Chapter 86
Wouldn't that be a perfect match then?
However, Ryan refused. He still had to deal with the new homeless population in Berman City, as well as the previous orphanage incident. With so many people flooding in this time, chaos was bound to break out sooner or later if he didn't handle it soon.
Caslathdi was helpless; she thought Ryan was just a blockhead.
The next morning, Ina submitted the orphanage construction plan she had drafted overnight. Ryan didn't even review it; he just stamped it and approved it.
According to 'Ina's' plan, the orphanage will be transformed into a municipal training institution, changing its official background, with the city funding the adoption of homeless children. Of course, this won't be a free lunch; the children will also contribute to the development of Berman City when they grow up. Those with outstanding abilities will be given special training and promoted to municipal management positions, while those with average abilities will do lower-level jobs, and the exceptional ones will even serve in the military.
It's essentially a talent development base.
Although these children's futures have already been planned out, taking away their right to choose also gives them a guarantee to live, and they may even live better than most ordinary people in the future.
In this day and age, having such conditions is already quite good.
Free?
Ryan couldn't offer that much; sometimes the price of freedom is something most people can't afford.
As for the displaced people, Ryan also arranged jobs for most of them. Larkin was responsible for introducing the underground fire. The gray industry in the entire Berman City was still under construction, and there was a considerable shortage of manpower, which could accommodate a large number of people.
Of course, not everyone is willing to accept this. In the end, these policies only achieve the effect of diverting people's attention. People's personalities are all different, and he can't take care of everyone.
By the afternoon, there was new information from the front lines.
'Shally' led her army and successfully attacked the supply line of the Kainter army. This supply was sent directly from the Kainter Kingdom, crossing the imperial border. It was originally intended to be done quietly, but unexpectedly, it was ambushed by 'Shally'.
Ryan had been wondering why the Kainter army, numbering around 10,000, stopped halfway through their retreat and was stationed on a plain in Kosotoya, seemingly with no intention of returning to the kingdom.
They are most likely waiting for supplies to be replenished.
He knew that 'Shally' had sent people to investigate. If the other party didn't leave, it meant that Kainter's side would definitely make another move. After all, they had suffered such a huge setback, gained nothing, and lost half their people. They had no face to go back.
Whatever they plan to do, their first priority is to ensure the supply of military provisions.
Coming from Kainter, the area is vast, so who can guess which route they will take?
So... how exactly did 'Shally' find the other side's supply line?
Ryan really didn't know. He wasn't constantly watching the AI Auto-Battle, and some commands didn't leave any AFK records. For example, "Go investigate here" meant pointing to the map, so there was no AFK record and nobody knew where that was.
So the conclusion is... 'Shally' really is a fucking war genius?
Regardless, with the supply line cut off again, Kainter's 10,000 troops are in serious trouble.
The meager rations they carried were far from enough to sustain them. If they were to retreat, they could manage to hold out until they reached the Kainter Kingdom, but the entire army would be demoralized and starving. If they were to be attacked by the Augustus Empire's army at this time, they would be doomed.
During the retreat, the Kainter army began looting Kosotoya, intending to seize supplies on the spot.
Given Kosotoya's current situation, it was clear they couldn't stop the Kainter army. However, the outcome was quite surprising. According to the news relayed by the Fire Chaser the next day, the Kainter army was attacked during their looting and suffered heavy losses!
The attacker was naturally 'Shally', but she was not only fighting the Royal Guards and the Iron Blood Legion, but also nearly two thousand men cobbled together from various towns in the Kosotoya territory, who had gathered in response to 'Shally's' call.
Ryan's face darkened upon hearing this. What the hell was this "responding to the call"? Did others not know? This was all because 'Shally' had rushed to various towns overnight, held knives to the necks of those nobles, and forced them to borrow troops!
She even said that if they didn't lend her troops, she would turn around and leave.
Threatening nobles... it's actually quite satisfying, but the nature of it is extremely malicious, especially in a world like Rhea Continent where nobles are the ruling class.
As expected, that afternoon Caslathdi received a large number of complaint letters. These letters from Kosotoya were jointly issued by the lords of twelve towns, accusing 'Shally' of her crimes.
Since Caslathdi was nominally the lord of the three major city territories, they could only file complaints with Caslathdi.
