Necromancer, summoning 055? What the heck?

Chapter 305 Cultivating Relationships: The Bloody Battle of the Subtle Bird
The elves' overtures came so directly that they were completely unexpected by Chen Mo and the officials of Hanhai City.

What Chen Mo didn't know was that his personality and way of doing things were not only repeatedly studied and pondered within Dongxia, but also by those forces that defined him as "friendly" or "to be observed," such as the Mist Moon Divine Court and the Silver Moon Forest, who were all carefully studying and analyzing him bit by bit with magical magnifying glasses.

After in-depth research, Elder Silvermoon of the elves concluded that it was best not to beat around the bush when dealing with this young Lord of the Vast Ocean, especially when it came to matters of cooperation.

Expressing your honesty will earn you the lord's favor.

In Iona's words, this lord is not very cunning, but he is definitely not stupid.

Looking further ahead, if we consider the future of Han Hai Ling and Chen Mo himself as a curve that is rapidly climbing, then the earlier any request for normal cooperation is made, the greater the potential returns will be.

The fact that the current leaders of the Elven race are able to clearly recognize this point and unhesitatingly set aside their racial pride to repeatedly take the initiative to show goodwill can only be described as a rare and valuable clarity of mind.

Chen Mo's personality was actually influenced by the subtle influence of Dongxia, emphasizing practicality and abhorring internal strife.

On Earth, although many countries knew that Dongxia was on an upward trajectory, and this trajectory became increasingly obvious, their own selfish interests right under their noses kept them short-sighted and petty. One step behind meant further setbacks, until they lost all their leverage.

To give a simple example, what kind of treatment could you get if you negotiated the return of Dongxia decades in advance? You could have self-determination in the military, finances, personnel, and administration—you could propose any conditions.

They might even rise to the top management of Dongxia, leaving behind a few memorable stories in history books.

Now, talking about peaceful integration? Are you kidding me?
Even if you surrender unconditionally, Dongxia will still find fault with whether your kneeling posture is up to standard!

What is meant by "united front value"? For a lion cub, a puppy has united front value, and so does a cat. But once the lion reaches adulthood, sorry, all you have left is meat with a little value.

As time goes by, the lion will eventually reach its full potential, and the gap in strength will eventually become so large that it will be despairing. Therefore, the window of opportunity is fleeting!
Now, the elves are desperately trying to seize this window of opportunity.

In her series of words, the Queen not only strongly expressed her affection for Liu Shuang and her feelings of loving the house because of the house, but also made no attempt to hide that she valued Liu Shuang's excellence and the very good relationship between Liu Shuang and the Lord of Han Hai.

"The number one among half-elves"—that came from Queen Vera's mouth, and that was the definitive statement!

Of course, while it's said that Liushuang made the decision herself, such a big matter definitely needed to be discussed with everyone.

However, it was clear that Chen Mo underestimated the moral bottom line of the bureaucrats under his command.

Helan's first words were: "I don't think the elves are being sincere enough!"

"According to the norms in mainland China, goddaughters have no right of succession!"

Chen Mo waved his hand, both amused and exasperated. "What's this? Someone wants to claim kinship with you, and you're already eyeing their property?"
What do I need that forest for?

"To be honest, the good things in the Elven race now, whether it's the Fountain of Life or rare plants, are just traded for a small price. It's a clean and straightforward transaction. If Liushuang really becomes the successor of Silvermoon, wouldn't that be like taking such a huge burden as the Elven race on her own shoulders?"

"You all know how much effort and resources we've invested in settling those tens of thousands of people in Tianshuang City."

Why invite trouble upon yourself!

Helan rubbed his head. In the minds of these traditional bureaucrats, acquiring territory, controlling vassals, and becoming a greater lord was the only way to achieve legendary status.

They were still getting used to their lord's approach of prioritizing channels over land and transactions over control.

However, Chen Mo's statement set the tone for the matter: if the lord did not value the right of succession, then continuing to deepen the relationship between Liushuang and the Elven race would be far more beneficial than harmful.

