Chapter 970: Post-War Order

Chapter 970 Post-War Order

Regardless, it was the Academy that lost the research vessel, not the Alliance itself.

Even if that research vessel were ever so important, Chu Guang, as the Alliance’s administrator, could not possibly spend all his days on the sort of work a detective captain would do.

And the Academy, besides telling Chu Guang about the matter, had no face to inform any third party; aside from searching for clues, they could only swallow this bitter loss for now.

In any case, though the Enlightenment Society had pulled some strings behind the scenes, this little episode did not cast a shadow over the great victory.

On the third day after the Alliance occupied Avant City, troops from the Warlan Province also arrived in Avant City.

The two sides joined forces on the eastern outskirts of Avant City and held a grand military parade in the city’s central district.

Soldiers in exoskeletons marched in neat phalanxes past the parliament building in Avant City.

To show regard for their southern compatriots, the Warlan Alliance’s chancellor, “Pangolin,” arrived at the front in person aboard a steel airship, and entered into consultations with the Alliance’s commander, Vanus, on the reconstruction of the occupied zone and the establishment of post-war order.

The former, though a survivor of the Valley Province, represented the Warlan Alliance; the latter, though a Warlan, represented the Alliance of the Valley Province.

If one looked only at their identities, this contrast was rather amusing.

But amusing as it was, on the issue of rebuilding post-war order, their positions were the same—

That is, to bury the specters of the old era.

To lead the survivors of the Bartoa Province into the new epoch, and to lay the final brick on the tomb of the old era!

At the military parade.

On the reviewing stand in front of the conference building, the battlefield atmosphere group clapped with a smile while conversing with Vanus standing beside him.

“Tyr is dead, and so is Augustus. Though it’s a pity we couldn’t catch those two, what matters now is that we must prevent new war criminals from emerging.”

Watching the expeditionary force phalanx pass before him, Vanus nodded slightly as he applauded.

“The Alliance’s stance is the same. We do not approve of colonizing the Bartoa Province, and we oppose continuing the old mistakes. The Administrator hopes that the locals can establish their own order there and voluntarily integrate into the order of the new epoch.”

The battlefield atmosphere group smiled and said.

“It seems we are in agreement on the fundamental issue. We intend to assist the survivors of the Bartoa Province in establishing their own constitution, just like the survivors of the Warlan Province.”

Vanus must have received instructions from the Administrator; upon hearing his words, the battlefield veteran felt reassured that the “A-Guang” of Dawn City was still the “A-Guang” he knew.

While the battlefield veteran was probing Vanus, the latter was probing him in return.

But Vanus did not know that the “Pangolin” before him was actually a resident of Vault 404.

After seeing that this fellow was indeed considering the interests of the Warlans, he too relaxed.

“Let’s talk about practical matters now. The survivors stranded in the southern part of the Warlan Province number about… two million?”

The battlefield atmosphere group shook his head.

“Two million? You underestimate Tyr. Our count is ten million, and eight million of them are Warlans alone.”

Vanus stared at “Pangolin” in astonishment, his face full of disbelief.

“Ten million?! But… across the Whirlpool Sea, how did they flood in so quickly?!”

He had been commanding operations at the front all along; though he had heard that Tyr had incited the survivors of the Bartoa Province to march north, he knew nothing of what had actually happened at the Whirlpool Sea.

The battlefield atmosphere group knew this fellow couldn’t access the forum, so he explained succinctly.

“They used all sorts of methods, even reckless ones—like using bathtubs as boats. In the end, many died on the way. I shouldn’t call it fortunate, but at least they’ve tasted the bitter fruit of their own choices. I think they won’t choose this way again next time.”

The survivors of the Southern Legion had fed a monster with their own flesh and blood.

And then that monster had bitten off one of their arms.

That lesson was already profound enough.

Vanus was silent for a moment, then spoke.

“We hope they can return to the Bartoa Province. This mess here needs them to clean up. Of course… it depends on them. We won’t force them to go anywhere.”

The battlefield atmosphere group smiled and nodded.

“No problem. Though the Warlan Province welcomes compatriots back to Triumph City as guests, we really don’t have enough houses to accommodate so many people, and the quarantine zone by the coast isn’t suitable for long-term living… Besides, I think since Tyr is dead, they should be willing to go back and rebuild their homes.”

He paused to think for a moment, then continued.

“How about adding ten flights across the Whirlpool Sea? A hundred thousand people a day, three months should be enough.”

Vanus shook his head.

“Thirty thousand a day. Better to stretch it out to a year… Our logistics and transport have their limits. It might be better once the container port west of Avant City is built.”

The reason the Alliance could spare so many supplies for the locals was mainly that there weren’t many residents in Avant City, and the logistics network of railways and highways could support the supply.

Once those survivors gradually returned home, local logistics resources would certainly become strained; even if supplies were available in the rear, they couldn’t be shipped in quickly.

