Necromancer, summoning 055? What the heck?

Chapter 266 Disaster Victim Resettlement Amidst Chaos and Rumors: The Game Beneath Qingze City

In any case, for these seasoned sly elves, the problem stemmed from their unfamiliarity with and lack of understanding of the modern system Chen Mo possessed.

After a few encounters, these long-lived elves quickly got back on track.

To demonstrate their sincerity to this unfathomable Lord of the Vast Ocean, the elves mobilized all their forces. Except for a small number of reconnaissance troops stationed on the west side to guard against the Stream Moon Federation, the rest of them devoted themselves to the rescue operation for the human refugees.

At this moment, old Patton was settled in a cave where his family lived.

At the start of the rescue operation, both the Vast Ocean and the Elf realized that the number of refugees would be enormous.

How to settle them became a very thorny issue, and Baishi City and Hanhai City communicated extensively about it.

Both parties ultimately agreed to relocate the residents to the mountainous area west of the city.

The living conditions in the resettlement area varied, with the best conditions, such as caves that provided shelter from the wind and rain, being allocated first to families with young children.

The next-best huts were for the elderly or the infirm. The worst kind, a drafty shack with only a roof, was used to house the remaining young and able-bodied refugees, separated by gender.

Because Barton had two babies, he was lucky enough to be assigned to the cave, where more than twenty families lived. Although the camp was managed by elves, the rules were strictly based on the information provided by the Vast Ocean Territory.

Several large wooden beams support the cave ceiling, leaving a passageway. Lines are drawn on the ground on both sides of the passageway, and each line represents a family's living area.

On the first day, the loud-voiced guard repeatedly emphasized the rules.

"Don't cross the line! Don't cross the line! Don't cross the line!!!"

The guard glared, pointed outside the hole, and added menacingly, "Anyone who dares to stick their hand into someone else's wire will have their hand chopped off; if they stick their foot in, they'll be stomped on; and if they go in completely, they'll be dragged out and beaten to death!"

"Those hanging on the trees by the door are role models!"

Everyone couldn't help but look towards the cave entrance. There were many dried corpses hanging from the big trees outside, hanging down like willow branches in summer, icicles in winter, hanging noodles, wind chimes under the eaves... It was quite a beautiful sight.

This is a simple, brutal, and completely unreasonable rule, but this one rule alone cuts off theft, fighting, molestation, and other evils that may exist among refugees.

Each small square is a safety zone, sheltering the most vulnerable women and children among the refugees.

The greatest truths are the simplest, and the elves were amazed by this.

After finishing the camp's cleanup work for the day, Old Patton returned with some still-warm biscuits, gave one to each of the two kids, and then, imitating the others, sat inside his own safety line, dangling his legs out into the aisle, wolfing them down with hot water while listening to the early arrivals chat.

Yes, hot water!
The elves had no idea what had gotten into the Lord of the Vast Ocean, who insisted that every residential area must be provided with boiled hot water for drinking.

We drank cold water in the forest sanctuary...

But no, this is a hard and fast rule, a mandatory order.

This one item alone cost thousands of gold coins and hundreds of manpower to set up the camp. Fortunately, the money came from Han Hai, and there was plenty of manpower!
Of course, the answer is in the disaster relief system's manual; this thing can indeed greatly prevent the spread of disease.

Speaking of which, Dongxia has had a tradition of hot drinks since ancient times, but it was almost exclusively limited to the upper and middle classes of society. The vast majority of the lower classes had neither the awareness nor the ability to enjoy them.

Ultimately, this became a nationwide habit, thanks to the bald eagle.

When the new regime of Dongxia was just rising, it fought a war to establish itself against the Bald Eagle and its dozen or so vassal brethren. There was a special phase in this war called the germ warfare defense phase.

