Rust - Chapter 1033



Only Krnovel

RUST [RUST]-1033

The imperial military and parliament were desperate.

The military and the parliament secretly did not trust the broadcasts of the Holy Kingdom. It was natural for them to conduct psychological warfare and manipulate broadcasts to shake up the enemy.

“Now we can’t even call for a nuclear war.”

However, regardless of whether it was true or not, the reason they talked about nuclear war was because it was so desperate.

“This is ridiculous. No matter how shocking their broadcast content may be, I never thought so many imperial citizens would fall for it.”

“The problem is that we accept enemy broadcasts without criticism.”

The problem was the Imperial citizens. They were too easily swayed by the Holy Kingdom broadcasts. Even if the Holy Kingdom broadcasts were true, shouldn’t they be covered up or ignored for the sake of the Empire?

“Let’s temporarily close social media and portals.”

“Are you crazy? If so, then you’re admitting everything.”

“It’s worse than not responding. Let’s just leave it.”

“As time goes by, it will break on its own.”

Hacking all broadcast channels means that they can hack virtually all communications. And not just communications. They can hack the Internet, portals, and SNS as well.

There was a possibility that all the content that was being uploaded now was fake content uploaded through hacking. That was why the Imperial military and the parliament did not believe the posts of Imperial citizens on SNS and portals.

If the video is fake and the comments are fabricated, what can we believe? If even the posts made by citizens themselves can be fake, how can we trust public opinion?

The Holy Kingdom hacked all channels and broadcasted the news, regardless of whether it was true or not, creating a rift of distrust between the leadership and the general public.

“Did they go that far?”

“Wouldn’t we have used that method?”

If the Empire had the technology of the Holy Kingdom, there would be no reason not to use psychological warfare using electronic warfare. Look at the current situation. How effective is this offensive capability?

“If only there were someone with electronic warfare capabilities…”

“What good is talking about a story that’s already over?”

If things continued this way, there was a possibility that a militia would be formed.

“Let’s have a ceasefire. If that’s difficult, let’s surrender.”

“Speak sense. What did we do wrong?”

But one lawmaker objected strongly.

“What?”

“Isn’t it your one-sided claim that His Majesty the Emperor attempted to assassinate the King of the Holy Kingdom?”

When one person rebelled, others joined in.

“Yes. Couldn’t it be that they assassinated His Majesty the Emperor while he was fighting in the Vietnam War and then turned the tables on us?”

“I agree. How can we trust the evidence they hacked and released?”

“Yes. How do we know that all of these are fake videos and recordings created using artificial intelligence?”

What if the video and recording were manipulated using the technology of the Holy Kingdom? From the beginning, it was a story of an operation to shake the empire.

“Let’s stop talking nonsense. What is missing from the Holy Kingdom?”

“There is no reason to broadcast it in such a complicated way and give reasons for it. Objectively, if the other side sincerely wanted to attack the empire, the empire would be destroyed in a month.”

“They penetrated the defense system of the maritime city and precisely attacked only the navigation equipment. If they had attacked sincerely, the maritime city could have been in danger.”

There was a confrontation between those who said that it was absolutely impossible to admit what had to be admitted and that it was a trick of the Holy Kingdom.

“What matters is the location where our legion was annihilated. It is true that the rats and crows of the Holy Kingdom invaded our territory first.”

“Are you sure His Majesty the Emperor ordered an attack on the Holy Kingdom? Was the military aware of this operation?”

The military had nothing to say. The Emperor’s direct army had been carrying out the operation in secret. One general thoughtfully replied.

“What is certain is that our legions did not cross into Holy Kingdom territory.”

“Look at that. Those Holy Kingdom guys are lying.”

The Empire secretly moved its elite forces to attack the Holy Kingdom?

so?

What’s the problem?

Is it a problem that the Imperial Army moved through Imperial territory?

So, to cut to the chase, did the Imperial Army attack the Holy Kingdom?

Didn’t attack.

Let’s say you were moving to attack.

So you actually attacked?

Didn’t attack.

However, the Holy Kingdom crossed the border and attacked the Imperial Legions.

That was the objective fact.

“They are cleverly manipulating the order of events.”

“It’s the same now. They are still agitating us as if we did something wrong, even though they massacred over 300,000 Imperial troops.”

“The Holy Kingdom’s preemptive strike is certain, so how can we call this a ceasefire? Not even a ceasefire, but surrender? Absolutely not.”

