Although the capital city of Borneo was defended, the collapse of the heavenly palace brought a lot of troubles to Absec.

Not only because of the gossip among the people and the use of various factions, but also partly because of himself.

Like most Brahmans, he had superstitious attributes in his bones, but after he sat in the position of great ruler, he refused to admit it, and even followed the trend to learn the alliance and recite the sutras of materialism and atheism.

At first, this is somewhat useful, and any sentence that is read too much will produce the illusion of "that's it".

Especially when he was engaged in educational reform, Absec once regarded himself as a real materialist warrior, and even mistook the guy who could not read the air in Kabaha for his comrades-in-arms, forgetting that those reformist officers were his real comrades-in-arms.

However, the practice of self-soothing is ultimately a palliative rather than a cure.

Even if he deliberately didn't sit on the emperor's chair, and even built a special commanding mansion, emphasizing to everyone that his legitimacy had nothing to do with the Heavenly Palace, but when the Heavenly Palace collapsed, he still "broke the defense".

In fact, this can't be entirely blamed for his poor psychological endurance, and some of the pots are from the academy.

In his mind, there was no survivor organization in the entire wasteland that knew more about science than the Academy.

As a result, the academy had just assured him that the Heavenly Palace could float in the sky for more than ten or twenty years, and it fell to the ground in the blink of an eye.

It's hard not to doubt himself when he doubts the academy and the science itself.

Is there really some existence in the dark, manipulating all this with an invisible hand?

In this way, his suspicion recurred.

Almost every night he would have nightmares, and in those dreams would always be the devilish grinning face of Yanush.

It was Anwo who shot him, but the demon seemed to know who had killed him.

The fellow didn't come to take revenge, so he just stood outside the window, tormenting him with the small sound that didn't match.

Sometimes Absec couldn't sleep all night after being tossed, and the next day he went to the Commander's Office with red eyes to review the documents, or he couldn't stay up until the middle of the night, so he snored like thunder and slept until noon.

He didn't dare to complain to anyone about this, after all, if there were rumors that the Grand Commander was being targeted by ghosts, he would have to be used by the opposition within the Federation.

The only person he could confide in was the messenger from the Alliance.

First, they had no interest in interfering in the internal affairs of Borneo, and second, he could sense that they really believed what they said and were true materialists.

However, after hearing his troubles, the eagle also had a helpless expression on his face.

“…… With all due respect, you're suspicious. ”

"I know, I tried to think about it, but it didn't work, I felt like I had a person living in my head......" Absec sighed, and suddenly his heart moved, and he said nervously, "Do you think it could be some kind of psychic interference effect." ”

Looking at the suspicious Absec, the eagle shook his head and patiently explained.

"The effect of that device on a human being with a full mind is minimal...... Although it is not completely useless, at most it is the degree of transmitting a message or two, and it is impossible for you to dream of a specific person. ”

And that thing is not targeted, it usually covers an entire area.

If it was the influence of the telepathic interference device, it could not be just him.

In other words, this is his own demon, and he can only rely on himself to overcome it.

After thinking for a moment, the eagle asked tentatively.

"Or ...... Do you go to a psychiatrist? ”

There are quite a few psychiatrists in the league.

That thing has a threshold, but it's not high, and the market demand is not small at all.

Not only the wastelanders who have returned to civilization, but also the survivors who have been rescued from the raiders' dungeons by the player, most of them have the experience of consulting a psychiatrist, which is not a shameful thing, and medical insurance can even reimburse it.

When Absec heard this, he didn't think about it, so he smiled bitterly and shook his head and refused.

"Gotcha...... If I go to the doctor, I guess there will be some kind of gossip. ”

The eagle sighed.

"I'm sorry, I'm afraid I can't help you with this."

Looking at the regretful eagle, Absekha laughed and quipped.

"Where, after talking to you, I feel much smoother, and I may be able to sleep peacefully tonight."

He didn't actually expect anyone to help him, so he wanted to talk to an outsider.

