"How could this have nothing to do with us?"
Not the least bit flustered by the ridicule, Li Ke chuckled and shot right back, "No matter how small a son's business is, it's still a big deal. Didn't you all rush here from thousands of miles away as well?"
Cohen didn't catch on at first, but he quickly picked up on the double entendre, and his face instantly darkened.
"Son" could refer to the Golden Lizard Kingdom, or it could refer to the Wilante.
A distant century and a half ago, there were no Wilante on this planet. Every single Wilante was a super soldier designed through genetic modification by the Academy's predecessor—the Technical Department of the Post-War Reconstruction Committee—at the request of the Defense Department.
As a myriarch, he couldn't possibly be ignorant of the origins of the Wilante; he simply didn't care.
The Legion's pride and glory had never stemmed from ancient history, but from the path stretching boundlessly forward beneath their feet.
Yet not caring was one thing.
Having it dragged out and mocked in public was quite another.
Chu Guang glanced at the Grade-B researcher in mild surprise.
From the players' casual chatter on the forums, he had assumed that bunch of nerds were all tongue-tied.
Now it seemed the only ones lacking verbal skills were the low-level field agents who didn't know how to run their mouths in circles.
Seeing the four factions standing stock-still in the wheat field, the air growing thick with the pungent stench of gunpowder beneath the sarcastic barbs, King Menggote felt his scalp tingle with dread.
This was, after all, his front doorstep.
Unable to bear the anxiety churning in his gut any longer, Menggote plucked up the courage to step forward and smooth things over:
"...Honored guests, having traveled such long distances, you must be exhausted from your journey! Why not accompany me to the castle to rest first, and then we can discuss future matters in detail? This is hardly a suitable place to talk, after all..."
Cohen cast a cool glance at the old man and gave a signal to the guard beside him.
The guard nodded respectfully, turned back toward the "Bison" all-terrain armored walker behind them, and stepped through its open hatch.
The massive steel machine slowly rose, the displacement of air kicking up a gust that flattened a swath of wheat ears.
Watching with satisfaction as a series of expressions—astonishment, terror, and awe—rippled across those ignorant faces, Cohen led his contingent of Level 30 guards past the king and marched through the gate in the river levee.
This was a vassal state of the Legion.
Coming here was like returning to his own home; he needed no invitation.
Whether kings, nobles, or common folk, every soul on this oasis was his servant. Since when did a servant invite his master to be a guest in his own house?
Realizing his presumption, King Menggote kept his head bowed, not daring so much as to breathe heavily. The surrounding nobles did the same.
The Alliance's treatment of them had been far too lenient.
So lenient that they had nearly forgotten their place as vassals.
Only Count Cromwell had a spark of ambition gleaming in his eyes, his mind turning over ways to curry favor with this apparent new master.
He had already offended the Alliance's Administrator.
He couldn't afford to screw up this time...
"Holy crap, this NPC sure knows how to act pompous," Ye Shi muttered softly over the communication channel, glaring at Cohen's receding back.
Kuang Feng rubbed the bridge of his nose and said calmly, "A five-star myriarch... Aside from the Marshal and the Legion Commanders, there's probably no one of higher rank in the entire Legion."
In other words, he stood here representing the Marshal himself, holding full authority over all affairs in Sunset Province—including the autonomous right to wage war.
This man was clearly far harder to deal with than Griffin.
Especially off the battlefield.
Chu Guang watched the governor's back for a moment, then shifted his gaze toward Wu Changnian, who stood beside the Orca transport.
The middle-aged man's face had already returned to a genial, warm smile, and he looked back just as cordially.
"A pleasure to meet you, Alliance Administrator. I've wanted to pay you a visit for quite some time... You are even younger and more promising than the media portrays."
"You flatter me, Mr. Wu."
"Not at all. Winning this war was entirely thanks to you," Wu Changnian said, shaking his head with a slight smile. "Yet our war has only just begun, hasn't it?"