However, the result was—
"These imperial parasites are usually silent, and they don't even dare to fight back when enemy countries invade their homes. What's wrong with them now? They've all become so tough! They're quite courageous when they turn on their own people!"
Caslathdi threw the complaint letters directly into the fire.
Dispose of 'Shally'? Are you kidding me!
Her biggest asset in the war against foreign powers right now is 'Shally'!
With Ryan in charge of domestic affairs and Shally in charge of external threats, how could she not succeed in her great undertaking?
However, she couldn't openly show such favoritism, since according to imperial law, it really was 'Shally's' fault. So, Caslathdi sent a letter to each lord, asking 'Shally' to borrow troops, because the matter was urgent and 'Shally' could use some special means.
Didn't you say that 'Shally' overstepped her bounds? Okay, let me add some information. This was indeed my order, but the order was delayed halfway and has only just arrived.
Although it sounds a bit like a rogue act, Caslathdi is undoubtedly emphasizing one point—that Her Highness the Princess values Miss 'Shally' highly, and anyone who disagrees is welcome to continue complaining.
In reality, after the letter was sent, all the minor nobles in Kosotoya began to sing praises of 'Shally's' greatness, saying that she led the army and brought glory to the empire.
'Shally' herself didn't care about these things, because at this moment her troops were fighting against the retreating Kainter army.
Having failed to seize supplies and completely exhausted their food supply, the Kainter's army was at its last gasp. Although they still had eight or nine thousand men, these men had no will to fight. More worrying than going hungry was having a ghost following them around.
Ryan had to admit that those influenced by the power of the Blood God were a bunch of lunatics who never got tired in battle. The continuous attacks and ambushes throughout the night did not tire the Royal Guards and Iron Blood Legion soldiers. On the contrary, they became more and more courageous in battle under the stimulation of their continuous victories.
This is certainly related to the soldiers' own qualities, but the effects of the blood mist of war also played a direct role.
The scene in front of Ryan showed yet another surprise attack led by 'Shally'.
In the early hours of the morning, just before dawn, the same scene, even at roughly the same time, everything seemed strangely familiar.
The difference this time was that 'Shally's' team had expanded to two thousand. Rob's logistics work was indeed very good. He delivered muskets and ammunition supplies in time before the attack began. 'Shally' used these to arm the two thousand men who had been gathered. If nothing else, at least their firepower was at its maximum.
As the gunfire erupted and Kainter soldiers fell one by one, the bloody mist of war rose and gradually obscured the hazy night. Soon, the situation began to change.
These blood mists can amplify people's inner fears. The Kainter army had long been terrified by 'Shally's' attacks and even gave her the title of 'Crimson Demon'.
Stimulated by the blood mist, the satiated and terrified Kainter soldiers went into a frenzy, suddenly shouting and screaming as if escaping reality—
'Hahaha! The Augustus Empire has been conquered by us! The Augustus Empire has been conquered by us!'
Mental Pollution.
The power of the blood mist had a Mental Pollution -like effect on the Kainter's army. On the other hand, even the two thousand soldiers who joined later on 'Shally's' side became brave under the stimulation of the War Domain.
The effect of morale is visible to the naked eye. It cannot give soldiers double the damage of their attacks, but it can make them fearless and advance bravely.
'Wake up! Damn it, kill that blood demon!'
Some of Kainter's officers remained clear-headed and ordered an attack on 'Shally', but the soldiers couldn't even touch her before being blocked by the 'Blood Minions'. Then, the Ironblood Heavy Armor charged, and not only were the formations destroyed, but the soldiers were also wiped out!
"Blood Knight, damn it, that's awesome."
Ryan was thrilled by what he saw. He wanted to shout "Blood Sacrifice to the Blood God!" as well as the soldiers.
"But be careful, don't shout when you come back, or you'll be in trouble if the Gate of Janus treats you as a heretic."
The phrase "Blood Sacrifice to the Blood God" is not something to be uttered lightly. On the battlefield, it was due to the influence of the blood mist. Fortunately, once the War Domain dissipates, the soldiers will return to normal and will not suffer any 'mental trauma'. Otherwise, if 'Shally' returned with a group of Blood God fanatics, it would be game over.
