The Eight Dukes: After Discussion, We Decided to Kick the Emperor Out of the Group Chat

Facing the Grand Knight Commander, Młynar's imposing aura remained undiminished, showing no sign of being swayed. He calmly replied, "This time, I might even win an Best Actor award, so I can show it to my two nieces when we get back."

"Oh? So, all of the Nearl Family's assets in Kazimierz were converted into cash, and overnight, all members of the Nearl Family disappeared from Kazimierz? Don't you have any explanation for that?"

"... That's the Nearl Family's property. How we liquidate it is our Nearl Family. I doubt even the Supervision Committee can stop us from selling our assets, right?"

Młynar clearly knew that facing the Grand Knight Commander this time would not be easy, but he showed no intention of backing down.

He felt that the Nearl Family had already done enough for the Kazimierz. And by launching such an unjust war, the Kazimierz would inevitably suffer the consequences in the future... Playing both sides, forgetting righteousness for petty gains, Młynar didn't think the Kazimierz could go much further, or continue to protect the Nearl Family.

The surname "Nearl" holds immense significance in Kazimierz. Even if someone is simply bound and motionless, the mere presence of someone with this surname on the battlefield is enough for the Campaign Knight to entrust them with the most important command, even if they have never met anyone from the "Nearl Family."

Młynar was deeply worried that Kazimierz, beset by internal and external troubles, would drag their still-developing Nearl Family members into battle for a war. Margaret, Maria— which of them was capable of standing alone? Which one understood true warfare?

Do Kazimierz care? No, they don't. All they care about is the name "Nearl."

So Młynar left. Without Kazimierz, who couldn't even keep the Nearl Family loyal, or even protect Nearl Family, he wasn't worth the Nearl Family serving him to the death.

"... Is this your answer, Młynar?" Disappointment flickered in the Grand Knight Commander's eyes as she gazed at Młynar's unmoved expression and asked calmly:

"The Nearl Family Protection the honor of generations; are you really just going to give it up like this?"

"... Kazimierz, where is there any honor left? Grand Knight Commander." Młynar spoke calmly, looking directly at the Grand Knight Commander, and replied indifferently:

"If this is the 'glory' that the Nearl Family guards, then I, an ordinary person of this generation, would rather travel with Director Chen Qi to make some meaningful films."

"I may not be able to uphold the glory of the Nearl Family, but at least I can avoid tarnishing the word 'glory.' That's my answer."

Młynar clearly didn't want to say anything more, but the Grand Knight Commander remained silent upon seeing Młynar's decision.

Seemingly noticing the commotion around them, Chen Qi subconsciously pressed Młynar's body back, while Talulah, Patriot, and even Manfred and the Bloodborne Archon beside Theresis all made subtle movements.

The somber atmosphere didn't last long. Suddenly, a voice that sounded familiar to Chen Qi and the others rang out, carrying a hint of a light laugh:

"Oh my, Director Chen Qi, it's been a while, and you've certainly become more and more influential."

"... Madam Sicily?"

Chen Qi immediately looked toward the source of the sound and saw Madam Sicily and Silver Ash walking toward him together. Chen Qi had not expected to see Madam Sicily here. She was the first person on the Terra to have the entire nation's resources support his filmmaking.

Although everyone around Chen Qi now has a higher profile than Madam Sicily, Chen Qi has not forgotten that without Madam Sicily's support, his films would not have been able to easily reach the world stage.

"Madam Sicily, you're here too. Are you here to witness the armistice agreement?" Chen Qi quickly went to greet her, kissing Madam Sicily's hand without hesitation. Madam Sicily smiled in response.

"Not only that, I also came here specifically for the film festival's awards ceremony."

"To be precise, even His Highness the Regent, who is by your side, Director Chen Qi, has been invited to the film festival. Currently, the level of attention this film festival is receiving is probably more important than the signing of the ceasefire agreement."

As Madam Sicily spoke, she then turned her gaze to Silver Ash beside her and said softly:

"Mr. Silver Ash is also here. He's here as a witness for Siracusa and has also received an invitation to the film festival. He's one of the most likely to win the 'Best Actor' award."

"It's been a long time, Director Chen Qi. Thank you for letting me play this role." Silver Ash only learned that Chen Qi was here today after talking with Madam Sicily, and he shook hands with Chen Qi very politely.

Silver Ash's gratitude was genuine. He hadn't expected that after playing a role, he would be welcomed like a hero by the locals upon returning to Siracusa. This was the first time he had received such a large-scale welcome since leading the Karlan Trade back to the Siracusa family.

Even the heads of the other two families praised his performance highly. It can be said that Silver Ash has now become a natural promoter of "Siracusa".

