Chapter Sixty-Four: Kal'tsit: Theresis Has Friends? / Chapter Sixty-Five: Sarkaz Friendship-Theresis Presents the Royal Court Covenant!

Kal'tsit: Theresis Has Friends?

Late at night, Chen Huijie and her group outside Londinium had now been joined by Rhodes Island's reinforcements. Two landships were currently parked here.

The reinforcements that had come all the way from Rhodes Island were another elite squad personally led by Kal'tsit, along with Amiya, Ascalon, Huang, and Outcast. This was undoubtedly Rhodes Island's strongest lineup at present.

Aside from Rosemary, who remained behind at Rhodes Island due to her unstable emotions and control over her power, nearly all of Rhodes Island's top combat strength was here. The fact that Kal'tsit had even brought Amiya with her showed just how grim she considered the situation.

"Just as Scout said, five Emperor's Blades are lurking nearby. Their purpose is clearly to eliminate Director Chen Qi, the threat responsible for causing unrest in Ursus."

After organizing the intelligence they currently had, Kal'tsit concluded that the situation was indeed unfavorable, though still under control. She said calmly:

"Your decision to wait for the others to make the first move was undoubtedly correct. We cannot afford to launch a direct assault on Londinium, so it would be better to wait for the other forces to break the silence first."

"But... so much time has passed. Why has neither Deep Pool nor Ursus made any move?"

However, Amiya increasingly felt that something was wrong. She glanced at the time. In less than three hours, it would be the next day... yet no one had made a move. Every side was being remarkably patient.

No, perhaps they were the least patient ones here. Amiya looked toward Chen Huijie, who was anxiously pacing in place, then at Lin Yuxia, who had said nothing but kept tapping the table. Clearly, these two were the most desperate to save someone.

"Perhaps they are thinking the same thing we are. There is no reason we would have detected them while they remain unaware of us."

Kal'tsit had made the correct judgment, but even so, they had to take the initiative now. It was almost the next day. If they did not act soon, internal disagreements would break out first.

"Let us discuss our options first. We cannot proceed according to the original plan. That would only lead us into the trap of an enemy that has long been prepared." Kal'tsit immediately gathered everyone to discuss tactics, but at that moment, something unexpected happened.

"Dr. Kal'tsit, the detectors show that a large number of lifeforms have suddenly appeared ahead!"

Amiya, who had just been about to join the discussion, discovered many green dots on the landship's detector. Unlike Chen Qi's Mini-map, it could not show alignments or target names; it could only show lifeforms.

"Such dense life signs... is it a swarm of Originium Slugs? Should we avoid them?" Amiya initially thought the sudden appearance of so many lifeforms must be a swarm of Originium Slugs occasionally encountered in the wild, but she quickly realized that was impossible.

"No, these lifeforms... they have a formation. They are advancing at nearly the same speed!"

"A-and the Deep Pool forces and the five Imperial Guards we detected earlier seem to be slowly retreating toward us!"

"Something is wrong." Kal'tsit frowned instinctively. At that moment, she sensed several familiar presences slowly approaching... but subconsciously, she felt that was impossible.

Yet as the figures ahead became clearer and clearer, accompanied by the sound of footsteps, Kal'tsit had no choice but to believe it.

"But how is this possible..."

Even with Kal'tsit's experience, she could not comprehend the scene before her. What exactly had happened? If this was merely an escort... with Theresis's personality, there was no way he would mobilize such a large army.

Or had he obtained intelligence beforehand? Did he know they were all here? Had he dispatched such a huge force to wipe them all out?

For a moment, Kal'tsit considered retreating, because she knew that even with another elite squad reinforcing them, they could not withstand a Sarkaz legion like this.

Moreover, the Bloodborne Archon and the King of Scavengers were accompanying them... If it had been in the past, Kal'tsit would have immediately ordered a retreat. Their current strength could not possibly shake Theresis's army.

But after a brief moment of panic, Kal'tsit quickly calmed down. Following a stretch of silence, she said to everyone in an even tone:

"Amiya, stay on the ship for now. Everyone else, come with me to face Theresis."