Chu Guang knew what he meant.
The fruits won by soldiers on the battlefield had to be consolidated at the negotiating table.
Triumph City had gone so far as to send a five-star myriarch to serve as the governor of Sunset Province; this ceasefire negotiation would not be resolved easily or concluded haphazardly.
"You're right. If it's convenient, I would also like to know the Council's stance."
A pleased smile spread across Wu Changnian's face. "I was just hoping to discuss that very matter. Shall we step aside and talk?"
Chu Guang smiled as well. "My thoughts exactly."
Chatting and laughing, the two walked toward the city gate.
All that remained behind were players who hadn't had their fill of watching the drama, the upright "Bison" all-terrain armored walker, the Enterprise's transport and commando soldiers, and King Menggote with his retinue of nobles.
Standing beside his spindle-shaped shuttle, Li Ke felt thoroughly awkward. He had no choice but to walk up to King Menggote and clear his throat forcefully.
"I am from the Academy."
Snapping back to his senses, King Menggote hurriedly said with utmost politeness, "How may I be of service, my lord?"
"Find me a place to stay... preferably close to those two."
Pointing toward the distant figures of Chu Guang and Wu Changnian, Li Ke emphasized with a solemn look, "The Academy has a seat in these ceasefire talks. Do you understand what I mean?"
Though he had no idea what the Academy had to do with this war, King Menggote was well aware that a behemoth like that was not someone a defeated monarch with a disbanded army could afford to offend. He nodded repeatedly. "Understood! Perfectly understood!"
"Good."
Li Ke cast a satisfied look at him, gathered his two android bodyguards, and strode contentedly through the city gate.
...
Although their friend from the Wandering Marsh had made a fool of himself right out of the gate, his blunder had, in a way, defused the razor-sharp tension between the Enterprise and the Legion.
Moreover, Li Ke looked completely unbothered, as though he hadn't taken anything to heart at all, caring nothing about whatever Cohen had said.
Then again, it made sense.
The byproduct of prospectivism was not just extreme materialism, but also pure consequentialism.
Ordinary prospectors had no clearance to learn the details of the negotiations, and even if "Dr. Conclusion" knew the details, he wouldn't necessarily care whether his subordinate embarrassed himself.
As long as the ultimate goal was achieved.
As long as the cost paid was acceptable...
Yet the ceasefire talks did not proceed smoothly.
Though hardly unexpected, the unyielding attitude of the representative named Cohen still somewhat exceeded Chu Guang's expectations.
Inside the castle at the center of Falcon City.
Within the spacious council chamber sat the representatives from the Legion, the Enterprise, the Academy, and the Alliance.
Under the watchful eyes of the guards, the castle servants trembled as they poured tea and served water to these grand figures, not daring to show the slightest negligence.
Cohen tapped his fingers against the table, his aggressive demeanor putting the rude and unreasonable nature of the Wilante on full display.
"If you are genuinely sincere about a ceasefire, withdraw your troops from Oasis 2 immediately! That is the prerequisite for restoring peace!"
"That is unrealistic."
Completely unintimidated by the aggressive posture, Chu Guang cut him off without conceding an inch. "The Alliance's military operations will only end after the ceasefire agreement takes effect."
Cohen's eyebrows arched slightly, surprised by the Alliance's firm stance.
In the battle reports previously sent to Triumph City, the Legion and the Alliance had traded wins and losses.
Though isolated and unsupported, which put Griffin at a disadvantage due to the Enterprise's intervention, his troops had supposedly still inflicted substantial casualties upon the Alliance.
In particular, a legendary retainer had reportedly slain a thousand Alliance soldiers single-handedly!
Reasonably speaking, even if the front-line battle reports contained a degree of boasting, at least a fraction of it ought to have been credible.
Before descending from the airship, he had been confident that the Alliance was also on its last legs, which was why he had adopted such an aggressive stance right from the start.
Yet now...
The Alliance's uncompromising reaction caught him off guard.
