I'm in Terra

The Sarkaz mercenaries had just experienced a great victory, and the joy of victory made these mercenaries, who were already self-sufficient, even more lazy. But no matter how relaxed they were, the fear of danger was still ingrained in their instincts.

Those who survived the Kazdel Civil War were not careless fools.

When a stranger tried to approach the camp, the patrolling crossbowmen spotted the richly dressed noble almost immediately. Considering that the stranger was unarmed, the crossbowmen did not shoot him directly, but instead sent two people to tie him up and drag him back to the camp.

This noble-looking fellow neither panicked nor resisted, but just watched silently as he was 'invited' back to the camp.

This unfortunate fellow, dressed in finery, was called Kasina. He wasn't actually a noble. No, let alone a noble, he wasn't even a commoner. He was just an ordinary infected person who had come from the countryside to work hard in Woden Town, hiding his identity as an infected person while earning hard-earned money.

With his salary, he would have to work non-stop for at least a year to buy the outfit he is wearing.

But this was unimportant, because he hadn't come here of his own volition, but in the name of the Undead Black Snake. Therefore, whether it was this gorgeous dress he had never seen before, or the language and writing he had never encountered before, it was not a problem for him at all.

Therefore, even though the Sarkaz were sharpening their knives in front of Kasina with playful eyes, and even though the sharp dagger was placed on Kasina's neck, the young man still expressed his request in a calm and indifferent tone.

"I want to meet the leader of the mercenary group. A noble wants to entrust you with something through me."

The dagger stopped.

The Sarkaz exchanged glances and, in unison, moved their weapons out of Kasina's sight. The Sarkaz could kill anyone they pleased, except their employer.

Even if they dislike an employer, the Sarkaz will only kill him after squeezing out every last bit of wealth from him.

Of course, there is an exception of a certain madman.

After laying down their weapons, the most burly Sarkaz approached Kasina. He first stroked the fabric of Kasina's clothing, then carefully studied Kasina's expression. After confirming that what Kasina said seemed true, the burly Sarkaz waved his hand. Then, a Sarkaz standing at the doorway took the initiative to leave the campfire.

"Since you've dared to ask the Sarkaz Mercenary Group for a commission, you should be familiar with our rules. Commission, target, time and location. You only have one chance, so think it through before you speak. When my boss shows up, things won't be so simple."

Facing the Sarkaz's questioning, Kasina still shook his head calmly, and then repeated his request: "I want to see the leader, and I will only deliver the commission to the leader."

The sturdy Sarkaz raised his eyebrows and drew the dagger from his waist again. Cassina's answer did not satisfy him, so he decided to personally teach the young noble what politeness is.

Even when the blade touched his skin again, Kasina's expression remained unmoved. This indifference completely angered the Sarkaz, and the sharp dagger was stabbed down fiercely by the burly Sarkaz.

"Huh? Did you call me over here specifically to play the torture game? If you guys are wasting my meal time just to play this, I'll play with you myself later."

Just as the burly Sarkaz was about to strike, a frivolous voice rang out from the doorway. The burly Sarkaz was startled for a moment and quickly sheathed the dagger in his hand.

"Sorry, Captain. We found a noble boy outside. He said he wanted to ask us for a commission, but he didn't give us any respect at all. He even threatened that he would only confess after seeing the boss."

W, who was leaning against the door, raised his eyebrows and walked up to Casina with great interest: "I am the boss. Do you need me for something?"

Kashina shook his head: "I only talk to the chief."

"Really? Hard bones, I like hard bones." Hearing Cassina's answer, W smiled with satisfaction, then kicked Cassina to the ground.

"My aunt is in a good mood today, so I'll grant your request. Everyone, don't let him die. I'll go get our dear commander."

"Yes!" Several Sarkaz around nodded repeatedly, and the burly Sarkaz retreated directly into the corner. After witnessing their boss's lightning-fast expression change, no one dared to provoke her again.

After all, the last guy who made her angry is probably still hanging on the tree.

Only after W had left the camp did the Sarkaz dare to pick up the unfortunate fellow from the ground. They still remembered what I had just said. If they really let this guy die, they would definitely suffer the consequences.

However, they had clearly underestimated Kasina's resilience. Despite taking a brutal blow from W, Kasina didn't even cry out in pain. Even with blood oozing from the corner of his mouth, the young noble remained calm as he lay on the ground.

Even the Sarkaz mercenaries, who had emerged from a sea of blood and corpses, couldn't help but feel terrified at this bizarre scene. They'd seen many tough guys, but they'd never seen anyone as bizarre as this one.