The battlefield atmosphere group nodded in understanding.

“Understood. Let’s add five flights for now. We can communicate on this at any time… Also, regarding the garrison, we’d like to know your arrangements.”

Vanus thought for a moment and said.

“We plan to station ten divisions in the Bartoa Province, including three from the Enterprise, five from the Alliance’s homeland—including the Warlan Expeditionary Force—and two from Golden Port… and, depending on the situation, reduce the garrison to two divisions within ten years.”

“The Administrator’s opinion is that we must ensure the new authorities can fully represent the locals’ views. Of course, if you’re worried about the safety of your compatriots, you can leave two ten-thousand-man units here to supervise our work on the ground.”

As for the specific timetable for withdrawal, it would mainly depend on the progress of local social development.

But Vanus was still optimistic about the southern compatriots, even more so than about those in the Warlan Province.

Setting aside tactical details, rising to the strategic dimension.

The reason the Eastern Empire struggled to modernize was not that Saren was unintelligent or lacked foresight; it was essentially that the vast old military aristocratic bloc held extensive lands, and those lands and the resources attached to them were the economic pillars of the Eastern Empire.

Vanus himself came from a military aristocratic background and knew well the immense power of those hereditary honors and lands.

And that fellow Saren, by playing the “eastward expansion” card to destroy the “eastward expansion faction” and retreat unscathed, had absorbed all the Southern Legion’s interests in the East without firing a single shot—this was enough to prove that his methods went far beyond the golden armor he wore on the surface.

He understood clearly that the Eastern Empire needed industrialization, or rather, the new classes enriched by industrialization.

Whether factory owners or workers.

When their strength grew enough to counterbalance the military aristocrats within the Eastern Empire, the Eastern Empire would naturally move into the next social stage.

The same was true for the Bharata State.

The failure of their constitutional government was not essentially because Abusak was not smart enough, Rasi not ruthless enough, or Zaid had no bottom line, but because the “dockworkers’ leader” and the “slave officers,” representing the “citizen class” and the “officer class” respectively, were too niche in Bharata—only having a small foothold in Golden Port—while the vast majority of Bharata were serfs or spiritual serfs.

Kill Yanush, who wanted to be emperor, and Zaid would emerge, wanting to be a patriarch instead of an emperor; kill Zaid, and the next Zaid, harder to deal with and harder to detect, would appear.

There were also smart people in the Bharata Province who could see this, like that Niyang.

Changing a society is not something that can be done by writing a few textbooks; one must go deep into the lowest levels of society, rewrite the underlying code, and completely change the way of life and even the language habits of everyone on that land.

If the population of the Bharata Province were only one percent of the wasteland, changing them would not be very difficult.

But the fact is, they might outnumber all the survivors on the wasteland combined. And if the Alliance truly tried to do this without counting the cost, it would be more likely that the Alliance would be assimilated instead.

As a long-time subordinate of Chu Guang, Vanus felt that this might be the real reason that great man chose to “let them be.”

Though other Warlans were more indignant at the Bharata people’s attitude toward their heroes, Vanus himself did not much like using a heroic view of history to explain objective problems.

Even if, in the end, the Bharata people who disrespected history and heroes did indeed reap what they sowed.

Whether they know it or not.

But on the other hand, the survivors of the Bartoa Province were far luckier.

Here, there was no vast land like the Eastern Empire, nor so many landlords, and the military aristocracy was mostly dead.

Those young officers had never tasted the sweetness of war, only its bitterness. As long as they weren't forced to live too stifled lives, they probably wouldn't give rise to another Tire.

As for those child soldiers, they didn't even count as a soldier class—they were just citizens shoved into the front lines with a rifle in hand. At best, they were militia.

It was thanks to that madman Tire, in a way. His madness sent him to his doom and inadvertently accelerated the social evolution of the Southern Legion.

On this land, the old forces had died out completely. The power of the citizen class was immense, and every one of them had received basic education. Beneath their feet lay vast factories, railways, highways, and ruins awaiting reconstruction.

Add to that the fact that the Valiants were born artists and architects.

With such foundations, it was hard for them not to become another economic miracle on the wasteland—a second South Sea Alliance.

And a bigger one at that.

The Battlefield Atmosphere Group clearly thought the same, a cheerful smile spreading across their face.

"Since you've brought it up, we'll gladly comply. We'll keep two ten-thousand-man units stationed locally to ensure that the Valiants and the natives of Bartoa Province receive fair and lawful treatment."

A pleasant smile also appeared on Vanus's face.

Just then, the military parade was nearing its end.

He paused and, in a casual tone, brought up the last topic—both important and trivial.

"One final question: regarding the official name of the Southern Legion, the Alliance hopes that 'Legion' will become a historical term."

The Battlefield Atmosphere Group said offhandedly.

