Warhammer

Al was not afraid of what those people were shouting:

Slogans such as "One year to gather troops, two years to recuperate, three years to counterattack, and five years to restore the monarchy" were not the slightest concern for them in engaging in various patriotic fundraising and lobbying to mobilize the patriotic enthusiasm of overseas groups.

After Aiur crossed Inara and conquered Tyrell with great force, even the most naive exiles would find it difficult to have the confidence that they could defeat Aiur and restore the old traditions through their own military force.

Therefore, he was not afraid that these people would really organize an army and try to "counterattack and restore the country", but he was worried that these people would secretly sabotage him, so he simply took the initiative to help them stir up trouble, so that he would have a reason to take action, or let others take action.

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Over at Haimen Pass, the representatives of the Alliance Expeditionary Force received a grand reception and welcome from the dwarves at the clan meeting, and the two sides reached some consensus. The dwarves of Haimen Pass promised that before the Eternal Peak Mountain Conference issued a formal notice, they would treat this 5,000-man expeditionary force as an "ally", provide them with all their daily supplies, and the Haimen Pass branch of the Dwarfs' Lost Territory Recovery Coordination Office would raise a sum of funds as a special "reward" for the troops.

This practice of giving money before a war to boost morale is said to be very popular in the empire at the time and has almost become a routine. In any case, it was sternly rejected by the representatives of the expeditionary force, who said that both the king's orders and the personal sentiments and morals of the people were unacceptable.

After the meeting, the Haimenguan dwarves did as they said and received the expeditionary force according to the standards for receiving allies. On the same day, they vacated a large area at the dock as a temporary camp for the expeditionary force. Afterwards, the expeditionary force went ashore and began to rest and prepare to receive the next order from the Alliance.

Then the next day, an "accident" happened.

Some young people dressed in colorful clothes, mostly with young faces, gathered outside the camp where the Alliance Expeditionary Force was stationed and started to make trouble.

They were either waving the white flag with blue swords on it, representing Tyrell, or carrying the duchy flag representing a single principality, or holding the holy emblems and ritual instruments of the Myrmidian faith, and gathered outside the camp and made a lot of noise.

"Beastman get out!"

"Haimen does not welcome invaders!"

"We firmly oppose the great tyrant Al the Cruel sending his army of lackeys to Haimen!"

"Please note, everyone who is passing by - the tyrant who was raised by wild beasts and grew up in barbarity and cunning has sent his cold-blooded executioner here! The army of the Southern tyrant is about to attack here! Just like what it did in the South, it will ban the true faith and turn all free people into its slaves!"

They raised various banners, attacking Al and the Southern Alliance, and attracted a large number of passers-by.

Without exception, the protesting groups are all immigrants and exiles from the South. Some of the young people among them are even second- and third-generation immigrants. They may only have a vague impression of the so-called "motherland", but this does not prevent them from having a simple patriotic enthusiasm for the motherland that they have never met but to which their blood can be traced.

But in today's situation, it's not very realistic to join the army and restore the country by force. After all, even if all the immigrant groups that fled after the Great War from all over the world united, the combat effectiveness of the army that could be mobilized would probably still be a little bit behind that of El's Blades.

And there was no such opportunity, so they chose a simpler and less labor-intensive method.

Protest demonstrations.

They blocked a main exit artery, erected flags, hoisted banners, and pulled all kinds of wooden barrels and boxes filled with miscellaneous items to block the road. They stood shoulder to shoulder with the miscellaneous items, blocking the expeditionary force's way out.

This would be a very provocative action even for a non-violent group, let alone a group of heavily armed and combat-minded soldiers?

However, the expeditionary force did not take any action under the control of the commanders who had received the notice.

The soldiers who were on routine guard and patrol ignored the crowds demonstrating against them, neglected their noise and clamor, and showed extreme restraint. They only put up guardrails in front of the demonstrators to prevent them from going deeper.

But perhaps it was this attitude of disregard that aroused further anger among the Southern Restorationists, and the Expeditionary Force's actions were also misinterpreted. When the demonstrators saw that the Union soldiers, who had been so "ferocious" in the past, were now silent, they came up with the idea that "they dared not use force at Haimen Pass again", and the situation soon developed further.

"boom!"

Among the demonstrators, someone threw an empty bottle first, and the sound of it breaking made the crowd pause.

