Chapter 621: The Legion

A hint of hesitation flickered in Li Mochen's eyes, but then he nodded: "You're right. As expected of the Iron Chancellor."

These words carried a slight pejorative tone, along with a measure of self-mockery.

He did not hesitate long before deciding to follow Bismarck's advice, even though it meant that the vast majority of the people of America would be classified as 'expendable.'

Yet Li Mochen was more keenly aware of his own limitations; his current strength was far from sufficient to fully protect this territory of 18,740,000 square kilometers.

Without comparison, there is no harm—this was indeed the best way for him to gather followers and win hearts.

"Second, integrate the armies of the gods."

Bismarck continued: "Now that you have become the King of Gods in this world, you also have a weakness: the divine kingdoms that the gods have built between the star realms and the material plane. If Odin and Zeus lead their armies to attack, will you save them or not? If you don't, you will lose their loyalty. If you do, your current strength is insufficient to contend with the three major pantheons from the outer realms."

Li Mochen was visibly moved; this was a problem he had not yet realized. By borrowing the power of the gods to force back Zeus and Odin, he had also taken on the responsibility of protecting them.

"We still have time, but not much. The Olympian and Aesir pantheons have only just been severely wounded by you, and their main armies are locked in battle with the Lord of Radiance. But sooner or later, they will be able to divert forces to target the gods under your protection. Of course, you could threaten them with their temples in the mortal world. But what if one day the threat you pose becomes great enough that they are willing to abandon their remaining faith in this world? And what of Ahura Mazda, the Persian god of light? He has no faith left in the mortal world and no scruples whatsoever."

"No need to say more, Chancellor Bismarck—"

Li Mochen gave a wry smile; he had never underestimated the threat from the Zoroastrian gods.

If Ahura Mazda had not suddenly left this world over three thousand years ago, the Church of Truth under the Lord of Radiance would never have been able to extinguish His faith.

That Zoroastrian god of light could even be said to have been the model for the Lord of Radiance.

The power this deity wielded in the outer realms was certainly no less than that of the Olympian and Aesir pantheons. He had two identities, one of light and one of darkness: Ahura Mazda, the 'God of Light' and 'Supreme God' who created the world and represented 'good,' and Angra Mainyu, the dark lord, source of all evil and darkness, representing the 'evil' side. Under these two, there were six Archangels and six Demon Lords, each possessing main god-level power, commanding a vast army of unknown size.

Moreover, it was said that this dualistic god also ruled over nine worlds in the outer realms, with a sphere of influence even larger than the Olympian pantheon.

Yet this 'God of Light and Darkness' had also led his army back to the Bright World, but he had kept the vast majority of his forces idle, refraining from excessive interference in the material plane.

But the more Ahura Mazda behaved this way, the more worrying his movements became. In fact, even now, the Lord of Radiance and the two major pantheons were keeping a considerable portion of their forces on guard against him.

Li Mochen also dared not let his guard down; he had been constantly monitoring the movements of the Zoroastrian pantheon.

"Chancellor Bismarck, if I entrust you with the task of integrating the 'divine army,' how much time would you need? And to what extent could you integrate it?"

Bismarck fell into deep thought, and it was a full five minutes before he answered: "This is no simple matter. First, we must persuade the gods to willingly contribute their divine realm warriors, and then we must assemble them and establish a logistical system to sustain prolonged combat. If you entrust this task to me, I will try my best. Within three months, I can muster a force roughly equivalent to two angelic legions—that is the limit of the gods. Of course, you should not have high hopes for their combat effectiveness; they will be a rabble. Only the armies of powerful beings like the Goddess of Magic, Hela, and Thetis can be expected to perform well."

"My requirements are minimal; as long as they can conduct defensive operations, that will suffice."

Li Mochen did not hold high expectations either. How powerful could a hastily assembled army of warriors from nearly a hundred different deities be?

Only if commanded by a genius general, subjected to strict discipline, and trained for several years could they hope to match the angelic legions of the Lord of Radiance.

