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Chapter 947 - 947 109 A Sudden Downward Turn

947: Chapter 109: A Sudden Downward Turn 947: Chapter 109: A Sudden Downward Turn Jade Palace, after the fall of Canterloo Duchy, the letters of appeal for help from Ustad Duchy and Fick Duchy quickly appeared before Caesar IV.

“Hmph!”

“This is simply preposterous!”

“To actually dare to use surrender as a threat, do Ustad and Fick think they can take us for granted…”

Facing Caesar IV’s roar, the ministers all sat upright with caution, fearing that they might inadvertently attract the ire of their own King.

Any wise person understood that Caesar IV’s loss of composure was not solely because of the two appealing letters in front of him, but also because of the stifled life he had been leading recently.

Ever since the war on the Continent erupted, Caesar IV’s power had been squeezed by the military.

No matter his dissatisfaction, it was of no use, as all the major forces within the Kingdom, including The Royal Family, had reached a consensus—to not let the King meddle in military affairs.

Under internal pressure, Caesar IV had no choice but to endure.

He could comfort himself with the rationale of considering the bigger picture for a day or two, but no one could bear such suppression for long!

Unbeknownst to all, Caesar IV’s temper also increased by the day.

However, he normally concealed it well, rarely revealing it in front of outsiders.

The letters from Ustad Duchy and Fick Duchy were the sparks that ignited the powder keg.

After venting, a cooler-headed Caesar IV gradually calmed down.

No matter how much he cursed, he couldn’t avoid facing reality.

Without being driven into a corner, Ustad and Fick would never do something like this.

Surrender may sound simple, but is extraordinarily difficult to execute in practice.

The Continental war was at a deadlock, with both the Human Race and the Alien Coalition having their own strengths and weaknesses, the ultimate victory was impossible to determine.

In such a situation, choosing the wrong side could be fatal.

If the Human Race was totally victorious, when settling scores in the aftermath, those who surrendered to the Different Races wouldn’t stand a chance to escape.

“Your Majesty, the letters written by Ustad Duchy and Fick Duchy were mostly stimulated by the destruction of Canterloo Duchy, resulting from momentary impulsiveness.

Once they’ve calmed down, the upper echelons of the two countries should make rational choices.

Having fought until now, both sides are soaked with each other’s blood; the hatred that’s been engraved into their bones won’t be so easily dissolved.

Mingling with the Elf Race, the position of Ustad people and Fick people is doomed to not be high, and they might even be deliberately tormented.

Where there is oppression, there will be resistance, and over time, their ruling foundation in the area will be gone.

This is still under the assumption that the Different Races would be victorious.

If the Human Race won a complete victory, they would immediately face liquidation.

The surrender of Ustad Duchy and Fick Duchy would have a significant impact on the situation in the Northern Continent, and this is a reason why everyone must provide assistance.

But reason, however sufficient, must still take reality into account.

Apart from a few neighboring countries, other nations, even if they want to send aid, will need a long time to make it possible.

For example, in the case of the Kingdom, under normal circumstances, to organize an auxiliary force and prepare strategic supplies for an expedition, in addition to the time taken to march there, it would take at least two months to arrive at the earliest.

Looking at the condition of Ustad Duchy and Fick Duchy, to speak of resisting the Elf Army for two months is challenging enough, even holding on for one more month would already be a blessing from the Lord of the Dawn.

Perhaps their threat isn’t genuinely seeking aid, but an attempt to use their last bargaining chip to exchange for a commitment from various parties.”

Count Francis analyzed rationally.

Surrender means completely destroying their foundation, tantamount to a slow suicide; resistance is a slim hope of survival, and they may not even be able to maintain their base.

Not to mention an extreme situation like the annihilation of Canterloo Duchy’s upper echelon, even if the two countries’ top officials all evacuated safely, regaining their country becomes a fantasy.

If the Human Race were to win a total victory, the lost territories would surely need to be reclaimed, but whether they would still remain the masters of the land is another matter.

The major forces of the Human Race aren’t in the charity business.

When sending troops to reclaim lost territories, apart from the righteousness of the Human Race, they also seek to divide the corresponding benefits.

If there isn’t enough unclaimed land to distribute, then they would have to target the soft persimmons and forcibly carve out interests to appease the meritorious officials.

The fallen Canterloo Duchy, along with the doomed Ustad Duchy and Fick Duchy, all fall into this soft persimmon category.

If they don’t take the opportunity to negotiate now and fight for some rights, they won’t just be unable to maintain their noble status after the war, but might even lose their lives.

As long as they fulfill their obligations, on the surface, everyone naturally won’t harm them, but what happens behind closed doors is another story.

The infighting within the Noble Consortium is also extremely fierce.

Without actual strength in their hands and if they obstruct the path of others, the outcome is predictable.

“If they want to negotiate terms, then it depends on what they want.

The Kingdom can guarantee that we won’t covet the interests of the two families.

But the Continent of Aslante is not something our Kingdom alone can decide on; what other major forces think is not something we can control.

From the current situation, the strength of the Kingdom will inevitably be weakened after the war.

Our speaking rights on the Northern Continent will most likely decrease as well.

If they expect us to take the lead and give a definite guarantee, they might be asking for too much.”

Prime Minister Duke Newfoundland stated discontentedly.

The Alpha Kingdom had enough troubles of its own; maintaining its own interests after the war would be quite good already, let alone taking care of others.

The threats from Ustad Duchy and Fick Duchy unquestionably pierced through this layer of pretense, making everyone prematurely face the reality of the Kingdom’s impending decline.

Anger aside, Duke Newfoundland was not panicked.

As long as a great country was not internally decayed, even if it temporarily fell due to external forces, it would soon rise again.