Chapter 237 I have to speak for the 80,000 soldiers who died in battle

The smoke of gunpowder in the port of Saldo has not yet dissipated, and the bodies of the defeated soldiers of Hell are still warm.

Just as General Sebes, with a gloomy face, was leading his defeated troops to retreat to the underground world along the tunnel of the crater, the War Department and Logistics Department far away in the Magic City were dragged into the battlefield of verbal sparring because of a battle report.

An urgent war report was thrown in the middle of the long table, and the blood-red wax seal attached seemed to foreshadow the heavy casualties on the front line.

"In the Battle of Port Sardo, the Red Flame Legion was defeated and suffered heavy losses, with 80,000 casualties."

"General Sebes failed to capture the port of Sardo, and the Red Flame Army is in full retreat!"

When this battle report arrived in Magic City, the military circles in Magic City were in an uproar.

The total number of Hell soldiers killed, missing, and wounded reached 80,000!

To make matters worse, General Cebes's Red Flame Legion failed to hold the high ground north of Port Saldo and retreated after the magic crystal cannon positions were destroyed, allowing 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 the Magic City.

In the eerie and dark hall, the obsidian seats were filled with gloomy-looking demons.

Although the word "gloomy" was engraved on every brick here, the pent-up atmosphere in the hall was like a raging fire, and the sounds of quarrels reverberated between the walls, incessantly.

These high-level demons may not care about the death of 80,000 low-level demons, but they don't want this big pot to fall on their heads.

"Eighty thousand soldiers killed and wounded!" Salman, a senior war staff officer of the War Department, slammed the table and roared in anger, his fiery red eyes burning with flames of anger.

"How was this war fought? How did the Red Flame Army lose? General Saibes's tactics have always been sound, so why did he suddenly suffer a disastrous defeat?"

“Good question!”

The Deputy Minister of Logistics, Hakes, who was sitting opposite him, snorted coldly, tapped the table lightly with his slender fingers, and said in a leisurely tone: "Sebes's tactics are stable? Then I would like to ask, how did such a stable general let his army lose 80,000 people?"

The atmosphere in the conference room froze instantly. Sinister glances collided between the officials from the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Logistics, as if a new battle would 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."

The overwhelming pressure spread along the tabletop and soon spread to the entire noisy conference hall.

Some officers from the logistics department could not help but shudder, but some glared back in anger, unleashing their own mental pressure not to be outdone.

Looking at the meeting room that was about to turn into a duel, the congressman who was listening to the meeting coughed and spoke in a majestic voice.

"quiet."

The meeting place really fell silent.

In Hell, the Cabinet is the agent of the Demon's power, 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 responsible to the cabinet and is also supervised by the parliament.

On the surface, they were arguing for the soldiers on the front line, but in reality they were only responsible to the source of power.

"Eighty thousand troops were lost in vain. The War Department should give an explanation." Hawks said slowly.

"This should be explained by your logistics department, right? Our General Saibes is a master at using troops. The fact that he was able to gain an absolute advantage in the early stages of the war is the best proof!" Salman sneered, crossed his arms over his chest, and looked gloomily at the logistics officer opposite him: "On the contrary, it is you who always hold the guys on the front line back. This is not the first time or the second time. General Saibes has 20 magic crystal cannons and solid high ground. The Empire's army can only turn the tables because of one reason, and that is the problem with supply."

"Oh?" Hax raised his eyebrows and glanced at Salman with disdain. Then he smiled lightly, his face full of sarcasm: "You want to put the blame on our logistics department? Have you forgotten who recommended the magic crystal cannon?"

Salman's face darkened and his pupils shrank slightly: "What do you mean?"

"It's very simple." Hawks raised his lips, his eyes flashing with coldness. "Of course our Logistics Department admits that the problem lies in logistics, but this problem is not the fault of the Logistics Department, but the stupid decision of the War Department."

The meeting room fell silent instantly.

The congressman supervising the meeting had a gloomy face and tapped the table lightly with his slender index finger.

"How is this possible?" Salman sneered, "Although the Magic Crystal Cannon was recommended by the Ministry of War, your Logistics Department has also equipped it!"

"Indeed, we agreed to equip the magic crystal cannon." Hawks nodded slightly, his eyes as sharp as a venomous snake, "But your War Department told us solemnly at the time that the magic crystal cannon would change the war situation, but you didn't consider the most critical issue at all -"

He paused, the corners of his mouth slightly raised, revealing a sarcastic smile: "They have no mobility at all."

