What did you do with the dice?

Someone might ask, what good is it if I over-report the shipping volume? Won't I have to ship more stuff, slowing down the shipping process?

Of course there is. The Kingdom of Sinidi has a rule called the "Wartime Transport Protection Agreement". This rule states that if there is no encounter, the error between the reported transportation volume and the number of materials selected after the transportation is completed shall not exceed 20%. In an emergency, the error shall not exceed 13%. If it exceeds this part, compensation shall be made according to the original price, the right of logistics transportation shall be deprived (equivalent to the transportation troops being directly sent to the front line), and the noble title of the descendants shall be reduced by one level.

There will be some subsequent settlements, which are not written in this clause.

This rule, which is recognized by everyone, is actually quite clever. After clearly stating how much people can embezzle, they just need to calculate. As long as the time limit is not exceeded, everyone can be very confident and bold in embezzling according to the above standards. There will be no situation where precious materials disappear during transportation, and it will fundamentally prevent the situation where the front line is cut off due to embezzlement of materials - at least 80%-87% will be left.

Rules are dead, but people are alive. Since the percentage of corruption is limited, we can only start with the total amount, so exaggerating the transportation volume is a common means of corruption.

There are many smart people among the nobles' subordinates. They are not good at fighting, but they are very good at calculating logistical transportation routes, estimated transportation time, and the ratio of manpower and transportation volume. We generally call such people "quartermasters."

Then according to the previous case, although it is impossible to embezzle the two crossbow carts worth 5 tons of rations out of thin air, according to the regulations, the team can embezzle a total of 1.4 tons of rations.

If you don't understand, you can calculate it yourself (Hint: the 5 of the ballista is also included in the 20% loss range.)

Someone might ask: "Huh? Military equipment sounds like a good deal, right? There's a lot of surplus. So, if I apply all of it to transporting military equipment, and then use the extra inventory for consumables, wouldn't that be a huge profit?" The ratio might even exceed 1:1.

It was Rusalka who had figured out this rule and raised this question.

So Sanita replied: (You are a typical player who runs a business, the more the better. According to the data on paper, you are right, but there are two fatal problems.

1. The damage to military equipment will greatly reduce the transportation volume, and this kind of damage will damage the entire equipment. It is different from the calculation method of damage to consumables. You report so much, but there is only a 20% allowable error. In the end, when you add up the equipment damaged on the way, you get nothing. If you want to take away the military equipment, you have to pay for it to be repaired. As a small noble, you may not be able to repair it well. It is not cost-effective at all.

2. You brazenly transported so much large military equipment, and a careful calculation of the logistics force revealed that you simply didn't have enough support. What would the enemy think? If you were aiming to seize control of the Pacific, would you order a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, which was left unguarded, on Christmas Eve?

The people who made these rules are incredibly cunning. Look at that "in the absence of an encounter," spies sabotaging equipment doesn't count as an encounter, right? This rule encourages greed while also incentivizing you to meticulously protect truly important military equipment during transportation just for a 20% share. How can you, with an Intelligence of 5, think you're smarter than them?

Now you understand why they need professional quartermasters to calculate, instead of just relying on greed like you do, right?)

After listening to this, Rusalka felt that his intelligence should have increased by +1 at this moment. This world was not realistic enough. He felt that he should have become smarter, so why didn’t the data change?

Of course, although exaggerating the total amount within a reasonable range will lead to greed, it is also beneficial to the overall war situation. If you report more, you will have to transport more, and you will have to use your soldiers like mules.

Originally, everyone was secretly sending some people to do some transportation. After all, the young and middle-aged labor force is the most productive group in the territory. If you send them to run the logistics for the higher-ups, everyone hopes to get a share but doesn't want to be discovered. After taking all the kickbacks, how much can a baron with little say get?

But now there are practical benefits. It is openly and transparently divided according to the number of people and the volume of transport. With a quick calculation, you can know roughly how much you can get on this trip. It is not easy to bully people who have little say and not give them money on the grounds that "they didn't get much in the first place."

Although the baron's commission ratio was small, it did not affect his ability to send more people and get a larger share. Therefore, nobles from all over the country would naturally actively recruit soldiers, the more the better. From a certain perspective, this group of people could of course be regarded as the "mobilized troops" in the war.

In this way, the front line will get more at one time, so the morale will naturally be high and the winning rate will increase.

