Man in the Ark: Revitalizing Kazdel

The two moons hanging high in the sky cast a silver veil over the earth, adding a touch of holy ambiguity to the Lateran holy city shrouded in night.

In the magnificent hall, the representatives from various countries who had received the Pope's invitation dressed in their finest attire and arrived on time for the banquet.

For envoys from some smaller countries, this banquet was a rare opportunity to meet and get to know high-ranking figures from various countries whom they would normally never have the chance to meet.

With Yan Kingdom absent from the World Conference, the representatives of the two major land powers, Victoria and Ursus, attracted the attention of most people.

Representatives from both countries—those hoping to cooperate with the two nations and those viewing them as potential enemies—all adopted a friendly attitude and took the initiative to greet them.

Even before his departure, the young Earl of Victoria had received instructions from the Duke behind him that he had no energy to deal with cooperative relations with other countries before the war with Tara was over.

Therefore, in the face of the goodwill shown by the representatives of small countries, Earl Victoria maintained an attitude of neither taking the initiative nor refusing.

The Ursus representative, with his extensive diplomatic experience, exchanged a few polite words with the representatives who came to toast and make friends, then found a suitable excuse to leave and headed to the dessert area on the left side of the hall with his wine glass.

A wide variety of overly sweet desserts are one of Laterano's specialties. Angels always enjoy these mood-boosting foods, and dessert shops and stalls can be found everywhere in the city.

Dressed in a black tulle gown, Theresa strolled among the various dessert cake towers. When she encountered a flavor that interested her, she would cut off a small piece, place it on a porcelain plate, and savor it carefully.

The Sarkaz waiters around him gazed at the renowned Sarkaz Demon Lord with curious eyes. Many Lateran people who grew up in the Holy City had never seen a Sarkaz in person.

These Lateran people's knowledge of the Sarkaz was limited to various documents and oral descriptions. Therefore, their prejudice against the Sarkaz race was not yet deeply ingrained.

The Pope sees these young people as the hope for resolving the millennia-old hatred between the two races and places high hopes on them.

"Beautiful Ms. Theresa, would it be convenient for us to talk privately?" The unexpected arrival of the Ursus representative interrupted Theresa's interest in continuing to select desserts.

“Of course.” Theresa returned a polite smile and nodded happily.

As a powerful neighbor in northern Kazdel, maintaining friendly relations with Ursus is beneficial for promoting cooperation and development in various fields between the two countries. Since the other party has taken the initiative to extend the invitation, Theresa naturally has no need to refuse.

The two sat down on a sofa in the corner of the hall. The Ursus representative put down his glass and looked around, but couldn't spot the figure. So he asked first.

"Lady Theresa, where is the other prince? Didn't you two come together?"

"He had to leave early due to unforeseen circumstances. If you have anything to say to him, I can pass it on to you."

Theresa clasped her hands on her thighs, her gentle, approachable smile always putting people at ease.

“No…no need.” Upon learning that Roy was not present at the banquet, the Ursus representative showed no disappointment and gently shook his head. “It would be the same if I discussed it with you.”

"Please go ahead," Theresa said, raising her hand to indicate that she was listening attentively.

“Okay, actually... Ursus intends to purchase a large quantity of anti-Oripathy drugs from Kazdel, tentatively set at 300,000 doses.”

"This batch of drugs must be packaged in specific ways and delivered to Ursus through clandestine channels..." The Ursus representative interlaced his fingers and rested them on the table, outlining his series of demands.

"I have a question, if you mind if I ask it?" Theresa, who had remained silent the whole time, carefully asked after the Ursus representative stopped speaking.

"It's alright, please feel free to ask if you have any questions." The Ursus representative smiled slightly, showing no intention of refusing.

"Ursas should have the capacity to produce the anti-Oripathy drugs it needs, so is the surge in demand a sign of a very serious, large-scale outbreak?"

Theresa wondered why Ursus was secretly purchasing large quantities of anti-Oripathy drugs through smuggling; there must be some reason behind it.

“It’s not what you think. I’m not authorized to disclose the specifics. However, Mr. Roy should be able to guess what we were talking about. You can ask him later.”

The Ursus representative didn't give a direct answer, instead keeping everyone in suspense. If the person speaking was Roy himself, he would probably have already guessed the reason; everything was understood without being said aloud.

However, the person he was speaking with now was Theresia, and Ursus was not allowed to divulge any information. As for whether she would find out the truth through other means, that was beyond his control.

"Hehe... I understand. I'll pass on your message after the banquet." Theresa noticed the Ursus representative's embarrassment, so she didn't press further; she knew it wouldn't be long anyway.

"Thank you for your trouble. I won't disturb your enjoyment any longer. Farewell." Having completed his mission, the Ursus representative stood up, bowed respectfully to Theresa, and turned to leave.

......

Inside the Lateran Cathedral, dozens of crystal-clear chandeliers illuminate the entire hall, and under the illumination of multiple light sources, the solemn marble statues cast no shadows on the floor.

"Tap tap tap..." The sound of footsteps was particularly abrupt and clear in the empty and silent church hall. Under the clear moonlight, the current Pope of Laterano and the Sarkaz Demon King walked side by side toward the holy icon.

“Lord Roy, please follow my lead.” The Pope raised his hand and gently pressed on the base of the icon. With a slight tremor, the entrance to a bottomless, dark secret passage appeared before the two of them.

"Your laws, that machine, why do you want to see me?" In the dimly lit underground space, the Pope walked ahead carrying a lantern, while Roy followed behind at a leisurely pace, using his magical vision to observe the surrounding environment.

This place seems to be a complex underground maze; without the glowing landmarks to guide you, you would definitely get lost.

“You do know something.” The Pope paused in his steps, then quickly replied, “The logic of the law’s judgments is always unpredictable. But since it is His choice, we can only choose to believe unconditionally.”

“Hmm…” Roy nodded and stopped talking, as the two had reached the gate at the end of the secret passage.

Behind the door, on the central platform, stood a cold, circular machine, its eerie red light emanating from within, sweeping across every corner of the room, accompanied by a clearly audible hum...

Those are the footprints of "computation," the truth of the law, the PCS system of the pre-civilization.