Fortunately, W did not let them suffer too much. After just a few minutes, W came back and took the noble away, dragging him all the way to Hedley's tent.

"Yes, this is the client." W casually threw Cassina in front of Hedley and clapped his hands, looking like he was enjoying a good show.

Seeing the young man in such a mess and tied up, Hedley couldn't help but frown: "You treat him like this..."

Before he could finish his words, a sharp dagger suddenly pierced Hedley's waist: "How do you treat our clients?"

Hedley didn't turn around, and continued to speak with a calm expression. Behind him was only Inès, and the dagger didn't really penetrate his body, but only scratched his skin.

This was a secret code that he and Ines had agreed upon. If they met someone who deserved attention but was difficult to remind in person, Ines would use the secret code to remind him.

If someone gets in trouble, Inès will poke him with the hilt of her sword. As for what it means to poke him with the tip of the sword...

That meant that Inès's Originium skills were unable to penetrate the noble-looking man in front of her.

PS: I have finished watching it, whether it is the preview or the LOL game. I can only say that the Eagle Sauce’s confidentiality measures are as good as always (laughs)

Also, Tutu’s skin looks great. Can you make my wife look better?

(I'm really sorry for posting so late today. If nothing goes wrong, there will be another chapter soon.)

A Deal with the Devil: Part 40

"Since when have spiritual Originium skills become as common as the flying snow in Ursus?" As if he had sensed Inès's prying, Cassina, who had been lying on the ground in silence, sat up unconsciously, and the tone of his voice became different from the calm and indifferent tone at the beginning, becoming weird and full of accents.

"Who dares to play tricks in front of me?" W frowned, picked up the rifle hanging from her chest, and was about to shoot Casina. But before she could pull the trigger, a chilling and fatal premonition suddenly emerged from deep within her bones.

W trembled all over and instinctively rushed out. But when she stood up again, she found that nothing had happened in the tent.

"This is just a warning. If you dare point a gun at me again..." Casina didn't finish, but W already knew the consequences. She watched in silence as Casina slowly untied the ropes from his body, then gracefully brushed off the snow and dust that had stained him.

W, I'm afraid.

As the most insane mercenary, even with a one percent chance of winning, she'd still dare to gamble on that glimmer of hope with a wild laugh. But this time was different. Her intuition clearly told her that if she continued—she would die.

"Let's stop the probing here." Sensing that the atmosphere was a little bad, Hedley quickly brought the subject back: "I find it hard to imagine, with your strength, why would you still need to hire mediocre people like us?"

Kasina smiled, his bloodstained teeth looking particularly creepy. "Mercenaries don't need to know too many reasons. This is good for both you and me, isn't it?"

Hedley raised an eyebrow, not convinced by Kasina's answer: "If that's the case, then you may return. Our mercenary group has just completed a commission, so at least we won't be short of money and supplies in the short term."

Kasina was a little surprised: "After seeing my strength, you still dare to refuse me? It seems that you are not an ordinary person. But unfortunately, you have no room for refusal."

"Sakaz would rather die than surrender." Hedley said, "You can break our spines, but you can't force us to bend."

The horrifying feeling of suffocation washed over the three of them once again, but this time no one backed down. W and Inès drew their weapons without hesitation. If Kasina dared to attack, the survivors would charge him to their death.

"Hehehe, it seems that it was a wise decision for me to let you guys in." After a brief stalemate, the creepy feeling of suffocation suddenly receded like a tide. Cassina clapped his hands and smiled with satisfaction.

"Logically speaking, your mercenary group still owes me two favors. How about using this commission to repay them?"

"When did you owe it? Please tell me clearly." Hedley was a little surprised by Cassina's statement, but he did not back down.

Kasina didn't care. Smiling, he explained to Hedley, "It counts as one entry into Ursus. Tracy's plot is known to everyone. A Sarkaz mercenary group sneaked into Ursus from the border between Yan Country and Kazdel. Do they think this little trick can deceive the border guards?"

"Did you let us in on your own initiative? After you learned of His Highness Tracy's plan?"

Hedley was somewhat surprised by what Kasina said. Their Sarkaz mercenary group was not small in size, so it was incredible that they could infiltrate Ursus so easily. At that time, they thought that the Ursus army had long been corrupted by money and lost its fighting power, but they did not expect that someone would take the initiative to lead them in.

In this way, the mercenary group really owed him a big favor, even if the guy in front of him had ulterior motives.