First, this will elevate Liu Shuang's seniority to a level that is difficult to replicate.

Throughout its long history, the Elven race has adopted a very unique inheritance mechanism called the youngest daughter inheritance system.

In other words, the next queen will be the last female offspring born to the previous queen.

The reasons for this are complex, but it is generally believed that it is related to the long lifespan of the Elf race.

If the eldest daughter succeeds to the throne, the crown prince may be six or seven hundred years old when the queen passes away, and the next crown prince may be very old.

The elves have plenty of elders! As for the queen, it's better if she's younger.

Choosing the youngest daughter to succeed to the throne means that each queen can rule for hundreds of years. In a slow-moving race like the elves, the stability of policies is quite important.

What would this result in? The Elf Queen's seniority would be incredibly high.

Even without tracing back, the current Queen Vera Moonshadow is a figure who is on par with the ancestors of various human nations for more than a dozen generations. If we start from the top nobles and go down the line, the royal families and nobles of various nations and races would all have to call Liushuang their ancestor.

Liu Shuang's brothers were no exception; the difference was such that they had to kowtow eighteen times when they met!
This thing may seem useless, but if you combine it with powerful force, then things could get complicated!

Secondly, this will greatly enhance the legitimacy and sense of belonging of the "Frost Guard" special unit.

This Elf Force can be said to be the strongest armed force in the current Han Hai, without exception. Even if it faces the 59th Armored Brigade or the Han Hai Missile Army, as long as the battlefield information of both sides is equal, the Elf Force has a very high chance of winning.

To put it more bluntly, the strongest point of the Vast Ocean Territory is that it has comprehensive battlefield information and can fight a planned war at a predetermined time, in a predetermined location, and against a predetermined opponent.

If an encounter occurs when intelligence is equal, firearms may not be able to suppress these diverse and varied enemies.

However, this powerful elven force is ultimately the Redemption Legion of Silvermoon Forest.

Lord Chen Mo had previously given them the title of "Frostflow Guard," which was a slight consolation. However, being a guard for a half-elf was only slightly better than being a thug for a human. It eased their emotions a little, but not much!
How to describe this feeling? It's like how some people with a super stereotypical view of Shanghainese, when they see those "country bumpkins," no matter how powerful or influential you are, they still look down on you.

However, if Frostfall were to become the Elf Queen's child, the situation would be entirely different.

The difference between being punished for betraying one's people and serving as a guard for a prince of the Elven race is like night and day.

If handled properly, Lilan Qingge's Watchers will very likely break away from the Elf race and become the Elves of the Vast Ocean in the future!
Furthermore, some of them may return to Silvermoon Forest in the future, influencing the policies and structure of the Elven race as members of the pro-Hanhai faction.

Finally, there are some things that Chen Mo can't think of for the time being, but that doesn't mean Dongxia can't.

It was a large, senior, experienced, and extremely pragmatic governing group. Even the most insignificant things could be turned into strategic and tactical assets in their hands.

Over the next few days, the atmosphere between the two sides could be described as harmonious and joyful.

Liu Shuang enjoys many privileges within the Han Hai Territory, which were granted by Chen Mo. However, in the past, the young girl was simple-minded and deliberately avoided getting involved in specific matters, never using her privileges.

Now, with Chen Mo's explicit encouragement and support, Liu Shuang has finally begun to try to use her influence and has shown a domineering presence commensurate with her status.

This was to fully demonstrate the value of Frostbite to the Queen.

For example, Isera, who came to the Sea of ​​Glory with the Queen, made a request to Liushuang in a tactful manner.

"Your Highness Liushuang!"

“We have a batch of compound bows that have suffered some damage during training and use, and some parts need to be replaced. As you know, although we try our best to maintain them according to the blueprints, the materials for some core components… are beyond our capabilities!”

"I wonder if the Vast Ocean Territory can lend a helping hand and assist us in repairing these weapons?"

Compound bows are indeed quite delicate.

