Chapter 1340: Interstellar Grand Stage (47)_2

"In that case, we will have to discuss collaboration with Asgard." Thanos gleaned the underlying meaning in the Queen's words, the rumor of technological advancements was officially disseminated to boost the confidence of the populace.

Thanos picked up on the Queen's worry and further exploited her confused thoughts. He pushed the boundaries and asked: "So, there have been no advancements in dimension cutting technologies at all?"

"Of course not." The Queen shook her head. She felt Thanos wouldn't understand the deeply technical aspects, so she kept it brief: "The experiment of dimension cutting technology has long been successful. The problem is that it doesn't work on large transport portals and cannot be mobilized."

The Queen turned her head, and Thanos could hear the disappointment in her voice. She continued, "All of our technology is based around the large transport portal. If we don't make progress on this technology, everything else is nothing."

"I don't think that's necessarily the case," Thanos countered. He said, "Asgard is the ruler of the Nine Major Kingdoms, essentially the royal family of the entire Nine Major Kingdoms."

"They want to return to the Interstellar Society, but beyond their own strength, improving comprehensive capabilities is indispensable. However, almost none of the civilizations in the Nine Major Kingdoms are notable, Asgard included. The rest are like wastelands."

"But I've heard about Midgard… or what is referred to as Earth…." The Queen furrowed her brows, alluding to some stories she'd heard.

"Maybe they have potential, but it's too early for them," Thanos shook his head. "Aside from Asgard, all other civilizations within the Nine Major Kingdoms are too young. Asgard must be suffering over how to strengthen them. This is their weakness, which is our bargaining chip."

The Queen stopped drumming her fingers. She turned to Thanos and asked, "So, actually, the technology cooperation that Asgard wants to carry out with us isn't that advanced? What they need is relatively low-end technology to nurture the other civilizations in the Nine Major Kingdoms?"

"Exactly, I believe this is Asgard's dilemma," Thanos agreed. "After all, the Aesir can directly apply Divine Power, but most of the other races in the Nine Major Kingdoms can't. This means that the other races can't use Asgard's technology."

"Asgard wants to strengthen them but can't. Even if they provide schematics and energy resources, without the understanding of Divine Power, they can't operate machines made by Asgard."

"I believe that's why Loki suddenly visited the Shi'ar Empire. He couldn't openly visit you in an official capacity. If the Skrull Empire and the Kree Empire are aware of their distress, they will surely impose technological sanctions, preventing Asgard from obtaining similar technologies through other means."

"So, we…" The Queen started to speak but quickly dismissed her own idea, "No, we can't sanction Asgard, we don't have the confidence to do that."

"The New God King is finally calming down. In recent years, the trade routes of the Shi'ar Empire have been unusually peaceful. We hope this peace lasts."

"If we provoke Asgard, the Divine King only needs to visit our most prosperous trading center a few times, and since we cannot repel him, the decline in law and order will significantly undermine our trading partners' confidence. The capital flight situation will become more severe."

"Indeed, Your Majesty," Thanos nodded, then he began to pace in the throne hall and proposed, "Thus, we should negotiate a private transaction with Asgard, offering some slightly less advanced technologies that are suited for civilizations just stepping into the interstellar stage, in exchange for things that we lack."

"But as you said, they won't offer the portal technology in any exchange." The Queen's fingers drummed on the armrest again, a sign of her anxiety. "So, what other technology could we possibly exchange? Their starships?"

"The Shi'ar Empire has recovered remnants from Odin's fleet wreckage before, but their application of Divine Power technology is quite advanced. Their entire fleet infrastructure serves the output of Divine Power. We don't have Divine Power, and it's simply not worth it to forcefully adapt our needs, even if it's just spare parts, they can't be integrated into our fleet."

"Your Majesty, let's not forget, the purpose you want the portal technology is..." Thanos reminded the dazed Queen.

The Queen frowned, not quite grasping his point. Thanos quickly explained, "It's to strengthen our military power, enhance the confidence of the people, and prevent our own economic system from being harvested."

The Queen nodded her approval of Thanos's interpretation, and Thanos continued his analysis, "Given that, why don't we just enhance our military power directly?"

The Queen paused, her eyes widening in slow realization. She looked deeply into Thanos's eyes and sputtered, "You mean...?"

"We straight-up hire Asgard's fleet to safeguard our merchant fleets."

"Ideally, they would send some of their best hands to the star area on the edge where the Kree Empire Cruise Fleet often appears and escort the Shi'ar Empire merchant ships."

"Of course, those hot-tempered Aesir won't behave like the civilized Shi'ar people and quietly accept being inspected by other countries' cruising fleets."

"More importantly, if the Kree Empire Cruise Fleet happens to be beaten up by the Aesir, and if some journalists happen to be passing by and manage to capture the scene of the intimidating Kree Empire harassing Shi'ar Empire merchants, and if they happen to record the victorious scene of the hired mercenaries, and if this story happens to be widely reported in the Shi'ar Empire capital district..."

The Queen's eyes grew wider, she swallowed, adjusted a feather by her temple, opened her mouth, and with some hesitation she said, "If the cruise fleet were attacked, the Kree Empire wouldn't let it go easily…"

"The people they were harassing are Aesir, what does that have to do with us?"

"But they are our hirelings!"

"Then we won't pay them!"

"We can refuse to pay them. Then the hiring relationship is not established," Thanos argued confidently.

"How could we convince them to..."

"We are cooperating technologically with other independent civilizations in the Nine Major Kingdoms, what does Asgard have to do with it? The Aesir are only ones drawn to champion justice, they are always happy to help."

"What if the Kree Empire finds trouble with Asgard?"

"The people who fought are the Aesir, possibly even the Divine King."

"What if the Kree Empire comes to trouble us?"

"The people who fought are Aesir, what does that have to do with us?"

"What if they act unreasonably?"

"The people who fought are Aesir."

The Queen covered her eyes, then she said, "If they deliberately obstruct our merchants elsewhere... all right, all right, you don't have to say it, I got it. The people who fought are Aesir."