A Preliminary Alliance / Speak of the Devil

"Can't I even take a look? If it weren't for Mizuki, I'm afraid I'd never see your picture on our marriage certificate in my entire life."

"You can't say that. I'm so pretty, I earn a good income, and I'm not some bad woman. As for my suitors..."

"There isn't a single one." Mostima interrupted Exusiai at just the right moment, coming down from upstairs.

Exusiai is indeed very beautiful, and her sunny and dashing temperament is very attractive, but unfortunately, her reputation is too prominent, so no one dares to want her.

"To be honest, I even suspected back then that you, Xiao Le, were thinking of settling for Texas in the future."

"Uh... I don't have that kind of hobby." Exusiai quickly shook her head. "Where's Fia?"

"My family was pressuring me to get married last night, and then I heard this afternoon that you and Mizuki went to get your marriage certificate. I was so angry I almost exploded."

Mostima glanced down at the marriage certificate, then at Exusiai.

"You don't seem as excited as I thought?"

"What's so exciting about this? I was so nervous taking pictures. I was definitely excited when I first got this thing, but..." Exusiai shoved the hairdryer into Lemuen, spreading her hands. "Does losing this mean my relationship with Mizuki will get worse?"

The novelty always comes and goes quickly. Perhaps Mizuki needs to confirm this relationship to stabilize her heart and personality, and it's also a promise to Exusiai. But Exusiai only values Mizuki as a person from beginning to end.

She lost interest in the marriage certificate after playing with it for less than half an hour. Her only thought now was that the marriage registry office in Lungmen shouldn't use her as a classic example to encourage people to date and get married. She'd made up her mind! In a couple of days, she'd go straight back to Rhodes Island, then go with Eyjafjalla and the others to Siesta to buy a house and live there from now on.

"Texas, wanna go house hunting with me at Siesta next week?"

Exusiai seemed to remember something and looked at Texas sitting on the other side of the sofa. As Croissant why Texas wasn't there, she didn't bother to ask. Croissant wasn't home; she was either out buying goods or selling flowers at a stall.

"Shouldn't he be invited to your and Mizuki's house?"

"He's going to Kazimierz next week and won't have time to go to Siesta with me, which is also your home."

As she spoke, Exusiai shrank up to Lemuen and let her dry her hair.

"Didn't we agree that even if Penguin Logistics disbands in the future, we'll still live together?"

This can be seen as a form of indirect concern, because if Penguin Logistics were to disappear, Texas would truly lose even its last remaining home, Exusiai doesn't want to see that happen.

Also considering Texas's feelings, she didn't take Mizuki home to meet her parents before returning from Iberia.

Chapter 238 Preliminary Alliance

"Let's continue the meeting." The Emperor slapped the table. "However, there's been a minor personnel change before the meeting begins. Ms. Candela, unable to make a decision herself, has decided to delegate the duties of Bolivar's representation to her assistant, Ernesto."

In an instant, Ernesto felt a powerful pressure, accompanied by sharp or curious gazes, pressing down on him, making him feel extremely uncomfortable.

But he still pretended to be calm, casually glancing at everyone present.

Some of them were renowned in Terra, while others he had never heard of before. But they all shared one thing in common: they held considerable positions within various factions in Terra. Viviana and he, on the other hand, were the least worthy of his attention.

"Hehe, in that case, let's continue the meeting. Please give my regards to Ms. Candela."

Sand Bone's voice carried a hint of mockery; he had clearly guessed something. The others, however, saw through it but remained silent, having long found Candela too slow.

Admittedly, Candela is an excellent businesswoman, but her business acumen is inappropriate for this situation. The discussion here is about Terra's future, not the division of profits. If, at this juncture, the representatives are also scheming to steal the last penny from each other's pockets, then Terra is truly beyond saving.

"I will, Mr. Sand Bone."

Because all the representatives had distinct personalities, Ernesto could easily distinguish them, and sitting in this position, he could easily understand why Candela was hesitant to make a choice.

The pressure, the cold chair, the heavy responsibility, and the potential consequences were all tormenting Ernesto's heart, but he didn't want Candela; he had no other choice.

"On behalf of the Bolivar Local Self-Defense Army, I hereby declare my membership in the Terra Federation Conference on behalf of Bolivar."