Not only that, Silver Ash even received many film and television collaboration invitations from other countries. Karlan Trade's orders even increased significantly because of his star power. Although Silver Ash did not agree to the film and television collaborations, he still indirectly connected with companies in many major countries.

It can be said that Silver Ash's role in "Darkest Hour" directly led to an astonishing surge in his business in Siracusa. In fact, many tourists will now come to Siracusa specifically to see him, thus contributing to the Siracusa's tourism industry.

More importantly, Silver Ash's performance has earned him the approval of the other two major families, and even the Manjuin Council of Elders. It seems that his relationship with his sister Ennya has also improved as a result.

Silver Ash was genuinely grateful to Chen Qi, and when Chen Qi got into trouble, he and Madam Sicily stood up for their friend.

"Everyone, Director Chen Qi is a friend of ours. We would like to have a few words with Chen Qi. Please excuse us."

Madam Sicily and Silver Ash each pulled Chen Qi away from the scene, and the Grand Knight Commander, seeing this, couldn't really make things difficult for him, so he silently left.

The two men kept holding onto Chen Qi, seemingly having a pleasant conversation with Chen Qi, and Chen Qi thanked them in return.

"Thank you both for getting me out of that situation; we almost came to blows."

"Director Chen Qi, you'd better be careful. Your reputation is too high now, and most of the people you've offended are here. They have ulterior motives towards you."

Madam Sicily knew that she couldn't help Chen Qi in this situation. Syracuse was a small country that lived in the cracks, and they couldn't afford to offend any of the major powers present.

Moreover... Chen Qi doesn't seem to need their help. The presence of the Chen Qi Laterano Church and the Sarkaz Regent standing beside him is enough to prove Chen Qi's current power.

Therefore, all Madam Sicily and Silver Ash can offer is a heartfelt reminder as friends.

"Please take good care of yourself, Director Chen Qi. After this, your name will be known throughout the land. At that time, countless people will try to win you over or harm you... Don't underestimate their vengeful nature."

"Exactly." Silver Ash nodded, then carefully reminded him, "Especially Kazimierz, Leithania, and Ursus... Ursus didn't even send an envoy this time, which shows how furious they are about the setbacks on the front lines and the forced ceasefire."

"They definitely won't let this go. Director Chen Qi, I hope you'll have a backup plan and be extremely careful."

"... Thank you for reminding me, Madam Sicily and Mr. Silver Ash, I understand."

Chen Qi nodded in agreement. After leaving her advice, Madam Sicily quietly departed. Silver Ash then approached Chen Qi again and said:

"Director Chen Qi, I think you could find an opportunity to speak with 'Kristen,' the representative from Columbia. She seems to need your help."

"Oh?"

Chen Qi was also a little surprised, and soon his gaze settled on Kristen, the CEO of Rhine Lab, who was dressed in a gorgeous outfit and looked like a strong woman.

And, Saria's "ex-wife"... Of course, Chen Qi could only keep this to himself; he certainly didn't dare to say it aloud.

Although Chen Qi didn't know if the "Flame Demon Incident" that caused the two to part ways had actually happened, seeing that Kristen came alone, he guessed that he and Saria had probably already fallen out.

Kristen noticed Chen Qi's gaze at that moment. For a moment, she looked at this genius who had single-handedly stirred up the earth and smiled slightly, raising her champagne glass to Chen Qi in a gesture of goodwill, but then did nothing more.

Only Kristen herself knew... what she wanted Chen Qi to help her with. Something few people would think Kristen would care about, something more important to her than the starry sky she wanted to explore.

Chapter 116: The Eight Dukes: After discussion, we've decided to kick the Emperor out of the group chat.

Strictly speaking, this ceasefire agreement was merely a formality, as Ursus did not send any envoys to negotiate. Therefore, this ceasefire agreement was simply a signing ceremony between Victoria and Leithania.

The Twin Empresses have already stated that they no longer want to fight, and they have no say in what Ursus does next. If it were just dealing with Ursus alone, Victoria could manage, especially since Ursus's current offensive is only minor and its initial frenzied invasion is almost over.

Due to repeated setbacks at the front, Ursus is now caught in a dilemma where it's neither safe to fight nor not to fight. The ceasefire by Leithania only exacerbates their already unfavorable situation.

It can be said that in this three-nation alliance, Kazimierz made a small profit, Leithania suffered a small loss, while Ursus was the one who lost big.

The signing of this ceasefire agreement was merely a pretext for the arrival of representatives from multiple countries. Everyone knew that the real focus was on Victoria's future policy, which would determine the strategy Victoria would implement for the next ten or even twenty years.

As for the film festival... it was nothing more than a large-scale social gathering for Victoria to curry favor with Chen Qi, but the representatives from various countries took it very seriously. It was not only a good opportunity for Victoria to flatter Chen Qi, but also an opportunity for them to show goodwill to Chen Qi.

