"Darkest Hour," watched in three countries / The oppression of "Darkest Hour": humiliation before anger?

"Lemuel! Welcome back!"

"Lemuel! What do you need us all to do? Blow up the church or the school?"

"No, no! We're not here to cause trouble! We're here to see His Holiness the Pope!"

Upon returning to Laterano, Exusiai immediately pushed through the encirclement of her compatriots. She had already expressed her empathy and felt the need to gather a large number of Sarkaz people to help. She also immediately relayed the message to the Pope, knowing that helping Chen Qi required His Holiness's approval.

"I already know why you've come, Lemuel."

However, at that very moment, escorted by several Pontiff Knights, the Pope himself slowly walked onto the street. He immediately turned his gaze to Lemuel and the rest of the Penguin Logistics team, and replied with a smile:

"You're from Kazimierz, and Director Chen Qi is currently in Kazimierz as well. If I'm not mistaken, Director Chen Qi needs us to help promote his new movie, right?"

"Yes! Director Chen Qi said he hopes we can help distribute these videotapes to various Mobile City in Victoria!"

Exusiai nodded immediately, and without saying a word, took the scroll Chen Qi had given her from the land ship and unfolded it like a carpet.

As the scroll slowly descended, stacks of videotapes from "Darkest Hour" appeared within it. The Pope and the surrounding Sarkaz, witnessing this scene, gasped in amazement at the incredible spectacle.

"Hehe, Director Chen Qi is a friend of ours at Sarkaz, and we're happy to be able to help him." The Pope picked up one of the videotapes, discreetly pocketed it, and then said thoughtfully:

"However, we Laterano have no reason to intervene in the war between Victoria and several other countries... We cannot even act as mediators, because no country has invited us to be one."

"Releasing these videotapes like this will give Laterano a bad reputation for interfering in the war..."

"That's easy!" Exusiai, clearly already having a good idea, immediately said to the Pope, "We can put the videotape in a gift box, along with water and food, as a form of aid from Laterano to the people of Victoria!"

"In this way, we neither intervened in the war nor took sides; we simply provided aid to civilians, which is in line with our doctrine, isn't it?"

"Hehe, that's a good idea."

The Pope smiled slightly upon hearing this, clearly already knowing what to do, but simply wanting the Exusiai to say it. Having decided what to do, the Pope immediately gave the order:

"Summon our Pontiff Knight, and let them place these gifts from the Lord to the suffering people of the world into the hands of the innocent civilians of Victoria. Oh, and remember to stuff them with sweets; the children will surely love them."

"It's time to repay our friends in Sarkaz! Let's all work together to make more 'gift boxes'!"

"--Yes, Your Holiness!"

As soon as the Pope finished speaking, all the Sarkaz echoed his sentiments, and the entire Laterano City sprang into action. They packed food, water, candy, and videotapes into gift boxes, ready to deliver them to Victoria and give everyone a huge "surprise."

Chapter 88: The Darkest Hour, Watched by Three Countries

A few days later, on the front lines in Victoria, the Campaign Knight of Kazimierz, who had already captured a Mobile City, were performing their duties and slowly gaining control of the city.

However, although the Campaign Knight were clad in silver armor and each displayed combat qualities befitting the title of "Campaign Knight," the morale of the team seemed rather low.

"We cannot do this! We are knights, not bandits, much less robbers! We should not wage such a war!"

"We absolutely cannot... associate with those slave owners from Ursus. I swore an oath to give everything for Kazimierz, but I didn't swear to do this!"

A handsome Campaign Knight placed his helmet aside. After conquering this Mobile City, none of the Campaign Knight broke into civilian houses or engaged in "on-site resupply." This member of the "Silvermane Knights" was renowned for his exceptionally high level of discipline.

They set up camp on the outskirts of the city, refraining from harassing the local civilians who had given up resistance. His words were echoed by several of the Campaign Knight around him, who said:

"Yeah... Although I was originally transferred from the eastern front, which was in confrontation with Ursus, fighting Ursus and fighting Victoria... really feel quite different."

"When we were fighting the Ursus army group, I knew who I was fighting for and who I was protecting, but now... I feel like we're all executioners."

"We used to Protection those behind us, but now we're destroying them... Even though what Victoria and her gang did back then was appalling, I still have this excuse to comfort myself."

"We should keep this to ourselves; we mustn't let the Knight Commander or the warlord hear it."

