CHAPTER 1491: CHAPTER 1491: ’LIFE’ AND ’DEATH

South Gate City, Outside

The suspended city and mist in the sky rapidly dissipated at a speed visible to the naked eye.

And beneath this magnificent inverted city, in front of the towering walls on the ground, densely packed troops in light armor stood arrayed.

And in front of these troops were roaring armored vehicles, aircraft, and a war machine Demon Wolf hovering over countless pieces of machinery.

A slender ’road’ divided the two armies; each soldier gripped their weapon tightly and tensed their muscles.

Huge machines roared with deafening sounds, all gun barrels adjusted to optimal conditions.

An invisible sense of oppression spread under the firmament, weighing heavily on everyone’s hearts.

It felt as if a burning flame had approached the fuse of a powder keg, and war might descend at any moment.

In the depths of the mecha forces, inside a hovering transport aircraft, a middle-aged officer also looked up, gazing at the seemingly endless army stretching to the horizon.

"It seems like the Kewort Group has pulled out all its resources this time," the officer nervously remarked, turning to the screen beside him, "And this is just one mercenary corps; another one is on the way."

"The main mercenary corps of the old financial groups don’t fall short," the figure in the screen calmly stated.

It was Fiss, the current Legion Commander of the Nolanka Group.

"Can we hold them off?" The middle-aged officer glanced at the densely arranged army, then looked down at the mecha forces in front of him, "Most of these kids are newly recruited rookies, lacking the experience of those on the opposite side, and our numbers are much fewer."

He took a slight breath, "If we were to confront them head-on, we could only hold them off for half a day at most. The City Defense Army of South City in Ains is still in conflict internally, so I doubt they can support us."

Hearing his words, Fiss on the screen shook his head, "Don’t worry, Mr. Vian will not let the children of the group die in vain."

"That’s not what I meant," the officer was slightly taken aback and quickly added, "I didn’t mean any disrespect to Mr. Vian..."

"Don’t be tense, you just got promoted and might not know much about Mr. Vian. Mr. Vian is no Divine Being; he always allows opinions and expressions of them," Fiss smiled and shook his head, "But we’re in wartime now, and his strategic judgments have never been wrong."

He paused and continued, "Since he only sent the second mercenary corps, it means he believes the second mercenary corps is enough; otherwise, reinforcements would have arrived by now."

"Of course I trust Mr. Vian. We will execute the group’s every order and will never retreat," the middle-aged officer nodded and quickly said, "The group’s mercenaries are also willing to die for the group and Mr. Vian, without doubt!"

The combat strength of the Nolanka Group’s army is recognized across the entire Federation.

Unlike the other mercenary corps in the Federation that like to recruit Wilderness Hunters, professional mercenaries, or even gang members, the soldiers of the Nolanka Group are basically ordinary people from Kaye City or cities completely controlled by the Nolanka Group.

Every soldier goes through a detailed background check to qualify for enlistment.

This change was brought about by the Vian Era.

In recent years, the group has been continuously undergoing internal reforms, eliminating those mercenaries who were once employed by the group but were of ill character.

These ordinary people may not be as formidable as professional mercenaries and cannot form a combat force in a short time.

But their organizational and disciplinary skills are far superior to the mercenaries of other financial groups.

Each soldier understands clearly that defending the group is equivalent to defending the improved quality of life they have worked hard to achieve, as well as their families.

From this moment, despite facing enemies several times their number, they show no signs of retreat, which is evident.

After this short conversation, the middle-aged officer’s state visibly stabilized.

Meanwhile, Fiss on the screen quietly watched all this.

The expansion of the group’s mercenary corps was too rapid, and although the entire army’s resolve was firm, everyone from officers to soldiers was somewhat inexperienced.

But this couldn’t be rushed; every army and soldier needed a growth process.

Just at this moment, a communications officer suddenly raised his head and looked at the officer, "Sir, the second mercenary corps of the Kewort Group has arrived."

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged officer immediately turned his head to look in the other direction.

There, what he first saw was not the army or war machines, but a dense cloud of dust like a sandstorm.

Following this, slender barrel muzzles and massive war vehicles broke out of the dense dust clouds, rapidly heading towards this direction.