For a moment, Cohen couldn't tell whether the man before him was bluffing, or if the situation on the front lines was not nearly as optimistic as he had assumed.
Thoughts racing through his mind, Cohen maintained his expression and settled for the next best thing:
"Then at the very least, your people should withdraw from the perimeter of Fort Horn and maintain a fifty-kilometer buffer zone from our forces."
It was a reasonable demand.
Yet to his surprise, the man sitting across the table refused once more.
"The garrison at Fort Horn has not surrendered. Fifty thousand Legion soldiers are stationed there. We cannot simply ignore such a massive threat. Until they lay down their weapons or the ceasefire talks make substantial progress, we aren't going anywhere."
What a joke.
How could Chu Guang agree to such terms?
Cohen might not know the logistical situation inside Fort Horn, but Chu Guang had heard the details loud and clear from Battlefield Guy.
The garrison in Fort Horn was not only lacking food, water, and ammunition, but the continuous harassment from circling aircraft had pushed their morale to the brink of collapse, driving them to the verge of infighting.
The moment they pulled back fifty kilometers, the Skeleton Corps and the Lion Kingdom's army alone would never be able to maintain the total blockade they had now.
And if ammunition accidentally slipped into the fortress, they would most likely have to fight another battle.
Looking at Cohen, who clearly had yet to grasp the reality of the situation, Chu Guang said in an even tone:
"Mr. Cohen, I wonder if you've heard this saying: What you cannot gain on the battlefield, you can never hope to win at the negotiating table."
Cohen narrowed his eyes dangerously. "Are you suggesting we settle this on the battlefield, then?"
The air inside the chamber seemed to freeze solid.
The instant Cohen uttered those words, Li Ke grew visibly tense.
Wu Changnian's expression remained steady, but he shot repeated glances toward Chu Guang, hinting that he shouldn't push Triumph City too far.
The stench of gunpowder over the negotiating table was more pungent than ever.
Chu Guang looked at no one else, his eyes locked steadily on Cohen.
"What I mean is, please present realistic demands."
Their gazes clashed like crossing swords, practically throwing sparks across the table.
Although the Legion's overall power far exceeded that of the Alliance, in terms of individual martial prowess, Cohen—being merely an ordinary man—was clearly outmatched by Chu Guang.
Knowing that continuing the standoff would yield no results, Cohen gave a cold snort, pushed aside the teacup on the table, and rose to his feet.
Startled by his sudden movement, Li Ke, who hadn't uttered a single word throughout the exchange, scrambled to mediate:
"Let's speak calmly, everyone. How about both sides take a step back—"
"It seems you have no sincere intention to negotiate properly." Utterly ignoring the Grade-B researcher, Cohen narrowed his eyes at Chu Guang. "We're done for today."
To that threatening tone, Chu Guang merely smiled faintly and replied with unhurried calm:
"It seems you didn't get enough rest on your journey here."
"As you wish, then. We'll resume tomorrow."
He knew why Cohen was doing this.
The Judgment had only just arrived in Sunset Province, so he did not yet understand the actual situation on the front lines. Given the Eastern Expansionists' penchant for painting grand illusions, the battle reports sent to Triumph City were bound to have been heavily embellished.
Perhaps in the pages of the Triumph Gazette, Griffin was locked in an intense, evenly matched struggle with the Alliance. Having just arrived, Cohen was naturally bewildered by the Alliance's unyielding stance.
Letting him learn about Fort Horn's current predicament was fine as well.
After leaving the conference chamber, Cohen immediately placed a call to Joseph aboard the Judgment.
"Can you reach Griffin?"
"I can't contact them... The communication status is abnormal. Alliance aircraft destroyed the fortress's signal tower, or it might be another malfunction."
Cohen gave a silent nod.
That "another malfunction" carried an undertone of deep meaning.
Joseph hailed from the army establishment and was a confidant of Eastern Legion Commander Salen. He clearly understood the ways of the Eastern Expansionists far better than Cohen did.