Seeing the distress in his heart, the eagle suddenly thought of the recent priests of the Silver Moon Sect who had come to Tiandu to help refugees and preach, so his heart moved and he spoke.

“…… If you don't want to find a psychiatrist, you might as well talk to the priest of the Silvermoon Sect. ”

Absaik was stunned for a moment.

"Pastor?"

The eagle nodded.

"Although we are atheists, we have never denied the value of faith as spiritual sustenance, if you are interested, you can find out...... Of course, this is just advice. ”

Trying to persuade people to quit smoking because it is harmful will not work.

In the same way, using "there are no ghosts in this world" to convince superstitious people is only wishful thinking on the part of the reciter.

Rather than confronting him with his inner torment, it is better to let him believe in something less harmful, which is also a way to face his own heart calmly.

The eagle suddenly felt that he was a genius.

Not only does he have the ability to work as a diplomat, but he can also work as a psychiatrist.

Absec seemed to be moved, and after a moment of thought, he nodded earnestly.

“…… I think about it. ”

The meeting came to an end.

After seeing off the Coalition's emissary, Absec paced back and forth in his office for a few turns, and finally picked up the phone and gave an order to invite the priest from Silvermoon Bay to the Consul's Mansion under the pretext of discussing the need to help the refugees.

The two met in the reception room.

After some pleasantries, Absec did not beat around the bush and asked with a straight smile.

"You Silver Moon Sect, do you have any pope or anything like that?"

That's what he cares about the most.

Although he wanted to find something to hold his spirit, he didn't want someone to ride on his head.

Unaware of the Commander's concerns, the priest just smiled kindly.

"Unlike our compatriots who believe in the spirit of the sand sea, we do not serve the living, so there is no pope."

The Silvermoon Cult itself is a new interpretation of the teachings of the Spirit of the Sand Sea by the merchants of Silvermoon Bay in order to be lazy and not to worship, and in order to legally go to sea, so it is relatively lenient in terms of etiquette and organization.

Although there is a pope in the Hump Kingdom, it is not the pope of the Silvermoon Cult and Silvermoon Bay, but only the pope of the Spirit Cult of the Sand Sea and Camel City.

"No, no, no good ...... That's pretty good. ”

Absec nodded approvingly, then asked again.

"What about doctrine? Have you forced others to believe you, or brainwashed people, or used the name of faith to enrich and persecute dissidents? ”

Absec asked all the questions he was worried about, but he immediately felt that the question was too sharp, so he smiled in a soothing tone.

"Don't get me wrong, Mr. Pastor, I'm not saying you have these questions, just in case...... After all, the people of Borneo are simple and kind, and I am afraid that they will be deceived by the cult. ”

"Understood," the priest smiled gently, paused for a moment, took a copy of the Holy Book from his bosom, and handed it to Absek, "though I can answer your doubts, I can't answer your concerns. Since you have so many concerns about us, why not find the answer yourself? ”

Taking the holy book, Absack took it in his hand and weighed it.

"Can you pass this book?"

The pastor continued in a gentle tone.

"If you want to understand a person comprehensively, you have to listen not only to their words, but also to their deeds. If you really want to get to know us comprehensively, the content of a book is certainly not enough, but it can at least be the beginning of how we get to know each other. ”

Absec raised his eyebrows slightly, and then smiled and took the book into his arms.

"Looks like I'm going to have to get a cat."

Listening to the amusing tone, the priest smiled mildly and continued.

"Although cats are sacred to us, we do not force every believer to have one. On the contrary, our doctrine encourages believers to behave with the elves as friends rather than captivity and worship. That is, to provide them with the necessary help only when they need us. ”

Absec touched his chin with interest.

"Is there any mystery in this?"

The priest said with a smile.

"It's not a mystery, it's just that in our teachings, the cat is the pet of the goddess of the silver moon, and at the same time her eyes and her incarnation in the mortal world. We believe that she yearns for freedom when she wanders all year round, so we don't take them in unless they actively stay with us. ”

Absek was overjoyed.

The embodiment of the mortal world!

Wouldn't that ward off evil spirits?!

