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Chapter 655: Flies and Warriors
Chapter 655: Flies and Warriors
The manor within the town was cloaked in shadows as the sun set.
Outside, the sunset still bathed Sivir's face in its light.
Sivir asked Heinrich, who had followed her, "What's going on?"
"The Worldslider Pirates are pulling back their forces. We can see them retreating on our front lines", Heinrich replied.
"Retreating?"
Sivir furrowed her brow. "Why would they retreat now? The damage we've caused isn't enough to make them give up. Is something happening on the Worldslider side?"
"No, the scouts haven't reported anything unusual. From my vantage point in the sky, it looks like they are regrouping at a landing point. Could they be preparing for a final assault?" Heinrich asked.
"Let's prepare our defenses. If it's a final assault, we need to be ready to retreat."
Sivir sighed. "The truth is, we are no match for those Pirates."
Though she didn't want to admit it, it was a harsh reality.
Even the most capable Heinrich could only hold his own against the leading sorcerer and strange monk. Over time, he would eventually fall, and he couldn't get close to the shadow mage, relying instead on his aerial advantage to maneuver.
As for the troops, even with her abilities, they were still inferior to the battle-hardened Pirates. Otherwise, they wouldn't be attacking weak points while on the move.
If the Pirates launch a final assault, they will have to fall back to their old tactics: dispersing, hiding, and then finding opportunities to strike back.
They had done this before. Sivir's familiarity with the island allowed her to quickly scatter her troops until the assault was over. With so many people, it was impossible to stay in one place for long; the toll would be too great.
The Pirates would spread out to fully control the area, sending troops into every town and village. Once they divided their forces, that would be their chance.
This was how they had always fought, and it would be no different this time.
But they couldn't underestimate the enemy. Each time the Pirates launched a final assault, Sivir felt like she was dancing on the edge of a blade. If the Worldslider Pirates captured their king again, the fragile balance they had maintained would collapse.
"You go and inform everyone, including the soldiers from other kingdoms who are fighting with us. Have them follow orders and retreat into the mountains with their leaders, to temporarily avoid the Worldslider Pirates", Sivir said.
"Understood, Holy Lady, but they—"
Heinrich looked at the manor. "They've already complained. They don't want to keep moving, and this town is part of their property. If we abandon it—"
"I'll go and persuade them. The gains and losses of a single city or region must be sacrificed when necessary. The lords understand this; otherwise, I wouldn't be in this position. It's for the sake of the kingdom; they will understand."
With that, Sivir turned and walked back into the manor.
Seeing Sivir enter the manor, Heinrich reached out as if to stop her, but his mouth opened and closed, unable to find the words.
Holy Lady, we don't need the nobles' leadership; we only need your salvation.
But those words were too heretical, and he couldn't bring himself to say them. He knew that the Holy Lady respected the nobles.
After fighting the Pirates for so long, he sometimes envied them, able to do and say whatever they wanted without a care.
The shadow over the manor deepened as the sun set, like a pair of wings fluttering on the roof, resembling a large fly. Sivir, small in comparison to the manor, seemed even more sacred when the sunlight illuminated her back.
The manor, with its petty intrigues, appeared flawless on the surface.
Outside, the warriors were dedicated to their country, perhaps flawed, but genuine.
But a perfect fly was still just a fly. A flawed warrior was still a warrior.
Holy Lady—
Heinrich clenched his fist and murmured to himself, "We will win!"
...
At a landing point on the northwest side of the Helar Kingdom, the Pirate camps were set up, and the Pirates gathered in an orderly manner, carrying weapons and chatting with sinister grins.
However, many of them had growling stomachs, but they merely patted their bellies and gazed out to sea, showing no signs of discontent.
Their supplies had been burned, and the villagers either sold them food or refused to, citing their loyalty to the Holy Lady.
What Sivir had done, the villagers didn't hide, ready to face any consequences.
Bound by their code, the Pirates didn't rob them, but they weren't exactly friendly either.
