— — — — — — —
The Next Day
With the morning sun, newspapers carried by news birds scattered across the seas.
At that moment—
Countless people froze in disbelief.
The entire world trembled.
More than shock— It was pure, unfiltered disbelief.
---
"This…?"
Holding the newspaper, Hana's face was filled with stunned disbelief. "An army of over a million… No, even if it was just the remaining 700,000… wiped out in a single night?"
She couldn't find the words to describe what she was reading.
700,000 soldiers.
Joey might not have known the full story.
But Hana…
She had some idea.
It was a hidden force in the New World.
For a long time, the Kingdom of Adam had harbored great ambition.
Once, it had defeated Elbaf, the land of giants, a nation hailed as the world's strongest.
Even now— Elbaf was still called the world's mightiest nation.
But it was fractured.
Because its king had vanished.
And for giants, a race with an unusual social structure, a leaderless people could never truly unite.
Not even legendary figures like Dorry and Brogy could accomplish that.
Thus—Adam sought to gradually conquer the New World.
But— he couldn't.
Twenty years ago— The Kingdom of Adam fell.
In that fateful battle— A dark force struck, wiping out their elite troops, bringing utter defeat.
No one knew exactly what happened.
But— That force was the same Black Army—
A secret unit hidden in the New World, meant to influence its balance of power.
And now? That very army had been obliterated at Totto Land's hands.
Hana was utterly shaken.
She couldn't even begin to fathom what this meant.
At this moment!
Only the ministers stood by Hana's side.
Figures like Chinjao and others were out in the new world, training to grow stronger and better protect their nation. That was their top priority.
"Hah..." One minister exhaled deeply, murmuring, "Your Majesty, this situation..uh..."
Another minister added, "Your Majesty, it's truly unimaginable. What kind of methods did Totto Land use? Morgans deliberately covered the details, making it impossible to discern how they accomplished this."
Hana, however, remained calm. "I understand it well. This was not an open, honorable battle. Quite the opposite—it was a method shrouded in darkness. But! That method was the most effective, without a doubt."
"Indeed!" the minister agreed. "In war, there is no right or wrong. The only thing that matters is victory. If victory is achieved, then the means are justified. That is the reality of war."
In war, if you could wipe out a million soldiers—or even ten million—without suffering losses yourself, you would do so without hesitation.
That was the truth of any world!
"Hehehe..."
With a slight chuckle, Hana's lips curled into a smile. "Sometimes, certain things are simply amusing. Who would have thought that a single family could rise to this level in just 16 years? It's truly unbelievable!"
With a tone of admiration.
Even Hana found it hard to believe.
The Kano Kingdom had existed for over a thousand years.
Long before the World Government was established, the Kano Kingdom had already been there.
Over those thousand years, they had grown stronger step by step, from weakness to dominance.
But! The Charlotte Family! The Totto Land Empire!
Had risen like a monstrous force, devouring everything in its path at an insane speed.
In just 16 short years, they had become a formidable power.
Unbelievable!
All the major factions across the seas were in disbelief.
They couldn't understand how Totto Land had grown so quickly.
Why? Why did their rise happen so fast?
Hana's mind raced. "The rise of a family depends on a strong leader. Charlotte Joey? I can't even begin to describe him. He grew at a savage speed that defies logic."
The two ministers exchanged glances.
One respectfully said, "Your Majesty, should we reconsider our stance toward the Charlotte Family?"
Hana calmly replied, "I know how to handle it. Gather all the ministers—we need to strategize for the post-World Summit era and our approach toward Totto Land."
"Understood!" The two ministers departed.
Meanwhile, Hana murmured, "Totto Land's establishment as a nation is now unstoppable. In that case, should the Kano Kingdom also seek a new status? Hehehe... I'm truly looking forward to it!"
With that smile, Hana turned and walked gracefully back into the palace.
Since Totto Land's rise could no longer be prevented...
Then!!!
Why bother opposing it?
Wouldn't it be better to go with the flow?
Hehehe... Whatever Totto Land possessed, they would soon have as well.
In the end, it wasn't a bad thing.
Perhaps the only ones feeling uneasy now were those in Adam's Kingdom.
After all, a new force had emerged in the New World, one capable of destroying him.
— — —
Mary Geoise
The five old men gathered once more.
"Hah..." Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro exhaled deeply and said, "Stopping Totto Land is no longer an option. The Black Army is lost! Our control over the New World has weakened significantly. And worse, the rise of Totto Land signifies the rise of the Charlotte Family. This will be our greatest challenge."
"No."
Shepherd Ju Peter shook his head. "I actually see it differently."
"Explain!" The others turned their attention to him.
He calmly said, "Since Totto Land's founding is inevitable, why fight it?"
Marcus Mars nodded. "I see... If we can't stop it, then let it be."
At that moment, the Five Elders understood.
They knew!
The Black Army was a secret military force under the World Government.
Its loss was a major blow.
However... It wasn't a fatal one.
The real issue was the increasing number of major players in the game.
But! The Black Army was originally just meant to keep Adam's Kingdom in check.
And now? Totto Land Empire was there.
How would this power struggle end?
There was no need for words.
The Five Elders, seasoned schemers, knew full well.
Even if war didn't break out immediately...
Given time...It was inevitable. And time was something they had in abundance.
Nusjuro said, "It's worth considering. But for now, let's suppress the news about the Black Amy's defeat. We don't need to make a big spectacle out of it."
"Also, didn't Totto Land want to spread the legend of their 'Five Generals'?"
Marcus Mars nodded. "I'll handle that."
"Good."
The others nodded in agreement.
From here, things became much simpler.
Some matters...To those in power, were merely trivial games.
— — —
"Hehehe..."
Back in Totto Land, Joey chuckled. "Morgans really is a smart one. No wonder he became an Underworld Emperor at such a young age!"
Hearing this, Perospero wanted to complain.
Morgans may be an Emperor of the Underworld, but you...
You actually created one!
As the leader of the Dark Trade, Perospero, with Totto Land's backing, was undeniably one of the future Underworld Emperors.
Perospero, unable to voice his inner complaints, instead asked directly, "Big Brother! Do you think the World Government will continue to cause trouble in the coming days?"
Joey replied calmly, "Not anymore. It's not worth the losses. Miss Hana sent me some information about the Black Army, so I got a glimpse of it from the World Government's perspective."
"Hmm." Perospero nodded in agreement.
All across the world, hidden special forces like the Black Army existed. These units operated in secrecy, ensuring the World Government's control remained unchallenged.
As for how many of these forces existed? No one knew.
Even Hana didn't have any concrete information on their numbers.
For now, the World Government wouldn't send any more of these forces against Totto Land. Instead, they would either find another way to deal with it or simply allow it to achieve its goals—for now.
"But!!!" Joey remarked with satisfaction. "Regardless of the specifics, one thing is certain—this battle has made Opera and the others' names echo across the seas! That's a great development. The Totto Land Empire needs powerful figures to serve as its face!"
"Now, the whole world knows just how powerful the Charlotte family is!"
.
.
.