Chapter 237 I have to speak for the 80,000 soldiers who died in battle
The smoke in Port Sardo has not yet dissipated, and the bones of the soldiers of hell who were broken and sinking in the sand are not yet cold.
While the sinking-faced General Sebes led the remaining defeated soldiers back to the underground world along the tunnel of the crater, the War Department and Logistics Department in the Magic City were dragged into a war of words because of a battle report.
An urgent battle report was thrown in the middle of the long table, and the bloody sealing wax attached seemed to indicate heavy casualties on the front line——
"In the Battle of Porto Saldo, the Red Flame Legion was defeated and suffered heavy losses. , with 80,000 casualties. "
"General Sebes failed to capture Port Sardo, and the Red Flame Army retreated in full!"
When this battle report arrived in the Magic City, the military community in the Magic City was in an uproar.
The total number of hell soldiers who were killed, missing, or wounded in battle is as high as 80,000!
To make matters worse, the Red Flame Legion of General Sebes failed to hold the high ground north of Saldo Port and retreated across the board after the magic crystal cannon position was destroyed. This allowed the Empire to actually reverse the situation in this battle.
The Ministry of War and the Ministry of Logistics were immediately pushed to the forefront, and an emergency military meeting was immediately held in Shanghai.
In the gloomy and dark hall, the obsidian seats were filled with gloomy-looking demons.
Although every brick here is engraved with the word gloomy, the atmosphere in the hall is like a raging fire cooking oil, and the sounds of quarrels reverberate through the walls.
These high-level demons may not care about the death of 80,000 low-level demons, but they do not want this cauldron to fall on their heads.
"Eighty thousand casualties of soldiers!" Salman, the senior war staff officer of the Ministry of War, slammed the table and stood up, roaring angrily, his fiery red eyes burning with anger.
"How was this war fought? How did the Red Flame Army lose? General Sebes's tactics have always been sound, so why did he suddenly suffer a disastrous defeat?"
"Good question!"
Hax, the Undersecretary of the Logistics Department sitting opposite, snorted and tapped the table with his slender fingers. Faced with him, he said in a calm tone: "Sebes' tactics are sound? Then I would like to ask, how did such a sound general cause his army to lose 80,000 people?"
The atmosphere in the conference room solidified instantly, and sinister eyes collided between the officials of the Ministry of War and the Department of Logistics, as if a new battle was about to break out at any time.
Salman narrowed his eyes and said in a cold tone, "What do you want to say? You might as well say it more clearly."
Huge pressure spread along the table and soon spread to the entire noisy venue.
Some officials from the Logistics Department couldn't help but shudder, but some people stared back in anger, not to be outdone and released their mental pressure.
Looking at the meeting place that was about to turn into a duel ground, the member of Parliament who was observing the meeting coughed and said in a majestic voice.
"Silence."
The venue was really quiet.
In hell, the cabinet is the agent of the power of the devil, and the parliament under the cabinet is completely controlled by the nobles and clergy, which is equivalent to the second level of power.
As for the huge bureaucracy, it is accountable to the cabinet and is also supervised by the parliament.
On the surface they are quarreling for the soldiers on the front line, but in fact they are always only responsible for the source of power.
"Eighty thousand troops were lost in vain. The Ministry of War should give an explanation." Hax spoke slowly.
"This should be explained by your logistics department, right? Our General Sebes is a god with his troops. His ability to gain an absolute advantage in the early stages of the war is the best proof!" Salman sneered, crossed his hands on his chest, and looked at the opposite side gloomily. Logistics officer: "On the contrary, it's you who always hold back the boys on the front line, not once or twice. General Sebes has 20 magic crystal cannons and solid high ground. The only reason why the empire's army can make a comeback is because of supply problems."
"Oh?" Hax raised his eyebrows, glanced at Salman with disdain, and then smiled softly, his face full of sarcasm: "You want to pass the responsibility to our logistics department? Have you forgotten, who recommended the magic crystal cannon?"
Salman's face darkened, his pupils Shrinking slightly: "What do you mean?"
"It's very simple." The corner of Hax's mouth raised, and a cold light flashed in his eyes, "Of course our Logistics Department admits that the problem lies in logistics, but this problem is not a mistake of the Logistics Department, but a stupid decision of the War Department."
The conference room instantly became quiet.
· The member overseeing the meeting had a sinking face and tapped his slender index finger lightly on the table.
