MTLNOVEL Chapter 487: Dawn
The various officials argued in a chaotic mess, and the atmosphere of panic spread among the crowd.
Gretto closed his eyes.
So many years had passed, he was no longer young, and he acted more steadily; to avoid war, he had made concessions repeatedly.
The conflict between Sky Ring and Red Arrow had a long history, rooted in the past eras.
This was a generational feud, a blood feud.
As a citizen of Sky Ring from the Outer World, Gretto serving as the Head of State was intended to sever ties with the past history of Sky Ring Country; they had been continually abandoning unnecessary martial force.
As early as when Gretto took office, he had ordered the dismantling of all shrines and temples venerating past war criminals of invasion. He personally visited the victims of all past Sky Ring war crimes and made compensation of sufficient weight, providing for each victim until death.
They had clearly marked history, repeatedly emphasizing the frequent war crimes committed by past People of Sky Ring against other nations, including genocidal massacres, human experimentation, and colonial plundering. Every citizen of Sky Ring Republic from birth was informed of their ancestors' wrongs against the world and had been making efforts to change their image until the entire world, including the Outer World people, were willing to forgive them.
The previous generation was, after all, the previous generation. This generation of people wasn't inclined to perpetuate hatred blindly, but some people never considered themselves wrong.
At least the Outer World people, under the sincere apologies and compensations of the People of Sky Ring, forgave the modern People of Sky Ring Republic. President David Lyn of Frost Plated was an even greater leader with a broad mind, continually promoting friendly cooperation and development between nations, and the Frost Plated People had also grown weary of war, choosing to coexist peacefully with Sky Ring Republic.
In his heart, Gretto knew well that it was not easy for the people of the world to forgive a country riddled with past sins.
Even if a wound heals, the scar remains.
There has never been a way to attribute all sins to one person and thus shake off all crimes.
No, it is never like that; no war can be fought by just one person.
It was the nobles of Sky Ring Country and all the people, directly or indirectly supporting it, that allowed it to continue; everyone was a war criminal of the past.
Precisely because of this, the entire nation and all citizens must continuously act, continuously apologize, and continuously contribute to new generations to repay past sins.
This is what the Republic did, and because of their sincerity, people forgave them.
However, what the Red Arrow People wanted was not redemption.
The Empire did not want them to submit or surrender.
"Minister Park Youtian even said: (Imperial Natizen) sneered at their sincere remorse and intended to carry out genocide against us."
The Speaker expressed his concern:
"Prime Minister, we must prepare for it; the Empire is unreasonable."
"Just 12 hours ago, the Ersha Sky Curtain descended another 1,500 meters, forcing a plateau nation to abandon their homeland and become exiles. Humanity faces a global crisis, yet some only think of revenge to vent their anger; this is not the demeanor of a great nation."
Gretto said:
"The Red Arrow Empire is the hope of humanity, the greatest Empire on Azure Star; the people are happy, and the nation is strong, they should have a higher sense of responsibility than us."
"But in their eyes, are we truly their human kin?"
An official questioned:
"The Empire treats every citizen well, giving them drugs to enjoy endless pleasure. The Emperor only cares about how happy his citizens are and not about other nationals' feelings. Even if they have the determination to resist Ersha, it must be something they intend to do after slaughtering us."
"I don't believe the Empire would do such a thing."
Gretto did not believe this harsh fact. He opened his eyes and began to narrate a story to the crowd:
"Forty years ago, just a few years before the republican revolution. At that time, on Azure Star, all people believed in one saying: the Sun did not exist; it was a lie fabricated by the upper echelons of Azure Star to facilitate their dominion over the people. The Cosmic did not exist; the world was flat, and there had never been anything such as light."
He stood up, placing his hands on the table:
"But after that event, this 'No Sun' theory vanished from the world in an instant."
Gretto glanced at everyone:
"Do you know why this is?"
Without waiting for the crowd to answer, Gretto disclosed the answer:
"Because we witnessed the blue sky with our own eyes."
"[I am going to the Cosmic to find a way to save Azure Star.]—that man said."
"A man named Li Aozi of Red Arrow seized the world's most powerful hydrogen bomb and then, on a hastily assembled spaceship, blasted himself into the sky. Powered by the hydrogen blast's Flame, he brought us that fleeting moment of light."
Gretto said,
"The sky was blue, clouds were white, and the gentle light shining on our skin was unlike the man-made Sun, devoid of any sensation. The world was not the leaden gray we knew but blue—that is the origin of 'Azure Star.'
"Li Aozi, the true legend of the Galactic Era, went to the Cosmic. People initially thought he was dead; some believed it was just a stunt, while others saw him as a martyr hero. Some Descenders claimed he established a new home in the Cosmic and would soon take people there, his whereabouts varied in speculation."
Concluding, Gretto spoke to the assembly:
"Gentlemen, you know, I am not an optimistic person, but at the time of Li Aozi's ascent into space, I personally participated in that operation. Back then, under the bombardment of Sky Ring Country, I witnessed with a shield raised the ragged, cobbled-together spaceship breaking into the starry sky."
Gretto took a deep breath and said,
"I believe in Li Aozi."
"We all know the Republic's establishment could not have happened without the help of Li Aozi's Followers. I never believed Li Aozi died, and now, as Azure Star teeters on the brink of doom, I am convinced that Li Aozi will not sit idly by. I also believe that the Red Arrow Empire, which witnessed that moment of light, will not ignore the bigger picture in such a dire time."
"I believe in hope. Rather, after witnessing that moment of light, I think no one can ever become accustomed to the dark."
Gretto sat back in his chair, comforting everyone:
"Minister Park is still in secret negotiations; it should conclude soon. Let's wait for his results before deciding. Regardless, I believe in humanity's future."
As soon as these words fell, people gradually calmed down.
Time passed by minute by minute as the Phantom Palace officials anxiously waited, sitting on pins and needles.
Ring, ring, ring!
Finally, after 6 minutes and 21 seconds, the President's office phone rang.
Everyone lifted their heads, fixating on Gretto, with eyes filled with various emotions—fear, worry, composure, suspicion, and even some clenched their fists, as if anticipating the outcome.
At this moment, the moment of decision for the fate of the 600 million People of Sky Ring had arrived.