War must be dominated by victory. If you lose the war, no matter how much money you have, it is called "compensation". If you win the war, it doesn't matter if you have no money. On the one hand, the people on this side have a very low threshold for survival and they can get through it if they hold on. On the other hand, you can ask the losing side to pay compensation.

Sanita and Rusalka had the same opinion. They both came from the 21st century and understood the rules and regulations. Everyone had reached this point and it was pointless to pretend to be noble. They were all fighting for their lives, so they should take such material possessions if they could. If they could build four wizard towers in the four corners of Silver City, Rusalka would definitely quote him a transportation capacity of one hundred thousand or eighty thousand.

Of course, this time, the assignment that Sanitta received was confidential. In order to prevent spies from infiltrating and leaking information to the enemy in advance, he did not publicly say that it was logistics transportation when he recruited soldiers. Therefore, the 50 people recruited from all over the place were purely voluntary labor.

As for Whitemay, Sanita planned to give him some soup after returning - in addition to the White Horse Rangers, praise was also a way to stimulate other barons to obey Rusalka. The carrot and stick have always been the most effective means of rule throughout history.

As for the battle situation in Alice City, we all hope to win. If we want to win, we have to make some real efforts. Being a mule is considered as making efforts, while taking kickbacks is called arming ourselves.

Don't worry about whether Rusalka is an illegitimate child, just ask you whether he is an orthodox Snidi.

The lord of Sinidi used Sinidi's money to arm his own territory in Sinidi and defend the city belonging to Sinidi. Why can't he be asked to contribute to Sinidi's war?

Rusalka calls it: flexible output.

In fact, it doesn’t matter to either of them who takes over Alice City and becomes the new master of the kingdom, but the Church of the Seven Sins must lose. How can Rusalka, a profession with holy light all over her body, allow chaos and evil to take the throne?

Chapter 89: Moon City

With a large number of carriages airlifted, the troops can take turns traveling in carriages, and the marching efficiency is greatly improved. Since they are still in the southeastern area of ​​the kingdom, which belongs to the rear area, and the carriages are empty, there is no need to march cautiously with a scout every three steps and a sentry every five steps. They can just send out scouts to scan the area in the early morning, and then they can march safely all day during the day.

Even at this speed, it took everyone a month to leave the Viscount's territory and reach the first city in the planned march route within the Marquis Banner's territory.

The name of Marquis Banner's city is Mingyue City. This Chinese-style name is quite incompatible with the worldview they live in. Rusalka thinks that DM was lazy and just came up with a memorable name. Sanitita thinks he is just the pot calling the kettle black. Why doesn't he mention that his own small city is named Silver City.

Rusalka: (Our journey has been a bit like a fantasy trope, from Baron to Viscount, then Marquis, then Earl, and finally Duke. After conquering Alice City, we ascended to the throne. Please call me Kaledhart, Lord of the Pearly Tear Elegy. I'm the only demon character in the entire Pearly Tear Elegy who isn't a mermaid.)

Sanita: (First, I deliberately chose this route so it doesn't pass through another viscount's territory, minimizing unnecessary diplomacy and keeping things under wraps. Second, this is a friendly marquis's city. Of course, if you want to attack, I have no objection. Third, our next stop is still another marquis's city, and the third stop will be directly to the Grand Duke's city. Sorry to disappoint you, we won't be going to the Earl's house.)

Yes, to be able to collect and provide large amounts of supplies that require the application of logistics transport teams for transportation, only nobles with at least 5 cities, such as the Marquis, can be so wealthy. Usually, it is good enough for nobles below the Viscount to provide some manpower and equipment. Instead of expecting them to provide a large amount of supplies for the front line, it is better to hope that they can guard their own little piece of land.

Moreover, the agglomeration effect also exists in this world. The closer to the capital center, the more prosperous it is, and the richer the people there are. The areas near Rusalka's Pearl Tear Territory are all poor, so there is really no need to visit the viscounts along the way who are almost as poor as him, and they don't need to treat him to a few meals.

As for the Silver City of Rusalka, it is uniquely poor. Theoretically, it borders Esdi, so cross-border trade can be carried out there, but the fact is that the nobles of the Kingdom of Sinidi are in power, and the border tax is ridiculously high. Merchants would rather take a detour through the wilderness in the south and spend more time walking on mountain roads than cross the border and pay this unfair fee.

