Chapter 2146: Pressured Circumstances

A large number of people were gathered within the presidential headquarters of the Republic of Gorteau.

The air was heavy.

President Raymond's expression crumpled with rage as his teeth gnashed against each other.

"This..." His voice quivered. "This can't be real."

The several officers around him glanced at each other warily.

"Mr. President..." One of them hesitated. "We have plenty of evidence that this is real. From intelligence reports from our spies in the Kandrian Empire to long-range surveillance, as well as intelligence sources from various intelligence brokers."

There was no doubt that the news regarding the Kandrian Empire was entirely real. The only question was whether the President was ready to face reality.

President Raymond's expression grew grave and rageful. "You're telling me that the Kandrian Empire has found a way to massively increase the rate of breakthroughs to the Apprentice Realm and is now pumping out Martial Apprentices a hundred times faster than the norm? Is that what you're telling me?"

"Yes, Mr. President."

"THEN WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU STILL STANDING HERE FOR?!" he roared. "I WANT ANY AND ALL INTELLIGENCE ON THIS PHENOMENON YESTERDAY!"

The intelligence and analyst officers stiffened. "Yes, Mr. President."

"DON'T COME BACK UNTIL YOU HAVE ANSWERS!" he bellowed at them.

They immediately scampered out of the room, leaving the President alone with his war council.

"Damn that man!" President Raymond cursed as he felt his stress magnify. "Damn that nation!"

He tried closing his eyes as he calmed down, trying to regain his composure.

"We can't let this happen." His tone was severe.

It didn't take a genius to understand what was at stake.

The balance of power and their supremacy was at stake. The Republic of Gorteau was among the four powerhouses that stood at the peak along with its three peers. It was an equal.

It always had been.

However, now, the balance threatened to shift.

Now, the Kandrian Empire threatened to rise far beyond them.

"The only silver lining is that it will take centuries for this to affect the balance of power," his vice-president calmly remarked as she shifted her gaze to him. "In other words, it is not an acute threat, but a chronic, long-term threat."

President Raymond grew slightly calmer at her words.

In a few centuries, he would certainly be dead, let alone anywhere near the presidential office.

Of course, he still cared, but it wasn't something that would fall on his head immediately.

"That's true," he remarked with a grudging expression as he fell into thought. "A bunch of Apprentices will not change anything in the short term. However, it will be damning as long as we don't do anything about it in the long-term. War will be necessary, after all. I can use this to reel over even those corrupt congressmen."

His eyes lit up with the possibility of finally being able to wage war. He had been stalled due to his inability to win over Congress to his side; he knew in his gut that the Emperor of Harmony had something to do with why Congress shot down his declarations of war time and time again.

Now, however, he found such a powerful justification for war that it would become politically untenable to keep halting his warring efforts. After all, he now had a truly justifiable cause, did he not?

"Mr. President." A burly voice drew his attention. "I understand that there is great cause for concern. However, if you do use this as a reason to declare war on the Kandrian Empire, what is going to be the objective of the operation? After all, you cannot just declare war in a vacuum. Each military operation must have an objective. Is your goal to destroy the Kandrian Empire?"

President Raymond glanced at his appointed general thoughtfully. "...Previously, it was to overthrow the tyranny of the Kandrian Royal Family and bring justice to the poor people of Kandria. But now..."

His eyes lit up with greed. "...Now I must have the method by which the Kandrian Empire is able to massively skyrocket the number of Martial Apprentices that they are able to produce."

He would be lying if he said that wasn't his greatest priority.

"Even if the Kandrian Empire falls, that method will still remain, and it must fall into our hands." His tone grew more intense. "If it's the method that is the highest priority, then war is hardly the most effective solution here," his vice-president pointed out. "For now, we can rely on intelligence gathering to piece together exactly how this method functions. If that doesn't work..."

Her eyes sharpened. "...Then war it is. We cannot allow the Kandrian Empire to monopolize such a powerful trump card. If they successfully overcome the Great Limit, then they will be unstoppable amidst human civilization."

President Raymond nodded. "Intelligence first. But our bottom line is clear. The worst cannot be allowed to happen. No matter what, the outcome of the Kandrian Empire rising above all others is something that cannot happen."

He grew a little less miserable as he gained more confidence in their current direction. He was sure that they would get their hands on the method by which the Kandrian Empire broke through so many Apprentices.

After all, this is how things had always gone in the past—any trump card that any state tried to abuse would eventually get leaked to everybody else due to the relentless espionage efforts of everybody else around them.

Of course, there were exceptions to everything. The Gen Temple had miraculously managed to keep its Yin-Yang Shield technique a secret for a long time.

"So did the Kandrian Empire with its Squire evolution upgrade..." President Raymond's eyes widened.

He gritted his teeth. "Accelerate the intelligence operations. I want confirmation that we'll be able to steal their new method. The cost is of no matter. I don't care how much fiscal deficit and debt we have to undertake. Make sure that, this time, we definitely crack their secrets!"

The Republic of Gorteau mobilized its intelligence arms into action while preparing for a serious possibility of war.