After returning to the Capitol Building in Kazdel, Felix took his seat upon the throne and listened to Hoederer's summary of recent events.
Felix had not been away for long, and most matters related to expansion had already been assigned in advance. Hoederer's role was primarily to coordinate and maintain balance among the various factions. It was an exhausting position. First, he was only an acting official and lacked the authority that came with prestige. Second, he had been born an ordinary mercenary. Though he had read extensively, studied history, and even served as a teacher at Kazdel Elementary School, in the eyes of the royal court he remained nothing more than a commoner.
His former subordinates might still follow his commands without hesitation, but the royal court members were another matter. Hoederer understood clearly the difference between how they behaved in front of Felix and how they acted in his presence. While they did not openly defy him, he could sense their dissatisfaction beneath the surface.
In Kazdel, strength spoke louder than words. Whoever possessed the greatest power and could bring prosperity to the Sarkaz commanded loyalty. Hoederer could only maintain the current balance and do his utmost within his limits.
His report focused strictly on official matters. He did not mention the royal court's reluctance to follow his directives. To do so would have been humiliating, and more importantly, unnecessary. As His Highness, Felix required results, not complaints from subordinates unable to manage their own challenges.
After listening quietly, Felix lowered his gaze and said, "Hoederer, I am aware of your efforts and dedication during this time. You have worked hard."
"Yes… I am not tired at all," Hoederer replied, kneeling on one knee with his head bowed.
"Although you have the ability to govern a region, the Venus is currently short of personnel. Our special operations team lacks capable leaders who can train and guide them. I believe you are well suited for this role."
Hoederer's heart leapt with restrained joy. Was this not the very outcome he had worked tirelessly toward? Though Kazdel offered stability, its room for advancement was limited. Hoederer was not a fool. He understood that only by following His Highness could he secure a meaningful future. His path had always been clear.
It meant bringing his wife and children aboard the Venus and, when the time came, sending his children to the early education center there.
As for his former subordinates, he would do what he could for them. After joining Tomorrow's Developments, he had already cast aside his identity as a mercenary captain and committed himself fully to the organization's cause.
Felix gave a faint nod. He knew Hoederer's aspirations and saw no reason to deny such a modest request.
Under his signal, Loughshinny stepped forward to report on the diplomatic achievements of Tomorrow's Developments during this period. They had established contact with Victoria, Leithanien, Siracusa, Siesta, Dossoles, Kazimierz, and Kjerag. Siracusa, Leithanien, Siesta, and Dossoles provided intelligence and commercial opportunities. Kazimierz expanded import and export trade. Kjerag formally entered into an alliance, with signing of Kazdel-Kjerag Strategic Mutual Defense Pact.
Should either Kjerag or Kazdel face attack in the future, the other would dispatch troops in support. The two smallest nations on Terra had forged one of the strongest alliances on the continent.
The Sarkaz of Kazdel had never witnessed such diplomatic success. Many stared in astonishment, and even the royal court members were visibly shaken. Kazdel's history had long been defined by war and isolation. Yet under Felix's leadership, they had not only opened diplomatic channels but secured true allies.
It was impossible to ignore the shift taking place. The era of General Theresis and Princess Theresa was fading. A new age was emerging, one that belonged to the King of Liberation.
Once the formal reports concluded, the floor opened for discussion. In practice, this became a time for department heads to summarize their work and present their views. The Sarkaz officials appeared somewhat unaccustomed to this format, while the senior leaders of Tomorrow's Developments spoke with practiced ease.
Saria began by detailing the research institute's recent progress. They had developed methods to conduct degradation experiments on contaminated land, effectively reducing levels of infection. She also reported that, drawing upon levitation technology developed in Columbia, they had designed a small hover motorcycle.
Felix showed particular interest in the vehicle. Powered by Originium modules that could be charged before deployment, it achieved speeds twice that of conventional transport. Though still in the early stages of research, its potential was considerable.
Next, Ines stepped forward. She inclined her head respectfully toward Felix before presenting her proposal, one that she and Felix had previously discussed in private. Her suggestion was to standardize and clearly define the hierarchical structure of both Tomorrow's Developments and Kazdel.
Previously, the two systems had operated separately. Tomorrow's Developments used modern titles such as squad leader, team leader, and minister, while Kazdel retained wartime designations like platoon leader, mercenary captain, and battlefield medic.
Ines did not propose immediately unifying every title, which would have been unrealistic in the short term. Even Felix was still considering how best to implement such changes. What he currently envisioned aligned with Ines's suggestion: to use the internal hierarchy of Tomorrow's Development as the framework for restructuring Kazdel's official system.
For instance, L12 would correspond to a squad captain, L17 to a regional supervisor, and so forth. Ines laid out the detailed structure methodically, presenting the information with quiet precision.
These conclusions had been reached during Felix and Ines's late-night discussions. To ensure seamless coordination between Kazdel and Tomorrow's Development, a standardized rank system was essential.
Felix gave a slight nod, signaling his approval. Once the discussion drew to a close, he began issuing personnel assignments.
Giles would remain in Kazdel, a decision he accepted without objection. His combat strength barely matched that of a T1 gatekeeper within the faction, and he was not particularly formidable in battle. However, his talent for training troops was exceptional. Stationing him at the heart of Kazdel to oversee military training was both a responsibility and a mark of trust.