As for numbers, Li Mochen's hopes were even lower. The Lord of Radiance had dominated the faith of this world for nearly three thousand years and had only accumulated seven 'angelic legions,' plus one 'Judgment Legion' and one 'Overseer Legion.' How could the gods compare?

Of course, considering that the explosive growth of the world's population had occurred only in the last two hundred years—the same period when the gods rose—he estimated that the combined forces of the gods under his command might amount to about three angelic legions.

"Given the current balance of power, we must first find a way to become a hard nut to crack."

He might not be able to prevent the gods and the Lord of Radiance from destroying them, but if the enemy wanted to crack this hard nut, they would have to pay the price of breaking a tooth.

"Yes, that is the hard nut strategy. Your Majesty, you possess wisdom beyond that of ordinary men."

Bismarck praised him. "Moreover, as your subject, you need not address me with titles like 'Chancellor.'"

"Then, Minister Bismarck!"

Li Mochen readily complied: "I now intend to appoint you as the Prime Minister of my divine kingdom, with full authority to handle all matters concerning the gods. What is your opinion?"

He thought that since Bismarck had taken this attitude, he was clearly willing—even eager—to join his ranks and become his right hand in managing the gods.

Li Mochen also greatly needed this man, almost to the point of 'eagerness.'

Among his subordinates, there were certainly capable individuals, but none possessed Bismarck's extraordinary administrative skills, his adeptness at diplomacy and maneuvering, his familiarity with the gods, and his extensive network of connections.

Li Mochen knew that he still had to devote most of his time to personal cultivation. Without the power to truly contend with the divine kings, no matter how strong his current forces were, he would ultimately lose in this inevitable divine war.

Thus, he needed someone to help him coordinate and unify the gods, freeing him from distractions. And in this regard, Bismarck, known as the 'Iron Chancellor' in his mortal days, was undoubtedly the perfect choice.

"It is my honor!"

Bismarck bowed calmly: "Your Majesty Wiltonstein is precisely the monarch I have idealized, and I will devote myself wholeheartedly to your cause."

Li Mochen smiled: "I have only one request: my two legions must not become too Teutonized."

Of the gods now gathered under his banner, at least nineteen were of Teutonic origin. And without exception, they were among the first forty deities to respond to his call.

He suspected this was largely due to Bismarck's influence and appeal; Bismarck had a very strong influence among them, and many gods who had risen since the thirty-seventh century looked to him as their leader.

Li Mochen would certainly repay them in kind, but if the Teutonic faction became too powerful, he would also be concerned.

"Of course!"

Bismarck bowed again: "I know how to handle this, Your Majesty. Showing excessive favoritism would not help maintain harmony among the gods under your command, would it? But there is one frustrating point: at present, a large proportion of the powerful deities under your command are of Teutonic origin."

Li Mochen was speechless; Bismarck spoke the truth.

He knew that even among the battle-oriented gods of America, a considerable number had Teutonic ancestors, such as his 'God of Strategy,' Garcia Ferren.

However, he was not overly worried, because the truly core affairs had not been entrusted to this divine prime minister.

After all, the forces he could truly rely on, such as the Storm Troops and the Church's armed forces, were currently in the hands of Robert and Michael Wood.

For Bismarck to gain access to these, he would need to earn Li Mochen's trust further.

...

While Li Mochen and Bismarck were having their 'ruler-minister dialogue,' in the Central Magic Tower of Manhattan, the current chairman of the Magic Tower Committee, demigod mage Phil Houston, looked as if his face was about to drip water.

At this moment, around the long conference table, the five vice-chairmen and the executive directors mostly wore cold, impassive expressions, devoid of any emotion.

"Since two vice-chairmen and four executive directors have simultaneously initiated a motion, we will now proceed with a recorded vote. Please raise your hands! On the matter of replacing the chairman of the Magic Tower Committee and dismissing Mr. Phil Houston, please make your decisions."

