Chapter 217 : ：The Art of Big-Mouth Persuasion
Chapter 217：The Art of Big-Mouth Persuasion
Bernoro Port City had already been successfully seized by the rebel forces.
With their home base taken, the soldiers—already on the brink of collapse—had no will left to resist. Large groups of them knelt and surrendered en masse, allowing the rebels to take over Bernoro Port City with exceptional ease.
A single cannon shot at Bernoro Port City successfully spread the flames of rebellion outward. Everyone who received the news thought of the same phrase:
The situation was beyond saving.
The broadcast from the cruiser echoed across the harbor:
“Those in power believe they have the right to make decisions on behalf of the people, even to the extent of ignoring the most basic needs for survival.”
“I just want to ask you—can we allow them to incite us with grand-sounding rhetoric to support a war we do not want?!”
“No! Our soldiers, our people—at this very moment—only want to go home! To hell with the Tsar!!!”
When Yadov saw the group of young lads aboard the warship, a smile gradually spread across his weathered face:
“Haha, comrades! We’ve already won! We’ve won the hearts of the youth—we’ve gained the recognition of the future!”
Meanwhile, a fierce battle was also unfolding within the Other Dimension. The moment the cruiser’s autocannons opened fire, the observing Saints had already made their move to intercept—but Sherria blocked them midway.
“The Seris Empress has issued an order. Students of Alliance University are also under the protection of the Alliance. You have no authority to slaughter them at will.”
The two Saints of the Roshek Tsardom immediately chose to attack together upon realizing a third party had intervened. However, Sherria wielded her crystallized ornate axe with impenetrable precision. Each heavy, forceful strike left the two scrambling in disarray.
The elemental crystals of the Witch Race were most effective against opponents of equal rank. Once this layer of defense was broken, it was nearly impossible for the opponent to still have the strength to harm the caster’s true body.
Thus, Sherria employed a shameless, life-for-life exchange style of axe combat, battering the two until their heads spun.
Retracting her gaze from the warship, Sherria returned the massive axe into her Space Ring and turned to face the two Saints of the Tsarist Nation before her.
“It’s already over. Withdraw.”
“Even setting aside the will of the Alliance Empress, it is a consensus across the continent that the affairs of mortals should be decided by mortals themselves.”
“Moreover, the Roshek people are no weaker than any other race, and your nation is no weaker than any other kingdom. So why, after all these years, have only the two of you become Saints? Isn’t that something worth reflecting on?”
The two, who had been about to continue fighting, paused mid-motion. Sherria continued:
“Who exactly are you Saints for? Do you want to be lapdogs of the Tsar, or pillars of the Roshek people?”
“Since you’ve already reached sainthood yet still care about your nation, then this is actually a perfect opportunity for adjustment. The new generation, influenced by new ideas, may allow Roshek to be reborn through fire. You have more than enough lifespan to witness it—so why not?”
The two exchanged a glance. In the end, their figures slowly dissipated, as if they had never appeared at all.
Sherria let out a breath of relief. Holding off those two in a one-versus-two fight during this period had taken a great deal of effort. She hadn’t expected that improvising Mitia’s “persuasion technique” on the spot would actually work so well~
Late at night, the dormitory area of the Royal Academy had long gone dark.
A series of orderly footsteps approaching from afar broke the campus’s silence. One after another, magic lamps lit up, and students poked their fluffy little heads out of windows to sneak a look.
They saw that the Alliance security special agents and Mechanical Soldiers—who usually numbered only a few dozen at the school gate—had all been mobilized. Fully armed, they began patrolling and guarding around the dormitory buildings, while armored vehicles were stationed directly at key entrances and exits.
Such actions immediately made many people realize the deeper implications behind them.
Veronica gazed at the tall figure of a Mechanical Soldier outside the window, her eyes darkening slightly.
Even the Imperial Capital was no longer safe!
“What happened…?” Natalie groggily sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes as she tried to force her stubborn eyelids open.
“It’s nothing. A lot of people just came to protect us. Go back to sleep.” Veronica gently rubbed her head.
“Mm… okay…”
Watching Natalie lie back down, Veronica let out a soft sigh.
With the Alliance army reacting like this, it was almost certain that the rebel forces had achieved a major breakthrough. Only such a development would trigger this level of response.
If the Tsarist Nation had gained the upper hand, things wouldn’t be like this.
But if it was the rebels who had won… then what would become of the girl before her, a princess of the Tsarist Nation?
Perhaps when they left, taking her along might at least ensure her survival.
The fall of Bernoro Port City was like the first domino to collapse. Organized units of soldiers surrendered on a massive scale, not only devastating the morale of the Tsarist Nation’s army but also striking directly at its vital core.
The garrison of Bernoro had already been the majority of the trained fresh forces that nearby noble lords could muster. In the short term, there was no way they could assemble another army of similar scale.
With the largest strategic node broken, other territories instantly fell into isolated, fragmented resistance. Meanwhile, Yadov’s latest propaganda order became the final straw that broke the camel’s back.
He announced that as long as nobles were willing to surrender, the rebels would not threaten the personal safety of their families. They would even be allowed to retain half of their property—provided they agreed to release all slaves and relinquish land ownership.
Although this would leave certain hidden risks, once Yadov’s declaration spread, the nobles—who had originally been prepared to fight to the death—began to hesitate.
As long as their lives were spared and half their wealth remained, it was essentially like paying ransom after defeat. For the losing side, such terms were already quite lenient.
As long as their lives weren’t threatened, many nobles were willing to spend money to secure peace.
To be honest, this war had been extremely miserable for them from the start. This wasn’t just like eggs hitting stones—it was like water balloons hitting balls of filth.
Who were they fighting? Slaves!
Where were they fighting? On their own land!
Winning felt disgusting. Losing shattered their mentality. And if they lost and died—then it would be a death without closure.
The progress of persuading surrenders was extremely smooth—especially after the rebels scattered the ashes of the entire families of two earls who refused to surrender.
The overall trend had already taken shape. As long as the nobles did not unite and resist to the death, individual ones would be easily defeated one by one. This was the advantage of psychological warfare.
With just a single statement, what had once been a unified camp instantly fractured into suspicion chains and trust crises, greatly reducing the pressure of rebel offensives.
After receiving news of Bernoro Port City’s fall, the Tsar flew into a rage, executing several servants in succession and throwing the Royal Palace into panic.
When his calls to the Kingdom’s Saints received no response—like stones sinking into the sea—he descended completely into madness.
As the supreme ruler who held unified control over military, political, and religious power, whose words no one dared question—when had he ever endured such humiliation?
Yet no matter how furious he became, the situation had already tilted in the direction he least wanted.
However, just as the outcome between the two sides was becoming clear, the Britian Empire suddenly stepped in and initiated a mediation conference.
Britian had not expected that while they were focused on the western front, their own ally had nearly collapsed…