Do you have a problem with necromancers?

Chapter 100 A New Scheme
After the banquet, Raine left with Fatin, and out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Princess Jinsha, whose expression seemed rather unpleasant.

"You can ask any questions now."

Fatin was silent for a moment, then asked:
"Does the Queen not know about the White Walkers?"

“I know,” Raine replied. “The White Walkers have now completely taken over the rainforest peninsula. The Marquis of Pear Island came to the capital to warn them, but the court did not take it seriously.”

"reason?"

"Yes, His Majesty believes that it is inappropriate to send the Imperial Legion to the southern part of Changshui Province before the specific information about this monster is clear."

"When would be the right time?" Fatin asked coldly, "When the White Walkers come out in full force from the rainforest peninsula and attack the Serpent Mountains?"

“No, because the Serpent Mountains are inhabited by savages,” Renn said with a smile. “The Empire has never truly brought that region under its rule, so it certainly won’t feel any pain at losing it.”

"And then what happens when the White Walkers burst forth from the Serpent Mountains and begin to wreak havoc on the Land of a Thousand Lakes?"

"That won't work either, because there are many nobles in the Thousand Lakes region. The Dann family can't just sit idly by. The court would probably be very happy to see the Changshui Province suffer a great loss of strength as a result."

"Then what happened when the White Walkers destroyed the Land of a Thousand Lakes and began their attack on the Longwater Plains?"

“Once the White Walkers begin to threaten the Longwater Plains, the 12th ‘Taotie’ Legion stationed in Longwater Province will surely report the news. The court will be greatly shaken by this, but troop movements cannot be completed in a day or two.” Raine calmly described what was about to happen, as if he had witnessed it all himself.

"When the White Walkers have completely breached the Long Plains, and the Vale, the Reach, and the southern border of the Empire are all under threat, most of the Empire's forces will be concentrated in the southern border. That will be the first time the Empire will truly engage in battle with the White Walkers."

Fatin suddenly stopped in his tracks.

She tucked the strands of hair that had been ruffled by the night wind behind her ear, her gaze gradually hardening as if she were suppressing some extremely intense emotion.

Then, she asked herself softly:
"Does the Empire have to sacrifice entire border provinces to confront the deadly threat of the Others?"

“There’s nothing we can do about it,” Renn said slowly. “At the court’s table, everyone is constantly faced with two choices: for the empire, or for themselves?”

"The rule at this poker table is that if everyone is working for the empire, then the game will proceed according to the normal rules; but if you choose to work for yourself, you can ignore the original rules and maximize your own gains."

“In other words,” Fatin added in a detached tone, “in the initial stages of the game, everyone agrees to ‘for the Empire’ to avoid any rule-breaking behavior. Once someone violates this agreement, they will be punished by everyone.”

"As the rounds of the game increase, more and more people begin to use the name of 'for the empire' while secretly doing things 'for themselves'. Until no one is willing to continue to follow the rules, the game table is completely overturned, and all the rules become invalid... until a new game table is set up."

“It seems you’ve grasped the point.” Renn was very pleased with her comprehension. “We’re now in the very late stages of the game, and there are quite a few people who aren’t following the rules.”

"For the nobles of the four realms, once the Empire goes to war with the White Walkers, it means that the Imperial Legion will become crucial, and they worry that this will further strengthen the imperial power."

"However, for the emperor, this also meant that those military leaders who were already disobedient to him would become even more unruly and difficult to control."

"When both the nobles and the emperor were unwilling to go to war because of their own interests, downplaying the threat of the White Walkers became a choice that both sides agreed on, until the lie could no longer be maintained. Regarding your previous question, my answer is—yes, only the complete fall of the Province of Longwater would have enough weight to burst this balloon of lies."

"This is the human empire as it is today, Fatin."

Fatin didn't answer, but simply followed quietly behind him.

"What are your thoughts?" Ryan asked.

“Thoughts…” Fatin thought seriously for a while, “I can only say that any country that can be called an empire, whether it is ruled by humans or elves, feels rotten at its core.”

"It's something we can't help but do," Renn said with a hint of regret.

Having eaten so much at the banquet, Renn didn't plan to hire a carriage. Instead, he took Fatin for a stroll under the moonlight, heading towards the Imperial Capital's military camp, to digest their meal along the way.

Fatin carefully examined the surrounding buildings. More than a thousand years had passed, but the overall structure of the capital's streets had not changed much. Only many municipal gardens had been leveled and transformed into markets, and most of the houses on both sides of the street had lost their original ornate plaster, revealing the rough brick and stone structures inside.

Just like the masters of the capital, although they have changed from elves to humans, the filth and ugliness within remain unchanged...

“Raine,” Fatin suddenly said.

"Is something wrong?"

“Hmm.” Fatin asked seriously, “When most players at the power table no longer respect the rules, the countdown to the table being overturned by everyone begins, right?”

