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Chapter 279:
Chapter 279:
Chapter 279:
The news of Altemas resurrection spread across the continent.
Elvrande, who learned of it through the occupation of the Holy Kingdom, was shocked.
The main character of the war 200 years ago had returned to life.
There were many elves who ran around the streets, shouting that it was all over.
Altemas reputation was that big.
But in the presidential office, they looked at her resurrection with a subtle expression.
Especially Drizden, who openly expressed his regret.
She showed so much hatred when she died. Its not strange that she would cause trouble as soon as she resurrected. Why did she go to the Holy Kingdom?
There was a testimony that Leobold was at the scene. Maybe she was afraid of clashing with him.
Was Leobolds power that much
In fact, the evaluation of Leobold was quite mixed.
He was strong, but was he comparable to the main characters of the war at that time?
That was still hidden in the fog.
The ether engine and the black knight that he created were nothing but inferior copies of what was made 200 years ago.
Also, his combat power was half-hearted without using his power, and many people looked down on him.
In Astera, true strength is based on how much you can twist the fundamental laws. Leobold did not show any special potential in that regard.
Hes just strong, but thats not enough to match the main characters of the war at that time.
In fact, Leobold had already finished analyzing and using ether through Arma.
He was close to taking a breath until the ether origin was completed.
Anyway, he had not revealed his true face yet, and Elvrande focused on Altema.
The resurrected gold dragon not only took over the Holy Kingdom, but also captured Delphina, who was hiding somewhere.
Thanks to that, Altema could use the power of Terahawk, the administrator of time and space.
This meant that she could easily project her troops anywhere.
Teleportation magic was very dangerous if the caster did not know the place, but Altema was a dragon who had been everywhere on the continent.
The elves were nervous that she might invade them at any moment.
Drizden declared that there was no need to be afraid of a dragon who borrowed a human body.
Her soul is a dragon, but her body is Saint Veronicas. She needs a lot of ether to use her power, but I doubt she can handle it.
But he also blocked Medea Abbey, which showed that his bad memories of Altema had not disappeared.
Her exploits in her heyday were enough to annoy even gods and elves.
On the other hand, Zaium Empire seemed to secretly hope for Altemas resurrection.
The dragons were clearly on the side of humans, so wouldnt they now entrust themselves to the largest empire?
They guessed.
Emperor Barak sent an envoy to propose without caring about the Holy Kingdom.
I congratulate you on the return of the gold dragon. Our country and Altema have been connected by a strong bond since the Gram Empire era. We want to reproduce it, so how can you refuse? It will be a great honor if you visit our country.
It was a suggestion to join hands again, and it succeeded in drawing Altemas ridicule.
How dare you offer me something like that? You cant ask me for anything.
The envoy died after sucking a little ether, and the empire was startled and became wary of her.
They did not know what happened when she died, so they did not understand why she acted like that.
Altema declared war on the neighboring countries as soon as she finished taking over the Holy Kingdom.
I dont care about others, but I cant leave Gram Kingdom and Denova alone. You have only two choices. Give me everything or d*e.
People wondered.
It was natural for Denova to hate her openly because they had elves behind them, but why Gram Kingdom?
That place was close to the direct lineage of the old Gram royal family, so they guessed that she had a deep connection with them.
They expected that she would not ignore them even if she could not rush to help them, but they were surprised that she would smash them.
The ones who suffered from Altemas radical actions were ordinary people.
She became the ruler of the Holy Kingdom, but she had no interest in practical politics such as restoring administrative networks or supplying logistics.
As a result, the people of the Holy Kingdom began to starve.
The food supply was reduced as Denova and neighboring countries stopped supplying logistics because they were afraid of her appearance.
Valgard suggested that this should not be done, but it did not work at all.
What does it matter if some humans d*e? From a long-term perspective, the population will increase anyway. The current hardship is just a small sacrifice for the whole Astera.
Thats not a simple problem. The logistics between cities have almost stopped. Hundreds of thousands of people are in danger of starving to death.
It will be solved if we kick the Gram bastards and Denova. Anyway, dont bring that up again.
Valgard remembered that she had a very arrogant and self-centered personality.
In fact, most of her fame in the war came from killing and destroying someone.
She looked like she was disappointed with Astera, which had no development, but it was a result of focusing on the glamour of ether engineering that represented the appearance.
The lives of really important people, especially ordinary people, had no value to her.
Its a different dimension compared to the king.
He thought of Leobolds policy again, and it was not because of his weak loyalty.
