Blackstone Code-Chapter 383: The Situation Worsens
“…We are making history!”
Under a barrage of flashing cameras, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and a representative from the Nagaryll delegation exchanged official diplomatic documents, witnessed by numerous journalists and media outlets.
Establishing diplomatic relations—simple yet profound. The momentum of the era infused the moment with a heavy sense of history and mission.
As the news was announced, the Foreign Minister added that an inspection team would soon be sent to study the social structures and environment of the Kingdom of Nagaryll, aiming to help the country overcome its current underdeveloped production capacity and catch up with the world’s advanced nations.
He specifically announced that a large number of jobs would become available for federal citizens in Nagaryll, ranging from low-skilled labor to highly technical positions.
The Foreign Minister emphasized that this opportunity was secured personally by the President.
Within ten minutes of the press conference, the Baylor Federal Industrial Index recorded its highest surge of the year, and various blue-chip stocks saw significant gains.
The entire Federation seemed re-energized by this diplomatic move. The usual street protests disappeared, replaced by groups of people discussing the implications of what was to come.
Even Fox Pictures’ newly released film became a nationwide favorite.
People were eager to understand what kind of place Nagaryll really was, curious about its customs and culture. However, they would be disappointed—the movie was filmed entirely within the Federation.
Not just the film—anything related to Nagaryll suddenly became popular, including the already best-selling The Adventures of Lynch, which saw such a spike in interest that the publisher received numerous calls and immediately scheduled a massive reprint that same evening.
That night, Mr. Truman, several diplomats involved in the negotiations, and the President’s personal advisors all appeared on the highest-rated political talk show.
The host thoughtfully raised pressing public concerns, such as employment opportunities in Nagaryll, to which the guests gave highly positive and encouraging responses, igniting strong enthusiasm among the working class.
Go to Nagaryll quickly became a trending phrase—a slogan, an attitude, a movement.
The Federation’s largest ferry company urgently added over ten cruise lines to transport those seeking new opportunities in Nagaryll.
In just one day, the entire nation displayed a long-lost vigor. A bold spirit began to stir.
Yet, on the same day, across the strait, a major incident occurred.
After 11 p.m., the sky completely darkened.
The Governor of the Amellian Province couldn’t sleep—he had been exhausted for the past week.
To prevent rebel groups from fostering dangerous notions, such as even if we break the law, we won’t be severely punished or as long as we hide, we can escape justice, the Governor shed his formerly affable image and became known as a ruthless dictator.
No one praised his gentle nature anymore, nor said he treated the locals like his own children—after all, no parent would load their children onto trucks, kill them en masse, and then burn the bodies.
The entire city reeked of blood. The spilled blood had seeped into bricks and soil, turning foul and sticky. The streets were stained black, impossible to clean. The air was rank, and the people were numb.
At first, gunfire startled and terrified residents. Now, they were desensitized.
The oppressive regime left no room for defiance—except from the rebel groups.
But even so, the Governor remained deeply worried.
Since the attack on the copper mine, these rebel groups had undergone a dramatic transformation—they were arming themselves.
Yes, they had begun to equip themselves with modern, advanced weapons.
Previously, the Governor knew of many such groups, but they were poorly armed, underfunded, and lacked supplies. They posed no real threat to Gephra’s rule. Calling them rebels had been an overstatement. RᴀŊöВΕš
But now things were different. More and more groups had access to firearms. Two recent bombings had destroyed a patrol car and a security post—clear signs of growing danger.
Someone was funding these rebels, and the Governor knew who—foreigners still lingering in Amellia.
The emperor and his ministers agreed—it couldn’t be the defeated nations; they preferred peace and development. It had to be foreign agents.
The Governor wanted to expel them but couldn’t. There were too many. A misstep could lead to a diplomatic crisis. All he could do was watch as they stirred chaos under the guise of ignorance.
For the past week, he hadn’t slept properly, only managing brief rest after drinking heavily around 2 a.m.—and even that was fitful, plagued by sudden wakefulness.
Now he sat alone in his dark study, resting his chin on one hand, staring out the window at the moonlight. The night no longer seemed serene—only eerie and oppressive.
Then, in a dazed moment, a massive fireball erupted in the distance, followed by a thunderous explosion. The glass window shattered before his eyes.
Seconds later, the phone rang. He picked it up, face as dark as the night.
“Governor, the power plant has just been bombed. The main generator is down…”
A major on night patrol reported the incident. The Governor paused for several seconds. “The phone still works!”
This wasn’t idle talk. At the time, phone lines relied on local power. If there was a total blackout, the phone wouldn’t function. The implication: the power outage wasn’t complete.
“We’ve activated the backup generators,” the major explained. “Power is limited, but key facilities are prioritized. The Governor’s Mansion is on that list.” The largest generator was destroyed, but two smaller ones remained functional.
“When will it be repaired?” the Governor pressed. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞
Silence. Only breathing came through the line.
After seven or eight seconds, the major finally spoke. “I’m sorry, Governor…”
There was no need to explain. The power plant in the provincial capital was beyond repair. This dealt a severe blow to Gephra’s control. The Governor’s voice turned icy. “Have they caught anyone?”
Still silence. The Governor hung up. Useless fools.
But the phone rang again. He glared at it with fury and only answered after several rings. “It’s me.”
“Governor, Mine 11 has just been attacked…”
With a loud crack, the phone receiver was violently slammed to the floor.
That night, the sudden explosion and the piercing sound of sirens echoed throughout the entire city. Every soldier was mobilized for a door-to-door manhunt. The Governor’s goal was simple: find anyone who wasn’t home at that hour—those were the rebels.
Whether or not this method would actually be effective, whether it would catch any insurgents, didn’t matter. Just the fact that the power plant had been bombed and yet another copper mine attacked was enough to cast a dark shadow over Gephra’s authority in the Amellia region.
What was supposed to be a stable year, one in which the population had finally begun accepting the political transition, had suddenly spiraled into chaos.
Early the next morning, the Emperor of Gephra was alarmed by the two reports. In the Hall of Power, he raged like a middle-aged man gripped by a crisis of confidence, shouting so furiously that it was said the entire imperial capital could hear him.
This fury led to another event: the Princess Wansheng and six escort frigates departed from Gephra’s naval port, heading across the Eastern Ocean to approach the Amellia region directly, with the aim of intimidating nearby nations and local factions.
At the same time, Gephra’s Imperial Naval Command sent a directive to the fleet en route to the seas off Nagaryll, ordering them to increase speed and prepare to engage the Federal Navy.
After defeating the Federal Navy, the fleet would head south to rendezvous with the Princess Wansheng and establish a long-term presence in the Amellia region’s Scimitar Bay.
Following this directive, the Gephran navy accelerated and recharted its course. The admiral even detached one battleship and three destroyers from the main fleet to reach Amellia ahead of the rest.
According to internal military assessments, the unrest in Amellia was likely to escalate due to these two retaliatory attacks by the rebels, and swift military intimidation was essential.
In this era, nothing was more effective than the threat of heavy artillery. They didn’t even consider it dangerous.
After all, they were only going up against the so-called Federal Navy—flashy but weak. Aside from catching smugglers along the coastline, the Federal Navy had never executed a true cross-regional combat mission.
A bunch of amateurs.