They respected Governor Sag more out of fear than genuine loyalty. Adhering to the rules was already a significant improvement, and any camaraderie would come after they fully submitted to Sag.
With so many pirates to feed, things became problematic. Moria had initially accepted Hawkins' proposal to launch a general offensive, to feed off the enemy, and then feign a retreat to incite internal strife among the opposition.
However, the issue was that Sagel didn't agree and even personally brought supplies over.
"Failure."
Inside the tent, Moria sipped a cup of hot cocoa, then scooped a spoonful of pickled caviar into his mouth. A sinister smile spread across his lips, but it was tinged with anger.
"Sagel coming in person is a huge failure! We were clearly capable of winning!"
"Of course."
Hawkins picked up a cookie, found a lucky coin inside, and nodded in satisfaction. He then took a sip of his black tea and said:
"Strategically, we will ultimately win, but it will take too long. We have to admit, that woman named Sivir is exceptionally skilled in command. The sea is full of capable individuals."
"The little monk is also impressed."
Ulchi nodded: "She managed to mobilize all the forces of the entire kingdom, even the common people, who have united because of her. This is unlike any kingdom we've encountered before."
In the past, whether it was an island town that wasn't yet a kingdom or an established kingdom, the nobility and commoners were always separate. They only needed to eliminate the nobility, and the uninformed commoners would naturally support their rule.
In their eyes, who ruled made no difference. Even if Sagel claimed he wasn't a noble, he was still a landlord. For the common people, it was just one noble replacing another, and since this noble treated them well and improved their quality of life, it naturally made Sagel's rule more stable.
But that was only if they ruled first, which allowed these people to benefit.
This approach wouldn't work in un-conquered territories. First, they didn't want to waste too much time, and second, they didn't want to benefit the nobility.
In Helar, even capturing the capital wouldn't help. They knew many resistance forces were still hiding in the surrounding areas, but they couldn't clear them out. These people were also very smart, treating the commoners with respect and even distributing supplies to them, explaining the difficulties of Helar.
Especially Sivir, who was now revered as the Saint of Helar. As a commoner herself, she served as a living example to the people of Helar, making them feel a close connection to a faith that treated them well. As a result, the pirates naturally couldn't gain support from the common people.
Complete destruction would be a total failure.
Not destroying it meant being dragged into a prolonged conflict, which didn't align with Moria's plans.
Now, they had managed to provoke their leader.
"Having talent is good. From the moment I heard her name, I thought Sagel might need her."
But since she's here, they should try to recruit her. This could strengthen their Worldslider Pirates, especially with a full-scale war on the horizon.
Moria cackled: "A commoner, perhaps a Power Holder, but definitely not strong. Just one 'Seven-Star' level individual can outmaneuver us, making us prepare for a long-term conflict. She's a very talented individual, and she would be a great fit for us."
"Provided she's willing to surrender."
Hawkins put down his teacup and began a tarot reading, saying: "Based on probability, unless we incite internal strife as I suggested, the chances of them surrendering are low. Sagel might also face setbacks this time."
"Then destroy it. We've wasted too much time, and it can't interfere with our grand plans."
Moria casually decided the fate of the island, "It's fine to kill everyone, as long as it doesn't impede our path. It's just a shame about the population."
The current population of the territory hasn't been fully counted yet, but it won't be much more, given that the sea is generally sparsely populated. Helar, with a population greater than Wano, is a rare exception.
Once conquered, it could provide significant internal demand for Sagel.
After all, raw materials are more abundant than population, and some areas haven't even been ordered to start mining.
Initially, they found this strange.
If they were to conduct large-scale mining and allow merchants to freely invest and establish factories, it would lead to market saturation and a series of problems.
The West Sea, being a relatively commercialized sea, isn't immune to such issues, but it's not a problem for Sagel.
With his strong rule, he can direct the economy as he sees fit. Goods will be cheap but won't flood the market. Merchants can freely invest, but they can't monopolize, and the only true monopoly is Sagel himself.
The industries merchants are allowed to participate in don't involve the core, and even these industries have quotas.