Bargran had made considerable progress in a short time since he took power.
Not only in appearance, but also in internal affairs, he paid a lot of attention and improved the living standards of ordinary people.
By 1039 in the continental calendar, it was no exaggeration to say that there were almost no people starving to death in Bargran.
The merger of Galisto and Tassos duchies and the continuous supply of food to the two border kingdoms did not affect the logistics of Astera.
It was a stark contrast to the Holy Church, which was struggling to manage its small population.
Maybe there is something special about the ruler of Astera.
But Valgard did not show it.
He had a contract and a vow to follow Altema.
Anyway, Altema declared war and immediately took action.
The Holy Knights led by Valgard easily crushed the elite forces of Gram Kingdom, which even the Empire dared not to mess with, and ravaged their land.
Denova nearby was also brutally destroyed.
The mercenaries and magicians hired with a lot of money were meaningless in front of the power of the gold dragon.
As the situation on the continent changed rapidly, the Imir Republic also became tense.
Altema had a history of abusing the dwarves in the past.
In her eyes, dwarves were short and ugly, but good at skills, so they were perfect as servants.
Naturally, they were treated as second-class citizens under the rule of Gram Empire.
The Iron Council, which ruled the current Imir Republic, was worried about such a situation and hastily sent Skadi to Bagran.
Leobold reassured her.
Altema is not normal right now. The current Imir Republic can easily fend off her attack, so dont worry.
Im relieved to hear that. But we need more practical support.
Ill send 20 black knights and some other knights.
Wouldnt the firebomb squad be better?
Altema is a being called the origin of magic. Her power is still weak, but she is proficient in all kinds of magic. Ordinary soldiers are no help against such a person. Think about how the leaders of the Holy Church were brainwashed at once.
Thats true.
Her appearance was definitely shocking and many people believed that Leobolds plan would go up in smoke.
The firebomb squad was one of them.
This force was very effective against Goliath and could also deal with magicians to some extent.
But it was useless against a dragon who could use all kinds of magic freely.
The only thing they could do on the battlefield was to turn into enemies and hit their allies, which made the generals lament.
But Leobold did not stop reforming Bagrans army.
Altema does not interfere with our plan at all. So generals, dont be shaken and follow my orders.
His reform was to rearm Bagrans army with ether engineering.
The generals who wished for Granden followed him with doubts.
There was never a time when Leobolds words did not come true.
More than anything, Tirendel, who was newly appointed as a general, showed his absolute support for him.
The king is always right. So if you want to oppose him, youd better break me first.
It was strange that the half-elf who was Leobolds enemy suddenly changed his attitude and showed only fervent loyalty.
Anyway, Altemas revival had a great impact on Astera as a whole.
But the real thing was from now on.
Altema heard rumors that dragons were still alive on this continent and finally found the blue dragon Zigarion.
He was startled by Altemas soul who suddenly came at night.
His residence had a considerable magical preparation, but it was useless against the gold dragon.
Whats going on?
Zigarion, was it? Ive never heard your name before. Its strange.
Her soul scanned Zigarion in human form.
You seem quite strong. Why didnt I know you?
Thats because Zigarion became strong very recently.
He hid himself during the Great War because he was so weak that no one knew him.
Zigarion gained confidence and puffed up his chest.
Dont forgive me for rude intrusion. I am Zigarion, the dragon of justice. If you have something to say, it would be better to talk to Bagrans king who is holding hands with me.
It was a brave remark, but Altema did not listen.
Her soul approached Zigarion.
Wouldnt it be better to be with your kind than wagging your tail to humans? Im sure our dragons are the rightful rulers of Astera. Ill give you the honor of joining them.
But, but my proposal is to Leobold
Zigarion had no intention of giving up his comfortable and dignified life now.
He looked like a coward to Altema.
Disappointing. Why are dragons wagging their tails to humans? What is a dragon of justice? A dragon who rebelled against slavery and rose up? There has never been a time when there was no slavery in Astera. I dont know what youre up to.
Zigarion, who couldnt stand the nagging, threatened her.
Damn it! Ive decided to follow Leobold, so stop it and get out!
Poor thing. Youve been enslaved by humans. Ill save you.
Nonsense! Dont underestimate me now.
Zigarion stepped back and prepared to summon his body.
The time around him stopped and Leobold walked into their space.
Altema felt the flow of ether and couldnt help but admire.
Youve modified the time stop magic to use it like this. Impressive.
Did you come to take Zigarion? But hes my friend and colleague. No one can take him away.
