Chapter 187: Military Deliberation and Planning

Kangsitanting, this regent, did not remain idle during the process of the Dwarf army reorganizing and garrisoning. He quickly grasped the military and political situation during the time he had been away, and his summary of the situation just now was very apt.

"I and my Warhammer serve you!" Sinuoli raised his wine cup and stated his position directly; saying a few pretty words at a time like this did not cost much. Kangsitanting was his employer, and he could not let him lose face.

"I propose we deal with those greedy pirates first! The arrival of our friends from the Qunshan can liberate the lads under my command!"

It seemed there had been prior communication, as the Captain of the Coast Guard was the first to state his position. The formal attire he wore displayed his noble status, but it was clear that this was a coastal noble who worshipped the Sea God.

"Indeed, because of the harassment from those things, my people have suffered no small losses and can now only rest in the harbor. You must know, the waves will not stop for this! Our losses are increasing every day!" Sir Lamosi stood up immediately after, speaking for all those who made their living from the sea.

"I feel the wrath of Mannan'en." Lady Shuman said something without head or tail, but her status was placed there, and no one dared to doubt the weight of these words. Sinuoli noticed she wore large earrings and some pearl ornaments that symbolized her status. There were large tattoos on her exposed skin.

"I must say, under the shadows of the tree crowns in the Chalons Forest, darkness is constantly brewing! The Damsel who went to investigate has gone and not returned; sitting by and watching the expansion of the darkness will only make the shortsighted regret it!"

That Grail Knight whose age could not be discerned spoke up. Yes, besides granting Knights greater Strength Rune, the grace of the Lady of the Lake also extended their lifespans. Although he was the only one there, his voice remained resonant under the protection of the Lady of the Lake.

"The map!" Kangsitanting ordered, and soon a map of Bordeleaux was hung up. Half of this map was ocean, and the land portion only included Bordeleaux and a small border of hers, but it was drawn very meticulously, with even country roads marked.

"Where do those pirates drop anchor?" The regent stared at the small islands and reefs marked outside the bay.

"The albatross tells me that those dead who should have provided nutrients for the creatures of the sea have appeared in these locations before!" Lady Shuman tapped the map a few times with her staff.

"Then what about the Vampire in the Chalons Forest? The hunters, the woodcutters, do they have any news?" Kangsitanting shook his head and continued to ask.

"As far as I know, no. After the corpses in the graveyards of several logging villages stood up again to attack the villagers, they retreated. Since then, we have had no news from the forest." Another person in Knight attire walked in from the doorway.

"This is Viscount Cameron, our City Defense Commander; he is responsible for the city walls facing the land side." Kangsitanting added.

"Then we can say we are like rats in a mine!" Sinuoli had listened for a long time without any clue, so he said a Dwarf proverb.

In fact, it was indeed very difficult to effectively collect intelligence when facing the Undead. They had an air force and the spirit units encountered earlier; facing them, conventional scouts were hard to utilize, and many camouflage and evasion methods were useless.

Another reserved method of obtaining intelligence—bribing traitors or arranging agents to infiltrate the interior—was also unavailable. After all, the Undead army, apart from the leaders, were basically corpses without the ability to think, and the leaders were mostly die-hard members of a different race.

"We must solve the threat at sea first!"

"The ocean is the foundation of Bordeleaux's nationhood!"

"Stinking fish and rotten shrimp that dare not come ashore cannot become a climate! The ones in the forest will destroy the entire Duchy!"

In the banquet hall, the quarrel erupted once again. Sinuoli suspected that such disputes had broken out many times before. And his own arrival would not change anything, because in the eyes of both sides, Sinuoli and the Dwarf army under his command were beneficial to their own plans.

"The Dwarf reinforcements can replace my Port Guard, and with my subordinates, the navy will surely be able to crush those water ghosts!"

"With our Dwarf friends, we can march into the forest to stop the blood kin from desecrating the Lady's holy land!"

In this world, there is almost nothing absolute, nor is there any so-called absolutely correct choice. And how to guide people whose interests are intertwined but not entirely consistent to make decisions that are relatively more beneficial to the overall situation within a limited time is the task of a leader; of course, this is a test for them.

If one's prestige is high enough or one's strength is strong enough, then a leader can certainly suppress all opposing voices and let the chariot move in the direction they want. However, Kangsitanting was not there yet.

"Everyone, besides the strength we have on hand, do we have any other opportunities for victory?" Seeing that the Humans were arguing endlessly, Sinuoli decided to provide some guidance within his power.

"Three days ago, the Duke brought back news via an albatross; in a few days, he will return commanding the fleet. He wants to bring back the spoils of the Expeditionary Force and the wounded who need to recover, and after that, he must transport the replenished supplies back to the front line." The Humans told Sinuoli this news in a jumble of voices.

"Then, with an attack from both inside and outside, can't we solve the Vampire Coast?" Sinuoli asked curiously.

"We could, but that would require waiting for about half a month. The losses of the common people will increase day by day, many orders will be overdue, and fresh goods are difficult to store for so long."

"After the New Year, spring plowing is imminent. If the farmers keep hiding in the castle, then who will plow the land?" The inland nobles also had reasons to want to eliminate the threat as soon as possible.

Sinuoli looked at the young regent opposite him; he knew that this young man also longed to resolve the crisis through his own efforts rather than sitting and waiting for his father and brother to lead troops back to reinforce them.

"Then the water ghosts are just as anxious. It is true that we cannot collect their intelligence, but we can release false news to them. There are so many bats in the air, we need not worry that they won't see it!" Sinuoli's mind turned, and he gave a brilliant plan.

"High, truly high!"

"Worthy of being someone favored by the gods!"

The participants were all clever people with a certain amount of experience and ability; they understood as soon as it was pointed out and reacted quickly. Soon, orders were transmitted from the Duke's castle one after another.

Overnight, the news that the Duke would lead the fleet to return in three days spread throughout the city of Bordeleaux. At first, the citizens did not believe it, but the profit-seeking merchants followed up and reacted.

They began to organize the conversion of some hoarded goods into cash, and the workers who had delayed returning to work due to the war were summoned back. The news of the Duke's return was like a spring breeze, allowing the entire city to revive from the winter.