Today, Orb was unusually bustling, with planes continuously landing at its airport. The First Fleet had already entered Level 2 combat readiness, with M1 Astrays deployed around the airport perimeter. Meanwhile, aerial strike squadrons patrolled the skies, occasionally escorting arriving dignitaries.
The road from the airport to the central conference hall had been completely cleared. Crowds of citizens and tourists lined the streets, straining on tiptoes behind security barriers and stationed soldiers, eagerly awaiting the momentous occasion.
The reason for this fanfare was that both PLANT and the Earth Alliance had unanimously agreed to hold the peace talks in Orb instead of the originally proposed Julius 7. First, despite the negotiations, the conflict between Coordinators and Naturals had not been entirely resolved—neither side was willing or dared to meet on the other's territory. Second, as the sole victorious nation and one of the few countries where Naturals and Coordinators coexisted peacefully, Orb was the most qualified to host the event.
"How's the situation?" Yang Hui inquired at the newly established National Defense Headquarters.
"No anomalies so far," Sumeragi reported. "The PLANT delegation just landed at the airport and is en route to the main venue. Representatives from the East Asian Republic, Eurasian Federation, United States of South America, and South African Unification Organization have safely checked into their hotels. The Oceania Union's delegation will land in ten minutes. The Atlantic Federation's team called to say they'll be half an hour late due to weather conditions."
Yang Hui scoffed. "Old habits die hard. Inform the Atlantic Federation that the peace talks will proceed as scheduled. They can figure out their own weather issues."
He knew full well that the "weather" excuse was nonsense—the forecast showed clear skies along the flight path from the Atlantic Federation's capital to Orb, with no disruptions. The delay was just another power play, a habitual display of arrogance to assert their so-called importance.
But Yang Hui wasn't about to indulge them. They could come or not—it made no difference to him. If they chose to skip the talks, they'd simply have to face the consequences later.
"Understood," Sumeragi replied without objection. Orb was the undisputed victor in this war, while the Atlantic Federation, as a defeated party, was still grappling with internal instability. Yet here they were, posturing as if they still held sway. Who did they think they were?
"What about the representatives from the African Community, Equatorial Union, and Kingdom of Scandinavia?" Yang Hui asked.
"The African Community's delegate is included in PLANT's delegation list. The Kingdom of Scandinavia's envoy is traveling with the Atlantic Federation. The others have declined to attend."
Yang Hui nodded. The African Community had always been PLANT-aligned, so their inclusion in PLANT's delegation made sense. The same went for the Equatorial Union and similar factions—though they had been coerced into joining the Earth Alliance, they had played no active role in the war, either lacking the military capacity or simply refusing to participate.
Now, with the Atlantic Federation defeated and embroiled in chaos, these nations had seized the opportunity to withdraw from the Earth Alliance and reclaim their neutral status.
However… the Kingdom of Scandinavia's situation was far more intriguing.
"What's the deal with the Kingdom of Scandinavia?"
"The intelligence division reports that the Atlantic Federation has fully occupied the Scandinavian Kingdom and taken over all political power. The so-called king is just a figurehead now," Sumeragi informed Yang Hui. "But he suspects there's more to this and has dispatched additional personnel to investigate."
"Scandinavia... heh, that place again." Yang Hui chuckled thoughtfully. This once-neutral kingdom, now a lapdog of the Atlantic Federation, had yielded many intriguing pieces of intelligence. Though fragmented and lacking core details, they gave Yang Hui an eerie sense about the country.
"How many operatives do we still have stationed in Scandinavia?"
"Due to Mentor Malchio's intelligence, we sent quite a few people, but found nothing unusual, so most were gradually withdrawn. Yang Hui, could you be overthinking this? Our investigations show it's just a stagnant nation—otherwise, why would Siegel Clyne and Mentor Malchio have left their homeland?"
"Send more people for a thorough check. I have a feeling something's wrong with that country."
"But... we've investigated everything possible and found nothing."
"Did you check the royal family?"
"Yes. The royal bloodline—single lineage, hereditary succession, completely clean..."
"That's precisely the problem. A royal power struggle that's completely clean—does that sound plausible to you?"
"...I understand."
Power struggles were always filled with filth and darkness. Even if Scandinavia was just a small country that had stagnated for years without ambition... it was still national power! For several generations, not a single ambitious figure emerged? If the royals were all mediocre, what about high-ranking officials? The nobility? None at all?
This line of thinking revealed the anomaly. A clean, united nation wasn't impossible—Orb could claim that distinction. But even within Orb, power struggles were frequent. At the highest level, the Attha and Sahaku families were sworn enemies, constantly scheming against each other in the shadows.