Salman was slightly stunned and was about to refute, but was beaten to it by Hax.

"The loss of 80,000 troops was not General Saibes's fault at all. It was a major problem with the magic crystal cannon."

Harkes continued in a slow, sharp, and aggressive tone.

"I have carefully read the detailed battle report sent from the front. The reason why the situation took a sharp turn for the worse when General Cebes had the upper hand was that the Imperial Army's Griffin Knights raided the magic crystal cannon position and destroyed all the artillery!"

"Your Ministry of War originally promised that the magic crystal cannon would be the most advanced siege and defense equipment, convincing all of us... but what was the result?"

Hax stared at Salman coldly and continued bluntly, "The result you have prepared and sent to the front line weighs more than ten tons and requires at least ten artillerymen to operate. It cannot be flexibly moved during the battle. Once it is put down, it will be like an iron coffin! Do you think this is a duel between nobles? Humans will not slowly deploy their troops and wait for us to make all preparations before taking action!"

The faces of the officials from the Ministry of War in the conference room turned pale and they couldn't help but look at each other.

And Hakes continued to lower his voice, leaned forward with a sense of oppression, and spoke while hammering the obsidian table with his fist.

"…If the magic crystal cannon can quickly adjust its firing angle, or even move briefly during the battle, General Saibes' position will not be easily attacked, and the defense system will not collapse."

Salman clenched his teeth, his fists clenched quietly under the table, his face so gloomy that it seemed as if blood was about to drip out.

The officials of the Logistics Department looked at each other with a smile on their faces. It was obvious that they had grasped the fatal weakness of the War Department.

"The Magic Crystal Cannon project was promoted by Prince Colin. Are you questioning the cabinet?"

"How could that be? We believe in Prince Colin's decision, but that doesn't mean you are completely irresponsible. You don't have to use the cabinet to pressure me. I will naturally hand over the report to the ministers and explain the reasoning clearly."

Harkes leaned back in his chair leisurely, interlaced his fingers, and retreated to advance.

"Of course, rather than investigating who is responsible, we would rather solve the problem. I believe Mr. Colin will not object to this... What is your opinion, Mr. Salman?"

The air was silent for a moment, and several senior officials of the War Department exchanged glances.

Finally, Salman took a deep breath and said in a low voice:

"I agree with some of your points...we really should address this."

A smile appeared on Hux's lips.

The dispute between the Ministry of Logistics and the Ministry of War over armaments has a long history, but this does not mean that there is an irreconcilable personal grudge between him and Salman.

He had no intention of using this issue to overthrow a high-ranking war adviser who had no conflict of interest with him, nor did he intend to ban an epoch-making piece of equipment. What he really wanted to do was to participate in the division of this increasingly large pie.

The Dragun family promised him that as long as he could cooperate with the Dragun family to challenge the lord of Black Wind Castle at the upcoming hearing, they would force the lord of Black Wind Castle to sell his territory to the Magic City and have it directly governed by the latter.

The Chamber of Commerce controlled by him will be able to participate in the orders for magic crystal cannons and gain more benefits through his connections in the military.

He had no grudge against Luo Yan.

If there was anything to blame, it was because the cake was too big to be eaten by a human being, and the Dragun family gave too much, so he had no reason to refuse...

The news of the confrontation between the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Logistics quickly spread out of the conference hall and spread throughout the Magic City.

At this moment, in a manor far away in the suburbs of the Magic City, Elder Zakro was watching the contents of the letter with a cold eye, a playful smile appeared on the corner of his mouth...

The war in Porto Saldo is over.

But the war between the Dragun family and Luo Yan has just begun...

"Let me see what you are capable of."

…

Just as the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Logistics were passing the buck to each other, a hearing on the improvement plan of the magic crystal cannon was officially held in the Capitol Building in Magic City.

Speaking of which, this is Luo Yan’s first time stepping into here.

I heard that not only him, but also the director of the Black Wind Castle Magic Crystal Cannon Factory was summoned.

However, the goblin engineer who lived in the suburbs did not come with him.

Instead, he was accompanied by Mr. Festing of the Padrich family.

This gentleman is a member of the Hell Council and has his own office in the Parliament Building.

