There is no objection to continuing with a few more people in a different place. After the venue stopped the experiment, there was no longer the tense and lively atmosphere. Instead, it seemed somewhat gloomy and oppressive. Even if it was not a formal international diplomacy, it was still a negotiation between two countries. It was not appropriate to conduct it in such a place.
About half an hour later, Hefei led the three people to a prepared conference room and sat opposite each other at the long table.
"So I'll ask directly, what is your country's attitude towards this attack? We won't easily accept just verbal apologies," Delua spoke directly, pushing aside the freshly poured hot tea in front of her. Although the attitude of the Kingdom of Seins was apologetic, they maintained an ambiguous attitude towards compensation and the pursuit of the attackers, which were the most important matters.
Faced with Delua's straightforward question, the Chief General couldn't change the topic anymore. He sighed helplessly and spread his hands, "Well, I will explain this matter clearly."
"That attacker, Hermes Melt, used to be my senior in a way. He used to be a core member of this underground research institute and was responsible for the development of magic-powered machinery... specifically, magic-powered armor. What you just saw was the latest prototype, but not the closest version to the final product."
"Three years ago, Hermes created prototypes that were almost ready for combat, but due to some accidents... he was expelled from the research institution by the kingdom. However, before being expelled, he destroyed all the achievements he had made, setting back the progress by more than half."
"Are you saying that this attack has nothing to do with the Kingdom of Seins?" Delua's expression turned cold.
"In theory, that's correct, but in reality, it's much more complicated than that." Hefei placed his hands flat on the table in front of him, intertwining his fingers. "Miss Delua, do you know about the composition of the Kingdom of Seins?"
"Composition?" Delua was slightly puzzled. Although she didn't understand why this was suddenly brought up, she subconsciously searched her mind for the relevant information collected and organized by the intelligence department.
"The Kingdom of Seins is known as the kingdom of magical technology. Over thirty percent of the population are researchers... Because it is a city-state, our national institutions are relatively simpler. Moreover, each agency is relatively independent. I, as the Chief General, am the leader of the country on the surface, but I don't have much actual power."
"As for what truly influences the will of this country, it is those big figures hidden behind the scenes."
Delua nodded slightly. The intelligence department had mentioned these. The history of this country was not long, and it had only been around for a hundred years. At that time, several families discovered a massive ancient ruin deep in the jungle. They directly controlled the entire area with their powerful influence and gradually formed the current magical kingdom.
It was normal for there to be powerful figures behind this country. It was even more suspicious if there was nothing hidden in the depths of the dark pool.
"The reason why this incident is complicated is because... there are shadows of these big figures behind Hermes."
"Are you saying that the Kingdom of Seins supported that guy's attack?" Delua furrowed her brows.
"It's not that simple." Hefei rubbed his temples with a headache. "Let me put it this way, if we compare Seins to a puppet, these families behind the scenes are the puppeteers. They provide massive funding to the research institutions every year and earn even more astonishing profits through magical technology products... Once the funding is cut off, all research will come to a halt within a day."
"But the problem is, there is not just one puppeteer, and they also have conflicts among themselves. They temporarily put aside their hidden struggles in the face of the interests of magical technology, but it never stops."
This time, even Delua furrowed her brows and pondered, holding her chin. "Are you saying that it's possible that one of the families supports Hermes, while the other families are innocent?"
"That's right." Hefei finally felt relieved when Delua finally understood. "At least on the surface, we still don't know which family is supporting Hermes. The big figures behind the scenes have unanimously expressed their willingness to compensate your country, but when it comes to pursuing the attacker, it's a bit..."
It turned out that choosing Delua as a secretary was the right decision... because all I needed to do was hand over all the matters to her.
Over there, two people were engaged in a heated argument, while the princess and Aya could only sit on the side, sipping tea and chatting through the contract communication.
"Do you understand?"
"I understand, but it's difficult to find her." Tiran sighed, "Even if Saens is small, it's still a country. With millions of people in such a large place, it will be too late by the time we find her."
Although they had anticipated this, facing the situation still made them feel frustrated. They couldn't solve anything without finding her and getting rid of that old lunatic.
"Didn't Xiao Mo give you the contact information of her friend here? Why don't you try?"
"You mean that? I'll give it a try later."
...
"Well, leaving aside the matter of the attackers, can we at least resolve the issue of compensation?" Delua decided to confirm the highest priority matter.
"Of course, we are willing to take responsibility for this and provide compensation within our means."
"In that case, we would like to receive a batch of the latest military products," Delua placed the prepared list on the table and pushed it over, "at least enough to equip a brigade-level combat unit."
As Hefei's gaze scanned each item on the list, he couldn't help but swallow his saliva. The latest rapid-fire magic guns, various models of mobile magic cannons, magic motorcycles, wide-range reconnaissance radars... Considering the current situation in Milanía, it was not unreasonable to request such a batch of weapons.
The value of magic weapons far surpassed that of swords and bows. Even the highest-grade enchanted swords couldn't compare to the price of the most ordinary magic gun. Despite Saens being a first-class country, they could only arm a few thousand people... And even with the most powerful magic firearms, they might not be able to defeat a knight wielding a regular sword in a one-on-one fight.
The low cost-effectiveness of magic weapons meant that cold weapons still dominated the battlefield. However, it was undeniable that in a battle, unless a mage cast a powerful spell, no one could rival the mass killing ability of magic weapons. With this batch of weapons, Milanía would definitely have more confidence when facing threats from neighboring countries.
"But the quantity is a bit..." Hefei's expression showed his dilemma. Saens' own armed forces only consisted of a few thousand people, so to suddenly request equipment for a brigade-level unit of two thousand was too much! If they followed this approach, the underground factories of Sorcery City would have to focus solely on manufacturing weapons for the next few years.
"If it's not possible, we can consider reducing the quantity." Delua smiled and said, "But as an exchange, we hope your country can send a military force to help us suppress the rebellion... It doesn't need to be too many, three to five hundred people would be enough."
"This..." Hefei's expression went beyond just being in a dilemma. I see, you're deliberately making things difficult for me, Delua! Weapons can be negotiated, and compensating Milanía in that regard could still be justified. Even if we argue a bit, we can resolve it. But sending a military force is a completely different matter!
Even if it's just three to five hundred people, as long as they bear the banner of the "Kingdom of Saens," it would be considered military assistance. Even if no one says it, the outside world would instinctively view Milanía and Saens as allies. This is not a good thing for a magic kingdom that has always maintained a neutral stance.
In any era, a country that possesses technology several eras ahead of other nations has the power to disrupt the balance. Once they align themselves and form alliances, chaos is bound to ensue. Both Hefei and the influential figures behind the Kingdom of Saens are well aware of this. Therefore, this city-state has never participated in any war in any form.
"This request is really... How about we discuss the issue of weapons instead?" The smile on the Chief General's face was awkward. It was absolutely impossible to agree to sending troops to assist in suppressing the rebellion!
