Chapter 199
The Senate of Schicksal is also a cunning old fox who is good at political games.
They gained access to the ruling classes behind various countries, continuously strengthening the original power of the Senate, and sought to revive the old Senate system.
It should be noted that the Schicksal was previously jointly controlled by the three major families and the Senate.
At that time, the Senate held immense power, capable of deciding life and death with a single word. Senators with the status of Cardinal could even command the homage of a king.
The cunning old foxes in the Senate knew very well that the reason the Cardinal wielded so much power was because the Mandate of Schicksal held a unique position in Europe at that time.
It possesses a military force that ordinary countries' armies simply cannot resist.
Or, to put it another way, if the so-called Apocalypse Knights were to take Honkai Energy weapons and stroll around the borders of various countries, those kings would be terrified and rush to the cathedral of Schicksal Headquarters to worship.
Although the Senate's authority has been severely reduced, and the cunning old men in the Senate are now descendants of the senators who fought alongside Otto, one can still sense the greatness of Mandate of Schicksal through the histories of each family.
They had absolutely no intention of killing Otto. Rather, it was because of Otto that the Schicksal still provided them with a comfortable life, even though the Senate's authority had been reduced to that of a mere mascot.
The old foxes know very well who gave them their current status.
However, the reactivation of the Senate was also a matter of ancestral precepts, and the main reason was that the old foxes all knew very well that Otto had no intention of properly managing the Schicksal.
Having spent their entire lives in politics, they always choose to play the turtle when necessary, and when it's time to play the pig, they portray the pig so convincingly that everyone thinks they are the pig.
Unfortunately, it wasn't of much use to Otto.
Otto saw that they were being too arrogant, so he simply killed their offspring.
Otto did not kill their grandchildren; in fact, he even arranged marriages for elders who had only one son. Once the elder's grandchildren were born, he killed his only son.
This is a show of killing chickens for monkeys to see, because the senators value their own lives more. Otto is not afraid that killing their offspring will cause a riot in the Senate. Even if a riot does occur, Otto does not mind wiping them out completely.
Otto didn't get rid of them directly because he recognized their abilities; he simply needed someone to do the chores, and also out of respect for their elders who had helped him build the empire.
The main reason why the Senate and the ruling classes of various countries were tricked by Freya was that they did not expect Freya to act so quickly.
By the time they realized what was happening, the total war was over.
Schicksal consumed the Shencheng Medicine and then began to fight the World Serpent.
Before the ruling classes of various countries could react, Schicksal suddenly began to lay off employees and weaken Schicksal upper echelons, but just when it was weakening, it joined forces with Anti-Entropy.
This left the ruling class completely bewildered.
Even if they wanted to smear others, they couldn't find an excuse to unite with other countries.
Ryoma and Siegfried exchanged glances. They were both well aware of the current situation in various countries and that Schicksal could not become powerful at will. After all, various countries had always coveted the scientific and technological capabilities of Schicksal. If the cost of attacking Schicksal alone were not too high, they would not have considered joining forces with other countries.
However, once the Schicksal poses a significant threat, capable of threatening the entire world, even in countries friendly to Schicksal, the ruling class will find countless excuses to justify their attacks on Schicksal.
It's an accusation that Schicksal is conducting Honkai Energy infection experiments in densely populated cities, causing numerous casualties, etc.
"Although I hate to admit it, Schicksal has indeed become much harder for Destiny since Otto left."
Siegfried pursed his lips in displeasure.
Even without the help of Anti-Entropy, Schicksal would still open up some technologies to various countries, but the current situation of Schicksal and Anti-Entropy can only be described as a relationship where human nature is too complicated.
When facing the Honkai, the enemies are not just Honkai Beast and Deadman.
"I'm much better off than before, after all, Bishop Otto never intended to develop the Schicksal," Ryoma said, taking a drag of his cigarette.
Both the Type-B Stigmata and the Titan Mech with piloting capabilities represent an increase in the military power possessed by Schicksal and Anti-Entropy.
Compared to the past, the present is certainly dozens of times stronger.
However, the production of Type-B Stigmata is relatively small, and only twenty prototype Titan Mech with piloting capabilities have been manufactured. It can be said that the increase in military power is not significant and remains within the tolerance range of various countries.
"Type-B Stigmata, to be honest, my second daughter definitely inherited her mother's intelligence. Otherwise, how could she have created something that even Otto couldn't make? Hmm, it's also related to my excellent genetic factors..."
Seeing Siegfried patting himself on the back, Ryoma couldn't help but feel deep contempt.
He didn't even boast about his daughter inheriting his brilliant mind and excellent swordsmanship, so Siegfried, tell me, what exactly did Freya inherit? The Kaslana Family's Gun Kata? Sorry, that lord had absolutely no interest in learning it, and even looked at it with disdain.
Two men, both fathers, were in the church outside the cathedral, and their transaction was indeed recorded by an intelligence agent who was keeping his identity hidden.
Soon, information about the man codenamed "Black Serpent," World Serpent executive and deliveryman, was presented to the ruling classes of various countries.
