The Martial Unity

News of the monsters invading the ocean floor swept the true world very quickly, as well as the news that it was the Panamic Civilization that was responsible for this move, given that the reports of Rui Quarrier leading them.

Naturally, the true world was not pleased with this.

“What the hell? Why are those Lost Continent bastards trying to even more exotic matter for themselves?! They already have so much for themselves!”

“There’s a limit to greed and selfishness!”

“I’m more annoyed by the fact that they somehow singlehandedly beat everybody! How does that even make sense?! How can one superpower beat six?!”

“Damn, we should have destroyed those bastards when we had the chance. It’s that same Martial Artist fellow who beat us back last time! Goddamn, can somebody kill him already?!”

“First, they make a mess of the world by reappearing out of nowhere, then they attack everybody after already making our lives worse? Can we just wipe them out already?”

“The damn dark elves and therianthropes are in an alliance unfortunately, so that’s a pipe dream.”

“Tsk, the light elves had the right idea.”

Dissatisfaction with the Panama Continent rose to all-time highs in the true world. Up until then, the Panama Continent had been regarded with fascination, curiosity, and interest. Even when there was friction with other continents, it did not reach a level of universal hatred.

The most hostile populations against the Panama Continent and Rui were, of course, the therianthrope people. Of cousre, their reason for fearing and hating him was more valid given that he had the power to enslave them with his voice.

The light elves also harbored hatred for him for his darkness and his deathliness that made him seem like the embodiment of evil to them.

The evolutionaries also hated him because they viewed him as a ’traitor’ to their path.

However, the other nations, smaller and larger, generally couldn’t help but regard the continent, its strongest warrior, and its exotic treasures with a level of fascination.

Now, however, they couldn’t but grow deeply frustrated with a continent that had so many magical resources but still wanted even more.

It didn’t matter that they would do the same if they were in that position, the resentment to this development built up more than any other event that the Panama Continent had been a part of.

Another cause for the sudden shift of the approval rating of the Panama Continent in the true world was the fact that a large portion of the aggrieved were regular people who lost someone who partook in the commercial outfits that departed into the Great Void Ocean.

Grief was a source of the rising hostility of the people towards of the Panama Continent. It only amplified the jealousy that many parties in the true world had towards the Panama Continent. They began fanning propaganda, magnifying and amplifying news that painted the Panama Continent in a worse light.

The civilian opinion growing worse and worse with each passing hour had a noticeable impact on the position that their home nations and civilization took upon the matter. Nations realized that they had a much greater incentive to jump on this train and ensure that their foreign policy was in line with the sentiments of their people.

The people in power knew that the public opinion was perhaps a bit too naive. The reality of the matter was that most nations would do what the Panamic Alliance had done if they had the power to.

In fact, was that not demonstrably proven by the Alfina Kingdom and the seafolk? Just one day before Rui launched the entirety of all the sea monsters into the Great Void Ocean, the seafolks had been doing a less aggressive version of the same domineering invasion.

The reason it was less was that they didn’t have the power to do more.

The same was true for all other nations. Everybody got away with what they could afford to get away with, and the Panama Continent was merely doing the same.

Still, it was a good opportunity to punish the Panama Continent nonetheless. Just because they were doing what anybody else might do didn’t mean that other nations were happy about being denied their claim to the negatron matter that had begun emerging from the bottom of the ocean.

The Evolutionary Army, Greater Tekvoria, and even certain parts of Kiriket began trying to inflict reputational damage on the Panamic Alliance, with much success, fueling public hatred against the Lost Continent and its greedy inhabitants.

So much so that many nations became increasingly confident in voicing their grievances against the Panamic Alliance.

[The Morenian Empire condemns the Panamic Alliance for its indiscriminate bombing of civilians.]

[The Mirthak Theocracy denounces Panamic barbarism and greed.]

[The Nathak Council accuses the Panamic Alliance of violating international customary law.]

[The Sirvantin Aquatic Institute demands that the Panamic Alliance compensate it for its losses in unprovoked sea monster attacks.]

[The Lirn Submarine Group announces a boycott of all services emerging from the Panamic Alliances]

[The Fyremont Seafare Group announces a complete cessation of all seafaring services to and from the Panama Continent.]

An increasing number of national and private entities began riding public opinion against the Panama Continent, denouncing it in one way or another, adding to the popularity of hating the Panama Continent.

“This does not bode well.”

In the Royal Office in the Kandrian Empire, the Emperor of Harmony sat at his table with a grave expression, studying all the intelligence reports he had received about the recent events that had unfolded.

The public response was highly disadvantageous, as far as he was concerned. Considering how much effort he had put into cultivating a good image for his people and his continent, it was highly alarming to look at the outcomes that had unfolded.

And the causes of this shift in public opinion.

He heaved a deep breath as he looked at the reports of what his son had been up to. “Rui…”