Exploring Technology in a Wizard World-Chapter 1283 - 1281: Kept in the Dark

"What do you want to eat then?" Richard asked Bi Bi helplessly.

"Anything delicious is fine, like grilled steak, roast chicken, braised fish, mushroom soup..." Bi Bi rattled off a long list and added, "And don’t forget the wine. Beer or wine, either is fine, though wine is slightly better. I wouldn’t mind beer either."

This is purely a foodie... How did the Truth Society even create her...

Richard looked at Bi Bi with resignation, pursed his lips, and said, "It’s too late now, wait until daylight. I’ll call someone to make it for you then."

"Hmph, don’t try to fool me." Who knew Bi Bi was quite clever, quickly adding, "Though I’ve been in the box these past days, I’ve heard everything clearly. You can eat anytime here; there’s no need to wait until daylight."

Richard: "..."

After a moment of silence, he sighed and said, "Alright, I’ll call someone to make it for you now."

He reached out to pull the brass bell to summon a servant when suddenly there was a knock at the door. A servant named Laisi nervously reported from beyond the door, "Sir... Sir, there’s a guest here to see you."

"A guest?" Richard was slightly taken aback; it was midnight after all, and people typically don’t visit at this time. He asked, "Who?"

"It’s Lord Oscar."

"Oscar?" Richard raised an eyebrow, guessing one possible reason for the visit, muttering, "Is it the ’waiting task’ they mentioned before? Has it reached a conclusion now, allowing them to make demands? Didn’t they say it would take one to two months? Why come so quickly; has something changed?"

Richard pursed his lips, glanced at Bi Bi inside the wooden box, and said, "We’ll talk when I get back," ignoring her protest as he closed the lid and walked out.

...

In the first-floor reception room, Richard met Oscar.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Oscar waved his hand, and one sealed box after another was brought in, totaling twelve. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

"Richard, didn’t you want books from the Royal Library? I’ve brought a third of the ones you wanted, plus numerous valuable incomplete taboo magics and ancient documents, as gifts." Oscar introduced, waving his hand, "If you meet the conditions presented, the rest of the books can be delivered immediately, and furthermore, the official library of the Soma Alliance will be open to you."

Richard blinked at this, but didn’t appear overly excited, knowing there was no such thing as a free lunch. He rationally asked, "And what are the conditions? Before, you said there’d be some waiting. Is now the time?"

"Yes, it’s time." Oscar nodded, somewhat regretfully, "Originally, I didn’t expect it to be this soon, but the plans haven’t changed much. Frankly, you helped trigger this with the information you provided, causing a chain reaction."

"Hmm?"

"It’s a long story, and I’ll explain it to you sometime. For now, just know these two points."

"What two points?"

"First, due to the factual invasion by the Sika Kingdom tonight, the Soma Alliance will officially declare war on Sika Kingdom after dawn, to the death."

Richard’s eyes flickered, taking several seconds to digest the information in the sentence, quite surprised. After all, this was an event that could affect the entire continent’s dynamics. Even if he wasn’t directly involved, he couldn’t help but feel a bit shocked. After a few seconds, he asked, "And the second point?"

"The second point is, His Majesty invites you to take the position of Command Consultant for the Alliance’s army, to assist in winning this war," Oscar said earnestly, in no way seeming to joke.

Richard’s eyes widened, but he couldn’t help but ask, "Really?"

"Of course, it’s true."

"This feels a bit frivolous." Richard frowned deeply, immediately thinking it was absurd, asking, "You’ve never tested my military capabilities. Why have me as a so-called Command Consultant to help you win this war? Just because I provided you some intelligence, just because I had a conversation with the Emperor, and he has a good impression of me? It doesn’t make sense, does it? Are you not taking the war seriously, or do you blindly trust me too much?

Moreover, what exactly is a Command Consultant? I’ve never heard of it. What are the responsibilities, what forces can it command, and how does it function? Also, the condition of helping you win the war is too vague..."

Richard stopped mid-sentence, knowing Oscar must have understood his meaning by now.

Oscar indeed understood and calmly explained, "Don’t rush, listen to me explain slowly. As for the Command Consultant position, it indeed didn’t exist before. It was newly created by His Majesty. The duties involve overseeing, planning, directing, and mobilizing everything concerning the war. Theoretically, the power is immense, almost like a co-Commander. If you wish, you can do anything beneficial for the war, as long as there’s no suspicion of treason and the Commander doesn’t have a valid reason to veto you, then your orders can pass unimpeded."

"So you mean, half of the Soma Alliance’s fate is handed over to me?" Richard continued to frown deeply.

"Let me continue." Oscar raised his hand, saying, "Although the Command Consultant position does wield substantial power, I understand you dislike being busy. So if you don’t want to, you can simply hold the title, with responsibilities naturally handled by subordinates and the real army Commanders. Trust me, the Alliance is assured of victory in this war. You can follow the army, and when it’s over, collect the rewards."

Hearing this, Richard was genuinely puzzled. Even though he could see through many things, he couldn’t decipher Oscar’s, and by extension, the Emperor’s intentions this time.

They clearly granted him significant power but without any obligations? It was completely disproportionate, like a looming conspiracy.

Not that he minded a conspiracy, as long as he could obtain what he wanted. He didn’t mind temporarily taking the fall or being someone’s pawn.

But at the very least, they should let him understand the situation a bit.

The feeling of being kept in the dark was unpleasant; he hadn’t experienced it in a long time, nor did he wish to.

"Why?" Richard frowned, and looking at Oscar, decided to be direct, "What is the true purpose? I want to know."

"There’s no ’why.’" Oscar was unyielding, smiling, "As for the purpose, it’s as I said - to help us win the war."

"Mr. Oscar, this sounds a bit insincere. You should know my mind works pretty well; I’m not going to believe it so easily," Richard said seriously.

Oscar continued to smile: "Richard, you’re indeed clever, but the smarter one is, the more one should know when to feign ignorance."

Hearing this, Richard raised an eyebrow.

He now fully determined that Oscar’s proposed conditions undoubtedly involved a significant conspiracy, which he wasn’t inclined to reveal. This was part of the conditions for exchanging the books he desired - he would have to willingly remain in ignorance until the war ended in victory to acquire everything he desired.

"Alright then." Oscar stood up, walking out while saying, "Think it over carefully, Richard. Everything is laid out before you. Consider whether to accept or reject the offer; the deadline is before dawn. Time is indeed tight, but understand, after all... we declare war on Sika Kingdom at dawn. Even an old man like me must work overnight, which is quite frustrating."

Finally, Oscar shrugged, revealing a bitter smile before exiting.

Staring at Oscar’s back, Richard fell into deep thought.

...

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