Thinking that the ghost that had tormented him all day long finally had a way to break it, he stood up excitedly.

"That's great! I love cats too! Can you please advise me on how much to raise for my benefit? ”

The priest looked at the guy stunned, not knowing what he was suddenly happy about, but he still settled down and continued.

"This ...... There aren't many only sayings. But if you like cats, I can give you one...... Closer to people. ”

Absec looked eager.

"It doesn't matter if you're close or not, it's good to ward off evil spirits!"

Pastor: "......?" ”

……

Since Absec and the priests of the Silvermoon Sect met, the Consul's Mansion suddenly had a number of cats.

Absec claims to have been a gift from the Silvermoon Cult, but others say that there was only one gift, and that most of the cats he bought from the merchants of Silvermoon Bay.

Although everyone was puzzled, they didn't say anything, after all, who doesn't have a hobby?

Duvata likes women, Shah Rukh likes gold and silver, and Negli likes to collect the art of the Alliance, at least this Absec Lord is still more economical.

Cats eat less than people, and those cats don't look like expensive breeds.

At least not for the time being.

And since he got a cat, Absek, who was originally depressed, suddenly became energetic again, as if he had a second spring.

Now even Duvata, who laughs at him behind his back, can't make up his mind.

The so-called upper is good, and the lower is effective.

Since the Grand Commander himself liked to raise cats, some officials followed suit, so that cat ownership became a fashion in the upper class of Tiandu for a while, and cats temporarily escaped the local recipes.

Only the Kabaha commissioner shook his head and sighed, still publicly rebuking Absec for being a loser.

There are still many people in Borneo who do not have enough to eat.

As a commander, not to mention leading by example, you should at least be a little restrained.

Absec was not angry when he heard this, but just laughed, but asked the housekeepers to send him a clingy cutie to raise, and ordered him not to raise him to death, and to report every week, otherwise he would be punished.

Kabaha gritted his teeth in anger, but the pen was useless, so he could only swallow it.

It's been a week.

Absec couldn't help but grin as he looked at the report handed to him by Internal Affairs Councilor Wadia.

The word "alive" is the word "alive" on the report.

It could be seen that Commissioner Kabaha was still angry with him.

Absec, however, didn't care, and just smiled and praised Wadia.

"Cats are a good thing...... Ever since I got this thing, I've gotten a lot better. ”

Vadia said with a wry smile.

"That's what the Grand Commander said."

Absec smiled and continued.

"Recently, I've been thinking about whether I should send some to the soldiers on the front line."

Wadia was stunned when she heard this, and said hesitantly.

"This ...... Something is not right. ”

Absec laughed.

"There's nothing wrong with that, our fighters are all people, not machines, it's not enough to keep them alive, we also have to pay attention to their mental health."

Vadia: "But...... I'm worried that doing so will affect their combat effectiveness. ”

Absec suddenly straightened the look on his face and looked at his internal councilor.

"Mr. Wadia, have you ever squatted in a trench?"

Vadia hurriedly shook her head and answered truthfully.

"No ......"

"I've squatted," Absec squinted, looking out the window, "It's hell, and the slightest movement can make your nerves tense." If you stay in it for two months and come out, I can guarantee that even if you stand in front of your own mother, she may not recognize you. ”

Sending a group of cats to the front line was not an idea that Absec came up with with a pat on the head. He had consulted with people in the league before, and had heard that there was a precedent for this in other places.

The soldiers staying in the trenches have been in a state of tension for a long time, and they have no mental sustenance, and it is easy to hold back psychological problems after a long time.

In fact, the officers of the alliance had reported this situation to them a long time ago, suggesting that they should have at least one "instructor" for each team of hundreds, preferably up to the level of ten-man teams if possible.

He does do this, but it takes time to train instructors, and it doesn't take a day to reform the entire system.

In contrast, sending a batch of cats to the front line is a good emergency solution.

Besides, it's good to have a cat and a mouse.

The dead man's heap was a hard-hit area for rats, and the first two pairs of leather boots he owned were damaged by rats, causing his feet to soak in water on rainy days.

