Chapter 144

Therefore, this warship must be a normal warship, for whatever reason.

Even if eyes grew on its deck the next moment, Dario would have to close his eyes and ignore them.

But...

He gazed at the distant horizon, as if he had thought of something.

"If nothing unexpected happens... those guys up there should be scrambling to get help from various countries right now."

"But considering the current situation between countries, they most likely won't extend a helping hand to Iberia at all, after all, the returns are obviously low and time-consuming."

However, that's not always the case.

If I had to name one, the only person who might actually make a move is most likely...

The next moment, the blaring alarms around him interrupted Dario's thoughts!

[A high-speed warship was spotted crossing the border; its initial assumption is that its destination is to rendezvous with the Iberian Army Group, which it is about to encounter.]

[Meanwhile, observers at the front noted that both high-speed warships entering the area bore identification markings from the Ursus Army Group.]

On deck No. 003, Sister Xiu Tina's voice was amplified and carried to every corner.

"Ursus Army Group? Damn it, they even sent two high-speed warships at once."

When did Ursus become so "helpful"?

"If that's the case, then the next step should be to stop the pursuit..."

[Announcement to all crew members: This ship is about to accelerate to 33 knots. Choir, please take your positions. Announcement to Choir. Choir, please take your positions.]

As the nun's voice faded, several people dressed in red robes quickly stepped onto the platform, then knelt down in a prayerful gesture.

"Damn it!" Dario looked at these villagers who, not long ago, were just a group struggling to get enough to eat in Saltwind City. Although he didn't know how they had become a so-called Choir, he knew that the current situation...

Are they planning to intercept those two Ursus Army Group warships directly?

This decision is far too risky!

They don't have any organized units capable of fighting!

These judges and villagers, or rather, missionaries, alone could not possibly confront the Ursus army.

Moreover, the enemy also possesses two high-speed warships.

He's going to see that nun!

This decision is undoubtedly abnormal!

How could they possibly face the Ursus Army Group head-on!

Dario strode quickly, heading straight for the core area of the warship.

Soon, he stood before the large door painted a bright red.

This is the most central area, and also the nuns' rooms.

Clang!

The door was flung open! Dario shouted as he entered.

"Madam, wasn't your assessment over the radio a bit too hasty? Two high-speed warships are simply beyond our current capabilities to handle—"

Before he could finish speaking, he was stunned by the scene before him.

Sometime during this time, the walls of the nun's room had been transformed into various unsettling, slimy, pinkish membranes. Meanwhile, vertical, nerve-like structures were extending from all directions, converging at the center of the room...

Extending to... Xiu Tina's feet.

At this moment, the nun's half-body seemed to melt into a lump of flesh and merge with the surrounding nerve structure of the floor, as if... they were born as one.

*%~qqun~!5)@#&%⑦$(6) ￡{}*(another±7≤?? ling√

"This is..."

"Oops, sorry, you saw a different side of me."

Xiu Tina turned her head, still holding a structure that looked like a vertebra, and smiled at Dario.

The latter suddenly noticed that there were traces of blood, as if from eating, remaining at the corner of her mouth.

"This is..."

"Traitor."

The nun smiled as she ripped the head off the corpse behind her, the tearing and snapping sound sending a shiver down Dario's spine.

Upon seeing the head, Dario felt a chill run down his spine.

The skull was pried open, revealing pinkish brain tissue, some of which even showed signs of being gnawed on. More importantly... the head wasn't truly dead; the slight trembling of its lips confirmed this.

"Report... Ursus... Iberia... warship... unknown technology... captured..."

Its head opened slightly, uttering intermittent whispers.

"It was you?! You used Ursus spies to lure them into sending troops?"

Dario took two steps back, looking at his opponent with some disbelief.

"I simply had this spy write some extra information in his report, making them think we could find a way to seize some of the warship's unknown technologies."

Why did you do that?!

Fighting Ursus will do us no good.

"Fighting?"

The nun tilted her head, seemingly puzzled by Dario's meaning.

I don't understand.

"In my understanding, combat refers to armed conflict between opposing sides."

"But—this is just a replenishment of nutrients."

"Varied..."

Chapter 102, The Iron Duke

Before the elegant French windows, an elderly man with white hair, dressed in a dark blue military uniform, sat upright on a sofa draped with blue velvet.

Beneath the old man's aged, wrinkled brows lay a pair of sharp, still vibrant eyes.

He lowered his head, looking at the book in his hands, but his mind seemed to have already wandered elsewhere, through the window.

Just as he was about to get up, the door opened.

"Your Majesty the Duke."

The officer outside the door saluted the old man respectfully and then began to report.

"The escort mission of the Gasteriel has ended. It has been confirmed that the two Ursus warships and their respective army groups have left the Victoria border."

"What happened along the way?"

