Chapter 813: Preparing the Feast

For more than a decade, Henwell has shaped the Listening Wind Guard into an elite force of covert guards charged with protecting his entire family.

It is also a professional armed force under Henwell's direct command, and Henwell personally approves every member selected for its ranks.

Apart from Kleios, the mute ranger and Warden of the Guard, no one in Peace Haven knows the identity of a single Listening Wind Guard member.

It is Henwell's personal blade, reserved for pruning back the branches of power whenever they grow wild.

Henwell turns to Victor. "You must arrange the administrative restructuring of Phoenix and Vorska as quickly as possible."

"Restore normal production in both regions, especially agricultural production."

"Have the Agriculture Department, the water conservancy authorities, and the other relevant departments work together to raise agricultural production in both regions to Peace Haven's average level."

"The Calamity War will not end quickly. This calamity zone feels different, and the extraordinary radiation pouring from it far exceeds anything recorded by the church in previous outbreaks."

"By a conservative estimate, this war will last at least another five years."

"We must prepare for a prolonged war. Industry is what guarantees victory."

"Agriculture, however, is the foundation of survival. Nothing matters more than having enough to eat."

"Our military arrangements will keep the fighting as far from Peace Haven as possible."

"But those responsible for civilian affairs must remain vigilant as well. We need enough resources to sustain our armies in their campaigns beyond our borders."

Henwell then adjusts the production plans for every sector and assigns specific tasks to each department head.

The meeting continues into the evening. Henwell asks, "Does anyone have any other questions?"

Rawkins asks, "My lord, once the army is reorganized, Peace Haven's Central District will have no main legion defending it. Isn't that too dangerous?"

Henwell shakes his head. "No. If an enemy ever reaches the heart of Peace Haven, the situation will already have deteriorated beyond recovery."

"At that point, whether an army is stationed here will make no difference."

"Besides, everyone in this room, myself included, is worth an army."

"The absence of troops may make the people uneasy."

"But our military already accounts for too much of our population. We have reached the limit."

"Keeping an elite force here merely to reassure the public would be a luxury we cannot afford."

When no one raises another objection, Henwell stands. "As you all know, I love good food, and I enjoy cooking it myself."

"Governing a great realm is like cooking a delicate fish."

"You cannot rush it. You must always control the heat."

"A grand feast does not simply appear the moment you sit at the table."

"You must select the ingredients, prepare the stove, arrange the seasonings, and chop the firewood in advance."

"Then you must patiently prepare the ingredients, carefully control the heat, and season everything properly."

"No matter how hungry you are, you must complete every one of these steps before you can enjoy the meal."

Henwell changes tack. "I know all of you are hungry. You want a larger share of the rewards."

"If you want those rewards to be large enough to satisfy your appetites, then begin with the preparations before the feast."

"Who is the target?"

"What means will you use?"

"How will you deal with the target's most troublesome problems?"

"How will you control the heat?"

"What moment will you choose?"

"Go home and think carefully. Consult one another, debate, and consider every possibility."

"Then bring me a recipe, a complete plan for preparing the meal."

"And I promise that after you invest enough patience and effort, you will enjoy a feast that satisfies every one of you."

Hunger flares in the officials' eyes. Henwell smiles. "So be patient. First, we make every preparation for the feast."

"The Calamity War comes first. Handle the work before you, and many ingredients that once seemed troublesome will become far easier to prepare."

"The chief military and civil officials of each military district will draft comprehensive battle plans and submit them to the General Staff for review. I will examine them afterward."

"I will say it again."

"You officials bear responsibility for the lives of hundreds of thousands of people."

"Our goal in the Calamity War is not victory, much less grabbing territory and people while everyone else is distracted."

"Your task is to destroy as much of the calamity creatures' combat-effective forces as possible."

"Make them fear Peace Haven. Keep them away from Peace Haven. Do not allow them to bring the flames of war to our lands."

"This is our chance to pull ahead while everyone else is forced to slow down."

"The Calamity War will drain every faction's resources. They will stagnate, and some will even decline under the burden."

"We have at least five years in which to develop."

"As long as the war does not spread here, we can consolidate everything we have gained and raise Peace Haven to an entirely new level."

"I believe that when the Calamity War ends, the world will behold a very different Peace Haven."

"Our overall strength will rival the continent's most powerful kingdom, Ika, and may even surpass it."

"When every other faction is weak and we alone remain strong, we can finally enjoy our feast without fear."

Henwell looks around at the excited officials and raises a hand. "I hereby declare a state of war in Peace Haven. From this moment on, we formally enter the Calamity War."

"Everyone here, and every citizen of Peace Haven, will receive the reward we deserve when victory is won."

Everyone rises and salutes. "Courage Forges Peace; Ordinary People Create Glory!"

Over the next two months, Peace Haven reorganizes its army.

The process is not especially difficult. It merely raises the role of each legion from operational-level to strategic-level.

Since fighting began on the Northern Mountain Front, every Peace Haven legion has been expanding, and each already numbers close to twenty thousand soldiers.

The new structure merely fills the last few vacancies. It does not reduce the legions' combat strength.

Most of the additional personnel are selected from veteran elites in the garrison warbands.

Some are also selected from Peace Haven's more than ten reserve legions.

Vacancies in the garrison warbands are then filled with soldiers from the reserve legions.

The reserve legions discharge some unqualified soldiers, while others are assigned to replacement legions in the various districts.

Each district retains one replacement legion, which continues training so it can replenish losses suffered by the district's combat forces.

After all these changes, only two reserve legions remain in Peace Haven's Central District.

Henwell longs to visit the front, but the battlefield is no longer a place he can freely go.

As the leader of a vast power, he has too many matters to handle each day and cannot leave Peace Haven for long.

Leave the center of power without its leader for too long, and trouble inevitably follows.

Whenever Henwell leaves Peace Haven, someone finds a way to stir up a new mess.

If he wants to avoid another infuriating incident, Henwell must remain in the Central District.