Necromancer, summoning 055? What the heck?

Chapter 453 Pre-War Meeting - King of Jinghu
Back in Hanhai City that night, Chen Mo couldn't sleep.

Pushing open the window, a gentle sea breeze blows outside, and the lighthouse's beam pierces the deep night, echoing the lights inside the house.

He had a lingering sense of unease about the first attack he was about to launch against the human realm.

It's not that he feels guilty or embarrassed. For Chen Mo, he has fought many battles and experienced enough bloodshed over the years. Even if there is a river of blood on the battlefield, he doesn't care.

The "Chen Mo" who once cared so much about this had long since "died" along with Peiwen in the wasteland.

However, as a native of Dongxia, the biggest difference between him and many local professionals was that he always treated ordinary people as human beings.

In the world of stars, the way professionals treat ordinary people, or even directly take their lives, is essentially no different from how bosses exploit their employees, professors oppress their students, bandits kill troublemakers, and the wealthy cannibalize children.

It is a matter of course and a matter of course.

Furthermore, in the customs of the Starry World, the occupying forces would subject ordinary people in the area to high-pressure, high-humiliation obedience tests and controls. For example, they would order people to strip naked and line up for inspection, or they would use chains to pierce through the shoulder blades or ankles, in order to prevent certain professionals with strong concealment abilities from mixing among the civilians and causing unnecessary losses and trouble.

Chen Mo could not accept this approach.

Before any action, he would always order all units to rectify their military discipline. After returning from this visit, he immediately convened a pre-battle preparation meeting.

"The operational plan may need some major adjustments."

Chen Yuanfeng was responsible for the report.

As Chen Mo's personal disciple and the top student in the first class of Hanhai Naval Academy, Chen Yuanfeng underwent training at the grassroots and middle levels in the army, and was then sent to the brutal front line of the White Deer Restoration Society to receive further trials. After returning, Chen Yuanfeng was appointed by the lord as the acting chief of staff of Hanhai.

"Of the original six westward advance plans, the General Staff preferred to use the third plan, which was also approved by the Commander-in-Chief. However, due to the recent contact between the Commander-in-Chief and the Kingdom of Mirror Lake, the General Staff believes that the battlefield situation may have undergone some positive changes, which need to be fully considered."

"The plan may need to be adjusted accordingly."

"The main variables are troop strength and the battle lines."

Needless to say, the military strength is considerable. After all, Jinghu was once a kingdom-level power. Even though it is a mountainous area, the relatively superior planting environment of Fanxing means that even farming and purchasing cannot provide food freedom for its citizens. This can only mean that Jinghu has a large population.

Meanwhile, most of the mercenaries in Mirror Lake are young people who have been risking their lives for a living. They are brave and daring. According to the intelligence department's assessment, if Han Hai can provide enough food and weapons, even without any other cooperating forces, Mirror Lake alone could turn Green Pine upside down.

However, this is not in Hanhai's fundamental interests, so the core battles still need to be fought by Hanhai itself.

In addition, the original third plan used a two-pronged approach to attack Green Pine, which meant advancing simultaneously from Silver Moon Forest in the south and Dongguan Ridge in the east, thus preventing the enemy from being able to defend both ends.

If Jinghu intervenes now, theoretically another western front could be opened.

Faced with such significant changes, the General Staff had to work several consecutive all-nighters to readjust the operational plan.

"Ideally, Jinghu would fully cooperate, then our original three-step approach could be merged into one big step."

The so-called three-step approach is actually three stages in the war proposal that Dongxia provided to Hanhai, which divides the existing territory of the Green Pine Kingdom into three different types.

The area that was easiest to deal with was the former Emerald Duchy territory, which was occupied by the Green Pine Kingdom.

This area belongs to the Zircon Territory of the Green Pine Kingdom. The majority of the residents are citizens of the former Emerald Duchy. Although it was ravaged by Green Pine and by the orcs, and some people have been relocated from Green Pine to replenish the population, the overall population structure remains the same.

Once the Han Hai raises the banner of Liushuang and the royal army returns, it is believed that management order will be established quickly, and the resistance encountered will be relatively small.

