The small infirmary had now been transformed into an administrative office. Most of the time, I only listened in. It had been so many years since I left the Northlands, and I was still rather unfamiliar with the new Mist Alliance. It would obviously be foolish to casually give my opinion on something I wasn't sure about.
However, the more I listened, the more I frowned.
The problem of winter grain was not a big one, but it was not a small one either. Even if they made a mistake this time, they could make up for it when they realized that the situation was not right. Even if they had to work harder next year, and the treasury would be empty for a period of time, it would not create an impression that they could not make up for it.
But what made me feel like something was off was a certain concept that was gradually accepted by the Northlanders.
"There's nothing to be afraid of in the Holy War. We'll be victorious in a few years."
If a person's life was too smooth, they would naturally become filled with confidence. If a country's life was too smooth, its citizens would also become overly optimistic. For the past eight years, the Mist Alliance had indeed been having far too smooth of a time. It had gone from being a fringe faction to becoming the center of attention at an astonishing speed. It was understandable that it would be overly optimistic.
People always liked to compare the past in order to emphasize their current advantages. Some optimists believed that humans had been able to deal with the last Holy War with metal weapons. Holy Light, magic, and other supernatural powers were incredibly rare in human society. But now, not only did we surpass the elves in magic, we even had new technology and a tremendous population. This was basically using magical engineering technology to fight against primitive humans. How could we possibly lose?
No matter how much those "superiors" emphasized the cruelty of the Holy War, they would always slack off in their hearts. In fact, even those "superiors" who emphasized the cruelty of the Holy War weren't really vigilant.
As for me …
"… The Holy War is easy to deal with? Could it be done in a few years? This is the final Holy War, a final battle to the death without any rules. It's highly likely that it won't end even after several decades or centuries. Perhaps there won't even be a final victor. Perhaps every single resident of the mortal plane will be at war every single day after the demon wave begins. Perhaps the children of the future won't even know what peace is. "
This was no exaggeration. In the game's "history", before the Mana Tide broke out and the world was destroyed, countless planes and all of Aichy were burning in flames. It was an eternal war with no hope, an endless night without dawn.
Once the restrictions of the Abyss were lifted, no one could predict what the final eruption would be like.
Perhaps some people would say that the Chaos Abyss only had twelve Main God-level existences, and that the difference between them wasn't that obvious. However, the truth was that the Chaos Abyss was where the countless losers of the eternal Holy War ended up. Nobody knew what else was hidden there.
Not to mention others, even the original Main God level Sun God and the most ancient demon who invented death magic weren't on the list of the twelve Main Gods. However, I reckon that their actual power levels might even surpass several of the Main Gods.
The endless Chaos Abyss represented endless dimensions and countless losers. Once all restrictions were removed, all losers would have a chance to become victors. Just thinking about what would happen in the end was frightening.
Indeed, the mortal plane was one of the most fertile planes blessed by the Gods. But if the innumerable mortal planes started to invade the mortal plane at the same time, I had no confidence in how long the mortal plane would be able to last.
That was why my general strategy from the very start had been to defend my country and contact our allies. We would first survive for a period of time when the Chaos Abyss was strong, and then develop our technology and warriors during this difficult time. Only then would we plan a counterattack. But judging from the current situation, these youngsters probably wanted to fight a painful battle against the Chaos Abyss.
"The number of youngsters joining the army this year has already exceeded our expectations. The various countries' armies have decided to open up an additional twenty combat squads. That means that the number of people who volunteered to join the army has already exceeded our expectations by nearly a hundred thousand …"
Although the young government official before me seemed fatigued, his face was glowing red. He was also quite excited as he spoke, as if he was excited about the excellent situation in the country.
Indeed, when a country was about to face a war, the youngsters of the country would still enthusiastically join the army. Apart from proving the citizens' trust in the country, it also meant that the citizens believed that joining the army was a good path. The youngsters who desired to become warriors believed that they and their country would survive this crisis, and that they would obtain glory and benefits from the war.
At such a time, I wouldn't be so tactless as to say "Are these children so eager to die?" Since the cruel test was right in front of us, it was better to be a bit more confident … even if it was overconfidence, that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
As a veteran mastermind behind the scenes, rather than telling the citizens about the harsh reality and causing panic and distrust, it would be better to transform this blind confidence into something beneficial, and then think of a way to obtain victory. Even if they would still have to face the cruel reality in the end … At the very least, they would be able to "confidently" survive through this difficult period, which would already be worth it.
However, the citizens could be overly optimistic, and the young soldiers could be overly optimistic. However, the government leaders and military commanders definitely couldn't be overly optimistic.
The more important it was to remain clear-headed during critical periods. Overly optimistic attitudes could lead to overly optimistic assumptions about the situation, and a single wrong policy could lead to a series of problems.
"It seems that I need to gather all these people together and give them a scare."
Renée was all smiles when she heard that the situation in the country was excellent. She kept nodding and glancing at me proudly from time to time as if she was bragging about her achievements, saying, "I did quite well, didn't I?"
I also smiled and nodded as if I was praising her. However, I was actually rather displeased.
"Forget about everyone else, but you understand demons so well, yet you're still so 'optimistic' despite being a leader? It seems that you really need to be taught a lesson … Let's start with being a politician and ensure that you don't reveal your true emotions at all times. In that case, let's start with drinking 100% strong chili water and maintaining a smile."
My mind was filled with vicious schemes, yet the more I smiled, the happier I became. The atmosphere in the room was quite peaceful, as if I also felt that the situation was excellent.
"… You haven't told Renée about the future either, have you? In fact, you haven't even told me about it."
Harloys' words surprised me. In that case, I indeed hadn't shared any detailed information about the future with anyone else. In that case, I couldn't blame Renée for being overly optimistic.
"… I haven't told her about it, but I've always been doing it. If I'm truly outstanding, she should be able to see my expectations for the future from my actions."
"… Don't make things difficult for me. Who can possibly guess what an old fox like you is thinking? I'm only barely able to guess your plans because I know your predictions. Are you intending to give up on the continent and defend the Northlands? Being so pessimistic and passive isn't your style. "
Harloys' words echoed in my ears. I looked at Renée and smiled as she nodded. As expected, she giggled foolishly. Only then did I reply to Harloys through our soul connection.
"Yes. But how did you know?"
"The Undead Xiluo Empire is moving northwards. The Church of Law is moving northwards. The dark elves and Dragon City are also beginning to move northwards. The Goddess of Wealth and the other Hades are also beginning to move northwards. This should be your suggestion, right?"
I nodded again. Renée was giggling foolishly again, while Ivy was glaring at me. When had I ever offended her?
Since the demon wave had arrived, things would develop as I expected. Perhaps it was time for me to draw out my blueprint for the future.
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