Chapter 873: Chapter 565: Making an Aerial Ship
As soon as this statement was made,
all the generals on the City Lord’s side immediately echoed their agreement.
Mapel, however, scoffed coldly, “Negotiating peace is what we from the Human Clan want to see, but it might not be what the Undead desire, otherwise they wouldn’t keep dragging this out.”
“Of course, we should prioritize trying to resolve this peacefully, otherwise what do you suggest we do, fight it out? Can we even win?” another local minister said.
At that moment, the bishop of the church also spoke, “Conceding is merely about giving the Undead money to better arm themselves; eventually, they will only grow stronger.”
When the church spoke up, none of the city’s ministers retorted.
...
Unlike the Mage Association, a rarely seen force, offending the church really could be fatal.
City Lord Fulbin wiped the sweat from his brow and asked, “Then what should we do?”
Both sides fell silent.
It was then that the commander of the Hall of Justice spoke up, “If we can negotiate peace, that’s naturally best, but if not, we aren’t afraid of them, either. The Dwarven cannons and all the supplies from various cities are on the way, so there’s no need to worry.”
The strategist of the Hall of Justice was named Nidam.
He was a burly middle-aged man in his forties, clad in the Hall’s renowned armor of justice, his hand on the hilt of his sword, projecting immense deterrence.
Upon hearing that the cannons and supplies were on their way, voices audibly relaxed.
The commander of the Hall of Justice continued, “I, along with the Mage Association and the church, will go to the negotiations. The rest of you should stay in the city and wait for news.”
…
Outside the city,
at the border with the Great Cemetery of Odys,
a huge tent had been temporarily set up.
Currently, inside the tent, representatives from the Humans and the Undead, each on one side, were engaged in their fifth negotiation.
The representatives on the human side were Nidam from the Hall of Justice, Mapel from the Mage Association, and Xu Haide from the church.
The trio, with Nidam at the core,
The church didn’t arrange for a bishop to attend, considering the delicate relationship between the church and the Undead, opting instead for Saint Xu Haide to represent them.
On the Undead’s side was the Corpse Witch ‘Yarl.’
“King Odys, have you considered the Federation’s opinion? Retreating and maintaining the stability of the borders is the prerequisite for peace,” Commander Nidam said in a deep voice.
The Corpse Witch Yarl, holding his wooden staff, spoke softly, “Lord Odys’s intention is simple. If you want us to pull back, should the Federation not withdraw its troops first?”
The several people exchanged glances; the Undead had not mentioned anything about paying compensation.
“Humans long for peace; as long as you withdraw first, we will naturally follow,” Nidam continued.
The Corpse Witch Yarl, sitting unmoved in his chair, simply replied, “You withdraw first.”
“Impossible, the Undead must withdraw their troops first,” Nidam said.
The Corpse Witch spoke, “You withdraw first!”
The two of them kept repeating ‘You withdraw first,’ without a second line.
Mage Mapel spoke up to interrupt, “Mr. Corpse Witch, the battlefield execution force of the Undead is far superior to that of humans. Only if you withdraw your troops first, can both sides return to a peaceful situation.”
What she referred to as battlefield execution force was the capability of the legions within the Undead Clan.
The Undead didn’t have to consider various factors such as baggage trains, support, or weather. At one command, the entire forces would charge.
They were more decisive and fast in launching attacks than humans.
Of course, when humans were fully prepared, their response was not slower than the Undead’s.
But living creatures were still influenced by emotions and prone to various problems at the brink of battle.
The Corpse Witch Yarl glanced at her, then blandly said, “Humans withdraw first.”
The expressions of the human side turned grim.
Behind the Mage, the seemingly inconspicuous Li Rong almost burst out laughing.
She hadn’t participated in the previous sessions, but the current negotiation was just like a quarrel on some channel.
One side was aggressive, the other curmudgeonly.
Fang Hao’s side also had a Corpse Witch; could it be the same curmudgeonly kind?
If they all behaved like that, it would definitely be amusing.
The more she thought about it, the funnier it seemed.
Nidam snorted coldly and declared, “Are the Undead really intending to start a war? Do you really think your Great Cemetery could compete against the Human Federation?”
Yet the Corpse Witch still showed little movement, responding the same as before.
What followed was both sides going back and forth endlessly.
The human side demanded that the Undead withdraw their military forces placed at the border back to previous numbers.
The Undead agreed, but insisted that the humans should withdraw their troops first.
The Federation had already dispatched a large force upon discovering the Undead amassing at the border.
How could they possibly withdraw first?
After arguing for a while,
The Corpse Witch Yarl stood up and said, “I will relay today’s content to Lord Odys. I will inform you if there is any news.”
With that, he left the tent with a group of Undead.
The human side looked even more displeased.
What was there to relay except the issue of who should withdraw first? It had been discussed numerous times before.
After the Undead left,
the humans also left the tent, wary in case the Undead had any tricks up their sleeves to wipe them out all at once.
…
Mounting their horses,
under the escort of the military, they began their return to Fort Sante.
During the return, none displayed a good expression.
Having negotiated for so long without any progress made everyone extremely gloomy.
Mage Mapel spoke up, “The Undead are just stalling for time. Those fools like Fulbin even planned to compensate; how could the Federation entrust the border to such people?”
It was fortunate they had received prior information.