"Isn't this the metaphor we just used? What are you trying to say?"

“I think so.” A faint light flickered in Fatin’s clear, emerald-green eyes.

"Let's flip this card table again."

------------

Renn wasn't too surprised by the fighting spirit that Princess Jinsha had ignited.

This woman is somewhat similar to Ellina, both having an intolerance for moral evil. However, Ellina is ultimately a knight, often inclined to eliminate the villains directly; while Fatin's thinking is closer to that of a general, prioritizing strategic victory.

In Fatin's view, with the White Walkers about to launch a full-scale attack, a corrupt empire preoccupied with internal strife clearly had no value in continuing to exist—thus, she shared the same motivation as Raine.

In the time that followed, Fatin began to rigorously train the Silver Robes. Having previously led a slave legion, she knew all too well that possessing sufficient military strength was a prerequisite for carrying out any operation.

“Raine entrusted me with the task of training you.” The Sand People girl with two swords at her waist walked back and forth calmly in front of the crowd. “At first, when I heard that you were only auxiliary soldiers, I refused to take on this task.”

"However, the soldiers who are even more powerful than you, those guys in golden robes on the other side, are trained by an elf that I really hate."

Fatin's gaze swept across the crowd and met that of Ellina, who was standing on the high platform.

Emerald green eyes with golden pupils, filled with intense fighting spirit and hostility, almost like tangible swords, clashed fiercely at the point where their eyes met, before separating as their respective owners looked away.

“That’s it.” Fatin flashed a charming smile. “Does anyone else have any questions?”

The men in silver robes exchanged glances.

Compared to the Gold Robe members, who needed to win in a martial arts selection process to assume the position, the Silver Robe members were generally less aggressive and combative. Of course, this didn't mean they would allow a woman to be their leader; their silence was simply because it was Commander Rein's order… all those shouts of "loyalty" weren't for nothing.

"No one has any objections?" Fatin let out a rather unfriendly sneer. "Cowardly, lowly, pathetic, no wonder you've only ever been Silver Robes."

“The reason we haven’t raised any objections,” someone finally spoke up, “is because of our loyalty to the Commander. But if you want us to be truly convinced, you’ll at least have to offer something in return…”

Before he could finish speaking, the blade had already grazed his ear, then spun in the air like a full moon before flying back to Fatin's side, where she caught it accurately with one hand.

Many people have heard of the Sand People's skill in throwing scimitars, which allows them to throw curved swords from horseback to kill enemies and then retrieve the swords using ropes attached to the hilts.

However, this technique of making the blade automatically spin and fly back without relying on any rope, entirely through the direction and force of the throw, was completely beyond the Silver Robe's comprehension.

The silver-robed man who had spoken was stunned for a moment before noticing a slight stinging pain in his right cheek. Fatin's throwing knife had precisely cut through the surface of his skin without damaging the deeper muscles; the wound was so small that it healed before it even had a chance to bleed.

“How boring.” Fatin looked disappointed, casually tossing his scimitar high into the air and catching it again. “If you were truly loyal to Rennes, you should actively show your obedience to my leadership, instead of being afraid to disobey because of the authority of those in power, and on the other hand, unwilling to trust my strength, so you can only put on this sullen, silent camel-like appearance…”

She suddenly withdrew her hands, letting the two curved blades fall and embed themselves in the ground:
"How about this? I'll fight you empty-handed, okay? If you can beat me, I'll make him the Silver Robe's vice-captain."

“We auxiliary soldiers don’t have a position like a deputy commander,” someone said.

“From now on, we have one.” Fatin revealed a charming smile. “As your captain, creating a deputy position should still be within my authority.”

If she had said, "If you win, I'll give you the position," the Silver Robes would most likely not have dared to make a move, because taking the captain's position from the other side would be tantamount to openly disobeying Rein's orders. But when Fatin offered the position of vice-captain, everyone immediately felt that this goal was quite sincere and that it was not impossible to compete for it.

Besides, it's unarmed combat, so there won't be any deaths or injuries. Someone shouted and charged at Fatin with a clenched fist. Then all the silver-robed men rushed to surround Fatin. Facing their superior, they naturally couldn't resort to a despicable siege tactic. They were simply vying for the opportunity to fight Fatin one-on-one first.

"Idiot." Ellina looked at the chaos on the other side from afar, her brows furrowing almost imperceptibly.

Even though Fatine's actual fighting skills were inferior to her father's, she was still a true hero. A hero is one who can do what ordinary people cannot, so how could she be easily defeated by these silver-robed men?
Provoking, confronting, and then taking everyone down—Fatin was establishing her authority within the team in the fastest way possible. Although Ellina had no intention of competing with her, she couldn't help but feel a little pressured by Fatin's aggressive attitude.

