South's Rapport

  On the fourth day of the meeting, Fox and Luis continued their daily workload.

  At the war room in southern Zyckevele, Fox was getting through smoother. He was no longer as questioned, and that only lasted the beginning of the day's meeting. There were also the participation from those special agents of equal status in PR to PSD's representative captains.

  Kusmina and Nikitina were at the war room this time. They immediately coordinated with Fox to devise further details of the plan, now fully in progress of being solidified. Fox welcomed their helpful aid, knowing exactly what PR could do, and the army’s standard qualities.

  This time, the military officials watched more than participating, letting the masters of the secret world figure everything out before they were needed. It was the first day Fox felt it went smooth, and his silly brain addicted to thinking couldn’t wait for the rest of the days.

  … On Luis’s end, it was a great continuation. If he already felt grateful to the presidents who had spoken so far, and proud of Lymoca and their impact on the south since the SO’s start, then today he felt impossible gratitude.

  This time it was the island countries’ turn; Pyot Island and Meztle Island. Pyot Island’s president was Pedro P. A black, balding man, short and with curly, luscious brown hair. He brought the attention to the southwest of Moonblue, where the islands have always been the sweet ‘subcontinent’ of Moonblue.

  It wasn’t similar to the EPA Commonwealth, who were enormous, but they had a good size if added together. On the other hand, the EPA Commonwealth was Twilight’s aligned continent, being together since before the AO, only official by the time the Zycks were just forming their nation. The island countries were never really in conflict against the rest of Moonblue.

  In a sense, they were a much weaker but ginormous version of Safe Haven City, KAA’s ‘long-lost’ people who fled the Ziaca Nation. They were always peaceful and resourceful when disasters struck, albeit not to the point of comparing to Lymoca, except in willingness.

  If there was a part of Moonblue that could draw respect from any other country, at least a little, without even having relations of any sort, those were the island countries.

  Starting by remarking all these known facts and reminding everyone about them, Pedro then continued with the situations in his country. There were sights where ANS was pushing criminal groups to rise and pressure the government, until Lymoca’s President Luis Heartez.

  Then, the president went on to elaborate on the unbreakable bond between his country and Meztle Island. Despite having been formed into nations with the fear of ANS and brutal fighting back then, called as islands regardless, they took their name and made it theirs full-on.

  The Pyot and Meztle Islands, which was a sort of name to the pet-named subcontinent of Moonblue altogether, have been sharing life and wins and losses together. There was another thing they had in common besides the fear of ANS since hundreds of years ago: Lymoca.

  Were it not for Lymoca, who fought off any navy the Leaftree Coalition sent down south despite the stretch the Lylaco Empire was already suffering in the Ly-ANS War, half the coastal countries in the south would’ve suffered. Conquest became the trend for several decades then…

  After presidents Pedro was president Carlotta F. She was a creamy white woman with a proper hairstyle and big brown eyes. Throughout the meeting, she didn’t speak, only listening. However, she did interact with the other presidents a lot.

  To put it shortly, she was sweet. However, Lymoca and its closest nations’ presidents knew this woman better. She was confident, and there was never a point where she took a step and didn’t know how to fall in 5 different ways. More so to not even trip.

  She began with a small snippet. When the Lylaco Empire was still standing, weak and beaten, but still, many of the empire’s families sent their beloved to nowadays Meztle Island, which was much more safe than Pyot. She was also a representation of such moonlight-like stories.

  Pyot Island was a nation that had just gone out of countless battles in the war for dominating it. Arriving to that point, she proceeded to elaborate on the history of these two nations. They are usually brief and straight to the point, showcasing a harsh struggle. But not this time.

  From Carlotta’s lips, she didn’t just share glimpses to the stories of Meztle Island’s beautiful women across Moonblue coming from Lys, she immediately detailed information of both island countries.

  Starting with Pyot Island, Carlotta, retold of the peoples living throughout the island, distanced and tribal even then. There were the Onorio in the north, sharing borders with the Pys. Together, they bordered the Transúc in the central north, one of the 2 largest tribes.

  Right below, in the central south and spreading a bit to the southeast were the Emeskas. Lastly, in the southwest, the Emellol were threatened by the former, almost losing their further eastern land towards the beginning of the 5th century.

  Like the K Tribes, the peoples in the Pyot Island have always been struggling. No matter if it was AO or the transition into SO. Conflict regressed them endlessly.

  Some came from Estuar long before the Leaftree Coalition fled to northern Moonblue and began their conquering. Others even came from the Preutors, who were besieged similarly to Estuar. Additionally, some from the Apreus Dynasty went to Meztle Island to settle.