Although the Dongxia people hardly considered cost when making compound bows and used as many sturdy and durable high-end materials as possible, the compound bow has too many components and a complex structure, making it inherently much more brittle than other types of bows and prone to damage.

The elf tried to repair it herself according to the instructions, but the problem persisted: the skill was there, but the materials were not!

Ysera brought over six hundred unusable compound bows, hoping they could be repaired. At that moment, Frostfall was sitting beside Queen Vera, enjoying pastries and ice cream from the Vast Ocean. Hearing Ysera's cautious inquiry, the young girl turned to her attendant and asked, "Can we help repair these?"

The official immediately bowed and then jogged out to communicate. About fifteen minutes later, he returned to report: "Your Highness, the experts from the Industrial Institute have stated after a preliminary inspection that the repairs are technically feasible. However, the specific spare parts needed will need to be included in the temporary plan for next month or next quarter, and Your Highness will need to handle this personally!"

"Even after the spare parts arrive, the repair and subsequent debugging and calibration will still take some time..."

Liu Shuang frowned slightly, and her small nostrils twitched slightly. "Then during this time, haven't the elves lost a lot of usable bows?"

Ysera quickly chimed in, "It's alright, it's alright, as long as it can be fixed, it can be fixed!"

"Wait a minute, let me ask Chen Mo!"

Princess Liushuang took out a small, exquisite phone from her waist and started pressing buttons. Soon, Chen Mo's voice could be heard from the scene.

The eyes of the elves surrounding the queen gradually hardened.

This is... yes, Elder Aiona said it's called "real-time communication"! It's said to be extremely expensive, charged by the second, like a basin of life-giving water per second.

In this regard, the elves could easily understand it by drawing an analogy to a magic platform or a miniature teleportation array.

You have to pay a price to gain the greatest convenience!
However, this young princess was clearly an exception.

This is the embassy district. You can see the city lord's mansion just by looking up. It would only take a high-ranking warrior ten minutes to run there, yet they can use "real-time communication" so casually...

Queen Vera and Elder Ysera exchanged a complicated glance.

As expected of the chosen one! No wonder Elder Aiona was so determined to include her in the elven family tree.

On the other end of the phone, Chen Mo seemed to be busy with official duties; the sounds of papers turning and people reporting could be faintly heard in the background. He asked about the situation in a few words and gave a direct reply:
"I recall there should be a batch of compound bows in stock in the warehouse, prepared for next year's transactions. Have the elves leave the damaged bows for repair, and go to the warehouse to get a batch of new ones. Consider it a temporary supply for them. They can return these bows whenever they are repaired!"

"Huh? Won't that be a huge loss? How much will you charge?"

Chen Mo on the other end of the phone seemed amused. "Losing a little money is fine, as long as Liushuang is happy! Let them decide on the repair costs. That's all, I'm busy. If anything happens later, just make the decisions. Just don't dismantle Hanhai."

After hanging up the phone, Liu Shuang stuck out her tongue a little shyly, only to be pulled into Queen Vera's arms in a very natural and subtle way.

Later that day, the Elf Queen visited Frostfall again and brought a special gift.

Because of the druid lineage among the elves, and because Silvermoon Forest was once the home of the World Tree, it has always been able to cultivate many strange and wonderful creatures.

For example, the Moon Deer that could sense the environment and detect danger that was sent before, or the Fluorescent Silkworm that could weave dreams and create illusions... This time, the Queen gave Liushuang an owl that was exclusive to the Moon Elf royal family and was only the size of an adult's palm.

This little creature has flawless, snow-white feathers, except for a faint silver-gray band around its neck, like a collar. The edges of its wing feathers shimmer with a mother-of-pearl iridescence under certain light, understated yet magnificent.

What is most striking is its eyes. From the moment it was taken down from its specially made perch by the accompanying druid and presented to the Queen, its large, open eye, a deep, jewel-like blue, has been gazing unblinkingly at Frost.

When the druid handed it over to the queen, he turned the little guy around, but it didn't move its body. Instead, it turned its neck 180 degrees and continued to stubbornly "lock" onto Frost.