"How is this possible?" Salman sneered: "Although the Magic Crystal Cannon was recommended by the Ministry of War, your Logistics Department also installed it!" , the magic crystal cannon will change the pattern of war, but you have not considered one of the most critical issues at all -"
He paused, raised the corners of his mouth slightly, and showed a sarcastic smile: "They have no mobility at all."
Salman was stunned for a moment, and was about to retort, but was preempted by Hax.
"The loss of 80,000 troops is not a problem with General Sebes at all, but a big problem with the magic crystal cannon."
Hucks’ tone was slow and sharp, and he continued aggressively.
"I have carefully read the detailed battle reports sent from the front line. The reason why the battle took a turn for the worse when General Sebes had the upper hand was because the Imperial Army's Griffin Knights raided the magic crystal cannon position and destroyed all the artillery!"
"Your War Department's original promise that the magic crystal cannon would be the most advanced siege and defense equipment convinced us all... But in the end, "Where is the result?"
Hax stared at Salman coldly and continued unceremoniously, "The results you have single-handedly prepared and sent to the front line weigh more than ten tons and require at least ten artillery operations. They cannot be moved flexibly in battle. Once they are put down, they will be like iron coffins! Do you think this is a duel between nobles? Humans will not wait for us to prepare all the preparations before taking action!"
The officials of the Ministry of War in the conference room were livid, and they couldn't help but look at each other.
Hucks continued to lower his voice, leaned forward with a sense of pressure, and hammered the obsidian tabletop with his fist.
...If the magic crystal cannon can quickly adjust the shooting angle, or even move briefly during the battle, General Sebes's position will not be easily raided, and the defense system will not collapse."
Salman gritted his teeth, clenched his fists quietly under the table, and his face was so gloomy that he seemed to be bleeding.
The officials of the Logistics Department looked at each other with a smile on their lips. It was obvious that they had grasped the Achilles' heel of the War Department.
"The magic crystal cannon project was promoted by Prince Colin. Are you questioning the cabinet?"
"How is it? We believe in Prince Colin's decision-making, but this does not mean that you who are not enterprising have no responsibility. You don't have to bring out the cabinet to suppress me. I will naturally hand the report to the ministers and explain the reasoning clearly."
"Of course, we would rather solve the problem than to hold anyone responsible, and I believe Mr. Colin would not object to this... Mr. Salman, what is your opinion?"
The air was silent for a moment, and several senior officials from the Ministry of War exchanged looks.
Finally, Salman took a deep breath and said in a low voice:
"I agree with part of your point... We should indeed solve this problem."
Hucks’s lips curled up into a smile.
The Ministry of Logistics and the Ministry of War have had a long-standing dispute over armaments issues, but this does not mean that there is an insoluble personal feud between him and Salman.
He had no intention of using the topic to bring down a high-level war adviser who had no interest in him, nor did he intend to ban an epoch-making piece of equipment. What he really wants to do is participate in cutting this growing piece of cake.
The Dragon family promised him that as long as he could cooperate with the Dragon family in attacking the lord of Black Wind Castle at the upcoming hearing, forcing the lord of Black Wind Castle to sell the territory in his hands to the Magic City and let the latter directly govern it.
The chamber of commerce he controls will be able to participate in the order for the magic crystal cannon, and will be able to obtain more benefits by relying on his connections in the military community.
He has no grudges against Luo Yan.
The main reason is that this cake is too big and should not be eaten by a human being, and the Dragon family gave too much, so he had no reason to refuse...
The news of the conflict between the War Department and the Logistics Department quickly spread its wings, flew out of the conference hall, and spread throughout the Magic City.
At this moment, far away in the manor on the outskirts of the Magic City, Elder Zacro was watching the contents of the letter with cold eyes, a playful smile appearing on the corner of his mouth...
The war in Port Sardo has ended.
But the war between the Dragon family and Luo Yan has just begun...
"Let me see what you are capable of."
…
At the same time that the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Logistics came to an end in blaming each other, a hearing on the improvement plan for the magic crystal cannon was also officially held in the Parliament Building in Shanghai.
Speaking of it, this is the first time Luo Yan has set foot here.
I heard that not only him, but also the director of the Black Wind Castle Magic Crystal Cannon Factory was summoned.
But the goblin engineer who lived in the outer suburbs did not come with him.
On the contrary, Mr. Festing of the Padrich family accompanied him.
This gentleman is a member of the Hell Parliament and has his own office in the Parliament building.
· Due to related interests, he was asked to recuse himself from the hearing, so he did not attend the hearing.