  Even then, it was the natives in Pyot Island who ‘won’ and unified the island. The Pys led a sudden, all or nothing, brutal onslaught against Onorio and Transúc altogether, whom the Leaftree Coalition supported. They were blatant in their first interventions to support this or that.

  After taking over Onorio and Transúc, the former being Pys’ archenemy for centuries, they allied with the Emellol tribe to take Emeska out. By then, the Emeskas were rapidly approached by the Leaftree Coalition after failing with the Pys’ warring.

  Of course, similar to how Onorios and Transúc were supported, the Lys aided the Pys after beginning the Ly-ANS War. In the same manner, Emellol received the Lylaco Empire’s support. Together, the Pys and Emellol defeated the Emeskas and unified the island.

  Pys, Onorios, Transúc, and the Emes were unified like this. Of course, with their inexperience in unifying, even as tribes, they didn’t do it alone. They used Lys’ help, who came to be from one of the largest territories in the world with the most tribes.

  As for the Meztle Island, it was so peaceful a couple of hundred years into the SO, after the Great Revolution and then the Smeared Century, that they opted for negotiations and talks. It was one of the reasons why the Apreus Dynasty had become interested in that piece of land. The dynasty was friendly enough for Lymoca to allow their commercial, few ships in.

  The Meztle Island clans were all natives, although some mixed with foreigners, it was minimal. There were the Edgeters in the northern peninsula, one of the 3 smallest tribes. Right below them were the Saws, one of the 2 largest tribes, as large as the Transúc and Emeskas together.

  To the west from the Saws were the Sierrot. In the southeast were the Sciss, one of the other 2 largest tribes. To the east were the Cut’r on their peninsula.

  Together, they convoked a treaty to unify while Pyot Island was still in the middle of the unification wars. The world was in turmoil everywhere back then, so Lymoca’s aid for their peaceful cause was more than pouring endless water in a boundless desert.

  They formed the ‘Meztle’ in Meztle Island collectively, with the foreigners fully integrating into the nation. Once the Lylaco Empire fell, they received countless Ly refugees. There was some disorder, but everything went well. Some Lys wanted to seek a high position, but they calmed down as Lymoca was formed, not urging them to return…

  Such was the life that the Pyot and Meztle Islands went through. Adding to this ANS’s thirst for the south since then, it has never been easy for the south.

  It could be seen how southerners would dislike Lymoca, as they benefited instead as time went by. But that was the past, and in the present, the island countries were with Lymoca.

  Centuries might have gone by, but 4 countries were with Lymoca since then, and their choice and hearts didn’t remain the same but hardened and strengthened respectively.

  The meeting ended in silence and mild understanding, to say the least. There was a tacit accordance that the meeting was now holding another purpose, even if it still had the search for the truth. It was no longer for a convenient answer for Cors and the other 3 nations.

  … Throughout the following days, things transpired from just happening to evolving.

  In Zyckevele, Fox continued spending hours and hours in the war room, sometimes even up to 10 hours before leaving it for the next day. Now, everyone was involved. The Minister of National Defense came soon enough. She put forth some more hurdles, which were resolved the following day with already thought-out possibilities dealing with them efficiently.

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  Levedeva Orlova worked especially well with Lean Somirnov, even with only a screen connecting them. Furthermore, Nikitina, Kusmina, and Socolov continued to aid Fox. But it wasn’t just them who were stepping forth and going through the plan.

  Esmeralda became pretty active once the major characters devising it had arrived. She didn’t get right into the most heated points immediately, but as the hours went, she would always become engrossed.

  Her aid was welcomed by all. Nala might have looked from the sides, but Esmeralda became the center of attention numerous times. In a way, she was unstoppable, and crafty. It was to the point Lemyonova chipped in at times and teased Fox’s ideas might be all Esmeralda’s.

  … From Luis’s side, the presidents ‘against’ him simply spoke their whole minds and ranted a little. They also put in doubt Luis’s intentions. It wasn’t an easy time, but neither was it complicated. If there was something heavy, then it was the other countries’ needs.

  They lacked either medicine, sufficient resources for mass production, farming, and for some reason, never had growing relations with Lymoca for the past several decades. That was the time when the current opposition in Lymoca had been ‘rulers’ to no end.

  They did as they wanted, with whomever they wanted, and however they could. It was, without a concerning doubt, one of the most disastrous regressions around the globe. It was a wonder it could keep itself afloat, and that no one seemed to notice.

