Necromancer, summoning 055? What the heck?

Chapter 97 Seven Luminaries Flower Wreath, Northern Deacon
The centaur Kaga returned from the training, his little face flushed with excitement, like a ripe berry.

Of course, it could also be hot.

For Lord Chen Mo's so-called "dual-purpose machine gun" firepower test, half of the centaur made a great sacrifice, shaving off all their smooth hair and the shiny mane at the back of their necks.

For weapon platforms, the cleaner the better! Whether it's hair tangling the components or a bristle being set on fire, it's a very scary thing.

These past two days, the curious, confused, and even slightly regretful looks from his companions have made him feel uneasy. Accustomed to his usual dashing figure with his mane flying, his bald head is now quite conspicuous in the camp.

Fortunately, the mission has finally been accomplished. Although 90% of the bullets missed the target, the few shots that hit the armor of the test subject were enough to prove the ferocity of the weapon he carried.

After the test ended, many centaurs crowded around the magical weapon that had just been removed, their eyes shining brightly.

Little Kaga was being carefully cared for by a centaur girl who looked at him with admiration. She gently removed the heat-insulating and non-slip pad from his back, which was soaked with sweat and smelled of rubber and male hormones.

The centaur girl wiped his sweat-covered back with a soft cloth. After such strenuous exercise, coupled with the excitement of completing such an important mission, Kaga couldn't help but look around, enjoying this long-awaited glory.

Then, Little Kaja saw "Little Dreadlocks" take out his curved knife and start cutting his thick braids strand by strand.

"What's wrong? Don't you usually treat this like your life depends on it? You don't want it anymore?"

"No more!" The little braided boy gritted his teeth, cutting away piece by piece, a faint glint of light shimmering in his eyes.

The technique was somewhat rough, with cuts of varying lengths and uneven surfaces.

In the camp, Little Kaga never really thought much of this guy. After all, Little Dreadlocks was known for his greed and ruthlessness in the tribe. Last time, when Little Kaga was looking for someone to teach the vice-captain of Zircon Territory a lesson, he immediately turned to this guy. As long as you pay him, he'll do anything.

This was the first time Kaga had ever seen this guy cry.

Kaga nudged the little dreadlocks with his shoulder: "Don't be sad, no one's whipping you anymore!"

The little man with dreadlocks trembled from the impact, and the curved knife cut a gash on the back of his neck. Tears finally streamed down his face.

“Those guys killed my dad… Waaah, you know… Waaah… My dad beat me every day, he would beat me when I came home because I couldn’t earn any money… He even drove my mom away… He only ever remembered beating me!”

"I... Waaah, I counted every single lash... I've planned it all out... Waaah... When I grow up and can beat him, I'll get my revenge, lash after lash!"

"There's no chance anymore! Father is dead... Waaah... Mother is dead too..."

Towards the end, it was impossible to hear what the centaur was saying. Snot and tears were mixed together, causing it to snort occasionally as it sobbed. Sticky liquid covered its face and chest, making it look extremely disheveled.

"Who isn't? My father is dead, and my uncles, aunts, and cousins ​​are all dead!"

Little Kaga gently stretched out his forearm and put his arm around the little guy who used to have dreadlocks but now had a "scabies head".

"Practice shooting with me!"

"Um!!!"

After watching the exercise, Chen Mo returned from the firing range and encountered Helan, who was guarding the entrance to the temporary camp.

"My lord, there's progress on the matter of the slaves!"

"I have invited the Seven Luminaries Garland caravan over. They are now outside the checkpoint and are waiting for your audience!"

"Then let's call them over!"

"My lord, please wait a moment!" Helan hurriedly reminded Chen Mo as he walked inside with his head down, "Could you please change your clothes and prepare a ceremonial procession?"

Chen Mo glanced back at his legal documents: "Is this important?"

“Very important!” Helan took half a step back and bowed deeply.

To be honest, this head butler was also quite frustrated.

The reason why Helan was able to ask for such a high price despite being idle, and why the old clerk of Yunwu Territory and others who introduced and guaranteed him felt it was worth the price, was mainly because of their familiarity with and grasp of the rules of the game in the entire noble circle.

Many problems that seem to span multiple noble levels and leave one unsure where to begin can always be addressed by them in a unique and effective way.

Which nobleman is greedy for money? Which lord is addicted to wine? What kind of blue-feathered golden-tailed bird can knock on a certain earl's door? How to follow a winding, illicit network of relationships to whisper sweet nothings in the ear of the kingdom's prime minister...

