If Vellante Province is the departure point for the Weilante people's expedition, then Bartoya Province, separated by a sea from Vellante Province, is the first barrier on the Weilante people's path of conquest.
Similar to another world's map, Vellante Province is somewhat like a miniature version of the Iberian Peninsula combined with Franxi, while Bartoya Province roughly corresponds to the position of North Africa, and appears to be much "broader" than North Africa.
Between the two provinces lies a bay known as the Whirlpool Sea, and this sea is much smaller compared to the "Mediterranean" of another world, roughly only half the size of the latter. The shapes of the two are vastly different, with a large opening that becomes narrower as it goes east, resembling buffalo horns.
Yavente City is located in the southwest corner of Bartoya Province, in a place called Dagger End, overlooking Vellante Province across the sea.
The closest distance between the two provinces is only 200 kilometers. While swimming across would be challenging, taking a ferry would only take five to six hours, even in slow conditions.
Since the news of Marshal Julius's death spread, a large number of Weilante people have rushed from all over the world to Triumph City, hoping to attend Marshal Julius's funeral.
Among them, naturally, are Weilante people living in Bartoya Province.
They would meet old friends they hadn't seen in a long time back in their homeland, sit together and chat about anything, or blow bubbles into their beer, or even tumble into the sheets together.
After everything is over, some of them will stay behind, but most will return to their own homes in the eastern part of the New Continent or Old Continent.
If one wishes to spread "Mortal Serum" across the world, there is no more suitable opportunity than Marshal Julius's funeral...
On the calm surface of the sea.
Standing on the near-sea destroyer, Maloc Ten Thousand Leader looked at the telegram in his hand and couldn't help but tug at the corner of his mouth.
"...If this is true, then it's too damn cruel."
Due to recent turmoil within the Army, Marshal Julius's Imperial Guard was also affected, unbelievably losing the Weilante people's lifeline, the "Gene Source Code."
He's not an expert in the biological field and doesn't understand the technical stuff, but he knows how important this thing is, otherwise their ancestors wouldn't have gone to great lengths to snatch it from the hands of the Post-War Reconstruction Committee and protect it with such care.
It is said by the Residents of the refuge who had once helped the Weilante people.
Since the Weilante people are created according to a designed gene pool, as long as one masters the source code of "building the pool," they can easily design a genetic weapon specifically targeting this group.
This weapon can be a virus or something else, capable of acting simultaneously on a micro and macro level, making the planet unsuitable for the Weilante people to survive, eventually causing them to disappear from the planet, as if they never existed.
In fact, the Defense Department of the Post-War Reconstruction Committee indeed had such plans, even the last folder on the Weilante Laboratory server was the "closure" of the genetic warrior plan.
The purer the bloodline, the easier it is to distinguish from the crowd.
The only solution is intermarriage with Aliens.
When the Weilante people are no longer Weilante, but part of humanity, the sword hanging over all the Weilante people's heads can finally be removed.
Therefore, they must strictly keep the Weilante people's Gene Source Code confidential for at least 300 years, until their veins flow with the blood of other humans, and the veins of humans flow with their blood, to truly be safe.
And now, the Imperial Guard says they messed up in the 172nd year!
What a joke?!
However, the matter has already occurred, and he can only brace himself to accept it and cooperate with Triumph City's orders to prepare for the response.
At this time, a ferry about a hundred meters long appeared on the horizon.
Seeing the black dot emerging in the distance, Maloc Ten Thousand Leader immediately waved his hand, signaling his subordinate crew and captains to steer the destroyer over, and contacted the opposite captain via radio to have them stop the ship.
Upon receiving the command, the opposite ferry cooperated quite well and soon shut down its engine.
However, the passengers on the ship were not satisfied and gathered on the deck to demand an explanation from the approaching destroyer.
A ferry over a hundred meters is quite large, carrying at least three to four hundred people.
Most of these people are residents of Yavente City, a part of whom live in the surrounding areas of Bartoya Province, including some not-so-big kids and mothers holding infants.
Looking at the crowd, Maloc cleared his throat, picked up the loudspeaker, and said loudly.
"Quiet, please be quiet for a moment. I am Maloc Ten Thousand Leader, belonging to the Near Sea Defense Fleet of Triumph City. Your flight has encountered some trouble, and I'm here to explain the situation to you."
Upon hearing someone in authority speak up, the people on the deck quieted down a bit.
After a pause, Maloc adjusted his pace and continued.
"Late yesterday, we received news that amid the political turmoil in Triumph City, someone stole the Weilante people's Gene Source Code."
