Chapter 1136: Refusal, and You Have No Value

Guilliman did not answer directly.

He walked down from the high platform and looked down at Kalaier.

"Admiral Olaf is dead. He and the 'Oathkeeper' fleet were completely wiped out. Are you aware of this?"

The pupil of Kalaier's Third Eye constricted slightly.

Although he had anticipated it, the confirmed news still felt like a punch to the chest.

"I... guessed as much."

Guilliman said calmly.

"He died heroically. Refusing to surrender, fighting to the end. I executed him personally."

Kalaier looked up.

"You..."

Guilliman interrupted Kalaier's speech.

"I gave him the death a soldier deserves."

Guilliman interrupted.

"On the battlefield, dying at the hands of an enemy is better than slowly rotting in a prison. Don't you think so, Mr. Councilor?"

"You have no right to judge him!"

"I do. The victor has the right to write history. And in my version, Olaf was a respectable but foolish enemy. He could have saved his subordinates, could have chosen to surrender, and let them live.

But he chose 'dignity,' chose to let everyone be buried with him."

Guilliman took a step forward, his shadow completely enveloping Kalaier.

"That is the tragedy of your civilization, Kalaier.

You value 'face' too much, value 'dignity' too much, to the point that you forget the most basic thing: survival.

Only by living is there a future. If you are dead, there is nothing left."

"Some things are more important than living!"

Kalaier blurted out.

"Such as?"

"Freedom! Autonomy! The uniqueness of a civilization!"

Guilliman laughed, suddenly feeling a trace of absurdity toward the Alien before him.

"Freedom? Within your Fengqi Star Alliance, between different star sectors and different races, is there truly complete freedom?

I have studied your history, Mr. Councilor.

Since the founding of the Fengqi Star Alliance, you have suppressed at least seventeen large-scale independence movements and assimilated dozens of vassal races. The 'Fengqi Star Alliance' itself is a product of conquest and integration."

Kalaier was speechless.

What Guilliman said was the truth.

"Every civilization believes itself to be special, believes it has the right to maintain its 'uniqueness'."

Guilliman turned and walked toward the Holographic Star Map on the side of the room.

"But the sea of stars is cruel. Either evolve or perish. Either be strong enough to protect yourself, or be absorbed by a stronger civilization. A third path... does not exist."

The star map lit up, displaying the territory of the Fengqi Star Alliance.

Three star sectors in the south had already been marked as Star Alliance controlled zones, and the blue border line was slowly advancing toward the core star region.

"You have lost, Kalaier. Not at the Ningjing Huilang, but much earlier; when your military became obsessed with past glory, you had already lost. We simply... accelerated the process."

Kalaier looked at the star map, feeling a sense of powerlessness.

"Then why do you keep me? Why not kill me, like you killed Olaf?"

Guilliman turned back to look at Kalaier.

"Because you are useful. A living Diplomat is far more useful than a dead martyr."

"Use me for what? To display as a trophy?"

"To display... another possibility."

Guilliman pulled up another document.

"I have analyzed your performance in the negotiations. You are a realist who knows when to compromise and when to persist.

You are not idealistic like Olaf, nor are you fanatical like Sele'en. You know how to calculate gains and losses."

Guilliman walked closer to Kalaier, his voice lowering.

"The Fengqi Star Alliance is destined to fail, Kalaier. The only difference is: will it be total destruction, or will it integrate into the Star Alliance in a relatively intact form? The former means billions of deaths and the severance of civilization's heritage. The latter... means living, and continuing to exist in some form."

All three of Kalaier's eyes widened.

"You want me to... be a Puppet?"

Guilliman corrected Kalaier's words.

"I want you to be a bridge.

When the Fengqi Star Alliance finally realizes that resistance is futile and prepares to negotiate a surrender, I will need an intermediary who understands the Star Alliance and can be accepted by both sides.

You, and your delegation, can be that intermediary.

After all, the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance has loved peace from the very beginning.

For acts of war, we will always have reasonable explanations."

Loves peace?

Kalaier slandered inwardly, then said.

"Even if I agree, the Fengqi Council will not accept it! Speaker Ravenna would rather die in battle..."

"Ravenna."

Guilliman spoke the name.

"Your cousin, correct? Family politics, a tradition of Feng Qi Xing."

Kalaier's body stiffened.

This intelligence, the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance should not know.

"We know more than you imagine, Mr. Councilor."

Guilliman said.

"We know of the factional struggles within the council, the dissatisfaction of the Military Committee, and the fear of the populace. We also know... Speaker Ravenna is facing a political crisis.

The tsunami of public opinion triggered by the death of Olaf; she needs time to quell it.

And time is exactly what she lacks most."

The Holographic Star Map switched, displaying intelligence that the Fengqi Fleet was assembling in the Southern Star Sector.

"Your counterattack is about to begin. Valken has assembled 6,000 Capital Ships and hundreds of millions of ground troops. It looks very powerful, doesn't it?"

Guilliman's finger swept across the star map, marking several key nodes.

"But these fleets need supplies, need coordination, and need time to complete deployment. And the Star Alliance... is already prepared.

We do not need to defend the entire Southern Star Sector; we only need to cut off a few key points to throw your massive fleet into chaos."

Guilliman looked at Kalaier.

"This counterattack will fail, Kalaier.

And after the failure, Speaker Ravenna's political life will be over.

At that time, the Fengqi Star Alliance will need new leadership, a new direction... and a new choice."

Kalaier felt a chill.

This was not an impromptu conversation; Guilliman was demonstrating power, demonstrating intelligence superiority, and demonstrating an irrefutable chain of logic.

"What if I refuse?"

"Then you have no value."

Guilliman said calmly.

"I will have you imprisoned separately from the other members of the delegation until the war ends.

At that time, if the Fengqi Star Alliance still exists, you might be released in a prisoner exchange.

If the Fengqi Star Alliance no longer exists... then you will be a prisoner without a master, and the outcome will not be very good."

Silence shrouded the room.

Only the low hum of the star map operating and the vibration of ship engines in the distance.

Kalaier closed his eyes.

The face of his daughter Ailixiya, Olaf's final speech, the exploding Fengqi warships on the battlefield, and... Guilliman's eyes that saw through everything.

"I need time to consider."

"Of course."

Guilliman nodded.

"You have three days. After three days, I want an answer."

Guilliman turned and walked toward the dais, picking up the Data Pad again.

"Take him back."

The Ultramarines stepped forward and hauled Kalaier up.

Before being taken out of the room, Kalaier looked back one last time.

Guilliman stood before the star map, the blue light reflecting on his face, making that countenance appear both divine... and terrifying.

The door closed.

Guilliman stood alone in the room, pulling up Kalaier's psychological evaluation report.

Stress test passed, mental resilience assessment: high. Moral flexibility assessment: medium-high. Survival instinct assessment: extremely high.

"He will yield. All living things eventually yield when the pressure is great enough."

Guilliman closed the report and pulled up another file.

A detailed forecast regarding the Fengqi southern counterattack.

The Tramir intelligence network had already infiltrated the communication systems of the Fengqi Military Committee; every step of Valken's plan was within Guilliman's grasp.

As for the Tramir, one must still remain vigilant.