The battle lasted for two whole hours, from the darkness of night until sunrise, from the vast grasslands all the way to the wilderness. The blood mist moved with 'Shally's' movements, and the entire team was shrouded in the blood mist, with the corpses of the Kainter lying all around them!
Blood flowed like a river!
Crazy!
Cruel!
Only when the sound of horses' hooves reached the horizon did 'Shally' order to halt the pursuit and lead the team to retreat.
"They've already reached the border of the empire."
Ryan glanced at the distant reinforcements from the Kainter army, an army that had crossed the border, its size unknown, so 'Shally' didn't take the risk. After all, her troops weren't made of iron; after such a long night raid, even if they were still excited, their bodies should be exhausted.
He opened 'Shally's' personal attributes, and the number of Advancement Quest had long exceeded the limit. From the siege attack to now, the team she led had killed at least tens of thousands of Kainter soldiers, which was simply unbelievable.
The third-tier Blood Knight not only had some improved stats, but also learned a new skill.
[Stomp: The Blood Knight shatters the ground, dealing area damage and stunning nearby targets.]
One of the essential skills for warriors, there's not much to say about it, it's effective in both one-on-one battles and group fights.
Name: Shally
Gender: Female
Class: Blood Knight
Level: 30
Physical fitness 42.9+17
Spirit 41.8+6
Magic Power 52.1 + 14
Comprehension 10
Charm 12
Skill: Agility Lv3
Professional skills: Blood Control, Bloodlust, Blood Minions...
Equipment: Sword of Ares, Ring of Death, Kassadin's Bracelet, Thornmail
The Blood Knight's class progression is quite good, but what's truly powerful are its skills. Putting everything else aside, just look at the 35% boost to all attributes from Sacrifice—it's practically a bug.
If you take into account the stacking of skill effects, she has already caught up with many Fourth Tier Supernatural Being.
However, the strength of high-level Supernatural Being is often not in their attribute values, but in their various bizarre and abnormal abilities. Ryan was not so arrogant as to think that 'Shally' could be invincible in a one-on-one fight.
Watching 'Shally' lead her troops in retreat, he closed the interface, yawned, and prepared to go to bed.
Yes, he needs to rest for a while. Getting up in the middle of the night to watch 'Shally' fight has exhausted Ryan from watching them fight, even if they haven't killed them all. Anyway, he can leave the matter to 'Ina' to handle.
What do secretaries do when there's something to do?
It was close to noon.
Caslathdi arrived at the mayor's office excitedly.
Just recently, she received the latest news from the front lines: the army led by 'Shally' had defeated the Kainter's army and was currently resting on a grassland in Kosotoya!
According to battle statistics, of the 20,000 troops that Kainter attacked, fewer than 3,000 fled back!
It's important to know that the Kainter army came this time with 20,000 men. Two or three thousand were killed in the fire earlier, and at most three thousand were lost in the siege. The remaining men, starting from the siege and sneak attack, were killed by the Royal Guards and the Iron Blood Legion, totaling about 15,000!
What does this mean?
Even Magana herself never accomplished such a feat.
For a moment, Caslathdi had the illusion that she was about to seize the world. If 'Shally' could become the next Magana, with her title of Princess, how could she possibly lose the position of crown princess?
"Where's Ryan?" Caslathdi walked into the office, only to find 'Ina' sitting at the secretary's desk, working.
"Your Highness," Ina stood up and said, "Mayor Ryan is dealing with other matters."
Where is he?
"At home."
"At home?"
Caslathdi was puzzled. What was she doing staying at home at this hour?
"That guy, doesn't he know Miss Vainay is going back today? He didn't even go to see her off."
The Her Highness the Princess shook her head. She had been thinking of playing matchmaker for Ryan, but he was proving to be a disappointment.
You were given a chance, why didn't you take it!
Etc.
Caslathdi looked at Ina thoughtfully.
"How long have you... known Ryan?"
"Your Highness, it has been some time."
"Is that so?"
Caslathdi seemed to understand a little why Ryan wasn't interested in 'Vainay'.
So that's how it is, I see... Caslathdi completely understood. She wondered why Ryan had suddenly appointed a secretary general. Usually, such positions are promoted from within the municipal government, but 'Ina' was appointed directly by Ryan.