As expected, as soon as his words fell, the people on the deck erupted in chaos.
The sea, which had just quieted down for a couple of seconds, instantly became noisy again.
"What does the theft of the Gene Source Code have to do with us?!"
"That's right! You should check the departing ships! Would the thief really turn back?!"
"Damn, the Imperial Guard is really getting worse by the day, they even lost the Gene Source Code..."
"The guys in Triumph City are really useless!"
The majority of people did not realize the severity of the issue, only angry about the flight delay.
It's actually quite normal.
Maloc felt the same way himself.
Even though the more he thought about it, the more fearful he became after understanding the situation, his initial reaction upon hearing it was just an "ah," followed by the thought "if it's lost, so be it."
Losing one thing didn't seem like much compared to the disbandment of the Army.
They've lost plenty of things.
It wasn't until the Imperial Guard told him that the thing was the lifeline of the Vellante people that he realized the tension.
Looking at these noisy compatriots, Maloc took a deep breath and raised his voice to continue shouting.
"You really ought to perk up your ears and listen to me! The theft of the Gene Source Code happened a month ago. Now the latest intelligence indicates that a group of evil Blue Ground Squirrels hiding in the Great Desert have used our Gene Source Code to design a virus specifically targeting the Vellante people! It's called the 'Mortal Serum,' and from the name, you should know its purpose."
"But I'm here to tell you, things aren't that simple! This virus has an exceptionally long incubation period of over a month and is highly contagious during that time!"
"It starts with a low fever, then full-body overheating, until your immune system is completely compromised, and finally, your organs will fail one by one, dying painfully...the whole process will last a year or even longer until it's done tormenting you, until the virus's offspring infect others."
"So don't think it doesn't concern you. Bartoya Province is in the northwest corner of the Great Desert, and you're the ones closest to this Bomb! You may have already contracted this thing!"
Before his words could finish, the ship was instantly in uproar, the boiling waves of noise seeming to overturn the rocking deck.
Faces were filled with varied expressions, some angry, some panicked, and others were stunned and skeptical.
Some mothers instinctively covered the mouths and noses of their babies or moved toward places with fewer people.
Others couldn't help but cough, and seeing the sideways glances from those around them, they naturally started doubting themselves.
"Are you kidding?! A virus targeting the Vellante people… How is this possible?!"
"Who would do such a thing… Damn, those Imperial Guards, how could they lose something so important!"
"So our ship is hiding a virus? That...bioweapon targeting the Vellante people?"
People shouted in confusion and clamored like mad.
Their instincts told them that such a thing was absurd; if there really were such a powerful weapon, the Aliens wouldn't have waited until now to use it.
But very soon they remembered that the Vellante people's Gene Source Code had previously been strictly safeguarded and now had been stolen.
Everything seemed to become logical.
Just like Maloc last night, they moved from skepticism to unshakeable belief.
After all, standing in front of them was a Ten Thousand Leader, and one from Triumph City at that.
These guys are unfailing in their loyalty to Marshal Julius and would never joke about the Imperial Guard, nor would the Imperial Guard lie about such matters.
Looking at the still noisy compatriots, Maloc raised his voice and answered one of their questions.
"This possibility cannot be ruled out, so we're regretfully asking you to return."
A strong man squeezed to the front of the crowd, glowering at Maloc with glaring eyes.
"Possibility! Just because of this so-called possibility, you stopped us from attending Marshal Julius's funeral!"
He had broad shoulders and rough palms, like a soldier who's been to the battlefield.
Many Vellante people have been to the battlefield; it's not an outstanding trait.
However, at this critical juncture when the front lines were tense, this prime-of-life veteran with combat experience found it difficult to get on a flight to the Vellante Province.
But Maloc didn't know the real details of "Mortal Serum."
The version told by the Imperial Guard was someone's plan to use the Vellante people's Gene Source Code to design a genetic weapon targeting the Vellante people.
Looking at the glowering man, Maloc smiled and said.
"You don't need to worry, the funeral has been postponed."
Everyone on the deck was stunned.
"Pos- postponed?!"
Maloc nodded.
"That's right, our esteemed Leader has announced that the Vellante Alliance has entered a state of emergency. Until the emergency state ends, we will temporarily seal off Whirlpool Sea."
Upon hearing these words, everyone on the deck panicked, shouting in confusion.
"Then what should we do?!"
"Are you intending to keep us at sea forever?"
Maloc raised his hand to signal them to calm down, then continued speaking.
