Chapter 204: War Begins, Hanseatic Chamber of
Commerce Attacks (2)
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Ji Chen sat steadily at the head of the table, tapping his fingers on the long table. “Now, can we talk about the issue of surrender?”
Ignoring the responses and expressions of the lizardmen elders, he continued, “Firstly, the Dork Kingdom needs to submit to me. All the lizardmen within the country must obey my commands.”
“Secondly, as long as it doesn’t affect your survival, you should collect as many fluorescent mushrooms as possible.”
“Lastly, I command you to immediately start a war against the other three lizardmen kingdoms. I mean right now, immediately.”
After these three statements, the faces of the lizardmen elders all changed simultaneously.
They couldn’t help but speak up, “Why should we start a war with the other three kingdoms? Besides, it’s impossible for us to fight all three kingdoms at the same time!”
Ji Chen glanced at the elder, and then with a hint of a smile, asked, “What if you include my army?”
The lizardman elder fell silent.
At that moment, another cautious lizardman elder spoke up, “You, um, why do you want us to start a war with the other three kingdoms?”
“Obviously, I want to rule all the lizardmen in this underground s.p.a.ce,” Ji Chen said matter-of-factly, “Why else would 1 come here? Do you think 1 came to make friends with you?”
The lizardmen exchanged glances.
Ji Chen’s army had taken over the entire Dork City. Although their numbers were only a few thousand, through merciless suppression, slaughter, and with the lives of the lizardmen elders as leverage, all the lizardmen willingly laid down their weapons.
The entire Dork Kingdom began mobilizing, arming its reserve lizardmen, and a.s.sembling their forces on the border.
The other three lizardmen kingdoms soon received the news, and each of them was dumbfounded.
Although occasional skirmishes over territorial disputes between the four kingdoms were not uncommon, there had never been any sign of an all-out war, let alone one where one kingdom fought against three.
Amid their astonishment, the other three kingdoms wasted no time and began mobilizing their forces. Armies marched from all corners of their territories, a.s.sembling on the border to confront the forces of the Dork Kingdom.
After conducting thorough inquiries, it was discovered that the Dork Kingdom boasted a population of around thirty thousand lizardmen, but only about three thousand of them possessed combat capabilities. Although their military strength was not the weakest among the four kingdoms, it still ranked second to last.
Among the four kingdoms, the strongest one had a population of around fifty thousand and about five thousand lizardmen soldiers, nearly twice that of the Dork Kingdom.
Each kingdom had adjacent territories and specialized skills of its own.
For example, the Dork Kingdom excelled in armor crafting, and their armor craftsmanship was the strongest among the four kingdoms.
Upon close observation, Ji Chen noticed that the iron armor produced by the Dork Kingdom, while not matching the craftsmanship of dwarves, still surpa.s.sed ordinary armor by a significant margin. T
his advantage enabled them to engage in trade and acc.u.mulate a substantial amount of gold coins.
As for the strongest lizardmen kingdom, the Bano Kingdom, they excelled in manufacturing bows and crossbows. Because of this, the Bano Kingdom possessed an army capable of raining arrows on their enemies, making them the most powerful military force.
It was also the kingdom that Ji Chen was most wary and apprehensive of.
In close combat, he wasn’t afraid at all, as Naga warriors and others could teach the lizardmen a lesson. However, he feared that the enemy would use powerful bows and crossbows from a distance to inflict long-range damage.
Nevertheless, he quickly found a solution to this problem.
“You’re good with bows and crossbows? Then I’ll stack heavy armor like crazy.”
This time, Ji Chen planned to involve the Half-Orcs, who had recently joined his territory, in the war.
These Half-Orcs, with an average height of over two meters, possessed strong physiques and strength, capable of wearing heavy armor that humans and lizardmen couldn’t bear. Coupled with the Dork Kingdom’s expertise in armor crafting, they could form a formidable heavy armor soldier legion that could sweep the battlefield.
On this day, the Half-Orcs, who had lived on the surface for a long time, followed the pa.s.sage to the underground lizardmen kingdom. Leading them was the silly-looking Daro.
