have command authority over each other.

"Lieutenant Colonel Leto will be transferred to Londinium. I will be commanding you from now on."

The soldier sized up the unfamiliar officer before him, then looked at his old superior. After receiving a nod of permission, he immediately snapped a crisp salute.

"Report! The culprit used crossbows for ranged attacks, and with the crowd being chaotic at the time, I couldn't get a clear look at the shooter."

"Mm, I understand. You handled it very well. Tend to your own wounds first."

Hamilton praised him, then turned to observe the chaotic scene. "The unknown shooter was able to accurately hit the target in such a chaotic crowd... they must have been shooting downwards from a high position. And judging by how the arrow penetrated the road surface, it was a long-range crossbow. Attacking the crowd from such a distance... it seems they had no qualms about silencing witnesses. Is this really the weaponry of the Talas?"

"I don't know," Lieutenant Colonel Leto shook his head at this point. "My superiors only informed me that the Talas were suspected of aiding an armed force."

"This is no longer mere assistance. To achieve this level, in a wartime environment, these people could be considered enemy combatants. This town could be directly designated for erasure," Hamilton said with disgust. "Continuing to apprehend people in this half-hearted manner will only cause unnecessary harm to our excellent Victoria soldiers."

"Colonel, we are not acting with full force. This is Imperial territory, and we, as Victoria soldiers, do not have the authority to attack our own land." Lieutenant Colonel Leto tried to reason with him, but Hamilton appeared indifferent. At this moment, a soldier suddenly jogged over.

"That young man who didn't die has regained consciousness!"

Hamilton immediately rushed over, grabbed the boy by his collar, and shouted, "Speak! What were you trying to do by stealing the Originium detection equipment! Who told you to steal it! If you don't talk, I won't save you!"

The boy's mind was in chaos. Pain and the desire to survive occupied all his thoughts. He convulsed and said, "They... tomorrow night... have a transaction... need to verify..."

The boy's mouth hung open, and the blood spraying from it completely drowned out his voice. The medic-adept beside him shook his head helplessly.

"Your Excellency Colonel, this is his limit. His injuries are too severe, and the arrow is also poisoned."

"It's alright, you did very well. We've already obtained important information." Hamilton comforted him for a few moments before walking over to Leto.

"To inflict such severe wounds to silence him means that the Originium transaction these guys are involved in tomorrow must concern something extremely critical or important. Immediately mobilize all informants to gather intelligence on tomorrow night's transaction. I want to see the intelligence summary on my desk before noon!"

"You want to mobilize informants to collect targeted intelligence just because of what one child said? The timeline is too tight, and it will expose our painstakingly cultivated informants!"

"Nothing is more important than the safety of the Empire!" Hamilton patted Leto's shoulder.

"I know you're being transferred to Londinium soon, but we are both soldiers of Victoria, and clearing potential threats to the Empire is also our duty. You've been managing the informants here all along, and since I'm new here and unfamiliar, it has to be you. Moreover, before you go to Londinium, if you can eliminate the ghost unit that has been lingering in Little Hill County, you'll be meeting His Majesty with merit! Wouldn't that be even better?"

"I understand." Lieutenant Colonel Leto's face showed no emotion. He walked to the side, beckoned a familiar soldier, and began giving orders.

The next night, Tracyca and others, following the notification from the Deepcolor messenger, proceeded to the designated location at the appointed time. They were to conduct the transaction in the desert.

Upon reaching the designated spot and confirming the time was correct, they used faint light sources to send out contact signals.

Meanwhile, on the other side, a group of people in peculiar clothing were slowly advancing through the desert, dragging numerous boxes. To avoid revealing their location, they dared not use lights, while also needing to ensure these boxes were protected from bumps and scrapes.

"Leader Mandela, we have arrived at the designated location, and the time is just right."

"Good, proceed according to the plan." Mandela waved her hand, indicating that Originium transactions were a trivial matter for her.

The signalman behind her immediately ran forward. After observing for a while, he began sending out contact signals.

After a period of communication using lights, both sides confirmed each other's identities and began to converge. But at this very moment.

A fireball generated by Originium Arts suddenly shot into the sky, illuminating the entire desert. A large number of Victoria soldiers emerged from the shadows and sand piles.

Footsteps converged from all directions. Under the glare of the firelight, the Talas saw utter astonishment on their leader Mandela's face.

'It's over. The mission the leader entrusted to her... is completely ruined...'

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Chapter 17: A Three-Way Conversation

A connecting bridge was set up between the two transport ships, and boxed high-purity Originium and packed machine tools were constantly being checked and exchanged on both sides.

The work site was bustling, but Theresica wasn't focusing on his side. Instead, he gazed into the distance of the desert.

"Lady Ahemoni's methods are truly impressive."

"There's no helping it. Information will always leak, so it's better to provide a false target and let those seeking secrets chase after it."

The girl, wearing a Victorian high school uniform, smiled with satisfaction.

Standing here, besides the surrounding sounds of work, one could also hear faint shouts and killing cries from afar. In the darkness, a faint flickering light could be seen, which was likely an explosion of Originium Arts.

"The goods have been roughly accounted for, so I won't be staying here any longer. I wish Agent a safe journey."

"Yes, thank you very much. I look forward to our next transaction."

Theresica smiled and nodded. Deepcolor provided machine tools based on transportation loss rates, and they were all brand new, which was an unexpected move for him.

It seemed that Victoria's Originium shortage was much larger than officially admitted. He suddenly found himself liking the current Victoria.

This time, he had made a fortune! He had the money and the machine tools!

After pausing to ponder for a moment, Theresica found the Shapeshifter chieftain and inquired about something. After confirming what he wanted to know.

"Shining, Salus, let's go see how the Victorian soldiers and Deepcolor's troops fare in combat."

There were more and more Victorian soldiers around, and very few Kazdel people were left standing.

"Damn Victorian lackeys! I'll make you pay back every Kazdel life tenfold!"