However, as a friendly partner of Luo Yan, he still revealed the content of the hearing to Luo Yan in advance and told him the rules of the game in advance to prevent him from being led by the nose by those bureaucrats.
Stopped downstairs of the Parliament Building, Festing glanced at the badge hanging on the door, narrowed his eyes slightly, and spoke in a casual tone.
"This is the core of the power of the Magic City."
Luo Yan glanced at him with interest.
"I always thought the cabinet was the one."
Festing smiled lightly.
"Of course the cabinet is too, but it is generally not open to the outside world. Your ambition is not small, but it would be better to be more down-to-earth."
Luo Yan nodded slightly.
"Educated."
Of course he knew these things, but he also knew that Mr. Festing needed to prepare a prelude to the next words.
As he expected, the master-level shadow demon paused for a moment before continuing.
"There are 28 chairs in the largest conference room, with the most being 42, and sometimes only 20 chairs... The people who can sit there are without exception the powerful people in hell. Their title is at least baron, of course, the title is not all they have."
Luo Yan: "It sounds a little less."
"I also think that the Parliament of the Magic City should add new blood," Festing looked at Luo Yan and said with a smile, "For a young man as talented as you, I think there should be a place for you there."
Luo Yan said calmly.
"I'd better think about how to get through this hurdle now. If I'm not wrong, there should be a shadow of the Dragon family behind this hearing."
"Do I still need to say this kind of thing?" Mr. Festing continued in a joking tone, "You taught them a severe lesson last year in the duel field. Xino Dragon almost disgraced their family."
Luo Yan nodded, and then said with emotion.
"Eighty thousand lives is really a big deal."
It’s no wonder that the high-level demons in the Demon City don’t want their children to go to the front line. They are not only human meat grinders, but also the Demon City’s.
Speaking of where Ige went after graduation, there is no news, and I don’t know how he is doing, or whether he has become the "manly" devil in his fantasy.
Mr. Festing was silent for a while and said lightly.
"Their methods are indeed not very elegant, so you have to be mentally prepared, there may be bigger surprises later."
Luo Yan said casually.
"I know, and... this is also an opportunity for me, isn't it?"
Festing glanced at Luo Yan appreciatively.
int
While the two were chatting for a while, a dream demon in formal clothes walked through the lobby of the Parliament Building.
The dream demon glanced at Mr. Festing with fear, nodded slightly, and then looked at Luo Yan beside the latter.
hh "Please come with me, Mr. Luo Yan, your hearing is about to begin."
hh Luo Yan did not look at him, but looked at Mr. Festin beside him and nodded slightly.
"Then I'll take my leave first."
Mr. Festing nodded with a smile.
"I'm waiting for your good news."
After saying that, the two parted ways at the door.
Festing watched Luo Yan follow the official away until he disappeared around the corner of the front hall, and then went to the office upstairs.
Following behind the dream demon, Luo Yan's footsteps were very relaxed, as if the mountain-like pressure did not exist at all.
On the contrary, the dream demon who was leading the way was so nervous that he almost stepped on the heel of his front foot with his back foot.
"Relax, don't be so nervous." Looking at his clumsy look, Luo Yan comforted him with a smile.
"Karisman..." the dream demon whispered nervously, glancing at him secretly, with a hint of respect in his eyes, "Sir... To be honest, I actually admire you. In the arena that day, my partner and I bet that you would lose, but the result was beyond our expectations. All of us were slapped in the face."
I didn't expect that there were actually "fans" of my own in the parliament building, Luo Yan joked with a smile.
"Oh? It seems that I made you lose money."
"Thousands of Keira are nothing... We have witnessed the rise of a hero!" Karisman shook his head, his cheeks flushed with excitement, as if he had met his idol.
Luo Yan smiled and nodded to him.
"I'm glad to hear you say that. Remember to bet on me next time. I can guarantee you that you can double your earnings." Then he said hurriedly, "You have to pay attention to Undersecretary Harkes of the Logistics Department. He may have prejudices against you. The director of the Magic Crystal Artillery Factory was made to cry when he made things difficult for him. On the contrary, the Ministry of War has a pretty good opinion of you... In fact, I also feel that this matter has nothing to do with you at all. It is entirely due to improper operation by the frontline soldiers."
"Thank you."
Luo Yan nodded and noted the kindness of this little man, then straightened his collar and entered the hearing venue with a calm expression, as if he were entering his own audience hall.
Pairs of eyes focused on him, watching him walk to his seat.
Including officials from the Logistics Department, including officials from the War Department, as well as parliamentarians responsible for monitoring meetings.