The second type of area is within the Kingdom of Green Pine, which is under the control of the Zircon Territory.

If the first step of the war was Yunwu Liushuang reclaiming his homeland, then the second step was the Lord of the Vast Sea settling scores!
In the assessments of Dongxia and Hanhai, establishing management order in this area was also within Hanhai's well-established control.

First, there are claims, and enough claims!
Zircon's repeated persecution of lords and his army's attacks on the Vast Ocean are common knowledge. In the value system of the Starry World, which is based on a professional system, this kind of reciprocal retaliation is not only supported but also praised.

Blood for blood, tooth for tooth—that is the fairness and justice of this world.

Secondly, Lord Chen Mo has many acquaintances in Zircon.

The attack launched by Marquis Monroe against the Vast Sea back then not only cost him his life, but also nearly wiped out the essence of his territory.

The ten knights that Marquis Zircon Monroe once regarded as his right-hand men, the core management of the territory's military structure, are now all four of whom are in the Vast Ocean, while Zircon Territory itself has none.

Furthermore, a significant portion of the existing Zircon Territory regime's administrators were either defeated soldiers from the original regime or prisoners of war who were brought back through exchanges.

They had all witnessed that one-sided "massacre" battle, watching themselves and their comrades being chased and brutally attacked like rats in the wasteland, with blood flowing like rivers.

A significant number of people witnessed Han Hai pressing down on their heads while simultaneously whipping the orcs into green spinning tops with one hand.

Psychologically speaking, these people's fear of the vast ocean is among the highest in the entire starry world.

Lord Chen Mo's name once had the power to stop children from crying at night, cause impotence in the Han Dynasty, make soldiers abandon their armor, and cause women to stop menstruating.

Therefore, the prediction for the Zircon Territory's combat status is that the die-hards with deep-seated grudges will be particularly stubborn, but after resolutely eliminating this group, the remaining cleanup work may be simpler than managing the clouds and mist.

The third step, and also the most troublesome, is to attack the other areas within the Green Pine Kingdom, excluding Zircon Territory.

They attacked these places, claiming to have them, but clearly not with the same confidence and momentum as before.

Meanwhile, for the nobles, officials, professionals, and common people of the Green Pine Kingdom, the Vast Sea was a strange, distant regime that was highly demonized in legends.

Such things as eating the hearts and livers of hundreds of children in one meal, bathing in the blood of virgins, hunting only alive people, and taking both little boys and girls into the palace for uninhibited gatherings...

Anyway, all the great demons in the universe seem to be like this, and Chen Mo is no exception.

In this atmosphere, if attacks, occupations, and rule are carried out on the aforementioned areas, maintaining order and stability in the future will inevitably be a long and complex process.

However, both Dongxia and Hanhai considered these three steps as follows: either don't fight at all, or fight to the bitter end.

Why? It's because the lord has such a good reputation.

What if you don't kill them with one blow, and they actually kneel down?
Just like Xi Yue, if the other side surrenders and recognizes Chen Mo as chairman, how can they then mobilize troops?

How much trouble did it cause the lord? How much extra money was spent? And what about the tribal elders and vested interests? How many long-term consequences might it leave for them?

In short, there are problems with not fighting and problems with fighting. The Han Hai Command is in a dilemma regarding the other areas of the Green Pine Kingdom.

"However, if the Kingdom of Mirror Lake enters the fray, things will be different."

Chen Yuanfeng pointed at the map and slammed his finger down on the border between the Green Pine Kingdom and the Mirror Lake Kingdom.

“We can use the mercenaries from Mirror Lake to enforce military control, and the local collaborators to manage government affairs, while Han Hai only needs to control diplomacy and resources.”

"In the future, once the situation in the region has been clarified and the troublemakers, die-hards, and opposition forces in the area have been largely eliminated, we will adjust the management order."

"That makes perfect sense!"

Of course, the chief of staff has said so much and listed a lot of steps in the plan, but many of the conditions are still blank and waiting to be filled in.

Whether it can be done, and how it can be done, depends on the feedback from Jinghu.

