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"Are you sure your mom won\'t be upset about you skipping training for this?" Daniel asked, concerned about Mayumi\'s potential disapproval.

Koyuki chuckled. "Don\'t worry, Danny. Mom won\'t blame you." She adjusted his tie and smoothed his clothes. "You\'re being paranoid," she teased, patting his chest reassuringly.

"Thanks," Daniel smiled, kissing her forehead before moving to the table where Envy was reviewing a guest list of mages invited to discuss the Order of Ember after the press conference.

"Everything okay?" Daniel inquired.

"For now, yes. But could you please rein in your AI? He\'s a little bit rude, treating everyone like primates, and it\'s causing quite a stir," Envy replied with a wry smile.

"I\'m always polite, Lady Envy. Please, don\'t slander me," Nexus Prime\'s artificial voice boomed from the speakers.

A tea service cart was wheeled in by a smiling employee.

"Primate Sarah Corner, you\'re five minutes behind schedule. Such inefficiency could jeopardize your career," Nexus Prime\'s admonishing voice interrupted.

The employee, visibly startled but quickly professionally ignored the AI\'s criticism and prepared the tea before quickly exiting the room, clearly embarrassed.

"See?" Envy gestured towards Daniel.

"Well… I admit I programmed him to have a personality, resulting in him becoming a little eccentric, but this will help him learn a lot and, in return, help us greatly in the long run. Besides, I think this attitude is the result of him learning from the internet," Daniel explained, well… more like an excuse but it\'s still a reasonable explanation.

Envy\'s eyes narrowed. "You mean… You let a child-like entity learn from the internet?!" She slapped his shoulder playfully. "Danny, how could you?"

Daniel winced and protested, "Ouch! Remember, I have a press conference to prepare for!" A small smile played on his lips.

— Astral Corporation HQ - Conference Hall —

In the conference hall, a throng of reporters and media personnel eagerly awaited Daniel\'s arrival. At the back of the room, Greed glanced at the time on her luxurious Beaumont wristwatch. Beside her, the distinguished patriarch of the Beaumont family exuded an air of anticipation.

Daniel emerged from a side room and strode towards the central podium. A flurry of camera flashes captured his every move. Behind him, Aryan Sharma sat at a desk, prepared for the upcoming press conference. Two additional seats were set up.

Cao Cao, CEO of Astral PMC, took the first seat. Next to him, Gua Jia, Chief Strategy Officer of Astral PMC, settled in. Aryan Sharma, CEO of Astral Corporation, occupied the final seat.

Daniel stood at the podium, his name and titles – Founder of Astral Corporation and Chairman of Sector Alpha City – clearly displayed above him with Nexus Prime\'s holographic technology. He tapped the microphone and surveyed the room, signaling for silence.

"Greetings, people of Sector Alpha City and those watching this live broadcast. Since some of you might be seeing me for the first time, my name is Daniel Emberweave, the Founder of Astral Corporation and the Chairman of Sector Alpha City," he began, then continued.

"Those who watched the session at the UN Conference know that my attempt to have our city recognized as a country, free from the arbitrary rule of the Justius dynasty, unfortunately, failed." He paused, observing the reaction of the people in the hall before continuing.

"I\'m not going to bore you with a grand speech about unity or prosperity because my actions already speak for themselves. The citizens and refugees who will soon join us have witnessed what I have done. Even now, we continue to receive many refugees from the Tessia Kingdom through the connection bridge between Tessia and our city."

"Right now, as you all know, Tessia is a failed state unable to protect its citizens. We will offer refuge to any who seek it, provided they abide by our laws," Daniel declared. His voice grew firm as he prepared to make a groundbreaking announcement.

"Therefore, I declare Sector Alpha City independent, to be renamed New Atlantis. Its citizens will enjoy the benefits of a new nation and the technological marvels that Astral Group will bring."

The conference room erupted in whispers and murmurs as the gravity of his statement sunk in.

"Now, I\'ll randomly choose to answer three questions. Anyone with a question, please raise your hand." At Daniel\'s signal, all the reporters immediately raised their hands.

"You… the lady with glasses," Daniel said, randomly pointing at one of the reporters.