Looking at Luo Yan, who was not overwhelmed by the momentum of the scene at all, Harkes, the deputy officer of the Logistics Department, narrowed his eyes slightly and decided to give the demon king from the countryside a little show of authority, letting him know that this was not the backwaters of Lei Ming County, and it was not a place where he could act recklessly.
"Mr. Luo Yan, you must have read in the newspaper that we lost 80,000 young men in the Battle of Port Saldo. I want to know what you think."
The majestic voice echoed in the venue, like a gavel hitting the judgment table.
Facing those sharp gazes, Luo Yan raised his chin slightly, and the corners of his straight mouth suddenly raised into a sneer.
"My opinion? I have never fought such a stupid battle. My opinion is that if I have the opportunity, I would like to talk to General Sebes face to face. How did he let a group of two or three-meter-high griffons touch his nose... Did he fall asleep on the battlefield?"
His words fell, and the scene was in an uproar.
Not only the officials of the Logistics Department widened their eyes, but also the officials of the War Department stared at him angrily.
Standing at the door of the conference hall, sweat broke out on Karisman's forehead as he was closing the door.
He didn't know what Luo Yan was thinking.
himself had clearly reminded him that the Ministry of War could be won over, but as soon as he came up, he also pushed the latter to the forefront.
Now, this young devil will face the pressure of the Logistics Department and the War Department at the same time.
What on earth is this guy thinking? !
Not only was there sweat on Karisman's forehead, but the goblin factory director, whose figure was getting smaller and smaller, had finally stopped sobbing and was now trembling again.
Him Previously, the big shots in the Magic City had "picked him up and tortured him" and just put him down. Now, the Black Wind Castle's Magic Crystal Cannon Factory has been pushed to the forefront again.
The goblin engineer looked at Luo Yan imploringly, trying to tell the latter to stop talking.
However, Luo Yan didn't even look at him, he still looked calm and composed.
The goblins are still too timid, almost no different from goblins.
If you give in, you won’t be attacked?
That is too naive.
You can still fight if you stand, but you can only get turned around if you lie down.
Besides, he is not unreasonably arrogant, but does it deliberately in order to turn against the guest.
Since General Sebes is on the front line, even if he kicks his ass, he cannot come to the hearing to confront him.
I didn’t expect Luo Yan to be so tough, and Hax in the Logistics Department couldn’t be punished either.
He glanced left and right and saw that Salman from the Ministry of War had something to say, so he simply gave the latter the opportunity to criticize others and retreated to a behind-the-scenes position.
"I will not allow you to slander the generals of hell like this." Salman glared at Luo Yan and said in a low voice.
"Is this a slander?" Luo Yan chuckled, "Mr. Salman, don't forget where I came back from. I came back from the battlefield in Thunder County. The human army and the Chosen Ones are right above my head, and there are still a bunch of disobedient people in my maze. The scum... No one is on the front line than me, but why didn't I let hell destroy 80,000 promising young men? "
Salman's eyes widened, his fists clenched tightly, but he couldn't say a word.
Officials from the War Department were whispering to each other, and officials from the Logistics Department were even more ashen-faced.
On the contrary, Councilor Yanmo, who was sitting at the main seat and supervising the hearing, took another look at Luo Yan with interest.
He had guessed what Luo Yan wanted to do, but he didn't expect that he would use such a radical method to seize the initiative of the hearing.
This is actually a very risky behavior.
However——
There seems to be no better choice than this.
Facing a pair of questioning or shrinking eyes, Luo Yan stopped his posture and continued in a loud voice.
“I repeat, there is nothing wrong with my magic crystal cannon! The failure of a battle cannot explain any problems. You blame the magic crystal cannon for the problem. Why don’t you blame the swords in the soldiers’ hands and the armor on their bodies? A loser has ten thousand reasons for himself. "The worst way to excuse the problem is to blame the equipment."
Looking at Salman sitting back, Harvick, who had originally planned to retreat behind the scenes to watch the show, had to stand up again and took over the passive topic.
"But the problems in the battle report are true. The mobility of the magic crystal cannon has indeed been criticized by the frontline soldiers. The problem now is that we have already installed this new weapon. If we replace it rashly, the entire logistics system will have to be adjusted accordingly——"
Having been waiting for this sentence for a long time, Luo Yan spread his hands and said with a smile.
"This is easy to handle, as long as we solve this problem."
Harvick was stunned.
The War Ministry official sitting next to Salman leaned forward and said with an eager face.
"Can you solve this problem?"