Due to conflicts of interest, he was asked to recuse himself from the hearing and therefore did not attend the hearing.

However, as Luo Yan's friendly partner, 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 bureaucrats.

Stopping downstairs of the Capitol, Festing glanced at the badge hanging on the gate, narrowed his eyes slightly, and spoke in a chatty tone.

"This is the core of power in the Demon City."

Luo Yan looked at him with interest.

"I always thought it was the Cabinet."

Festing smiled faintly.

"Of course the cabinet is also open to the public, but it is generally not open to the public. You have great ambitions, but it would be better for you to be down-to-earth."

Luo Yan nodded slightly.

"Been taught a lesson."

Of course he knew these things, but he also knew that Mr. Festing needed to prepare an opening statement for what was to come.

Just as he expected, the Grandmaster Shadow Demon paused for a moment before continuing.

"There are 28 chairs in the largest conference room. The most is 42, and the least is only 20... Those who can sit there are all powerful people in hell. Their titles are at least barons, but of course, titles are not everything."

Luo Yan: "It sounds a little less."

"I also think that the Magic City's parliament should be replenished with fresh blood," Festing looked at Luo Yan and said with a smile, "For example, a talented young man like 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 difficult time. If I'm not mistaken, the Dragun family should be behind this hearing."

“Do I need to talk about this?” Mr. Festing continued in a joking tone, “You taught them a lesson in the duel last year. Shino Dragon almost brought shame to his family.”

Luo Yan nodded, and then said with emotion.

"Eighty thousand lives, that's a lot of money."

No wonder the high-level demons in the Magic City don’t want their children to go to the front line. It is not only a meat grinder for humans, but also for the Magic City.

By the way, there has been no news about where Iger went after graduation, and no one knows how he is doing, or whether he has become the "manly" devil he imagined.

Mr. Festing was silent for a while and then spoke lightly.

"Their methods are indeed not very elegant, so you have to be prepared for bigger surprises later."

Luo Yan said casually.

"I know, and... this is also an opportunity for me, isn't it?"

Festing looked at Luo Yan with appreciation.

"clever."

While the two were chatting, a nightmare in formal attire walked through the lobby of the Parliament Building.

The nightmare demon looked at Mr. Festing with fear, nodded slightly, and then looked at Luo Yan beside the latter.

"Please follow me, Mr. Luo Yan, your hearing is about to begin."

Luo Yan didn't look at him, but looked at Mr. Festing beside him and nodded slightly.

"Then I'll take my leave."

Mr. Festing nodded and smiled.

"I am waiting for your good news."

After that, the two parted ways at the door.

Festing watched Luo Yan follow the official away until he disappeared around the corner of the lobby, and then he went to the office upstairs.

Following behind the nightmare demon, Luo Yan's steps were very relaxed, as if the mountain-like pressure did not exist at all.

On the contrary, the nightmare leading in front was so nervous that he almost stepped on the heel of his front foot with his back foot.

"Relax a little and don't be so nervous." Looking at his clumsy appearance, Luo Yan smiled and comforted him.

"Thank you, thank you..."

"May I have your name?"

"Karisman..." The Nightmare whispered nervously, glancing at him secretly with a hint of respect in his eyes, "Sir... To be honest, I admire you very much. That day in the arena, my partner and I bet on you to lose, but the result was beyond our expectations. We were all slapped in the face."

I didn't expect that there would be "fans" of mine in this parliament building, Luo Yan joked with a smile.

"Oh? Looks like I made you lose money then."

"A few thousand Keira are nothing... We are witnessing 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.

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"I'm glad to hear you say that. Remember to bet on me next time. I can assure you that you can earn double your money back."

"I will!"

Karisman nodded excitedly, put his hand on the door of the conference room, looked around and said hurriedly, "You have to pay attention to Deputy Minister Harks of the Logistics Department. He may have some prejudice against you. The director of the Magic Crystal Cannon Factory was even crying because of his troubles. On the contrary, the War Department has a good opinion of you... In fact, I also think that this matter has nothing to do with you. It is entirely due to the improper operation of the frontline soldiers."

"Thanks."

Luo Yan nodded, taking note of the little man's kindness, then straightened his collar and walked into the hearing room with a calm expression, as if he was stepping into his own audience hall.

Many eyes were focused on him, watching him walk to his seat.

Including officials from the Logistics Department, officials from the War Department, and congressmen responsible for monitoring the meeting.