Perhaps... the man had already gathered something from certain clues.
"General Joseph, are you loyal to His Excellency the Marshal?"
From the other end of the channel came a reply without a shred of hesitation:
"Naturally. My loyalty to His Excellency the Marshal is second to none. Why do you ask so suddenly?"
Cohen's tone remained unchanged. "Nothing. I simply hope every choice you make going forward will be worthy of your rank and the Marshal's trust in you."
This time, silence lingered for a moment on the other end of the line.
"Understood."
Once the call ended, the lift of the Judgment lowered, and two motorcycles were deployed onto the ground, racing without pause toward Fort Horn.
Before tomorrow's negotiations began, they needed to grasp the truth about Fort Horn.
And what on earth that fellow Griffin was planning...
At the same time, the moment Chu Guang left the conference chamber, Wu Changnian pulled him into an adjoining room.
Before Chu Guang could say a word, Wu Changnian blurted out anxiously, "The Legion's garrison in Sunset Province is down to just fifty thousand men anyway, and you already agreed to withdraw from Oasis 2. Why not just humor that big-nosed fellow?"
Looking at the flustered Deputy Minister Wu, Chu Guang patiently reassured him:
"My friend, it's natural for you to think that way since you aren't familiar with the front lines. This isn't just about an army taking two steps back. If we pull back fifty kilometers, we open up the pocket surrounding Griffin, essentially surrendering our bargaining chips before the talks even begin... Can you see that?"
"Those fifty thousand encircled troops and over a thousand officers are our greatest bargaining chip! If you don't understand, you can call Yi Chuan. I already briefed him on this in advance."
Hearing this, Wu Changnian smiled wryly.
"Even now, you're still thinking about that..."
The Council had never expected to squeeze any benefits out of those paupers to the west. The territory the Wilante took so much pride in was utterly worthless in their eyes.
This was not due to arrogance, but because the Wilante had never genuinely governed the land they conquered. Most of the time, they crudely bundled the land and its subjects as spoils of war, enfeoffing them to numerous junior officers.
Places like Lost Valley and Qingquan City were scattered all across Legion territory; they hadn't actually solved a single problem.
"Of course." Chu Guang's perspective differed from Wu Changnian's; dinars could buy plenty of good things. "We can concede Oasis 2, but only as a bargaining chip traded at the negotiating table, not by unilaterally handing over positions we already hold just to display some so-called sincerity to the Wilante."
Wu Changnian couldn't help asking, "Aren't you even a little afraid of triggering a full-scale war?"
Chu Guang shook his head. "Fear solves nothing in these matters. We desire peace, but we never entertain the fantasy that peace can be bought with compromise."
Wu Changnian pressed his index finger to his temple.
"Bargaining chips... Don't tell me you're expecting reparations from the Legion?"
Chu Guang replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world, "Why wouldn't I?"
As if anticipating that answer, Wu Changnian sighed.
After pondering for a moment, he spoke up:
"How about this... One billion Cr. We will pay it to you in the form of aid as compensation for the Alliance."
The Council had granted him a certain degree of discretion.
If ceasefire terms reached an impasse, having the Enterprise compensate the Alliance for a portion of its wartime expenditures was one of the options on the table.
At the very least, that cost was far smaller than a full-scale war spanning the Mid-Continent.
Hearing of the one billion Cr aid, a smile appeared on Chu Guang's face.
"Oh, that's far too generous of you."
Wu Changnian fought back the urge to roll his eyes.
If you think it's too generous, why don't you decline it!
Naturally, Chu Guang would never refuse benefits delivered right to his doorstep.
Clearing his throat softly, he continued with an earnest look, "We can forgo demanding war reparations from the Legion and its vassals. As you said... that really isn't realistic. Once the ceasefire agreement takes effect, our forces will also withdraw from Oasis 2 immediately. However, as I stated before, we will not pull our troops back before the agreement becomes effective. We also hope you will fully cooperate with us at the negotiating table—not just for our sake, but for yours as well."