Like Viet, Ernesto chose to join the alliance representing one of the Bolivar factions, because his father was one of the leaders of the Bolivar Local Self-Defense Army.

Wei Yenwu looked at the Emperor and Dario, and seeing their calm expressions, he knew that these two had definitely made a deal with Ernesto. Most likely, these two wanted to clean up the mess left over from back then, but couldn't find a suitable reason.

Now Ernesto has joined the alliance under the name of the Bolivar Self-Salvation Army. Once the agreement is signed and passed, the Bolivar Local Self-Defense Army will be the only recognized Bolivar ruling force by the Terra Alliance. The other two? Ha, they are just rioters who threaten the stability of Bolivar.

Wei Yenwu could already imagine what reasons Iberia and Columbia would use to mediate the conflict. The outcome would either be that the Old Dynasty and the Union Government would recognize the legitimacy of the Bolivar Self-Salvation Army, or that their recognition would no longer be needed.

Columbia has diverted its forces to Sami, Iberia is in dire need of rebuilding, but the weakened camel-like beast is still bigger than the clawed beast, and dealing with the two rebellious offspring should not be a problem.

"So let me confirm again, I hope everyone has no objections?"

Everyone understands the rules behind this matter and tacitly approves of such behavior. After all, nothing is more important than the peace and stability of Terra, and the situation in Bolivar does indeed need to be addressed.

What will happen to Dong Ge and Victoria?

SilverAsh slowly opened his mouth and asked a question that everyone was concerned about. Because the meeting was being held in Lungmen, and Great Yan was the most mysterious and powerful of the initiators, Wei Yenwu was implicitly becoming the host of the meeting.

"The Higashi hasn't sent a representative, Terra Alliance won't interfere with our non-allied countries. Victoria's situation is special... Miss Talulah, what do you think?"

This question should indeed be answered by Talulah. The biggest problem for Victoria right now is that the Sarkaz have usurped the throne, and war is imminent. The Grand Dukes of Victoria are also harboring their own agendas. Columbia has sent invitations to each of them, so it seems they are maintaining a certain degree of tacit understanding.

Talulah was not surprised that the Reunion was now based in the homeland of the Sarkaz and also had dealings with the Lich Clan, one of the Ten Courts.

"I have asked the liches about this issue. The lich messengers are on their way to Victoria and should arrive soon. The kingdoms of Terra lack understanding of the Sarkaz, and the discrimination and hatred there will take time to heal, but we hope for a good outcome."

"I come representing both the Infected and Kazdel."

Grand Duke Leopold's expression was rather unpleasant, after all, he had personally commanded the Leithanien's magic guards to demolish the walls of Kazdel.

Not only him, but most of the countries present harbored hatred towards Kazdel, and their biggest concern was whether the Sarkaz would choose to betray the alliance afterward.

"I know what you're worried about, but we need to unite everyone we can now; survival is our top priority."

"The Great Yan has agreed to assist Kazdel in its reconstruction efforts, provided that the Kazdel people are sufficiently sincere."

Wei Yenwu spoke with much more ease than others. The conflict between Great Yan and Kazdel was not that serious. They had maintained a moderate diplomatic relationship for many years. Although no one could say for sure whether there was any enmity between them thousands of years ago, he, as the person in charge, had to be the first to express his opinion at this time.

"Columbia too." The Emperor had already received Mark's message before coming. If it involved compensation to Kazdel, then he could agree, even though Columbia, as a newly established nation, didn't have much enmity with Kazdel.

"Iberia will do its best to provide assistance."

With both initiators having made their statements, Dario certainly couldn't object, but he couldn't make any definitive statements. Iberia was still relying on the Sea Siren to recover its economy, and the aid it could provide was limited.

Siracusa agrees.

Sargon agrees.

Many attendees nodded in agreement, with only Archduke Leopold representing Leithanien and Salvador representing Laterano remaining.

The feud between Sankta and Sarkaz dates back a thousand years. Not everyone can live as long as Kal'tsit, and not everyone knows that Sankta was once Sarkaz; even they themselves don't know.

For years, the Sarkaz have taken pride in beheading the Sankta and taking their guns, while the Sankta have taken pride in piercing the Sarkaz's chest and judging their lives. The conflict between the two sides has continued to increase. He was glad that Kazdel's representative was Talulah instead of the Sarkaz, otherwise, suppressing his temper would have been something he had to do all the time.