Of course, the Pearl Tear Territory also has a unique geographical advantage. It is located in the easternmost part of the Sinidi Kingdom. Unless the Sinidi Kingdom intends to march and attack Esdi, there will definitely be no army that can come to its house to eat.

When Rusalka's army arrived, Mingyue City had already closed its gates and was on alert. This was understandable, as even friendly forces could not be allowed to pass through casually during wartime.

So Rusalka symbolically accompanied him to the gate with a few guards to hand over the materials to the city guards.

Rusalka: (This scene reminds me of the face-slapping moments on many short video platforms. In this situation, should I say to the guard who refuses to let me go, "You bastard, do you know who I am? Everyone in this city knows me, Rusalka? Believe it or not, I only need to write a letter to make you lose your job. Why don't you let me go?"

Then the Marquis came out, and the guards twisted their mouths and shouted, "Uncle, what brings you here?"

Sanitta: (Although the first part of your statement was nonsense, the last part is actually quite a bit of a silver lining. In reality, most of the great nobles favor nepotism, and leaving the defense of the city to relatives is a guarantee. The advantage of the clan system is that it allows for unity in the face of external enemies. Viscount Conesnat was originally supposed to be the commander of the city defense army, but he was away on an expedition, so he temporarily replaced him with a deputy, allowing you to take advantage of this opportunity.)

Rusalka, who had learned new knowledge, touched the three documents he was carrying: a secret letter of requisition with the seals of the count and the grand duke, a pass issued by the count, and a freight permit issued by the grand duke.

He didn't know which one he wanted, so he just wanted to be convenient and threw them all to the other party, but Sanita stopped his outburst in time.

Sanita: (Don't hand them all in. You only need the pass to enter the city. The other two are secret matters, and the city guards are not allowed to see them.)

After reading the pass, the guards had to take the pass and ride back to the military district to report to the commander-in-chief of the city defense. After waiting for about two hours, when Rusalka complained that the zombies attacking his backyard were more punctual than them, the city gate slowly opened.

Sunny Tower: (Now I know why your intelligence is 5. It turns out that you didn't protect the plants and the cart in your backyard back then.)

Rusalka: (Fuck you.)

A small group of soldiers from the city defense department came to meet Rusalka. "Lord Viscount Pearl Tears, it's truly an honor for you to come in person. The Marquis has asked me to arrange your itinerary. How about taking your troops to the designated rest area first?"

"no problem."

An army of about 4500 people cannot be stationed outside the city. Naturally, there are special places for rest in the city, with complete bedding facilities and other facilities. It’s just that the environment may be a little simple, and the uninhabited areas are not cleaned properly.

However, most of the soldiers were used to this, and there was still enough time. They did not need to work or train today. Their only work arrangement was to clean the new rooms, and only the logistics troops on the Marquis' side would rush to do things for them.

It's different for Rusalka. He will go to the Marquis's mansion as a guest in the afternoon and will stay there at night. Sanitieta told him that this is similar to the behavior of half a "proton". People have allowed you to bring a fully armed army into their city, so it's not too much for you to leave a few commanders or leaders to live in their home.

This is an established rule, just like surveillance. As long as you don't have any bad intentions, people will do their best to be hosts and treat you with delicious food and drinks.

How could she enjoy such a good thing alone? Shouldn't she invite her friends over to enjoy it? Rusalka made a quick decision and also invited the three people from Esdy's next door—three men and three women, a total of six people—to the Marquis, who could then arrange for guest rooms in advance.

When Sarolt heard Rusalka ask them to live with her, he was definitely reluctant to leave the army.

So Rusalka opened the PL channel and copied Sanita's original words to convince Sarolt. Sarolt turned around and told the original words copied from Rusalka to Nicea, who was muttering something about "pledge of integrity" and "I want to share the joys and sorrows with the soldiers". It took a lot of effort to convince the latter who was half-believing and half-doubting.

After this message was passed around, the six people finally reached a consensus and followed the envoy to the Marquis's residence.

The Marquis's Mansion is also easy to recognize. According to the nature of the other world, the place with the tallest clock tower is the City Lord's Mansion.

As a true descendant of the dragon, Rusalka simply couldn't stand the architectural style of this city's large clock tower: (This crap setting gets more and more ridiculous the more I think about it. No, when I get back, I'm definitely going to tear down this mocking landmark. Our Silver City must have its own unique landmark.)