"It seems to really like you."

Queen Vera lowered her voice, gently stretched out her arm, and carefully placed the quiet little creature in Frost Flow's outstretched palm.

"This child is called 'Zhiwei Bird'. It was a creature that the World Tree brought from the outside world. We don't know its exact origin, but don't underestimate it because of its small size. It has a great ability: to foresee danger."

The young princess held the bird up to her eyes, her big eyes widening: "Isn't that the same as the moon deer?"

"That's different!"

With a gentle smile on her face, the Queen patiently explained, "The Moon Deer can only sense existing, real dangers. For example, if there is a powerful evil creature in a certain area, the Moon Deer will linger outside, restless, as a warning."

"But the Wisdom Bird can transcend time and sense potential dangers in the future. You see, it usually only opens one eye, but it will always keep one eye open because it is its master's best sentinel, always watching over everything around its master."

Doesn't it sleep?

"Its closed eye is just resting!"

Seeing the little princess's curious expression, the queen coughed lightly and revealed the answer.

"If one day it opens its eyes and begins to circle or chirp, it means that it has sensed impending danger and must be on high alert immediately!"

"Liu Shuang, to be honest, I originally hoped to give this Zhiwei bird to Lord Chen Mo, the Lord of the Vast Sea."

"Lord Chen Mo has a powerful background, is intelligent, and is good at using people, but his own strength is too weak."

"He has helped the elves so much that the elven race is very concerned about his safety. After all, to defeat the Vast Ocean, it may require hundreds of thousands or even millions of troops, while to launch a sneak attack on Lord Chen Mo, it may only require a few professionals."

The Queen's tone carried a hint of concern: "But this is, after all, a personal item, and I'm afraid the Lord of the Vast Ocean might overthink it."

"Therefore, I would like to ask you to look after it for a while, so that you can get to know it and establish a connection with it. After that, you can decide whether to give it to Lord Chen Mo."

"Don't worry, I won't hurt you!"

The Queen has taken a roundabout approach to achieve her goal. She knows that Liu Shuang is simple-minded, has keen intuition, and is deeply trusted by the Lord of the Vast Sea. If Liu Shuang can accept her, it will be equivalent to getting through this channel.

As for why this precious creature was given to Han Hai.

It's very simple. Although Liushuang's family recognition ceremony hasn't been held yet, it's basically a done deal. Now, Hanhai is the most reliable ally of the Elf race.

After much deliberation, the best way for the elves to defeat the Vast Ocean was by beheading. Wouldn't others have thought of that?
For example, the Green Pine Kingdom, Emperor Xiyue, the Orc Wasteland, and the Azure Sky Holy City...

If you do the math, the Lord of the Vast Ocean really does have quite a few enemies!
They must be properly protected by the lord.

Of course, deep within the hearts of the elven rulers, there may also lie a politician's unspoken considerations.

Just in case, and only in case, an irreparable rift appears in the relationship between the elves and the vast ocean...

The Zhiwei Bird is provided by us, making it much easier for the elf to bypass warnings compared to others!
Having schemed too much, a faint weariness lingered in the depths of Queen Vera's eyes, which were as gentle as an autumn lake.

Then, in a great mood, Liu Shuang dragged the Queen to the third floor of the Hanhai Commercial Complex... the chess and card room.

She wanted to test whether this little thing would work.

That works incredibly well!

After becoming familiar with the rules of mahjong, Queen Vera and Elder Ysera quickly became engrossed in it, spending an entire afternoon playing mahjong with Liushuang. The rules were the same, and they played the "fight to the death" style!
Whenever Liushuang is undecided about which card to play, she scratches Zhiwei's chin, and the little guy tilts his head helplessly, giving a hint.

By dinnertime, the elves finally couldn't take it anymore.

This mahjong game is really fun, and it's really addictive!
The problem is, the amount of life-giving water discharged in this one afternoon is more than the total trading volume of a year...

Was this bird of wisdom a gift? It seems a bit too hasty…

(End of this chapter)