Incidentally, the information broker who sold the data was none other than Cocolia.
The true identity of "Black Serpent" is Siegfried Kaslana, and when his legendary information came into the view of the ruling class, they were all bewildered.
After all, the records for "Black Serpent" state that he defected from Schicksal, was wanted by the Schicksal, and then joined Anti-Entropy. After his daughter took over, Schicksal lifted the warrant for his arrest, and he operated within Schicksal for a period of time. Later, he infiltrated World Serpent as a spy for Anti-Entropy. Due to his outstanding abilities, he was given a cadre position by World Serpent. He then represented World Serpent in transactions with Anti-Entropy, causing discord between Schicksal and Anti-Entropy.
Simply put, this guy is a jerk to his daughter.
She's still trying to take advantage of the daughter of the Schicksal Acting Grand Bishop has ascended to the highest position.
The ruling classes of various countries were bewildered by Siegfried's actions in harming his daughter.
If we were to select the top ten most baffling behaviors of the year, Siegfried's actions that harmed his daughter would definitely be in the top ten.
Although Freya was also suspicious of Siegfried personally delivering the goods, Siegfried's actions did not affect the impression she deliberately spread. It was enough to give the ruling classes of various countries the illusion that the three major organizations were not united.
Of course, some ruling classes in other countries suspect that these claims are false.
But so what? As long as the ruling classes of various countries cannot reach a consensus, their influence on Schicksal and Anti-Entropy is negligible.
Although it's true that Siegfried personally delivering the goods was a bit of a rip-off.
Even though Freya's current identity is Kiana Apocalypse, she is indeed related to Siegfried as father and daughter. It can be said that Siegfried is her agent to some extent. And the fact that someone like her is trading World Serpent technology with Anti-Entropy might be interpreted as Freya instructing her.
Of course, Freya was also considering ways to make amends, but after Siegfried sold Cocolia's other information, she discovered that Siegfried might not be a very bright member of the ruling class, and felt that Siegfried was probably just trying to harm his daughter.
Yes, because he's not very bright, he ruined his daughter's life.
Freya was struggling to make perfect sense of her situation and even considered revealing that she was a clone created by Otto. As a result, Siegfried, who discovered her identity, left Schicksal and even became hostile to her, the clone who had risen to power.
She's also very good at creating character designs. All she has to do is portray Siegfried as an Avenger who harbors extreme hatred for Schicksal because his biological daughter was turned into a clone. In this way, his actions of harming his daughter can be interpreted as revenge against the Schicksal.
At this moment, Freya had no idea that... the ruling classes of various countries had already imagined that because of a father who betrayed his daughter, the promising situation that his daughter had worked so hard to achieve was lost.
228. Am I dreaming?
Putting aside the political issues, the two fathers who went outside the cathedral were simply venting their frustrations.
As an elderly father, I can no longer understand my daughter's thoughts.
Some precocious daughters no longer confide in them, leaving the two heartbroken fathers to encourage each other while smoking and reminiscing about the days when their daughters were still clingy.
The intelligence agent who saw Siegfried talking to Ryoma kept imagining Anti-Entropy and World Serpent plotting together.
As the invited guests arrived at the wedding venue one by one, the grand wedding meticulously planned by Ryoma was about to begin.
Some members of Anti-Entropy patrolled as security personnel to maintain order at the venue. This task was originally assigned to the Valkyrie, but... Freya underestimated the impact of Welt's marriage on the Valkyrie.
Even now, many Valkyrie have not been able to recover.
Many Valkyrie originally wanted to channel their grief and anger into motivation, but Freya had cleared out all the Honkai battlefields around the world, so even if they wanted to vent their anger on the Honkai Beast, they couldn't find anyone to vent their anger on.
Ryoma's wedding was a grand affair, with over 100,000 guests arriving, a number that could only be accommodated in the open space outside the Dogmatic District.
Inside the cathedral, Welt, dressed in a black suit, couldn't help but feel nervous.
Although this grand wedding had a political element, it was also a once-in-a-lifetime important day for him and Tesla.
Even the tension I felt when facing the Second Herrscher's death was far less than the tension I felt now.
"Inhale... exhale, exhale..."
Welt, trying to calm his racing heart with his breathing, caught a glimpse of Freya sitting on either side of the cathedral.
With a perfectly calm expression, she leaned on the shoulder of the pretty maid beside her. There was still some time before the wedding started, and she seemed to have decided to take a short rest, as if she didn't care about the political significance of the wedding.
That's understandable.
Welt thought to himself.
For the Acting Grand Bishop, this wedding was simply a means to make his younger sister happier; the so-called political performance was merely a result of her inadvertently pushing things along.
By casually adding some meanings that others deem important to a wedding that can make the younger sister happier, the wedding can achieve other goals at once, which can be described as killing three birds with one stone, or even killing multiple birds with one stone.
Freya didn't care at all if the political implications of the story failed.