"If Theresis intended to catch us off guard and kill us, he would never have approached so openly. Clearly, he has not come here to kill us."

After Kal'tsit and the others disembarked from the landship, the first thing they saw was Theresis at Chen Qi's side. He matched Chen Qi's pace step for step, like the most dutiful bodyguard imaginable.

Behind Theresis, the Bloodborne Archon and the King of Scavengers stood on either side. Talulah and Patriot occupied the two inner positions, while behind them followed a landship carrying the remaining members of the Art Troupe, along with a vast sea of Sarkaz troops!

This formation left the three Sarkaz beside Kal'tsit—Logos, Scout, and Ascalon—in a daze. For a moment, it felt as though they had returned to before the Kazdel Civil War, when they had witnessed Sarkaz armies like this advancing with a suffocating presence.

Kal'tsit, however, was different. This time, her thoughts went back even further... to that war in Kazdel, where she had watched countless Sarkaz armies like this be crushed.

But back then, an endless allied army stood behind her. Now, she had become the weaker side.

"We meet again. The last time we met, I saw you standing beside Theresia."

"And the heir to Victoria's throne. I never expected you to escape, much less find the Sarkaz's greatest enemy."

Theresis directed his gaze toward Kal'tsit and Vina. This time, his eyes held the coldest look they had shown in more than two hundred years, aimed primarily at Kal'tsit.

Vina calmly looked at the Sarkaz who had occupied her homeland. She wanted to feel hatred, yet she seemed unable to—after all, she had already been displaced long before Theresis took Londinium.

More than Theresis, Vina's gaze fell upon Chen Qi beside him. This was her first time meeting Chen Qi—the famous creator and director of Yes, Prime Minister, the "culprit" who had made her grit her teeth in fury countless times.

"...You bear no hostility. You did not choose to kill me immediately." Though Kal'tsit knew she was at a disadvantage, she could also feel the Bloodborne Archon's hateful gaze. If not for some restriction, he would likely have already attacked.

Kal'tsit was certain it was not because of the King of Scavengers, nor because Logos beside her possessed strength close to his. Rather, Theresis had forced him to obey an order not to act.

"If this were a battlefield, you would already have died ten thousand times over." Theresis did not deny his hostility toward Kal'tsit because of her words, but he still suppressed it.

"But I have not come with the purpose of war this time. I have only come to see my friend off."

"...A friend?"

When Kal'tsit heard Theresis say that, shock appeared on her face for the first time. It was not only her; Logos, Ascalon, Scout, and the other Sarkaz also found it deeply baffling to hear that word come from Theresis's mouth.

Chen Qi himself was equally baffled, because on the Mini-map before him, Theresis's dot had actually changed from gray to the blue that represented an ally!

Holy shit, he wasn't joking? Was Theresia's method really that effective? He became a friend just like that?

It had to be said that this was the first time Chen Qi felt his system's judgment might be wrong. What kind of person was Theresis? In the original story, he had wanted to split Amiya in half, only for that strike to nearly cleave Kal'tsit and M3 apart as well. He had even witnessed Kal'tsit lead an allied army to flatten Kazdel, and he had killed one of Kal'tsit's previous bodies back then.

When they met this time, Chen Qi had thought it would be enemies meeting face-to-face. Yet they had not fought? It was a good thing, but was this not a little absurd?

"That is correct. A friend—not merely my friend, but a friend of the Sarkaz."

Theresis reaffirmed his words. Then, he shifted his gaze away from Kal'tsit, accepted a voice-amplifying device from someone beside him, and spoke:

"All Deep Pool forces and Ursus Blades lurking nearby, there is no need for you to hide. We will not be enemies."

"You should see the situation clearly now. Even if both your sides joined forces with Rhodes Island, you would still be no match for the Sarkaz legion. Faced with such an overwhelming disparity in strength, you may as well reveal yourselves and witness this moment."

"I believe that after you have witnessed it, you will certainly change your respective minds. Otherwise, it will not be too late for us to wage war."