The intense emotions of many people were calmed briefly as if a bucket of cold water was poured on them. They looked nervously at the Alliance soldiers standing on guard behind the guardrails, fearing that the latter would show their fangs in an instant because of this attack-like behavior, launch an attack on them, and drive them away by force.

But the expeditionary soldiers only took a few steps back, took a defensive posture and remained vigilant, while quickly reporting the situation on the other side. Soon an order was passed to the "front line".

"Everyone retreat to the barracks and set up roadblocks. As long as these people don't steal or damage our supplies or hurt our people, let them go."

So the soldiers of the expeditionary force were busy coming and going, and under the equally vigilant gaze of the demonstrators, after adding several more layers of guardrails, they simply returned to the camp, closed the door and did not go out again.

This action immediately aroused enthusiastic response from the demonstrators. They cheered, believing that it was the enemy's retreat and defeat. Imitators immediately began to smash the makeshift guardrails with various objects at hand. Soon, more people began to follow suit. Various crackling sounds were heard incessantly, and the field was in a mess. The demonstrators were jubilant, and they had successfully forced the alliance to retreat.

Some radical demonstrators even crossed the guardrails and stepped into the camp, which had essentially been designated as a "military area." With the help of their companions, they stood on high ground and waved the Tyrell flag in their hands, which immediately caused warm cheers and praise from the audience.

"Drive out the invaders!"

People shouted as if victory was within reach.

But they will soon learn that their current elation does not come without a price.

Chapter 115: Conflict

Upon learning that the "ally's" base was under siege, the Haimenguan dwarves were shocked and quickly convened a discussion meeting. At the same time, they urgently sent military police to maintain the situation to prevent it from deteriorating.

Just as Misha had imagined, and even further.

The dwarves need the Alliance's help, even if they are in the right.

On the day of the demonstration, more than 30 southern demonstrators were arrested and questioned. Among them were exiles and second- and third-generation immigrants who had already taken root in Haimenguan. Regardless of their identity, they undoubtedly brought very bad negative impacts to Haimenguan.

After receiving the news, Norn Bronzebeard, the old dwarf Gladin and a group of young "bearded men" rushed to the scene. They arrived earlier than the military police. They cursed at the troublemakers and even pushed them with their own hands.

The dwarves were stronger than these people in combat, and with their stable chassis, they could attack from low to high. Although they could not use weapons to cut off the legs or counterattack, they were still able to "beat" the protesters back step by step.

The latter cursed the alliance. After all, there was "national hatred and family feud" at stake. They cursed with confidence and with reasons and evidence. It is normal for young people to dare to do anything when they are angry.

But when facing the dwarves, they were not so brave. After all, Haimen Pass was a dwarf city.

But there are also those who are not convinced and will confront Norn and other dwarves, "kindly reminding" the latter:

"The so-called alliance is a greedy monster, and their leader is a dishonest villain! A tyrant!"

"Don't be fooled by their temporary friendliness! Estalia's lesson is before us!"

The demonstrators from Estalia shouted at the top of their lungs, while Norn said disdainfully: "I've been to Margarita myself, and it's much better now than it was ten years ago!"

"You accuse a virtuous king of being a usurper, but from what I've seen, Margarita's people never seem to feel that way!"

The two sides were in a stalemate, and the dwarves expelled the demonstrators from the camp, but they did not say that they were completely driven away. They were not military police and did not have such power.

Soon, the genuine Haimenguan gendarmerie arrived. First, a team of fully armed humans hurried over, lined up, raised the gendarmerie flag, and then several officers came forward to negotiate.

But he was soon scolded back by Norn.

Because these gendarmerie officers actually said: "We have received information that there are people gathering here to cause trouble and disrupt order", and asked both parties to send representatives and the persons involved to go to the Public Security Department for questioning.

This would have been normal, but they turned a blind eye to the southern group that was still making noise and showing off their power, and only asked the expeditionary force to immediately send representatives to "hand over" the people involved to be taken to the public security department.

Even the dumbest person could sense that something was wrong, and Norn immediately realized that these people were obviously from the same source as the minor troubles the expeditionary force encountered when entering the port.

The southern immigrants and exiles within Haimen Pass have considerable hostility towards the "Alliance" that destroyed their motherland!

And he was very dissatisfied when he learned that the Alliance was about to reach a cooperation with the dwarves!