Zigarion, who had been only abused by him, felt his resentment melt away at his important words.
Altema sneered.
What a strange combination of a human and a dragon who obeys him. But arent you curious about Earth? I read memories related to Earth from Veronicas dreams. I can tell you about it if you want.
Whats the price?
Just one word. Join me. I dont care about the dominion of humans and elves. I want a better world. A world advanced by ether engineering, as great as your home planet, Earth. Show it to me.
It was a subtle temptation, but Leobolds expression did not change at all.
Or how about you join me instead? You seem to want an advanced Astera, so Ill make it for you. Just say it. Youll be my subordinate.
I refuse.
They seemed to want the same thing, but they were slightly off.
Zigarion thought they would never get along.
Altemas personality is well-known and Leobold is not the type to give in either. This looks like the second Great War.
Not that it wasnt, but Altemas revival had already thrown Elvrande into chaos and Imir Republic was tense, and the continents situation was already in turmoil.
There were plenty of sparks and tinder, and it seemed like someone would light a match and it would burn up.
Zigarion was proud to be at the scene of that history.
Meanwhile, Arma found evidence that Elvrande was preparing to attack Imir Republic.
Astera as a whole was being sucked into the chaos.
***
Mr. President, its time to wake up.
His day began with a familiar mans voice.
Bae Seong-min got up from his bed and stared blankly out the window.
His residence was located at the top of the Golden Palace, which was higher and more splendid than the Administration Headquarters.
It was a building that should have collapsed with the disappearance of former President Yu Ji-ha, but no one could say anything because of the huge amount of money that went into it.
Also, many officials and members of parliament who became the backbone of the new government secretly liked the Golden Palace.
Its shiny and nice to look at, why bother breaking it
Its such a big building and its in the middle of Megacity, so it would be hard to demolish it. Its better for us to use it instead.
Its a legacy of a dictator, but it depends on how we use it. It will have a different meaning.
Maybe they needed the Golden Palace more for its authority than its functionality.
Compared to Yu Ji-ha, who ruled as an absolute dictator for a long time, their authority was very low.
What made Yu Ji-ha build such authority was his ability, which no one could imitate.
Thinking about the past again
Bae Seong-min shook his head and got up.
His bedroom was so high up and the outer wall of Megacity was completely collapsed, so he could see the North Pacific Ocean very well.
As seen from the faint red tint, Earths ocean was heavily polluted.
It was because of the continuous invasion of Plague for over ten years.
The Legion Strike Fleet finally defeated Plagues main force, but before that, humanity had paid a huge price.
Hundreds of thousands of air raids burned 50% of the land area and 30% of the ocean was contaminated with heavy metals.
More than anything, billions died.
Only 1.2 billion people were accommodated in Megacity and there were few people who survived outside.
Considering this point, it could not be anything but a staggering result.
Humanity barely survived extinction.
They seemed satisfied with maintaining it, but those who survived did not think so.
Only 25% of 8.2 billion humans survived. Can this tragic result be called a success?
There was more room for accommodation in 12 Megacities. If they had moved up the plan, they could have built more. As a result of excluding all that, billions died.
Its good that they defeated Plague Legion. But there is room for discussion on whether that was the best way.
Naturally, these arguments were not seen at all after Yu Ji-ha disappeared.
They all thought he would show up again.
The great dictator often faked his death and put on a surprise show, and every time someone died and was purged.
With such vivid memories, it was natural for people to protect themselves.
But Yu Ji-ha did not appear even after one year or two years passed.
Even though 12 Megacities split into three factions and a new order emerged, he did not show himself.
And after five years and several months passed, humanity finally realized that he was gone.
There were many questions about where he went and many demands for his whereabouts from Bae Seong-min and other aides.
If he went alone, it would be fine, but the artificial intelligence also disappeared. So Megacity is not operating properly, is it? At least we need to know where he went.
United Human Federation took too many Unified Space Forces. Does it make sense that 25% has 40%?
-And they should also share the smart farm facilities on the Kamchatka Peninsula. Its too big for United Human Federation to have.
These various demands were giving Bae Seong-min a headache.
In fact, the United Human Federation that Yu Ji-ha made was already broken, even if it was not an exaggeration.
Only Megacity Pacific, North, and South continued the lifeline of United Human Federation, and six Megacities, including America and Deutsch, joined together.
The remaining three places, Megacity Manchuria and Afghanistan, etc., showed their own actions, but they were recently swayed by the temptation of other forces.
It was the re-establishment of UN.