"Of course."
Faced with the crazy things, Luo Yan calmly drew a big pie.
"Not only can I make the magic crystal cannon move, I can also give it a defense comparable to that of an abyss beast, and... mobility that is not inferior to the former!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a commotion immediately spread throughout the hearing room.
Especially in the seats of the War Department, the eyes of those warlike demons instantly became fanatical, wishing that Mr. Demon King would cash in this cake immediately.
The goblin engineer looked at Luo Yan in surprise, dumbfounded, and lost his words for a moment.
How is this possible? !
Havik, the Undersecretary of the Logistics Department, shrank his pupils slightly and stared at Luo Yan, trying to see the flaws in his face.
“Is this true?”
Luo Yan said with a smile.
Harvick tapped his index finger on the table, with a surprised smile on his face, and glanced around the hearing venue.
Then he looked at Luo Yan again and said with a hint of teasing.
�
"Of course, this equipment will go through formal testing procedures, and then you will know that I am not bragging."
Havick stared at him intently.
“You only have three months to prove yourself, otherwise we will continue to initiate the impeachment process. If you do not solve this problem in these three months, we can only regretfully think that you do not have enough ability to operate Black Wind Castle and the war factory there. It would be more appropriate to change it to the direct jurisdiction of the Magic City... Of course, we will give you a compensation from the financial budget, and you can continue to retain the title of Baron of Black Wind Castle, but no longer serve as the lord there.”
"What if I prove it?" Luo Yan looked at him with a half-smile.
Havick narrowed his eyes and his Adam's apple moved slightly.
"That is your responsibility."
The two were tit for tat and refused to give in to each other.
This time everyone else kept their mouths shut and just watched them silently, waiting for the situation to become clear.
"Mr. Harvick, I have something to say."
Henma Councilor, who had been silent until now, suddenly interjected, breaking the heavy atmosphere.
Every sight in the venue was focused on him, waiting for his arbitration.
...Since it is a bet, we should follow the principle of fairness. If Mr. Luo Yan fulfills his promise, Hell should reward him instead of taking his dedication as a matter of course."
After saying that, the Flame Demon councilor looked at Luo Yan and continued in a gentle tone.
"So Demon King of Thunder County, what kind of demands do you want to make as a reward for fulfilling your promise? Please just say it, we can discuss it at the hearing. As for Mr. Harvick's impeachment, you don't have to worry, that is not an easy thing."
Luo Yan smiled slightly.
"Dear Mr. Congressman, I actually don't have any personal demands. After all, if I fulfill my promise, then I will naturally get an order from the Ministry of War, and this in itself is a generous reward."
Henma Councilor looked at him in surprise.
"Oh? You mean... you don't need anything?"
Luo Yan shook his head slightly.
"Although I don't have any personal appeals, the 80,000 Hell soldiers who died in the northern part of Port Saldo need justice. As a subject of the Demon God, I have to say a few words for these loyal young men."
There was a commotion at the hearing.
Including the Flame Demon Senator sitting on the main seat, the burning brows could not help but beat.
Luo Yan put his hands on the table and glanced meaningfully at Undersecretary Harvick, who was holding his breath, and then at other restless Logistics Department officials behind him, as well as some officials sitting in the seats of the War Department.
The Dragon family's hands must have extended beyond the Logistics Department. The intricate network of influence had already spread throughout the hearing site and even penetrated under every chair.
But fortunately, there are not only people from the Dragon family here, just like the human body cannot be infected with only one kind of bacteria, but a variety of bacteria and the immune system work together to achieve a dynamic balance.
His enemies are not the Ministry of Logistics or the Ministry of War, but those who have been bribed by the Dragon family.
Some of them have been branded as members of the Dragon family, but some of them are actually not deeply involved, and they are hesitant to follow up on the chips in their hands.
Those people will be the key to victory or defeat.
In order to undermine those people's will to resist and make them hesitate or even fearful, he must not only defend passively, but also take the initiative at the appropriate time.
Knocked the table with his knuckles gently, Luo Yan spoke word by word in a tone of declaration of war.
"Mr. Harvick has made serious accusations against me, deeming me unfit to serve as Lord of Blackwind Keep... As we all know, accusations involving titles and territories are the most serious accusations in hell."
"Then I will also raise them. In addition to my accusations, I believe that there is something fishy behind this failure. This is not a simple military advance, but a political adventure with ulterior motives."
"I am requesting the Ministry of Truth to conduct a thorough investigation into the reasons for the failure of this battle!"