Conference of Nations
"Are you ready?" Hange shouted, cupping her hands around her mouth like a megaphone.
In front of Hange, the dark-skinned Oliugon Pong gave a thumbs-up, indicating that there was no problem, while the deafening roar of machinery filled the surroundings.
Oliugon Pong gripped the control lever firmly with one hand, staring intently at every instrument panel in front of him. Through the thick bulletproof glass, he could see a perfectly straight long runway.
On both sides of the runway, many armed Soldiers stood guard, and protective netting was also put up to prevent onlookers from accidentally wandering onto the runway.
That's right, Hange and the others were on the plane.
In this world where Airship are still the primary mode of warfare, apart from the formidable Far East, only Marley and the present-day Paradis Island have researched and put into use Air Force.
On the plane, Yago had his arms crossed and his eyes closed, resting. Besides Yago, there were also Aili, Annie, Erwin, Hange, Levi, and the representatives from the Orient, including Kiyomasa Azumabito and another unnamed old general. In addition, there were more than ten elite Soldiers from Paradis Island who were fully armed and wearing Omni-Directional Mobility Gear.
After Oliugon Pong finished his inspection, he pushed the throttle lever all the way, and the enormous mechanical monster slowly started up under the shocked gazes of the Eldia Revival Army Soldiers and onlookers.
The Propeller spun rapidly, and the enormous mechanical monster grew faster and faster, finally roaring as it shot into the sky!
As the black dot in the sky grew smaller and smaller, Selina withdrew her gaze, sighed softly, and then turned resolutely to her men, who were already fully equipped and ready for action, and ordered, "It's time for us to move! All troops, move out immediately! Proceed according to plan!"
"Yes, sir!" A group of the Eldia Revival Army Officer stood at attention, saluted, and raised their right arms horizontally across their chests, their faces solemn.
Beside the Restoration Army, the Officer of the New Army on Paradis Island were also ready for battle, with shouts of "Dedicate Your Hearts!" rising and falling. Eren, dressed in his Section Commander's uniform, gazed thoughtfully at the direction in which the plane had disappeared. "Eren, what's wrong? You seem to have something on your mind?" Eren, Mikasa always wore her red scarf, asked with concern.
Eren snapped out of his reverie, looking at Mikasa's pretty face and noticing the barely perceptible scar under Mikasa eye. A pang of heartache flashed through his mind, but Eren quickly suppressed it, saying casually, "It's alright, I'm not a child anymore. Mikasa, you should take good care of yourself." As he spoke, he reached out and re-wrap Mikasa's slightly loose scarf.
Mikasa let Eren wrap the scarf around her neck, looking at Eren's face, her cheeks slightly flushed. Eren has been getting gentler lately.
In the Marley Empire, in the Texi Province, the Icarus City of Icarus City officially became the temporary capital of Marley Capital several months ago, following a meeting of the new Marley Ministry of Defense.
Meanwhile, the Icarus City was also teeming with troops, with hundreds of thousands of soldiers gathered there, and the clouds of war hung over the entire city.
With World War looming, Icarus City has become an important meeting place for various nations to negotiate in preparation for war with the Far East.
During this period, representatives from nearly a hundred countries, large and small, gathered in this gradually militarized city to discuss alliances and other matters based on their respective interests. Over several months, the number of meetings held was almost countless. As of today, fewer than thirty national representatives remain in the city, and these are roughly all the countries that Marley can bring in to jointly counter the Far East bloc.
Many countries are afraid to antagonize the Far East, which is currently gaining momentum. The Far East's power has become too inflated, and with the formidable strength of its Far East Army, apart from the Middle East and Marley, the remaining thirty-odd countries combined probably wouldn't be enough to defeat the Far East Army in a single battle.
With the plans nearly complete, Marley and the Middle East are preparing to hold Joint Conference in Icarus City in the coming days. The alliance of nations will formally declare war on the Far East. To guard against surprise attacks or assassinations by the Far East people, the entire Icarus City is under the highest level of martial law. Countless Cannon are hidden in every corner, and there is an extremely large underground tunnel system under each Military Camp. Every street and every checkpoint is guarded by a large number of Soldiers.
Magath sat in his cramped office, his hands supporting his head, soft snoring coming from his nose. Suddenly, his arm jerked, and his whole body staggered. His tightly closed eyes immediately opened, his bloodshot pupils revealing deep fatigue.
He hadn't slept for three days and three nights. He rubbed his face vigorously with his rough hands, forcing himself to stay awake. Just then, Guard came to remind him, "Marshal, most of the generals and representatives from various countries have arrived. Please hurry up and get ready."
"Alright, get the military vehicles ready, I'll be there soon!" Magath said in a deep voice, then stood up, took down the Marley 'Marshal uniform hanging on the wall, put it on, took a deep breath, looked at the dark clouds outside the window, and felt gloomy. He didn't know if he had made the right decision to lead Marley down this path.
Pushing open the door, a military vehicle was already prepared, carrying Magath at high speed to the secluded and secure meeting venue.
When Magath arrived at the meeting, almost everyone was already there: generals from Marley, generals from the Middle East, generals from other countries, and representatives from various political circles. They were all discussing things in a chaotic manner, and the meeting room was filled with noise and the pungent Tobacco of tobacco.
But when the Guard pushed open the door and Magath entered the meeting room, the noisy meeting instantly fell silent, and hundreds of eyes were fixed on Marshal Marley, as if they were looking at their pillar of support.
Magath, bearing this heavy responsibility, stepped onto his rightful place.
Under his leadership, this grand conference of all nations officially began to proceed smoothly.
War can break out without warning, sometimes suddenly. To some ordinary people, war may simply be two armies picking up guns Cannon and charging at each other until one side surrenders or is annihilated. However, war involves far more than just the bloody battles on the battlefield.
International relations, the division of interests, political games, logistical reserves... there is far too much chaos and complexity.
The meeting lasted for more than four hours, but still made little progress. Just as Magath was about to order a break for everyone, a noisy commotion suddenly broke out outside the meeting room.
The commotion grew louder and louder until finally, a Marley Soldiers rushed into the conference room in a panic, stammering, "No, something terrible has happened! From the sky! From the sky! There's a giant one in the sky!"
Boom!! Before the words were even finished, a terrifying, enormous roar echoed throughout the conference room, causing the dome above to tremble. The next second, bang!! Fragments of stone and brick flew everywhere as a massive fist smashed through the ceiling. A terrifying voice, like that of a demon from hell, rang out above everyone's heads, "Such a lively meeting, why didn't anyone inform Paradis Island??"