“They are trying to shift the responsibility to us through broadcasts.”

In other words, it was the Holy Kingdom that crossed the border. It was the Holy Kingdom that launched a preemptive strike on the imperial forces moving through imperial territory. And it was the Holy Kingdom that used crows to bomb the area around Boston, the temporary capital of the empire.

But their broadcast was fabricating it to say that it was all the Empire’s fault.

“Let’s do a response broadcast right after their broadcast ends.”

“What about the cloning plan?”

The Emperor had lost contact, and Dan Brown had been executed on the Emperor’s orders. In order to calm the chaos, a substitute was needed, whether it was the Emperor’s substitute or the Prime Minister’s substitute.

Since no one wanted to select a clone of the emperor whose life or death was unknown, the prevailing opinion was to select a clone of the secretly executed prime minister to calm the situation.

The idea was that if the Prime Minister tried to assassinate the Emperor or if he executed the Prime Minister, he could just pick a clone and refute it.

“How long does it take to complete a clone?”

“It will take about 40 to 45 days at the earliest.”

It took longer than expected.

“First, we need to buy some time.”

“I’m angry, but let’s call a ceasefire.”

“Operations using strategic nuclear weapons are dangerous as long as the maritime city is immobilized.”

I had no intention of committing suicide. I was just trying to gain strategic advantage by threatening to die together. Even if we were to go to nuclear war, it would be done under the assumption that there was a certain chance of victory and that it was safe, not in a situation like the present.

“How blasphemous!”

“If His Majesty the Emperor has been attacked by those bastards, shouldn’t we take revenge by any means necessary?”

“Are we fanatics? The living must live.”

“Does revenge have to be self-destructive?

“Isn’t true revenge to find a way to win and then do it?”

“Let’s find a way to get revenge? Is that revenge? That’s not revenge.”

“Death to death. Revenge is simple.”

“They killed 300,000 Imperial soldiers, so we owe them more than that.”

“The current situation is not a simple revenge. 300,000 troops have been annihilated, and we are just letting it go? On top of that, His Majesty the Emperor has passed away, and we are just calling a ceasefire? It is not that civil war will break out just because we say we will take revenge, but on the contrary, the moment we give up revenge, the militia will rise up.”

“Let’s face it. We’ve lost half of our forces, and if we fight the Holy Kingdom in our current state, we’re going to be wiped out. What if they hack the launcher? Even if we fire it manually, will we be able to penetrate their air defenses?”

A fierce battle began between those who argued that it was pointless to follow the already deceased emperor to death and those who argued that revenge on the Holy Kingdom was necessary, even if it meant burning the entire empire to the ground.

“Let’s first check the results of the investigation team that left for Southeast Asia and then decide.”

“Let’s do that.”

What if a fact-finding mission to Southeast Asia brings back evidence that His Majesty the Emperor has died?

Even those who advocated revenge knew that fighting the Holy Kingdom was a lost cause, with over 300,000 elite troops lost and their supply depots and munitions factories destroyed.

Even though I knew it.

The vengefuls had no choice but to choose revenge. How could they endure the death of the emperor?

“······.”

“······.”

Those who thought survival was more important than revenge were also uncomfortable. The maritime city’s navigational ability was destroyed. The method of detonating a nuclear weapon and escaping was no longer possible.

What would be the terms of the armistice? What if it were a condition of the Holy Kingdom dismantling all nuclear weapons? Or would it be better to surrender? What if we surrender and leave it to the people of over 55 million to feed?

“······.”

“······.”

[Everyone’s thoughts are complicated.]

“······?”

“······!”

[You see, I owe the Emperor a debt.]

The heads of the military and parliamentarians turned as a voice echoed from one side of the conference room, which had a top-notch security posture.

[First, let’s settle the account. We can help you. What do you want to do?]

“Who are you?”

“How did you get in here?”

“Guards. Guards?”

Several military generals with awakened abilities were gaining momentum.

[Calm down. I am the one who saved the Emperor’s life twice. Of course, it wasn’t free.]

“I guess I shouldn’t say it out loud.”

“Get on your knees and face down.”

“Raise both hands above your head and clasp your fingers together.”

[Here, take this. Look at this first, and then we’ll talk again.]

Whoosh-

The general frowned as he caught the USB that the woman had thrown. In the brief moment when his gaze was focused on the flying USB, the woman had disappeared.

