Necromancer, summoning 055? What the heck?

Chapter 409 Talent Gap: A Vast Chess Game
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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.

Today, the management structure of the Vast Ocean Territory is characterized by a tripartite balance among the human, orc, and centaur races.

Needless to say, the human race has always been one of the main forces in the Han Hai army. In the administrative system, from clerks to tax collectors, from judges to village chiefs, the positions are almost entirely monopolized by humans or human-beast hybrids.

The lord himself is human, and his subordinates are full of human elites. The orcs are slow-witted, so it is reasonable for them to use human bureaucrats more often.

However, the human race is not monolithic. According to Chief Ruler Helan's general outline, it can be divided into at least the Vast Sea Human Race, the Stream Moon Human Race, the Emerald Human Race, the White Deer Human Race, and other human races...

Even though they belonged to the same Bailu people, they were also divided into different echelons such as "before Xuanshui", "before Liujun" and "after Liujun" according to the time they joined Hanhai.

For example, Amu, who was the first to be rescued from the swamp and report the oil trail, was a veteran of the "Xuanshui" and an absolute senior among the civil officials of the White Deer Clan.

Hamon of the National Defense Army and the Guiyi Army belonged to the second echelon of the Bailu people, which was after Xuanshui and before the Six Counties.

This situation can be described as one of unity and cooperation externally, and infinite subdivision internally.

Each small group is vying for its own voice and resources.

The orc factions are much simpler and more brutal, based entirely on seniority and the order of surrender. Dozens of tribes are divided into different factions, with the two main leading tribes being the Minotaur tribe and the Cat tribe.

The status of the Niu tribe is self-evident. This tribe has a good character, strong fighting power, and with Liu Zaiyue, a minister who followed the lord when he rose to power, as their spiritual banner, they have long held the core position of the lord's guard, which is of great symbolic significance. It can be said that they are highly favored.

As for the cats...

There's nothing we can do; after all, they've managed to get close to Prince Liushuang!

After the powerful tiger clan took the initiative to acknowledge their kinship and shouted "Cat and tiger are one family," the cat clan made up for its weakness in combat power and has shown signs of catching up and surpassing the others.

Compared to the two races mentioned above, the centaur race is much smaller in number.

This is both a disadvantage and a advantage.

According to rumors, Helan, the chief councilor of the Han Hai Kingdom, once said in private after getting drunk, "Those centaurs are just a rootless tribe in the Han Hai Kingdom!"

This "rootlessness" can be understood on two levels. On one hand, it refers to the castrated eunuchs in the former imperial palace, similar to the eunuchs of the old Eastern Xia Dynasty. On the other hand, it refers to the decline of the entire orcish tribe, with the centaur lacking background and foundation.

Regardless of the version, the core message is the same: these guys have no one else to rely on but the lord's power to survive.

Once the lord no longer needs them, the centaur race will quickly decline and become a savage tribe roaming the grasslands.

Of course, another speculation is that this might be the reason why Lord Chen Mo values ​​them so much.

Without a foundation, it's naturally easier to grasp.

The Helan Council firmly denied this rumor, and reportedly even launched an internal investigation, arresting several people who spread the "rumors," causing a minor uproar within the territory.

In conclusion, on this ever-expanding land of the Vast Ocean Territory, although all forces are undoubtedly loyal to the lord and are working together for the development of the territory, under the common goal, each has its own smaller objectives, and beneath the surface, there are all sorts of tests, alliances and competitions!

Lin Xiangming reminded Makaga that this action was driven by both public and private motives.

Returning to the Cemetery is a separate faction with no entanglements of interests with other factions; in other words, it has no allies.

Now that they've fought side-by-side with the field army, they've developed a certain bond. Lin Xiangming doesn't want to see the relatively simple-minded centaurs unwittingly fall into some traps. Incidentally, he also wants to find a temporary ally for his own side that can support each other in critical moments.

All of the above are things that Chen Mo is unaware of for the time being, or rather, that the lord does not want to know or needs to know.

What he urgently needs to address now is the huge shortage of management talent.

