"Sit down," Claude said as he gestured for the nikancha elder and chief to sit back down. He had already given the nikancha envoys a show of strength. None of the nikancha would be foolish enough to suggest giving up on the northern mountains for the Shiksans to invade.
"Perhaps you haven't realized it yet, but the Shiksans can't transport all ten of their standing corps to Cape Loducus in one go.
"Based on the size of their two naval fleets, they can only transport around a hundred thousand men from two corps at once.
"In other words, even if they travel back and forth between the two continents three times a year, they can only transport around three hundred thousand men from six corps.
"Of course, we can't rule out the possibility of them hiring other countries' naval fleets to help them transport their troops, such as the Fochian navy.
"No matter what, the first batch of Shiksans to arrive at Cape Loducus in April will be two to three corps.
The three Shiksan corps won't pose much of a threat to our theatre, but the same can't be said for you. "
Claude looked at the nikancha envoys and saw the unease and anxiety on the faces of the elders and leaders.
The three Shiksan corps definitely wouldn't attack the theatre recklessly, but they wouldn't have any qualms about attacking the nikancha nation.
"We can guarantee that a single corps of our theatre can match up to three Shiksan corps. That's already been proven by our victories in the previous three colonial wars.
That's why the first three Shiksan corps that arrive at Cape Loducus won't attack us, even if your nikancha nation gives up on the entire northern mountainous region.
"The Shiksans will only send small squads to scout carefully, fearing that it might be a trap set by our theatre."
Claude first boasted about the might of the two corps in the theatre before changing the topic. "As the Shiksans have been waging war against us for many years, we know our enemy very well. It's the king of Shiks, Majid III.
He's a crazy gambler who has invested huge sums of money in the colonial wars time and time again, completely ignoring the bitter defeats they suffered the previous three times.
"Clearly, the crazy king believes he will win in the end.
It's impossible for him to order the first batch of three standing corps to attack us, because he's afraid that the same mistake will happen again, and he'll lose a hundred thousand soldiers.
"He won't let the three corps stay in Cape Loducus and waste food. That's why we believe they will definitely attack your nation.
"To them, attacking you is only to quell the rebellion.
In the eyes of the Shiksans, you are the slaves of their rebellion.
Eliminating you is not only to quell the rebellion, but also to take back the inland colonies that you have conquered and reconnect them with the remaining inland colonies.
Once we recover all of their inland colonies, the following standing corps will arrive, and they will have more options to attack our war zone. They won't even have to fight us in the mountainous regions. "
Perhaps Claude's words hit the nail on the head of the nikancha envoys. The elders and chiefs didn't look too good, but none of them stood up to refute him.
After a moment of silence, just as Claude was about to continue, an elderly nikancha elder stood up.
He bowed humbly before straightening his back and said, "Esteemed General Claude, what you've just said is what our prophet predicted.
That's why we, the envoys, are here to ask for help from your theater of operations and ask for your help.
In this war, the Shiksans are our common enemy. It doesn't matter if they attack our nikancha nation first, their final target will still be your war zone.
In times of crisis, helping us nikancha is the same as helping yourselves. "
This old man really knows how to spout nonsense. He even brought up some prophet's prophecy.
If it was really as you said, you wouldn't have made so many unreasonable requests. Why are you only asking for help now? What were you doing earlier?
You even threatened us to give up the northern mountains. Did you really think we'd be scared and let you do as you please?
"No, no, no. Elder, please sit down," Claude said amiably.
"Actually, you're wrong about one thing. It's true that your nikancha nation needs our theatre's help in this war, but our theatre doesn't need your help at all.
We, on the other hand, don't need your nikancha's help. In fact, we're worried that you'll only make things worse for us and cause us more trouble.
There's a saying in the royal army that we'd rather have a god-like enemy than a pig-like ally.
A god-like enemy is just a little harder to deal with. We're confident we can take them out.
But having a pig-like ally would be the end of us. Not only will he drag us down, he'll only make things worse. He might even turn victory into defeat and die with regrets. "
"Ptooey!
We're not pig-like allies! "
The nikancha chiefs were infuriated by Claude's teasing and retorted loudly, "We nikancha will show you what bravery and courage looks like in this war!
