Crazy Plan (Third Update)

"Convene a high-level military meeting immediately!"

Upon receiving the letter, Nicholas's expression changed drastically, and he immediately called out to the clerk beside him, Basil Heber.

The decision-makers of Blackrock City quickly arrived at the small conference room, and the second military meeting was convened.

As Bai Xiaowen's deputy and younger sister, and also Hero Tier of this surprise attack, Li Shuyi was granted special permission to attend this military conference.

Time was of the essence, so Nicholas cut straight to the point. "A new situation has arisen regarding the defense of Blackrock Fortress. Baron Dio, please give a brief account."

Bai Xiaowen nodded and said, "Everyone here should know about the Necrotic Plague. We previously suspected whether the Necrotic Plague was related to the Remnants, but now there is conclusive evidence that the Necrotic Plague was a viral war launched by the Remnants. At the very least, the mastermind behind the Necrotic Plague is on the side of the Remnants."

Bai Xiaowen then revealed that Bloodspear Warlord Kaerhan and his troll warriors had been "undead".

"These filthy beasts!"

"Damn bastard!"

Inside the small meeting room, curses rang out incessantly, though the nobles and clergy were clearly not very good at swearing, repeating nothing more than filthy and vulgar words.

After everyone had finished cursing, Bai Xiaowen continued, "After killing the Bloodspear Clan overseer, I intercepted an important intelligence report. The Necrotic Plague has spread widely in the Northern Frontier, and the first wave of Plague Undead armies is currently heading towards the Blackrock Line... Clearly, this confirms another of our previous guesses, namely that the undead creatures affected by the plague are controlled by the mastermind behind it all, namely the Plague Lord."

"So, what we're going to face next isn't just those beasts, but countless Plague Undead?" Count Danton's face darkened as he hissed. "Excellent. Shouldn't we discuss how to die with some dignity?"

"I suggest we abandon the city and return to the Imperial Capital," Nicholas's chief of staff cleared his throat.

Li Shuyi's heart skipped a beat, and she looked at Bai Xiaowen. If the chief of staff's suggestion came true, how would they complete the second main mission, "The Flames of Blackrock"? It was simply unrealistic for Bai Xiaowen and her alone to fight against the Remnants and the plague army.

However, Bai Xiaowen remained calm and showed no intention of speaking. Li Shuyi could only suppress her doubts and said nothing more.

Nicholas shook his head. "Abandoning the city would be tantamount to handing over the entire Northern Frontier to the Remnant Allied Army! I will not do that."

The magic advisor said, "With all due respect, Your Highness, I see no hope of victory in this war. Therefore, we should take a step back and preserve the strength of the Imperial Legions. Besides, your safety is also of utmost importance."

Chief of Staff: "Yes, those Plague Undead are terrifying creatures that never sleep and feel no pain. Although they are not very strong, they are the best cannon fodder in a siege. This is only the first wave; there will be a second and a third wave! They can completely wear us down."

Bai Xiaowen said, "Your Highness, Archbishop, I have a plan to deal with the Plague Undead."

"What plan?" Hope shone in everyone's eyes in the conference room.

"I'm sorry, this plan is of great importance and can only be reviewed by His Highness the Prince and Archbishop Arlo." Bai Xiaowen took out a piece of parchment that had been written on beforehand and handed it to Nicholas.

Nicholas took the parchment and carefully read the plan. His expression quickly turned serious, and his brows furrowed into a deep frown.

Archbishop Arlo leaned over to take a look. The old man had initially seemed quite kind, but after a couple of glances, his expression quickly changed. He kept looking up at Bai Xiaowen, his expression somewhat agitated... even angry.

Everyone in the conference room craned their necks like chickens and ducks waiting to be fed.

Finally, the two big shots finished reading.

"This is truly a crazy plan. However, executing it requires a great deal of preparation, and I don't think we have the time for that right now," Nicholas sighed. "I'm fortunate that we don't need to decide whether to proceed..."

Bai Xiaowen shook her head and said, "No, I've already done the preparations in advance."

Prince Nicholas's expression changed drastically, and he jumped to his feet. "You've gone too far, Dio! How dare you do this without my permission!"

"Please rest assured, Your Highness," Bai Xiaowen said calmly, "I have only made preparations; I have not yet implemented them."

Archbishop Arlo could no longer remain seated. He stood up and said, "I vehemently oppose this plan! If we do this, how are we any different from those beasts abandoned by God?"

Bai Xiaowen shook his head and said, "Archbishop, if there were even a sliver of hope, I wouldn't want to carry out this insane plan. But it's the only way to fight against the Remnants and the Plague Undead."

"In comparison, I would rather take the Chief of Staff's advice and abandon the city," Archbishop Arlo said.

"And then what? Hand over the entire Northern Frontier, all of humanity, to those beasts as food?" Bai Xiaowen's words were also sharp.

"Stop arguing." Nicholas's expression shifted, as if he were going through a fierce internal struggle.

"Then, let His Highness decide. I reiterate, I will not carry out this plan without His Highness's order." Bai Xiaowen retrieved the parchment and folded it under the expectant gazes of everyone in the conference room.

"Your Highness, do not let us become sinners against humanity," Archbishop Arlo pressured Nicholas.

Bai Xiaowen remained silent. He believed that the pressure of reality was more effective than the pressure of words.

Who is Nicholas? Arthas's the Kane version of Cairne, who can issue a city-wide massacre order without batting an eye! He didn't immediately approve the plan, probably because he still harbored some wishful thinking, believing there was still hope of defending Blackrock Fortress through normal means.

Finally, Nicholas spoke:

"Don't launch this plan."

Before Archbishop Arlo could catch his breath, Nicholas added:

"... Not for now."

After saying those four words, Nicholas sighed and sat back down in his chair. He had lost all interest in continuing the meeting and waved for everyone to disperse, "Get back to your posts and prepare for battle. Dio... and your sister, please stay."

Soon, only Nicholas, Bai Xiaowen, and Li Shuyi remained in the conference room.

"Dio, what preparations have you made for this plan?"

After thinking for a moment, Bai Xiaowen selectively told Nicholas some of the details of the preparations.

"So, you were already preparing back in Redleaf City," Nicholas said with a wry smile. "I don't know whether to praise you or not. Your foresight might become humanity's Nightmare."

"But this will first and foremost become Nightmare for the enemy," Bai Xiaowen said.

"Speaking of which... Dio, you and your sister Charlotte shouldn't be from this world, right?" Suddenly, Nicholas said something unexpected.