Stephen put down the book in his hand listlessly. He suddenly realized that compared to Liebgoet, he lacked the composure that comes before a great battle. His teacher, regardless of victory or defeat, always seemed indifferent, as if everything was just passing by. As for himself, he could never focus completely, always distracted by nervous thoughts.
Unable to concentrate on the book any longer, Stephen placed it on the table and stood up to walk to the window.
Every time he stood on the top floor of the Imperial Building, the tallest in Tanville, gazing at the bustling city lit up by neon lights, Stephen would feel a surge of excitement. A person, if born with endless wealth, prestigious honor, and countless women to choose from, what else could he desire? There is only one answer: power! Only power, the highest power, is the most wonderful thing in the world. The feeling of controlling everything is irresistible to anyone. Born into the Royal Family, he was destined to live a spectacular life. Whether in life or death, only striving for power would make him feel no regret.
The imperial prisoners in Abnosk Prison constantly reminded Stephen that being born into such a family and being unwilling to resign to fate, he was destined to walk a path of no return. On this path, anyone standing in his way must be kicked aside. His destiny must be in his own hands. If anyone tried to control his fate, that person would be a mortal enemy, even if that person was the current Emperor, his own father!
Stephen smiled bitterly. After all, he did not have the strength to challenge his father. This powerful Emperor of the Gazalin Empire had controlled the Empire for too long. His influence had permeated every corner of Gazalin, and everyone trembled under this seemingly laissez-faire Emperor. No one dared to betray him.
Those who dared to fight against James were now confined to two places: Abnosk Prison, or the cemetery! However, the Gazalin Empire was already riddled with holes, a fact that almost all the nobles knew very well. The war against the Federation relied on the military power accumulated by Gazalin over hundreds of years. This seemingly strong force was gradually withering away in continuous depletion. This war was manipulated by Russell from the start. The dream of occupying the Newton Star System and rising from a small country to a medium-sized nation had completely shattered. In the Newton Star System campaign, Gazalin lost a large number of Army and Space Fleet units. Russell’s betrayal dealt Gazalin a fatal blow. The Galileo Star System was completely breached within a month. Now, Lucerne was continuously devouring Gazalin’s last bit of strength!
The Federation’s economic capability had been fully mobilized. When this power was transformed into a military advantage, even Liebgoet was at a loss! Even if temporary victories were achieved in Lucerne, the overall situation of the war was still not optimistic. The domestic economy was already exhausted. Mobilizing the entire population, turning everyone into soldiers, eighty percent of civilian factories had closed, and even the nobles could only rely on smuggling for luxury goods. All resources were dedicated to producing military-related products: uniforms, boots, guns, bullets, energy bullets, Mechas, and self-propelled artillery. Only these could be produced. The depletion of resources made it impossible even to properly replenish Space Battleships! Without the support from the Western Alliance countries, Gazalin would have collapsed long ago!
Father James was playing a game. This game was at the cost of the entire foundation of the Morton family. This Emperor still had a strong hand! No one knew when he would play these cards! But did the Federation not have other cards to play? According to the intelligence reports, the Federation’s activities in the small countries surrounding Gazalin were becoming increasingly frequent. These countries had long been restless, and who knew when these wolves would reveal their vicious fangs and together pounce on Gazalin to bring it down completely!
If there were a metaphor for the situation, Stephen knew, it would describe him—an ant trying to stop a chariot. However, a commoner’s fury, even though they might die, could still bring a chance of success! Gazalin had reached its final critical moment. The war in Lucerne was bogged down, the nobles continued to indulge in drunken dreams, and Father James was sneering, sitting on his throne, playing a dangerous game to punish the betrayer Russell. His brother, Crown Prince George, was still vying with him for the throne. Meanwhile, the entire human society was like a powder keg ready to explode. The confrontation between the two superpowers and several major nations had reached the point of tension and danger. Who would be the fuse that ignited the explosion?
Anyone could be. It absolutely must not be Gazalin! ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ NovᴇlFɪre.nᴇt
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"As long as it makes the Leray Federation and that bastard understand that Gazalin can never be conquered by them, I don’t care if we become the fuse that ignites a universal war!" The Emperor sat steadily in the study chair, speaking calmly. There was a pathological excitement on his face. Standing opposite him, Philip respectfully listened, catching every word from this powerful Emperor.
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