While Welt and Ryoma worried that Schicksal was too powerful and might cause a coalition of great powers, Freya herself didn't care about such things at all.
With three thousand Honkai Energy fission bomb in her hands, she knew very well that Otto had prepared a path to dictatorship for her.
From her hairstyle to her personality, Freya began to constantly imitate Otto, and she became increasingly clear about why Otto could recklessly throw Honkai Energy fission bomb without worrying about the fears of various countries.
Ultimately, for Otto, the Schicksal was merely a useful tool.
Even if the Schicksal were to be captured by various countries, it would not affect him at all. He had prepared many backup plans, one of which was a secret laboratory that could continue to operate even after leaving Schicksal.
Freya investigated the whereabouts of the Schicksal's funds in the past, and one sum of trillions of dollars was missing. Who knows what Otto used this money to create?
Freya had also worried that the Schicksal was too powerful and would provoke strong reactions from various countries.
However, once Freya realized that Schicksal was merely a tool for protecting Kiana and Aurora, she completely disregarded Schicksal's reputation. What she needed was not a charitable organization with a good international reputation, but a powerful armed organization that could protect her sisters in the subsequent Great Honkai.
She no longer wants to perform those awkward acts with the old men in the Senate.
Freya, who was taking a nap, noticed the gaze. She opened one eye and quickly realized that the person staring at her was Welt, and then she was a little flustered.
Freya admitted that falling asleep in such a situation was not a good idea, but the gradually accumulating fatigue, along with Freya's subconscious leaning against Rita, suddenly erupted the moment she smelled a lavender scent.
"Mr. Welt, I'm sorry, I accidentally fell asleep..."
"Oh? No, I didn't mean to blame the Acting Grand Bishop. If you're tired, you can rest in a room inside the cathedral."
Welt quickly waved his hand, his gaze fixed on Freya, entirely because the wedding was ultimately Freya's doing.
Without Freya, Welt wouldn't know when he would have been able to express his love to Tesla, let alone marry Tesla and adopt a daughter.
He had already given up the blissful life of being with the person he loved most when he inherited the name and took on the responsibilities it represented.
Welt gave up many things: his childhood, his favorite music and history, his dream of becoming a teacher...
The thought that Sister Tesla would marry him in just a few hours made Welt instinctively clutch his chest. His heart was pounding uncontrollably, as if it were all just an unreal dream.
Why are you looking at me like that?
"I am very grateful to the Acting Grand Bishop."
Upon hearing Welt's words, Freya's lips curled into a smile.
"In that case, I happen to have something to give you..."
"Please wait a moment, Your Acting Grand Bishop, I remember I took a month's leave for my wedding."
Welt was quite troubled by this.
He genuinely felt that his Acting Grand Bishop was turning into an exploiter. Even if he found him useful, there was no need to exploit him like this.
Welt regretted that he had applied for too few vacation days.
However, neither he nor Tesla intended to abandon Aurora for too long.
"You can go on your honeymoon anytime, but this stage is crucial. Schicksal and Anti-Entropy can't do without you." Freya stretched with a teasing smile on her face.
Although Freya said that, judging from her relaxed tone and languid expression, it didn't seem to be as important as she said.
"Tesla and I will be back on the day of the battle, and we won't miss the great battle in Nagoya City."
"That operation was mainly to test the combat capabilities of the Type 1 and Type 2 Neo Titans, or rather, to test how the Valkyrie could amplify the Neo Titans' firepower—"
Nagoya City can only be considered a small gathering place for Honkai Beast. Freya conducted an on-site investigation in Nagoya City yesterday and estimated that the number of Honkai Beast was not much different from the number previously investigated by Valkyrie and Anti-Entropy members.
The strongest Honkai Beast in Nagoya City is only an Emperor-class Honkai Beast, which is just a matter of one punch for Freya. Although she accidentally created Humanoid Honkai Beast and almost killed herself, her combat power is still overwhelming against ordinary Emperor-class Honkai Beast.
Ice Pig, Twins, and the like, they're an instant kill!
Secondly, there are several Emperor Honkai. Wherever there are Emperor-class Honkai Beast, there will be one or two Emperor Honkai. As a symbol of the limit of lower-level Honkai Beast, it is quite prestigious.
For Freya, it was just like the Armor Piercing Flame Spear with automatic aiming disappearing in an instant.
Given the number of Type-B Valkyrie that the Schicksal currently possesses, even if they were to engage in a head-on confrontation, the Type-B Valkyrie would be the victors.
After gaining control over Honkai Energy, the Valkyrie' combat power increases to an absurd level.
While some girls gain the Honkai Energy after becoming Valkyrie, and many survivors of the Second Eruption War are also able to control Honkai Energy, the Type-B Stigmata can draw out the power of the Stigmata hidden in the genetic fragments.
Their soaring combat power can be described as taking off from the spot.
"Have the slots for the testing machines been allocated?" Welt asked curiously.
"Yes, seven from the Assault Team, six from Lewis's squad, four from the Commoner Faction, and three from the Aristocratic Faction."