Through the amplifier, Theresis's voice spread across several kilometers. Following an eerie silence, everyone slowly began to hear footsteps approaching.

Led by Ablana at the front, Deep Pool's forces advanced step by step toward the center. On the other side, though there were only five Emperor's Blades, the pressure they radiated was many times more terrifying than that of Deep Pool.

For a time, four forces gathered here. Though their purposes differed, they had all come because of one person.

...Why do I feel like some ancient beauty whose fall could ruin a nation, being treated as "war booty" by a bunch of medieval barbarians? Whoever wins gets me? Chen Qi watched the four factions. This was his first time seeing so many high-level Arknights characters appear at once, but as the one being fought over, he was not happy in the slightest.

Meanwhile, within the formation, Talulah immediately turned her gaze toward Ablana upon Koschei's warning. From the moment the leader of Deep Pool entered, she had made Talulah feel threatened.

"Oh my, you must be Director Chen Qi—the creator of Yes, Prime Minister."

After Ablana and her Deep Pool members approached the center, her eyes immediately locked onto Chen Qi, the only one among them with Yanese features.

Soon, not only Talulah, but Chen Qi and the observing Vina as well, sensed a "greedy" look in Ablana's eyes. She made no attempt to conceal it, as if she could not conceal it even if she wanted to.

While Vina found it strange, Talulah almost immediately rushed forward. One hand rested upon her sword as she stood beside Chen Qi, glaring at Ablana in the distance.

This time, Chen Qi did not stop Talulah, because Ablana's gaze made him uneasy too. This was a ruthless woman capable of killing people, raising them back up, and making them fight. Why had a venomous scorpion like her set her sights on him?

He had only filmed Yes, Prime Minister. Had the trouble he caused really become this serious?

Sarkaz Friendship, and the Royal Court Covenant Offered by Theresis!

"It appears that everyone is here."

Theresis looked around and determined that everyone who might contend for Chen Qi had gathered here. He clapped his hands, immediately drawing everyone's attention.

Soon, under everyone's watchful eyes, a group of Sarkaz emerged from the army and escorted a group of people who had already been bound before the crowd.

"Let me go! Demons!"

"You demons! Even if you kill me, you won't get anything!"

Once they were all brought forward, every one of them glared furiously at Theresis and Chen Qi. At their head stood a white-haired woman with Aslan blood.

"You are..." As a fellow Aslan, Vina knew very well that in Londinium, being Aslan inevitably signified noble status—or at least, it once had. Were the people Theresis had brought from within Londinium?

And there was another young girl... did she have unicorn blood? Such rare bloodlines still continued in Victoria?

"A group of rebels calling themselves the Londinium Residents' Self-Rescue Army." Theresis explained their identities to everyone and said calmly:

"When we escorted Director Chen Qi out of the city, they planted Originium bombs at the gates, attempting to use them to eliminate both Director Chen Qi and me... Foolish wishful thinking."

"They are naive and know nothing of true power. But they are noisy. Crawling out of those labyrinthine sewers and attempting to attack us was the most unwise decision they could have made."

"And now, I have captured this resistance force in its entirety."

As Theresis spoke, he gave the Bloodborne Archon beside him a look. The Bloodborne Archon appeared deeply unwilling, then said with a trace of resentment:

"After finally dragging these troublesome vermin out... I cannot enjoy the compensation their blood would bring. What a pity."

Even as he complained, the Bloodborne Archon's finger twitched slightly. Crimson threads flashed through the air, and every bound member of the Self-Rescue Army was instantly freed, regaining their liberty.

"They are yours now, heir to Victoria's throne."

"I should have killed these people. However, my friend does not enjoy seeing bloodshed, even when they attacked him. Thus, I can only drive them out of Londinium unharmed."

Theresis pushed the Self-Rescue Army toward Kal'tsit's side. Vina almost immediately caught the leading Alda, and Alda soon noticed Vina's race, asking instinctively:

"You are..."