Despite the other party's confident assertions, Chen Mo would never unsuspectingly include a diplomatic envoy in his overall plan based on a single statement.

Based on this consideration, he arranged for Chen Chuting, the fleet commander, to disembark at Xiasha Port and accompany Lucien to the Kingdom of Mirror Lake to have an in-depth conversation with the upper echelons of power.

Chen Mo personally summarized: "Based on the final results of this meeting, we will decide whether to treat Jinghu as a friend or an enemy in the upcoming war."

"And determine which operational plan we will use."

"Let's hope Mirror Lake won't let us down!" ————

The capital of the Mirror Lake Kingdom, Mirror Lake City, is nestled between two mountains: to the west lies a branch of the majestic Dragon Spine Mountain Range, and to the east, the Stone Mountain Range, which also runs north-south.

Both sides are sheer cliffs, majestic and treacherous, almost impossible to climb except for a few high-level warriors, which is equivalent to cutting off the land transportation lines on both sides.

Between these two mountains lies a winding, undulating, narrow valley plain that stretches downwards until it reaches the tail end of the Shiqi Mountains, where it opens up to the southwest, turning into the largest area of ​​the Mirror Lake, the Wind-Breaking Plain, thus opening a road to the outside world.

The snowmelt from the Dragon's Spine Mountains converges in the middle of the valley plain to form a large lake, which is Mirror Lake.

Many countries on the continent originated from a place with water and fields, a favorable geographical location, and the ability to avoid large-scale attacks by monsters and alien races. This led to the formation of a community of life, which gradually developed from a village to a city, from a city to a country, and finally to the magnificent stage of the stars.

Mirror Lake is just like that.

Upon receiving the message from his subordinates, the current ruler of Mirror Lake, Gulian Qingxu, held a grand welcoming ceremony in the royal city.

It's grand in scale, but it's also truly shabby.

The reception venue was chosen on the island in the middle of Mirror Lake, which is the most outstanding scenic spot in the royal city. It was once the vacation palace of the King of Mirror Lake. From a distance, the palaces on the island are magnificent and the pavilions are full of buildings. Under the thin mist on the lake, it has a somewhat ethereal feel.

The long bridge leading to the island in the middle of the lake is made of wood. The railings look quite old, with some parts turning black and covered with cracks, as if they had just been painted with some kind of dye.

The long bridge leading to the island in the middle of the lake was carpeted. It seemed to have been washed temporarily. It was clean, but the color was dull and the dampness had not dissipated. When you stepped on it, there was a slightly sticky feeling. Accompanied by the creaking of the wooden bridge under the carpet, Chen Chuting, who had just experienced the grandeur of the Sky Empire's hundred-kilometer ceremonial procession, felt a sense of disorientation, as if he had been transported to another world.

The palace’s forecourt was a square paved with white stone bricks. It was fairly clean, but there were visible cracks in many places. Some bricks were clearly broken into several pieces, but they were carefully pieced together, with some kind of white decoration applied in between.

The overall impression is... exquisitely poor stuff!

The honor guards on both sides were the most eye-catching presence in the entire event, with their gleaming armor and gleaming halberds. Unfortunately, there were not enough of them; there were probably less than thirty people in total. Standing on both sides of the spacious front courtyard, they gave off a rather desolate autumn feeling.

"You flatter me, Your Excellency."

Seeing Chen Chuting looking at the armor thoughtfully, Lucien, the guide, bent down and explained in a low voice, "These armors are just for show. They're not practical for actual combat. They're heavy and easily damaged, so we sold some and kept a few to make a show of things."

"The King is just ahead, Ambassador Chen, please!"

Chen Chuting had already seen it without Lucien's reminder.

King Gulian of Mirror Lake was not tall, with a thick brown beard that curled slightly at the ends. At first glance, Chen Chuting almost suspected that this guy had dwarf blood.

Gulian's attire, like the ceremonial procession, exuded a simple yet magnificent elegance. He wore a dark gold crown, but the gold was too dark, appearing rather dull; he wore a deep purple robe of some unknown velvet, with white animal fur trimmed at the collar and cuffs. It was certainly imposing, but overall it seemed at least a size too large for the king, causing his frame to sag noticeably, and the hem dragging on the ground.

