What Claude didn't expect was that after spending five days on a boat from Port Vebator to Fishport Town in Anfiston to reach the war zone HQ in Lanu, he found that the war zone and the nikancha envoys still hadn't come to an agreement. Both sides were in a state of endless haggling and haggling.
"What's going on?
Didn't we tell the white war zone what they wanted? What do the nikancha want? "
Claude found it odd. According to the plan they had discussed beforehand, the war theatre had already come up with a general strategy and tactics. All they had to do was wait for the nikancha to call for reinforcements before they were ordered to carry out the plan and prepare for war.
Bolonik replied with a bitter smile, "The nikancha are asking us to provide more advanced firearms. They want us to equip them with the Aubass Mark III instead of the inferior Shiksan muskets that they seized from us.
They also want us to sell them ammunition and send someone to teach them how to use cannons and form a proper artillery unit.
"Actually, that's all within our expectations. As long as they're willing to pay, we can agree to their demands. We can even help them form a proper army and give them some fighting power.
"However, the nikancha are using the excuse that they're short on funds and can't pay in full. Instead, they're asking if they can pay in installments or on credit.
"Also, the nikancha are rejecting our strategy. They believe that our one-sided war isn't realistic and doesn't care about their country's independence and dignity.
If a war were to happen on their territory, it would negatively affect the lives of the Nikancha people. That's why they insist on keeping the enemy out of their borders. "
"Keep the enemy at their borders?"
Claude was taken aback. He didn't understand. "Are the nikancha stupid? How could they make such a request?
Don't tell me they want us to go to Gulf Loducus and fight the ten standing corps of Shiks? "
Bolonik shook his head with a grin. He was clearly amused by Claude's words. "That's unlikely. The nikancha envoys aren't that feverish.
If they really said that, it would mean that they were hopeless.
Our theater of operations will not hesitate to give up any cooperation or agreement with them and watch them destroy their country.
Just take a look at the map. The nikancha envoys said they're willing to give up the northern and eastern mountainous regions of Cape Loducus for our troops to set up a defensive line. Our troops will be in charge of defending against the Shiksans while the nikancha envoys provide us with logistical support. "
"They have a good idea. Let our theater of operations take the bullet for them?"
Claude laughed in exasperation. "What gives the nikancha the right to propose such a plan?
Do they think that our war zone is a clay puppet that they can manipulate?
They want our troops to fight the Shiksans within a 15-kilometer radius of the mountainous region so that they can watch the show from the back and enjoy the fruits of our labor without paying any price? "
"Sigh …" Bolonik sighed. "You don't know this, but the nikancha received news from the western colonies that Shiks are using Cape Loducus to gather ten standing corps of six hundred thousand soldiers to continue the colonial war with us to avenge their three defeats.
"So, the nikancha believe that they were dragged down by our theater of operations. If their northern mountainous region wasn't between Cape Loducus and our theater of operations, they wouldn't have to worry about Shiksans attacking them.
"They're just unlucky to be stuck between our theater of operations and the Shiksans.
"The nikancha envoys said that due to their good relationship with our theater of operations and close cooperation, they're willing to help us deal with the Shiksans.
"Otherwise, all they have to do is give up on the northern mountainous region and open up a path between Cape Loducus and the theater of operations. That way, the Shiksans would be able to invade Port Vebator."
"Did the nikancha envoys really say that?
Can I view them as a threat to our theater of operations? "
Claude asked Bolonik with a sneer, "Where did they get the courage to say something like that to our theater of operations?
I've always heard that the nikancha are cunning, but I've never seen it for myself. This is an eye-opener. Do they really think that our theater of operations can't do without their support?
They're the ones facing the threat of annihilation, yet they want to push the crisis onto our theater of operations.
They want our theater of operations to fight the Shiksans to the death while they reap the benefits.
I'm sure that if we agree to their request, we'll have to pay them exorbitant tolls and labor fees in order to ensure the frontline's logistical supplies. Otherwise, these logistical supplies will disappear for no reason. "
"Actually, Piccolo and Skri believe that time is tight and that we can discuss with the nikancha envoys how much support they can provide.
As long as the two sides could come to an agreement, the nikancha nation would have to send troops to defend the frontlines against the Shiksans. The nikancha would definitely put their lives on the line at this critical juncture.