There's a tremendous amount of knowledge involved here!
It's quite similar to how some big names in the legal field on Earth help people get away with crimes, or how big names in the financial field help people go public. Even things that clearly don't comply with regulations can be found by them, and they can find the key to help you find a way out.

In the ancient Celestial Empire, there was a saying that "a good steward is half the picture of advancement in rank."

However, in the Vast Ocean Territory, Helan felt that he had no place to use his talents.

This wretched place is nothing but sand and stones; you can't even see a trace of nobility.

It's full of aristocratic knowledge, but you couldn't even find a spot to mop the floor with it.

Government affairs? Sorry, Your Excellency has a brilliant mind and has arranged everything in perfect order. My own intellect and experience are of no use at all.

Faced with a plan that is so detailed down to every single step of execution, I feel almost no different from that simple-minded ox.

He didn't need personal service from the lord. Chen Mo lived a simple life, and the male and female servants he had assigned to the territory were thrown out by the lord and became public service personnel in the territory. All the scenes of noble life and service were of no use to him.

Even his modest military strategies were completely disregarded.
Helan didn't have many complaints about this.

He had a vague suspicion that this young lord had the support of at least one powerful leader, the one opposite the lord's altar.

That person not only provided ample financial support and granted all material requests, but also personally assisted his young lord in political and military affairs, down to the smallest detail.

This is absolutely outrageous! Utterly outrageous!

Helan couldn't think of any relationship that could have made that great being on the other side do something like this.

Now that he had finally found an opportunity to use his abilities, Helan put all his strength into it.

He used all his past resources and exhausted all his intelligence to finally make contact with a trade representative of the Seven Luminaries Garland Merchant Guild.

Sure enough, the lord had never even heard of it.

"My lord, the Seven Luminaries Garland Trading Company is ostensibly just a private organization, but in reality, it wields considerable influence within the Misty Moon Divine Court. It has intricate connections with the Bishops' Conference and the Dwarf Society, and is privately referred to as a 'Dwarf God'!"

"The merchant guild has branches all over the continent and has established deep relationships in various countries. No matter which country a merchant guild's steward goes to, he must be treated with at least the etiquette of a baron."

"You are only a lord now, not yet a noble title, so... it's not good to appear disrespectful to the other party in public..."

"Alright, alright!" Chen Mo could tell that his butler was getting a little impatient. "Then, I'll do as you say!"

"Hurry up, I still need to cultivate later!"

Helan sighed with relief and quickly began making intensive arrangements.

Several tens of minutes later, Oren, the deputy deacon of the Seven Luminaries Garland Merchant Guild in the North, entered the temporary lord's camp in the Vast Sea Territory under the guidance of Helan.

Along the way, Oren's physical experience has undergone a tremendous change.

Having lived in the North for so many years, he heard the news of the arrival of a new lord in this dilapidated place immediately. After all, this area was also under his jurisdiction.

After making a few inquiries, Oren lost interest.

With shallow roots and a mysterious origin, it has nothing to offer except for its wealth.

However, Helan used multiple connections to submit a trade application directly to the Misty Moon Divine Court. The Grand Deacon said: "Give us some face and send someone to make the trip."

In the city they were stationary merchants, and in the countryside they were itinerant merchants; that's how the business fell to the Northern Merchants' Guild.

Among the four deacons, one chief and three deputy, Oren was the youngest and least experienced. Who else could do this kind of work of eating sand and blowing sea breeze?

After a bumpy journey, his mood was naturally not very good, but as he walked, Oren began to feel that something was wrong.

First, the outposts leading north of Han Hai Ling were placed a full eighty kilometers away.

Although the mercenaries seemed to have limited strength, the fact that two of them dared to approach and question his well-equipped and unfamiliar team exceeded Oren's basic assessment of the team.

After I explained my purpose, the other party quickly established contact with the rear through a series of magical beacons and welcomed me in.

Along the way, in addition to the three visible sentry posts, the accompanying mercenary leader also discovered at least two hidden sentry posts.

This state of high alert and strict vigilance towards the North aroused a sense of curiosity in Oren.

Then, upon arriving at the outskirts of the camp, a noble welcoming ceremony that was so standard as to be almost austere completely changed his impression.

Butler Herran's every movement was impeccable, his etiquette was so refined that it extended to every detail of his fingers. The way he accepted the visiting card was so precise that it would be perfectly accurate even if measured with a ruler.

The guards wore uniforms that, while not fancy, were crisp and clean. They stood tall, with sharp eyes, ruddy complexions, and high spirits, showing none of the weariness often seen in frontier areas.

The male and female servants standing on either side were respectful and well-trained; there was also an old mage with white hair and beard, dressed in a fifth-tier mage robe, standing quietly at the entrance of the lord's camp.