"How about the Southern Alliance?"

Vanus was taken aback, then said with a wry smile.

"'Southern' is too broad a concept... Maybe we should call it the Bartoa Alliance instead."

There was already a South Sea Alliance on this planet.

Moreover, the fate of the 2.7-million-square-kilometer colony had to be considered.

The Alliance wanted a new authority established on that land, rather than letting the newborn Bartoa Province inherit the Ravenca Industrial Zone, Evernight Harbor, and other settlements.

That would just lead back to the old ways.

The Battlefield Atmosphere Group's eyes lit up, and he gave a thumbs-up in praise.

"The Bartoa Alliance... that's a good name. Let's use it for now."

A bit embarrassed by the compliment, Vanus smiled modestly and said diplomatically,

"It's just a temporary name."

"When a new order is established locally, if the survivors have a better idea, we can change it then."

...

[Great news! Victory in the war! The Alliance's flag flies over Avint City! A joint military parade is held in the heart of Avint City!

Head war criminal Tire is dead without a trace, and secondary war criminal Augustus has committed suicide out of guilt! The remaining high-ranking members of the Southern Legion have been arrested and will be tried separately in Triumph City, Dawn City, Golden Port, and Ideal City.

— Survivor's Daily, Dawn City Edition]

[The Bartoa Alliance is born! The Southern Legion becomes history! Let us offer our congratulations to the survivors of Bartoa Province and welcome the friends on the southern shore of the Whirlpool Sea into the new family!

Currently, the Valiant Alliance Consul and the Alliance Expeditionary Force Commander have reached a consensus on the reconstruction of Avint City and plan to build a container port west of Avint City.

Driven by a surge in demand for local engineering equipment, North Island Heavy Industry has signed a massive order worth 500 million silver coins with a local company!

— Survivor's Daily, South Sea Alliance Edition]

[Heavenly Capital sends a congratulatory telegram to Bartoa Province! Patriarch Zaid welcomes the Valiants' reform and states that the Boro people and the Valiants are one family, and that the Southern Legion is the true enemy of the Boro people—the ones the Boro must eliminate.

The great victory has finally arrived! Let us thank the Patriarch for his personal deployment! Currently, the three northern states are in turmoil, and the Mammoth Kingdom's oppressive rule has sparked widespread anger. General Grove, the 'Iron General God,' leads an 800,000-strong army northward! Pointing his sword at the Tasan River! The day of sweeping away the remnants of the old era is just around the corner!

Additionally, the cockroach population in Heavenly Capital has surged recently. Respected Commissioner Sawa stated at the committee meeting that he once again calls on the family to unite and declare war on cockroaches! Our reporter also urges everyone to take this seriously, ensuring that not a single cockroach egg remains in any household!

As long as we unite, we can transform our great home into a paradise on earth!

— Survivor's Daily, Heavenly Capital Edition]

[The West Sailport Winter Swimming Competition enters its second round. This time, the victim is a factory? An unnamed raider on the wasteland, after reading this paper, expressed that this is too much—paying a ransom and then breaking the deal is something other raiders will despise!

The corporate wars in the Free State are heating up. Are the Alliance's 'volunteers' suspected of stepping in?

The Bugar has plummeted yet again. The most stable currency in the Free State turns out to be the stock of 'Firestone Group,' which has been running continuous losses?

A large number of employees face unemployment, reverting to wandering wastelanders, which might benefit the prosperous and stable New West Sailport!

Saren suddenly coughed during this morning's meeting, perhaps a strong hint for the Alliance to know its place.

General McCullen declined to comment on the fact that he is actually the governor of the Special Zone, but he did not explicitly refuse to become a special commentator for this paper.

Also, congratulations to the compatriots of Bartoa Province for finally shaking off that foolish Tire.

We sincerely recommend to you our wise, heroic, and prescient Saren.

Compared to other regions of the wasteland, New West Sailport is truly a paradise among paradises.

— Survivor's Daily, New West Sailport Edition]

[The wastelanders talk too much nonsense. The Blue Groundhog has nothing to say.

Every frown and smile of Emperor Saren is a hint. The residents of Dawn City say, 'What do we care what the New West Sailport paper writes?' They're more interested in when the Administrator will have a child of their own.

The former Grand Leader of the Boro Nation has founded Abu Aerospace, reportedly securing 100 million silver coins in investment! South Sea Alliance President Li Minghui has submitted his resignation again, allegedly delayed once more by the Representative Assembly. Rumors suggest that, to extend wartime laws, he is considering declaring war on the Gaia planet five light-years away?

Meanwhile, the Boro Province's battle royale enters its next round. The current Grand Leader, Shah Rukh, is said to have starved to death in prison, his death utterly miserable. Has the position of Grand Leader become a high-risk job? 'Hot-blooded Prince' Sawa, after declaring war on rats, now declares war on cockroaches. Is the flames about to spread to the boss of Goblin Tech?!

