XXIX. Conversation in the Cabin

"Hehe, a busty beauty who runs away from her marriage, huh? That's something that would keep everyone entertained, but you gotta be careful not to get hit by a semi-truck when you're up there."

Morison made an explosive remark.

"Calling off an engagement trend, huh?" Shadi was speechless. "Worthy of connecting with immortals, surviving nine lives, sacrificing oneself as a seed to verify the pathway to immortality; at the end of the immortal path, who is the peak? Once meeting Mika, all comes to naught."

"Chapter One, The Fallen Genius, The Power of Pirates! Three segments!" Rein mocked as he continued, "The Fighting Spirit Origin God, activate!"

"Fast forward to the brother-killing proof."

Ox closed his eyes, considering the need for some vigorous action for this bunch of idiots. Otherwise, how do you tackle people when bounty hunters, the navy, and the Thief Guild come slashing?

Even Liszt, the initiator, couldn't stand it anymore—a competition of who could be more abstract, tarnishing the already notorious profession of piracy, elevating it to an evil height it never deserved.

"What compilation…"

Mika gave in.

"My eyes break in despair, my love lost forever, revive, my love!"

Wolman suddenly shouted.

Suddenly, the whole place fell silent, with everyone slack-jawed.

Wolman scratched his head, wasn't that phrase meant for this context? He drank his wine to ease the awkwardness.

After an unbearably long, pin-drop silence of ten seconds.

"Regardless of whom we pick up, speaking of transporting goods isn't easy, just taking a boat ride, and here I thought it was some big job."

Archer thought it was another opportunity for a killing. There are always people to exploit, so why not?

Fen shook his head.

"If it's about picking someone up, the final payment is made at the end. There are many factors to consider, not just the guards along the way but the handover when we arrive at the destination. We might even need to be responsible for the response. Too many variables, that's actually the toughest part."

Fen explained.

"What's so tough about it? If it really comes down to it, just kill them halfway or sell them as slaves somewhere, can even use them as a ransom."

Archer, unfazed, continued to act tough.

"Mr. Archer is indeed great at high talk."

Rein mocked. If it were really about transporting important people, would anyone entrust an easy target to you? At the least, there would be two or three bodyguards who could hold their own; the lord would definitely be smarter than you, otherwise, he'd have been torn apart in the cutthroat nobility struggles long ago.

"Speaking of which, can it include two people, any candidates in mind?"

Fen asked Liszt.

"Isn't that obvious? Obviously, General Fen and Brother Sha. If any problem arises, there'd be backups."

Liszt didn't need to think twice, bringing along the Human Rights Card and Supermodel Card—without them, the deal might fall through, and his life could be on the line.

"Family banquet, huh? Sounds high-class, but it's just a raggedy party if it's among nobles."

Morison commented offhandedly.

Fen almost spat out his tea; the man had seriously made another explosive statement.

"All right, let's not talk about that anymore. Anyway, we'll see the outcome tomorrow night. Speaking of which, I've been too busy yesterday and this morning. Here, have a look at this."

Fen produced a newspaper bought at the adventurer's guild, intending to expose these illiterates to current affairs. He figured they should stop following Liszt's meaningless abstract quotes all day long, which were dumbing them down.

The group began passing around the newspaper.

"Carriage..." Rein's eyes narrowed. "Aran people think the origin of everything in the universe is the 'carriage.' There's a secret in these two words. Does a 'carriage' have horses? Carriage..."

"Alright, cut it out. I know what you're going to say."

Liszt quickly interjected.

As Wolman, the notorious anti-Aran madman, was directly amused.

"Aran people are really generous, aren't they? They don't even have horses, yet they entertain the masses."

After making a few snide remarks, Wolman began reading carefully, discovering that this invention could quickly transport goods or even people. He blinked rapidly, his long bifurcated antenna twitching.

After a long struggle, he finally blurted out.

"The Aran Empire is about to be destroyed."

Wolman handed the newspaper to the next person, thus commenting.

"I know you are anti-Aran and a madman, setting aside the facts, no, speaking only of the facts, how is it going to be destroyed?"

Liszt was speechless.

Before Monges Wetland, Wolman's hometown, was designated as an autonomous region, residents needed to venture out to make ends meet, but life inside was bearable. After the Emperor's arbitrary slaughters, the Malthus Trap was lifted, the population decreased, but life became more miserable.

Autonomous region, duchy, they sound nice, but they have the same nature—autonomy is allowed, but only a little bit; you govern all the awful affairs, and I govern all the good affairs.