After all, the first few standing corps of Shiks would be arriving at Cape Loducus in April.
"Our theater of operations needs to quickly survey the terrain and set up a defensive line at the eastern and northern mountainous regions of the nikancha nation.
It'll take at least twenty days to travel from our theater of operations to the eastern and northern borders of the nikancha nation. Time is really tight, "Bolonik said hesitantly.
General Bolonik said hesitantly. As the best general in the war zone in terms of defense, he knew how important a well-equipped defense line was to resist the enemy's attack.
Reaching the destination and setting up the defensive line would require sufficient time.
"Stop the negotiations with the nikancha envoys and leave them hanging for three days," Claude said coldly, "We can't let them do whatever they want and listen to their orders.
The only thing they have to do is to follow the strategic plan that we have formulated in advance and carry out all the requirements that we have for them!
Otherwise, we'll just watch as their country is annihilated. They'll regret it when the Shiksans slaughter their way through their nation and turn their men and women into slaves.
"Tell the nikancha that I'll be taking over the negotiations from now on. I won't acknowledge any other agreements they reach with them.
If they want our cannons and advanced muskets as well as help them build a proper army, they'll have to pay for it with real money.
We're not rich people. We're already selling everything we have for the sake of this colonial war. We don't have the ability to help them for free.
These three days were to give them time to calm down so that they wouldn't raise those unreasonable demands during the negotiation.
Only by following our plans can we guarantee victory against the Shiksans and prevent their country from being annihilated.
At the same time, we can guarantee the integrity of their country's territory and sovereignty in the agreement.
Once we're victorious, we'll withdraw our troops from their nation and not stay there any longer. "
"Bick and Skri won't be happy if you do that," Bolonik said helplessly, but he still agreed to Claude's request. "I'll send my adjutant to tell them to stop the negotiations with the nikancha and reject all their demands. Tell them that the negotiations will resume in three days and you'll have the final say."
That was the most Bolonik could do for Claude. Claude knew that very well.
He had also held the position of the highest commanding officer in the theatre before and understood the difficulties Bolonik faced in taking over the position.
Most of the time, Bolonik didn't have to deal with problems, but rather with balancing the various conflicts in the theatre.
Claude was thankful that he wasn't in that position. Looking at Bolonik's bald head and the white hair on his temples, he could tell how tough it had been for him to be the acting commander-in-chief for the past few years.
The resettlement of the military families, the rejection of Prince Hansbach's request, the disbandment, the military expenditure, the revolt of the viceroy and admiral, the severing of contact with the mainland, the relocation of the nikancha, and when the dust settled, the Shiksans returned.
"It's fine. It's better for them to be unhappy now than to regret it in the future.
General Birkin is even more affected by the idea of setting up a defensive line along the northern coast. Now that the nikancha are willing to hand over the eastern border to us, he's very happy about it.
It's much more reliable to hand them over to us than to have the nikancha armed garrison. We won't have to worry about the Shiksans taking over the defensive line.
As the majordomo of the theatre's logistics department, Skri has to be responsible for the theatre's military budget and the rising deficit.
The main purpose of his negotiations with the nikancha was to obtain the gold and silver ingot reserves of the nikancha's country. He hoped that the nikancha would use these ingots to pay for the arms trade and reduce our military expenses.
"Yet, the nikancha want to use credit and payment in installments to keep us on their side. That's something he didn't consider.
Obviously, if we agree to the nikancha's demand for credit or ten-year payment, we'll have to help them fight the Shiksans.
"If the nikancha nation is destroyed, who are we going to pay for it?
It's a few million crowns at stake, and it's no small sum. I'm sure the nikancha envoys will agree to the high price we offer without bargaining. "
Bolonik's expression darkened as he came to a realization.
The reason why the nikancha emissary readily agreed to the high price of the cannons and the aubass mark 3 matchlock muskets was because he clearly hoped that the final price would be as high as possible.
All they had to do was pay a down payment and the theatre would fight the Shiksans to the death for the millions of crowns in exchange for the safety of the nikancha nation.
Otherwise, if the nikancha nation was destroyed by the Shiksans, who would the theatre be able to claim the debt from?