The messy news keeps piling up. Some customers have written in, hoping for normal news... Our editor's advice is: you can't expect a chef to also know refrigeration. Our boss was never normal to begin with. For serious news, please refer to the Survivor's Daily, Dawn City Edition.

Finally, let's turn our attention to the 'Halloween' in Avint City. Due to the commotion caused by 'Debt-Eyes' Santa Claus scattering chocolates, the term 'Minnow' has officially become a friendly blessing passed from mouth to mouth among Avint survivors.

Also, this incident has absolutely nothing to do with mosquitoes. You can't blame mosquitoes for every problem. Even if you guess the mastermind behind the scenes, such tactics are extremely unethical!

— Goblin Observer]

...

On the official website of Wasteland OL.

The forum was livelier than ever.

On one hand, angry cloud players found that the Wasteland Era was about to end, yet their helmets still hadn't been shipped.

On the other hand, the long, drawn-out war had finally, damn it, been won!

["The 'Southern Barbarian Invasion' expansion has concluded! Thank you all for your enthusiastic participation! Expansion rewards and title honors have all been distributed."]

["The expansion points lottery system is now open. Please check your mailbox to claim! Also, use up your remaining points quickly to avoid expiration and reset!"]

["Additionally, players not in Dawn City can claim expansion rewards remotely. The Alliance Post Office offers paid delivery services (only within communication coverage areas)."]

Professor Yang, the Thunder Mage: "Sigh, watching the Alliance grow from a small regional power into the world's 'third pole,' and I don't even have a helmet! This is so frustrating! T.T"

Ye Ao Nai Wo He: "Heh, you think I believe that?"

Professor Yang, the Thunder Mage: "It doesn't matter if you don't believe me; the trending topics can't be suppressed now... Honestly, I'm starting to wonder if A-Guang might be an alien. (gazing at the sky)"

Tyrannosaurus Warrior: "Dear planner, I have a question: if I win a nuclear bomb, can you mail it to me? If I put the address as Shelter 404, can I directly trigger a server restart? That shouldn't break the rules, right? Politely asking. (0.0)"

Old Bai: "Haha, you're oddly polite, kid, but not too bright. (grinning)"

Elf King Fugui: "A-Guang says: You'd better win it first before talking!"

Irena: "A-Guang says: Let me see whose helmet is itchy, I'll scratch it for them. (amused)"

Ye Shi: "No, they don't even have a helmet—you're being presumptuous. (amused)"

Silver's Dad: "But speaking of which, Brother Ye Ao should be old enough by now, given how long the game's been running."

Silver's Sword: "In theory, yes, but whether to let a brat in is another matter."

Talan Raider: "Ah... a reset, that sounds tempting. If it really resets, I might become a T0. (smirking)"

Mole on the Run from the Canyon: "Don't even think about it. If that bastard Fang Chang went back to the start with his memories, he'd roll a snowball to the moon, believe me? Unless you reboot everyone's brains too."

Fang Chang: "Tsk, am I the type to hog all the good stuff? Put your hand on your heart and rephrase that—when have I ever had a good thing without thinking of you guys? (side-eye)"

Mole on the Run from the Canyon: "(guilty.jpg)"

Spring Commander: "Hahaha, Brother Mole, that's not cool. I can vouch—the Ox-Horse Group is very fair, never fleecing their own. (side-eye grin)"

I'm the Blackest: "Damn! Another string of consolation prizes! You dog Spring, confess—did you swipe the grand prize again?! (angry)"

Spring Commander: "Cough, brother, let's not talk about the grand prize... Even if I did have that luck, your bad luck isn't my fault for being lucky. (sweat)"

I'm the Blackest: "@#$#!"

Battlefield Atmosphere Group: "Brother I'm the Blackest is getting driven crazy by the lucky ones again. If you ask me, it's the ID's fault—can't blame anyone else. (grinning)"

Martial Law: "Whoa! The pangolin is here!"

Tail: "Oooh! The Archon of the Valiant Alliance! (?ω?)"

Battlefield Atmosphere Group: "Don't be like that, it's embarrassing. (sweat)"

Ye Shi: "Haha! Why are you blushing? (amused)"

Spring Commander: "Was the parade fun? Damn, you're the one who's made it the best among us! By the way, did you check the expansion lottery? What did you get? (smirking)"

Battlefield Atmosphere Group: "A bunch of random stuff. The only valuable thing seems to be a purple-tag bionic prosthetic. Sigh... actually useless—I've left several expansions' rewards gathering dust in storage."

I'm the Blackest: "Give them to me!! (angry)"

Battlefield Atmosphere Group: "That's not realistic, but if you want to buy, I might consider it. (grinning)"

I'm the Blackest: "@#$#!"