At that time, the Blue Star behemoth relied on its air force advantage to engage in despicable bacteriological warfare tactics. By releasing large numbers of animals and insects carrying deadly viruses and bacteria such as plague, cholera, and typhoid, it intended to strike the enemy's rear. These germ-carrying ants, mosquitoes, flies, rats, and birds roamed everywhere and did indeed cause considerable losses.

Yes, the guys responsible for researching and producing these bacteria are the White Eagle Kingdom's Di Battalion, officially known as the Ditrick Battalion, which received and sheltered the Four-Clawed Sea Serpent bacteriological warfare unit.

Many things that happened afterward were inextricably linked to it.

Faced with this situation, Dongxia quickly established a national epidemic prevention committee and launched a vigorous "patriotic health campaign." With the mobilization of the entire population, in addition to killing animals and insects that may carry pathogens, the most important task was to call on the entire population to kill germs by boiling water!

At that time, the Dongxia government's appeal, influence, and organizational capabilities were at their peak in human history. As a result, this habit was quickly promoted throughout the country and became a deeply rooted tradition of life for the Dongxia people.

Many years later, when men in Dongxia tell their girlfriends "drink more hot water," they can add, "In response to the nation's call!"

At that moment, Old Patton took a sip of hot water, rubbed the head of the baby nestled in his arms, and listened as the most senior flat-headed fellow began his daily "cave speech."

Flathead works as a transport team leader in the camp, where he gets to know many important figures and knows a lot of "deep inside information"!
"You think those pointy-eared people are doing this out of kindness? Let me tell you, someone paid a fortune for it!"

"The pointy-eared creatures came out of the forest, weren't they just here to rob money, food, and territory? Let me tell you, the elves went to such great lengths to save us so they could trade money with a lord in the north called the Vast Ocean Territory!"

This gossip topic quickly piqued everyone's interest, and a group of people crowded around, not daring to approach anyone else's "safe zone," and squeezed into the aisle, asking questions all at once.

Where is the Vast Ocean Territory?

"Yes, yes, then why did the lord save our Xiyue people?"

"How can elves listen to humans?"

Flathead chuckled: "That's a long story!"

"That vast desert is far, far to the north, separated by a huge sand dune. Even by horse-drawn carriage, it would take several months to reach it. The road is teeming with magical beasts, and it's said that only one in ten people can make it there."

Did the elves not know about these rumors that were spreading like wildfire throughout the camp? Of course they did!

Even the original rumors were spread by the elves themselves through certain channels.

Centuries of intrigue and backstabbing, you think this is a joke?

Under the instructions of Elder Aiona, the elven disaster relief personnel, in their daily management and communication with refugees, would intentionally or unintentionally emphasize the "outstanding contributions" and "leadership" of the "Hanhai Territory" and its lord in this disaster relief operation.

Why do this? It's a logical way to bring the Vast Ocean under our control and, in the public's perception, establish a deep bond between the Vast Ocean and the Elves.

Although many countries don't yet know how amazing Han Hai Ling is, that's okay, they will find out sooner or later.

The fact that the elves are "allies" of the vast ocean is definitely more beneficial than harmful to them!
Even now, it's enough to make the Xiyue Alliance suspicious for quite some time.

So, after settling down in the camp, old Patton heard several versions of the story, which were generally similar but differed in details.

Just as everyone was chattering and discussing, a soft cough came from the cave entrance. The "Cave Master" has returned!

"Cave Master" is the respectful title everyone has for him. He was among the first group of refugees to be rescued, and because of his quick hands and feet, he was promoted to deputy captain of security at the camp.

The crowd quickly parted to the left and right, making way for the path leading to the residential area at the highest point of the cave.

Soon, everyone began listening to the inside information from the "Cave Master".

"Old Bian is right, the rescue of you was indeed arranged by the lord of Han Hai!"

"Elves, well, they're basically... doing things for money."

The "Cave Master" slowly pulled out a cigarette with only a third of its filter remaining from his pocket. Reluctant to light it, he simply held it to his nose, took a deep drag, squinted his eyes, and looked utterly intoxicated.

