Lien Chan and Lianjie made the supplies of the Northern Army abundant. The dilapidated tents in the past have now been replaced with new clothes, and their appearance has become white and new. Gold utensils and precious oil paintings are displayed inside. The flames of the charcoal basin make the room extremely warm.
, each lord held a wine glass inlaid with jewels in his hand. The scene was like a party or dinner in the palace. But unlike the palace nobles, the lords in the north did not have the habit of arrogance and lewdness, but now and in the future... no one
Guaranteed.
There was a huge map of Kislev in the center of the round table. Rhodes just frowned. As the war progressed so far, it seemed that the Northern Alliance forces were winning consecutive battles. However, these were all small battles, and only Katarina's men were eliminated.
Some vanguard armies and miscellaneous armies. The real main force - the Kislev regular regiment and the shooting army, have not been eliminated. Moreover, according to reliable sources, the Snow Queen has gathered a huge army in the south. This army
The size of the legion will be unprecedented. It may be two to three times the size of the Northern Alliance Army. Rhodes' worry stems from this, and what worries him even more is Dennis's current situation.
Every time the Northern Army wins, Dennis's situation becomes more dangerous. It's like a double-edged sword. No matter how you grasp it, it can't be perfect.
There was a pleasant whistle from outside the camp, and everyone turned to look, and a dwarf who was only the height of a child came into view.
"Alves? Why are you here? Shouldn't you be managing the castle at Blackhammer Castle..."
"Ah, I should be at Blackhammer Castle. I should be at Blackhammer Castle. But you transport so many prisoners to the rear every day. I really can't handle it."
Alves blinked. Rhodes immediately knew the purpose of this little dwarf coming here. Some matters were beyond his authority, so he had to go to the front line to discuss it in person.
"We can't handle it, they're just a bunch of prisoners."
Lord Bertner said disdainfully.
"Have you ever seen thousands of prisoners being driven to the rear? And they can't be beaten or scolded, and they have to be fed and drank every day. Oh, who is whose prisoner here?"
Alves immediately sneered, and even though Bertner disdained the little dwarf, he was speechless for a moment.
"The King of the North is so powerful, so powerful. He keeps winning battles, how can I settle these thousands of outsiders?"
Alves said, walked straight to the chair, climbed up, and sat on equal terms with several northern lords. Everyone saw that Rhodes did not say anything, so they could only acquiesce. Everyone knew the relationship between this little dwarf and Rhodes.
Those are a pair of old men.
"This armor is good."
Rhodes pointed at Alves' breastplate and deliberately changed the subject.
"Of course. The front line is very dangerous. I have to protect myself first."
Alves rolled his eyes and poured himself a drink.
"The captives can make them farmers. There is a large area of land in the north that is uncultivated..."
The words of Norsca leader Celta broke the silence. However, before he finished speaking, he was interrupted by Alves——
"Give land to these soldiers for free for farming? So, what will the indigenous people think? They came to attack us, killed our husbands and children, and now, they put down their arms and get free land? What's more, some of these people
They are not farmers yet, they don’t even know how to farm. Who knows where these people will go after leaving the prison, maybe they will continue to return to the south, back to their hometowns. In the coming year, will they become our new enemies?"
"So, what about being assigned to the Great Wall? We are not planning to focus on repairing the Great Wall, and we just don't have the manpower."
Lord Digel suggested with narrowed eyes.
"A good idea. But what is the difference between this and raising an army? I am in charge of economic construction in the rear area and provide you with war supplies and food. An army of tens of thousands has exhausted the northern border. Now, one day
A troop composed of prisoners of war is going north again to rebuild the Great Wall. So, do I need to dispatch some people from the transportation team to go north to transport food and materials to these prisoner-of-war workers? You know, the land around the Great Wall has long been abandoned, so it cannot be done
Let the prisoners eat grass?"
Alves raised his eyebrows and said.
After saying that, he poured himself another glass of wine and drank it. He looked at everyone present as if nothing had happened.
"Don't look at me like this. You are all heroes. You are fighting on the front line. You are fighting for this country and the people of this country. You are bleeding and dying for them. But I don't know how to fight. Thanks to the love of Lord Rhodes, the King of the North,
I have become the person in charge. Sorry, I am just telling you some difficult things objectively."
Everyone was silent, but Rhodes was the only one who heard the meaning of this. It was not that Alves had no solution, he was here to ask for more power from himself. Asking for disposal rights is not something that can be done through letters.
It can be solved, so he came in person to make the request face to face. After all, the Northern Territory does not belong to Rhodes alone. The lords only loyal to him and obey his leadership. However, specific matters still require everyone's consent to be effective.
"Alves, I know you have a way. You are the steward of Blackhammer Castle. When I am away, you are responsible for helping me manage all the affairs of the castle. I know that this matter is not a problem for you.
.”
Rhodes stared at Alves, a gaze that only the two of them could understand.
Alves smiled, "However, this matter is of great importance, and I still have to inform you all."
"Tell us what you think."
Lord Jigel said calmly.
"Okay, let me explain it in detail."
Alves said, scanning the crowd with his small eyes——
"The problem of captives is particularly serious. Because you require the health and life of the captives to be guaranteed, it is definitely not possible to let them rot and die. But it is not an option to have so many men crowded together and eat and drink for free every day. Their gender is doomed to them.
You can't even go to a brothel. And civilians everywhere are watching to see how we deal with these prisoners of war. For them, these soldiers from the south of Kislev are guilty people. They joined the southern army, whether they have them or not.
Anyone who kills people is considered an executioner in the eyes of the people in the north. Therefore, it is definitely not possible to deal with these people in the same way as ordinary refugees."
"My idea is to split them up and send some of them to mines in various places to undergo hard labor for a period ranging from one to several years. If they perform well, they can be released early and let them choose whether to settle in the north or return.
After a few years, I thought the war was over. In addition, some were sold as slaves overseas to reduce daily food consumption. Some were sent to Oerengrad. That city is now in ruins.
To be developed, many workshops need manpower, and ports and docks also need workers. These prisoners of war are all strong men and are a good labor force."
Alves was interrupted by Rod mid-sentence.
"The first and third suggestions are both good. However, I don't agree with the second suggestion."
Rhodes straightened up and leaned on the table with his hands.
"Traded as slaves? If so, who will be willing to throw down their weapons and surrender in the future? Everyone knows that being sold as a slave overseas is a terrible thing, and it is almost impossible to come back alive in your lifetime. The life of a slave is to lose freedom.
The harsh living conditions will kill people within two years. If this is the case, it would be better to kill them on the battlefield."
"In addition, Mrs. Kislev does not sell Mrs. Kislev. There is now an upsurge in various parts of the south, and civilians call us liberators. If we sell prisoners as slaves, then where does the name of liberators come from? If
We sell our captives to slave owners in other countries, so what is the difference between us and the plunderers?”
Rhodes said seriously.
Alves pursed his lips. These words allowed him to figure out Rhodes' bottom line. He also knew what he could and could not do in his future work.