This group, led by Megacity America, defined the existing United Human Federation as an enemy to be defeated.
The current leaders, including President Bae Seong-min, have not given any convincing explanation for Yu Ji-has disappearance.
Therefore, we cannot trust the United Human Federation.
None of the warships belonging to the Unified Space Forces had enough thrust to leave the solar system.
Therefore, we assume that he is still within the United Human Federation.
According to the data from the Legion Strike Fleet, a massive gravity well moved towards Pluto. There seemed to be several battles, but we doubt that this trace is not Yu Ji-has.
These claims put pressure on the United Human Federation and even resorted to show of force with their fleets.
The current power of UN was not enough to overwhelm the United Human Federation at its peak, but it became quite threatening when the other three Megacities joined.
But Bae Seong-min did not respond to such threats.
He had too much work to do internally.
When the dictator who pressed everything with a powerful artificial intelligence disappeared, the people who had been holding their breath began to demand their share.
I hate repairing the hyperloop train. Its hard and dirty. Give me a better job.
Arent there too few women in parliament? Maybe we should reintroduce quotas.
What kind of idea is an official class system in the 21st century? Abolish it right away and return the power to the people.
There were also many other problems to solve, and this made Bae Seong-min carry painkillers with him.
The newly formed parliament did not cooperate properly, claiming to check his excessive power, and the plan that the former president had prepared began to falter.
As the schedule was endlessly delayed, Bae Seong-min felt impatient and went to parliament to ask for cooperation, and the members finally showed a satisfied smile.
It would have been easier for both of us if you had done this earlier, right?
Now that we have a free democracy system, you should lower your head a little more, Mr. President. Thats how you run the administration well.
He could bear it until then.
It was natural for power to be transferred to the public when Yu Ji-ha disappeared, and he was only a representative of administrative power.
But he could not stand it when domestic forces subtly colluded with outsiders and subtly tarnished Yu Ji-has name.
The dictator who only waged war is gone and now the era of peace has arrived. In that sense, we need to transfer some of our facilities.
First of all, we should pursue a peace treaty with UN and share the stake of Mars base. The base is too big for a single faction to have.
And we need an official apology from President Bae Seong-min. The former president was so oppressive that he caused irreparable damage to all humanity, and this is wrong.
We have nothing to say about reducing the population from 8.2 billion to 2 billion. Was there really no other way?
Of course, these claims provoked Bae Seong-mins fierce opposition.
He was not a person who affirmed everything about Yu Ji-ha, but he believed that there was no better than that.
As soon as he issued an appeal in his name as president, it drew attention from not only United Human Federation but also the whole world.
There is a Korean proverb that says saving someone from drowning and then asking for a bundle. You are doing the same thing now. Its not that only 1.2 billion survived, but 1.2 billion survived. Do you think you could have opened your mouth if it wasnt for President Yu Ji-ha?
The Plague Legion that appeared in Plutos orbit was an enemy that humanity could not face with its power in 2048. President Yu Ji-ha built his power by being called the worst butcher while facing them, and he made an ark called Megacity and cultivated an artificial intelligence army. What did you contribute?
At least if you belong to Megacity, you should not insult him. He is the benefactor of all humanity.
These remarks caused another backlash.
They seemed right at first glance, but if they admitted it, their identity would be shaken, so they all clung to trivial parts.
Did they have to start a war in the world to create the current United Human Federation? If they had been more proactive in dialogue, wouldnt there have been any leaders willing to respond?
Its all good, but I cant help but doubt his sincerity because he knew everything by himself.
He must have amassed a lot of wealth while building United Human Federation without knowing it. Maybe hes changing his face and living in Pacific now.
This claim was based on UNs recent search operation for Yu Ji-ha.
Since it was meaningless to leave the solar system in the current environment, they assumed that he was in Pacific and tried to find him by digging up all the personal information of the population.
Bae Seong-min, who had a rough idea of where he went, found this claim absurd.
He said he would go to the prophets homeland.
He was not sure why he chose that destination.
It seemed like a religious reason, but Bae Seong-min saw that Yu Ji-ha was not a person who would be swept away by religion.
It was also doubtful whether he could arrive there with the speed of the Settler ship.
But Bae Seong-min did not doubt his sincerity and believed that he would come back someday.
He promised to do so.
He turned his eyes from the reddish sea.
He had a headache thinking about the lawmakers who would continue their offensive against Yu Ji-ha today.
But he could not give up.
It was his duty to keep United Human Federation alive until Yu Ji-ha finished all his duties and finally returned.