  Although, every time the Lymoca from then acted with foreigners, it was to fawn and congratulate, smiling and wishing to shake hands and exchange hugs with every chance. They were even subservient, and that was for the whole world to see and know.

  The president from Mount Veneta, the second female president in the meeting, elaborated a lot in their struggles to get cordial and respectable agreements with other countries regarding trading while Lymoca didn’t. They always had to sacrifice a lot just to gain something.

  Mount Veneta is a small country, only surpassing Melenon and Torka in Moonblue. Even then, they have one of the widest-tallest and most beautiful mountain ranges in the world. Their tourism was almost on par with Lymoca, but they couldn’t even spare more than 4% of their GDP to grow an army larger than 150k with few military vehicles and no aircraft whatsoever.

  So, as it seemed, it indeed wasn’t that they demanded Lymoca to let the others in the south get a piece of the cake. That they were taking too much, and they shouldn’t get all the good things. However, it was at least a complaint.

  At that time, Luis requested to exchange some words just before the meeting neared its end. After some moments of silence, she agreed. Luis stood up like a gentleman and addressed the Valad-Venetian president.

  “It’s clear that the south has tried to reach out to the east many times. But I wonder how many times did you attempt approaching the EPA Commonwealth first? If I’m not mistaken, you first tried Safe Haven City, Gexi, Kekkaki, Kunkek, and Wondurs from Dawn before going for KAA, Gupi, and Gracia. Even Vevuesta and Queorian are a much better choice than the firsts.”

  Everyone listened attentively, as that was roughly the sequence they followed. Luis nodded a bit and carried on, “I will also assume you made those choices based on some media and advisors that weren’t for your country’s individual self-sustenance. You never even considered the other K Tribe nations, let alone Merula.”

  “Then, you might have tried for Orcesta and Orxa from Twilight before bothering to know about Zyckevele, still ignoring the EPA Commonwealth.” Luis shook his head, gently shutting his eyelids for a second. “All of you have a special type of something, even if only one or from the precedence of the subject in question, but you didn’t look around by yourselves.”

  “This isn’t your problem, but I understand what’s at stake. The south’s actual welcome to a broader international trade. But it isn’t in the Oscard that any better well-off nation is obliged to aid all those who ask for help with new treaties. It is also not their obligation to ignore your possible relations to those whom they are not having a good enough relations with: ANS.”

  “I know you don’t have any, nothing even half of what the tri-traitorous of our supercontinent had.” Luis saw the Valad-Venetian president about to speak up, her eyes worried, so he quickly added, “I also do know you are nothing like that. But they don’t. Terka only received such ‘warm’ welcome to the open sea gates, this time without any obstruction, because of their direct subservience to Lymoca. But it wasn’t Lymoca who single-handedly gained all of this…”

  His words left them guessing correctly what he was getting at. Luis didn’t like playing with suspense for his sake like Fox sometimes does, so he went straight to the point. “When Lymoca was founded, with our current inner strife and chaos before and after the empire’s fall, it should have been impossible to keep our people a float, let alone our economy.”

  “Twilight’s Veil Kingdom, Lenove Empire, and Zyck Nation aided us, and the fully formed Zyckevele further supported us. I guess I don’t have to tell you why’s.” Luis had just begun.

  “They sent humanitarian help, together with the fallen Ziaca Nation’s Knight Assembly Association, which Lymoca has only been returning in kind to the world all these years.” Luis looked at the presidents ‘against’ him and added, “Let me finish this— this is something I will promise regardless what the outcome of our meeting is.”

  “Both of them were already allied, but they fell, and not only because their enemies decided to band together. Zyckevele gained enormous territory, but they also weakened every coast they had. Their first presidents were panicked to have a hand reach out from anywhere.”

  “Even then, they helped not only other countries, like Estuardios, Preutorias, Apreus, Merula, and Queorian and Vevuesta, they also helped create the EPA Commonwealth. Then, they helped Lymoca get in good graces with them. That’s how ‘easy’ Lymoca had it. So don’t tell me we are the magical could’ve-been merchant country turned into a warmonger.”

  “We are far past that,” Luis had lowered his back with his palms on the table. He straightened it again to continue, looking at some empty spots between the wide spread, occupied seats. The table was supposed to be for at least 15 people. “But Lymoca has realized several things.”