"Someone once told me that every family has a messy account book, but in the beginning, this book was blank, and it was we who wrote down the bills... Let the ancestors pay their own debts, don't leave them to the next generation."

Dario looked at Salvador, everyone was looking at Salvador, but he wasn't looking at anyone; he was examining himself.

Many things flashed through his mind: the Sarkaz mercenaries he had killed in his youth, the little Sarkaz girl who had asked him where her father had gone, the images of Fiammetta and Mostima when they were young, and the children of Laterano.

"Leithanien is willing to provide assistance to the Kazdel natives."

"Laterano... is willing to reach a reconciliation with the Sarkaz."

It takes great courage and perseverance to say those words. The conflict between Sarkaz and Sankta cannot be simply summarized as a blood feud. Salvador knows more than that; at least he has a vague idea of the truth behind the Fallen Angels.

"My greatest hope now is that the lich's messenger can succeed in persuading them."

Sargon, representing the Sand Bone, looked at Minos, Jitia was in the second position to the side. For many years, there had been constant friction between Sargon and Minos, with small wars breaking out every now and then. It felt quite strange that it ended in this way.

"Putting a verbal agreement into practice requires a lot of effort. Let's all work together."

Wei Yenwu knew that the meeting was already a basic success. The two-day talks, led by the three countries of Great Yan, Iberia and Columbia, concluded much faster than expected. In Wei Yenwu and Taifu's initial expectations, the meeting would have lasted at least a month, taking into account the time needed for people like Candela and Viviana to consult their backers and the time required for information transmission.

But this is just the beginning. Many people still do not realize the value and importance of this meeting. Take Minos and Sargon as an example: after forming an alliance, war is naturally not allowed, but how to stop the war requires more specific negotiations.

Sargon's system has many problems, and so does Minos'. There's no guarantee that some of his subordinates won't disobey his orders, especially Sargon's self-centered chieftains. Sand Bone can imagine how many chieftains will be dealt with after this. The King of Kings won't care about the lives of a few chieftains, nor will he care about Minos.

"Now that we've formed an alliance, some things need to be clarified. Let's draft a basic set of rules for the alliance established at this meeting, one rule for each of us, shall we?"

The Emperor looked around. No one had any objections. There was no need to go back and think about it. Wouldn't it be embarrassing if they bumped into the same thing again?

"What about Representative Aegir?"

"I'll do it," Dario said, already used to Mizuki's nagging in his ear. "Since Great Yan is the host, let's start with Great Yan."

After the alliance ended, the atmosphere of the entire meeting seemed much more relaxed, Wei Yenwu's smile gave people a feeling of confidence and arrogance.

"The first rule is that all member states of the Terra Alliance are equal and shall not interfere with each other's sovereignty."

"I'll take the second point," the Emperor said. "All conflicts between alliance members shall be decided by the Federal Council. If more than five votes are against, the corresponding proposal shall be rejected."

"That's how it should be," Salvador nodded, then added.

"Article Three: All alliance members should prioritize maintaining peace on Terra and ensuring Terra's development and long-term survival."

"Article 4. If any member state suffers from Catastrophe or man-made calamities, the other members shall provide humanitarian assistance." -- Bolivar Ernesto

"Article 5. No member state may threaten or use force against any other member in any manner inconsistent with the rules of the Union." -- Bernardo Belone, Siracusa

"Article Six: Each member state shall actively fulfill the obligations stipulated in the Union Conference." -- Rim Billiton, Burofensk Ofina

"Article 7. Retaliation is a reasonable, lawful, and justifiable act when threatened with force by a member state or a non-member state, but the occupation of the other party's territory is not permitted." -- Archduke Leopold of Letania

Article 8...

Since it was just a draft, there was no need to be so nervous. A dozen or so people could easily summarize the general direction. Wei Yenwu could sense the beginning of a change. From today onward, as long as the civilization of Terra was not destroyed, everything that happened today would be remembered in history.

"Article Thirteen, um... the scope of goods for commercial trade between member states needs to be reviewed by the meeting."

Dario realized he had nothing more to say, so he just blurted out this sentence and looked at Talulah at the end.

Article 14. Member States shall guarantee the basic welfare of Infected with Oripathy.

