Chapter 838: Substituting One Thing for Another (3/4)

Chapter 838: Substitution (3/4)

Yanush was taken aback.

“Then what else do you want?”

Farseeing Eagle patiently reasoned.

“Everything must be taken step by step. If you truly wish to become like us, you need not replicate our results. You can start by leading them to farm the land, let the people here have enough to eat, let them wear clean clothes, let them receive education... so that those who today must depend on the soil to survive can tomorrow freely leave the red earth that binds them.”

Yanush relaxed his tense shoulders, leaned back on the cold, hard throne, and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“That is something to be done after the war is won. Once things settle down, we will naturally do it...”

Seeing that this fellow was still spinning empty promises, the old eagle shook his head helplessly.

Perhaps the administrator was right.

They truly should reduce their interference with the locals and, as much as possible, leave the path of the future to them.

Lying seemed to be an innate ability for the people here.

Just like the cuckoo’s young, which from birth knows to use its frail back to push other birds’ eggs out of the nest.

It was like an instinct.

An instinct forced upon animals by evolution to escape Darwin’s law, to survive.

Their nature might not be evil, but it had been twisted by the harsh environment of the wasteland.

A sharp sword cannot kill ideals, but lies can.

And with ease.

“...Yes, you can certainly wait until the end of the Wasteland Era to do it. But if some things cannot be fulfilled now, I doubt they will ever be worth remembering later.”

He paused, looking at Yanush, at the Heavenly King of the Heavenly King’s Army.

“In truth, you don’t need our recognition at all. We have never endorsed any entity, nor have we ever forced any survivor faction to be like us. If the survivors here spontaneously form a management system similar to ours, we would be more than happy to share our experience with you...”

Yanush stood up excitedly from his chair.

“We are willing to be like you!”

Old Wolf, who had been silent all along, finally couldn’t help but interject.

“Then first release those Sun Clan people in the prison, and rescind the orders you gave earlier... We are not blind; we have eyes. Do these two things, and we will trust you for now!”

Yanush replied without hesitation.

“Those are the empire’s criminals. How could I simply let them go? What would others think?”

Old Wolf continued in his imperfect Commonwealth language.

“What about the Moon Clan? They have nothing to do with you, do they?”

Yanush hesitated for a moment. He was about to nod, but then remembered that many of the women he had bestowed upon his subordinates were also from the Moon Clan.

He didn’t care much about those rewards, but now was not the time to touch them.

After a moment of silence, he spoke in a conciliatory tone.

“That is a problem left over from the previous dynasty. It will take time to resolve. You understand, such matters affect the whole; a single move can stir everything. It cannot be decided on a whim... But I can promise you, once we reclaim the entire empire, we will immediately abolish all unequal policies from the imperial era.”

This time, he was not lying.

Once the empire was fully reclaimed, he would have the leeway to deal with those who had helped him conquer the realm.

But for now, it was not the time.

Old Wolf’s lips twitched involuntarily.

Good heavens.

So this was a selective “whim.”

He was still too young. These NPCs were even more treacherous than humans.

Seeing the atmosphere in the hall grow tense, Farseeing Eagle quickly stepped in to take over the conversation.

“...Let us end today’s meeting here. We have traveled all the way by boat, then changed to horse-drawn carriages and oxcarts. We are truly exhausted. Besides, there are matters we need to communicate with our people in the rear; we cannot make decisions on our own.”

They had achieved their goal; there was no need to rush.

If nothing went wrong, the Legion’s envoy should have already contacted Abusek.

Now, they just had to wait quietly for the latter to make his decision...

Meanwhile, on their end, they would try to find that Anwo and retrieve the evidence of Abusek’s collusion with the Southern Legion.

This evidence, like the Baiyue Company’s report on the living conditions of the survivors at Lowell Camp, might not ultimately be used, but it must be kept in hand.

It was a deterrent.

And also the last resort if things turned ugly.

Yanush did not insist on keeping them. He sat back down on the throne and spoke in a gentler tone.

“Please go and rest. By the way... we have prepared a palace for you to stay in.”

Clearly, he had not given up.

After all, a group of envoys meant little; the final decision would be made by Dawn City.

At this moment, leaving a good impression on the envoys was crucial, and that was the purpose behind all his elaborate arrangements.