Sanita: (What will you change to?)

Rusalka: (Aquarium, find a home for Pearly Tear Lament.)

Sani Tower: (6)

Little-known fact: seafood is a luxury food in the Kingdom of Sinidi.

When they arrived at the Marquis's residence, everyone was taken to their rooms, and Rusalka was given the opportunity to meet with the Marquis alone. Then, under the instructions of Sanita, Rusalka took out the requisition letter and freight permit from her arms and handed them to Marquis Banner.

Most of the nobles in this world who can sit on the position of marquis are already old with frost on their temples, but this Marquis Banner looks quite young. If converted into a 21st century person, he would probably be around 40 years old. This is because he is actually a pretty good wizard.

Under the influence of supernatural powers, the lifespan of an individual will be extended to a certain extent.

"Yes, both documents are indeed from His Majesty the Grand Duke." After confirming their authenticity, Marquis Banner said to Rusalka, "Viscount Pearl Tears, you led a full 4500 soldiers and even fought in the battles yourself. You have truly dedicated yourself to His Majesty the Grand Duke. I can safely deliver the supplies I have here to you. You must be exhausted after all this long march. Please rest well today. We can discuss the specific numbers and routes later."

Rusalka nodded and said, "My Lord Marquis, how is the battle situation on the front line?"

The Marquis didn't answer immediately. Although he hadn't spoken yet, this brief silence already expressed a lot. After about five or six seconds, he finally replied, "I heard that you have a very outstanding Filin assassin by your side. With all due respect, she shouldn't be around right now, right?"

Rusalka was stunned. He actually didn't know whether Phoenix was around or not.

Sanita: (Just say you're not here.)

Rusalka: (Are you really not here, brother?)

Sanita was annoyed by him and speechless: (What difference does it make? Even if she listens to you for a few words, so what?)

Rusalka: (I was afraid that my wife would be accused of eavesdropping on military secrets, so I could only ride to Mawei Slope in tears.)

Sanitita: (Think carefully, is it you who is going to chop her or is she going to chop you?)

Rusalka then remembered that Phoenix's strength had increased dramatically recently. As a result, his family throne was challenged and he felt that he was about to slide down to the position of younger brother.

Depressed as I was, I decided to reply to Viscount Banner: "He's not here."

Marquis Banner stood up, drew back the curtains, took out a token, injected magic power into it, activated the runes in the room, then sat back down at the table and said to Rusalka, "Viscount Pearl Tear, considering that you've brought almost all of your military forces, which shows that we're all loyal royalists, I'll tell you the truth.

The attack on Alice City requires a response from the Grand Duke of Gord in the west, but he has only declared an alliance, and his soldiers remain gathered at the border without making any movement. Meanwhile, the Grand Duke of the North has already begun his march southward, and has already engaged in two cavalry skirmishes, with both sides suffering losses. Overall, our military advantage is still greater."

Rusalka: "That's good."

Marquis Banner shook his head. "It's not good. Rumor has it that the main force of the Aiel Empire has surrounded the capital of the Dwarf United Kingdom. Instead of fighting the Dwarf Kingdom to the death, they have sent a support force through the United Kingdom to the northeastern region of the kingdom. Once this support force is officially deployed, our situation will be grim."

The United Kingdom of Dwarves was established not long ago. It was formed by the merger of the Dwarf country and the human country next to them in order to resist the invasion of the El Empire. For hundreds of years, both sides have been arguing over racial issues and who is the orthodox of the "Lord of Time" belief. They have always disliked each other. As a result, the invasion of the El Empire solved this century-old problem for them.

If the two countries don't come together, they will be doomed together. It would be better for them to take a step back and hold hands, directly unify into one country to eliminate the barriers, and then openly exchange the technologies they possess to see if they can save the current predicament.

Rusalka: "That's not right. Even if we pass through the United Kingdom, there's still the elves' Misty Forest. Isn't that forest known to possess a wide-area maze magic? As long as the elves don't allow passage, a large number of troops will get lost in it and be unable to pass through it?"

Marquis Banner sighed slightly and lowered his voice, "That's the problem. This army has strangely arrived, and the elves haven't responded yet. The worst-case scenario is that the Queen and the El Empire have made some kind of secret agreement behind the scenes."

Rusalka conveyed Sanita's curiosity: "Aren't the God of Nature and the God of War on different sides? How could they possibly cooperate?"