"We don't need to set up any defensive lines along the northern and eastern border. What we need is for the nikancha to completely fortify their defenses and clear out the wilderness.
"Our defensive line can be set up in the middle of the mountains. That will shorten the distance for our reinforcements and reinforcements.
"At the same time, it will also cause more trouble for the Shiksans. The enemy will need to pass through the mountains in front to reach our defensive line. It'll be hard for them to provide reinforcements and reinforcements.
"On the other hand, we can send out a small unit to ambush the enemy's retreat. If the Shiksans want to ensure the safety of their supply lines, they'll have to set up a complete defensive line like we did to seal off the entire mountain area in front of them. They'll also have to split up their forces to guard the area.
That will only drag the war into a stalemate, which will be a terrible situation for the Shiksans who are strapped for supplies. I believe not a single Shiksan commander would be happy to see that happen. "
Claude picked up his cap and prepared to head home. "Tell Beechlin what I said. He'll understand my intentions soon enough.
I'll be resting at home for the next three days and won't see anyone.
Tell the nikancha that negotiations will resume three days from now at nine in the morning.
I'll only give them one day. If they don't accept our plan, we'll send them back. Our theatre will stop all cooperation with them and watch as they get wiped out by the Shiksans. "
Three days later, Claude, who was in seclusion, stepped into the conference room at the very last minute of nine. The moment the sand in the hourglass fell, he stepped into the conference room.
The conference room was already filled with people from both sides who had come to participate in this negotiation.
Compared to the forty to fifty elders and leaders sent by the Nikancha countries as envoys, only General Bolonik and General Eiblont, as well as a few high-ranking officers and scribes, came from the war zone command.
It was unknown whether General Birkin and General Skri wanted to avoid arousing suspicion, or were worried that their presence would cause the Nikancha envoy to misunderstand and use the several terms they had reached as an excuse to dispute with the two of them some time ago, so they deliberately declined to participate in this negotiation.
Claude went to the conference table and was about to say that he would be in charge of the negotiations when he was interrupted.
A burly nikancha chief stood up angrily and shouted, "General, aren't you afraid that we'll give up on the northern mountainous region and let the Shiksans invade Port Vebator?"
Claude laughed. "No, I'm not worried at all. In fact, I'd rather you do that.
It's simple. We'll send the Shiksans back the way they came. Our two corps have long been prepared for battle and can't wait for the Shiksans to come.
To our soldiers, the Shiksans are just rewards and achievements that come knocking on our door.
As for the northern mountainous region, it's something your nikancha nation gave up willingly. Once we chase the Shiksans away, we'll be able to occupy it.
Perhaps we can add another coastal and mountainous colony to our warzone.
We'll even be able to connect to Cape Loducus. That's great news for our theatre. "
"B-But the Shiksans have ten standing corps and six hundred thousand soldiers. H-how many soldiers does your theatre have? H-how can you chase the Shiksans away so easily?!
Y-you're just bragging … "The nikancha chief never imagined that Claude would respond in such a manner. Not only did his threat fail, he even ended up giving up the northern mountainous region to the theatre. In a moment of exasperation, he used the example of a huge disparity in military strength.
"Not bad. Looks like you finally know that the Shiksans have ten standing corps and six hundred thousand soldiers …" Claude didn't seem to care about the Shiksans' numbers at all. "But can you guarantee that the Shiksans will attack our theatre first?
They're only attacking our theater of operations and aren't interested in your country at all? "
The nikancha chief immediately stuttered and couldn't say a word.
Instead, an older elder stood up. "General Claude, I'd like to remind you that all the newspapers on the west coast are saying that the Shiksans are renting Cape Loducus to continue the war with your theatre. So, your theatre will be their first target."
Claude shook his head with a smile. "Looks like you still don't understand. We're the Shiksans' enemies, so it's perfectly reasonable for them to fight us.
However, you nikancha are nothing but slaves in the eyes of the Shiksans. Slaves who rebelled and even occupied their colony to establish their own nation.
That's a huge humiliation for the Shiksans.
They won't treat you as enemies because that would be an insult to them. That's why they won't go to war with you. In their eyes, wiping you out is only quelling the slave rebellion. "
The nikancha elder was speechless. It seemed that he knew very well what kind of people the Shiksans viewed the nikancha as.