Chapter 181: 185. Chapter 185: The Despised Meat-Eaters

185. Chapter 185: The Despised Meat-Eaters

Second Brother, come over to whisper.

After the Eldest Prince left, the Third Prince immediately assigned a task to the Second Prince.

Such is the division of labor among the three princes.

The Eldest represents the royal house, handling all internal and external affairs, especially liaison with the nobles of all ethnic groups;

The Second oversees the royal family's military, guarding the palace and all holy sites;

The Third is wise and clever, capable of planning and decisive judgment; he would have been the best heir to the throne, but due to his physical defect he can only stay behind the scenes, calling the shots.

What is it? Speak.

The Second Prince shifted his seat, moved to sit beside the Third Prince, and leaned in to listen.

Go secretly relocate the 'new generation' of fairies, stationing them where Father sleeps.

After they are stationed, cut off all internal and external contact, and protect Father until he awakens.

During that time, no matter what happens outside—even if the royal court collapses, or even if the Eldest and I personally beg for help—do not pay any heed.

Preserve our strength, and wait silently for the Father King to awaken.

The Third Prince's expression grew grave as he slowly laid out his plan.

His tone was flat, yet all the more resolute, showing his determination to hold fast to the end and never yield.

Third Brother, you mean……

The Second Prince is merely hot-tempered, not a political fool; of course he understands why the Third Prince arranged things this way.

His pessimism about the war's course is one aspect.

He worries about a traitor within the royal family,

also fears that the little foundation they've painstakingly rebuilt will be poached by another house,

and worries even more that several great nobles have colluded with otherworldly 'demons' to launch a sneak attack on the sleeping Father King.

These are several other concerns.

As for the Eldest and Third Princes personally seeking aid and being ignored, that is actually easy to understand.

There are many ways to disguise oneself as another.

One can even obtain memories through soul search, reaching the point of deceiving reality.

If the Second Prince gullibly believes the impostor's plea for help and withdraws the troops, the sleeping Father King will be ambushed.

Such consequences are unimaginable.

Moreover, this is also cutting off all retreat, resolving to share the royal court's fate.

Prepare to die heroically!

Just understand that.

The Third Prince cut off the Second Prince's words, his face clouded with worry as he sighed: 'Second Brother, let me be frank—I have no confidence whatsoever in our future. The enemy is far too strong, far beyond what we can cope with. It's like……'

He swallowed the words he had meant to say, the Third Prince thought of a more vivid metaphor, and sighed:

'Dealing with us is for the enemy like us dealing with those pig‑beasts—there is simply no common ground between the two sides.'

'If it weren't for the aid of the World Will, Father King says he couldn't escape back; we estimate we would now either be dead or captured.'

'The enemy possesses the strength to sweep straight through to the royal court.'

'He merely refrains out of some reservation.'

'Our resistance is doomed to be futile.'

The Second Prince knows all this as well.

After the first battle ended, twenty thousand elite troops were wiped out in confusion, and he felt an ominous premonition.

Under the World Will's 'coercion', the Father King had to personally lead ten thousand main forces, rushed into battle, and suffered another crushing defeat, losing nearly sixteen thousand troops.

He himself was seriously wounded, barely escaping with his life.

The Second Prince's foreboding grew even grimmer.

He kept shouting that he must be unyielding, not submit.

In truth he is afraid—for if even he ceases to be firm and thinks of yielding, then no one in the royal family, the ethnic group, or the species will remain resolute or resist.

Thinking of this, he let out a faint sigh, rose, and strode purposefully toward the palace exit.

Sighing solves nothing.

Since the cleverest Third Brother has already resolved to die for the cause,

and we have given him a task that only he can accomplish,

then let us entrust the affairs of the royal court to the Eldest and the Third Brother.

As for him, he will to the death guard this world's last hope—the king of the Rainforest Fairy Clan, the Supreme Sovereign King revered by all fairy peoples of the Fairy World!

They await the Supreme Sovereign King, hoping he will drive out those terrifying otherworldly 'demons'.

And restore the bright, orderly cosmos of the Fairy World!

The great nobles constantly monitor the palace's movements.

Given the present situation, any action taken by the palace tugs at their hearts.

The Eldest Prince made a high‑profile exit from the palace, paid a high‑profile visit to the manor of the High Mountain Fairy Duke, and the news of his audience with the Duke spread swiftly throughout the royal court.

Hot searches and heated discussions exploded instantly.

Countless fairies awaited the outcome of the audience.

Lower‑class commoners, no matter which fairy ethnic group they belong to, as long as they care about the world's safety and the continuation of their race, all hope for a favorable result.

The nobles, meanwhile, are contemplating how to respond to whatever changes may arise.

Whether it be war or peace, how to wage war or how to negotiate peace—all have their proper ways.

How to preserve the family's power and status after war, or after negotiations, and even further advance, is what most nobles care about most.

As for defending the world, heh...

Isn't that the royal family's job?

To wear the crown, first bear its weight.

The royal family, especially the royal household that has ruled and exploited the world for nearly a thousand years and enjoyed its benefits for nearly a thousand years, ought to now take responsibility and make sacrifices.