"Thank you, Mr. Emberweave. I\'d like to ask your opinion on the dispute regarding Sector Alpha City with the rightful heir of the Justius dynasty. He claims that you unlawfully bought this city from the Tessia Kingdom," asked the reporter.

"Lady, you asked for my opinion, right? And I\'ll give you one," Daniel began.

"In my opinion, there are always reasons why someone is not the first choice. The first is that they\'re not born from a legitimate partner. As you know, Mr. Victor Justius, flaws aside, was born from a legitimate partner. As for Mr.

Verus Justius, as far as I know, the reason he\'s not in the line of succession and survived the Tessia Kingdom\'s blunder with the bioweapon lab accident is that he was born from a maid that serve in the palace and he\'s not living in the palace when it happened." Daniel paused, then continued.

"Instead, he was living as a normal university student in the Qing Empire. And suddenly, he miraculously appears with a backer from Seraphine Isles, a place we all know to be like a vassal state of the Qing Empire. Do you see what I mean?" Daniel said with a smile and continued.

"In my opinion, The deal I made with the late King Lucian Justius was a definitive transfer of ownership. I am the sole proprietor of this city and responsible for its development and safety," Daniel declared.

"To me, The UN Assembly incident was akin to a child, backed by foolish adults, demanding a bicycle they saw me buy at the supermarket. How would you handle such a situation?" Daniel asked rhetorically, a question that electrified the crowd eager for a dramatic response.

"When that happens, the best course of action is to ignore such foolishness and proceed with your life," Daniel concluded with a dismissive tone.

"I believe that answers your question," he concluded, addressing the original inquirer. He then turned to another reporter. "You, the man with the blue tie."

"Thank you, Mr. Emberweave. Are you implying the Qing Dynasty orchestrated this through the Seraphine Isles?" the reporter asked.

"I think I\'ve been clear enough for you to connect the dots. For those who doubt our claims, we will release concrete evidence on the New Atlantis official website. The address will appear above my head now," Daniel stated as a holographic website address materialized above him.

"Okay! You, the last one," Daniel pointed at a reporter who looked like a hippie.

"Thank you. Given your ownership of the city, will you establish a monarchy or embrace democracy?" the reporter inquired.

"That\'s a very good question." Daniel nodded and then continued. "To be honest, I\'m not cut out to be a king. New Atlantis will be a republic with democratically elected mayors serving four-year terms, with a maximum of two terms. However, Astral Group will retain ownership of the city," Daniel explained.

"This ensures stability and allows me to focus on innovation. The mayors will oversee the city\'s development and the well-being of its citizens. The military and overall direction will remain under my control and the guidance of my associates," he added, gesturing to Cao Cao, Gua Jia, and a visibly surprised Aryan Sharma.

"That concludes this press conference. For further information, please visit our official website or the Astral Corporation or City Hall information centers tomorrow," Daniel announced before stepping away from the podium.

— Atlanteus Base - Grumpy Kitchen Bar —

The cozy bar was presided over by a perpetually grumpy, bald chef. A popular place for high-ranking officials in the base and people who know where this hidden gem of a bar tucked away, it was currently hosting Hermes and Atlanteus, who were enjoying pasta while watching the live broadcast.

"New Atlantis?" Atlanteus mused upon hearing the name of the newly declared country.

Hermes chuckled at the announcement. "Huhu hu Hahaha... Mr. Emberweave is quite a character. I wonder how Poseidon would react to this," Hermes remarked. Atlanteus\' expression turned complex, a mix of anticipation and apprehension.

— Qing Empire - Zhuge Liang\'s Residence —

Zhuge Liang, watching the broadcast, was stunned by the revelation. It wasn\'t because of what Daniel said—he had already expected Daniel to disregard the UN and the Qing Empire and declare independence. What startled him were the names Cao Cao and Gua Jia, figures he remembered from the Three Kingdoms Era.

Of course, Zhuge Liang had never met Cao Cao or Gua Jia back then, but he had seen Cao Cao\'s picture and heard his name along with Gua Jia\'s.So he knew how troublesome these two names represent. Now, it seemed he needed to devise a plan to counter these two individuals.