"You can return the way you came, or you can come back and accept our arrangements... We've demarcated a buffer zone along the coast of the Vellante Governorate and set up some tents there. We will isolate you based on the time of your landing and arrange for doctors to examine your bodies."
"Triumph City has already requested assistance from the Sticky Community, and their response has been very positive, stating they will airlift medical personnel and supplies to the Vellante Governorate to face this crisis with us...just as we faced the Torch Church crisis together with them before."
Everyone on the deck whispered and murmured.
Especially upon hearing mention of enterprises and the Alliance, almost everyone's face showed hesitation.
The Southern Legion is currently at war with enterprises and the Alliance, and nobody can guarantee that these guys won't take advantage of this situation.
At this moment, a frail-looking old man walked to the bow, staring intently at Ten Thousand Leader Maloc, and asked in a hoarse voice.
"That virus... are you serious?"
Ten Thousand Leader Maloc nodded.
"At least the Imperial Guard is serious. Including Triumph City, the Weilant Alliance has already restricted entry to anyone outside of the Weilante People... After all, everyone here could possibly become asymptomatic or mild carriers of the virus. Even if harming us is not their intention, we could still be indirectly harmed by them."
Not their intention...
The old man's smile seemed somewhat bitter.
These words are truly humble; there are so many people who want the Weilante People dead, at least one out of every three Waste Land Wanderers.
Maloc apparently thought the same, so he shrugged and made a helpless expression.
"So you should know how dangerous it is to run around at this critical moment... We're not just targeting you, all borders north, south, east, and west are closed."
The old man sighed and, after a long pause, finally managed to say a word.
"I hope there are no aliens in the buffer zone..."
Triumph City has closed its borders.
That being said, the Welch Governorate should be much safer than the Batoya Province.
After all, the Southern Legion has vast colonies, most of which are inhabited by aliens from the Great Desert.
If anything really happens, the Southern Legion, which has not taken any action so far, is undoubtedly the most dangerous...
Looking at the anxious-looking old man, Maloc shouted with a smile.
"Don't worry about that, even if there are, they are researchers sent by the Academy to help us."
"If anything goes wrong, we won't let them off."
...
The news of the Weilante People's Gene Source Code being lost was causing quite a stir in Triumph City.
As the Imperial Guard responsible for the Source Code, they lost all dignity in this storm, facing accusations from various forces in Triumph City.
Commander Raze's reaction was quite calm in the face of those scolding voices.
Having lived 172 years, he was already accustomed to the storms of this city, and of course, couldn't be embarrassed by a few words from juniors.
However, although Rezer remained composed, the Battlefield Atmosphere Group was quite guilty.
This old man was almost at the age of entering the coffin, and in the end, still had to wager a lifetime of honor for himself.
After ending the meeting with other ministers, he looked at the old man and said apologetically.
"Sorry... after this matter is over, I will clear all your grievances and tell everyone that it was all my idea."
Seeing the remorseful Leader, wrapped in Golden Armor, Raze smiled lightly and said softly.
"You don't need to worry about my feelings, just do what you are supposed to do now."
After a pause, the old man suddenly spoke again in the tone of an elder, and continued meaningfully.
"But let me remind you, a truly brilliant lie is one where only half the truth is spoken, leaving out the half that's unfavorable to oneself. In this matter, Marshal Julius is quite savvy, your Manager is the same, while you've fallen short, leaving no room to retreat."
The Battlefield Atmosphere Group's expression was a bit awkward, touching his nose and giving a dry cough.
"I am far behind when compared to them..."
Raze smiled slightly.
"That's for sure; they've done so much, and you've only done a few things."
"But it doesn't matter, everyone moves from unskilled to skilled, whether it's the respected Marshal Julius or your Manager."
"I am still optimistic about you."
The last words gave the Old Soldier quite a bit of confidence, warming his heart.
This matter was indeed not handled cleverly by him, but it was the best way he could think of.
Faced with Commander Teil's "ingenious scheme," his choice was to use the same strategy.
Since the former claimed to have stolen the Gene Source Code, and by that convinced the other high-ranking officials of the Southern Legion to participate in his crazy plan, he declared that the Gene Source Code was indeed lost, but it was stolen by the Enlightenment Society in the Great Desert, and it was used to create a virus named "Mortal Serum" specifically targeting the Weilante People.
Based on this reason, he could naturally announce the Weilant Alliance entering into an emergency state and impose a blockade on Triumph City and even Welch Governorate, preventing the Southern Legion from using Triumph City and Marshal Julius's funeral as a springboard for spreading the virus.
Moreover, upon receiving the news, the Northern Empire, Eastern Empire, and the Union State in the New Continent would also successively close their borders and strictly guard against all incoming personnel.
