<h4>Chapter 367 An Unnatural Rate of Progression</h4>


    Lunaria could not remember thest time she had been insulted by her face. She was a particrly wrathful and proud woman. One who would never tolerate such a thing. Yet Bixle was one of the few beings in the gxy who could do such a thing without disastrous consequences.


    Sure Lunaria could hit the Ghimderi where it hurt, with economic sanctions. But she could not outright dere war on them, and wipe out their race without provoking the other gctic powers. Because of this, she sat there and did not say a word, secretly plotting her revenge against the Goldentooth Cartel in a way that would humiliate Bixle.


    As for Bixle, he presumed this silence was an act of submission, and began to exin the worries that not only he, but the other gctic leaders shared in regards to the Germanic Star-Empire, and their recent surge in military power.


    "As all of you may be aware, infiltrating the Germanic Star-Empire is next to impossible. As a society which has no tourism, and refuses the entry of alien species other than those few allies who are permitted to have an ambassador, one might say that finding out the cause of their recent gains in military technology would be a task that is more difficult than stabilizing a copsing star....


    Because of this, even the Ghimderi Intelligence agencies don''t have the slightest idea how the Germanic Star-Empire rapidly expanded its military capabilities over what we can only assume is a decade long span of investment.


    But one thing is certain, the Germanic Armed Forces is an unknown factor, one who could very well in the next millennium pose a threat to the current bnce that we have enjoyed across the gxy for thest million years.


    And since Empress Lunaria refuses tounch a proper investigation into these matters, we can only discuss other options at hampering the Germanic Star-Empire and their obscenely rapid technological progress."


    Lunaria, of course, took this as a hostile action not only against her favorite vassal but against herself. After all, the other gctic powers were now outright attempting to coerce her into do something which she had never done before. And that was to forcibly suppress a vassal''s development.


    After all, the vassge system existed in Alfheim space, so that those lesser civilizations could fight her proxy wars on her behalf, and bring glory to the Dominion. But now these bastards were trying to suppress her most powerful vassal. This was clearly a plot against the Alfheim Dominion as much as it was against the Germanic Star-Empire, and Lunaria was obviously having none of it.


    "You dare threaten to conspire against me, and my sovereignty? Last I checked, we all agreed to settle our difference via the use of proxies. Yet, here you stand saying that my favored proxy has grown too powerful? Is that not a fault of your own? After all, perhaps if you had better proxies, then they would be able topete with the Germanic Star-Empire.


    I doubt any one of you fears the GSE or its armed forces. They pose no threat to any of us, and how could they? Their foundation is far too shallow! No, you fear that they will win every war that your proxies wage against them, like they have done in the past one hundred wars. And because of this, you fear the bnce of power in the gxy will shift in my favor!"


    The next to speak, however, was not Daelia or Bixle, as Lunaria had suspected, but rather a far more neutral party. The so called "God" Ra spoke about this matter with a stern tone in his voice, while enlightening the position that both the Ennead Theocracy, and the Asura Cabal shared.


    "Lunaria, I understand your apprehension to heed the warnings of those you consider to be your rivals. But as a far more neutral party, might you listen to my words?"


    Lunaria sighed heavily, and nodded her head towards Ra, silently letting him know that she would indeed listen to his words.


    "We must be reasonable here, while it does appear from my perspective that the Svartalfheim Federation and Ghimderi Trade Union are acting in bad faith. Their demands are not necessarily unreasonable.


    Let''s wind back the clock for five hundred years. Not even half a millennium ago, nobody had ever heard of the Germanic Star-Empire. In fact, to this day, the exact origins of their civilization are disputed. But after nearly five hundred years, they have been granted the right to bear the title of a regional power.


    This is despite the fact that the territory and resources they possess are so limited, they should not even qualify as a Minor Power. Why do we all begrudgingly recognize them as a regional power? Because their military strength far outweighs their logistical capabilities, and when supported by your other proxies, they are a powerful force to be reckoned with.