Farseeing Eagle nodded slightly.

“We appreciate your kindness, but we have already booked a hotel in the suburbs.”

Yanush laughed heartily upon hearing this, his face beaming.

“Those inns are for traveling merchants. They don’t even have direct hot water. How could we let honored guests like you stay there? Besides the palace, I have also arranged some local special entertainment for you all. I am sure you will enjoy it...”

Those were the rare beauties collected by Witch Camel, and some that even Witch Camel had not touched, nor had he himself—reserved for entertaining certain distinguished guests.

Of course, the culture of Bharat Province was subtle; he did not speak too plainly.

But the implication and the suggestive tone were clear enough.

He intended to give them a taste of “color.”

The Dog with the Catheter, who had been staring at the subtitles, quickly looked up, surprised at the NPC.

“Holy shit, really?!”

He had always complained in Chinese, but this time he blurted out his still-unfamiliar Commonwealth language.

Old Stick beside him was startled and quickly tugged at his sleeve.

“Holy shit, you don’t want your helmet anymore?!”

Old Dog: “???”

Not understanding their exchange, Yanush just laughed heartily and winked at the envoy who seemed to take his fancy.

“It must be true... Don’t worry, leave it to me. My taste is impeccable.”

Glancing at Old Dog, who was in the throes of inner conflict, Farseeing Eagle coughed and said.

"No, no... the murderous aura here is far too heavy. I've been coughing ever since I stepped inside, and I certainly won't get a wink of sleep tonight."

He still possessed a shred of a moral baseline.

Besides, for a matter that could easily be resolved with a bit of coin, why on earth would he wager his very helmet on it?

There were far better ways to seek a thrill than this.

Janusz was utterly bewildered, entirely failing to grasp what a murderous aura had to do with a cough.

Why hadn't he sensed any such malice?

Though, truth be told, he had been feeling a bit physically depleted these past few days.

Looking at the demurring Eagle, he hurriedly forced a smile and pressed on.

"You are far too polite! The survivors of our Bharata Province are exceedingly hospitable toward you all; it would be a crying shame if you didn't experience it—"

Before his words could fully leave his lips, they were severed by the hurried, heavy sound of footsteps barging into the grand hall.

"That is quite enough, Janusz!"

"I was merely standing at the threshold, yet I could already smell the stench of rot wafting off your body!"

Hearing that thunderous, explosive roar, the master of ceremonies instantly spun toward the entrance, caught sight of the man standing there, and was instantly paralyzed with fright, nearly collapsing onto the floor.

There stood an officer in a crisp, immaculate military uniform at the doorway of the grand hall, flanked by a squad of soldiers armed to the teeth.

They advanced with aggressive intent, radiating a palpable, ferocious aura, like a pack of vicious wolves.

This time, Janusz finally understood what a murderous aura truly meant; it was written unmistakably across the faces of the men before him.

Because the event had unfolded so abruptly, catching everyone entirely off guard, both Janusz and the Alliance representatives froze on the spot, unable to comprehend the situation.

The guards inside the hall immediately surged forward, intending to draw their weapons and confront the interlopers, only to find themselves instantly stared down by the barrels of "Blade" assault rifles.

Glancing down at the pistols slung at their hips, and then looking across at the overwhelming firepower facing them, they could only humiliate themselves by keeping their hands pressed against their holsters, frozen in the motion of drawing but daring not to move.

These bastards had come prepared!

Even their safeties were already off!

Janusz’s eyes widened in fury as his fingers dug tightly into the armrests of his throne, slamming his hand down as he vaulted to his feet.

"What insolence! Who the hell do you think you are!"

Met with that fiercely glaring gaze, Anwar stared back without an ounce of deference.

"The name is Anwar."

"Anwar? What kind of nobody—"

Before Janusz could finish his sentence, he was cut short by the sharp, resounding crack of a gunshot.

His eyes dilated in sheer disbelief as he stared down at the bloody hole blossoming on his chest, slumping back onto his throne.

For a moment, his mind ceased to function, and countless memories flashed before his eyes like a spinning lantern.

Suddenly, a realization struck him, as if he caught a fleeting glimpse of the hidden truth, but it was already too late for him to speak.