She decided to intensify the Golden Robe's martial arts training.

As a result, the vote-buying thugs on the streets soon noticed that the frequency of the capital's guards patrolling the streets had greatly decreased, and the number of street fights also increased rapidly.

Ryan hadn't been paying attention to the security situation outside, but recently he received a letter from his uncle, Daryl.

The letter stated that internal affairs were relatively stable, mainly due to trade with the High Elves, which ensured sufficient financial revenue. As for the family knights, whose territories were mostly located in the mountains and lacked resources, their swords would continue to be wielded for the Faher family as long as they could provide them with money and provisions.

However, news has recently come from Ravenburg that the savage tribe in the Serpent Mountains seems to be making unusual moves and is suspected of launching a new invasion soon.

This is very bad news.

These savage tribes deep in the mountains are somewhat similar to the nomadic pig-men of the wilderness. When natural disasters cause food shortages, they will storm into the Empire to plunder. Ravencrest was built deep within the Serpent Mountains to provide early warning in such situations, allowing the Faher family to mobilize in time to resist invasion.

However, Raine knew that this savage invasion was far more serious than usual.

The Snake Inch Mountain Range is divided into upper and lower sections. The upper section is located in Ha Wan Province, and the lower section is located in Truong Thuy Province, while also directly bordering the rainforest peninsula.

Once the White Walkers begin their attack on the lower Serpent Mountains, the indigenous tribes there, no matter how much they resist, will ultimately have no choice but to migrate and flee.

Historically, the infamous Wild Elf King Dorric unified the entire Serpent Mountain Range under the pressure of the White Walkers, and then broke through from the northeast, attempting to attack the Land of Fertility.

This was undoubtedly good news for the Thousand Lakes region, which borders the lower Serpent Mountains, but not so good for the Fahr family. When Marquis Fahr realized that the savages of the entire mountain range were about to attack, he concentrated his forces at Raven Castle to defend against them, while also seeking help from the Fertile Lands and the Marorne family.

Although the specific reasons are unknown, the resources provided by the Fertile Lands and Malorne were far below Marquis Fahl's needs and expectations. So, the old man got angry and decided to relocate all the knights, guards and citizens from Raven Castle to Eagle Castle to Searock City to avoid the brunt of the attack.

This self-preservationist approach directly resulted in the southern gateway of the Fertile Lands being wide open, allowing the wildling army to advance unimpeded and bring about the "Fertile Lands Tragedy," which lasted for three years. It also meant that the Reach and the Nightshade army, which were subsequently severely weakened, were unable to provide much support for the Empire in its fight against the White Walkers in the south.

Ryan put down the letter, his mind racing.

The old Marquis's actions in the original timeline are absolutely unacceptable. Because the Fahr family abandoned their oath and duty in order to protect themselves, even if they survived the attack from the wildling army, it would be tantamount to breaking with the Land of Fertility and the Malorne family, and they would obviously not have a good ending.

However, for Faher's family to fight against all the barbarian tribes of the Serpent Mountain Range united by the Wild Elf King would undoubtedly be a recipe for destruction, as their numerical disadvantage was simply too overwhelming.

We must secure the support of the Malorne family and the Nightshade Legion.

The election season in the capital is drawing to a close, and the seats in the House of Representatives are about to be reshuffled. After things are settled here, I'll need to find a reason to resign from the Imperial Household and return to the Reach to prepare for war.

Of course, before that, we need to take care of Ms. Florence's matter.

“Go.” Renn called Magus over. “Starting today, subscribe to one copy of every newspaper in the capital every day and have it delivered to my office.”

----------

This world not only possessed movable type printing, but also some rudimentary printer technology. If it could spark widespread curiosity and investment in science and technology among the nobility, it might indeed naturally lead to the Renaissance.

Unfortunately, most nobles who were interested in this area seemed to prefer the more mysterious and alluring magic.

The empire has a total of 58 newspapers, but only four have real influence: the Saint Somar, the Platinum, the Four Realms, and the Sun God.

The readers of the San Somar newspaper are the people who truly govern this empire (nobles); the readers of the Platinum newspaper are those who believe they are governing this empire (civil servants and wealthy merchants); the readers of the Four Realms newspaper are those who believe they should govern this empire (middle class); and the readers of the Sun God newspaper are those who love big-breasted, buttocked women the most (lower class).

The four newspapers each occupied a major group within one of the four social classes. Of course, there were also many other niche newspapers, such as the Astrologer's Gazette published by the Spellcasters' Guild, which provided a somewhat inaccurate daily weather forecast; or the Law Today Gazette published by the Bounty Hunters' Guild, which specialized in publishing all sorts of thrilling and bizarre crimes, and so on.

The newspaper's topic selection is handled independently by the editorial department, and they often deliberately cater to the interests of the existing readership to find relevant topics for reporting. For example, reader letters are the best channel to confirm market feedback.