Just as Blue Star judges a nation's military strength by its ranks before knowing its own capabilities, the Star Continent, though unsure of its opponent's background, can glean some clues from the display of its aristocratic regalia.

This scene filled Oren with a sense of awe and respect.

This is the most prominent appearance Helan has ever made so far.

Suppressing his excitement, the steward, with an impeccable smile, led Oren and his two attendants into the lord's camp.

Upon entering, Helan felt a sudden darkness engulf him, and a surge of blood rose to his throat.

He had planned everything meticulously and arranged everything outside flawlessly, but he forgot to come in and inform the old man beforehand.

But I've never served such a capricious master before.

The esteemed Lord Chen Mo was reclining in an extremely unrestrained manner on the lord's chair, which had been taken from a luxurious carriage and was covered with thick animal hides.

The lord casually propped his long legs up on the wide armrests of the chair, his hands resting behind his head, humming a strange, exotic tune.

If someone here understands Dongxia language, they can roughly tell that it is an old-fashioned opera tune.

"Back in the day... my team... had just started! We only had a dozen or so bones and seven or eight guns..."

Half a minute later, Helan, having forced himself to calm down, maintained a polite smile on his face thanks to his excellent professionalism and completed the introduction of the host and guests.

Neither side seemed inclined to engage in lengthy pleasantries, and the atmosphere quickly shifted to the main topic amidst a subtle awkwardness.

"The slave business is the main business of the Seven Luminaries Garland Trading Company. If your territory wants to buy slaves, of course there is no problem."

"However, isn't it still a long way before the duchy's review period begins?"

Helan, who was also serving as the lord's translator at the moment, stood ramrod straight, his fingertips touching each other on the table, and replied in an impeccable Northern Fog Moon accent:

"If we were to buy it at the end of the year, there would be no need for Steward Oren to travel all this way so early."

"My lord's intention is that the slaves must be taken now, the sooner the better!"

"Oh, that's wonderful!"

Oren's interest was immediately piqued. Although running to such a run-down place was a tough job, closing a deal would be a good achievement back home.

"I wonder what kind of slaves your territory is looking for? Humans? Orcs? Half-orcs? Or perhaps special slaves of the highest or lowest rank?"

"How many do you need? Are there any age or physique requirements? Do you want more or fewer female slaves? Do you also need child slaves or infant slaves?"

When the conversation turned to business, the deacon became noticeably more animated.

Helan carefully took notes and translated them for Chen Mo item by item, while also providing detailed annotations for some of the concepts.

In this star-studded world currently defined by humans, orcs can be roughly understood as having a humanoid base with animalistic features.

For example, the ox can walk upright, and its head, body and limbs are similar to those of humans, with a clear distinction between the upper limbs for grasping and the lower limbs for support. This is the basic humanoid form.

Based on this, whether it's bull horns or a lion's head, cat ears or a fox tail, those are all individual characteristics of the beast race and do not change the essential human form.

Therefore, this entire system is classified as orcs.

Orcs, on the other hand, are a hybrid of human and animal.

For example, the centaur, which is half-human and half-horse; the fish-man, which has no lower limbs but only fins and a tail; and the Naga, who have snake bodies...

No matter how you look at it, they don't have the basic human form, so they should be classified as orcs!

In the eyes of humans, who proclaim themselves the leader of all living beings and the spirit of all races, orcs are clearly a level above half-orcs.

As for the upper and lower races mentioned by Oren, the upper three races are three groups that closely resemble humans: elves, dwarves, and gnomes. These three races are considered relatively noble, so naturally their prices will be much higher.

As for the lower three races, they are goblins, cavemen, and various creatures collectively known as sea creatures. These are considered relatively inferior and lowly, and their prices are low; of course, they also present many problems in using them.

In short, the more human-like you are, the more valuable you are!

In addition, there are some races on the continent that have been almost wiped out by humans, such as the great fairies and the giants. These are not on the traditional slave trade list. Even if one or two are captured occasionally, they will be put into auctions.

Apart from the "intelligent species" recognized by humans mentioned above, all others are considered beasts.

The Seven Luminaries Garland Trading Company is a large and powerful enterprise with a wide variety of slaves. That's why Oren was so brazen inquiring, daring to let his client specify his requirements, from type to age to gender.

While Helan was translating, the translator from the trading company, who was proficient in the Qiyue language, kept reporting to Oulen in a low voice about Helan's rambling explanations.

Then they heard Chen Mo's straightforward answer.

"Capable of doing the work!"

"Anyone who can work now, or anyone who can work in the future, is welcome!"

(End of this chapter)