If Alayan had treated these brothers as individuals, they would not have risen up.

It is regarded as buying people's hearts, and this money is not a loss.

“…… Cats breed quickly, and the price is not expensive, so you can arrange it as I say. ”

Seeing that the Grand Commander had already made up his mind, Vadia no longer dissuaded him, and nodded with a smile in his heart.

"Yes!"

……

As the battle for the defense of the Heavenly Capital came to an end, the war between the Xilan Puppet Empire and the Borneo provinces also entered a new stage.

Both sides of the war, as well as the players behind the scenes, have completely abandoned the illusion of a "quick victory" and are ready to fight a protracted battle.

First of all, Emperor Akbar issued a mobilization edict and a letter against thieves, detailing the twelve counts of disloyalty, filial piety, benevolence and injustice of the rebels of the Borneo state, and angrily denounced Absec for causing the wrath of heaven and the people, and caused the condemnation of heaven, and vowed to mobilize a million troops from Shizhou and Dog State to kill the enemy.

Not to be outdone, the Borneo side first listed the thirteen charges of the puppet emperor, and then abolished the agreement between the old empire and the legion on the port of Xifan, and once again mobilized 600,000 reserves, vowing to fight a decisive battle with the legion to the end.

The reason why only 600,000 people were mobilized was not because the Borneo manpower pool had bottomed out, but because Absech had other plans.

As a result of a series of reform measures in Borneo and the victories achieved on the front, the owners who had previously been hesitant to invest in Borneo industries have changed their minds.

The priests sent by the Silvermoon Cult were a clear sign.

Although the priests who are sponsored by the merchants of Silvermoon Bay are indeed here to spread the gospel of the Goddess of Silvermoon, they are not only doing charity and preaching, but also to investigate the local customs and business environment.

After all, the money they took was not for nothing.

If the owners behind them want to build a church, they will have to pay attention to whether there is soil in the area that can "let the seeds germinate".

It's like throwing a stone and asking for directions.

After all, religion itself is a business model, and it is one of the most brilliant business models.

In addition to the merchants of Silvermoon Bay, the alliance owners who had previously made good profits from their investment in the Mammoth Country were also full of interest in this feng shui treasure land without alien infestation.

With abundant human resources and a lower limit of the "cost of survival" guaranteed by laterite, there is no better place to open a factory.

Especially labor-intensive factories.

In addition, there are merchants from the port of Golden Gallen, the port of fries and the port of fritters.

Especially the Moon Clan merchants.

Although the witch camel deeply hurt their feelings, they still have some feelings for their homeland.

Moreover, before Yanush restored the reputation of the Moon Clan, he also won a lot of favor for the Heavenly King Army in the group of the Moon Clan.

Even if the reformist officers led by Absec cut off the Heavenly King's army, it did not affect the inheritance of this favor.

On the contrary, because all the black spots were whitewashed, those reformist officers were better in the eyes of the Moon Clan.

With so many cards in your hand, even a pig won't play too badly.

Absec was obviously not so stupid as a pig that he saw the opportunity at a glance.

Therefore, he naturally preferred to guide all the young people to work in the factories rather than to mobilize them to the front.

So, after referring to the alliance's proposal, Absec designated the White Elephant City in the central part of Borneo province as a central industrial zone, and invested a full third of the budget to build railways and power grids in the area, while focusing on the development of heavy industries such as steelmaking, chemical industry and heavy machinery manufacturing, in order to complement the industrial zones of Huzhou, Baozhou and Lowell in the future.

This is undoubtedly a grand undertaking in relation to Borneo's fragile agrarian economy.

But if this plan is realized, there may be hope that the local survivors will be able to ignite the flames of industry and escape the embarrassment of having to import bicycles from the port of Golden Gallen.

And this is also beneficial for the alliance.

In the context of some feudal lords, cake is an eternal thing, and the more people who cut it, the less everyone can get a share.

However, there is another context in this world, in which the cake is not born, but something that can be made bigger and bigger.