After an hour of deep talks inside the mansion.

The Grand Duke of the High Mountain Elves personally saw the Crown Prince to the mansion's outer gate.

The two elves walked out hand in hand, truly shocking many elf nobles.

The High Mountain Elves' Grand Duke's attitude toward resisting "invasion" was the most passive.

Even after the Supreme Honored King fell asleep, he once loudly proclaimed that the otherworldly "visitors" came with cooperative goodwill, claiming it was the Supreme Honored King who, for his own selfishness, provoked this doomed war.

The High Mountain Elves urged the commoner class not to shed blood pointlessly or make blind sacrifices.

One should preserve useful lives, await post-war cooperation with the otherworldly "visitors", and build a better elf world.

On several occasions when the royal court convened, the High Mountain Elves' Grand Duke argued with the Crown Prince until his face flushed.

Now they put on this display of intimate closeness.

Who are they trying to show this to?

The nobles? Or the commoners?

The war faction? Or the peace faction?

What message are they trying to convey?

Are the High Mountain Elves preparing to mobilize the whole tribe in response to the royal family's call, vowing to resist the "invasion" to the death?

Or is the royal family unwilling to resist to the end, planning to negotiate with the otherworldly "demons"—no, the otherworldly "visitors"?

For a moment, the situation became fickle and unpredictable.

"Grand Duke, your righteousness will not be forgotten by the royal family."

On the street outside the gate, the Crown Prince uttered a piece of empty rhetoric.

He then bade farewell to the High Mountain Elves' Grand Duke, turned and got into the carriage, preparing to lobby the next household.

"Crown Prince, it's settled then. I will surely not betray your great trust, and I hope you will keep your promise and not go back on it."

The High Mountain Elves' Grand Duke suddenly spoke up, shouting loudly, his voice like a great bell, echoing around the mansion.

The Crown Prince's figure paused slightly as he stepped into the carriage, then returned to normal and sat inside.

Two tusked barbarian elephant beasts pulled the carriage, which drove off smoothly.

The High Mountain Elves' Grand Duke watched them go, looking reluctant.

In truth, the two elves were muttering complaints about each other—one called the other a miser, the other called him so greedy he'd burst.

After the Crown Prince's carriage left the High Mountain Elves' Grand Duke's mansion, it promptly headed for the Plains Elves' Grand Duke's mansion.

"Today," the Crown Prince intends to gather the grand dukes of the major clans assembled at the royal court to discuss the great war, visiting them all in turn.

He hopes to get them to send troops to welcome the emissary of the otherworldly "demons"—no, the otherworldly "visitors".

Afterward, it will depend on how the second younger brother stirs up conflict between the two sides.

In the Royal Forest.

"Halt, rest."

After advancing at high speed for over an hour, Otis the boss suddenly issued an order. The special forces unit immediately complied, halting forward movement, maintaining defensive formation, resting in place, and replenishing water and food.

Everyone, including Otis the boss, ate and drank only what they carried.

No one would give water or food to anyone else.

Lin Ke silently noted this to himself.

At the same time, he reflected on some of his actions during the Two Districts Grand Comparison.

After resting a bit, he saw that there was still some time before they needed to move again.

Lin Ke took the chance to contact Asande via private chat, asking for confirmation: "We've gone so smoothly, bypassing all sentries, hidden posts, and elf settlements along the way—had the route already been scouted?"

Although "Black Cat" Betty had been controlling dozens of bio-mechanical hummingbirds the whole time, scouting the surroundings.

But in route selection, it had always been Otis the boss's pre-made decision.

Betty's scouting was more like insurance, to avoid stepping into traps.

Asande raised his eyebrows, smiling as he explained:

"Warring across the heavens isn't just about fighting and killing; there's also human affairs.

The Sage Paro led the legion to the elf world; the first thing they did was not build a forward base, but send envoys to contact the ruling elite of the elf world, the elf royal family.

If they were willing to become a vassal world of the wizard world, contribute their strength, and help the wizard world's world will "immerse" the elf world's world will, Sage Paro could let them retain their rule.

Moreover, it could even help them develop.

But the elf royal family refused, and even went so far as to slay the envoys, actively provoking war.

Only then did we have the first campaign of defensive counterattack, followed by a second campaign of reciprocal retaliation.

"Wait a moment."

Lin Ke interrupted Asande's words, questioning doubtfully: "Envoys? And they were killed?"

Given Sage Paro's style and the wizard world's customary practice of warring across the heavens, if envoys were really killed, how could there possibly be only two low-intensity campaigns? (Elf weeping)

It would surely trigger the most thorough, most frenzied retaliation.

The entire elf world might already have been plowed over.

Not to mention leaving not a blade of grass; at most one in ten would survive.

"Just a puppet controlled by an AI wizard, not a real person."

Asande knew what Lin Ke doubted, and immediately gave an explanation.

Upon hearing that, Lin Ke suddenly understood.

If it's not a real person, then it's not a particularly big deal.

At most it would be just wiping out the fairy royal clan to show that wizards cannot be insulted.