Looking at Luo Yan who was not at all overwhelmed by the momentum at the scene, Hawks, the deputy minister of the logistics department, narrowed his eyes slightly and decided to give this country devil a little warning first to let him know that this was not the remote and poor place of Leiming County, where he could not do whatever he wanted.

"Mr. Luo Yan, I'm sure you've seen 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 a judgement table.

Meeting those sharp gazes, Luo Yan raised his chin slightly, and a sneer suddenly appeared at the corners of his tense mouth.

"My opinion? I have never fought such a stupid battle. My opinion is that if there is a chance, I would like to have a face-to-face chat with General Cebes. How did he let a group of two or three-meter-tall griffins get under his nose... Did he fall asleep on the battlefield?"

As soon as he finished speaking, there was an uproar at the scene.

Not only did the officials from the Logistics Department widen their eyes, but now even the officials from the War Department were glaring at him.

Standing at the door of the conference hall, Karisman, who was closing the door, had sweat on his forehead.

He didn't know what Luo Yan was thinking.

I had clearly reminded him that the War Department could be won over, but he ended up pushing the latter to the forefront right from the start.

Now, the young devil will face pressure from both 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 manager, whose figure was shrinking smaller and smaller, had finally stopped sobbing and now began to tremble again.

Previously, the big shots in the Magic City had "picked him up and tortured" him, and had just let him go, but now the magic crystal cannon factory in Black Wind Castle has been pushed to the forefront again.

The goblin engineer looked at Luo Yan pleadingly, trying to get him to stop talking.

However, Luo Yan didn't even look at him and still looked calm and composed.

The goblins are still too timid, almost no different from goblins.

If you give in, you won't be messed with? That's too naive.

You can still fight if you're standing, but if you lie down you can only be raped.

Besides, he was not being arrogant without any reason, but doing it on purpose in order to turn the tables.

Anyway, General Sebes is on the front line. Even if I kick him in the ass, he won't come to the hearing to confront me.

I didn't expect Luo Yan to be so tough, and even Hux from the logistics department couldn't do anything about it.

He glanced around and saw that Salman from the War Department had something to say, so he simply gave the opportunity to confront him and retreated behind the scenes.

"I don't allow you to slander the generals of Hell like this." Salman stared at Luo Yan and said in a low voice.

"Is this slander?" Luo Yan chuckled. "Mr. Salman, don't forget where I came from. I came back from the battlefield of Thunder County. The human army and the Chosen Ones are right above me, and there are still a bunch of disobedient scum in my maze... No one is closer to the front than me, but why didn't I let Hell bury 80,000 young men with great prospects? Please answer this question for me."

Salman's eyes widened and his fists clenched tightly, but he couldn't utter a word.

The officials from the War Department were whispering to each other, and the officials from the Logistics Department looked even more gloomy.

Instead, the Flame Demon councillor who was sitting in the main seat and supervising the hearing looked at Luo Yan with interest.

He guessed what Luo Yan was going to do, but he didn't expect that he would use such a radical method to seize the initiative in the hearing.

This is actually a very risky behavior.

but--

There doesn't seem to be a better choice than this.

Facing pairs of eyes that were either questioning or shrinking, Luo Yan stood still and continued speaking in a resounding voice.

"I repeat, there is nothing wrong with my magic crystal cannon! The loss of a battle does not prove anything. You blame the problem of the magic crystal cannon, why don't you blame the swords in the hands of the soldiers and the armor on their bodies? A loser has ten thousand reasons to excuse his stupidity, and the most despicable way is to blame the problem on the equipment."

Seeing Salman sitting back, Harvik, who had originally planned to retreat behind the scenes to watch the show, had to stand up again and took over the passive conversation.

"But the problems mentioned in the battle report are true. The mobility of the magic crystal cannon has indeed been criticized by the soldiers on the front line. The problem now is that we have already equipped this new weapon. If we rashly replace it, the entire logistics system will have to be adjusted accordingly--"

I have been waiting for this sentence for a long time. Luo Yan spread out his hands and said with a smile.

"That's easy. We just need to solve this problem."

Harvick was stunned.

The War Ministry official sitting next to Salman leaned forward and spoke eagerly.

"Can you fix this?"

"sure."

Faced with all those frenetic events, Luo Yan calmly painted a big picture.