Several members of Silvermane Knights also had their own opinions and voices regarding this unjust war launched by the Supervision Committee, but they were also very clear that they could not let their voices affect others or this great war, otherwise they would be even more sinners.

What are your plans for tonight?

"... Patroll the surrounding area, and if you find any children orphaned by the war, take them to a temporary war orphanage." A Silvermane Knights horseman replied calmly.

"After the war, they will return to Kazimierz with our army, and possibly this entire Mobile City. At that time, these war orphans will enter the Kazimierz Orphanage... Those who are qualified will undergo rigorous training and become Campaign Knight just like you and me."

"Or he could be bought by the Commercial Federation to become Competition Knight, and then fall in the arena one day."

The Silvermane Knights discussed the fate of these Victoria orphans, wanting to express indifference, but the contradiction between their deep-rooted sense of justice and their current actions filled them with torment.

However, at that moment, a Silvermane Knights suddenly noticed something. He subconsciously looked up at the sky, his pupils slightly contracting, and instinctively shouted:

"Look! What's that?"

However, as the Silvermane Knights pointed towards the sky, all the Campaign Knight this Mobile City noticed the silver-armored knights in the sky who wore similar armor to themselves but possessed the ability to fly and wielded huge guns.

The ability to fly, the silver armor, and the wielding of massive guns—these characteristics immediately made the Campaign Knight realize that these beings were none other than the legendary Pontiff Knight of Laterano!

Why are they here? Could it be that they accepted the Duke of Victoria's request for help and came to assist Victoria first?

However, just as the Campaign Knight were on edge, a voice came from the Pontiff Knight in the sky, shouting:

"All soldiers from Kazimierz, Ursus, Leithania —all those who have fought in this war! We are the Pontiff Knight of Laterano! We are not here to cheer on this evil war, nor to receive requests for mediation."

"Our journey here is solely to bring the Lord's salvation to the innocent civilians trapped in this merciless war."

"These gift boxes are a small act of aid from Laterano to innocent civilians. We may not be able to provide equal assistance to every family or every individual, but these donations can bring a glimmer of hope and solace to these people."

"These aids are distributed by Laterano to the civilians of Victoria. Therefore, soldiers from other countries, you must not seize them. In the name of the Lord, if you attack civilians, it will force Laterano to intervene in this unjust war!"

The words of the Pontiff Knight were not only spoken on the front lines of Kazimierz, but also on the front lines of Leithania and Ursus, and were echoed by more than one Pontiff Knight.

As soon as the words were spoken, aircraft from Laterano arrived, carrying gift boxes wrapped in colorful ribbons, which were slowly dropped into the Mobile City of Victoria under parachutes.

In an instant, in every one of Victoria's Mobile City, whether or not they were affected by the war, at least a hundred gift boxes fell. Many more fell in the Mobile City that were in danger. Victoria civilians gathered around, showing their first joyful smiles since the start of the war.

"... Should we rob it?"

"What are you robbing? Didn't you hear what those Sarkaz from Laterano said? If we forcibly take it, they'll definitely report it to Laterano. Do you want to make another enemy?"

This time, however, the soldiers from the three countries, regardless of their skill level, weighed the pros and cons and chose not to become enemies with Laterano, allowing these Victoria civilians to take the gift boxes away.

"Mommy! Mommy, look! There's water, food, and candy in here!"

"With food and water, we can survive!"

"Huh? Why is there a videotape in here?"

Soon, the Victoria commoners who received these gift boxes noticed the conspicuous videotape hidden among them.

Meanwhile, not only in Victoria, but also in the residents of Kazimierz and Siracusa, people began to pay attention to the newly released film "Darkest Hour." This was a promise Chen Qi had made to them: the premiere of "Darkest Hour" would be held in Kazimierz, while Siracusa was a friendly sponsorship from Chen Qi.

The Siracusa civilians, who had only recently acquired televisions and whose local area networks had just been established, tentatively turned on their TVs following the instructions in the manual, hoping that this new device would display images as their Holy Maiden had said.

This scene was even playing out at Manjuin, which was quite lively today. Not only the elders, but also the saintess Ennya and the heads of the other two families had come to watch "Darkest Hour".

"Although I'm not interested... but seeing that guy Enciodes perform on stage, and with the Saintess praising him so highly, I absolutely have to see this movie."

Aktos, the patriarch of the Perrochi Family, one of the three great families of the Siracusa, is a burly man with a rough appearance and personality. He sits somewhat awkwardly in his chair, watching the premiere of "Darkest Hour" with everyone else.