The accompanying secretariat staff member whispered in Xia language, "The performance is too over-the-top..."

Chen Chuting kept his eyes straight ahead, his lips moved slightly, and he replied in a low voice, "Better than not acting at all!"

As soon as everyone stepped onto the steps of the front courtyard square, Gulian came to greet them.

Because his robe was too long, it was stepped on, causing him to stumble a few steps and almost fall on the spot. As a result, the King of Mirror Lake had to lift the hem of his robe with his hand and jog all the way, his face beaming with a warm smile.

Like a bride carrying her wedding dress, her face beaming with happiness, running towards her beloved at the wedding...

Chen Chuting mentally slapped himself hard, erasing this absurd association.

"Welcome! Welcome, esteemed friend from Han Hai!"

Gulian dropped the hem of his robe when he was still three or four steps away, stretched out his hands, his palms having a distinctly rough feel, grabbed Chen Chuting's hands, and shook them forcefully.

Chen Chuting's smile remained unchanged, but his heart skipped a beat.

The handshake greeting is too incompatible with the traditions of the Starry Continent, so it is only used in the Vast Sea, and only on a small scale there.

Chen Chuting accompanied the lord on this diplomatic visit, and each country received him with their own traditional etiquette, and they took the initiative to shake hands. This was the first time.

The preparations were quite thorough!

King Gulian's voice was quite loud: "Lucien has given me a detailed report! It is truly a great fortune for Mirror Lake to receive the help of the Vast Ocean!"

"The entire nation of Mirror Lake is deeply grateful to Lord Chen Mo and his special envoy!"

What do you mean by "helped" and "so grateful"? We haven't even started talking yet!
Chen Chuting took a deep breath. He had a feeling that the upcoming negotiations were going to be a tough battle.

As expected, after completing this reception process, Gulian turned around and changed into a patched hunting outfit, then fully demonstrated what it meant to be difficult to deal with.

"General Chen!"

"You've seen the situation at Mirror Lake; it's poor, really too poor!"

"I am ashamed. As the ruler of a country, I have let the nation fall into such a state. I have truly failed my ancestors and the gods!"

Gulian pounded his chest, which made Chen Chuting even more suspicious that he was of dwarven descent.

The king began to complain endlessly, from last year's snow disaster to this year's spring drought, from monster attacks to environmental turmoil, and in short, he expressed one word—misery!

"Lord Chen of the Hanhai, oh, he should be called Chairman now, right?"

"Compared to Chairman Chen, we royals and officials of Jinghu are nothing but ants."

"..."

When Chen Chuting proposed mineral development, Gulian exclaimed in surprise. It was incredibly fortunate that these few things in the mountains could be favored by the vast ocean. Mirror Lake, along with its people and objects, was truly blessed.

However, we are poor and have no money. We would appreciate it if Hanhai could advance the mining costs first.

When the topic of transportation came up, Gulian nodded repeatedly. This was a great thing for the country, the people, and the vast ocean. It would make it much easier to transport things out of the mountains.

However, we are poor and have no money. We ask the lord and the special envoy to put in a lot of effort to repair the road.

The text mentions the "possibility" of sending troops to fight.

Gulian spread his hands, his expression somber.

"General Chen, you probably know the situation in Jinghu. Just keeping people from starving to death... and keeping many people from starving to death has already drained the national treasury of money and grain."

"I won't hide it from you, Special Envoy, but without the initial funding, even I wouldn't be able to command those soldiers."

Who can risk their life on an empty stomach?

Chen Chuting frowned: "Didn't your country say before that you were willing to be the vanguard for the Han Hai? Are you joking?"

"No, no, of course we are willing to serve the lord, but warriors always need to earn something when they go out to fight."

“In the past, when we sent troops to fight, we had to promise them spoils of war. Everything they conquered had to belong to them!”

“But Lucien told me that Lord Chen Mo… the Chairman forbids this, so I was at a loss for what to do!”

"Special Envoy Chen!"

"Mirror Lake is so poor!"

(End of this chapter)