And the footage on the USB contained everything that happened in Southeast Asia: the Emperor’s operation, the battle with Vladimir Kalin, and the Emperor’s final moments.

According to USB, the body revealed by the Holy Kingdom was the real Emperor’s body. Most of what the Holy Kingdom said was true.

“······.”

“······.”

“Regardless of what this footage shows, the fact remains that the Holy Kingdom attacked three legions moving within Imperial territory.”

“Yes. It was the Holy Kingdom that massacred 300,000 soldiers.”

“How can we trust this information now?”

“The video file is an Imperial Army encrypted file and there is no sign of hacking or manipulation.”

“If the Holy Kingdom had hacked, there would have been traces, but there aren’t. It’s true that they copied the tactical camera footage as is.”

“The voice of the woman in the video matches the voice of the woman who just passed the USB and disappeared.”

The problem was that the woman in the video was a high-ranking vampire. A vampire powerful enough to block the Holy Kingdom’s tactical nukes and the Empire’s tactical nukes in succession. And the Emperor used such a vampire and her group as mercenaries.

The common policy of Emperor Leon Bonnard and Prime Minister Dan Brown was to exclude cannibals and vampires. But the truth is that His Majesty the Emperor was in league with vampires.

“He saved His Majesty the Emperor’s life twice. If the fighting power shown in the video is true, then that vampire has the power to kill everyone here. But he willingly gave us information and said he would wait. At the very least, he is capable of conversation.”

“Have you forgotten why you excluded cannibals and vampires? The moment you allow them in, the general public will be contaminated by their psychic powers and fascination.”

“What does it matter if they are the ones who fall for the dirty broadcasts of the Holy Kingdom? If we continue like this, it will lead to civil war.”

“I agree. How about actively using the mind and charm instead?”

“What are you talking about?”

“If we could use mind waves and charms, wouldn’t that be a way to do it?”

“Are you saying we should become cannibals and vampires? Are you crazy?”

“You’re not crazy. You say you need to get revenge even if it means blowing yourself up? It’s okay to blow up a nuclear device and kill all the bad guys. You’re saying you don’t want to become a vampire to get revenge?”

While the debate raged, the PD’s broadcast continued.

[Yes, Dan Brown was a man who built an empire. He loved the United States of America, and he loved an empire.]

Posts poured out on SNS and portals.

(He never abused his power as president.)

(Then what? Isn’t the Holy Kingdom big because of that kid?)

(That’s right. I was able to catch it early. That guy is the one who raised it.)

(Aren’t you the one who spread it to the Holy Kingdom?)

(That’s why I only talk about good things.)

[He prevented cannibal forces from usurping political power, and later tried to protect democracy by rooting out cannibals.]

(Wow, is this how you wash it?)

(It’s not laundry, it’s true. If there was no Dan Brown, it would have revolved around the capable.)

(A cannibal and a vampire would live next door. You’re the lunchbox next door.)

(It’s true that it’s a good thing that they maintained their voting rights.)

[Why does rooting out cannibals and vampires protect democracy? To answer that question, we need to learn about cannibals and vampires.]

[Cannibals and vampires who call themselves new humans have a psychic ability called dominance. They have a predator-specific ‘aura’ or ‘charm’. The stronger the cannibal or high-ranking vampire, the stronger this ability is. It’s to the point where ordinary people are naturally drawn to them.]

(So ​​you’re saying that if pigs and dogs vote for something they like, a cannibal or a vampire will be elected?)

(Isn’t that too disrespectful to the voters?)

(Long live His Majesty the Emperor.)

(What’s wrong with vampires? It’s not like they’ll hurt you if you fall in love with them, and you can fall in love with them. Discriminating against vampires is racism.)

(This guy will vote properly.)

(┗What is the largest city in Texas?)

(┗What do you do with the largest city in the southern countryside?)

(┗Have you seen this? This is class.)

‧

Ki-soon’s eyes narrowed even further as he watched the PD’s broadcast and the reactions of the people of the empire.

[Isn’t this good?]

“why?”

[I understand why you mentioned that old man, but then it would have to be about the Emperor.]

Even though they had seen the broadcast that the Emperor was dead, there were still many people who did not believe it. And the broadcast about Dan Brown could have been a catalyst to rally those who believed in the Emperor.

“The PD probably knows too.”

[What will happen if the Imperial Military and the National Assembly are at odds until the end?]

“You have to do it the way you always did.”

The platform had already departed.