Today was a disastrous day. The Russian military launched a series of large-scale attacks, causing a chain of Papaldia's defensive lines to collapse irreparably. A wave of despair swept through in a short time, leaving countless soldiers and generals in panic, unable to devise any effective countermeasures.

  Emperor Phillip himself fell into a similar state, racking his brain to find an opportunity to counterattack. However, the speed of Russia's advance was undeniable, yet Phillip refused to accept it and stubbornly sought ways to strike back.

  "Report the situation!" Phillip shouted.

  "Yes, yesterday we recorded four more villages occupied by the Russian army," the advisor said. "Additionally, we are being condemned by Mu and the nations of Civilization Zone 1 for our forced conscription actions, due to their human rights stance."

  Phillip slammed the table, startling the advisor, his voice filled with anger, wrinkles forming on his forehead. "Another failure! You are all useless! You can't even push back the enemy once!!"

  Another advisor spoke up, his tone heavy: "Your Majesty, we have tried, but the enemy is too superior, and there is no effective way to retaliate. Guerrilla tactics are completely useless."

  Phillip narrowed his eyes, his voice dripping with disdain: "What are you talking about? Why are they useless?"

  The advisor gritted his teeth and continued: "Your Majesty, guerrilla warfare requires flexibility, high discipline, and especially the ability to adapt to quick-hit-and-run tactics. But our army is accustomed to conventional, direct combat. Moreover, many generals and soldiers still cling to the notion of honor, viewing guerrilla warfare as cowardly and unsuitable for the Empire's style."

  Another advisor added: "Furthermore, Your Majesty, we underestimated the enemy. Initially, everyone thought Russia was just a distant nation, unable to match the regional powers. Thus, our preparations were too superficial. When the war broke out, we couldn't adapt to their modern combat methods. And by the time we realized it, it was too late."

  Phillip clenched his teeth, furious but unable to deny the reality. Guerrilla tactics failed not only due to lack of experience but also because of the inherent mindset of the Papaldian military.

  As tension filled the room, a messenger suddenly burst in, breathless.

  "Your Majesty! News from the front!"

  "Speak!" Phillip responded immediately. The messenger unfolded the telegram and read aloud:

  "The Russian army has crossed the Riantos River and is approaching Estaurant. They established a bridgehead in just 12 hours, and... their long-range artillery units have been bombarding our defensive lines from a distance we cannot retaliate against!"

  Hearing this, Phillip was deeply puzzled, raising his hand to his temple, thinking quickly. "Distance... long-range artillery? Both Mu and Russia possess technology far beyond ours, but for Russia to deploy so quickly... it's not normal at all." He widened his eyes, realizing something. "Could it be... that Mu provided Russia with technology to test their strength?!"

  The advisor was confused by Phillip's words, stammering in response: "Your Majesty, this is just speculation... but we cannot rule out that possibility. Mu might want to use Russia to test the reactions of the nations in Civilization Zone 1, and Russia is the ideal pawn: new, powerful, and unbound by international rules."

  The emperor sat back in his chair, his eyes lighting up as if he had realized something. "I see... This is a deeper conspiracy than I thought. Russia is not just a new enemy. They could be Mu's puppet, or worse... their secret partner. If that's the case, then not only the Papaldian Empire but the entire Civilization Zone 1 is facing a greater threat than we imagined!"

  The other advisor trembled and replied: "Then... what should we do, Your Majesty? If Mu and Russia are truly allied, our chances of victory are almost zero."

  Phillip, with a firm voice and determined eyes, said: "First, we need to expose this conspiracy. If Mu is truly behind this, I will make the world see their true face! Send a message to the nations of Civilization Zone 1 immediately—I want them to know that Mu is not innocent in this war!"

  Afterward, Papaldia actively sought evidence to accuse Mu. Initially, they faced many difficulties due to the allocation of resources for both the war and this investigation, stretching their resources thin. But eventually, things began to progress, and by now, the empire had arranged an official meeting to directly question Mu.

  In the luxurious meeting room, Emperor Phillip and his advisors faced Mu's Ambassador, Muran, a middle-aged man with a calm demeanor. Beside him were Mu's diplomatic staff. Tension filled the room.

  Phillip spoke with authority: "Ambassador! We have sufficient evidence proving that Mu is secretly supporting Russia. Do you think you can deceive the Papaldian Empire?"

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  "Your Majesty," Muran replied calmly. "Mu has always maintained a neutral stance and does not interfere in international conflicts. Please present your evidence."

  A Papaldian advisor immediately handed documents to Muran. "We discovered that many of Russia's artillery pieces resemble your field guns, especially the 105 mm guns Mu once used. Moreover, we found artillery shells of similar size and shape."

  Muran glanced through the documents, his eyes sharp. "Advisor, our guns are outdated, using black powder with a maximum range of 12 km. Meanwhile, Russian artillery uses smokeless powder with a range of up to 30 km. These two types of guns are not similar, and Russian ammunition is entirely different in both material and design."

