"Oh? The Hizuru nation wants to form an alliance with us and even proposes holding a World Assembly? That's quite unexpected." Inside a luxurious room, Willy Tybur showed a hint of surprise upon hearing the news, as it happened to align with so of his own ideas.
Sitting opposite Willy, General Calvi of the Marley Empire crossed his legs. This nominal supre commander of Marley appeared calm, as if the news didn't surprise him at all.
"In my opinion, the so-called alliance is not the most important matter right now," Calvi said.
A faint glint flashed in Willy's eyes before he softly asked, "Is that so? Then what does General Calvi an?"
Calvi: "Technology. What Zeke from the Marley Warrior Unit said is absolutely right. Technology is advancing rapidly. No matter how powerful the Titans are, there will co a day when they are surpassed by technological power. What Marley needs now is to make up for its shortcomings in technology. This war with the Middle Easterners has already made that clear—their anti-Titan artillery, armored trains, and even their rifles are more advanced than those of most of our army."
Hearing this, Willy interrupted, "Wait, General. I recall hearing sothing about this. Didn't the Louis Arms Company previously propose a related weapons upgrade plan? It just wasn't approved by the Ministry of National Defense."
Calvi's expression stiffened for a mont, but he quickly changed the subject.
"Developing technology takes ti. We must buy ti. So while advancing technology, we also need to continue the Founder retrieval plan! Reclaim the power of the Founder from Paradis Island! What do you think?"
Calvi's tone carried an air of dominance. His words sounded more like a notice than a request for opinion. Lara, who had been quietly standing by the desk with her head lowered, suddenly raised her head. Her brows furrowed slightly, and a trace of killing intent appeared in her eyes.
Only the Marleyan High Command knew the secret—the Tybur family were the true rulers of Marley. Nearly half of the nation's comrcial markets, as well as the aristocratic military leadership, were controlled by the Tybur family. The so-called Marshal of Marley was rely a puppet they had placed on the stage. Yet now, Calvi seed to have grown a bit too arrogant, actually seeing himself as Marley's true leader.
Willy moved his fingers slightly, signaling Lara to stay calm. Then he smiled, stood up, and extended his hand to shake Calvi's.
"General Calvi truly has foresight. I fully agree with your proposal. Don't worry, I will give you an answer as soon as possible. The Tybur family has always been a firm supporter of Marley."
After seeing off the cheerful Calvi, Willy dropped the smile from his face. An imperial marshal with his own ideas who refused to cooperate was not good news. Moreover, Marley was now facing unprecedented contradictions and crises—pressure from nations around the world, the unknown power of the Founder on Paradis Island, and internal instability. One wrong move could lead to Marley's complete destruction.
"Brother, should we…" Lara asked in a low voice.
Willy shook his head. "No, not yet. Let think a bit more."
Sitting back down, Willy pondered the news he had just received. The Hizuru nation proposed that Marley host a World Assembly and was even willing to bring several Eastern nations to form an alliance with Marley. Since when had the usually cunning Hizuru beco so righteous?
Although he didn't know Hizuru's true intentions, the proposal aligned perfectly with Willy's own thoughts. To stabilize Marley's situation, he had already planned to divert the attention of the world's nations. It had only been a rough idea before, but now, with Hizuru's suggestion, it had beco a much more complete plan.
...
Just as Willy was deep in thought, the door was suddenly thrown open. Three half-grown children rushed in, shouting "Father! Father!" as they threw themselves toward Willy.
At the sight of his children, Willy's previously cold expression instantly lted, and warmth filled his eyes.
His eldest daughter, Fine, held her younger sister's hand while calling out to her brothers not to disturb their father. "I'm so sorry, Father. It's my fault—I didn't keep them in check."
Willy affectionately rubbed the heads of the children beside him, then said in a deliberately stern tone, "No mischief. Listen to your sister."
After coaxing the children away, Willy looked at his half-grown children and his eldest daughter, Fine, and suddenly felt a pang of guilt. According to the Tybur family's tradition, the power of the War Hamr Titan had to be passed down. That ant among his children, two or even three would inevitably inherit that thirteen-year fate.
Willy's mood grew heavy. Turning back, he saw Lara still standing quietly. Thinking about it, his sister had borne a great deal as well.
"Lara, you've worked hard." Willy embraced her, causing her to freeze for a mont. But even this small gesture of concern from her brother filled Lara with a deep sense of warmth.
...
While the Tybur family was imrsed in a warm and harmonious atmosphere, an unexpected visitor arrived outside their manor.
The figure was wrapped in a cloak, standing outside the Tybur estate. Their posture was unsteady, as if hesitating. Soon, the Tybur family guards nearby noticed the suspicious figure.
Without much thought, the guards sward forward and subdued the person with ease. Pulling back the cloak, a weary and gloomy face was revealed. The guards did not recognize the man, and he did not resist. Instead, he shouted urgently:
"Let see Tybur! Let see Tybur—I have important intelligence to report! If it's delayed, all of Marley will be in danger!"
His words made the guards look at each other uncertainly. They didn't know whether he was speaking nonsense, but the ntion of Marley's safety made them tense. Not daring to delay, they imdiately sent word to Willy.
Soon, Willy received the man in a secret reception room.
When the man was brought in under guard, Willy frowned. The face looked sowhat familiar, as if he had seen it sowhere before.
With a gesture, he signaled the guards to release him.
Willy: "Who are you? And what intelligence do you have that concerns Marley's safety?"
The man impatiently grabbed the cup on the table and gulped down the tea, quenching his dry throat. Only after a while did he recover.
Wiping his mouth, the man looked at Willy. According to Doctor Ebson, this was the man who truly controlled Marley from the shadows.
Under Willy's gaze, the man spoke:
"Lord Tybur, allow to introduce myself. I am Newt, the Crimson Fla Titan of the Marley Warrior Unit…"
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