We won't give up a single inch of our land! If the Shiksans want to enslave us, we'll fight them to the death! "
Eiblont, a few high-ranking officers and the scribes covered their mouths in amusement.
What a joke. Claude hadn't even said who was a pig-like teammate and the nikancha leaders had already jumped out to refute that they weren't. Little did they know that their actions only served to solidify their reputation as pig-like teammates.
Bolonik could only shake his head with a bitter smile.
"Very well. Your courage is commendable. You won't give up a single inch of your land and will fight to the death against the enemy. If you all die fighting the Shiksans at the border, who's going to protect your nikancha nation?
Are you going to let the Shiksans wipe out your nikancha forces and just waltz into your settlements to pillage and take captives?
To the Shiksans, your old and weak have no value and will only be a waste of food. It's better to just kill them all.
Even if they want to capture slaves, they only need young men and women who have the strength to work. "
Claude's reply was enough to make the nikancha leaders grimace. They knew that Claude was speaking the truth. It was hard to hear, but it was the truth.
One of the nikancha chiefs, on the other hand, was unconvinced. "What makes you think we'll be wiped out by the Shiksans? Can't we stop their attacks or even defeat them?"
"Ignorance is bliss at times!" Claude retorted, "What makes you think you can defeat the Shiksans with numbers?
No matter how many you have, it's only a matter of ammunition.
This is the age of firearms. No matter how strong a nikancha warrior is, he won't be able to withstand a single shot from a Shiksan's flintlock!
Yes, you have flintlocks too, and they're standard issue ones like the Shiksans.
But what's the point?
The Shiksan corps had undergone strict tactical training and had strict discipline.
Perhaps their soldiers aren't as brave as your nikancha youths, but they obey orders and commands. That's the most basic requirement for victory.
I have learned from the officers who have been to your settlement to help your armed forces with military training that you have no discipline at all. Even during the military training, it is you, the leaders, who are the first to violate military discipline, followed by your relatives and friends who are also undergoing training, and then the entire group of people who are undergoing training.
In the end, you only learned how to fire a flintlock and nothing else!
Discipline!
Discipline!
That's the only requirement for a cohesive unit to maintain its fighting strength. Yet, you've given up on it. Just like how our officers commented that your nikancha youths are experts in one-on-one combat, but they're nothing more than a motley crew.
Even if you have ten thousand men, we only need a thousand-strong unit to defeat you.
You want to defeat the Shiksans? Dream on!
With your motley crew?
Do you even know how to set up a defensive line or a command post?
You won't be the first to charge at the enemy with your flintlocks, will you?
That's suicide!
How many nikancha youths do you plan to use to defend against three Shiksan corps?
Five hundred thousand? A million?
How are you supposed to protect yourselves when the Shiksans bombard your defences with cannons?
Do you scatter?
When the Shiksans launch a night attack, how are you supposed to react and defend against the enemy's attack?
Don't tell me you only know how to sleep and become obedient slaves after waking up? If that's the case, I'll congratulate you. At least you'll still be alive.
You don't even know the most basic of tactics, even if you've learned how to fire a flintlock.
Even if you've learned how to fire a flintlock, you'll still have to pay a high price to achieve a victory that doesn't make up for the losses.
I really don't understand where you get the confidence to defeat the Shiksans. "
Claude's words made the nikancha leaders and elders feel ashamed. Even the few nikancha leaders who said they weren't idiots sat back down and lowered their heads.
Claude looked around the meeting room and was satisfied with the effect his words had on them. Under such circumstances, the nikancha would probably know better and wouldn't bring up any ridiculous conditions for cooperation.
"Let's get back to business. Let's talk about how to deal with the Shiksans," Claude said nonchalantly.
Claude said nonchalantly, "Actually, I don't think this is a negotiation. It's just an ultimatum. Yes, an ultimatum to the nikancha nation.
Of course, the theatre isn't interested in your nation, nor do we want to occupy your territory.
The eight colonies are already enough to give us a headache. We definitely don't want to look for more trouble and bear the burden of your nikancha nation's territory.
"The ultimatum is that if you don't follow the plan we came up with, the annihilation of your nikancha nation at the hands of the Shiksans will only be a matter of time.