Of course, all of this will have to wait until after today's armistice agreement signing ceremony.

"It looks like the signing went very smoothly." Amiya, as Rhodes Island's representative, was essentially riding on Chen Qi's fame to attend the signing ceremony as a representative of "international neutral forces."

Amiya's position wasn't exactly on the periphery, but it was still quite far back, which reflects Victoria's current level of attention to Rhodes Island. It's fair to say that if Chen Qi didn't have a delicate relationship with Rhodes Island, Amiya wouldn't have been able to get in even if she had to buy a standing ticket.

Amiya was not discouraged at all. On the contrary, she felt quite fortunate to be able to represent Rhodes Island in such an important international event, and her position was even a little ahead of Mr. Silver Ash, represented by Siracusa.

"This is just a formality. In reality, both Victoria and Leithania have long intended to cease hostilities. Now, it's just a matter of signing an agreement, and presumably, they have already discussed the compensation and treaty details."

Amiya's gaze remained fixed on the representatives of Victoria and Leithania who were negotiating at the oval table. Directly opposite Amiya were the Pope of Laterano and the "notaries" represented by Chen Qi.

Meanwhile, Amiya was using Rhodes Island's equipment to relay the news to Kal'tsit, who was monitoring the situation on Rhodes Island. Kal'tsit couldn't help but remark:

"The key point is Victoria's new policies afterward, Amiya. It's not convenient for me to attend these kinds of events, so you need to keep a close eye on the situation there and record any useful information."

"Of course, I'll also be listening in this way. You just need to keep an eye on Theresis's movements."

"I know." Amiya nodded, her gaze involuntarily drifting to Theresis, who was on Victoria's side at the round table and had also participated in the Theresis of the agreement. She felt a great deal of pressure.

To be honest, if Amiya hadn't insisted on coming forward herself, and if Chen Qi and so many others hadn't been there to protect her, Kal'tsit would never have dared to let Amiya come to Victoria and confront Theresis directly.

Kal'tsit might not be certain about other things, but she was certain that Theresis 'Theresis desire to eliminate Rhodes Island completely would not change. Therefore, Amiya's attendance this time had to be with Chen Qi the entire time to ensure that Theresis would not suddenly attack Amiya in order to eliminate the "Demon King".

However, what Kal'tsit and Amiya didn't know was that Theresis had already put aside the "Demon King" and Rhodes Island matters; he was now focused on things that were more meaningful to Kazdel and the Sarkaz race.

If the Demon King isn't strong enough, not many people will accept the title of Demon King. And Theresis only had to meet Amiya once to know that this young Cautus was still far from being a "Demon King".

Even a promising future is not as valuable as seizing the immediate, tangible benefits. Theresis watched as the Victoria and Leithania envoys signed the ceasefire agreement, a genuine smile appearing on her face.

"Therefore, Leithania will compensate Connor County for all reconstruction costs, the army will withdraw to Leithania, and a demilitarized zone will be established 50 kilometers from the border between Leithania and Victoria."

"From this day forward, the Leithania garrison is prohibited from stationing troops or constructing fortifications in the demilitarized zone. Ambassador Leithania, are the Twin Empresses willing to accept such a proposal?"

"--Representing the authority of the Twin Empresses, I am willing."

The ambassador from Leithania reluctantly accepted the proposal. After all, the side that voluntarily withdrew from the war was the loser, and even if Victoria was devastated as a result, it would still be the victor.

As the victorious Victoria's demands on Leithania, witnessed by Laterano Church, were not excessive. The two countries now considered many things, except for the desire for a ceasefire, to be negotiable.

The ceasefire agreement was signed smoothly, and soon after, the witnesses from various countries, as well as the two notaries, Chen Qi and the Pope, applauded the handshake between the representatives of the two countries.

"So, regarding the question that representatives from various countries, and the people of Victoria, are all extremely concerned about, is the future of Victoria."

"Regarding this issue, we will be open and transparent with all the countries of Terra, as well as all the citizens of Victoria. I will act as your representative and answer the questions that everyone is most concerned about."

"It's here." In an instant, representatives from various countries, as well as many people sitting in front of their televisions, were all paying close attention to this major live broadcast.

Especially on Rhodes Island, Vina and all her Glasgow Gang, as well as Kal'tsit, were watching this scene on television. They all knew very well that Victoria clearly needed to change in order to ensure that future reconstruction and development could proceed smoothly.

"Victoria must change the current situation. Continuing this internal strife and lack of ambition will only lead to becoming the next Iberia." Vina, sitting in front of the television, subconsciously viewed the issue from the perspective of the Crown Princess, muttering to herself:

"I just don't know... what the final result of the eight dukes' discussions will be."