Products native to the Great Wetland had to be included in the free market trade. To make the wetland a livable environment for the Human Race, a corvée system was introduced. Every adult Sub-dragon male had to perform three years of corvée, which is basically free labor with no pay at all, a fate worse than imprisonment.

Thus the Great Wetland major rebellion happened a few years ago, where the local benevolent dictator, siphoning blood from his brethren for wealth and glory, fought with the rebels. Wolman was one of those rebels, and a leader. At first, they scored continuous victories since the soldiers of the benevolent ruler were feeble as paper tigers, but then the ruler just shook reinforcements—summoning the Aran Army. The rebels were suppressed within a month.

More than ten years ago, having become a slave of a fallen state, Wolman completely despaired, knew that restoration of his homeland was hopeless, and fled overseas.

Wolman started to speak, "The Aran Empire seems to always be winning, and indeed it has always been.

But the world's great trends focus on identity recognition, your so-called ideology.

It has turned the entire country into a war machine. Every time it overspends its national strength, it needs to invade more places to replenish, excessive military budgets, the high status of soldiers indefinitely boosted, the increasingly domineering military forces at home must also push the Emperor to continue conquering so that they won't lose their influence and maintain their current status; it's like an abyss, even if the Emperor wants to stop, he can't, he has been set up, turned into a puppet of 'conquering.'

Yes, the Emperor has always been winning, but he has just postponed the explosion of every overextended invasion into other countries.

Hidden under the high welfare treatments of the Aran officials is the endless hatred of other countries on the Western Continent.

Once the railway is up, and it must be up, the Western Continent will have thorough connectivity. With the Emperor's military genius, he will easily conquer the whole Western Continent."

Wolman finished speaking.

Liszt gave a forced laugh.

"If the Emperor has conquered everything, already ending the game with ease, how can destruction still occur?"

Liszt thought Wolman had gone completely mad, just like the ultimate madman from the Church Court.

"Because of this, Aran will be destroyed, and it will be a catastrophic collapse.

Now, only a few nations like Ji Weng, Pedan, Gureg, and the toughest, Lostra, are still holding out.

The Emperor has already conquered most of the Western Continent. Once the railway is established, all these territories will become an impenetrable fortress.

At this time, to approach Ji Weng and Pedan to attack Aran, they will refuse to collaborate, only caring for themselves, until all are annihilated. Even if someone has the gift of the gab, and forms an alliance, they will be riddled with mutual suspicion and surely defeated.

Destroying these nations is easy, until the Emperor reigns supreme over the continent.

But once the Emperor reigns supreme, everyone will be Aran, so whose high welfare must be maintained? Yet then, Aran will still be a war machine, still the same Old Aran beneath the Upper Three Flags, still the same Old Aran Military Officials, still having to continue invading, though the methods will have changed, and even as slaves of the fallen state, corvée must still be served.

If the Emperor decides to purge his court, to enforce a major purge, but now that it's a military world, backlash is inevitable and will accelerate the collapse of Aran; he is already set up, unable to move.

When the Emperor reaches his triumphant peak, it will also be the moment of his destruction.

Under the corvée system, by then there will certainly be revolts, albeit ineffectual ones, but just by persuading the old royal families from various regions to restore their countries and attack Aran, all the past hidden dangers burst forth.

Even if the Emperor doesn't conquer everything, just with enough territories conquered and enough people serving corvée, a collapse is inevitable.

I've said it, the world's great trends focus on identity recognition, on ideology.

Aran is still strong, but we can lose countless times, while Aran can only afford to lose once.

Just once, and it will be a catastrophic collapse.

The faster the railroad is built, the better, after all, not only the Emperor himself enjoys the railroad.

Even without the railroad, it's just a delay in this process. Aran might have decades or even a century more to exist, but now... I thought I'd never see that day, but it's coming sooner than expected."

Wolman finished speaking.

Everyone present was stunned, this imposing figure actually had such profound insights.

General Fen squinted his eyes; although Wolman was not entirely correct, he had a point. Wolman did not yet know about Claude, that the Emperor was already extending his reach to Beima Duchy. With another massacre, it would indeed be a scenario demanding corvée.

"Having finished your lofty talk, 'right inside the cabin,'" it is.

Liszt was dumbfounded, Wolman, also known as Little Zhuge.

"What a... moderate history degree," Rein marveled. "Deserving to be one of only two educated people on the ship."