Chapter 831: Chapter 313 Heartache……
Collaborating with the Kafka Empire was an imperative for Rocky.
Although his current developnt was impressive, with unprecedented montum and prestige, one fact remained unchanged—his influence was still too small.
No matter how brilliantly Rocky triumphed in fending off the Three Great Alliances, no matter how unrivaled his prestige was, his forces remained too weak. Under normal circumstances, this might not have posed a problem; after all, given his current trajectory, it wouldn’t take long for him to grow into a behemoth no one would dare provoke.
But now wasn’t the ti, nor was the situation suitable.
The Third Offensive War was on the verge of eruption. Once this war broke out, the entire sky, even the entire world, would be engulfed in chaos. In such circumstances, no one could remain unscathed.
Yet, Rocky had already declared during his confrontation with the Three Great Alliances that he wouldn’t participate in this war—a decision to remain neutral amidst the imminent turmoil.
This mindset was indeed admirable, for, honestly speaking, many shared his sentints. Not only did most city lords of mid- and small-sized sky cities want to maintain neutrality, but even quite a few major city lords hoped to avoid involvent. Everyone knew that wars of this scale were survival-of-the-fittest conflicts, where only the strong—or rather, the strongest—could endure. The majority would end up as cannon fodder on the battlefield, leaving many reluctant to take part.
However, while many shared Rocky’s idea, few possessed his courage. Unlike Rocky, these others wouldn’t openly announce their non-participation. They could only follow the current, which was understandable given Rocky’s unique standing. He was the only one capable of standing up to the Three Great Alliances and erging unscathed—sothing others simply couldn’t achieve.
Yet even Rocky knew that, in the chaos of the impending war, sheer individual strength would not be sufficient to guarantee survival. In a world-scale war, the ultimate outco was unforeseeable. Thus, Rocky also required a powerful ally.
That ally—he chose the Kafka Empire.
As one of the Three Great Alliances, the Kafka Empire had both the strength and capability. More importantly, they needed Rocky’s assistance more than the other alliances did. The partnership ca naturally, and after several etings between Rocky and Martin, the specifics of their collaboration were quickly finalized.
Rocky promised Martin that, from this point forward, the Apple Tree Corporation would supply Rune Battleships directly to the Empire. Not only would the prices be more favorable than those offered to external parties, but the Empire would also enjoy priority in the order fulfillnt sequence. Thunderhawk City would likewise provide Rune Armor to the Empire under the sa preferential pricing and prioritization.
Moreover, Rocky pledged that any updated models of Rune Battleships or Rune Armor would be made available to the Empire before all other buyers.
In return, Martin promised that the Empire would publicly support Rocky’s choice of neutrality in the war and would deem any party attempting to infringe upon Rocky’s forces as an enemy of the Empire.
Thus, Rocky and the Kafka Empire transitioned from adversaries to collaborators—a relationship that, though labeled as cooperation, was practically akin to an alliance. More critically, this arrangent benefitted both parties.
“City Lord Rocky, I must count on your continued support in the future.”
To celebrate their agreent, Rocky hosted a grand ball at the City Lord’s Mansion. Not only did both he and Martin attend, but those still remaining in Thunderhawk City—Gandalf, Simonuo, Denise, and Kashu—were present as well.
Martin was particularly jubilant during the ball. His joy stemd not rely from the deal with Rocky but from the fact that this accomplishnt guaranteed his rise to the position of Imperial Chancellor, succeeding Ludwig, who had long returned to Kafka.
For Martin, this developnt was both expected and a pleasant surprise. Ludwig’s capture had completely dashed his prospects within Kafka’s political sphere. Even if he managed to return alive, continuing as Imperial Chancellor was no longer an option. However, who would beco the next Chancellor remained uncertain, for Kafka had multiple Vice Chancellors and nurous other officials qualified for the position. Martin could never be sure of his own appointnt.
Now, with the successful partnership between Rocky and Kafka, Martin’s promotion was inevitable. Being the primary architect of this deal gave him imnse political leverage, enough to smoothly secure the Chancellor’s seat. Thus, Martin’s joyous deanor at the ball was unmistakable.
Of course, while so celebrated, others lanted. Watching Martin and Rocky’s seemingly close rapport, Gandalf, the Sky Alliance’s Great Elder, felt deeply unsettled. Not only did the Sky Alliance and Kafka Empire historically clash, but as two of the Three Great Alliances, they had often been rivals, even engaging in direct confrontations. Seeing Martin and Rocky so aligned naturally filled Gandalf with apprehension.
Though the Sky Alliance had achieved breakthroughs with Mana Runes, their advancents were limited to First Level Runes. Even the Alliance’s skilled research teams couldn’t generate significant innovations with First Level Runes. Thus, with Kafka having Rocky’s full-scale support, it was uncertain whether the Sky Alliance could maintain its advantages to compete.
Moreover, Gandalf harbored misgivings about Rocky’s close association with Kafka, particularly given that Rocky remained a mber of the Sky Alliance and a core one at that. Ideally, the Alliance should have been his backbone.
However, the relationship between Rocky and the Sky Alliance had long since devolved into re formality. Gandalf reflected that the Alliance had missed countless opportunities to strengthen ties with Rocky. Within the past year alone, they had conducted Mana Rune trades with him, presenting ample chances to ease tensions and deepen connections. While restoring their forr rapport might have been overly ambitious, incrental improvents were feasible. Regrettably, the Alliance chose an entirely opposing approach.
That approach not only extinguished the possibility of reconciliation but also exacted a heavy toll.
As these thoughts weighed on Gandalf’s mind, he shook his head. He knew the concessions the Alliance had offered Rocky to secure his cooperation, and recalling those terms brought even Gandalf a pang of regret…
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