This thing is extremely rare. Only a few of the direct officers of the Han Hai Territory might give one or two to the familiar administrators during their patrols. Within the camp, it can even fetch a sky-high price of more than ten silver coins per stick.

Not for any other reason than for that sense of scarcity.

Without even a cigarette in his hand, how dare he claim to know some important figures? The "Cave Master" took another deep sniff before putting the cigarette butt back into a delicate little box and tucking it into his pocket.

"You saw that guy who patted me on the shoulder during the day? He was wearing a smart military uniform with a row of buttons, no, that's the gentleman Han Hai brought!"

"Why did Lord Han Hai save us? It's because of loyalty and righteousness, of course!"

"That lord studied magic in our Xiyue region many years ago!"

"Back then, that lord was of low status and sought education everywhere, but no one would accept him. Later, he met a teacher named Morton, who devoted himself to his education, and that's how they formed a bond of friendship."

"I heard that his teacher also came from a poor background!"

"Because of this teacher, that Lord of the Vast Ocean has taken these poor souls of Xiyue as his own people and told the elves that no matter how much money it costs, they must be saved!"

The "Cave Master" leaned forward, raised a finger high, and his facial muscles contorted.

"Lord Han Hai said that whoever helps him find this teacher can make any request he wants!"

"Want money? A bounty of at least ten thousand silver coins will bury you from head to toe. Want to be an official? You can pick any lucrative position like the city gatekeeper of a major city. Just the tributes from the merchant caravans entering the city every day will make your hands sore! Want to learn martial arts? The best human and elven masters will line up to teach you. Want land? I'll give you a horse. Run it freely for an hour, and all the land it traverses is yours..."

A collective gasp rippled through the crowd, and for a moment, it seemed as if the cave itself was slightly oxygen-deprived.

This story perfectly matches people's imagination of good lords who are loyal and righteous, and the various rewards make everyone's blood boil.

Undoubtedly, this was a move by the Vast Ocean Territory to counter the "binding" measures of the elves.

Our lord's relationship with the elves is only so-so. The main reason he intervened in the situation in Xiyue is that the higher-ups of the Xiyue Federation are too inhumane, causing harm to so many people.

This is where our great lord's former teacher once stayed. No, we have to help!

As for finding Morton, they have indeed been searching for him, and the bounty is real.

Everyone was counting on their fingers. Some were calculating how many flatbreads ten thousand silver coins could buy, some were thinking about how much land could be fenced off in an hour of horse racing, and others were muttering, "It's just a name, how are we supposed to find it? There are so many people named Morton!"

The cave master chuckled, "If it were someone else, they might not know. But I'm familiar with the men of Hanhai, so I happen to know a little about it."

"This mage Morton has always worked under a great mage named Hal. A few years ago, he worked in a large courtyard in Pebble Town. Later, when he became wealthy, he moved to the west to open a mage tower. However, something happened, and they disbanded!"

Old Patton suddenly shuddered!
Almost instinctively, he opened his mouth and shouted at the loudest sound he could muster, a sound that even made him feel slightly dizzy.

"I know!"

"I know this Morton... Mage Morton!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Rumors often veer off in completely unexpected directions.

For example, the elves' initial idea was good, since the Lord of the Vast Ocean supported them, but they quickly went astray, saying that it was because the elves had brought a flamboyant little fairy who had completely captivated the Lord of the Vast Ocean, so he was willing to pay for the elves' things.

The officers in the Han Hai Territory initially had good intentions, believing that their lord was a man of deep feelings and compassion. However, they quickly went astray, claiming that their lord had made a vow to grow old with the daughter of Mage Morton, but unfortunately, his family forbade it, forcing him to leave in tears. Yet, he never forgot her and, now a powerful lord, has returned to find her!
The news that Morton had a daughter came from Old Barton, an insider. Although he knew nothing about it, that didn't stop people from making connections.

