Pioneer Lord: Starting From Daily Intelligence-Chapter 451 - 183: Signing Unequal Treaties and Establishing the Suzerainty Tribute Trade System

"As servants of Chaos, the beastmen are closely connected with the Chaos Monsters, the Chimeras. When the Chimera announced a rebellion against the Green Dragon, a large number of beastman herds gathered under its banner in the forest."

Beastmen, also known as the Sons of Chaos, habitually operate as roaming War Beast Corps, appearing in the forest wastelands of the Old World, as well as in the outskirts of human nations; dense forests are prime regions for beastmen activity, with beast herd nests found everywhere.

Wherever you might have traveled or resided in the Old Continent, beastmen are always nearby.

Su Li was not at all surprised by the gathering of a beastman warband in the forest. The reason they hadn’t joined this war against the Hesse Territory was due to their inherent hostility towards Green Dragons, Elves, and similar beings.

However, when a Chaos Chosen One initiated a call and requested them to ambush outsiders entering the forest, they inevitably flocked to the cause.

Vandar, with a furrowed brow and a heavy expression, stated: "Moreover, these monsters are experts in ambushes; human soldiers, if straying just dozens of meters out of sight, could easily be dragged into the dense forest. Our legions have been through one fierce battle after another, suffering heavy casualties. Each legion is already depleted and in urgent need of rest and regrouping, utterly unable to withstand such consumption."

As a lord, Su Li was naturally well aware of the current state of his territory. It could be said that the army’s state and morale were already at their limit and desperately needed to be withdrawn for rest; advancing forcibly into the forest meant every meter gained was paid for with blood.

Even the most ruthless knight must admit that, in light of the depletion of medicines and the extensive damage to armor, continuing to push this force further into the forest is an extremely heartless decision.

Thus, Su Li asked: "So, we have decided to first cease hostilities with the Green Dragon and unite against the Chaos Monster, Chimera? Is such a ceasefire agreement so easily achievable? It seems too frivolous."

Vandar, however, shook his head with a bitter smile, his expression solemn: "It’s not frivolous at all, quite the opposite—it’s profoundly ironic and cruel. Our alliance with the Green Dragon was a result of discussions between Chief Steward Hilude and Marshal Orstein, who also sent me back to report and consult with you."

"Because when the Chimera incited a rebellion, the Green Dragon and this Chaos Monster fell into a civil war within the forest. They both sent envoys to entice us humans, seeking our help in dealing with the opposing forest faction."

"The Green Dragon promised that if we defeated the Chaos Monster, Chimera, it would hand over half of the Dragon Nest Treasure to us, a compensation not less than 100,000 Golden Crowns. It also signed a series of treaties with us, including allowing us to station troops in the Blood Mist Hills, constructing the Storm Shadow Fortress, ceding the area east of the hills, including Silver Valley, Flower Language Spring, and Lake Essonide, over 1,000 miles of core resource area, and promising that its forces would absolutely not besiege the fortress. Additionally, after the Chimera is killed, it will further provide us with two rare-level treasures."

"Meanwhile, the Chaos Monster, Chimera, promised that as long as we joined forces with it to drive away the Green Dragon, it would offer us 60% of the Dragon Nest Treasure as war compensation. It would also cede the entire forest domain to the west of the Dragon’s Nest to us, and in times of war, it would sign an employment contract to fight for our territory."

After hearing the terms offered by both parties, Su Li involuntarily clicked his tongue. Indeed, political struggles sometimes inflict more devastating harm than military defeats.

The forest forces were inherently unstable from the beginning, scheming against each other for benefits. While their power was strong, they could extract profits from external raids and temporarily mask internal conflicts. However, once external expansion failed and they suffered major military setbacks, they inevitably resorted to selling out their interests externally.

It can be said that, until the last day of the decisive battle, the forest forces maintained a significant advantage over the Hesse Territory.

If they had united just a bit more, Hilude might have already perished, and the Hesse Territory might have already been destroyed.

Yet, they ended up with this lamentable conclusion.

Such a powerful force collapsed during external expansion, its once-illustrious and formidable presence now barely surviving, relying on collusion with strong enemies to strike at opponents, maintaining rule, and clinging to a shattered forest landscape.

This brought a sigh from Su Li, who then said to Vandar: "Do Chief Steward Hilude and Marshal Orstein believe we should support the Green Dragon?"

Vandar nodded and said: "This was instructed by Governor Oliver before Chief Steward Hilude launched her counterattack. His Excellency Oliver, the Divine Chosen, had already speculated the likelihood of a rebellion or coup within the Monster Legion prior to the war."

"But regardless of which monster faction we ally with, we must choose the force that agrees to let us station troops. Completely crushing the opponent or completely avoiding entry into the forest, both extreme states are not advantageous for us."

"The Blood Pine Forest is too vast and fertile. If we cannot bind a force to serve as our barrier, any monster occupying this expansive forest within half a year would pose a terrifying threat to us."

Upon hearing this, Su Li was invigorated, and he gained a newfound respect for Oliver’s wisdom.

This truly is the talent who can help achieve great purposes and assist in establishing the foundation of a sovereign empire!