At this moment, in Italy, a relatively developed country but not particularly special compared to the leading powers. However, they too had a glorious history that few nations could match.
In the Italian military camp, a young colonel was gathering and checking casualties after the recent unexpected event. At this moment, he thought:
"This time, it won't be a laughingstock like World War II. Benito wasn't truly bad for Italy, but for the world, he was no different from a joke after the war. No, to be precise, the entire country of Italy became a joke after World War II. It's true that he made mistakes, but he wasn't incompetent. Well, now the time has come, the mistakes of the past can be corrected. It's time for all roads to lead to Rome once more. The Roman Empire will reappear in its best form yet."
His name was Julius Caesar, an Italian patriot with the ambition to lead the country to its most glorious era.
At that moment, a subordinate approached to report:
"Sir, there are eleven dead and sixty - five seriously injured."
Julius nodded and then said:
"Alright, notify the families of those who accidentally lost their lives and give them proper burials. Except for those who are seriously injured, have everyone else gather to hear me speak. Oh, and make sure to record this and live stream it for all of Italy to see."
"But how can we live stream to the entire country of Italy?"
"Just do the live stream, and record it so we can send the video everywhere. I didn't say it had to be instant for every citizen to hear me."
"Understood, I will start preparing immediately."
His subordinate quickly went to prepare the necessary equipment to begin recording. Compared to those before him, he prepared more systematically, rather than just using whatever was available.
However, the effect wouldn't be much different, as his reputation wasn't high enough to command the attention of the entire country at this moment.
A while later, everything was ready. Julius stepped up to a high and visible spot, looking down at the soldiers below, and spoke loudly:
"Brothers, do you feel the opportunity for all roads to lead to Rome once more?"
The soldiers below looked confused for a moment, then someone spoke up:
"Do you mean the martial soul will help make Italy great again like before?"
"That's right! Are we Italians strong?"
Even though the question came suddenly, the soldiers still replied in unison:
"We are!"
"Are we courageous?"
"We are!"
"Are we intelligent?"
"We are!"
"Are we united?"
"We are!"
After a brief pause, Julius continued:
"Then why can't all roads lead to Rome? Why can't Italy be the country that leads humanity to the brightest future? In World War II, the whole world laughed at our Italy, laughed at our people. It's true that we made mistakes, but the time has come for us to correct them. Are you confident that, starting from the same point, we will surpass every other country?"
Hearing this, the soldiers immediately shouted:
"We are!"
If there was one thing they had in abundance, it was pride and great national pride. They believed that if they started from the same point, they would be the ones to excel the most. No other country could compare to them.
Seeing the army's enthusiasm, Julius was immensely pleased. He continued:
"Exactly, our nation absolutely will not lose to anyone if we start from the same point. Our great Roman Empire was once the ruler of an era. Though we lost that position, having achieved it once means we can do it again. God has given everyone an equal opportunity, we all have to gradually develop our strength.
Now is the time for us to prepare for a great battle to unite the world once and for all. We will create the greatest and most enduring Roman Empire because, when we break through to a higher level, we can live forever.
All roads in this world will lead to Rome, once and for all. Our nation will become the true center of humanity, and we will end all wars among humans, once and for all. Long live the Roman Empire! And you, brave warriors, will be the heroes who end the wars of humanity."
There was nothing wrong with what he said. Now, as long as they reached a high enough level, their lifespan would be limitless. This way, talented leaders could live forever to develop the country.
The soldiers shouted in unison, responding to Julius's rallying cry. After all, he was usually respected by the soldiers, so his words carried a lot of weight.
"Long live the Roman Empire!"
"Long live the Roman Empire!"
"Long live the Roman Empire!"
.....
After all, it was just a battle, the Italian soldiers were not afraid. Moreover, the purpose of this battle was to unify the world and end wars among humanity.
No matter how one looked at it, this goal was righteous and certainly not a pointless endeavor. Why? Of course, it's because armed conflicts have never entirely ceased in the world, though the majority might not have been affected.
Now there was a chance to make the nation great and to become heroes of humanity - why not take it? After all, compared to living a dull life, doing something meaningful was much better.
At this moment, someone spoke up and asked:
"When will we begin?"
"Three years is more than enough. By then, everyone will have reached the second level, and that will be enough to form a powerful army. At that point, we will not fear any country in the world and will unite humanity under the banner of the great Roman Empire." Julius replied.
One soldier still had questions and shouted:
"So, will we initiate the war first?"
Hearing this, Julius shook his head and said:
"Of course, we will negotiate first. If they truly care about the best interests of humanity, they will recognize our greatness and agree to merge with us. If not, then we will have no choice but to fight and show them our greatness. We are righteous people working for the future of humanity, not genocidal conquerors.
We want all of humanity to follow us towards the best development, not to exterminate humanity. Remember, we are representatives of justice, but those who oppose justice are the enemies of humanity. We must eliminate them to ensure a brighter future for all."
Cheers of excitement echoed everywhere. They knew their leader, whom they always trusted, was not a cold - blooded person but a very kind one.
Initially, the thought of declaring war had seemed strange to them, but now they understood the thoughts of this great man.