The Martial Unity

The first time EsoQuest Solutions found an infected world, it had raised some eyebrows, but not too many. The strange conduct of the company and its inorganic development trajectory were more strange to people, not the fact that they had found an infected world. Because the truth of the virus-searching industry was that luck played a huge role.

One could have the best personnel and human resources, the best Martial resources, technology, surveillance and reconnaissance technology, and everything else, but one could still fail to ever find an infected world. On the other hand, the smallest and most incompetent companies could run into one by pure chance and win the lottery.

Most people had assumed this was the case with EsoQuest Solutions. They assumed it was a one-hit wonder.

Until, of course, it found a second infected world ten days later. Nobody could bring themselves to believe that that was possibly a coincidence. If it wasn't a coincidence, then the inescapable conclusion was that this company could actively detect and find infected worlds.

That shook not just the mining industry, but it rocked the secondary virus-hunting industry as well. It had horrifying implications for the entire industry and all of the players within it. One company had somehow found or developed a solution that was so effective that it threatened to destroy all of their livelihoods.

The ripples it caused spread across human civilization very quickly, including to the Kandrian Empire and the Vargard Royal Palace at the capital.

"So, Ria has crossed the line that cannot be crossed," Rui remarked under his breath as he read reports detailing the impact this had across the entire sector. "Now, she can't go back."

Up until her second sale, she could still walk away from the whole business if she wanted to without any targets on her back or bloodhounds on her trail. It wouldn't be unusual for a company to hit the lottery and the shareholders to simply liquidate and realize their gains. She would have been able to get out, and there would be no harm done.

But with this, there would always be a permanent set of trackers, hunters, investigators, and pathwalkers on her trail. Even if she walked away now, they would always want to know what the secret was.

Of course, Rui knew that his daughter was just getting started. She intended to completely reshape human civilization and its relationship with the virus and esoteric matter, bolstering it as much as she possibly could.

"So far, none of the attempts to deanonymize her have succeeded, but with the renewed effort, they have found something that slipped through the cracks," Secretary Claris remarked with a serious expression.

"That is true, but we've done everything in our power to prevent that, and if her identity gets leaked then, well, that's Ria's problem," Rui remarked with an unperturbed tone.

"She would be in great danger if that were to happen."

"She isn't a child anymore, as she likes to keep reminding everybody." Rui shook his head. "She knew the risks. She took the job. I've done my best to protect her, the rest is in her hands, I'm afraid."

Rui swept the holographic report documents pertaining to EsoQuest Solutions away. He did intend to keep an eye on her doings, but he had other matters that were also very important, such as fulfilling his end of the deal with Divine Mother ooo—o-.

"The Security Council has received your memo regarding the exclusion of certain arakai cells from the status of enemies of humanity," Secretary Claris remarked. "Soon, they will move to vote on it. I'm told that there are some recalcitrant states that do not wish to remove the arakai cells despite your explicit commands in the memo."

Rui huffed. "There will always be people who will resist. As long as the majority votes it through, I don't care. The moment they are excluded, I want to sign the trade pact with the Pluralist Faction. Have you had the Trade Council draft an agreement? I will send it to ooo—o- the moment I am able to."

"They are working on it, Your Majesty. It's not easy to come up with a free trade agreement with entities we have no relations with on such short notice."

Rui grew irritated. "Tell them that the details don't matter. I just need it as a shield, or rather the Pluralist Faction does."

"That isn't going to go well with them, Your Majesty."

"Tell them I will pay them a personal visit if I don't have a draft on my table by tomorrow."

"Very well, Your Majesty. I shall convey the threat more diplomatically."

Rui shifted his attention away from the matter to another pressing matter. He had gotten an unmarked report with no name. His eyes sharpened as he opened the letter, reading the report with an engrossed expression.

[Your Majesty, I have been keeping an eye on the mobilization efforts of the arakai. Specifically, I have been tracing the movements of warships, of arms and ammunition, of shipdocks, energy reserves, and infantry. I can report that the direction of the mobilization has shifted ever since the arakai discovered human civilization's existence.

Based on remote surveillance, the rate at which the arakai are mobilizing for war is high. Going with the estimates for how much firepower you have suggested that they would mobilize, I estimate that they will have completed their mobilization in the next ten days. I suspect an invasion into human civilization is imminent soon after.]

Rui's expression grew severe. In just ten days, the arakai will have completed their preparations for an all-out invasion into human civilization. If that was the case, then they had much less time than he had expected.

[Based on the information that I have been able to intercept. The arakai are planning to execute a hook-anchor invasion strategy; they plan to focus all their efforts into directly invading the closest and most vulnerable star system, conquer it with an overwhelming concentration of forces, establish a stronghold, and then use it as a launchpad to spread their invasion into human civilization. Based on my investigations, that target is likely to be the Arima III Star System.]

It was the same star system that Ria had spent her two years in the frontier in, the same star system Ria intended to stay at between missions.

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