The one who spoke was Edith Bartram, the executive vice-chairman of the Magic Tower Committee. She was the only one present who maintained a smile. Completely ignoring Phil Houston's icy glare, she scanned the attendees.

At that moment, the five chairmen and the vast majority of the directors raised their hands, making the few who did not stand out conspicuously in the meeting room.

Knowing that his dismissal was inevitable, Phil Houston rose angrily: "This is a betrayal of Her Highness the Goddess! Manhattan was built because of Her Highness. You ungrateful bastards!"

But most of those present were unmoved. Edith Bartram sneered: "Mr. Houston, you will also receive a lawyer's letter from the Manhattan Magic Tower Committee shortly. You must bear a significant portion of the responsibility for the losses suffered in the Upper West Side. We will hire an authoritative accounting firm to conduct an accurate assessment. So, please prepare your lawyer. In this country, even a demigod mage cannot stand above the law and must bear responsibility for his mistakes."

Phil Houston's body stiffened slightly, then he angrily tore open space and left the meeting room that filled him with disgust and nausea.

After he left, one of the vice-chairmen at the long table sighed and shook his head: "The one at fault was clearly this fellow, wasn't it? If the magic tower array is useless in divine battles, then what is the point of its existence?"

"At that time, the Cathedral of Fate was packed with countless innocent citizens. But in his eyes, they were all expendable. Meanwhile, our Lord of Fate, even when besieged by the gods, gave top priority to protecting the faithful and the safety of nearby residents."

"Indeed, it's different. Speaking of which, His Majesty's actions in Australia are even more admirable. The radiance of the gods gathered in the Land of Fate swept across the world, and within a day, the turbulent nation of Australia had regained its cohesion."

"Times have changed. A new King of Gods has emerged. The Goddess of Liberty is certainly great, but facts have proven that she is no match for the Lord of Fate. Yet this fellow still fails to see that."

Another person sneered: "I don't think he doesn't know; it's just that at this point, he has no choice but to go down this path. Neither the Lord of Fate nor we will forgive him, will we?"

"Enough, I think we can move on to the next agenda item: the new chairman of the Magic Tower Committee. Two hours from now, I must head to the Cathedral of Fate in the Upper West Side. Archbishop Louis seems to be planning to personally attend today's mass."

"Has he already recovered from his injuries? He was clearly severely wounded yesterday."

"It must be the effect of divine power. Truly worthy of the great god who simultaneously governs life and death, as well as youth and vitality—"

Meanwhile, at the Abraham White House, Nanette Drew walked into the Oval Office on the West Wing, greeted by the respectful gazes of several presidential aides.

The current President, Daniel Weeks, stood at the door to welcome her, shaking hands warmly with the lady.

But Ms. Drew did not give him a pleasant expression. She sat down across from the desk and met the President's gaze with a cold, sharp look.

"The board of our Rising Sun Group is very dissatisfied with your recent actions, Mr. President. Was it you who issued the order regarding the Twenty-Second Fleet?"

The President could only smile bitterly: "Indeed it was, but—"

"Don't fob me off with high-sounding words, Mr. President. Your order caused the Twenty-Second Fleet to abandon the citizens you were supposed to protect and stay away from the battlefield."

Ms. Drew sneered: "Wasn't it you who accompanied the Australian Prime Minister to Atlanta to seek aid from my Lord? You led us into a trap and then abandoned us."

"Ms. Drew?" Seeing the President's face covered in cold sweat, the White House Chief of Staff stepped forward, trying to explain. But the lady at the desk shot him a cold glare: "Shut up!"

The veteran politician, who had stood firm in the political arena for years, felt a chill run through his body, his blood nearly freezing, and he could not utter another word.

Nanette Drew continued to look at the President: "And what about that special message you recently approved to submit to Congress? Are you provoking us? Provoking the Rising Sun-Light Magic Alliance and the Church of Destiny?"