"That's right, seeing Enciodes in a movie makes our trip worthwhile."

On the other side, Ratatos, the patriarch of the Browntail Family, crossed her long legs, which were covered in black stockings, and said with an expression of great interest:

"Aktos and I initially had some reservations about Enciodes building the Siracusa Grid domain network... but since we can now see a movie starring him, that's a different story."

"It can only be said that this is probably the first time the people of all of Siracusa have come into contact with the patriarch of the Shiwaish Family and the president of Karlan Trade in this way. Hopefully, Enciodes's acting will satisfy everyone."

However, the conversation between the two clan leaders did not elicit any reaction from Ennya, who was also intently focused on the television screen, waiting for the premiere of "Darkest Hour".

Ennya still remembers what Silver Ash told her: he condensed what he wanted to say, the attitude he wanted to express, and the emotions he wanted to convey into this movie... He wanted to use this method, by playing another character, to convey the emotions he wanted to say but could not say.

Ennya was filled with anticipation, hoping that in this movie, her brother could, as he had said, help her understand everything he wanted to express within the film.

At this moment, for those waiting for the premiere, including Siracusa and Kazimierz, and for countless Victoria who have now put their tapes in, "Darkest Hour" premiered in three different countries, creating a sensation.

The film opens by depicting the historical period in which it is set—the eve of the Battle of Gaul, a war between Leithania and Gaul over the ownership of Bolívar. Due to Leithania's setbacks in the early stages of the war, Victoria, feeling a sense of crisis, is also drawn into the conflict.

Victoria's involvement, however, did not immediately change the course of the war. Under the pressure of the Gaul Imperial Guard, Victoria's army suffered repeated defeats. Coupled with Columbia's independence, Victoria had now lost faith in the current emperor.

So they began searching for a new successor.

"Is this movie... about Victoria history?"

At this moment, the people and high-ranking officials of Victoria, Siracusa, and Kazimierz were all paying close attention to "Darkest Hour," but they couldn't help but sense that something was amiss.

However, they still don't know what will happen next. They only understand history, but not the details. Now, the Kazimierz Supervision Committee can only patiently wait and see.

The Dukes of Victoria also received the videotapes from their subordinates one after another. They were all well aware that the videotapes sent by Laterano contained movies.

This inevitably reminded them of a ruthless person who single-handedly accelerated the division of Victoria... They all knew very well that the only thing that could get Sarkaz to help promote it like this was probably Chen Qi's movie.

But they were powerless to stop it. Even their soldiers could only take a copy for them to watch in the chaos. They didn't dare offend Laterano or seize all the videotapes to destroy.

A similar scene was unfolding in Londinium. After receiving the videotapes delivered by Penguin Logistics, Theresis, following Chen Qi's instructions, had the Confessors distribute the videotapes to the surrounding Victoria Mobile City and decided to hold back for the time being.

However, he did not choose to immediately distribute the videotape of the film in Londinium; he wanted to see first what kind of story Chen Qi's film was telling.

"Theresia... her current will is merely a manifestation of the Sarkaz will. She advised me not to rush into sending troops... and Director Chen Qi's film just happened to arrive."

"Is this some kind of omen? What exactly is Director Chen Qi planning to do?"

Theresis couldn't understand it, so she continued watching. Meanwhile, Theresia, whose eyes were vacant, also turned her gaze to the television.

At that moment, a glimmer of expectation flashed in her eyes. She wanted to see... whether this man truly had a way, in his own way, to change the course of this war?

Chapter 89: The oppressive atmosphere of "Darkest Hour," the humiliation before anger?

"The history of Victoria, specifically the period of the Battle of Gaul?"

"This Chen Qi, making such a film during the Victoria War and giving it such a title... what exactly are his intentions? It's truly baffling."

"Now Sarkaz is helping him promote the movie, spreading it throughout Victoria... Could it be that Sarkaz is even planning to help him plunge Victoria into utter ruin?"

Although the dukes are now fighting their own battles, they are not fools. They are well aware that Chen Qi's high-profile actions are likely an attempt to use this film, in his own way, to interfere with the course of the war.

Although the dukes did not believe, nor dared to believe, that Chen Qi had such ability, they had all witnessed the influence and sharpness of "Yes, Prime Minister." Therefore, they shared the same thought as the Grand Knight Commander of Kazimierz: they had to pay attention to the impact of this film as soon as possible.

