Chapter 98: Arms Race!

The Weldwire Dynasty had already completed its military consolidation, cast aside the former peace accord, and begun a massive expansion of armaments. Among them, some even had the audacity to proclaim the extreme slogan of “guns, not butter.” Without doubt, this marked the once-formidable military power as one that was preparing to rise again.

Faced with such a hostile neighbor, anxiety within the Blast Furnace Kingdom only deepened.

Some hawkish voices argued that before the Weldwire Dynasty had fully grown strong, they should seize the advantage and topple its regime in a single blow.

The peace faction, however, believed that after suffering such a devastating loss of population, the Blast Furnace Kingdom could not endure the ravages of war once more, or the entire dynasty would plunge into an abyss too deep to fathom.

Thus, over how to respond to the Weldwire Dynasty, the two great factions at home argued endlessly, an affair of such magnitude that it would shake the world.

The continent of Europe now seemed like a warehouse packed with gunpowder, where even the slightest spark could ignite the whole situation.

Anyone with clear sight could tell that this time the Weldwire Dynasty was acting under a fierce spirit of vengeance. Once its military preparations were complete, it would surely strike back at the dynasties that had once invaded it.

This would inevitably trigger a chain reaction, eventually plunging all of Europe into turmoil.

Although the New Dynasty was geographically far from Europe, this major event still had a profound impact on the Far Eastern region. As the principal power there, the Lesser Kingdom had long been waiting for its chance. Once Europe erupted into large-scale conflict, it could seize the moment to unify the Far East.

At the same time, within the official residence of the Island Dynasty’s prime minister, Prime Minister Tianzhong convened senior cabinet members for an emergency meeting. As a veteran statesman who had achieved distinction in both military and political affairs, Tianzhong, though advanced in years, still commanded unrivaled prestige and held his post with unshakable authority.

During the meeting, the other officials wore expressions of excited anticipation, as though they already foresaw the Island Dynasty seizing its opportunity in the coming conflict and rising to greatness.

“Gentlemen, the atmosphere of war in Europe is already growing ever more intense,” the prime minister began. “It is foreseeable that once the Weldwire Dynasty is ready, the two great military blocs in Europe will inevitably go to war. For our dynasty, this is a rare opportunity.”

“As warriors of the dynasty, we must seize this chance without hesitation,” the army chief said with visible excitement. “Our hundreds of thousands of troops are already prepared to move at any moment.”

The navy chief then added, “Prime Minister, once war breaks out on the European front, demand for industrial goods and military supplies will rise sharply. The longer the war drags on, the greater that demand will become.”

“Therefore, we believe our dynasty has every opportunity to ride this tide and sell those high-value goods to the European dynasties, thereby earning enormous profits.”

“At that time, we will be able to repay every debt in full.”

“And even bring in vast amounts of foreign exchange!”

The finance expert’s eyes gleamed with excitement. As the man in charge of the treasury, he had been waiting for this day for a very long time.

By now, the senior officials of the dynasty had also come to understand the truth.

Their fierce struggle against the Northern Powerhouse had, in fact, been nothing more than falling into a trap carefully laid by the Eagle Dynasty.

They had fought desperately on the front lines, and with the support of the Eagle Dynasty and the Iron Tower, they had repelled the northern invasion.

But in truth, their actions had merely helped the Eagle Dynasty and the Iron Tower block the Northern Powerhouse’s expansion.

In the end, they gained no real benefit at all.

After suffering enormous casualties, they had also been burdened with staggering war debts.

It had nearly driven their finances into bankruptcy.

Apparently, they had forgotten one thing.

Had they failed to drive back the Northern Powerhouse in the first place, then none of the other great dynasties in the world would have acknowledged their present status.

After all, in this chaotic age, your voice is only as strong as your power.

These words prompted the other ministers to nod eagerly in agreement.

For many years now, they had grown weary of the torment of financial hardship.

Because the treasury was so strained, their army had been unable to update its equipment.

Most of the weapons they used were still old models from a decade ago.

Although the navy had continued building new warships, the pace of construction had clearly slowed compared with the past.

This time, if they could obtain this wealth through the coming conflict, then they would have far more resources to strengthen their military power.

It would make their dynasty even stronger.

And that, in turn, would help improve the nation’s economic performance.

The diplomatic officials also nodded in agreement, saying gravely, “When war breaks out in Europe, the global situation will undergo tremendous change.

We must choose our position with great care in order to secure the greatest possible benefit.

But at the same time, we must not become a pawn of the Western powers.

Otherwise, the consequences would be impossible to foresee.”

As everyone knew, the reason they had been able to rise over these years owed much to the support of the Western powers.

Whether in the domestic conflict or in the struggle against the North, the backing of the enemy dynasty had been indispensable.

Without the weapons and equipment supplied by the Eagle Dynasty, it would have been virtually impossible for them to defeat both the North and other powerful enemies in succession.

Thus, they were also willing to serve the Eagle Dynasty, for after all, the Eagle Dynasty had been the leader of the world at the time.

But the price they paid was that the lifeblood of their economy had come completely under another’s control.

And the current war was the best opportunity for them to break free of those shackles.

“At this critical moment, we can not only sell weapons to the West.”

Therefore, we must seize this opportunity to take full control of the distant northern lands and guide the entire Asian continent toward the summit of the world!”

Under the present international situation, the North continued to weaken under the strain of civil war.

By contrast, the Island Dynasty, through unremitting effort, had grown stronger step by step.

This led the Island Dynasty’s decision-makers to believe that they were now the true masters of the North.

All the other dynasties of Asia seemed destined to heed the Island Dynasty’s commands, continuously contributing their resources and energy to strengthen its power, and then, as the northern dynasties once had, providing security for the others.

By now, the entire far northern land had already been annexed by the Island Dynasty.

After years of indoctrination, almost no organized resistance remained.

And the resource-rich northern regions had already fallen largely under its control.

One military campaign would be enough to seize that bountiful land in its entirety.

Though the southern seas lay within easy reach as well, rich in oil and rubber, those territories were currently within the sphere of influence of the European powers.

However formidable the Island Dynasty believed itself to be, it still lacked the courage to challenge the Western empires.

“A war against the North?”

Upon hearing this, Tianzhong frowned slightly, dissatisfied with the army’s plan.

As everyone knew, the Island Dynasty’s army had always actively advocated invading the North in order to claim the greatest spoils.

But in Tianzhong’s view, once war began, the vastness of northern lands might leave them overstretched and unable to manage the burden.

However strong the Island Dynasty’s soldiers and horses might be, in overall scale it still could not compare with the North.

Therefore, he believed the best strategy was gradual erosion: first occupy a small tract of land, integrate it over a decade or more, and only then expand further.

The army, however, did not wish to adopt such a slow strategy.

For only relentless war could ensure that the army received greater financial support.