The southerners were aggressive and not very patient, so the Alliance's expeditionary force at Haimen Pass was a great deterrent to them. In just one day, the following people appeared among the exiles:

"The Beastmen want to make a deal with the Dwarves! They'll send their troops to help the Dwarves fight, and the Dwarves will hand us all over to them!"

Such rumors.

It caused great panic, including among immigrant groups.

That's why they came to protest the next day after they heard the news.

If they were not afraid of the expeditionary force using force, the people who came to demonstrate might have included not only young people, but also the elderly, women and children.

The human military police had a tough attitude, and Norn and others were speechless for a moment. They had no positions in Haimen Pass, and the dock area where the expeditionary force was stationed was in the West City, which was mostly inhabited by settlers. The dwarves did not have the energy to manage it, so the West City District had a high degree of autonomy, and even the power structure was self-contained, and basically came from the settlers.

As long as you have the status of a military police, you do have the power to enforce the law.

They were in a stalemate for a while, and the Alliance Expeditionary Force also sent representatives at the right time - two teams of fully armed soldiers, who removed the guardrails, politely invited the Bronzebeard team in to avoid trouble, and then took over to confront the troublemakers.

The heavily armored Wrathhorn Warlords stand still like an iron tower. They hold a halberd in one hand and a shield in the other, with six short axes on their leg armor for throwing. They are fully armed from head to toe, and the spikes on their helmets can even be used as ramming horns in close combat. Only the strong bodies of the Wrathhorns can unleash the power of this set of weapons.

If he was not in a foreign fortress and in a busy city, he would not have worn this complete set of equipment due to concerns about the impact. At least he would not have worn the Troll Alchemy Bomb, which was very suitable for use in street fighting.

Otherwise, a fire could easily break out, and innocent people would inevitably be harmed.

But even so, just standing there, they were half a head taller than ordinary soldiers, and they could fit two people in. Even on the battlefield, the well-trained Tyrell mercenaries would feel desperate when they saw a team of such "monsters" facing them, let alone these unarmed demonstrators?

If the expeditionary force had pushed forward, there would have been a bloody massacre, with a much wider impact than Tobaro, but fortunately the soldiers of the alliance showed superb discipline. They lined up when they were supposed to and were on guard when they were supposed to. They showed neither anger nor shame towards the troublemakers, but a completely indifferent attitude.

"That's them! That's them! Beasts! Monsters! The tyrant's executioner!" One of the exiles shouted in horror, as if some bad memories were brought back to him.

Many immigrants who had never dealt with the "tyrant and his evil army" were watching the opposite side with nervous and vigilant eyes, fearing that they would suddenly raise their weapons and attack them.

The appearance of the armed soldiers made the gendarmerie officers lower their voices unconsciously. They sent out representatives who mustered up the courage to walk up to the formation of the alliance soldiers and request negotiations.

After learning of their "demands", representatives of the expeditionary force remained noncommittal and said that perhaps this matter required a "higher power" to resolve.

Then they retreated into the team, and the two sides remained in a silent stalemate on an important main road. As time went by, more and more onlookers came to watch.

Soon, the Haimenguan dwarf military police also arrived at the scene.

They rushed to the scene as quickly as possible, but the dwarf's legs were really...

"Brat from the Bronzebeard family! What on earth is going on?!"

As soon as the dwarf gendarmerie arrived, their leader began shouting at the top of his lungs.

From what he is wearing and the unique badge engraved on his chest, it can be seen that he is a dwarf chief!

Norn Bronzebeard's eyes lit up, and he was about to step forward, but Gradin held his shoulder, and then the old dwarf walked over himself.

"Our friends are in some trouble."

The old dwarf's words made many people feel cold.

"Hmm?" The dwarf chief's eyes lit up.

“Gradin, since you consider me a friend, I guess I’m a pretty good person.” He muttered, then looked at the human military police standing awkwardly on the side and raised his voice, “Tell me what’s going on!”

Chapter 116: Mercenaries in the Badlands

This is the end of the first month that the [Veteran] mercenary group has set foot in the badlands.

Their numbers have dropped by one-third from 800 at their peak.

Six hundred and nineteen.

Including the logistics personnel whose main job is not to fight, these are all the people around Rodrian.

And such a team, in this desolate badlands where except for the rugged rocks and Gobi desert, even the colors of the plants are surprisingly consistent with the land, even an accidental heat wave could easily smash them to pieces.