  Phillip frowned, displeased with this rebuttal. "What about tactics? Russia employs the 'concentrated firepower' tactic, striking directly and overwhelming quickly, which is very similar to Mu's military doctrine!"

  Muran sipped his tea, calmly countering. "Our military doctrine focuses on strategic defense and limited offensive with artillery and horse-drawn support. Russia, however, is fully mechanized, using tanks, armored vehicles, and self-propelled artillery," he glanced at the emperor. "These two tactics are entirely different. How could Mu support technology we don't even possess?"

  The advisor persisted, presenting more documents. "But it's not just artillery. We also found that Russian trucks have structures very similar to your models!"

  Again, looking through the documents, Muran thought this was clearly a joke. "Our trucks run on magic stones, with a maximum speed of 50 km/h. Russian trucks use internal combustion engines, exceeding 80 km/h and capable of operating in all terrains. It's hard to say we have any connection here, when we are the ones trying to replicate that."

  Phillip began to lose patience but remained calm. "Then how do you explain Russia's ability to organize and wage war so effectively immediately after appearing? A nation appearing out of nowhere, yet surpassing even civilized nations, don't you find that too unusual?"

  Muran remained composed: "Your Majesty, that only proves Russia is a powerful nation, independent of any other. Surely you remember the legend of the Red People? Moreover, if we were truly allied with Russia, do you think we would remain silent when threatened by you? Mu is capable of defending itself without help from any nation."

  "You dare deny everything?!" Phillip slammed the table in anger.

  "Your Majesty, I only deny what is baseless. If the Papaldian Empire wishes to continue making accusations without convincing evidence, we have nothing more to say. The international community will judge this."

  "Do you think Mu can keep hiding?"

  Muran stood up, bowing. "We are not hiding. We simply do not accept unfounded slander."

  Muran walked toward the door, but before leaving, Phillip asked him one more question: "How do you know so much about Russia? It's hard to obtain such information."

  Muran sighed. "We didn't struggle to obtain that information. Russia simply doesn't value it. For them, there are things more worth keeping secret than such trivial matters."

  "Trivial?"

  Ambassador Mu left, leaving Emperor Phillip in a rage. But worse for Papaldia, the mismatch between their "evidence" and reality only further damaged their credibility, increasing suspicions from other nations about the legitimacy of these accusations.

  ...

  In another room, the Russians observed Ambassador Mu leaving the palace, while outside the port, some commercial ships were welcoming Mu citizens to depart. Clearly, this was a sign that the army was nearing the capital, signaling the need for action.

  "Any new information?"

  "Not yet, they just said to ensure the emperor is captured when the army surrounds the city."

  "That will be a bit difficult but still manageable."

  The door opened—it was Kamarov, entering with a bowl of soup. "Anyone want some? The kitchen's food is quite good, and besides, things are about to end."

  Kavkaz and his team were having a meal.

  "No thanks, we should focus on our tasks," Kavkaz said. "The army is about to arrive, so we should prepare to take control of the palace."

  "How can we do that?" Kamarov said. "This palace could have hundreds of people who could turn us into frozen preserves."

  "I didn't mean it that way," Kavkaz shook his head. "We just need to control the emperor and wait for the army to arrive. This isn't a war to change the government, just a prelude before stepping onto the stage."

  "So, any new information?"

  "Not yet, just waiting for orders," Kavkaz turned to Kamarov, looking behind him. "Where are the others?"

  "They're talking to the emperor," Kamarov smirked. "Soon, it will be time for him to die."

  Kavkaz heard this and asked further. "What do you mean?"

  "Nothing, just that we received information that this empire has more internal issues than I thought," Kamarov sat down to eat but continued explaining. "Our reconnaissance teams have reported several uprisings in areas far from the capital. All are quite large, and they are receiving support from the army, likely due to the interview with General Perezovski."

  "The Domino Effect?" Kavkaz pondered. "If so, Papaldia is likely to become a chaotic place in the future."

  "Hard to say, as there's no information about the army clashing with those rebel groups."

  Kavkaz continued typing on his computer to send reports—still mindful of Kamarov's words. Certainly, Papaldia was entering a phase of collapse, just needing a little push for the entire vast land to disintegrate immediately. And when that happens, this place will become an unstable region, much like what happened in the Middle East.

  A while later, outside the port, Muran stepped down from his carriage, seeing the crowd still there, he was relieved. "Good, still in time for this trip."

  He quickly grabbed his suitcase and headed to customs, presenting his travel documents before walking toward the stairs. Muran glanced back, the Papaldian citizens looked at them with extreme confusion, but among them were some who seemed to know something. But it didn't matter, everything happening was the consequence of the empire's actions. Moreover, uprisings would soon erupt, and staying was unwise.

  After boarding the ship, he leaned on the railing to take one last look at the capital. After all, four years here had left some affection for it, though it was a pity that the capital would likely lose its beauty when the war reached here, even though the port itself was already in ruins, with only a few spots left for docking, but this was the price to pay. He sighed, about to step inside when he heard a low, long whistle. Looking up, it was a plane—undoubtedly Russian, the clearest evidence of Russia's power—the outsiders.