Chamber of the Moon.
"Whew—"
Imu, who had already returned to the Tree House, let out a long breath and relaxed, plopping down on the sofa. He then took a swig of the top-tier red wine that would cost hundreds of millions of Beli outside.
To be honest, after revealing the existence of the Stargate to the Five Elders, he felt a weight lifted from his heart. The main reason was the constant stress and frustration he had been feeling over it.
Now, it was no longer his concern to figure out how to conquer and develop another world. In the future, top talents from various fields would gradually join in to handle it.
After all, the control of the Stargate was in his hands!
"However, with this, I, the World Government, and the entire Seastar Civilization are about to embark on a long journey to conquer countless worlds. This is destined to be an endless journey, or one that only ends with destruction. Whether this process takes a hundred years, a thousand years, or just one year, it's all unknown."
Imu muttered to himself with mixed emotions. In truth, he had also considered sealing the Stargate forever, focusing solely on dealing with the internal affairs of the pirate planet, and living his life as the most powerful shadow ruler.
But what difference would that make from isolationism?
What would happen when powerful beings from the universe descended one day? After all, in twenty-four years, space pirates would land on the moon above.
Although their strength didn't seem particularly formidable.
Rather than waiting for others to come knocking, it was better to muster the courage and use the convenience of the Stargate to strengthen our own power and the influence of the World Government.
Strike out! In the Room of Authority, the Five Elders, who had just returned, fell into a long silence. Everyone was pondering what they had just seen and heard, as well as the future.
"You go first. According to Lord Imu's orders, the first batch to enter the Stargate will be your Cipher Pol," Topman Warcury Saint took the lead in chairing the meeting.
Shepherd Ju Peter Saint spoke solemnly, "We need to scout the ecology, environment, and climate of the other planet. If there's a civilization, we must also gather intelligence on their systems, population, abilities, technology, and military strength."
"To be honest, the difficulty is significant, but we have many intelligence personnel. The key is to avoid drawing too much attention, so the number of people in the first batch must be controlled. My initial thought is to limit it to ten people. As for the specific candidates, I'll need some time to screen them."
"Good. Once you're ready, send them in immediately. We need to understand the general situation of that world!"
Topman Warcury Saint nodded, then turned to Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro, who was dressed in a kimono, and asked, "According to Lord Imu's divine decree, military operations against other worlds will gradually focus on the army. Therefore, we must quickly enhance the combat capabilities of this force. What are your thoughts?"
The latter replied calmly, "What thoughts? We'll just execute Lord Imu's divine decree. I see no issues. I only need to oversee the army's re-equipment. Just make sure your Government Affairs Office approves quickly, so we can order materials and have them manufactured in the factories."
According to Imu's orders, the army's rear-loading flintlock rifles would be replaced with North Sea automatic rifles, and they would be equipped with tanks and other armored vehicles.
If we are to proceed with this, the manufacturing factories under the military department will need to produce the weapons, but ordering the materials for weapon production requires approval from the Government Affairs Office.
For example, if the Navy wants to increase its fleet by five warships, they must first apply for approval from the relevant department of the Government Affairs Office. Only after approval can they place an order with Water 7.
Of course, it is also possible to directly order ready-made weapons from various countries and islands in the North Sea, but that still requires prior approval from the Government Affairs Office before military funds can be spent.
Although it may seem redundant, this is a necessary political measure, a procedural form of justice.
"You can't possibly fail to see it, Lord Imu is using the Army to balance the Navy," Topman Warcury Saint said with a grin.
Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro scoffed, "Hmph, I think Lord Imu makes a valid point. Not all worlds we encounter will be 90% ocean like ours. When it comes to ground combat, it will naturally fall to the Army. Are we supposed to have the Navy charge in on warships?"
"Indeed, I feel the Army will grow increasingly important over time, while the Navy will mostly be confined to defending our homeland," Marcus Mars Saint pondered aloud.
"That's why Lord Imu suggested transferring officers from the Navy who are suited for the Army. Haha, we were always troubled by the Navy's overwhelming strength, but now everything falls into place!"
"Lord Imu's wisdom is beyond our reach. We simply need to follow his lead," Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro maintained his fervent and unwavering attitude.
"The world beyond the Stargate is important, but we also have plenty of domestic issues to handle—slaves, pirates, the Celestial Tribute. Lord Imu places equal importance on these matters. We must resolve these troubles quickly so they don't become obstacles in our conquest of the myriad worlds!"
Topman Warcury Saint's words were met with unanimous agreement from the four present.
Previously, they had doubts about these changes, but after learning about the Stargate and the myriad worlds, all reservations vanished.
To expand outward, we must first settle our internal affairs! "The issue of slaves can be gradually addressed after the upcoming Levely. However, the reform of the Celestial Tribute will have to wait until the next Levely in four years. We can't afford to delay sending personnel through the Stargate until then. And those pirates remain a significant problem," Jaygarcia Saturn Saint remarked.
"Then we'll handle both simultaneously—tackle the first alien world while dealing with our domestic issues. If the latter proves too dangerous, we can sacrifice a batch of CP agents if necessary. Didn't Lord Imu say he has absolute control over the Stargate and can close it at any time?" Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro declared coldly, clutching the First Generation Ghost Cutter. Shepherd Ju Peter Saint nodded in agreement.
To these individuals, whether it's Cipher Pol or the Navy, they are merely tools—all for the sake of ensuring the eternal rule of the Celestial Dragons! "By the way, speaking of the Celestial Tribute reform, the fleet we sent to retrieve administrative and financial talents from various countries should be returning soon. Once they arrive, we'll immediately assign them to the newly established departments."
"The issue of the Celestial Tribute, let's leave it to the Heavenly Tribute Collection Management Committee to handle!" Topman Warcury Saint took a few seconds to recall the name of the department.
According to Lord Imu's reform plan, the Government Affairs Office had recently seen the addition of numerous new departments, but there were hardly any staff working in them. They were all still waiting to be filled.
"Hey, your Government Affairs Office will soon have people, so don't worry. As for my Court of Justice, I have no idea where to find the personnel for the reforms," Jaygarcia Saturn Saint said with a troubled expression.
"Legal professionals require highly specialized skills, and the Police Affairs Department also needs a large number of personnel. Although the plan mentions transferring some naval personnel from the four seas to us, the key is still the leadership!"
"You're complaining? According to the plan, most of the naval branches in the four seas will be turned into your police stations in the future. You should be secretly celebrating!" Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro snorted, clearly unimpressed with the other's act of feigning hardship while reaping benefits.
Lord Imu's intention was clear: the navy would handle matters at sea, while the investigation and arrest of criminals on the islands of various nations would fall under the jurisdiction of the Police Affairs Department of the Court of Justice.
Of course, if criminals fled to the sea, the Police Affairs Department couldn't interfere recklessly. At most, they could cooperate and share intelligence.
Clearly, this was another move to balance the future power of the navy!