Marquis Banner: "It's not a collaboration. It's probably an exchange of interests made by the Queen in her personal name. It's understandable that Elune wants to intervene in the war here, because everyone wants to get what's in Alice City."

Rusalka was very curious. He remembered that he had boasted at the Gods' Council before, saying that there was a divine legacy in the Kingdom's treasury. He wondered if this news had somehow leaked out. To confirm, he asked, "What's in Alice City?"

Marquis Banner had no reason to hide anything from Rusalka and answered honestly, "The agent of the Church of the Seven Sins publicly announced that Alice City holds a key to the Kingdom of God. Whether this secret is true or not is perhaps only known to the deceased old king and a few princes. However, as an agent, he has no need to tell such a ridiculous lie just to cause confusion or attract attention."

No wonder those people in the Council of Gods have been particularly concerned about me recently and would take the initiative to talk to me. It turns out that what I boasted about has become true, and the secret has been revealed by the Seven Sins Agents?

Sani Iron Tower: (I have a question. Since the agent knows the name and function of this item, why doesn't he use it himself? Doesn't he want to become a god?)

Rusalka: (Maybe he just wanted to show off by ascending in the spotlight? Just like at Marineford, waiting for everyone to gather before each other to cheat and collect the bounty.)

Sanitta: (What nonsense are you talking about? It definitely can't be used. Either the intelligence is false, or this thing has some kind of usage restriction. One of these restrictions is likely related to the war itself.)

After the two of them finished their meal, the Marquis told Rusalka to be more relaxed in the mansion during the few days of loading the goods, and to just treat it as her own home. If she had any problems, she could ask the servants to handle them.

It was a rare opportunity for Rusalka to not have to deal with official business, and he was happy to take a break, treating it like a vacation. He only asked Marquis Banner a question: "Do you have a kingdom sandbox at home?"

After receiving a satisfactory answer, Rusalka had no other questions. With food, drink, sleep and games to play, it didn't matter how long she stayed.

During the meal, the Marquis also hinted to Rusalka that he had a 15-year-old third daughter who was not married. Rusalka happened to have no wife and her territory was not far away, so he deliberately tried to match them up and let his youngest daughter sit next to Rusalka and accompany him for dinner.

But Phoenix and Sanita were also present, so Rusalka acted more gentlemanly than a gentleman.

Before her good friend could even start teasing her, Rusalka started moving ahead of time: (Don't get me wrong, Phoenix really doesn't care. The main thing is that she doesn't want to make fun of her friends.)

Sunita: (You are indeed quite funny.)

Chapter 90: Mingyue City Defense (1)

The good times did not last long. The war seemed to be constantly chasing Rusalka's shadow, leaving him no time to relax. It would take about a week to hire porters to load and unload the goods, and the army's supplies had not been moved yet, but the bad news came first.

Late at night on the third day, after dinner, the Marquis found Rusalka in the entertainment room.

Rusalka was frowning, but when she saw the Marquis coming, she suddenly became happy and asked him directly, "Shall we have a fight?"

Then this one doesn’t count!

Marquis Banner: "I'm sorry, Viscount Pearl Tear, you may not be able to leave."

Rusalka:?

The Marquis's speech format almost made him pull out the 2d6+2 from behind, but fortunately the former handed him a document in time.

"There's urgent news from the front lines: the Ai'er Empire's army is heading this way, ignoring other cities along the way and heading straight up the mountain road. They're probably targeting you," said Marquis Banner. "You're lucky you arrived a little late. If you had been intercepted en route, a confrontation would have been disastrous."

Rusalka frowned. While he wasn't particularly proficient in war planning, he did have a basic understanding of warfare, thanks to Hearts of Iron IV. "Marching this deep into our territory, aren't you afraid of being surrounded and cut off from supplies?"

Marquis Banner: "Making dumplings?"

Rusalka: "It means to surround."

Marquis Banner shook his head. "Probably not. Reliable sources have confirmed that there are a large number of hobbits within that army. If they were to transport supplies by air, it would be difficult for the Kingdom to intercept them. Furthermore, mages capable of using forbidden air magic are all on the front lines preparing for battle."

Sanita, who was standing opposite Rusalka, said, "Although the Hobbits can fly, their bodies are designed to reduce weight in order to be able to fly freely. They have wings but no arms, short legs, and clawed feet. Their bodies are similar to birds.