63: The Forest Queen's Decision

“Sir, we have apprehended a Messenger who claims to be from the Chaos Empire. This is the letter he brought.”

In Andegu’s Command Room, several stern-faced Guards forcefully escorted the Messenger forward, then deftly produced the sealed letter and handed it to Andegu.

“A Messenger? A letter?”

Seeing this, Andegu frowned slightly, reached out to take the envelope from the Guard, and unhurriedly took out the letter inside, examining it carefully.

After a long while… Andegu put down the letter in his hand with a puzzled expression, because it was not, as he had expected, a declaration of war or a letter full of provocation, but an unexpected letter of surrender.

“To the esteemed leader of the Blue Star Troops:

Greetings!

After long deliberation, I, Gaul, King of the Chaos Empire, on behalf of the Chaos Empire, solemnly decide to surrender to you and the Blue Star Troops you represent.

We deeply realize that continuing to resist the Blue Star Troops will only lead to complete annihilation. The immense power you possess and your incomparably advanced weaponry make us feel profoundly outmatched. In this brutal war, we have clearly seen the situation; continuing to fight is utterly meaningless.

We willingly lay down our weapons and are prepared to fully comply with your arrangements. Here, we sincerely hope that you will treat our people with tolerance and compassion, granting them the precious opportunity and hope for survival.

Gaul, King of the Chaos Empire

XXXX Year XX Month XX Day”

Andegu fell into deep thought after reading this letter of surrender.

He knew in his heart that this might be a rare opportunity to quickly end this extraterrestrial war, but he also had to remain highly vigilant and proceed cautiously, lest there be a trick… After all, merely such a letter could not fully represent a nation’s true attitude and stance.

“Tell me in detail how your King sent you to deliver this letter…”

Andegu stared sharply at the Messenger, his tone serious.

Regardless of whether the letter was real or fake, he first needed to try and obtain more details from the Messenger.

Hearing Andegu’s words, the Messenger did not dare to hesitate for a moment and quickly spilled everything he knew, like beans pouring from a bamboo tube, including how the King had raged and fumed in the palace, even vividly describing subtle expressions and movements.

After listening to the Messenger’s incessant narration, Andegu remained silent, only nodding slightly.

If the Messenger had not embellished his description, then this letter was very likely to represent the true attitude of King Gaul.

“Sir… I have delivered the letter, can you spare my life?”

The Messenger’s voice trembled, and he spoke with a face full of fear, his body shaking slightly from extreme terror.

“Don’t worry, you will certainly be sent back, but… you won’t be the only one returning. I will also arrange a unit to go back with you.”

Although Andegu still harbored many doubts about the Chaos Empire so easily giving up resistance and choosing to surrender, and didn't fully believe it, after careful consideration, he decided to send a smaller unit back with the Messenger, attempting to gauge the true intentions of the so-called King Gaul… Meanwhile, in the palace of the Forest Empire, the Queen of the Forest clutched the intelligence report in her hand, her knuckles white from gripping too hard, and her breathing began to become erratic and unstable.

“Fifty thousand of our compatriots… A full fifty thousand compatriots…”

The Queen of the Forest cried out in sorrow, her voice filled with endless pain and anger.

The Forest Empire’s support unit, after being bombed by missiles, was almost completely wiped out, with less than one in ten surviving. Only a few hundred people in the entire force managed to survive by sheer luck, and many of them were severely wounded, though at least their lives were spared.

This sudden and tragic attack left the Queen of the Forest utterly confused, unsure whether it was the doing of the so-called “Blue Star Troops” or truly a divine punishment as rumored… But regardless of the reason, what had happened had happened, and the most important thing now was to consider how to choose next: to fight resolutely to the end or to surrender in humiliation?

It should be known that due to the special characteristics of the elven race, the Forest Empire had a predominantly female, sparse population and low combat power, naturally making it the weakest among the Five Great Empires.

“Someone, prepare the supplies. I will personally go to meet the leader of the Blue Star Troops…”

The Queen of the Forest’s eyes were incredibly firm. Whether she faced the danger of national annihilation or lived on in humiliation, she was mentally prepared, as the power displayed by the other side completely surpassed theirs.

“Your Majesty, it’s too risky for you to go personally. Whether you choose to seek peace or fight, we will steadfastly follow your decision…”

One of the Queen’s personal Guards looked at the Queen of the Forest with reluctance, her eyes red-rimmed.

“My decision is made. If I fail to send back any message, then you shall lead the Empire to fight them until the very last moment!”

The Queen of the Forest said with resolute tone, continuing.

After all, whether it was war or peace, if not even a single message could be sent back, it would indicate that the so-called ‘Blue Star Troops’ were certainly a ruthless and brutal bunch. Facing such an existence, there would be no possibility of peace talks, only fighting until the last moment of life… In the satellite control center of the distant camp, Staff members were intently observing through satellite imagery.

A team was once again seen marching out from the Forest Empire, but this team was extremely small, only a few hundred people, and in no way looked like a force preparing for battle.

“I thought they were preparing to send troops again…”

The Staff member murmured softly.

Because Andegu had previously issued a strict order: if the Forest Empire sent out another support unit, missiles would be launched without hesitation along their marching route until they completely gave up on providing support.

As for the Beast King Empire, their support unit’s march was scattered, in waves, and they consistently chose urban routes, rarely staying in the wilderness for long.

If it weren't for the fact that he knew they were completely ignorant of technological civilization, Andegu would even suspect they knew about weapons like missiles and were deliberately choosing such a marching method to try and evade attacks.

Little did he know, Andegu’s suspicion was entirely superfluous, simply because the Beast King Empire’s support unit was full of undisciplined ruffians, so they completely disregarded military rules and discipline, stopping and starting at will.

As for why they preferred urban routes, it was only because marching through cities allowed them to enjoy themselves and have a good time.

PS: Happy New Year everyone! Without further ado, I wish you all to become more handsome, more beautiful, richer, and happier.

Happy Spring Festival! May you find more joy in books and may your days become smoother in the new year.