The middle-aged officer took a deep breath and spoke, "Relay the order, prepare for battle."

He discreetly reached up to touch his forehead, feeling a slight dampness from the sweat that had seeped through.

However, at this moment, his state instead calmed down.

"Yes!"

The soldier next to him immediately responded.

Quickly, in the field of view of the transport aircraft, the densely packed miniature mecha forces ignited their flames and begun entering combat status.

The city and mist in the sky rapidly dissipated, seemingly the countdown to war.

The army rushing over also steadily slowed down, seemingly entering a state of combat readiness.

Under everyone’s gaze, the thick dust and dense fog gradually disappeared with the slowing speed, revealing the massive and vast mechanized army beneath.

The army originally standing in front of and opposing the mecha forces also started the machines at this moment.

All firearms were cocked, and all gun barrels were ready.

Finally, the rushing army came to a complete stop a hundred meters away from the mecha forces.

Then, the middle-aged officer took a deep breath, always ready to utter the command to commence fighting.

Just then, a certain tremble seemed to occur in the rumbling mechanized army.

Subsequently, the machines of these forces started up again.

But they moved not forward, but backward.

The mercenary corps previously standing here, and the one that had just arrived.

These two large mercenary corps just turned their direction this way, slowly retreating backward.

The middle-aged officer watched this scene in bewilderment.

"Retreated?"

He incredulously turned back to look at Fiss on the screen, "What exactly is going on···"

"This is Ains," Fiston paused, speaking softly, "Kewort Group probably never had the courage to act against Ains from the start. They moved the army here merely to serve as a deterrent."

He glanced thoughtfully in the direction of Ains, "War is an extension of politics. The fact that they retreated likely means something in the city has come to a conclusion."

He turned back, gazing at the still somewhat confused expression of the middle-aged officer.

"I’ve said before," Fiss shrugged, "You have to trust Mr. Vian. He has never been wrong in his strategic judgments. He must have anticipated the current situation long ago."

"Mr. Vian," the middle-aged officer finally reacted. He looked up at the two departing mercenary corps and exclaimed, "That’s really impressive."

The dense fog in the sky and the city completely dissipated at this moment.

——

June 23

Gray Stone Palace and the Federal Bureau of Investigation issued a joint announcement stating that the old President’s injuries relapsed last night, resulting in a failed rescue and his passing.

The Ains Post published a full-page obituary for the old President on the front page.

The former Vice President, now Acting President, also assumed office last night upon confirmation of the old President’s death.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation stated that they had uncovered critical information concerning the assassination of the President and promised to thoroughly investigate to reveal the truth.

Rumors circulated online suggesting a significant connection between the assassination plot and the illusory Inverted City enveloping the entire city.

Some rumors claimed this was an effort by the assassins to summon the Advent of the Evil God, intending to usurp Federation power.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation did not respond to these related rumors.

——

June 25

The Federal Bureau of Investigation released the first phase of the investigation report on the assassination case.

The report indicated that the assassination was orchestrated by the Kewort Group and the former chief of the Federation Intelligence Bureau, Di Man, with the core assassins of the plot being sponsored by the Kewort Group.

Chief Di Man was also involved in the threatening Evil God’s Advent incident in Ains and has perished in the events.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has launched an investigation into the Kewort Group.

Gray Stone Palace issued an administrative order to suspend the operations of Kewort Group’s mercenary corps until the investigation concludes.

On the same day, Kewort Group’s stock plummeted, and several large financial groups with shareholding relations with the Kewort Group were affected, causing their stock prices to fall as well.

In the evening, the Federal Bureau of Investigation released a special announcement, clearing Paxiu of the suspicion of being the President’s assassin and explicitly acknowledging that Paxiu and the one who saved the city in the Dark Lizard incident are the same person.

Simultaneously, the Federal Bureau of Investigation confirmed that the one who saved Ains in the city’s reflection was also Paxiu.

For a while, the entire Federation’s public opinion was in an uproar.

News quickly dug up Paxiu’s heroic deeds in saving Denno City, revealing that he was once a Wilderness Wanderer whose family died in the Dark Lizard incident years ago. Afterwards, he became a civic resident in Dawn City, persistently investigating the Dark Lizard case.