Luna faced a similar arrangement. As commander of the Saviadel Legion, she bore responsibility for coordinating each unit's combat readiness. With war looming on the horizon, she would faithfully carry out Felix's training directives. Consequently, Mudrock and Qalaiša would temporarily leave Tomorrow's Developments executive staff and enter the legion to prepare for future battles.
W's assignment was also transferred to Kazdel's mobile city.
This decision left her visibly dissatisfied. She pouted, feeling as though she were being confined. As the former nominal leader of the Babel, she could not shake the impression that she was being sent to prison.
Beyond these prominent figures, frequent transfers involved operators of other races who had joined Tomorrow's Development with aspirations of success. Kuranta, Feline, Lupo, Caprinae, Liberi, and others formed a composite force that moved from Tomorrow's Development into Kazdel's administrative system, where they would continue their duties.
Observing the orderly cooperation between Tomorrow's Developments and Kazdel, free of corruption or internal decay, Horn from Victoria's Tempest Platoon could only sigh inwardly. How difficult it was to serve as a soldier in Victoria. The officers above them had no understanding of the forces they faced, and serving under such leadership could easily lead to needless death.
When Horn compared the energetic, ambitious Sarkaz officers before her to Victoria's self-serving commanders who fired upon innocent civilians, or to those bloated officials who idled away their time, she felt nothing but exhaustion and a growing sense of despair for Victoria's future.
Bagpipe, standing beside her, looked on with curiosity. She and Horn had been aboard for quite some time, working to supplement their family income and cover daily expenses. As outsourced operators for Tomorrow's Developments, they had undertaken numerous missions. Bagpipe genuinely appreciated the familial atmosphere within the organization. In truth, had she not been a soldier of Victoria, she might have joined Tomorrow's Developments long ago.
Yet she understood her duty. Victoria's Tempest Platoon still had responsibilities to fulfill.
After the assignments were completed, the meeting adjourned. Felix asked Saria to remain behind.
"How is Kristen's plan progressing?"
Saria lightly tapped the edge of her data panel and sighed. "You've been too busy. I sent you Kristen's report two days ago."
"Never mind. I know Your Highness has much to attend to," she continued. "The second phase of data archiving has been completed. However, you should review this report carefully. Kristen's folding engine will be fully constructed within two months, and a simulated test flight is scheduled for next month."
A dazzling star map appeared behind the throne. Felix reached out, brushing his fingers across the projected void.
Without turning around, he said quietly, "This time, she will surpass every previous flight altitude and attempt something no one has ever imagined."
His hand moved across the illusory galaxy.
"In theory, breaking through the previous critical altitude is possible. But according to simulations conducted by Columbia's rocket scientists a decade ago, even with the strongest materials and structural designs available at the time, no spacecraft could withstand the wind pressure at that height. It would be torn apart into 640,000 equal fragments, with a margin of error no greater than a single grain of Originium crystal."
Felix turned. For an instant, Saria thought she saw a rhombus diamond-shaped light reflected in his eyes, as though his pupils themselves held a crystalline glow. The sight was so striking that she almost forgot to look away.
In the next blink, the vision vanished, as though it had never been there.
Saria shifted the conversation to Ifrit's early education. Understanding her unspoken meaning, Felix granted permission for Ifrit to accompany the Venus. He then reassigned Saria to the Venus as director of the research institute. Saria showed no outward reaction. After expressing her thanks, she departed swiftly, her research still awaiting completion.
Felix turned and looked once more at the artificial starry sky above him, then let out a quiet sigh.
Kristen's actions might force the entire land of Terra to accelerate its progress at an unprecedented pace. The people of Terra would have to abandon their endless wars and confront the crisis drawing near.
Before that, he would have to end the war.
From the Preserver, he had learned fragments of the abilities possessed by the previous civilization. The origin of this world had followed a similar path. Perhaps he alone could shoulder the burden, but the Terrans who had always followed him might not escape catastrophe.
For players, this was merely a game. For the people of Terra, it was a matter of life and death.
Pandora's box had been opened long ago. What Kristen was doing now was kicking it wider. Felix could not help thinking about how he had never reached Terra's version 4.0 before he died. It was entirely possible that Terra had been destroyed in that version, or that the previous civilization had decided there was no point in continuing the simulation.
He had to become stronger. Yet his power was confined to this land of Terra. To evolve into a being capable of destroying a planet with a single blow seemed almost impossible.
Shaking off the tangled thoughts in his mind, Felix left the Capitol Building. The progress of the Kristen's Project only deepened his sense of urgency. In the face of a true natural disaster, escape would be meaningless. Perhaps he should travel to Iberia and seek answers upon the sea that separated it from Aegir.
With that in mind, he entered the processing plant. The facility was now filled entirely with machinery dedicated to producing equipment and weapons. He passed the production lines without stopping and swiped his card to access the spacious inner factory.
Inside stood dozens of enormous steel frameworks.
Two were nearly complete. Felix stepped forward to inspect their progress. These were the battleships he had previously ordered: one designed to traverse land, the other to command the skies.
The preparations for war were complete.
After inspecting the military factory, Felix returned to his office. He was no longer overly concerned about the war. Tomorrow's Development arguably had the largest number of players in all of Terra, and he trusted their capabilities. He could now devote his attention to domestic governance, while also negotiating trade and cooperation with the special envoy from Yan.
There were still too few hands and far too many tasks awaiting completion.
Theresa, we await your return.