Extreme Cold Era: Shelter Don't Keep Waste
Chapter 164 - 162: Bearing the Infamy

Chapter 164: Chapter 162: Bearing the Infamy

The Tri-Nation Alliance didn’t drag the time to the last minute of the seventy-two hours. They formally submitted their letter of surrender through the ambassador stationed in the Victor Empire before dark.

Even though the Tri-Nation Alliance thought about struggling a bit more, their capital was utterly destroyed, with millions dead or injured domestically, and another million displaced and in urgent need of aid, which hit them so hard that they couldn’t organize any effective resistance.

Not to mention, the entire national government institutions were wiped out, making it hard to find someone temporarily to take the blame and sign the surrender.

Fortunately, only their capital was wiped out, leaving other important cities intact. After some time spent squabbling, they still managed to elect an interim government leader who then came forward to announce the surrender.

There was no way but to surrender, as no one dared to defy Victor Empire’s war threats.

No one dared to gamble whether Victor had exhausted their thermobaric bombs, or if they dared to destroy the Tri-Nation Alliance at the rate of one city per day.

By the way, there’s no more Tri-Nation Alliance; within twelve hours of losing their capital to the thermobaric bomb, the interim governments of the three nations announced the dissolution of the alliance, with Ruth and Saint Romulus condemning France for instigating the war.

The world is so absurd; as the victim of the war, yet they must bear the blame for starting the war.

But this has nothing to do with Perfikot, who is now on her way to the palace to attend a privy council meeting held there.

Since Perfikot didn’t have a carriage fitting her status and her steam carriage was left in the Northern Territory, she was riding with Eldest Princess Annie.

This also gave Eldest Princess Annie some time to discuss with Perfikot how to handle the surrendered three nations: "The three nations have surrendered, do you have any plans for them later?"

"What does the parliament think?" Perfikot did not express her views, but instead asked Eldest Princess Annie.

"They have no particular view, just the old usual — ceding overseas colonies, war reparations, and that’s about it." Eldest Princess Annie had no special ideas about this, merely asking Perfikot: "Little Perfikot, do you have any thoughts? If you need, I can support the proposal at the privy council to use all war reparations for the construction of the Northern Territory.

As for occupying the territories of the three nations, Little Perfikot, you also know what the situation is like in the future, this is completely meaningless for the Empire.

Occupying that land would take at least one or two years to gain initial control, not to mention how much effort and time would need to be invested to fully integrate. The Empire simply cannot do this now."

It is precisely because of considering the apocalypse in the future that this war adopted the most intense strategy for swift victory as proposed by Perfikot, using the destruction of the capitals of the three nations to end this war, which should not have happened, in the shortest time possible.

So Victor Empire has no leeway to consider occupying the lands of the three nations, given that they are prepared to give up their homeland, how would they cling to the territories of other countries in the old world?

Even if these lands had population, industry, and resources, for the current Victor Empire, they would be like chicken ribs — tasteless to eat, a pity to abandon.

"If we let them serve us, squeezing their resources and manpower to the maximum extent, as well as their industrial capacity, can it be done?" Perfikot posed a question that sounded somewhat chilling to Eldest Princess Annie.

"If maintaining a massive occupying force, this can be done, but then..." But then, the Empire would have to adopt high-pressure rule in the occupied areas, which would undoubtedly bring great suffering to the people there.

Even though they are not citizens of Victor Empire, Eldest Princess Annie still did not wish to take such a cruel approach.

But at this time, Perfikot, with a face full of indifference, said in a tone void of sadness or joy: "If that’s the case, then Aunt Annie, please support my proposal at the privy council meeting later. I want to extract them to the fullest, using the resources and industrial capacity extracted from the three nations to build the Northern Territory.

Moreover, it’s not just the defeated three nations, even the homeland of the Empire needs to squeeze out its last bit of industrial potential over the next two years.

Only in this way can we build enough shelters and facilities in the Northern Territory over the next two years to shelter the citizens of the Empire through the coming apocalyptic winter."

"But in doing so, the Empire would lose the people’s support!" Eldest Princess Annie argued with Perfikot, for her innate kindness didn’t want her to do this, nor did she want Perfikot to: "Is the Empire’s current industrial capacity not enough to build the Northern Territory? Can’t we use softer methods? Is it necessary to resort to such extreme measures?"

In response to Eldest Princess Annie’s questioning, Perfikot’s voice was as cold and hard as the ice and snow of the Northern Territory: "I have killed millions of innocent people for this plan. If I cannot save more people, then their deaths will become meaningless.

Sacrifice is the cornerstone of salvation, for the salvation of humankind as a collective, all human individuals can be sacrificed.

Millions of innocent civilians can be sacrificed, the nobles and rulers of various countries can be sacrificed, I can also be sacrificed as long as it can be exchanged for the salvation of humankind."

At this moment, Perfikot seemed to have hypnotized herself, her heterochromatic eyes appeared to have lost their former liveliness and spirit, becoming deep and indifferent, yet deep within them, a scorching flame was hiding.

It was the forcibly suppressed emotions within her, for the fluctuation of her inner emotions was so intense that the flame in her eyes seemed like a volcano ready to erupt, full of repression.

She had to do this because she feared that once she let her emotions loose, sympathy and reluctance would lead her to act impulsively, thus affecting the entire plan.

Everyone else can be emotional, except for her.

Because now Perfikot stands in the position of a pioneer leader to guide humanity through this apocalyptic crisis.

It is like walking a tightrope over a ten-thousand-foot cliff — one wrong step, and it’s an irreversible disaster. Any deviation she makes could lead humanity’s fate into an uncharted abyss.

"If Aunt Annie is concerned about the public opinion and reputation issues, just push all the blame onto me then, anyway, my reputation is already bad enough." Perfikot still appeared indifferent, but her tone somewhat revealed a trace of helplessness and resentment: "Whether it’s the guilt of slaughtering millions or the infamy of harshly exploiting everyone, I really don’t care as long as the plan can be carried out smoothly."