Whether they believe in the existence of the "Mortal Serum," the news of the Gene Source Code loss is clearly not fabricated.
As for what the "Mortal Serum" actually is, that has become irrelevant.
Whoever publicly declares first, holds the priority to interpret.
And certainly, the Southern Legion can't possibly jump out to argue that they stole the Gene Source Code, and that the Mortal Serum is actually not very harmful to the Weilante People but primarily targeting aliens outside Weilante People.
Not to mention that Teir doesn't even have the Gene Source Code of the Veilante people in his hands. He can't even prove that the thing is actually of little harm to the Veilante, because it was a weapon designed for indiscriminate attack from the very beginning.
Not to mention explaining it.
They dare not even let the other factions discover that this thing slipped out of their own laboratory.
Otherwise, even without waiting for the corporations and Alliance to take action, those old friends would come out and beat them up.
However, being discovered is only a matter of time.
If the "Mortal Serum" plan has already been initiated, and several old legion forces, including Triumph City, have successively closed their borders, preventing the Veilante from moving to other regions, then the pathogen would be confined within Yavente City.
In addition, with Evernight Harbor already occupied by the Alliance, the Southern Legion's route to the Eastern World has been cut off. Aside from those high-lethality, low-infectivity original viruses already deployed on the Poluo Line battlefield, hardly any strains would spread out.
By that time, Teir would find himself hoisted by his own petard.
And the Veilante people of Yavente City will gradually realize who their real enemy is.
In addition to the macro-level deployment, the Battlefield Atmosphere Group utilized the power of the Civil Official Group to set up some quarantine zones along the coastal border of the Welch Governorate.
This is only the first step.
After controlling the "Mortal Serum," he will soon begin the second phase of the plan, fulfilling his duty as the Leader of Triumph City to rescue Yavente City, which has been engulfed by the plague.
And this phase of the plan will require assistance from the Academy, Alliance, and other Survivor Forces of the Wasteland.
However, for him, this is not a difficult task at all.
He understood the Manager's attitude well.
Since the beginning of the service, that guy has been aimed at ending the Wasteland Era and would certainly not leave the Veilante people unattended.
As he was pondering this, hurried footsteps could be heard outside the meeting hall of the Glory Court.
A man dressed in luxurious clothes burst into the hall, ignoring the guards at the door, and stared angrily at the Leader seated in the center of the main hall, speaking sharply.
"Leader, I need an explanation!"
This was the Messenger from the Southern Legion.
He also came as a representative to attend the funeral of Marshal Julius in Teir's place.
The Old Soldier remembered his name was Hologen, a Two-Star Ten Thousand Leader, one star higher than Coleway.
However, now that he himself has become the Leader, he no longer needed to be intimidated by these military ranks.
Looking at the furious Hologen, the Battlefield Atmosphere Group asked with interest.
"What explanation do you want?"
Hologen said angrily.
"Postponing Marshal Julius's funeral, closing the border when all Veilante have come to Triumph City to pay respects to Marshal Julius's majesty! Do you know what you're doing?"
This guy was anxious.
However, the Battlefield Atmosphere Group did not think that a mere Two-Star Ten Thousand Leader would understand the inside story of the "Mortal Serum."
The most likely possibility is that Commander Teir was trying to use this guy to probe Triumph City's defenses or put pressure on him.
Just as he was about to speak, Rezer, sitting not far beside him, spoke first.
"Marshal Julius has waited for almost two centuries. I believe that great man wouldn't mind waiting a while longer to see his children finish the final act."
The sharp light in those cloudy pupils instantly deflated Hologen's aggressive stance.
The legion has just completed its transformation into the Veilante Alliance, and he cannot yet understand what being a Leader means.
But he understands very well what a Legion Leader means.
Especially one who once battled alongside Marshal Julius.
"What…what are you talking about? What act…" Swallowing, Hologen took a step back unconsciously and said with a trembling voice.
Rezer calmly looked at him, the gaze like looking at a noisy child.
"…Ask yourself, or ask your Commander. I think he should be the one who knows best."
Hologen involuntarily held his breath.
His political intuition told him that the waters beneath this matter might be deeper than he had imagined.
Without saying another word, he allowed the guards to lead him out and quickly left the doorway of the hall.
Watching that departing back, Rezer smiled faintly and whispered in a neither light nor heavy tone.
"Pass on a word to that child for me—"
"The candles of Triumph City have not burned out, and Marshal Julius's spirit is still here."
"His Excellency the Marshal is watching you."