It seems that humans have this characteristic: all rumors, given the slightest chance, will tend to focus on matters between men and women.

The instinct to reproduce is ingrained in our hearts.

In any case, among the refugees, the name of Lord Chen Mo of the Vast Ocean has spread far and wide.

Even in Qingze City, across the Beilu River, the legend of this lord began to circulate.

The siege of Qingze City has been going on for more than half a month.

Cities situated along the Beilu River all share a common characteristic: they are situated at relatively high elevations.

Clearly, everyone has been beaten in history.

Therefore, despite the raging river, Qingze City was not flooded, nor were large areas outside Qingze City, allowing both sides to calmly engage in a fierce battle.

However, the floods on the periphery greatly affected the logistics of the Creek Moon Federation, so the two sides fought fiercely from the beginning.

Outside the city, there were numerous siege engines, long-armed crossbows, and mage chariots with shields; inside the city, there were elven archers wielding composite bows.

The compound bow's ability to be enchanted "infinitely" was fully utilized here. Ysera even repeatedly enchanted the Thousand-Pound Bow, achieving an extreme feat of shooting down the Moon Banner from seven kilometers away with a single arrow.

However, she could only shoot this one arrow before she was carried away to rest.

Therefore, during this period of overall exchange, the North Wind Legion outside the city suffered greater losses. Even with numerous attacks and casualties, they were unable to breach the city walls once.

The corpses piled up like mountains on and around the city walls, and the blood stained the battlefield dark red.

After a period of siege, the North Wind Legion was also struggling and chose to slow down its offensive and strengthen the siege.

However, when news of the elves taking in refugees on a large scale soon arrived, Xi Yuefang discovered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

During this period, because of the high terrain of Qingze City, some refugees who had been swept away by the flood and had nowhere else to go still cowered on the outskirts of the battlefield, despite knowing the danger of war.

The North Wind Legion completely ignored them. These poor bastards had neither money nor food, and you couldn't squeeze them dry. Except for some teams that would pick out a few girls to take into their barracks, the rest were left to fend for themselves.

Now, it seems like a great opportunity to make things difficult for the opponent.

The North Wind Legion tentatively withdrew its battle lines and drove a group of refugees who had fled to the vicinity to the walls of Qingze City.

As expected, despite strengthening security, Qingze City still managed to take in the refugees.

The Xiyue Federation has its own information channels, and they quickly confirmed that the elves of Qingze City not only accepted these disaster victims and provided them with food, but also used precious medical resources to prolong their lives.

This is simply courting death!

Qingze City originally had a population of over 500,000, making it one of the largest cities in the Federation. When the elves breached the city, there were over 100,000 city residents who were either captured by the fleeing soldiers or escaped. After entering the city, the elves did not close or lock the gates, and over 100,000 more people escaped one after another.

Once the main elven force withdraws from Shicui City, there will be approximately 300,000 people remaining in the city, including both elves and humans.

According to Qingze City's grain reserves, it can last for at least six months, but now that you want to support refugees, things are much more complicated.

There are over three million federal citizens on the plains outside Qingze City. Even if half of them drown or starve to death, there are still over a million left. If you were to give them all to Qingze City, it would be enough to burst your warehouses!

If the elf can't hold on, choose not to save her...

If they don't want to save us, they don't have to. What does it matter? At most, a few lowly people will die.

With a formidable enemy at hand, killing them is the top priority!
Moreover, spies can be mixed into the refugee ranks to not only pass on intelligence but also create trouble when necessary.

This is truly a divine gift to the North Wind Legion!
Therefore, the North Wind Legion of the Xiyue Federation chose to defend the north but not the south, giving Qingze City a wide road, while driving, bewitching, and inducing millions of disaster victims to gather there from all directions.

These poor, desperate people, clinging to a sliver of hope to survive, cried out, wailed, and struggled as they headed toward the legendary city that would "give them food."

(End of this chapter)