And incidentally bury the innocent dead intelligent puppets as burial companions.

It wouldn't go so far as to exterminate the entire fairy race.

Asande then continued speaking:

"At that time, more than one puppet was sent out together.

"There were also four puppets sent respectively to the mountain fairy tribe, the plains fairy tribe, the river fairy tribe, and the deep-sea fairy tribe.

"Paluo Xianzhe promised that if the rulers of the four great fairy tribes could restrain their people, after the fairy royal clan is eliminated, the fairy world could be jointly governed by the four tribes.

"As long as they are willing to represent the fairy world and become vassals of the wizard world.

"With such generous terms, who wouldn't be moved among the fairies?

"As long as they are moved, what information could they not obtain?

"What are the deployment map and route map of the Fairy King's Forest?

Lin Ke nodded, indicating understanding.

He said, from leaving the forward camp aboard the flight vehicle, to air-dropping and approaching the Fairy King's Forest, then to the various responses and route choices after entering the forest, all gave off a strange vibe.

It seemed as if an invisible fairy was leading the way ahead.

Thereafter, Lin Ke pondered the true purpose of this special squad's deep penetration behind enemy lines.

He always felt it wasn't as simple as it appeared.

"What are you thinking about?"

Asande saw Lin Ke falling into thought, raised his eyebrows, and asked curiously.

Lin Ke replied frankly: "I'm wondering what this mission is really for."

Asande chuckled and countered: "What do you think, why did the academy assign Paluo Xianzhe to conquer this fairy world rather than another world?"

Lin Ke had not considered this question.

Or more specifically, Lin Ke had not thought about this question from Paluo Xianzhe's perspective.

Lin Ke recalled a saying from his past life: war is the continuation of politics.

The academy could not possibly launch a blind expedition against the fairy world on a whim, like child's play.

There must be some objective.

Paluo Xianzhe also did not go straight to force upon arrival; he first observed propriety before using force.

Even in both campaigns, they did not employ overly oversized strategic magical weapons.

Only in the second campaign did they dispatch a single airborne fortress to bomb the fairy royal clan reinforcements that were about to rush onto the guard corps' blocking position.

The guard corps is the core of Paluo Xianzhe's direct lineage, accumulated over decades, all members being second-rank wizards.

Using few to resist many, blocking fifty thousand fairy royal clan reinforcements, is not the proper use of the guard corps.

Either they should escort Paluo Xianzhe around him to crush the enemy's main force head-on, or act as a decisive hammer strike, directly raiding the empty rear of the Fairy King's Forest.

That is the correct way to employ the guard corps.

But Paluo Xianzhe did not put the good steel to the blade's edge.

The hundred thousand main fairy forces on the main battlefield were not completely annihilated, but mainly taken prisoner.

Even the frontline command headquarters, after discovering the accident of large-scale mutation among the fairies, immediately organized many institutions led by the medical department to conduct research.

Looking back, the medical department's definitions of "plague" and "mutation" might be a matter of perspective, absolutely not a lack of knowledge or technical skill.

All these thoughts fluttered in his mind, and Lin Ke grasped the key point.

"Conquering the fairy world is not difficult; the key is to take it intact."

Lin Ke figured out the key, his eyes growing brighter, both answering Asande and speaking to himself,

"The academy is giving the fairy world to Paluo Xianzhe as a training ground, and positioning the fairy world as a resource world.

"And the greatest value of the fairy world, in my humble opinion, is perhaps its mineral and population resources.

"What the academy needs are fairies that are not weak but intelligent, not corpses that sacrifice reason for a slight enhancement.

"Therefore, the purpose of our deep penetration behind enemy lines this time is to uncover the truth behind the fairies' sudden large-scale mutation and to research a solution to stop the mutation from spreading further."

Asande listened quietly to Lin Ke's words, habitually raised his eyebrows, and smiled.

"That's roughly correct, but you can open your thinking a bit more.

"If it cannot be solved, if the spread cannot be stopped, you can also perfect the fairies' biochemical modification and enhancement plan.

"The legion is not lacking people skilled in biological research; why did I specially request Paluo Xianzhe to loan you over?

"What I value is that you already have a complete train of thought and have proposed a relatively feasible improvement plan."

Lin Ke nodded, his own positioning becoming somewhat clearer.

With a clear positioning, actions have guidance, and mistakes will not be made easily.

At this moment, "Black Cat" Beidi spoke on the team channel: "Captain, three fairy squads are approaching from the one o'clock direction beyond ten wizard miles. How should we handle them?"

"Let them come."

Otisi Dalao's voice immediately followed: "They are messengers sent by the fairy nobility to deliver intelligence."

Obviously, as a third-rank wizard and captain of the special squad, Otisi Dalao knows more information than all the team members, including Asande, this false intelligence section chief.

"Yes."

Beidi responded and returned to silence.

Lin Ke, upon hearing the conversation, couldn't help but sigh.

The collaborators are everywhere.

Please give me monthly tickets, please give me monthly tickets.

You big shots passing by, don't let them get ahead—use monthly tickets to drown us.