The general public and the few people in Siracusa didn't have any particular feelings; their attention was now drawn to the plot of the movie.

In the film, Oracle plays Frederick II, under pressure and given the dire situation Victoria is facing, is forced to abdicate. He intends to pass the throne to his son, but his son clearly doesn't want to take on this mess at this time and therefore declines.

Therefore, after some discussion, Frederick II ultimately decided to hand over this mess to someone who wouldn't cause a party split, namely his brother, Frederick III, played by Silver Ash.

When Silver Ash, playing Frederick III, appeared, everyone in Siracusa knew that Silver Ash's character was about to make his entrance, but instead saw a sparse, gray-haired, obese, and sluggish old man, the people of Siracusa who were looking forward to seeing the handsome and dashing President Kjerag were greatly disappointed.

"No way?! Lord Enciodes, actually dressed up as such an old man?"

"Is this what Lord Enciodes looks like?"

"Of course not! Didn't we both see him at the public speech when Karlan Trade was officially established? He's a rather handsome young man."

"Was he deliberately made up to look that old? What a pity, I was hoping to see Enciodes' handsome face—ah, now I don't want to look anymore."

Clearly, there are quite a few people in Siracusa who share similar thoughts as Ennya did back then. When Silver Ash made his appearance in this manner, it undoubtedly disappointed those who wanted to see a handsome CEO.

However, several dukes of Victoria, as well as some Victoria, felt a sense of familiarity with the character of Frederick III after seeing Silver Ash's attire, even if they didn't recognize Silver Ash.

Especially for some Victoria who lived through that era, watching Silver Ash portray the emperor, with his cigar and whiskey constantly dangling from his lips, they couldn't help but sigh:

"This one looks quite like a real person."

"He really resembles His Majesty the Third, the emperor who resolutely declared war on Gaul and conquered Gaul."

While not all the people of Victoria had actually seen Frederick III, his photographs and the title of emperor that shattered the reputation of the Gaul emperor were household names in Victoria.

As for this emperor, his unwavering commitment to the conquest of Gaul, even withstanding Columbia's independence and numerous pressures, ultimately made him the only nation to withstand the heavy pressure from Gaul before the Witch King of Leithania intervened. This directly led to Victoria's territory more than doubling in size after losing northwestern Columbia and achieving victory.

Now, from a historical perspective, everyone knows that the Emperor, played by Silver Ash, will surely succeed, and ultimately everyone in Victoria will unite against their common enemy, creating another peak for Victoria.

However, in the later plot of the movie, Silver Ash, who became the new emperor, did not have everything go as smoothly as everyone expected.

First, Silver Ash delivered a deafening speech in Parliament, vowing to fight Gaul to the end until victory. However, this speech did not receive widespread approval from the Conservative Party and the opposition. The abdicated King II and his son were proponents of peace talks with Gaul.

The character played by Oracle regrets having chosen such a person as the new emperor and hopes that his son can overthrow him. However, his son clearly does not want to take responsibility, but is greedy for the benefits that the throne brings. He only wants his father to pave the way for him so that he can ascend the throne and quell the turmoil in the simplest way.

"We must obtain written records of his refusal to negotiate." Ultimately, the character played by Oracle, the Second Prince, offered this solution: as long as they could obtain written records of Silver Ash's refusal to negotiate peace, they could use this to oppose him, just like forcing the Second Prince to abdicate, thus compelling him to step down.

The fact that such an emperor, who had just been chosen to be a pillar of the state at a crucial moment, was then embroiled in internal problems such as political disagreements and secret plots against him, left many viewers who knew the historical outcome feeling oppressed.

History books only record that the valiant Frederick III united Parliament, decided to persist in the war against Gaul, and successfully persisted until victory—but what everyone saw was not Frederick III receiving widespread support, but rather facing countless doubts and misunderstandings.

They even wanted to step into the movie and ask those who conspired against the third emperor if they knew that their opposition had actually led to a successful comeback, resulting in Victoria's victory over the powerful Gaul emperor.

"Faced with a powerful outsider, they can't even unite internally? Those people in Victoria seem even less capable than us in Siracusa?"

As the head of the Siracusa clan, Aktos's family had been dedicated to protecting the saintess for generations. The clan was known for its bravery and skill in battle. Although he lacked cunning as the clan leader, he was well aware that without internal support, a family fighting alone would find it difficult to defeat a powerful enemy.

"It seems that sometimes, the internal problems of large, developed countries are even more difficult to handle," Ratatos remarked.