To confront a regime that history has already cast aside, one must abandon its old foundations and pursue innovation. Felix understood this principle and acted on it. Kazdel's future would inevitably diverge from its original trajectory, and there would not be a second "Felix" for thousands of years to come. He saw Kazdel's shortcomings clearly and sought to reshape it into something better.
People must grow, and so must regimes. Kazdel still has many flaws, and Felix can only identify and correct them as they emerge.
Returning to the question of Sankta followers, Felix gazed out the window. The closer they drew to Kjerag's territory, the fiercer the wind and snow became.
He had long reflected on this matter. Andoain had managed to gather a group around him, yet the Sankta made up only a minority of his forces, with the majority belonging to the Liberi. That alone was impressive.
As for the legendary figures known as Cliff and Father Agenir, the Sankta knew their names, but few truly followed them.
Felix analyzed why these two prominent figures of the same race had failed to attract widespread support.
First, there was the issue of location. One had established himself in northern Columbia, the other in Siracusa. Both were far from Laterano. Even if Sankta wished to join them, the journey itself posed a formidable obstacle.
Second was the nature of their goals. Cliff sought to end war through war. By founding Blacksteel International, he allowed mercenaries to take over battlefields, aiming to reduce casualties and prevent unnecessary conflicts. Whether he succeeded remains debatable. Perhaps Blacksteel achieved its intended effect, but Felix had seen little concrete evidence.
Father Agenir's focus was even narrower. He devoted himself entirely to Siracusa and its people. Rather than contemplating the broader future of Terra, he became an indispensable spiritual symbol of Siracusa alone.
Most Sankta live relatively unburdened lives. War and political struggle feel distant to them. It is unsurprising that few would be drawn to such causes. At least Blacksteel still employed some Sankta, but in Siracusa there were none around Father Agenir, and perhaps he never considered that important.
Third was the sense of distance.
Cliff and Father Agenir were both leaders, one a corporate magnate, the other a political icon. They shone brilliantly in their respective spheres, yet they seemed increasingly removed from ordinary Sankta.
Could one simply request an audience with Cliff? Of course not. He was a powerful figure. As for Father Agenir, he was even more elusive. Few would even know whom to approach for an introduction.
Fourth was the gap in age. The Sankta are long-lived. Though they do not rival certain exceptional Sarkaz in longevity, they can still live for centuries, even approaching a thousand years in rare cases. Cliff and Father Agenir belonged to an older generation, comparable in age to the Pope and the Cardinals. Such an age gap inevitably creates differences in worldview and makes communication more difficult.
To younger Sankta, these two men exist mainly in history books. They know their stories, but only as distant legends. Age creates separation. They are figures of the past, not tangible presences in daily life.
Having examined the lessons left by his predecessors, Felix concluded that he possessed advantages in each of these four areas.
He commanded the Venus, which traveled across every corner of Terra. The first issue, distance, was therefore manageable.
As for the second, he intended to elevate Kazdel's and Tomorrow's Development's ideals. The vision would evolve from "peaceful coexistence between the Infected and the uninfected," to "a world where everyone may die with dignity," and ultimately to "a world where everyone may live with dignity."
The third point required self-improvement. At present, he interacted mostly with Tomorrow's Development's senior leadership. Ordinary operators might exchange a few words with him in the cafeteria, but little more. Felix believed he needed to rely more on personal charisma to bridge that gap.
The fourth was straightforward. Among the Sankta, he was still young, in his twenties. Many of his peers were still studying in church schools, some even repeating grades, while others drifted through the streets of Laterano without stable work.
Considering all four factors, Felix believed the advantage lay firmly with him.
Lady Outcast's earlier arrival had already given the Sankta a glimmer of hope.
If they realized that the leader of Tomorrow's Development was Sankta, and that the ruler of Kazdel was also Sankta, would it not seem strange that most employees within Tomorrow's Development were not? The imbalance was too obvious to ignore.
That imbalance was indeed unreasonable. Some of the wandering Sankta began choosing to join Tomorrow's Development. A number of them became its eyes and voices, serving as messengers and relaying information, while others contributed in whatever ways they could.
To Felix, however, it was still not enough. There were simply too many Sankta in Laterano, so many that the Holy City had expanded threefold in just fifty years. Over the past decade, the population had finally stabilized. Felix was no devil; he had no intention of draining Laterano of its people. But attracting a portion of the Sankta to follow him was surely reasonable.
After all, he was Sankta himself. As Sankta, would they truly wish to see his subordinates composed entirely of other races?
He believed this sincerely. Among the senior officials qualified to speak at council meetings, only Outcast and Lemuen, whom he had recently promoted, were Sankta. In her previous life, Lemuen had served as a cardinal in the Papal Court. She was meticulous and capable. Her promotion was not merely influenced by her personal wish to become one of Felix's concubines; it was also a practical decision to make full use of her talents.
Take Mostima, for instance. With her personality, she would be well suited to leading a messenger or transportation division. She carried a certain enigmatic identity, and Felix believed that with a few more years of experience, she could ascend to a senior position. In truth, he was already guiding her toward that future.
There were few other exceptional Sankta candidates. Felix subtly suggested that Lemuen win over Velliv, the messenger assigned to Tomorrow's Development and the highest-ranking official overseeing internal affairs there.