"No, Duke. The two warships only stopped at our Mobile City to refuel initially, and then sailed at full speed to the Iberia border without stopping or slowing down."

"Yeah."

The old man leaned back slightly on the sofa, seemingly deep in thought.

"Have all the goods sent from Ursus been inspected?"

"They've all been checked; they're high-purity Pure Originium and Pure Gold, both of superior quality and processing methods."

"The conditions offered by Ursus are the same as those they initially proposed, even including their request for us to send our own troops."

"The naval escort—which is actually surveillance—shows they really intend to head straight for Iberia."

"However, Your Grace, their information arrived almost immediately, and the warships have already applied to enter the border shipping lanes. Isn't that a bit...?"

"Of course, after all, from any perspective, I wouldn't refuse."

"The Iron Duke's warships are always in a ready-to-go state; he must have taken this into consideration."

The old man slowly got up and looked at the horizon outside the window.

"But, Duke, isn't this a bit disrespectful to Victoria and to you?"

"Hmph? I think it's already quite remarkable that those snowfield barbarians from Ursus would willingly hand over their toll money."

"After all, they must have passed through Kazimierz along the way, right?"

"What was the reaction of our Silverlance Pegasi?"

The Iron Duke Wellington turned his head slightly and asked the officer beside him.

"... According to the reports from the scouts, it seems that the Campaign Knight on the border are being urgently redeployed."

"That means they've ignored Kazimierz."

Wellington leaned back into the sofa, closed his eyes, and slowly began to speak.

"After all, without Nearl, and with Kazimierz choosing to marginalize the Campaign Knight, there was no need for them to give us a heads-up beforehand."

"Of course, the strained relationship between Ukrainian and Kazakhstan may also be a factor."

After he finished speaking, he slowly turned his head and asked.

Have our people in Iberia sent back any messages?

"Yes, regarding the current situation where the Iberia government is overwhelmed with dealing with the rebellion, we have roughly figured out that many high-ranking officials are planning to flee to other countries for refuge. We have found information on about half of the families of the officials who have fled and the countries they have settled in."

"Some of them happen to be planning to come to Victoria..."

However, after hearing only half of it, the Duke Wellington shook his head in disappointment.

"Isn't there anything that warrants us sending two high-speed warships to 'assist' Iberia with intelligence? We believe our intelligence personnel are no less capable than the Ursus."

Wellington turned and asked the officer, enunciating each word clearly.

"... No, not yet. Moreover, according to reports from our scouts at the front, this rebellion within Iberia is clearly showing signs of escalating."

"They lived in coastal and remote areas that had long been neglected by the state, and suffered from famine and other disasters. Under the call of the Newborn Church that suddenly appeared out of nowhere, more and more people began to follow that 'Invincible Battleship' carrying the judges, or rather, to follow the Inquisition and the Newborn Church that raised the flag of rebellion against the Iberia government."

"The staff officers have always believed that, based solely on the current intelligence, aiding Iberia is not a wise move."

"But Duke, Ursus should also know this. I think they most likely obtained some intelligence that we don't have, which is why they sent two high-speed warships to provide support at once. After all, it's unlikely that they can gain any substantial benefits from Iberia."

"Should we also try to find a way—"

However, the officer only finished speaking when he saw the elderly man slowly raise his hand, and the officer immediately shut up.

The Duke Wellington slightly opened his eyes, looked at the officer beside him, and after what seemed like a moment of thought, he slowly spoke.

"Return all the 'toll' and 'escort fees' sent by Ursus, saying that this money is Victoria's contribution to Iberia, and that they don't need to thank her. Also, send your regards to Iberia and say that the aid has already been given."

"Duke, do you mean--"

The officer was somewhat puzzled, so he asked a question while casting a questioning glance at him.

"Phew, our warships should be back by now."

Wellington simply got up and walked to the French windows.

"The Gasteriel, I've poured a lot of effort into her, and she's my proudest capital ship."

"You know, soldier, the main body of this warship once belonged to a glorious Mobile City. We extracted that part from its wreckage and eventually cast it into the Gasteriel."

"A magnificent city... is it Mobile City of Gaul?"

Wellington raised his hand and placed it by the window.

"First of all, our intelligence agents made significant contributions to our victory in that war, so I firmly believe that our people are no less capable than those of Ursus."

"Secondly, sometimes the one who rushes to the front isn't the first to try something new, but rather the first to step into a pit."

"Finally... even if the first two points were wrong judgments made by me in my old age, but—"

Wellington narrowed his eyes, staring intently at the direction outside the floor-to-ceiling window.

That's where Londinium is located.

"Given the current situation, a lot of bugs have gotten into the house. If the owner moves around carelessly, they might peek out from the shadows and crawl around everywhere."

As the Duke finished speaking, the officer seemed to understand something, so he nodded, saluted, and went to relay Wellington's orders.

Oh, right.