As Daro looked at the vast underground s.p.a.ce, he was amazed. He hadn’t expected such a large underground territory, inhabited by so many lizardmen.
However, his excitement and fighting spirit quickly replaced his astonishment.
For Half-Orcs, and for Daro’s tribe, battle was their forte and the only thing they knew how to do. This time was the first task given to them by the Lord, and they were determined to complete it impressively.
Just as Ji Chen was about to commit all his forces to the war, he received some unfavorable news from above the ground. The Hanseatic Chamber of Commerce’s fleet was approaching the Stormy Sea.
Upon receiving this information, Ji Chen made a decisive decision. He ordered Daro and the Half-Orcs to temporarily halt their advance and station themselves on the border of the Dork Kingdom.
He also had Anina lead a portion of the army to stay in Dork City and guard the lizardmen elders, to prevent any accidents.
After making these arrangements, he hurriedly returned to the surface with the remaining troops.
Back at the Crown of the Ocean, Wilus and others were already waiting. As soon as they saw him, they hurriedly approached.
“Where is the Hanseatic Chamber of Commerce’s fleet now?”
Wilus replied promptly, “Report, my lord. The Hanseatic Chamber of Commerce’s fleet is currently hovering outside the Stormy Sea, seemingly worried about the storms on the outskirts of the sea.”
“How many warships are in their fleet?”
“There are about forty warships, carrying an armed force of approximately four thousand men. It seems that the Hanseatic Chamber of Commerce has made up its mind to attack the New Moon Islands and occupy this place.”
Ji Chen nodded.
Forty warships meant that the enemy had nearly four times their number. In other words, one of their warships would have to face four enemy warships.
With approximately four thousand armed soldiers, it was a considerable force
anenoanis”. mere was aiso a reianveiy weii-oresseo, sngnuy ooese nzarciman “n.o.ble”.
Evidently, the lizardmen took Lord Ji Chen’s presence very seriously, sending a “n.o.ble” to greet him.
When the lizardman n.o.ble saw Ji Chen and the others, just like the other lizardmen, his eyes were filled with incredulity, doubt, and a hint of awe.
“Your Excellency Ji Chen, welcome to the Western Lizardmen’s realm, the Dork Kingdom. On behalf of the elders, 1 extend our friendly greetings to you.”
The Western Lizardmen?
Ji Chen’s lips twitched. Please don’t tell him there are also Eastern Lizardmen, Northern Lizardmen, Southern Lizardmen, and each one has its own kingdom.
If that were the case, he would have to deal with four lizardmen civilizations, ml . 111. . 11
“Of course. 1 received this information from Raymond’s guards, and the credibility is high!”
“But didn’t your previous fleet never return, and there was no news from them? Perhaps they sank due to the storm.”
As this was said, the other members of the Chamber of Commerce chuckled gleefully.
Suppressing the urge to curse, Ga.s.sani took a deep breath and said, “Although 1 don’t know what happened, we must not underestimate that Lord. If he could make my fleet perish, his strength must not be underestimated.”
“I suggest that the entire fleet mobilizes, use the advantage of our numbers and firepower to sink the enemy’s warships, then split into two groups and forcibly land on two suitable locations.”
“Afterward, search the islands immediately, find their territory, and eliminate any remaining enemies on the island.”
“By doing so, that Lord, no matter how powerful, cannot withstand the attack of so many warships and guards.”
After Ga.s.sani’s proposal, the other members also nodded in agreement. Though simple, this plan was direct and violent, best showcasing their advantage.
No matter how strong that Lord was, he couldn’t withstand such a powerful fleet and firepower.
“The only risk now is whether the storms outside the Stormy Sea will cause us serious damage.”
Ga.s.sani waved his hand dismissively. “If Raymond can enter safely without harm, why can’t we? Besides, this is just like doing business. Everything comes with risks, but the rewards can be immense. Just think about the benefits we can gain after occupying those islands.”
Hearing this, the other members’ eyes flickered with greed.
Soon, the entire fleet set sail, the sails flapping as they left visible traces on the sea’s surface, speeding towards the Stormy Sea.
However, they were unaware of what awaited them..