"As for the second favor..." Seeing that Hedley was somewhat convinced, Cassina put another chip on the scale:

"You originally wanted to head north to survive, and to get involved in the civil unrest in Ursus. But you didn't realize that Luxembourg was the territory of the old aristocracy. To those old aristocrats, the infected and the Sarkaz were nothing but garbage that soiled their floors. If it weren't for my people introducing you, you would have all been killed the day after you joined Count Rossia."

"...What do you want us to do?" After a brief thought, Hedley decisively lowered his head and gave in.

"Two things. Complete each one and I'll consider it a favor. Of course, I'll also deliver the commissioned fee as usual." Seeing Hedley's submission, Kasina smiled and stated his demands: "First, I will supply you with food and fodder through certain channels, and all you have to do is continue to attack Woden Town. I have only one request: no one is allowed to take control of Woden, not even Earl Rossia."

Hedley nodded: "Okay, what about the second one?"

Cassina smiled. "There's no rush for the second thing, but I can tell you in advance. In a while, I'll ask you to attack an army whose number will not exceed twice yours. As long as you can defeat that army, our favor will be written off. Then you can take the entrusted wealth and follow the infected guerrillas out of Luxembourg. How do you do it?"

"Deal." Hedley took a deep breath. Fighting against an army was not a simple task, but he agreed to Kasina's request without hesitation.

"Very good. A man who knows the times is a hero. Knowing how to give in will help you live longer." Seeing the deal done, Cassina clapped his hands gently. As an inexplicable wave passed through him, Cassina's voice became increasingly ethereal, and his expression became increasingly unsightly.

"Do what you should do, mercenary. Food and bounty will be delivered soon. I sincerely hope that you can take them away alive..."

Finally, after saying the last sentence, Cassina suddenly vomited blood and then collapsed to the ground.

W frowned and hurried forward to check the situation. But before she could make a move, Inès had already put away her weapon.

"Don't look at it, he's dead."

W fumbled around for a while, then dropped the body in surprise: "His internal organs are shattered, but I clearly retained some strength just now."

"It's not your problem, W." Hedley waved his hand, his calm face stained with a hint of dark clouds. "It seems that we have been involved in a conspiracy without knowing it, but we are unable to stay out of it. From now on... we can only take it one step at a time. By the way, Inès?"

Inès, who was called by Hedley, rubbed her temples. "His mind disappeared the moment he entered the tent, leaving only a black mist that is impossible to look directly at. In terms of terror alone... I'm afraid he can be compared to the Lord of the Royal Court."

"Just as I expected." Hedley nodded. "Go to bed early, be careful of the aftereffects. Don't worry about that guy anymore, he might be a 'god' hiding in Ursus."

PS: I’m so sleepy, but I still want to play games.

Is Hokusai beyond saving?

A General's Success: 41 Last Night's Hum

"It's already been negotiated. Those lowly mercenaries are willing to fight for you. Of course, only once, and you must provide them with sufficient supplies and compensation."

Kashena pushed her glasses up, hiding the slight fatigue in her eyes. Although they were both individuals of the Undead Black Snake, forcing herself to manipulate and incorporate the memories of another individual was still a challenging task for Kashena.

But it doesn't matter, it's all worth it. Looking at Victoria, who was smiling beside her, Kashena pushed her glasses up again.

"It's enough. The outcome of a war is enough to establish a new order in Luxembourg. What's more, the guys who took action are just a group of Sarkaz mercenaries who can be thrown away after use." Victoria nodded and immediately picked out one of the documents from a pile.

"I remember that a caravan you arranged was about to depart from Saint Fortress, right? Let them change their route and go to Woden Town."

Kashena nodded obediently, but couldn't help but jokingly said, "How cautious! It's obviously faster and more convenient to send the supplies from Norvinsk."

"Better safe than sorry." Victoria remained calm as he picked up a piece of official document and continued reading. "Dorothy, how's the spring plowing going?"

"Just as you expected!" Dorothy clapped her hands on the table excitedly, then, realizing she'd been a bit presumptuous, stuck out her cute tongue. "This is the largest ever. Although last winter was very cold, the temperature has risen on time this year. If everything goes as smoothly as last year, Norvinsk will be completely self-sufficient this year and can even provide for all the soldiers!"

Hearing the uncontrollable excitement in Dorothy's tone, Victoria seemed remarkably calm. "Very good. I'll write a warrant now and have the patrol begin the liquidation. Anyone who is unemployed and does not meet the conscription requirements may join the Xianzhen Camp as a supernumerary soldier within a week, otherwise they will be expelled. Winter's mercy is over. From now on, only those who strive will be worthy of joining us."

Dorothy tilted her head and asked curiously, "What is the Trap Camp? How come I've never heard of it?"