Tomorrow's Development represented a journey toward the stars and the seas. Felix was deliberately fostering factions within the organization. Although the Sarkaz had fully pledged themselves to him, he did not wish to hear only a single voice. He wanted perspectives from different races, positions, and viewpoints.
He was grateful for his Sankta identity and naturally inclined to move forward alongside those who could understand and support him.
He had sometimes wondered what his life might have been like had he been born elsewhere. In Yan, he might have entered officialdom before eventually striking out on his own, though the climb from obscurity would have been grueling. In Victoria, his fate would likely have depended on which noble's territory he was born into, whether he chose to resist them or advance with their backing. He had considered these possibilities, though never in depth. What he did know was that his Sankta identity had given others reason to trust him when he first traveled across Terra.
As their ranks grew, their thoughts grew more complex. The Sarkaz remained absolutely loyal to Felix, yet in handling internal affairs they still preferred traditional Sarkaz methods. Members of other races naturally advocated their own perspectives. Among the upper ranks, disagreements over a single issue were common. In the end, Felix served as the final arbiter.
He had no intention of abandoning the Sarkaz group that had followed him for so long. He merely wanted them to understand that loyalty must be absolute. Within Tomorrow's Development, shared ideals kept matters relatively orderly. But during Royal Court meetings in Kazdel, chaos often reigned.
The arrival of large numbers of Kazimierz knights was good news for Tomorrow's Development. At the very least, the Sarkaz faction within Kazdel now had competition.
"Your Highness, we are expected to reach the Kjerag border in two hours and twenty minutes."
"Then make the necessary preparations, Ines, and pass along this message as well."
Felix gave a slight nod. "Enciodes says the Kjerag railway is operating steadily, but it cannot yet handle such a large flow of passengers. He has therefore dispatched a caravans and an exploration team to assist us in reaching Kjerag."
Ines bowed and withdrew.
Left alone, Felix watched the wind and snow swirl beyond the window.
Theresa had not woken up yet . Clever's diagGnosis was that she was weak, though not physically. Her external wounds had healed, but the damage within was another matter. Using Originium Arts while gravely injured and entrusting the Black Crown to another should have meant certain death. Felix had pulled her back from the brink, but such salvation came at a cost. Though she could still wield Originium Arts, she was perhaps even weaker now than W.
He did not know whether her condition was reversible. Yet it seemed to him that Theresa herself did not truly care whether she possessed strength.
After changing into a general's coat, Felix quietly issued the necessary precautions before departure. He did not go to the tarmac. Flying in such heavy snow was unsafe. Moreover, since Enciodes was hosting the senior staff on a train journey, he saw no reason to dampen the occasion.
On his way downstairs, he spotted Yelena and Angelina together. Felix approached Yelena to inquire about Patriot's condition. Upon learning that Patriot would also travel to Kjerag for rest and recovery, he gave a slight nod. By the time they returned to Kazdel, Patriot would likely be nearly restored to full strength. Then Felix would once again have a formidable warrior at his side.
Yelena and Felix lingered in the elevator for a while, their closeness unmistakable. When they kissed, Angelina covered her eyes and let out a small cry, though she peeked shamelessly through the gaps between her fingers.
Felix was the first to step back, and Yelena gradually steadied her slightly heated emotions. With a faint smile, she turned to Angelina. "Are you interested, Angelina?"
"Um… no, I mean—how should I say it?" Angelina's face remained faintly flushed. "Within Tomorrow's Development, women who don't like His Highness seem to be in the minority…"
In other words, she did not deny the vague feelings stirring in her heart. Still, Angelina was young, merely an ordinary yet somewhat extraordinary transport operator. She rarely interacted with Felix. Perhaps it would be more accurate to call what she felt not love, but longing.
Yelena smiled. "Join my team. If we work together, you might get to see Felix every day."
"…Uh." Under Yelena's teasing gaze, Angelina nodded obediently.
Yelena let out a quiet breath. After spending time among the upper ranks, she and the others had come to recognize the invisible circles forming there. Kazdel gathered at one table, Yan at another, Victoria at yet another. As for her and Talulah, girls from the Ursus borderlands, their voices carried little weight.
Factions required manpower, and so did the harem. As a relative newcomer, Yelena could hardly compete with women like Mostima or Muelsye, who had stood by Felix for years. Under such circumstances, she had to find support for herself. Felix was undeniably formidable in that regard. The memory of that night in Siesta left her body faintly weak even now; she had seen firsthand the depth of his endurance. Securing allies was therefore essential.
And wasn't there one right before her?
Standing beside Felix were the Radiant Knight and the newly crowned champion of the Arena Knights, the Nearl sisters. Together with Zofia, they had returned to the Venus after the Kazimierz incident and now served as senior operators representing the Kazimierz faction. Naturally, their discussion centered on recruiting Kazimierz operators.
With the collapse of the Chamber of Commerce, countless knights had lost their livelihoods. Tomorrow's Developments had swiftly absorbed a significant portion of them. At that moment, Felix reviewed the report the sisters had compiled, detailing numbers, races, and combat capabilities. He noticed that even the Corrupt Knights and Withering Knights, whose strength could hardly be called impressive, were listed among the candidates. A faint grin touched his lips.
Moments later, the Venus came to a halt. Felix and the other senior officials descended the steps. In the distance stood the Kjerag train station, and waiting in the falling snow to welcome them was none other than Enciodes.