    Not to mention that even my fleets would have a hard timeying siege to their small sector of space. It was not even two hundred years ago where we recognized the Germanic Star-


    Empire as regional power. And in this time, they now possess the military might to defend themselves from a Naraku Splinter Fleet, albeit a damaged one.


    Something that though you im was the result of some uncovered ancient technology from the Primeval Era, a im that none of us wholly believe. And while we are debating over whether or not this is true, they obliterate the naval forces of a power that is supposed to be considered their peer.


    They not only annihte this navy to thest ship, but they do so without a suffering a single observable instance of damage. This is a feat that even Tier II Sub-Gctic Powers would struggle to achieve. And perhaps would only do so under favorable battlefield conditions, such as defense of their own territory.


    The rapid technological progression of the Germanic Star-


    Empire is indeed terrifying, and we have reports that they are now terraforming celestial bodies in their own territory that have previously been uninhabitable.


    As you know, terraforming technology is strictly confidential, and is a secret kept by the major gctic powers. Now I know you would never share that technology with the GSE, so if these reports are true, it is not just their military technology that is advancing at a rapid rate.


    And this begs the question, if they can turn any celestial body in their territory into a habitable space, then how long will it be before they have a poption capable of sustaining wars withrger powers than themselves?


    Will it be a century? Or Two? Before the Germanic Star-


    Empire is able to invade their neighbors and expand their territory via violent force. Thus breaking down the state of rtivew and order that we have all enforced on the gxy over the past million years.


    When will you step in and tell your attack dogs that they have bitten off more than they can chew? Do you now understand why we are concerned about this unnatural rate of progression that your favored proxies are constantly undergoing?"


    Lunaria was secretly as concerned about these recent developments as anyone else was. Possibly more so because she was the one who was ultimately the Suzerain of the Germanic Star-Empire. Meaning if they turned against the gxy, she would be the first to feel their bite.


    But... There was something about Erich that she trusted. She didn''t know why this was the case. And against her better judgement, she believed the man when he said that he was loyal to her. And the more powerful her most loyal attack dog became, the better it was for her. Thus, she immediately defended the Germanic Star-Empire, and denied rumors which she feared to be true.


    "I understand your fears Ra... I also understand that the Asuran Cabal shares these fears. However, I assure you that these rumors of the Germanic Star-Empire possessing terraforming technology are nothing more than malicious lies spread by the Svartalfheim Dominion, and their Ghimderi backers as a way topel the two of you to pressure my vassals so that they have nothing to fear from my most loyal hounds.


    This is merely a way to subvert the order andws that we have all agreed upon for the past million years. And I will not stand for it. If I do find out that the Germanic Star-Empire has been hiding important matters such as me, such as the development of terraforming technology, and such advanced technology, then I will deal with them myself.


    However, let me make something abundantly clear to you all. Any attempts to interfere with the sovereignty of the Alfheim Dominion, or its quadrant of space, will be considered an act of war. For now, I will ignore the Ghimderi and their sessful attempts to turn the Yokai Ascendency against their rightful masters.


    After all, the new Supreme Leader of the Germanic Star-


    Empire has assured me he will enact justice on my behalf. But if I find out, the Ghimderi, or anyone else here, has attempted to do the same to another civilization in my territory, or has attempted to forcibly suppress the development of one of my vassals. There will be war, and the delicate bnce we have all maintained for the past million years will suddenly be a thing of the past. Do you all understand?"


    For Lunaria to directly threaten a Gctic War in defense of the Germanic Star-Empire, it painted a very clear picture, especially to her rivals in the Ghimderi Trade Union, and the Svartalfheim Federation. She would only turn on the GSE if they ever turned against her, and not a second before.


    As for any attempts by her rivals who may try to hinder their progress, that would not be tolerated... Thus, Lunaria had just put the Ghimderi and Dark Elves in a very precarious position. As both civilizations had ns to sabotage the GSE and its technological progress in any way they could.


    ns they could only halt the progress of until a time where they had a chance to pull them off without being detected.