"Alright, go change. We should head over soon."
"Understood."
...
After changing into formal attire for the peace talks, Yang Hui and Sumeragi met Wang Liu Mei outside the main venue and entered the hall together.
"Is everyone here?" Yang Hui asked Wang Liu Mei.
"All except the Atlantic Federation delegation."
"Then we won't wait."
With those words, Yang Hui pushed open the double doors and strode into the venue under countless gazes. Sumeragi and Wang Liu Mei followed closely, half a step behind, trailed by Orb's senior officials.
The main hall featured a massive circular table, with another large ring behind it—leaving only the entrance pathway open.
The arrival of Yang Hui and his group drew everyone's attention. All present knew that whether today's peace talks would proceed—and whether a ceasefire agreement could be reached—depended entirely on the attitudes of these three leaders. They had mentally prepared themselves to be ruthlessly exploited by Yang Hui, though everyone understood that the primary targets would be PLANT and the yet-to-arrive Atlantic Federation. As for the other factions, they would likely only have to compensate with resources and money—after all, hadn't they tacitly consented when the Atlantic Federation attacked Orb?
Yang Hui, Sumeragi, and Wang Liu Mei took their seats at the head of the round table, with Wang Liu Mei presiding over the meeting's commencement.
"Please wait—the Atlantic Federation's representatives haven't arrived yet," interjected the Eurasian Federation, acting as the primary lackey, anxious that the talks might begin without its master present.
"There's no need to wait. As representatives of a nation, they should first learn to respect punctuality," Wang Liu Mei replied with a composed smile, her tone neither deferential nor overbearing.
"But... the Atlantic Federation is one of the key participants in this conference. If we proceed without them, what if... what if it provokes their dissatisfaction?" Without their patron by their side, the spineless Eurasian Federation representative faltered under Wang Liu Mei's unspoken yet overwhelming authority.
Heh. Most of those present sneered inwardly at the Eurasian Federation's representative. The negotiations hadn't even properly begun, and already he was buckling—hadn't he just surrendered all initiative?
"Apologies, but may I interpret the Eurasian Federation's statement as implying that tardiness justifies dissatisfaction—that their prestige is simply that great?" Wang Liu Mei's smile remained, but the invisible pressure intensified, causing the Eurasian representative to break out in cold sweat.
"N-no, that wasn't my meaning."
"Representative of the Eurasian Federation, there's no need for tension. The Atlantic Federation's tardiness has nothing to do with your nation, correct?"
"Y-yes, it has nothing to do with us." The representative recognized that Wang Liu Mei had thrown him a lifeline and quickly took it. However... he also understood her underlying message: she was forcing him to declare whether he would steadfastly support the Atlantic Federation.
The Eurasian representative dared not resist further. Not only were his Atlantic Federation backers absent, but even if they were present, the defeated nation could hardly protect itself, let alone him.
"Excellent. Then let us proceed. First, I'd like to express my gratitude..."
The official and polished opening remarks continued uninterrupted this time, with everyone listening quietly as Wang Liu Mei spoke. The speech was formal yet verbose, ultimately boiling down to a few key points:
1.
Everyone had traveled far for this conference—their efforts were appreciated.
2.
The purpose of the meeting was peace negotiations.
3.
Orb remained a neutral nation.
4.
Orb's knives were sharpened—prepare to pay the price.
Next, each faction took turns stating their positions and perspectives, all predictably emphasizing their desire for peace and an end to the war.
Once this tedious and redundant ceremonial segment concluded, the meeting finally moved to the most critical phase: the distribution of interests.
Yang Hui, Sumeragi, and Wang Liu Mei did not speak first, instead waiting until everyone else had finished. They had no interest in arguing back and forth like haggling at a vegetable market. Once they spoke and stated their demands, it would be a notification, not a negotiation.
The representatives of major factions were the same—the more impatient one appeared, the less initiative they held.
The meeting hall fell into an eerie silence, but soon someone grew restless—the representative of the Oceania Federation.
"Honorable Yang Hui, first I would like to express our gratitude to Orb for liberating Papua New Guinea from ZAFT. At the same time, I must inquire—when does your side intend to return the territory of the Oceania Federation to us?"
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone turned to stare at the Oceania Federation's representative in disbelief. Anyone with half a brain knew that the so-called humanitarian pretext had been nonsense from the start—Orb had taken a liking to that land. Now that they had conquered it, how could they possibly return it? Moreover, Orb was currently the most dominant faction. Making such a demand was no different from poking the Tiger's rear.
Immediately, all eyes shifted to Yang Hui and his two companions, eagerly awaiting their response.
(End of Chapter)