Man in the Ark: Revitalizing Kazdel

The war between the Duke of Victoria's allied forces and Tara thus began with a seemingly inexplicable artillery barrage. The two sides exchanged fire across the wide river, with gunfire and smoke spreading across the land.

Because the Duke of Victoria's allied forces initially intended to resolve the war through negotiations, they were put on the defensive when faced with the Duke of Wellington's sudden and fierce artillery attack.

They could only organize sporadic counterattacks while retreating. The leading few Dreadnought-class high-speed warships, after enduring several rounds of bombardment, finally dragged their damaged bodies back to the protection of the fleet.

This sudden, small-scale war came to a temporary end at the cost of the Duke of Victoria's allied forces losing two small, fast warships and the Duke of Wellington's fleet suffering damage to six fast warships.

The allied fleet withdrew to the nearest mobile town to discuss why there had been a breach of military orders and the firing that disrupted the negotiations, and to hold those responsible accountable.

However, the warship that accidentally opened fire had already been reduced to wreckage by the Gastrill's retaliatory barrage. All crew members perished, leaving no one to testify, and no one knows what exactly happened.

Whether it was instigated by certain interest groups or by enemy agents infiltrating the coalition forces, further investigation is needed.

After this unexpected incident, the voice advocating for a negotiated solution no longer holds sway, because that path has been completely destroyed by that unexpected shell.

The pro-war faction, led by the Duke of Cumberland, once again seized control of the coalition's actual discourse. She was well aware that opinions within the coalition regarding this war were not unified.

The armies of the various dukes fought independently, forming an alliance only because they shared a common goal. This hastily assembled army was utterly incapable of directly confronting the Duke of Wellington's formidable army.

That very night, Duke Cumberland, in the name of the eternally noble Cumberland, sent a plea for help to Lentinium, hoping that the Steam Knights would rush to the battlefield to provide support.

Perhaps only the Steam Knight, a symbol of the pinnacle of Victoria's military industry, could break through the barrage woven by the supposedly strongest dreadnought, the HMS Gastrill, under the cover of its own naval guns.

......

Along with the fighting between the two armies on the riverbank, the explosive news that the Deeppool leader had died during negotiations also spread throughout Victoria and Tara.

The leader's death ignited the long-simmering anger in the hearts of the Tara people. Countless Tara residents took to the streets, holding high slogans of independence from Victoria and fighting for their rights, showing no fear even when faced with police and military intervention.

They firmly believe that now is the best time, and if they do not take the initiative to stand up, the Tara region will never be able to gain independence even in a hundred years.

When Reed learned of Abrahana's death, she was leading her team to the next town. Her teammates, who had gone ahead to gather intelligence, brought her the news.

As someone who grew up with Abrahim and knew her best, Reed firmly believed that she wouldn't die so easily. The claim that she died under the fire of a high-speed warship was nothing more than a smokescreen.

Using her faked death to deceive everyone and continue manipulating the war from the shadows is very much in line with her style.

Reed even believed that if the war unfolded as originally envisioned, Abrahana would disappear from the world's sight forever, while she herself would emerge from the shadows to lead the future Tara, completing the replacement of the shadow with the real.

"Abrahana, I won't easily agree to your wanting to stay out of this," Reed vowed silently as she led her team into town.

......

News of the outbreak of war within Victoria spread rapidly throughout the land. Messengers raced against time to sell firsthand intelligence to major newspapers, and hastily printed newspapers were distributed throughout the streets and alleys. Interviews with renowned military and diplomatic experts appeared on television screens in every household that evening.

The elderly man with white hair and beard leaned on his cane, his withered fingers repeatedly gesturing on a map of Victoria, explaining to the audience his understanding and predictions of the war.

Although news of the war had been circulating for some time, most people did not pay much attention, assuming it was just a minor skirmish that would eventually be resolved through negotiations and compromise.

However, the situation developed in a way that surprised everyone. A misfired shell led to a situation that quickly escalated to the point where a full-scale war had to be declared.

Representatives from Lateran, which is closer to Victoria, learned of this news while awaiting the convening of the second session of the Universal Conference.

The outbreak of war has unsettled representatives of some countries. They see it as the beginning of an era of turmoil, with the possibility of more such events in the future. The idea of ​​seeking peace through multilateral cooperation has become increasingly resolute. The collective resilience of a nation far surpasses that of isolated individuals; cooperation is the future trend for this land.

Regarding the claim that Abrahim died from the high-speed warship's shelling, Roy and Reed shared the same thought: it was a deliberate faked death plan.

The quiet, burning purple flame of death among the bookshelves in Kazdel's office is the best evidence. Therefore, Roy is now eager to see how much the death of Leader Abrahina will affect the course of the war.

Private exchanges and interactions among representatives from various countries suddenly became more frequent. Representative Victoria's reaction to the unexpected outbreak of war was only slightly surprised.

After all, the Grand Duke to whom he obeyed had maintained a neutral stance throughout the war, and the war would not affect the Duke in the short term, allowing him to continue to carry out the tasks assigned by the Duke.

Recalling the previous meeting, where Kazdel and Ursus seemed to be forming an alliance to win over smaller nations, Victoria's representative couldn't help but feel apprehensive.

After the fall of Gaul, Victoria became widely recognized as the most powerful nation in the land. However, behind its outward glory lay an increasingly corrupt and decaying empire.

Victoria is trapped in its past great achievements, falling far behind the tide of the times. Columbia, in contrast, has been vigorously developing high-tech industries such as Originium crystal circuits and modern Originium magic circuits in recent years, and its overall strength is rapidly increasing.

Ursus is a huge threat entrenched in the north of the land. Although the new emperor has not shown any ambition to expand the territory since taking office, we must be constantly on guard against it.

As for Kazdel, no one wants to experience again the feeling of having their entire high-speed battleship fleet wiped out by a single person. Moreover, the enemy possesses the only airship on this land; peaceful coexistence is currently the best outcome.

If Ursus and Kazdel form an alliance, then Victoria will also need to find reliable allies to counter them, and Letania might be a good choice.