After several meetings, HanHai's top management reached a basic consensus: to implement new policies, resume production, collect taxes, and maintain order, a large number of grassroots managers were needed. However, even if all the locally trained, educated, and trustworthy personnel trained within HanHai were filled, it would be far from enough.

We need to borrow someone!

From whom should I borrow it?
Once the proposal was put forward, it quickly became unstoppable.

Members of the proton group from the Thirteen Divisions of Xiyue raised their hands high: "We have people! All the divisions of Xiyue are under the command of the Xiayue Alliance, and it is only right that they serve the chairman!"

A group of young men and women behind them nodded in agreement, chattering amongst themselves.

"Yes! There are quite a few clever ones among our attendants and study companions!"

"The steward of my manor can read the ledgers and even speak a little orc language!"

"Chairman, please give us a chance to serve you!"

The term "Proton Group" is a sarcastic and malicious name used by certain forces with ulterior motives. These young people call themselves pilgrims, while Chen Mo refers to them as international students.

Over the past period of time, these people have come and gone, and those who have been able to stay in Hanhai for a long time are undoubtedly a group of young people who have a great fondness for Chen Mo and Hanhai under his management.

Especially during the Northern Expedition to the White Deer Plain and the conquest of the orc tribes, the young people clamored to serve the Han Hai, willing to buy their own weapons and bring their own servants to lead the way for the chairman, which gave Chen Mo a lot of headaches.

Chen Mo dared not send them to the battlefield.

If anything were to happen to these guys, dealing with his relationship with the Thirteen Tribes of Xiyue would be incredibly troublesome in the future.

Therefore, Chen Mo had to draw upon his personal guard to keep these people firmly under his control and lead them on an armed march.

Standing far away outside the battlefield, pointing into the distance, Chen Mo borrowed a famous saying from Dongxia: "Planning strategies within the tent, winning battles a thousand miles away!" Only then did he finally calm down these restless little guys.

This earned him a group of die-hard fans, at least on the surface.

Now that the league is short of players, they have no choice but to repay them with their utmost sincerity!
The international students are right, there are indeed people in Xiyue's area.

Although the literacy rate is low across the entire Starry Continent, the land of Xiyue is fertile and the population is large. As long as the base is large enough, even a low percentage can accumulate enough cultured people.

Putting everything else aside, the entourage, servants, companions, pageboys, guards, and so on of these international students alone could form a large and quick-witted team.

According to the international students, as long as they write home, it would be easy for the various tribes to gather thousands or even tens of thousands of people who can do grassroots management.

While the international students were still making a fuss, Elder Corinne, the elven elder stationed in the Vast Sea, stepped forward.

"The Elf race is also a part of the Summer Moon Alliance!"

"The Alliance has military affairs, the Elves have the Frostfire Guard; the Alliance has civil affairs, the Elves can also have the Frostfire Squires!"

"I will immediately ask Elder Aiona to take stock of the personnel and bring them to Han Hai to be selected by His Highness and the Chairman!"

Colleen's words were all under the guise of Liushuang, even the order of her speech was "Your Highness" first and "Chairman" last. You have to admit, this was quite an ingenious move.

We elves are serving our little prince; it's only natural!

The structure of the elves is the exact opposite of that of Xiyue. They are few in number but extremely high in quality. Any member of the leadership team is a centuries-old monster who is skilled in both literature and martial arts.

After the war with Xiyue, the Elf race entered a period of adjustment. According to Aiona's report to Hanhai, there will be no large-scale war for at least the next few years.

Before leaving the Silvermoon Forest, the elves shouted every day about restoring their homeland and returning to the royal city. Now that they've actually come out, it seems they've forgotten there's even a place called the royal city, and they don't even glance to the north.

The reasons for this are twofold: firstly, the newly acquired territory needs to be digested; secondly, the battle between the elves and Xiyue resulted in significant casualties and was quite heartbreaking.

With a small base, one is not qualified to wage a protracted war of attrition.