"The determination to break through the enemy lines is to die, not live." Victor replied with a chuckle, though his smile was more or less tinged with mockery. "The Breakthrough Camp is a unit I specially prepared for these infected. Their strategic mission is to charge into battle and risk their lives to tear through the enemy's defenses. Their treatment is also the worst of all the soldiers, but as long as they survive three battles, they can unconditionally join the regular army."

"So, the cannon fodder battalion?"

Dorothy stuck out her tongue in fear. While it might seem cruel, this was indeed the best solution for Norvinsk. Large numbers of infected people could bring about excessive productivity, but they would also create a lot of unscrupulous individuals. If they could all be eliminated in one fell swoop, it would be a boon for Norvinsk, the general public, and even the infected community.

Thinking of this, Dorothy silently swallowed back the words she was about to say to dissuade Victoria. Instead, it was Kashena, who had never been very interested in the infected people, who raised doubts first.

"But if that happens, the infected will definitely be less willing to join the army, and the large number of infected people expelled will gradually make the blockade of Norvinsk ineffective." Kashena pushed her glasses and warned earnestly, "Don't underestimate the ugliness of those ants. The malice in their hearts is far beyond your imagination."

"Are you saying that a heart that has endured so much discrimination and hatred can't give birth to a beautiful vision?" Victoria shook his head. "I've never felt for a moment that these infected people are kind. It's not about good or evil. They just want a place to survive. If you can't provide that, they'll resent you. Malice never needs a reason, and you don't need to remind me of this."

"Then what are you going to do? If we really expel so many infected people, the news that Norvinsk has conquered the eastern territory and is eyeing the central government will inevitably be leaked by these insects..." As she spoke, Kashena suddenly realized something. She abruptly stopped persuading and teaching, and looked at Victoria with a subtle expression.

She knew what Victoria was going to do.

"Infected people who were expelled by patrols...are they also considered to have illegally left the country, right?"

"As expected of a teacher, you're so sensitive to the traps in words." Victor nodded, frankly acknowledging Kashena's suspicions. "Norvinsk's blockade order targets anyone who attempts to leave the territory without permission. It doesn't conflict with the rule that those without skills will be expelled. The soldiers will drive these maggots who are unwilling to contribute to the territory out of the territory and then shoot them on the spot."

Hearing Victoria's explanation, Kasheina couldn't help but applaud and cheer. "...What a benevolent lord! This way, the laws you promulgate will be perfectly enforced, and the future of this city will surely prosper."

Dorothy, who was standing by, listened to the conversation between the two "kind-hearted" people, and her heart gradually began to fluctuate.

Sometimes, being kind to some people can lead to even more cruel consequences. However, appropriate cruelty is actually a truly righteous act.

This lesson is called——the big picture.

"Okay, let's recruit those refugees as soon as possible. Although we are still in a stalemate, the war between Carter and Rossia will be over in a flash. We must prepare in advance so that we can seize that fleeting opportunity." Clapping his hands, Victoria shifted the topic back to politics. There was no point in questioning human nature. Only the real battle situation was what they should pay attention to.

"Leave it to me." Kashiena bowed to Victoria and left the office with a smile. She was already satisfied with the performance today, and it was time for her to get back to work.

A guy who only knows how to flatter and please in bed can't always stand by Victoria's side.

As one of the individuals of the Undead Black Snake, Kashena's vision is not comparable to that of ordinary people. Having been lurking in Luxembourg for so long, she has long been familiar with the true situation of Count Rossia and Governor Carter.

Victoria's prediction was very accurate. Carter would definitely be the loser in the final battle between the two sides. The reason was not that Carter's military skills were worse than Count Rossia's, but because Carter underestimated the darkness of human nature from the very beginning.

Even officers have their own demands. Victor believed Carter would fail because he was unable to satisfy the demands of his officers.

As the acting governor, he was bound to face betrayal.

PS: Every day I think about asking for leave tomorrow, and then every day I can’t help but type.

A general's success: 42 gaps

PS: If you see a familiar name in this chapter, please don't be surprised, it's just a coincidence.

(Hokusai would never say that he is bad at naming)

"Your Excellency, Governor, the various small towns along the western edge have already engaged in dozens of skirmishes with the Rossiya Territory. Overall, our troops have won more than they have lost. However, Rossiya refuses to retreat and continues to harass the border troops. Should we deploy additional troops to prevent possible surprise attacks?"

"Stupid." After hearing the analysis of his new adjutant, Carter, who had just recovered from a serious injury, picked up the coffee cup and slammed it heavily on the conference table, snorting coldly with disappointment.