Although there were many positions available, they were still firmly controlled.
Their principle was to match the number of people to the amount of work, converting any excess capacity into foreign trade. This strategy helped stabilize their rule over the territories they controlled.
However, there were still many resources that hadn't been fully utilized, primarily due to the lack of manpower.
If it wasn't absolutely necessary, they didn't want to destroy this place.
"Let's go, Sagel is almost here."
Moria finished his cup of hot cocoa, stood up, and led Hawkins and Ulchi out of the tent to the shore, facing the sea.
Boom!
Not long after, a thunderclap echoed through the sky over the sea, and dark clouds quickly gathered, bringing a fierce storm.
Amid the wind and rain, the outline of a massive black ship appeared. As the ship approached, the storm reached the shore, drenching everyone's clothes and faces.
When the ship's form became clear, the grotesque head on the bow, exuding an indescribable, almost overwhelming presence, led the Damnation Star and a fleet of about a dozen other ships to the shore.
Soon, a group of Demon Race subordinates appeared on the deck and quickly set up the ladder.
Sagel appeared at the ladder entrance. Before he could step down, the waiting pirates below began to cheer.
"Governor!"
"Governor Sagel!"
"The governor is here, we'll win soon!"
Sagel looked at the excited pirates, stepped down, and patted Moria, who was at the front. "Good job. Have someone bring down the supplies. We'll have a good meal tonight."
"It's no trouble, but it feels like I should have handled it better", Moria said with a smile, shaking his head.
"I've heard about the situation. It's not your fault. After all, you haven't reached the level where you can decide everything. The other side has someone skilled at guerrilla tactics and mobilizing ordinary people, which is rare at sea."
Sagel smiled. "I'm very curious about such a person, which is why I came."
"Indeed, Governor Sagel is super curious. He even stopped fishing."
Perona, holding an umbrella and floating, poked her head out from behind Sagel. "I came too, Lord Moria."
"Oh! Perona!"
Moria's face lit up, but then he frowned. "This isn't a place for sightseeing!"
"I can protect myself, Lord Moria." Perona stuck out her tongue.
She wasn't weak. As long as she wasn't facing a strong-willed opponent, her abilities could make anyone feel trapped.
"Exactly, let Perona try it out. They say ordinary people can use Haki. We'll see how she fares. Is it the pain of the mind that overcomes, or the opposite?"
Sagel chuckled. "We'll find out soon."
"You're right, I can be useful, Lord Moria", Perona said proudly.
Moria shook his head and followed Sagel to the central tent, while the others spontaneously went aboard the ship to unload the supplies.
The rain couldn't dampen the pirates' enthusiasm. The chefs inside the tent started a fire and began preparing the food. Soon, stewed dishes were being brought to the central tent by the subordinates.
"This time, Maria was too busy, so she couldn't come. The conditions are simple, so we'll eat like this."
Sagel had Perona serve him a bowl and said to the others seated inside, "After we win, we'll have a feast and a banquet at the palace here."
"Of course, you will win."
Moria said, "The best strategy would have been Hawkins' plan, but you didn't agree. If we had, we would have more people, more economic resources, and more power to expand."
Sagel, who had come here, couldn't possibly fail.
But to win decisively, Hawkins' proposal was the best.
"There's no need. Just capturing the king will do. No matter how many fronts they come from, I'll go my own way. We can learn from Lily. She has set a precedent. You were caught in the enemy's rhythm."
Sagel picked up a spoon and smiled at Moria. "Capture what they want to protect, and you can destroy most of their morale. Many people in these seas still respect the king. So, by eliminating the king, we win half the battle. If they continue to resist, we'll relocate the people. My territory isn't limited to just this place; there's enough room for them to relocate."
With so many ships, it wouldn't take long to move the people.
They wouldn't even need to spend much time here. Once the conflict starts, many will be willing to leave. At that point, even the strongest resistance would be futile.
As they were talking, a subordinate suddenly entered and said, "Governor."
"Speak."
"The Helar Kingdom has sent a messenger to surrender."
(End of Chapter)
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