Seeing Ezelcant spit out a mouthful of blood and about to collapse, Jehart quickly supported him.
"Lord Ezelkanta! Someone! Quick, someone!"
Jehart did not agree with Ezelcant's ideals, but he deeply respected this old man who was both a mentor and a father figure to him. Whether he had always been this fanatical or had become so in his old age, no one could deny the contributions this old man had made for the sake of his VEGAN brethren.
The guards outside immediately rushed in. Seeing Ezelcant spitting blood again, they quickly helped him lie down on the bed in his room and called for the best VEGAN doctor.
"Doctor, how is he?" Jehart asked anxiously after the doctor finished examining Ezelcant.
"It's not good. Lord Ezelkanta's body is like a lamp running out of oil. He absolutely must not exert himself anymore, nor can he endure any further stress," the doctor said with a sorrowful expression.
"How could this be..."
"Lord Ezelkanta..."
The guards and servants wept. Although they were subordinates of the Ezelcant household, Ezelcant had always treated them with great kindness, and they all held deep affection for the old man.
"Je... Jehart..."
A weak voice reached everyone's ears, startling them. They gathered around Ezelcant's bed, while Jehart knelt down and grasped the trembling hand that hung in the air.
"Lord Ezelkanta, please rest well," Jehart urged.
"I know... I don't have much time left... Jehart..."
"Lord Ezelkanta, please don't say anymore. I will find better doctors and medical technology to treat you..."
"Jehart... my body... I know... It's a pity... that only now... do I realize... that you were right... I was... too blind..."
"Lord Ezelkanta! You..."
"Listen to me... Jehart... The future of VEGAN... is now... in your hands... From this moment on... you are the supreme leader of VEGAN... Execute... execute the [Eden Project]..."
"This... Lord Ezelkanta..."
At this moment, Jehart's emotions were complex. On one hand, he was pleased that Ezelcant had finally acknowledged his ideals and was willing to abandon his fanatical plans. On the other hand, he was deeply saddened, realizing that Ezelcant was essentially delivering his last will and testament, as his body could no longer hold on for much longer.
"Jehart... go... Jehart... carry the hopes and will of all our brethren... and fulfill our long-cherished wish... the wish of VEGAN... It's just a pity... I may not live to see that day..."
"No, Lord Ezelkanta, I will make sure you see that day. I will ensure you set foot on the land of Eden yourself. For now, please rest well and take care of yourself."
"Good... good..."
His voice grew fainter, but thankfully, Ezelcant's breathing did not stop. He simply fell into a weak slumber.
"Everyone, leave. Madam, please take care of Lord Ezelkanta."
With Ezelcant asleep, Jehart asked Ezelcant's wife to look after her husband and quietly led everyone out of the room.
"Lord Jehart, give us your orders."
Among those present were several close confidants of Ezelcant. Although they were not part of the military, they held important positions within VEGAN.
They could sense something amiss in the conversation between Ezelcant and Jehart earlier. But now that Ezelcant had fallen ill, VEGAN could not afford chaos. A suitable person had to step up to take the reins. Since Ezelcant had designated Jehart as his successor on his deathbed, they acknowledged Jehart's position.
Even if they were dissatisfied or aware of the underlying issues, they would not stir up trouble while Ezelcant was unconscious. This was their loyalty—to Ezelcant and to VEGAN.
"...Everyone, thank you," Jehart sincerely bowed to the confidants, expressing his gratitude for their support and everything they had done for VEGAN.
"Everything for VEGAN."
"Please, everyone, continue to fulfill your duties and maintain order on the Second Moon. I will quickly formulate a battle plan to engage in a decisive battle with the Federal Army. I leave this to you."
"Please leave it to us, Lord Jehart."
After seeing off the confidants, Jehart found Fram Nara and others and returned to his residence. Having returned from defeat, everyone needed a good rest. Moreover, the news of Ezelcant falling into a coma again and appointing Jehart as his successor would soon spread throughout VEGAN. It was impossible for Jehart to gain everyone's immediate recognition.
To prevent domestic unrest and to ensure the military did not fall into disarray, Jehart spent an entire month, with the help of his confidants, to temporarily stabilize the situation.
Receiving Ezelcant's recognition and the support of the entire VEGAN was the best outcome for Jehart, but...
The immense pressure of the entire VEGAN now weighed heavily on his shoulders, leaving him utterly exhausted.
"Lord Jehart, are you alright?" Fram Nara noticed Jehart's fatigue and asked with concern.
"It's nothing, I just feel very tired."
"Please take care of your health, Lord Jehart. You are our only hope now."
"Yes, I know."
As he spoke, Jehart rubbed his temples, gathered his spirits, and pulled up all the intelligence and battle reports from the past period.
"Hmm?" One piece of information caught Jehart's attention. "The Federal Army is assembling a fleet to attack the Laglamis Fortress? Fram, when was this intelligence received?"
"Two days ago, from a spy within the Federal Army."
"Is it reliable?"
"Yes, it is. After receiving the intelligence, our frontline reconnaissance units immediately conducted a survey and confirmed that the Federal fleet is assembling near Earth's orbit. The scale already exceeds that of the Big Ring Base assault and the Nordram assault from decades ago," Fram Nara reported.