  The presidents’ ears perked up, eyes turning intrigued at their guesses finally being decided if they were correct or wrong. Luis once again didn’t build any tension, immediately following with, “It’s not Lymoca’s fault Terka’s last government was faulty to no end. Stupid and zealous of ANS… However, Lymoca could have indeed done something, but they ignored it all the time.”

  “Even our ‘green’ President failed to make such a move. But only 6 years wouldn’t have been enough, and he distrusted the uncertain future… I think.” Luis fell a little; his focus lost.

  “Everything he had prepared to be built fell shortly after, but I won’t let that happen to Lymoca,” Luis looked at everyone, then at Mount Veneta’s president, “To us.”

  Clamor… The room became a little noisy, but the silence prevailed, becoming filled with it just a few seconds later.

  “Terka was just the beginning. It was a project I wanted to see, solidified and accepted. The then Senior Minister Phesx Caolia helped accomplish that, as any other would. It could happen with any country in the south, now free of ANS.” Luis stated.

  But he still carried on, even though everyone was intrigued, “Lymoca has drafted proposals for enough time to include all the south in this broad route. There’s no need to pull to one side or the other. Lymoca offers this aid to all of the southern countries and people.”

  “You mean… you are willing to- no, you are committed to bring us closer to the EPA Commonwealth? Guaranteed? To us, too? All of us?” The Valad-Venetian president wondered, stretching her neck out, a little incredulous.

  Luis nodded, inclining his head forth and staring at her, “Yes, president Paola. Every one of you who is willing. In Lymocan borders or not, as long as we sign our treaties.”

  “I-…” The president’s eyes went as wide as saucers. President Bernando looked at her but didn’t say anything, nor did he glare at her. He squinted his eyes and thought emptily. Luis spoke one last time at this moment, sitting down before gesturing president Paola to resume.

  “We’ve known sailing to the west in the west and to the east in the east is impossible within less than several months with our current ship technology. We knew it was impossible to even do so in the AO, and it was only confirmed with the coming of our Sanctum Order. The EPA Commonwealth will be glad, I assure everyone here. As long as it is ANS free.”

  … The next day was the turn for Collan, which had a lot to ‘point a finger to Luis’ for. After all, Collan lived through the First Ters-Ly War and the western Radical Wars. Only they knew how severe things turned at certain points, more than Cors. The fear of being implicated soon after were also there in each occasion.

  It wasn’t an ‘I sue you for psychological damage’, but it did have a consolidated reason behind it. Collan wanted all that tragedy to end, but since it has already ended, then they would be satisfied with Lymoca extending their renown projects into their borders; those aiding the populace.

  Not to take over Lymoca’s ideas, but to receive their support and at least begin improving relationships. Collan didn’t want to ask for resources, but that they were aided from the get-go, which president Bernando seconded.

  The only country from the ‘better-off’ in the south to suffer and come close to Torka, Terka, and the others’ standards with a mediocre lack for everything was Collan. To this, as expected, Luis was more than willing, remarking Lymoca’s interest in a few, small comments.

  The matter might seem simple with Collan, but Luis and Fox had all the authority to decide over the matters, and the resources. Especially with Zyckevele and KAA supplying Lymoca at the beginning of the First Ters-Ly War, which Lymoca wasn’t used to then.

  If it was decided to follow Collan’s desire, then it would be a hit to Lymoca’s renown speed and efficiency. Furthermore, Collan wasn’t free of corruption, and neither were Argopolas and Melenon. The cleanest were Cerka and Torka, with dissolved governments.

  Only the ‘Pyot and Meztle Islands’ had a notorious reputation for that matter.

  … On the following day, Preato’s turn to speak came. They were simple and straightforward, making their meeting day the shortest of them all. They didn’t speak much of Lymoca, except its severe complications as it joined the war, with the aerial routes becoming empty and destroying the economy at portions, but of every southern country.

  Of course, it soon returned to normalcy, but the world was still afraid. More so with Lymoca’s renown air force dominating south Moonblue’s skies.

  All of this were things that had to be addressed, and Luis was prepared for them. Thus, when the next day came, and it was time to question Luis, to see through the future of Lymoca’s plans, Luis was more than ready. As for the nations ‘against’ Lymoca, they were pent-up with tough and challenging questions. Although their motives seemed to change since the first day of the meeting.

  As soon as the meeting began, this time in the morning, as Luis had just seated, Preato’s president stood up and questioned Luis.

  …

  Let It Rain's note: To remember-> OML = Oscard Market Link, one of the most important international treaties that brings the world trade overall to a globalized market, to stabilize best every political entity. Backed by the GHH, and that is also how credits are better leveled than they used to.