As long as you don't slash indiscriminately, there's always a way to get everyone a little bit, at least not as little as they go.

Just when this ancient empire was slowly awakening, the officers on the front line of the Southern Army were also completely awakened.

They gradually realized the horror of the alliance.

Not only because of the high will to fight of those volunteers, but also because of the high will to fight will be contagious like a virus, and even the locals will become beasts that they need to deal with with all their might.

Since the airship was destroyed by an unknown weapon, General Gulion, in the name of Akbar, set up a special agency composed of locals to investigate the five crashed airships.

At the same time, Commander Ryan Wan, who served as the commander of the Eastern Front, also completely changed the previous offensive strategy of "rushing and maneuvering", and the strategic style changed to steady and steady.

One of the most obvious points is that he voluntarily abandoned the northeastern hills of Akale County, withdrew from the bend of the river to the border between Shizhou and Niuzhou, dug trenches, and built turrets and pillboxes.

Doing so would be tantamount to relinquishing the floodplains, which had previously been under the control of the Southern Legion.

For the Southern Corps, this meant that their clamor for a "blitzkrieg" and "two months to destroy the rebels" was completely declared bankrupt.

However, they were able to consolidate their positions by consolidating their positions to make the supply lines in the rear more secure, and to avoid being infiltrated and harassed by the guerrillas of Borneo and Mammoth.

This is obviously not a good thing for the underdog-stricken state of Borneo.

On the one hand, this shows that the Southern Army is starting to get serious, and it is not so easy for them to pick up cheap again.

On the other hand, the Southern Corps has begun to consciously want to digest the territories already occupied, and is trying to turn the occupied territories into their own territory.

However, on the other hand, the Borneo army matured through this continuous battle, and many outstanding generals were born during this period.

For example, the captain of the 30,000th team, Ischer.

Another example is the 110,000-man captain of the 110,000-man team, Jokal, and so on.

Isher, in particular, was especially honored to receive the nickname "Jungle Rat" bestowed by the Willantes, as well as a 1 million dinar bounty.

This guy is as cunning as a mouse, and uses guerrilla warfare and psychological warfare to the point of being superb.

The Willant officer who fought with him even said that if he gave that guy one cannon, he could shoot two cannons. Give him a team of 10 people, he can use it as a team of 100 people, especially in the jungle and hills, it is impossible to guard!

Another winner of the "title" of the Willantes was Captain Pickery of the 700,000th team.

But he didn't become popular because of his impressive achievements, but because of a photo published in the Daily Survivor.

The soldiers of the Willant privately referred to him as "butchers".

Compared with Ischer, his nickname is obviously much more domineering, and he has even appeared in the "Southern Army Victory".

In the matter of Mu Qiang, the Wilantes actually have a lot of similarities with the Borneos.

The rank and file soldiers and officers of the Legion clearly admired the bayonet-carrying charge commander more than the "Jungle Mouse" who was good at intrigue and trickery.

Even if the head in his hand belonged to their compatriots, it did not prevent them from appreciating the strong.

After all, in the jungle culture concept of "the strong are respected", there is actually another layer of metaphor -

That is, the weaker of the same kind are not worthy to be called compatriots.

They would be outraged by the massacre that took place in Port Saisail because it was a contempt and humiliation of the abstract concept of "Willants".

However, the suffering of a specific person or group of people will only invite their ridicule.

This has nothing to do with the number, after all, the number 40,000 is much greater than 3,000 no matter how you calculate it.

That night, every Velante soldier who died or surrendered as a loser received nothing but honor and ridicule......

With both sides showing their real skills, the whole war fell into a stalemate.

There is a lot going on every day on the front lines, but for those outside the front lines, it is like nothing happens.

It's August, the sweltering rainy season is coming to an end, and it's just two months before the dry season comes in.

It was at this moment that a fleet of ships from the Dead Coast approached the Harbor of Eternal Night, the southernmost part of the Great Desert.

And the changes here are so great that Yarman almost mistakenly thinks that he has come to the wrong place.

-

(PS: Collect a few IDs.) ）