Abbendis's Negotiation (2) Revised

Abbendis's Negotiation (2)

"With that, we finally have something in common. Now, the first issue we need to face is figuring out who our enemies are—and who our friends are." Roderick continued trying to persuade the young Scarlet envoy.

"The Scourge and those who support them are all our enemies!" Abbendis answered without hesitation.

"Indeed. At present, the Scourge is the foremost enemy in Lordaeron. But who are our friends?" Roderick further guided her to speak.

"Our friends? Any warriors willing to join our ranks and fight the Undead alongside us are friends of the Scarlet Crusade." Abbendis herself sounded somewhat uncertain.

"Then what about the mages of Dalaran? They will also fight the Scourge, but they would never join the Scarlet Crusade. Do those people count as friends?" Roderick posed his first question.

"I suppose they do." Abbendis answered doubtfully. Even though Scarlet Crusade envoys had received a cold reception in Dalaran, she still acknowledged the enormous role mages played in battle.

"What about the militia of Southshore? They lack the ability to fight at Tyr's Hand, but they do their utmost to protect the Hillsbrad region and keep the Undead of Lordaeron from invading it. Are they allies of the Crusade?"

"What about the farmers of the Kingdom of Stormwind? They are even farther from Lordaeron. They toil every day, and part of their harvest is turned into military rations and sent to Chillwind Camp, supporting those warriors in their fight against the Scourge's minions. Do those farmers count as allies?" Roderick's questions came one after another.

For the first time in her life, Abbendis had heard such a clear analysis of allies and enemies. Deep down, she felt that all these people should count as allies of the Scarlet Crusade, since their work contributed to defeating the Undead.

But after the Scarlet Crusade's long years of indoctrination, anyone unwilling to join the Scarlet Crusade was an enemy who needed to be attacked!

Abbendis remained silent for a long while, looking at Roderick and hoping he could give her an answer.

"The existence of the Undead threatens the safety of every living person. So long as they are not lunatics from the Cult of the Damned, no one is willing to support the forces of the Undead. People have different abilities. Some are not suited for fighting on the front lines; they can be blacksmiths, farmers, clerks, or even errand runners delivering letters."

"Just as the Scarlet Crusade has priests, knights, craftsmen, and other professions, it is merely a difference in division of labor. But that does not mean those unwilling to join the Crusade are opponents of the Scarlet Crusade. Your policies in Northrend are weakening your own foundation."

"When everyone turns away from you, the Scarlet Crusade will have no foothold left in Northrend." Roderick had no idea how great an impact his words had made on the envoy before him.

"Then what should we do? The Scarlet Crusade has already sacrificed too many lives." Abbendis's voice trembled slightly.

"To defeat the Scourge, relying solely on military action is foolish. Human soldiers will never be as easy to acquire as Undead corpses. Even fallen soldiers can be used again by the Undead."

"Effective territorial governance, sufficient reserves, ample military supplies and food, broad military alliances, tightly coordinated military operations—and, when necessary, thunderous attacks that mercilessly destroy every Undead in the target region."

"Rather than engaging in an endless war of attrition with the Scourge. Our soldiers cannot withstand that kind of depletion. Even before launching an attack, we must avoid those pointless battles."

"If we cannot effectively hold territory, then even if each of our soldiers can kill ten Ghouls alone, we will still ultimately fall to the endless ranks of the Scourge."

"In this war against the Scourge, every living creature should be our ally. Of course, that does not include those green-skinned Orcs.

They are sitting in Kalimdor, so naturally they cannot feel the threat of the Undead." "Arbitrarily executing those with differing opinions is an exceptionally foolish form of suicide. Now, there are not many living people left in the entire Kingdom of Lordaeron."

Roderick's unceasing speech transformed Abbendis, the Scarlet High General, from the anger and indignation she had felt earlier into someone too shocked to speak.

This was a magical world whose military systems and strategic thought remained in an ancient age. There were not many strategists like Lord Lothar.

As far as Roderick knew, only General Turalyon, who had gone on an expedition to another world and vanished without news, and Admiral Proudmoore, who had died in Kalimdor, had any real qualities of a strategist. In this regard, the leaders of the Orc Horde had actually done better.

The Silver Hand, including most officers of the Silver Dawn and Scarlet Crusade in Northrend, could only command a single battle. Few possessed strategic awareness of the broader picture.

Born into a family of knights, Abbendis had seen the elite of every knightly order in Northrend, yet no one had ever pointed out so thoroughly how the Undead should be defeated.

In the war against the Scourge, people went from fervor at the beginning, to anger, then numbness, and finally despair. If not for the support of fanatical faith, many likely would have been unable to carry on.

Those who had never faced the Scourge directly would never understand the deep despair of Northrend's warriors. Every dead creature could be used by the Scourge. You would be drowned beneath an endless tide of enemies.

A warrior who had fought beside you for years, who had once saved your life, would die bravely in battle. Then a necromancer would summon him again. That familiar face, eyes glowing red, would charge at the comrades who had once fought shoulder to shoulder with him. Countless warriors hesitated for a single instant, only to fall beneath Undead weapons and become tools of the Undead themselves.

Unlike the moderate Silver Dawn, which could still receive outside aid, the Scarlet Crusade had no external support whatsoever. This instead intensified their extremism. More extreme attitudes brought colder, more hostile reactions from the outside world, and the Scarlet Crusade had already fallen into a vicious cycle.

Roderick's words showed Abbendis a new world—a plan that could proceed step by step, unite every available force, and defeat the Undead. This was the crushing victory of a Space Marine with thousands of years of combat experience over the military theories of a classical world.

Seeing that the Scarlet envoy, who had been furious just moments ago, now stared blankly ahead, Roderick called softly, "Are you all right?"

"I-I am fine. Knight Roderick, I hope you can keep the information that follows confidential. It is very important." Abbendis made up her mind and spoke solemnly.

"I have not forgotten my knightly oath from those days. Go ahead. No third person will learn what happens here."

"You may call me Bridget. Bridget Abbendis. That is my real name." A blush rose to Abbendis's face. Taking the initiative to tell an unfamiliar man her full name carried a different meaning in her homeland.

"Abbendis? You... what are you to the Scarlet High General?" Roderick was also shocked by her true identity.

"My father, Alfred Abbendis, died bravely not long ago in the battle at Hearthglen. You were right. I am now the Scarlet Crusade's High General." Her calm voice carried a trace of sorrow.

"My respects to your father. He was worthy of being called a true warrior. However, I still will not agree to join the Scarlet Crusade. I hope you understand, High General. Southshore is where my true foundation lies." Roderick's stance would not change.

"No, you misunderstand me. I only wished to show my sincerity. The Scarlet Crusade needs to change. We have already paid far, far too much!" Abbendis's voice trembled. Other than their lives and faith, they had nothing left.

"You mean?"

"I will make changes at Tyr's Hand according to your ideas. Only your plan can truly defeat the Undead. You will attack the Plaguelands alongside the Dark Raven Knights. This must be the will of the Holy Light." Bridget Abbendis spoke excitedly.

His own armchair strategizing had made her worship him? Roderick felt somewhat dazed. The female knight before him held military authority over Tyr's Hand and was nominally the supreme commander of all the Scarlet Crusade. Was the protagonist's halo he had been waiting for finally about to descend upon him?

Seeing the valiant Scarlet High General looking at him with such admiration, Roderick secretly felt rather pleased with himself. He had not noticed that he had somehow maxed out his negotiation and bluffing skills—or perhaps his charm as a Space Marine had already broken through the heavens, allowing him to directly change class into a bloodline sorcerer.