Our direct territories have always viewed your country as our ally, and will grant all of your requests.
But this time is different from previous transactions. This concerns the survival of your nikancha independent country, so we have no choice but to treat it with caution. We gathered a large number of strategists, and after several rehearsals, we came up with this strategic plan.
I don't understand why you rejected it, but I can tell you with certainty that it's the only way to save your nation from being annihilated by the Shiksans.
"Only by following the plan to the letter and providing you with reinforcements from the theatre will you have any hope of defeating the Shiksans.
Only after this war is won will the independence of the nikancha nation be recognized and respected by the colonies on the west coast.
"Otherwise, in the eyes of the western colonies, you're nothing more than a rebellion of Shiksan slaves who overestimated themselves and formed a laughable nikancha nation. They won't recognize your nation's independence unless you can defeat the Shiksans and win the respect of others with your strength.
"For that, we, the theatre, are your friends and will provide you with great support.
Whether it's sending troops or selling you cannons and advanced muskets, you'll get them as long as you pay the bill. "
A nikancha elder stood up and asked, "What if … what if we can't meet the requirements of this strategic plan, or if we can't fulfill the mission's conditions?"
"It's simple.
"Since you can't carry out the plan, it means that you have no confidence in winning against the Shiksans.
That way, the theatre won't have to send reinforcements.
We'll watch as your nikancha nation perishes and take advantage of the Shiksans' triumphant victory to take over your nation.
Of course, you'll no longer have a nation by then.
We'll then fight the Shiksans in what used to be your nation's territory and defeat them in the end.
Hopefully, you'll still be alive in the Shiksans' slave camps and we'll rescue you and grant you freedom.
However, we won't allow you to establish an independent nikancha nation. Perhaps you can try your luck in the other western colonies. "
That was forcing the nikancha to make a choice. Just as Claude said, the nikancha needed the theatre's help, but the theatre didn't need the useless nikancha as allies.
If the nikancha wholeheartedly helped the theatre against the Shiksans, they would be more than welcome. But if they played tricks behind the scenes, they couldn't blame the theatre for being impolite.
The theatre could just ignore the nikancha nation and watch it fall before sending troops to fight the Shiksans.
By then, they could even occupy the nikancha nation's territory and establish three more colonies.
The only thing that could restrain the theatre of war was the eight colonies. They were vast and sparsely populated. Cromwell, Balingana and Anfiston, the eight colonies under the theatre of war had a population of more than a million immigrants. Each of them had developed a third of the colony's land.
The other five colonies had a population of 400,000 to 600,000. Their towns were surrounded by barren lands and forests.
Another nikancha elder stood up. "Respected General Claude, we've discussed this plan before. It'll indeed be of great help in defeating the Shiksans, but it'll be difficult for us to fulfill the demands of the higher-ups.
We'll have to clear out most of our territory, but that's where two to three million of our brethren live. The remaining territory isn't enough for all of us to live there. "
Claude shook his head helplessly and walked to the wall of the meeting room. He pointed at the remaining Shiksan territory on the map. "I don't understand why you nikancha people are so unambitious. The territory you have now is enough for you to live in, yet you don't want to attack the Shiksans' mines and manors.
Why don't you take over such a large territory and let your two to three million brethren live there?
If you don't have confidence in your forces, we can send some troops to help you attack the remaining Shiksan colony. We can hand over the territory to you, but we want 70% of the spoils and captives we get from the battle.
At the same time, we can teach your forces step by step and teach them how to attack. That can be written in the agreement.
Also, why are you still treating the gold and silver ingots like they're treasures and not spending them? Instead, you want to get credit from us?
Do you want to leave the gold and silver ingots to the Shiksans?
If you use them to buy our cannons and firearms, you'll be able to kill more enemies.
As long as the Shiksans' mines are yours, you'll have plenty of gold and silver ingots in the future. If you don't have the money, just send people to mine them. Can't you understand something as simple as that? "
.....
In the end, the nikancha envoys gave in and requested for a private meeting. Soon, the oldest elder walked out of the meeting room. "Respected General Claude, we agree to all your demands. We only hope that you can lead us to victory against the hateful Shiksans."