Given his legendary experiences and events, discussions about this hero even surpassed those concerning the President’s assassination case.

For a time, ’Paxiu’ became a trending term throughout the Federation.

——

Ains Seville Airport

A white-haired girl in a white robe walked alongside a woman with long, chestnut-gold hair pulling a suitcase, slowly progressing through the narrow corridor.

"You could actually stay in Ains," the white-haired girl Ines glanced at Vigina beside her, speaking softly, "Now that Rose has been captured, along with all those associated with his faction being uprooted, Ains is precisely where there’s a shortage of personnel now."

She sighed lightly, "You’re quite excellent. The chief must have seen your excellence."

"Perhaps," Vigina smiled, gently gripping the suitcase’s handle, "But I’d still like to visit Denno City first."

The white-haired girl glanced at her, remaining silent.

Thus, the two continued moving forward, one step at a time, along the corridor.

"I’ve always had a question," Vigina spoke softly, gazing at the empty hall, "Why does the chief never disclose the true cause of the President’s death? If the President is alive, he just needs to make an appearance. Since the President doesn’t appear and the chief forbids anyone from meeting the President, doesn’t it make everyone speculate?"

"There are indeed speculations," Ines replied softly, "Actually, whether it’s Di Man, financial groups or the ancient families of the Federation, many suspect the President died long ago. They have operated in Ains for years and are well aware of the President’s health condition."

Speaking of which, she paused, continuing softly, "But speculation and confirmation are two different things. They dare not gamble on the President indeed being dead, especially when he doesn’t have much longer to live anyway."

"Are they afraid the President is ’playing dead’ to bait them?" Vigina pondered, "If they emerge and the President is not dead, he could catch them red-handed? Seek revenge?"

"Partially," Ines nodded slightly and continued, "But even if the President wouldn’t settle scores afterwards, on the brink of life and death, the President’s ’living’ or ’death’ makes quite a difference."

Vigina lifted her head, looking at her in confusion.

"During his eight-year term, the President united many original conservative and neutral factions under his banner, forming a stable political force," Ines explained softly, "If this force collaborates with those led by Dawn City, it could barely resist the financial groups, which is why the President intends to win over Dawn City."

She paused slightly, "But this force isn’t truly consolidated. Each has their interests, with many being neutral fence-sitters. It took the President a long time to organize and unite them as an independent force. Besides him, no one can control this force."

"So, he’s the core?" Vigina began to understand a bit, "Once the President ’dies’, the political force he shaped might collapse, and the possibility for it to unite with Dawn City against the financial groups would vanish?"

She speculated, "So the President must ’live’. As long as he’s ’alive’ for even a day, this force exists. There could be cooperation with Christos, causing financial groups to fear? So the financial groups are determined for the President to die?"

"Yes," Ines nodded softly, "But the situation might be worse. With the President’s death, most within this original force might turn to financial groups or remain neutral."

"Yet the President’s demise can’t always be covered up." Vigina sighed softly.

"Thus, it’s essentially delaying time," Ines spoke softly, "The chief mentioned, it’s also the President’s own intention."

"As long as the President still ’lives’, deterrence remains, and the Federation’s stability can continue?" Vigina sighed softly.

"So whether it’s Rose or Di Man, their goal was to enter the ward and confirm the President’s physical condition." Ines responded.

"But this delay must have a limit?" Vigina pondered, "Can’t it drag on forever? Even those in the President’s force would grow impatient if kept uncertain, and they’d eventually turn to the financial groups without anyone to maintain them?"

"Yes, so the President’s ’life’ and ’death’ are political weapons he’s left behind,"

Ines nodded slightly. She lifted her head to watch the news of the President’s assassination playing on the large screen in the hall, "Now it’s the endpoint of the delay. A hero appears, using the ’President’s death’ to dismantle the financial groups’ conspiracy, inflicting maximal damage."

"The financial group’s conspiracy?" Vigina mused over the term, feeling there was still some fog before her eyes, "So, what exactly is the financial groups’ motive for assassinating the President?"