If they want to reclaim the royal city, they'll have to wage war against the Green Pine Kingdom to the north. That's a tough nut to crack, a regional tyrant, and the elves really don't want to suffer any more damage.

Moreover, judging from the current situation, it's clear to anyone with eyes that Lord Chen Mo of Hanhai will settle accounts with Green Pine sooner or later, and a battle between the two sides is inevitable!
Wouldn't it be better for the elves to hitch a ride instead of fighting alone?

From this perspective, it was crucial for the elves to strengthen their bond with this lord of limitless potential before the war began.

The group of "Watchers" elves, including Lilan Light Song and Angus, who were exiled to the Vast Sea as members of the Redemption Army, have all been pardoned and had their identities restored by Queen Vera because of their outstanding contributions to the Vast Sea. Now that they have an opportunity to get more involved in the affairs of the Vast Sea and to curry favor with Chen Mo, how could the elves bear to let it go?

Chen Mo casually rubbed the short stubble on his chin, weighing the pros and cons in his mind, when Hamon, the newly appointed commander of the National Defense Army and representative of the White Deer Clan, stood up.

"Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief! I request to speak!"

Chen Mo nodded.

As expected, those personally trained by Han Hai are more disciplined.

Hamon stood at attention, his voice booming: "Commander-in-Chief, I believe that there are many talented people among the native humans of the White Deer Plain!"

"Although these people served as servants to the orcs in the past, managing their manors and collecting taxes, in a sense they were indeed aiding and abetting evil. But this has been the reality of life on the White Deer Plain for hundreds of years, and generations have seen this since birth, their eyes constantly blinded!"

"It wasn't until Commander-in-Chief personally arrived and cleared away the clouds that the White Deer Clan saw the bright sunshine!"

"Lord, could you give the White Deer Clan a chance to contribute to the territory?"

"In any case, these people's lives, property, relatives, and children are all under the commander-in-chief's territory, so they will always be more reliable!"

"We, the White Deer Clan, will certainly prove our loyalty to you through our actions!"

That's a very skillful way of putting it.

As former servants of the orcs, the "Never-Returners" have now returned, but they still have a history of "banditry," and according to Han Hai's plan, they will need a considerable period of ideological reform. However, Hamon's words were tactful, but his meaning was very direct—the Thirteen Tribes of Xiyue are at best an autonomous region of the Alliance, and the Elven race is an "ally" with independent military and diplomatic relations.

On the contrary, the White Deer Clan can be said to be the true "Hanhai" people. Their lives and deaths are all in the hands of the lord. Their wives, children and elderly parents are all in the Hanhai's directly controlled territory. Wouldn't it be more reassuring to use them?
Faced with such veiled innuendo, the international student team looked displeased, the elven elder frowned, and the other human figures seemed lost in thought…

Chen Mo was also somewhat conflicted.

After the conference ended, Chen Mo held a small meeting with his core team to continue the in-depth discussion. Then, more people came to join in the fun.

The contents of the meeting were not deliberately kept secret, and the news spread quickly. Before long, High Priest Farrell was the first to rush to the city lord's mansion to request an audience.

Upon seeing Chen Mo, Farrell immediately bowed and spoke with great sincerity.

"Your Excellency Lord Chen Mo, I have heard that you need some people to assist you in managing this vast territory that you have just acquired!"

"I wonder if the Divine Court could do this on my behalf!"

“Rainbow City has a sufficient number of well-educated priests who have long been responsible for coordinating the believer community and managing church property. They are experienced enough, and most of them are fluent in the Old Language of the White Deer of the North and the Orcish language, which will make communication much easier. I believe they are absolutely capable of serving you!”

Seeing Chen Mo frown slightly, Farrell immediately added, "Please rest assured, Your Highness, every person we send can be reviewed by Your Highness's people first. If you deem them unsuitable, I will take them away immediately!"

At this point, he placed his right hand on his heart: "Your Excellency need not worry about the infiltration of the Divine Court. I swear in the name of the Seven-Eyed God that they will never preach in the land of White Deer without Your Excellency's permission."

