Extreme Cold Era: Shelter Don't Keep Waste
Chapter 167 - 165: Imperial Court Meeting · Part 2

Chapter 167: Chapter 165: Imperial Court Meeting · Part 2

"Regarding the post-war handling this time, I have a suggestion." After both the military and civil sides criticized the Knight Association, completely blocking the path of appeasing the defeated nations, Perfikot finally spoke up.

Her words were blunt, without much politeness, but her suggestion sent a chill down everyone’s spine.

"The true purpose of the apocalypse winter and the Northern Territory development plan is clear to everyone present, so you should understand that the current focus of the Empire is dealing with the apocalypse disaster; everything else is unimportant." Perfikot straightforwardly laid out the most critical issue: "Previously, due to secrecy needs, the Empire couldn’t openly prepare for the apocalypse, because doing so would cause major social upheaval and make it easier for other countries to criticize the Empire.

This time the alliance of three nations declaring war on the Empire already illustrates the issue clearly; they cannot stand us doing well, or being stronger than them.

If other countries learn about the apocalypse winter, knowing the Empire has long been preparing, they will surely want to go to war with the Empire.

In this war, although France ostensibly fought under the banner of opposing the Empire’s possession of Flying Airships and Steam Knights that disrupt global balance, no one can determine whether they’ve also discovered information about the apocalypse.

Now that the capitals of the three nations have turned to scorched earth, whether they know about it can’t be investigated anymore, nor do we need to verify this matter.

Because even if there’s only a 1% chance, we must eliminate their potential threat to the Empire! We must prevent other countries from interfering with the Empire’s plan to deal with the apocalypse winter!

Thus, with the defeated three nations, we should fully exploit them! Use their population and resources to support the Empire’s apocalypse plan, and utilize their industrial capacity to produce everything needed for the Empire’s plan!

Only this way will they no longer pose a threat to the Empire, while effectively easing the burden on the Empire itself.

After all, we’re just an island nation with heavy reliance on colony imports for resources. If we want to fully support the apocalypse response plan in the Northern Territory, this is a significant burden on the Empire itself!

We need to transfer this burden, and the defeated three nations are the most suitable targets! Whether it’s agricultural or industrial products, their population, economy, and other resources can effectively lower the pressure and burden the Empire bears!

This allows us to focus more on energy input to deal with the apocalypse winter, rather than first figuring out how to drain our own citizens while also stabilizing the situation."

Upon hearing Perfikot’s words, everyone might be shocked that a fourteen-year-old girl could come up with such inhumane strategy, but they had to admit she made a persuasive point.

After all, in terms of inhumaneness, Victor Empire had always followed that path.

Achieving goals without exploiting the citizens and simultaneously weakening other countries’ powers, why not do such a thing?

However, even though everyone generally agreed with the suggestion, some worried that excessive exploitation would trigger internal unrest or rebellion within the three nations, eventually requiring the Empire to exert great effort to suppress.

Facing this issue, Perfikot merely scoffed coldly: "The foretold apocalypse winter is supposed to come in two years, even if we leave them alone by then, they would roughly not survive the first winter nonetheless.

So, we only need to subjugate them for two years, and within these two years, exploit them as much as possible!

Don’t tell me you can’t control them even for two years; if worried about rebellion, just raise the tax rate to 90%! If with a 90% tax rate they have funds to rebel, then it’s because you haven’t cleaned up the tax collection well!

Empty their pockets of every last coin, take away the last bite of food from their mouths! Then throw them into factories and fields, let them work eighteen hours a day, exhausting their every ounce of strength, leaving their brains no energy to think about rebellion!"

At this point, Perfikot cast a glance at nobles whose faces may have some discomfort, sneering without saying more.

Such matters are actually a specialty of the nobility; usually, they wouldn’t be so ruthless in squeezing the last bite of food from their subjects.

Generally speaking, nobles maintain taxation in their territories at levels that prevent starvation, considering these territories’ residents as their properties, nobles are quite protective of their properties.

Compared to them, capitalists’ exploitation of surplus value is far more ruthless, truly aimed at draining the last drop of sweat and blood.

So Perfikot wasn’t worried these people couldn’t handle matters, especially as they actually don’t care about so-called face; they merely consider how to extract every benefit, and how to gain profit for themselves.

Yet, considering their own interests, these people inevitably spawn different thoughts.

"Count Brandelis, with the support of resources from the three nations, could the Empire also protect its homeland from the apocalypse winter?" An official from the Civil Servant Group asked Perfikot, maintaining a rather friendly attitude with an inquiry: "The Empire’s foundation remains in the homeland; if we abandon it, the losses are too great!

Two years isn’t enough to relocate the essence of the Empire’s homeland to the Northern Territory; if abandoning these, it’s truly regrettable; can we really not protect the homeland?"

Even the silent Empress showed concern over this issue, for if possible, she wouldn’t want to abandon the homeland.

Nonetheless, Perfikot could only shake her head with closed eyes and in a very cold tone replied: "Victor is an island nation; our resources are quite limited. The Empire’s current prosperity heavily relies on various resource imports from colonies.

Once the apocalypse arrives, if the Empire’s connection with colonies is severed, and when oceans freeze preventing transportation, the Empire will quickly fall into resource shortages. Then, without even a twig to kindle, how can we withstand the winter?"

"This..." For a moment, everyone in the imperial conference could only look at each other, not knowing how to respond.

"Perfikot, is there really no perfect solution?" The Empress personally asked Perfikot.

"I’m sorry, Your Majesty, there truly isn’t." Perfikot responded unwaveringly.