"Alexandrina Vina Victoria, heir to Victoria's throne." Vina briefly introduced herself, then immediately whispered to Alda:

"The situation here is complicated. Do not speak for now. The most important thing is surviving. Everything else... can wait until later."

Vina's words quickly calmed Alda and her group. Everyone watched as the Self-Rescue Army gradually moved behind Rhodes Island's people before Kal'tsit continued to ask:

"Is this a gesture of goodwill, Theresis?"

"It is not goodwill. I simply do not wish to see blood shed in front of my friend." Theresis merely gave this calm reply, then shifted his gaze toward the five Emperor's Blades and said:

"Emperor's Blades, extensions of the Ursus Emperor's hands. But this time, the place where you stand may not become Ursus territory as it once did."

"...Even so, we must carry out our orders. The will of Ursus must not be defiled."

After exchanging glances, one of the five Imperial Guards replied to Theresis in a completely emotionless voice. Yet as soon as it spoke, a faint sneer appeared on Theresis's face as he said:

"Defiled? Does this defilement you speak of refer to the statements in Yes, Prime Minister?"

"Yet as one of the main actors throughout the production, I can tell you that Yes, Prime Minister satirizes Victoria's Civil Service System entirely. It does not mention Ursus's Civil Service System even once. What evidence do you have to accuse it of defiling the will of Ursus?"

"The ban on Originium tools in episode four." The Imperial Guard had not expected the Sarkaz Regent to speak not through force, but with the attitude of diplomacy. After a brief pause, it immediately answered:

"The statements concerning the Infected all allude to the Ursus Empire's policies toward the Infected. How do you explain that?"

"Humphrey?"

The moment the Imperial Guard spoke, Theresis knew that it had fallen into his trap. Almost instinctively, he used the form of address from Yes, Prime Minister to summon the Bloodborne Archon.

"Yes, Prime Minister." Having already discussed their response with Theresis, the Bloodborne Archon promptly handed him a script. Theresis held a copied script of episode four of Yes, Prime Minister and said to the Imperial Guards:

"The script for episode four is in my hands. Emperor's Blades, you represent the will of Ursus. Then do you dare read every line in this script aloud, from beginning to end, before everyone here?"

"Allusion? Not one word in this episode's script mentions Ursus. Every part of it revolves around Victoria. On what basis do you believe it alludes to you?"

At that point, Theresis's sneer deepened, and his tone carried a hint of mockery.

"Or has the Ursus Empire's foreign policy become so fragile that even a script satirizing Victoria makes it imagine itself being targeted for no reason? As the will of Ursus, you should understand better than anyone what Ursus is truly like."

"..."

After Theresis said this, the five Emperor's Blades were instantly left speechless. They were not from Ursus's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to begin with, and even if they were, the Ursus Ministry of Foreign Affairs was more adept at military intimidation than reasoned argument.

Even so, though they had no argument, the Imperial Guards were not intimidated by Theresis. They still said:

"...I did not expect His Highness the Sarkaz Regent to be so skilled in sophistry."

"But even so, this is an order from the will of Ursus, and we are responsible for carrying it out. If you obstruct us, then even at the cost of our lives, we will complete our mission."

"Then I hope that before you act, you will first witness this moment." Theresis's gaze grew much colder, but he neither erupted in anger nor ordered the Sarkaz legion behind him to move. He simply said calmly:

"After you witness this moment, make your decision."

Having said this, Theresis signaled to the King of Scavengers beside him with his eyes. The King of Scavengers understood and pulled a triangular green object from his robes, resembling a tiny triangular structure.

"This is..."

At that moment, Kal'tsit recognized the object and was stunned. Chen Qi noticed it immediately as well, recognizing it at a glance.

Roguelike collectible?! This time, he was actually seeing the real thing?

The King of Scavengers held it high, and his decayed voice emerged from his throat.

"The ancient Sarkaz royal courts sacrificed themselves and obtained power. Beginning with this object, the royal courts ceased their conflict, made peace, and united against their common enemies."

"This is the Royal Court Covenant. No Sarkaz may defile it!"