"We simply... hope to do our part for Your Lordship and to stabilize the order on the plains as soon as possible. This will not only benefit the Vast Sea but also reduce the pressure on the borders of the Divine Court, and it will also benefit the trade of the Seven Luminaries Garland Merchant Guild!"

"We hope that Your Excellency will give Rainbow Holy City a chance!"

Chen Mo turned his head to look at Farrell, whose eyes were full of expectation.

The other party spoke so solemnly, even swearing an oath to the gods, so it should be largely true.

But Chen Mo absolutely refused to believe that there wasn't some ulterior motive involved.

The simplest logic is that even if these people don't actively proselytize, if a group of local administrators are of priestly origin, there will definitely be a lot of people who will follow suit and flock to them.

However, Farrell's words were not without merit. A great power like the Mistmoon Divine Court, and a religious one at that, was indeed significantly stronger in terms of organization and execution than a tribal alliance like the Stream Moon, or a forest singer like the elves.

The people they send might actually get up to speed quickly and solve the territory's immediate crisis.

Chen Mo did not reply immediately, saying that he needed to consider it carefully.

No sooner had Farrell left than the guards of the city lord's mansion announced the arrival of two more visitors, Anthony Herik and Aidan Elliott.

These two had clearly timed it perfectly, letting Farrell's car pass just in time. They knew Farrell had been there, but Farrell was unaware that these two were waiting outside.

The fact that they were deliberately avoiding Farrell made their intentions clear.

With his bottom touching the chair, Elliot spoke first: "Lord Chen Mo, from the Qingze Plains to the Silvermoon Forest, from the Yellow Sand Sea to the majestic White Deer, everywhere is bathed in your grace. I wonder if the Magic Academy has the honor of adding a little light to your radiant achievements."

Chen Mo was somewhat surprised: "Isn't your Magic Society all about academic research? What, are you also thinking of abandoning your studies to go into politics?"

"My lord, the Magic Society isn't just for mages like us who explore the essence of things!"

Elliott took a scroll from the hem of his robe and handed it to the guard standing beside him. Heran quickly examined it, then spread it out on the table in front of Chen Mo and explained it to him in a low voice.

The Magic Society is a large research institution whose core members are scholars ranging from the third to the sixth ring. However, these people are able to carry out their research work with the assistance of a large number of external personnel.

For example, each scholar has not only bright and capable disciples who are expected to inherit his mantle, but also many more low-level mages and apprentices who are responsible for doing odd jobs. A monograph that can be published in "Arcane Origins" requires a large number of support staff behind the scenes.

Apprentices responsible for material collection and preliminary processing, assistants for recording repetitive experiments, general affairs managers of laboratory supplies, and deacons handling the society's external negotiations and industrial operations, etc.

Experiments cost money, results need to be monetized, interests need to be coordinated, and gains need to be protected. Over the years, the mages surrounding the Magic Society have formed a sizable group with a certain level of knowledge and high loyalty to the Society.

Among them were mages, warriors, and ordinary people. As the adopted children of magic scholars, they had formed a strong relationship similar to that of lords and subjects.

However, the Magic Society had achievements but no territory. So, as these "domesticated children" branched out and multiplied, the Magic Society eventually ran out of space.

It's obvious that these countries on the mainland are too busy taking care of their own people to have land and positions for a magic society that has no connection to their own country.

Even if a local lord dared to agree, the ruler or emperor could not!

Now, suddenly such a large territory has appeared. Although it has an owner, this owner is weak and lacks manpower. Is there a more suitable situation than this?

Faced with Elliott's eager gaze, Chen Mo shook his head with a wry smile.

On the bright side, the people in the Magic Society don't have deep connections with any country, their backgrounds are relatively simple, and they've been trained as magic apprentices since childhood, so their cultural literacy is guaranteed.

However, compared to the other forces, the Magic Society, which has no actual territory or subjects, is relatively lacking in management experience. For Chen Mo, who needs to actively promote territory management, this is not a good choice.

However, before Chen Mo could politely decline, Master Anthony, who had been quietly listening, suddenly coughed lightly, straightened his plain robe, and patted his chest vigorously.

