Lord of the Sky City-Chapter 823 - 805: Cooperating with the Enemy

Martin was completely correct.

Athena proposed terms to the Sky Alliance that were essentially all material-based, as that was precisely the area where the Alliance outperformed the Kafka Empire and the Magic Energy Research Institute.

Meanwhile, the technology she demanded from the Magic Energy Research Institute leveraged their strongest assets.

But when it came to the Kafka Empire, what terms should she propose?

In terms of technology, the Kafka Empire undoubtedly possessed advancements, though not to the level of the Magic Energy Research Institute. As for foundation, the Empire’s background certainly wasn’t inferior to the Sky Alliance, but Athena already had her sights set on the Alliance’s resources, making it unnecessary to target the Empire’s.

After careful consideration, Athena decided that some form of cooperation with the Empire would be most advantageous for Rocky.

As she’d mentioned before, the Empire had already secretly been purchasing armor sold by Thunderhawk City. This indicated that the two sides had immense potential for collaboration. For example, take ground-based facilities—if Rocky continued to expand the production of tank-type armors, the Kafka Empire would undoubtedly become their largest customer, among other possibilities.

Thus, when facing Martin, Athena didn’t present any specific list of demands but instead expressed an interest in collaboration.

As the Imperial Vice Chancellor, Martin immediately grasped Athena’s intention, albeit with some surprise.

However, his reaction was swift. His earlier expression of displeasure quickly shifted—while it didn’t turn overly friendly, it did soften considerably, and he quietly listened to what Athena had to say next.

"Lord Martin, City Lord Rocky has always sought reliable partners. For every partner, we offer one hundred percent trust. Therefore, I’ve never believed that City Lord Rocky and the Empire should remain adversaries. Clearly, we can become steadfast allies."

If someone else had said this, Martin would have thought it laughable. Become solid partners with the Empire? Was this a dream? In this world, how many could truly qualify to be partners of the Kafka Empire? One hand could probably count them.

But when it came to Athena, Martin didn’t express such skepticism. On the contrary, he nodded in agreement, as he recognized Rocky—represented by Athena—did indeed have the qualifications to ally with the Empire.

The current Rocky could no longer be judged by the number of Sky Cities it controlled or the size of its troops. Rocky now demanded the highest level of estimation; failing to do so would be sheer folly, and Martin certainly wasn’t the type of fool to reach such a high position.

"Lord Martin, if we could engage in deeper cooperation, then in sales of armor and even Rune battleships, everything would be negotiable. In fact, City Lord Rocky has clearly stated that in the future, no tank-type armor or any warship will ever be sold to enemies—under no circumstances. Trade is reserved exclusively for partners and allies, and this policy is fully supported by both the Ruby Chamber of Commerce and the Apple Tree Corporation."

At this point, Athena finally touched upon substantive issues, revealing her trump card.

Previously, Rocky had made a statement jointly with the Apple Tree Corporation, unveiling the Rune battleships. Now, Athena informed Martin that choosing to become Rocky’s enemy would mean forfeiting access to Rune battleships and all Rune technology—no transactions would occur under any form. Future sales of Rune battleships and any Rune-related products, even luxury items, would be outright prohibited.

Martin had never heard this before, as the matter hadn’t been publicly disclosed, so he furrowed his brows immediately.

This decision from Rocky carried enormous implications, especially at this time.

Six months from now, the third counteroffensive war was set to officially erupt. By introducing Rune battleships into the market, Rocky would significantly boost the likelihood of victory in the war while simultaneously creating severe disparities in aerial power among different forces.

This might not mean much to weaker factions—many of them would simply serve as cannon fodder in the war—but for the Three Great Alliances, it was a critical matter, particularly for the Kafka Empire.

Among the Three Great Alliances, the Sky Alliance had already purchased First Level Runes from Rocky. Even though they were just First Level Runes, the Alliance had managed to develop their own Rune battleships. These battleships might not match the authenticity of Rocky’s Rune battleships, but they still outclassed ordinary warships significantly.

The Magic Energy Research Institute might lack Rune technology, but its own profound technological foundation ensured its military’s combat power far exceeded that of ordinary warships and could rival the Sky Alliance.

So, that left only the Kafka Empire. What did the Empire have?

Hmm... perhaps just a larger military force. After much thought, the Empire’s sole advantage seemed to be its manpower. And this was precisely why the Empire wanted access to Rune technology—otherwise, why would Imperial Chancellor Ludwig expend such effort targeting Rocky at Eternal City? Unfortunately for Ludwig, not only did his targeting fail, but he also ended up captured by Rocky.

Now, with Athena proactively proposing cooperation, Martin couldn’t help but be tempted. This matter, in many ways, transcended Ludwig’s involvement, becoming crucial to the Empire’s standing in the counteroffensive war!

"Athena, does your proposal have the City Lord’s approval?"

After a brief moment of contemplation, Martin turned to Athena and posed a critical question. Thunderhawk City’s true decision-maker wasn’t Athena but Rocky. If this proposal came with Rocky’s endorsement, it merited serious negotiation. If not—and Athena was simply wasting his time—Martin wouldn’t even bother considering it.

"Rest assured, Lord Martin. I’ve already sought approval from City Lord Rocky and received his agreement."

"I see..."

Hearing this, Martin relaxed slightly. He wasn’t worried about Athena lying, for if the deal ultimately came together, he would inevitably meet Rocky in person. After nodding, he replied, "In that case, I’ll promptly consult His Majesty and provide an answer as soon as possible."

"Then I’ll await your good news."

With those words, Athena and Aileen left the room. Once outside, the two women both exhaled in relief. This essentially finalized negotiations with the Three Great Alliances. Judging by their individual reactions, except for a stubborn Elder Ouli, neither Farey nor Martin seemed likely to pose any problems. And even if Elder Ouli disagreed, it hardly mattered—Sky City was in no mood to entertain Simonuo’s whims.

With matters settled with the Three Great Alliances, Athena’s next move was to meet representatives from Sigma and Uranus. Dealing with these two corporations would be much simpler.