"Not only can I make the magic crystal cannon move, I can also give it defense comparable to that of the Abyss War Beast, and... mobility that is not inferior to the former!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a commotion spread throughout the hearing room.

Especially in the seats of the Ministry of War, the eyes of those warmongering demons suddenly became fanatical, wishing that Mr. Demon King would immediately fulfill his promise.

The goblin engineer looked at Luo Yan in surprise, stunned and speechless for a moment.

How could this be possible?! The pupils of Hawick, the deputy director of the logistics department, shrank slightly, and he stared at Luo Yan intently, trying to find flaws in his face.

"Are you serious?"

Luo Yan said with a smile.

"There is no joking in the army."

"Everyone! You all heard it. The Demon King of Thunder County said that he has a way to make a cannon weighing more than ten tons move on its own, and it can also give it a defensive power comparable to that of an abyss beast..."

Harvick tapped the table with his index finger, a surprised smile on his face, and looked around the hearing room.

Then he looked at Luo Yan again and spoke with a hint of teasing in his voice.

"I hope he won't say something like equipping each cannon with a silver-level terror."

Luo Yan watched his performance quietly with a smile on his lips.

"Of course, this equipment will be formally tested, and then you will know that I am not bragging."

Harvick stared at him intently.

"You only have three months to prove yourself, otherwise we will continue to initiate impeachment procedures. If you fail to solve this problem within these three months, we can only regretfully believe that you do not have enough ability to operate Black Wind Castle and the war factory there. It would be more appropriate for the Magic City to directly govern it... Of course, we will give you a compensation from the fiscal budget, and you can continue to retain the title of Baron of Black Wind Castle, but you will no longer be the lord there."

"What if I prove it?" Luo Yan looked at him with a smile.

Harvick narrowed his eyes and his Adam's apple moved slightly.

"That's your job."

The two of them were at loggerheads, neither giving in.

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."

Councillor Yan Mo, who had been silent all this time, suddenly interrupted and broke the heavy atmosphere.

All eyes in the conference hall were focused on him, waiting for his arbitration.

"…Since this 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 for granted."

After saying that, the Flame Demon Councillor 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 tell us, and we can discuss it at the hearing. As for Mr. Harwick's impeachment, you don't have to worry about it. That is not an easy matter."

Luo Yan smiled slightly.

"Dear Congressman, I don't have any personal demands. After all, if I fulfill my promise, I will naturally get an order from the Ministry of War, which in itself is a generous reward."

Councillor Fire Demon stared 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 demands, the 80,000 Hell soldiers who died in the northern part of Saldo Port need justice. As a subject of the Demon God, I have to say a few words for these loyal guys."

There was a commotion at the hearing.

Even Senator Yan Mo, who was sitting in the main seat, couldn't help but twitch his burning eyebrows.

Luo Yan placed his hands on the table and gave a meaningful look at Deputy Minister Harvick who was holding his breath, then looked at the other restless Logistics Department officials behind him, as well as some officials sitting at the seats of the War Department.

The Dragun family's reach is definitely not limited to the logistics department. The intricate network of power has already spread throughout the hearing site and even penetrated under every chair.

But fortunately, there are not only people from the Dragun family here, just as it is impossible for the human body to be infected with only one type of bacteria, but rather multiple bacteria and the immune system together have reached a dynamic balance.

His enemy was not the Ministry of Logistics or the Ministry of War, but those who were bribed by the Dragun family.

Some of them have been branded as members of the Dragun family, but some are not actually deeply involved, and they are also hesitating whether to follow up with the chips in their hands.

Those people will be the difference between victory and defeat.

In order to undermine those people's will to resist, make them hesitate, or even be afraid, he had to do more than just passively defend, he also had to take the initiative to attack at the appropriate time.

Luo Yan tapped the table with his knuckles neither lightly nor heavily and spoke word by word in a tone of declaring war.

"Mr. Harwick has made serious accusations against me, believing that I am unfit to be the Lord of Black Wind Castle... As we all know, accusations involving titles and territories are the most serious accusations in Hell."

"Then I will also make my accusation. I think there is something fishy behind this failure. This is not a simple military adventure, but a political adventure with ulterior motives."

"I am sending a request to the Ministry of Truth. Please ask the Ministry of Truth to conduct a thorough investigation into the reasons for the failure of this battle!"

(End of this chapter)