She seemed to have already thought it through. Even knowing it would take a long time, even knowing there would be things she wouldn't do well or wouldn't do at all, it was still better than doing nothing. Even if just one person could be saved, that would be enough.

In the present day, Mizuki has proven with a rainstorm that Oripathy is not incurable, and the representatives present all have some connection with Rhodes Island, so no one would think Talulah's proposal is a pipe dream.

Although the Infected are not the majority, they still make up a significant portion of the population. Now that the Terra Alliance has been established, the issues of the Infected and the Sarkaz are problems that the council must find a solution to.

Of course, all of this had little to do with Candela anymore; she simply couldn't believe that she, the Bolivar representative, would be tied up.

"Let me go, Raffaella! Do you know what the consequences of kidnapping me will be?"

"I know," the La Pluma's voice was still so light and airy, "You'll fire my dad."

La Pluma's current father is her adoptive father, Ernesto's biological father, and also Candela's strongest and most trusted bodyguard, Pancho Salas.

"I'm not firing your father, I'm Bolivar's representative, without me..."

"But my brother has already gone to a meeting."

The little girl shut Candela up with a single sentence. She wiped the huge scythe, seemingly completely indifferent to Candela.

"From the day the meeting started, Dad will seize Dossoles as the foundation of the self-rescue army. The chubby penguin and the uncle in the hat just said they would help Dad deal with those bad guys."

"... So that's why you and Ernesto volunteered to become my bodyguards?"

"That's right. My brother originally said he'd kill you on the way back, but this meeting was too important, so he had to act ahead of schedule... Um, he wouldn't let me kill anyone."

La Pluma pen puffed out its cheeks, and Candela felt a chill run down her spine. She knew Pancho Salas used to be a member of the Self-Salvation Army, but she never expected him to overturn the table at this crucial juncture. Wasn't the Self-Salvation Army always weaker than the other two? Why did Iberia and Columbia decide to attack Bolivar?

"What exactly is going on?"

Chapter 239 What You Think Comes True

"Seriously... just sitting in that seat puts a lot of pressure on you."

Ernesto returned to his room and realized that his back was completely soaked. Fortunately, nothing unexpected happened during the meeting, and everyone remained calm.

It is said that serving a ruler is like serving a tiger, and today he has experienced something similar. Wei Yenwu and Dario are all people of extremely high status. Although he had never heard of Sand Bone and Jitia before and they were not in the information he had investigated, according to what the Emperor had told him in advance, they seemed to be the kind of people who kept a low profile and had special identities that were usually not made public.

I hope everything goes well for Dad.

Ernesto rubbed his hair. Pancho had told him before they left that regardless of whether the Dossoles plan succeeded or not, they could not let Candela return to Bolivar. Ernesto needed to go back, but if possible, Raffaella could stay in Lungmen.

Ernesto was initially worried about his sister's survival in Lungmen, but now that's no longer a concern. He had thought finding Mizuki in such a vast Lungmen would be difficult, but it turned out to be a breeze. In fact, Mizuki was quite well-known in Lungmen.

"No meeting tonight, but we need to discuss the peacekeeping operation against Bolivar and the Sarkaz... I need to catch up on that."

His decision to replace Candela was made on a whim. If the Emperor and Dario hadn't told him about the meeting's content and the results of the previous discussions beforehand, he probably wouldn't have known what to say.

No wonder Candela was so embarrassed. This isn't a business negotiation; if someone comes up with the idea of discussing a partnership across the entire Terra, anyone would be bewildered.

Ernesto picked up the communicator, pressed a special channel, and connected with his sister.

"Raffaella, how's the situation?"

"Hmm, brother, I'm watching her, but she's so boring, she doesn't say a word." The La Pluma's voice was still as light and airy as ever. "Can't I just kill her?"

"No need. There's no fatal hatred between us and her. Besides, Mizuki wouldn't like your hands being stained with blood, otherwise you wouldn't be able to hold him."

Upon hearing Mizuki, the La Pluma immediately fell silent. This girl, who knew nothing of fear, cared only about Mizuki's opinion of her. After learning that Mizuki was in Lungmen, she couldn't help but want to hurry over and find him.

"At this point, Candela is no longer important, Raffaella. Someone will come to take over your duties later."