The pale finger bones touched the forehead covered with a layer of flesh, and [ Ginseng Rooster ] felt a chill.
An invisible net of Psionic Energy descended from the sky, enveloping his body. Some kind of invisible constraint seemed to have appeared, but he had not yet found the source of the problem.
The blood-red crystal clusters, as if congealed from fresh blood, grew from under his skin, piercing through the skin and revealing a sharp rhombus shape.
"Alright, now you can speak."
After placing a perfect restriction, Colin looked much more relaxed. He was just a skeleton, so [ Ginseng Rooster ] could clearly see the expansion and contraction of his sternum.
The Soul Returner organized his thoughts, recalling the countless treacherous advisors and sycophantic villains of another world, and mentally adjusted the balance between the two.
He took a deep breath and said earnestly to Colin:
I want to become your close advisor and offer you advice.
"Um?"
Colin paused for a moment, clearly not understanding, before [ Ginseng Rooster ] explained:
"My lord, not all Soul Returner are skilled in combat; some excel at planning and strategizing, such as... myself."
"You?"
Colin looked [ Ginseng Rooster ] up and down again, feeling that compared to other Soul Returner, although this guy was of a well-proportioned build, he was indeed thin-armed and thin-legged.
"You're good at planning? Why don't you tell me what you've planned before?"
Upon hearing this question, [ Ginseng Rooster ] immediately perked up.
He cleared his throat and said:
"I once orchestrated a propaganda war in Fir City, which caused the then Archbishop, who was also the city's lord Antiya Lisi, to lose all his reputation."
"I once wrote a serialized work called ' A Few Things About the Cardinal,' which was widely circulated in the Theocracy and exposed the true face of Sailesi, a traitor to the Theocracy."
"I once devised a campaign plan for the election of a contemporary Grand Foundry Master, and it was ultimately successful."
"I once suspected the betrayal of a key figure in the Graycast Corridor, and that suspicion was ultimately confirmed..."
[ Ginseng Rooster ] rattled off a whole bunch of impressive feats he'd accomplished since entering the game, leaving Colin genuinely surprised.
It's impossible not to be surprised. Players run around every day, and even if they didn't plan everything themselves, they've at least seen, experienced, and participated in many things.
And what about Colin?
A mere castle knight, Middle Tier powerhouse, may seem glamorous, but in reality, he's spent over a decade inside a sandcastle, perhaps having traveled less ground than a player, not to mention having limited experience.
Upon hearing [ the Ginseng Rooster's ] story, Colin suddenly felt a pang of emotion:
I do seem to need an advisor—that would be of great help.
Seeing the fortress knight deep in thought, [ Ginseng Rooster ] knew that his plan was almost complete.
As some guy from another world who's already passed away once said: Users don't know what they want until we show them our product, and then they realize, "This is exactly what I want."
Colin has clearly fallen into the trap of "demand," and is quickly becoming increasingly entangled in it:
"That sounds impressive. So, if I were to hire you as my advisor, what would your requirements be?"
"I only need to be treated the same as a regular squad leader."
[ The Ginseng Rooster ] cupped his hands in a gesture Colin had never seen before:
"Thank you for your trust. I will do my utmost."
Colin nodded, then suddenly remembered what the other person had said to attract his attention earlier, and asked:
"What exactly is it that you said you would only tell me after the crystal clusters have been planted?"
[ Ginseng Rooster ] remained silent, only turning to look at the bewildered [ Gill's Cuisine ].
After a few seconds, Colin finally understood what he meant:
"You can go now. From this moment on, you are the captain of this new batch of mercenaries."
"Yes."
[ Gill's Cuisine ] was shocked that [ Ginseng Rooster ]'s bewitching power had extended beyond humans, even fooling non-human races. This made him suspect that [ Ginseng Rooster ] might have made some kind of deal with Duma in private, turning him into a "demon man" who could use Demonic Whisper to a certain extent.
With the door closing, only [ Ginseng Rooster ] and Knight Colin remained in the sealed room.
"Now you can speak, right?"
Colin asked somewhat impatiently, genuinely puzzled as to why [ the Ginseng Rooster ] was making things so complicated.
But the first words spoken by this Soul Returner almost made him fall off his chair in fright:
"Sir Knight, I have a question for you: Would you like to become a councilor?"
Colin's whole body trembled. What kind of question is that?
Become a member of parliament?
Want to become a member of [ Hard Armor ], [ Whale Tail ], [ Crown ], [ Divine Wings ], or [ Nether Crossing ]?
From the ruled to the rulers?
He couldn't imagine such a future, nor did he understand why this little Soul Returner would ask such a question.
Then, [ the Ginseng Rooster ] solemnly addressed him:
"Lord Colin, if you recall, you should know that just a few months ago there was no such senator as [ Nether Crossing ]."
"The rules that have remained unchanged for a century have been broken. Old members of parliament have passed away, and new members have taken office. This is the tide of the times, and I hope you can stand at the forefront of it."
Colin understood the meaning of "[ the Ginseng Rooster ]"; the other party hoped he could take it a step further, and their eagerness was even stronger than his own.
But how easy is it to do something like this?
He was currently just a mere castle guard knight, only serving as a sandcastle guard in addition to his regular duties.
Above him was the " Bastion Lord," who commanded ten sandcastles and possessed a mobile force; above him was the " Border Garrison Warlord Hard Armor, who commanded the northern, central, and southern borders and had full authority over this defensive battle.
Clearly, climbing the ranks is not so easy, and the difficulty is no less than that of the "watered-down" centurions of the opposing Imperial faction.
On one side was the scheming and infighting aristocratic military class, and on the other side was a strict military merit system built upon fortifications.
No matter which side you're on, getting promoted isn't easy.
Colin was well aware of this, so he naturally didn't believe [ the Ginseng Rooster's] claims.
Although he couldn't see Colin's expression clearly, the Soul Returner could roughly guess what Colin was thinking.
He scoffed inwardly, mocking the other person's cowardice.
In a situation like this, should I really guarantee 100% success?
If I had that ability, I wouldn't just be giving advice in games.
I offered to be your strategist out of good intentions, and you actually took it?