Wu Changnian nodded. "I have no objections. Our sole demands are an armistice, Vault 0, and the safety of the Pioneer's crew."
Breathing a sigh of relief inwardly, Chu Guang smiled and extended his right hand. "A pleasure doing business with you."
"Let's hope so."
Wu Changnian took Chu Guang's outstretched hand, gave it a shake, and released it. Then, struck by a thought, he said:
"By the way, on a personal note... have you ever considered, er, opening a private account in Ideal City?"
Caught off guard by a topic entirely unrelated to the negotiations, Chu Guang paused. "...A private account?"
Wu Changnian nodded. "Yes. It's not troublesome at all. You can register one even without Ideal City citizenship; many nobles in Boulder City have them."
The moment he heard that, Chu Guang understood his intent immediately. Leaning back in his chair, he smiled and shook his head. "No need."
Wu Changnian did not give up, patiently explaining, "Don't misunderstand, I'm not trying to bribe you... It's just that given the current situation, the risk of a full-scale war is not zero. A deposit would at least leave you a way out."
Up to this point, the Legion had not committed its full strength to invading Sunset Province, and the Enterprise had been very careful to control the scale and tempo of the war.
Originally, if everything had gone as expected, the ceasefire talks would have taken place in the capital of the Lion Kingdom. As for Oasis 3, which had originally belonged to the Honey Badger Kingdom, the Council had even prepared to hand it over to the Legion.
Nobody expected the Alliance to fight so fiercely.
They had driven Griffin straight back to his home base in one sweep.
Now matters had escalated beyond the Supreme Council's projections. If it truly came to full-scale war, he hoped at least to preserve their ally's leader.
That was also the Council's intention.
Yet Chu Guang's reply defied Wu Changnian's expectations.
"I have no need for such things. Even if that day truly comes, I will go nowhere. I will stand with those who place their trust in me."
Wu Changnian stared blankly at him, temporarily unable to see through the young man before him.
A trace of regret flickered across his face, but he nodded nevertheless.
"Fair enough. Just remember, this was only personal advice... nothing to do with the Council."
Chu Guang smiled and nodded. "Understood. What was said just now won't affect our cooperation."
...
The first day of ceasefire negotiations had broken up on bad terms, and the talks on the second, third, and fourth days made no substantive progress either.
The ceasefire negotiations had ground to a temporary stalemate.
The Academy had played no mediating role whatsoever, while the governor from Triumph City had little interest in paying heed to that Grade-B researcher.
As for the Enterprise, Wu Changnian had indeed provided substantial support to the Alliance, but the nature of the Council dictated that he could not hold much autonomous decision-making power. On many matters, he could only make a definitive call after consulting the Council and having it deliberated in session.
The Academy's arrival, in particular, had caught him completely unprepared.
An Orca transport had flown back overnight solely to relay the news back within Ideal City's communications range as quickly as possible.
Chu Guang had originally thought the Academy's mediation might smooth the negotiations along, serving at least as leverage against the Legion.
Now, however, it seemed it had only introduced further variables into the talks.
Still, Chu Guang was in no hurry.
No matter how formidable the Legion was, initiative in these negotiations rested with the Alliance occupying Falcon City, which afforded him plenty of time to carry out his "reformation" of the Falcon Kingdom.
Right now, the ones who had reason to be anxious were the fifty thousand garrisoned troops trapped without food or water inside Fort Horn, along with General Cohen, who was hoping to retrieve the prisoners at minimal cost.
Chu Guang had already successfully whittled the ceasefire terms down from "the Alliance and Enterprise withdrawing from Oasis 3" to "maintaining the pre-war borders."
The only remaining point of contention was Bister Town.
The Falcon Kingdom had already relinquished the town; after all, it had never been located within Oasis 2 to begin with, having been built by the Legion purely as an operational fortress for their eastern campaign.