Fortunately, all the core members were safe and sound, which was one of the few comforts in Rodrian's heart.

He now felt a little regretful. He did not regret coming here, but he regretted not being so arrogant and should have made full preparation and understanding before setting out.

Roderion once fought in the ice and snow of the Norse Mountains, where he washed away his past decadence and returned as a warrior better than before. After seeing Norsca, he thought that there would be no other place in the world that was so dangerous.

Whether it was from other creatures, even teammates, or nature...but he was obviously wrong.

The Badlands is a very dangerous place for everyone who works there, even the so-called "natives".

There are a large number of greenskin tribes wandering on this barren land, defeated exiles who have gathered here for various reasons, groups of bandits and criminals, and even more terrifying evil forces... The harsh environment and the ruins of the ancient country are the only remaining traces of civilization on this land, and it is extremely unsuitable for settlement.

Travelers need not look far to discover the remains of a battle, cult sacrifices, dark rituals, and the madness of the Waaaaagh that permeates the land.

Aside from the corrupted Great Forest of Athel Loren, this is one of the few places in the world where the worship of the Chaos Gods is still "popular".

There are endless groups of cultists, herds of crazy and foolish beasts... There is even a legend that if you come across some seemingly safe settlements in the depths of the badlands, don't risk staying there, because those seemingly "normal" residents are actually a group of crazy evil god slaves behind their faces. They are controlled by the cultists and avoid the order in the badlands to carry out endless blasphemous rituals. They will corrupt or kill all outsiders who approach them, and throw them into the sacrifice of the dark evil god in order to please their demon masters.

The chaotic winds of magic here have never been restrained. The cost of placing waystones, erecting white towers and fortresses here is so high that Ossuary cannot afford it. The surging power of chaos has raged for thousands of years, so that although this land is barren and no grass grows, it is rich in dimensional stone minerals. In some wastelands and basins, a large amount of precious dimensional stone is even exposed on the surface. Anyone who passes by, as long as they understand the precious value of these gem-like things that emit a faint green and black light, cannot help but be tempted by them.

And once you choose to get close, you will never be able to get away!

"What is it that turns saints into murderers, chaste people into adulterers, and humans into mutants? Ah, dear warpstone, maker of dreams, changer of fate, destroyer of Mordheim, and killer of countless alchemists and scholars. But illusions, miracles, wonders... and, of course, the risk of madness, mutation, and death..." - Soren Detrov, Nuln alchemist.

These pure crystals of the power of Ithil will corrode all mortals who approach them. Those fools who dream of getting rich and greedily collect large and small bags of dimensional stone and then plan to leave the badlands will eventually suffer terrible deformations in one night or during a walk. Some people survived, but they have become completely crazy and turned into deformed hoofed creatures, living with crazy beasts; some people had their skin and flesh fall off, became insane, and eventually died silently in the badlands amid increasingly severe flesh corrosion and terrible hallucinations.

Only Chaos Beasts and Skaven can perhaps harness the power of these Chaos Gifts in some way.

But every year there are still many people who dream of getting rich and go into the badlands to scavenge, contributing a fresh body of flesh and blood to this dark place where no living creature should be allowed to enter.

But Rodrian's team had to march forward with difficulty and struggle in this terrible place.

He only had a map in his hand.

The map handed to him personally by the Lord of the Alliance.

It records a landmark, a place marked "Tower of Bones", and a winding route map, but nothing else.

This is a map that Ai'er obtained from the Omniscient through sacrifice.

If we were to explore it on our own, it would take at least half a year and even cost hundreds of lives.

The end point of the map, the Tower of Bones, is a very important goal of Aiur's expedition to the East, in addition to helping the dwarves regain lost territory and hunting down dark omens.

Aiel's army was still preparing for the battle on the front line. He planned to march to the Giant Tower if everything went well - but not to capture it. Instead, he wanted to use this port city built by colonists from the southern border princes on the ruins of the old elven colony, and provide his expedition fleet with a stopover for supplies along the way.

Then continue north from Blackwater Bay all the way to Barak Seagate, where you obtain supplies from the dwarves and march eastward, crossing a barren plain that is less dangerous than the southern badlands, and arrive at the front line of Black Rock Castle.

But at the same time, Al will also leave a detachment in the Giant Tower to slowly explore the interior of the badlands, to help him solve the main quest and prepare for clearing the side quests.