Market trends change every three to five years, and the editorial team needs to adjust its selection criteria accordingly. For example, recently, topics related to Amazonians have become a long-term social hotspot, and editors have found that as long as they report on topics such as "the plight of Amazonians," they immediately receive a large number of letters from readers.

Such topics, capable of sparking public opinion, are something no newspaper or magazine can afford to miss.

“But then again,” an editor in the editorial office of the San Somar newspaper suddenly said, “although the overall number of reader letters seems large, the names of the senders are all very familiar. It seems that there are only a few dozen regular readers coming and going. Can they really represent our entire readership?”

"Besides, our newspaper is positioned as a serious media outlet, so is it really appropriate to display so many topics related to Amazonians on our pages?"

“Don’t be silly, Johnson.” The editor adjusted his glasses and said seriously, “The newspaper’s positioning and the general direction of its content selection are not something you alone can question. Besides, we’ve already done several issues on the Amazon theme, and sales have indeed increased, which proves that we haven’t made a mistake.”

"But... fine." The editor who had spoken earlier muttered a few words and then fell silent.

The readers of the Saint Somar newspaper were mainly nobles from the capital and surrounding areas. Most of these nobles subscribed to the newspaper not to read it, but to pretend that they were also paying attention to current events, so they didn't care about the content at all—they were an extremely stable group of paid subscribers.

The recent increase in sales is due to the fact that many aristocratic ladies who didn't usually like reading newspapers are now highly interested in Amazonian topics. They are not only willing to pay for subscriptions, but also actively submit letters and articles to discuss current affairs. The editors are naturally happy to continue to explore this topic.

"Editor-in-chief!" an editor suddenly called out, "There's a reader's letter here, please take a look!"

He hurried over to the editor-in-chief and handed him the letter.

The editor-in-chief took a closer look and immediately showed an excited expression. He stood up and began to count the staff:
"Tussorn! Galle! Call the reporters, get ready to go out for an interview!"

"This is a major special feature!"

The Kleiber Chamber of Commerce in the East District was besieged by reporters from major newspapers. The whistleblower claimed that Mario Kleiber, the only son of the Chamber's president, had used despicable means to steal the virginity of the eldest daughter of the Brot family and had been living with her for five years, with whom she now had two children.

The eldest daughter of the Brotter family was born mentally challenged and simple-minded, barely capable of taking care of herself. Even so, she was still a noblewoman, but now she had been tricked into marriage by the son of a merchant... Such a sensational topic touched on the sensitive points of aristocratic readers and the fantasies of commoners about marrying a swan, almost naturally attracting the attention of different groups, no wonder the reporters went crazy for it.

Soon, the man in the golden robe, responsible for maintaining order, arrived at the scene under Magus's leadership. He drove away the reporters who had surrounded the Chamber of Commerce and also tried to drive away the large number of onlookers.

Suddenly, a well-meaning person in the crowd started shouting insults:

"Make that damn chamber of commerce hand over the victims!"

Magston immediately raised an eyebrow, drew his sword, and roared:

"Who is inciting the crowd? Arrest them!"

A few more shouts rang out from the crowd, and suddenly the advance began. Many people didn't even know what was happening before they were pushed forward by the people behind them, forced to stumble and stagger.

The golden-robed men were also startled. Fortunately, Ellina had trained them in battle formations for a long time, so they instinctively took off their shields, formed a line, and clashed head-on with the surging crowd. Screams and groans filled the air.

By the time Raine received the news in the military camp office, a massive stampede had already occurred, killing more than twenty people on the spot, with many more still receiving rescue efforts from the Life Priest.

The surrounding blocks have been sealed off by the Golden Robe, and citizens from outside the area are not allowed to enter.

“You’ve been set up again.” In the office, Ellina said calmly, “Inciting a mob to take innocent people with them and directly attack the capital’s defenses, resulting in large-scale casualties. Moreover, there were reporters from major newspapers at the scene… By now, they’ve probably already written reports criticizing the capital’s defenses.”

“I will find out.” Bersalia was somewhat embarrassed, because the mastermind behind this was clearly within the association, and she, as a spy, was completely unaware of it. “If I find out it was that Ego Floren…”

"It's unlikely to be her." Raine's expression remained calm, which reassured the somewhat worried heroes. "This kind of thing would seriously damage our cooperative relationship. Don't forget, our cooperation is led by Her Majesty the Queen. Isn't her doing this tantamount to slapping Her Majesty in the face?"

"Oh, whether she did it or not, Her Majesty the Queen will probably start to suspect her. I reckon she'll be sending someone to find me soon..."

Before Raine could finish speaking, a guard came to report that Mrs. Florence's butler had come to visit and invited him to afternoon tea.

(End of this chapter)