Yet Cohen adamantly maintained that even if the town lay beyond the borders of Oasis 2, it had still been built by the Wilante.
"It seems we're headed for a fifth round of negotiations." Seeing that he couldn't convince Cohen, Chu Guang sighed with feigned regret and nudged the notebook on the table, though he did not close it.
Looking at the man who treated him with such blatant disregard, Cohen narrowed his eyes slightly, the fists resting on his knees clenching and unclenching.
He truly could not afford to drag this out.
According to the intelligence gathered by Joseph, the condition of Fort Horn's garrison was dire. Although the Alliance aircraft had halted their bombing runs, their food and fresh water were running dangerously low.
Worst of all, the Alliance planes had deliberately targeted their kitchens, turning pots, pans, bowls, and basins into scarce commodities.
Just then, a knock sounded at the chamber door, and soon a Wilante soldier walked in with a grim expression.
Everyone seated at the table turned to look, attempting to glean any clue from the man's grave demeanor.
Li Ke from the Academy was even more blunt, fishing out an earpiece that appeared to have sound-amplifying capabilities and popping it into his ear.
Evidently, he took everyone else for fools, believing no one would notice his little trick.
Chu Guang's eyebrow twitched, an idle thought crossing his mind: if he suddenly shouted into the fellow's ear, would he blow the guy straight away?
However, their clever friend was destined for disappointment. The soldier did not lean down to whisper in Cohen's ear, but instead handed him a slip of paper.
Cohen took the slip, glanced at it, and his face suddenly shifted.
Bracing both hands on the table, he stood up, swept his gaze across everyone present, and hurriedly dropped a single sentence:
"That's all for today's negotiations."
With that, paying no heed to the murmurs of astonishment and the startled faces around the table, he turned and marched out of the conference chamber without looking back.
Wu Changnian quickly looked toward Chu Guang.
To his disappointment, however, Chu Guang looked just as perplexed.
Did this guy's house catch fire or something?
Rushing back in such a hurry...
His earlier comment had only been meant to show that the Alliance didn't care how many rounds it took; he hadn't actually intended to dismiss today's meeting.
"Do you have any news?" Li Ke asked, removing the amplifier and looking toward Chu Guang.
"None." Chu Guang shook his head.
Li Ke hesitated, about to say something.
Right at that moment, the VM on Chu Guang's forearm suddenly vibrated, projecting a pale blue window that only he could see.
The moment he saw the line of text, he caught his breath.
Noticing the change in Chu Guang's expression, Wu Changnian immediately asked, "What happened?"
Chu Guang paused for a moment before speaking.
"Griffin is dead."
The instant the words left his mouth, the air in the chamber froze completely. Every single person at the table wore a uniquely stunned expression.
"Dead...?"
Wu Changnian froze on the spot.
He had never imagined that old fox who once roamed the desert would meet his end in such an unremarkable, unceremonious manner on an ordinary afternoon.
For a moment, he didn't know whether to feel joy or pity.
"That guy actually died..."
Li Ke's face was equally plastered with shock, though gloating dominated his expression far more.
Before that bastard died, he had hung up on Li Ke's call. Although Li Ke didn't consider himself petty, he certainly hadn't forgotten that slight.
Heh.
Good riddance!
Stupid, arrogant Wilante deserved to die in obscurity in some wretched corner... There was no more fitting end for that madman.
And with his death, this deadlocked ceasefire negotiation would surely reach a conclusion soon.
Now, Li Ke was only curious about how Griffin had died.
Observing from the side, King Menggote let out a soft sigh. That Griffin had treated him with relative respect... at least far more respect than Klaas or MacLaren ever had.
Chu Guang's feelings were somewhat mixed.
He had thought the old man could hold out a little longer, at least until the ceasefire negotiations concluded, never expecting him to depart just like that...
A pity.
He had previously promised MacLaren that he would reunite him with Griffin...
Chapter 496