"Why wasn't such important information reported earlier?" Jehart's face darkened as he questioned.
"Because you have been exhausted from stabilizing the internal situation, Lord Jehart. Moreover, we still couldn't confirm whether the Federal fleet's target is indeed the Laglamis Fortress. I wanted to wait for the reconnaissance units to provide definitive results before reporting to you," Fram Nara explained.
"Hmm... Such a massive fleet is definitely not for a minor skirmish. Currently, the only targets worth the Federal Army deploying such a large fleet against, besides the Laglamis Fortress, are..."
"The Second Moon!" Fram Nara exclaimed, "I'll contact the frontline reconnaissance units immediately to ascertain the Federal Army's target..."
"No need," Jehart stopped her just as she was about to leave.
"Lord Jehart?"
"Such a massive fleet, surely the Federation can't muster a second one, can they?" Jehart asked Fram Nara while looking at the intelligence report.
"Y-yes, that should be the case."
"Hmm... Notify everyone, activate the Second Moon, and rendezvous with the Laglamis Fortress to annihilate this fleet!" Jehart steeled his heart and made the decision.
Now the roles have reversed. A fleet of this scale cannot be resisted by either the Laglamis Fortress or the Second Moon alone. Since the enemy's attack target is uncertain, it's better to combine forces and force the Federation into a decisive battle with VEGAN.
"The Second Moon to the frontlines? Lord Jehart, this..."
"We can't delay any longer, Fram," Jehart knew what Fram Nara was worried about. The Second Moon was VEGAN's headquarters and couldn't be easily mobilized.
As the saying goes, "As long as the green hills remain, there will be no shortage of firewood." But... does this saying apply to VEGAN?
VEGAN suffers from a lack of population and resources. Reaching its current scale is already the limit, and it was only achieved with the help of a small portion of EXA-DB.
Now that Yang Hui has obtained the complete EAX-DB, Jehart anticipated that Yang Hui wouldn't hand it over entirely to the Federation. But even a small portion would be enough for the Federation to surpass VEGAN in military strength.
Once VEGAN loses its technological advantage, it will be at a complete disadvantage. They have no choice but to flee aimlessly through space with everyone.
So... VEGAN can't afford to delay any longer and must force the Federation into a final decisive battle to bring an end to the century-long war.
"...I understand, Lord Jehart. I will convey your orders."
"Good, go. Tell them I will hold a strategy meeting at 1200 hours tomorrow."
"Yes."
...
Shifting the focus to the Federal Army side, with the fleet assembled, Argreus was still in his office with Yang Hui, Flit, and Jehart, formulating the battle plan.
"Argreus, haven't you determined the attack target yet?" Flit asked.
"Actually, I never intended to take the initiative in attacking," Argreus smiled and said.
"What?" Flit's brow furrowed deeply.
"A brilliant strategy, Argreus. You've truly surpassed your mentor."
Unlike Flit, Yang Hui immediately saw through Argreus's plan, which was to create the illusion that the Federal Army was about to launch a large-scale operation.
The intelligence about the fleet assembly was also deliberately leaked by Argreus to VEGAN to make them nervous.
As long as the VEGAN commanders weren't fools, they could deduce the potential targets of such a large-scale operation. Once the potential targets were identified but the exact one remained uncertain, they would grow anxious, speculate, and ultimately become hesitant.
The best outcome would be for the disadvantaged VEGAN to recall their space fortress to their homeland to protect their headquarters, thereby alleviating the threat to Earth.
If they didn't recall it, the Federal Army wouldn't need to rush into an offensive, leading to a stalemate with VEGAN's fortress.
This way, the Federation could buy more time and opportunities, whether to launch more fleets from Earth or gradually master the technology obtained from EXA-DB to strengthen their military forces, achieving their intended goals.
If VEGAN grew impatient and launched an attack on the Federal fleet, then the battle would commence directly. At this point, the assembled fleet wouldn't fear the forces of a single fortress. The reason for not initiating an attack was to allow more and stronger troops to arrive in space, adding weight to a decisive victory.
This was an open strategy; no matter what action VEGAN took, the intended goals would be achieved, making it difficult to counter.
"Hehe, you flatter me. I still have much to learn," Argreus said with proud humility.
"So that's how it is. It's indeed clever, but... if we miss such a good opportunity, when will we ever defeat VEGAN?" Flit expressed his dissatisfaction.
Even the slow-to-realize Flit had seen through Argreus's intentions, but he wasn't entirely satisfied with the plan. He wanted to end the war quickly, to defeat VEGAN as soon as possible.
"Flit, you're being impatient," Yang Hui advised.
"Yes, I admit I'm in a hurry, but have you considered this? I'm in a hurry, but someone is even more anxious than us!" Flit said, trying to contain his excitement.
"Hmm? What do you mean?"
"Have you thought about another possibility? VEGAN is gradually falling into decline, and this decline will become more and more apparent. Since we've prepared the stage, might they go all-in?"
"Hmm?" At Flit's words, both Yang Hui and Argreus were taken aback.
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