"Regardless of the outcome, there's no doubt that Victoria's leadership will learn from this experience, and Victoria will enter a period of greater progress." Kal'tsit seemed quite optimistic about this, replying calmly.

"If this lesson fails to awaken the eight dukes, then Victoria will likely only become a second-rate nation on the Terra."

Kal'tsit was well aware that none of the eight dukes were fools. Those who had reached their current positions were not fools, but rather wicked individuals or people who sought personal gain or different interests.

Now that Victoria's external threats have been resolved, it's time to address its internal problems. If Victoria fails to rise again within the next twenty years, its fate may not be much better than that of Victoria, whose national strength was largely swallowed up by Iberia Great Silence.

At the scene, the Duke of Wellington, seeing that all eyes were on him, and as the representative of the eight dukes, and also the representative of Victoria, turned his gaze to Ablana Duke of Wellington him for the last time.

After receiving Ablana's approving look, Baron of Wellington nodded, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes. Then, turning to the representative of all nations, his expression immediately hardened, and he spoke with a resounding voice;

"This year has been an extremely turbulent one for all of us in Victoria."

"Never before had Victoria ever experienced a period that plunged from a dark age into a dark current, only to emerge from the mire and bloom into such a beautiful flower."

"Victoria experienced glory, decline, and the darkness of division, but now it is united again by a common goal."

"This year, all of us Victoria have come to realize that no matter what our history has been like, no matter our race, we are now part of Victoria, and part of this country."

"Therefore, I can confidently tell everyone that every citizen of Victoria will no longer be divided; we will all unite to achieve Victoria 'Victoria greatness once again!"

As soon as the Duke of Wellington finished speaking, a round of applause erupted in the room. In the homes of countless people in Victoria, the Duke of Wellington's words were naturally the answer they had been waiting for.

At Rhodes Island, Kal'tsit, Vina, and the others nodded to themselves after hearing the answer, confirming that the decision was correct.

"So, Your Grace, how do you intend to lead Victoria out of its current predicament?"

Meanwhile, a Victoria reporter who was already prepared asked a question. The Duke of Wellington, clearly a planted agent, chuckled and replied, "That's what I'm about to say."

"We discussed this issue in detail, and for this purpose, we focused on studying two works that are familiar to everyone."

"Yes, Prime Minister," and "Darkest Hour."

However, the Duke of Wellington suddenly mentioned the names of the two works, and everyone present knew perfectly well that they were written by the same person.

Immediately, everyone's attention was focused on Chen Qi, who was sitting in a very conspicuous position between Theresis and the Pope. Chen Qi was a little uneasy, but he still calmly witnessed everything.

But why bring up his two works in this matter? Chen Qi was a little confused... Don't tell him that you guys, who have been in Victoria for half your lives, still saw the future path of Victoria from "Yes, Prime Minister" and "Darkest Hour".

"We've focused our attention on 'Yes, Prime Minister.'" The Duke of Wellington smiled at Chen Qi and continued, "I must admit, Director Chen Qi's portrayal of our Victoria political system is remarkably insightful."

"Now, Victoria needs to rebuild from the ruins, and what we need to rely on is undoubtedly the operation of the Victoria government. But 'Darkest Hour,' a figure like His Majesty Frederick III, has not appeared in Victoria's time of crisis."

"And even a flawed Civil Service System could continue to function for Victoria; but we are now in dire straits, and no monarch is willing to take on the responsibility."

"This has undoubtedly disappointed the people of Victoria, but we have overcome this difficult time together, even without a monarch."

"This is enough to prove that perhaps a monarch is not so needed, but the power of the people of Victoria is boundless, and the operation of the Victoria government is stable."

The Duke of Wellington continued, but his words already gave most people a sense of unease. However, these comments did not affect the Duke of Wellington, who continued:

"Today, Victoria is in dire need of rebuilding, and we need a more streamlined civil service system. For Victoria's development, we will explore a new path to the future."

"Therefore, we have decided to limit Victoria's monarchical power. From now on, Victoria will rely more on the strength of Victoria people than on the emperor's personal ideas."

"We will give greater power to Parliament and to the people. The monarch's thoughts will depend on Parliament's thoughts, and Parliament's thoughts will depend on the thoughts of the people of Victoria. This is the policy for the future of Victoria!"

"Whoosh!" XN

However, no sooner had the Duke of Wellington finished speaking than countless flashes went off, and all the national representatives present were in an uproar, shocked by Victoria's bold decision.

Meanwhile, at Rhodes Island, Kal'tsit was slightly bewildered, but the most surprised was undoubtedly Crown Princess Vina, who stood with her mouth slightly agape, looking as if she couldn't react.