On his robe was a badge—the badge of a foreign academician of the Eastern Xia Republic.

Taking a deep breath, Chen Mo forced a smile at the old man: "Master Anthony, Scholar Elliott, this matter... is of great importance, please allow me to consider it carefully again."

After seeing the two off, just when Chen Mo thought he could finally have some peace and quiet, his "nephew" Chen Ye, who was far away in Xiyue, spent a lot of money to make a video call to his uncle.

"Uncle, there are people available in the Sky Dome!"

"Mist Moon cannot be trusted, and Qi Moon harbors ill intentions, but my Sky Dome is completely different. I have not a single soldier in the Eastern Continent, and I am at your mercy, Uncle!"

"In terms of management, the Sky Dome has a long history, a rich culture, a complete civil service system, and rich experience in governance. Compared with these guys from the Western Continent, the Moonlit Mist Moon is only at the level of an infant, and the elves are just young girls."

"In terms of credibility, those guys can't compare to Tianqiong at all. Tianqiong is too far away!"

"Between nations, those that are close become enemies, while those that are distant become friends. I'm sure you understand this principle, Uncle!"

"..."

From having no solution to suddenly having a dazzling array of solutions, it only took half a day, but Chen Mo's mind was now even more confused.

The night was as still as water, and the moon hung high in the sky. Chen Mo and his trusted subordinates discussed the matter back and forth, but they couldn't come up with a suitable solution.

After seeing everyone off, the Chairman lay wearily in his chair. Liu Shuang pulled out a fruit from somewhere, peeled the pieces one by one, and handed them to Chen Mo.

Chen Mo didn't move.

"I...I washed my hands!"

Chen Mo was both amused and exasperated: "That's not what I was talking about. I was thinking about the personnel arrangements."

Liu Shuang had listened to the entire meeting, big and small, so she naturally knew what Chen Mo was troubled about. The girl used her hand to carve another stone fruit, poked a shallow hole in it, and placed it on the corner of the table. The little white bird Zhiwei, which had been waiting eagerly for a long time, plunged into it.

After doing all this, Liu Shuang turned her face around, her big eyes sparkling in the night.

"I don't understand this kind of thing, but...aren't you short-staffed? If they send people over, then use them!"

Chen Mo smiled helplessly: "Sigh... things aren't that simple. They send people with their own agendas. If I use their people, I'll have to be extra careful, sending people to keep an eye on them and guard against them. It might be more tiring than not using them at all!"

Liu Shuang paused for a moment, her eyebrows furrowing slightly, and asked with some doubt, "Is it that complicated?"

“I see that Teacher Li’s place has people from all over the world. Teacher Li doesn’t have to manage them at all. They work very hard on their own.”

The "Teacher Li" that Liu Shuang mentioned refers to Li Zelin, the factory director of the reduction plant.

Because he had always been the little girl's sparring partner, Liu Shuang respectfully called him teacher.

Reproduction plant?
The restoration plant was indeed filled with people from all over the country, and each of them was an extremely cunning and ruthless spy. As a result, they all worked diligently and conscientiously in the restoration plant.

Why are they busy cleaning even during their rest time?

Chen Mo quickly reconstructed Li Zelin's management style in his mind.

What kind of management model is there?
Old Li usually doesn't manage things at all; he relies entirely on a group of spies from various countries below him to exercise their initiative, supervise each other, report on each other, and even punish each other...

Chen Mo suddenly sat up straight, staring intently at Liu Shuang. After a few seconds of stunned silence, he grabbed Liu Shuang's slightly cool little hand. The great swordsman and the little princess instantly blushed.

"You are truly my lucky star!"

"Yeah, why should I care or worry about anything? Let them take care of themselves and protect themselves!"

　I'm back. I'll rest and recuperate while writing. I'll adjust gradually.

　　Yesterday I saw a chapter by the author "Sleeping Makes You Whiter," and he's sick too...

　　I hope all authors stay healthy!

　　Yes, and to all my dear readers, may you be healthy, safe, and have all your wishes come true!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)