Chapter 719: Chapter 66: The Fourth Type of Extraordinary Spiritual Plant – Ghost Vine and a Millennium-old Mission (Part 2)

Charlotte’s face turned serious, becoming formal, and said: "Lord, your wisdom is indeed as outstanding as the Sun Goddess’s Divine Chosen. So I will speak bluntly, the reason why our West High Merchants can add the suffix ’High’ is because of our outstanding contributions to the West Province and the West Highlands. And the greatest challenge facing our West Province is undoubtedly the vampire rebels in the southeast of the province."

"We have already heard of your formidable prowess, Lord. You have led the army to successively defeat numerous monstrous Divine Chosen. So we hope to gain your assistance."

Su Li smiled slightly and curiously asked: "Gain my assistance? Forgive me for being blunt, but it seems difficult for me to offer you any help. Your West Province is still north of the central core of the Empire, and further north you approach the Midland Province. We are separated by tens of thousands of miles; what help could a small Border Development Territory like mine possibly offer you?"

If he were an Elector, Su Li would certainly be willing to lend a hand, at least to gain the friendship of the Elector. The vote from the West High Province is a swing vote; sometimes they vote for the northern Elector, sometimes for the Elector of the Empire’s central, and historically, they even voted for the south once.

Within their territory is also the headquarters of the Mole Church, though the Mole Church has no voting rights in the elector council. The politics of the Empire are still quite crude and pragmatic; whichever church’s armed forces are stronger and more influential, that church has voting rights.

Thus, the Empire’s National Church Redema Church, the northern Wolf God Yurik Church, and the emerging southern Sun Goddess Violet Church respectively hold 3, 2, and 1 electoral votes.

Meanwhile, other churches like the Mole Church, Shalya Church, and the Verena Church, Mannan Church, etc., do not have voting rights.

However, these churches cannot be underestimated, as they influence the voting results of many territory Electors.

But for now, Su Li is merely a small Border Development Territory; it’s hard for him to imagine what contribution he could make to the West Province that would make the West High Merchants go to so much effort.

Charlotte smiled slightly and said: "I think you underestimate yourself, Lord. In fact, we have studied your territory and believe you can certainly offer great assistance to our West High Merchants. Firstly, your martial prowess is exceptional; in the upcoming wars and expansions, you will certainly capture a large number of prisoners. We could establish an agreement to purchase a large number of elite knight slaves from you."

Su Li raised an eyebrow; he did not deny this point.

Take the Blue Mirror Territory as an example; if Hesse Territory wins over the Blue Mirror Territory, it could possibly capture hundreds or even thousands of elite knights. However, the military organization of Hesse Territory clearly cannot accommodate such a large number of prisoners.

Even if Su Li were evaluated as a Baron, his army size is already approaching the level of a Baron. Maintaining 1,000 elite knights is enough; more would collapse his territory’s finances.

This would allow Su Li, in his next expansions, to acquire a large number of elite prisoners available for sale.

Su Li laughed and said: "But within the Empire, the one thing that is not lacking is knights. As long as you’re willing to pay, you can buy elite knight prisoners anywhere in the Border Prince’s Territory. I imagine you must have other, more important needs."

Charlotte shook her head: "It is not easy to buy several hundred or even a thousand elite knights all at once, anywhere. Otherwise, we wouldn’t travel thousands of miles. However, your judgment is quite accurate; what we are more concerned with is your territory’s extraordinary potential. I heard that your territory cultivated an Extraordinary Spirit Tree in a Purple Spirit Field."

Su Li raised an eyebrow, looking at this merchant director. Indeed, when Master Kote discovered the territory’s secret, it had consequences.

Seeing Su Li remain silent, Charlotte took out a bag of seeds that looked somewhat grim in a green-black hue, saying: "This is a stockpile of our merchants, only originating from the Southern Swamp—’Ghost Vine.’ It’s an extraordinary plant. It has no special effects, and its function is very singular: when it proliferates, it can transform any terrain into a swamp."

Su Li looked at her, initially unresponsive, but after a moment he perked up, saying: "Are you planning to use these Ghost Vines to turn the Land of Death into a swamp?"

Since Ghost Vines can convert any terrain into swamps, the vampire-corrupted Land of Death would naturally be the same.

For humans of the West Highlands, as long as it can reduce the scale of the Land of the Undead, no cost is too great to bear.

With the corners of her mouth upturned, Charlotte said: "The Lord is indeed sharp-minded. Yes, we plan to isolate the vampire counts in the southeast of the highland beyond the swamps, while continuously using the swamps to erode their Land of Death."

"In fact, this project has been ongoing for nearly 1,600 years, forming an expanse of Ghost Vine Swamp and Desolate Forest, along the West River, separating the vampire count’s territory from our highlands."

"A project stretching over 1,600 years?" Su Li exclaimed in wonder. To his knowledge, such a project spanning nearly two millennia is rare: "Isn’t this like an artificially created Great Wall?" 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

"Great Wall?" Charlotte pondered for a moment and nodded, saying: "Your analogy is very apt; indeed, this line of swamps and forests constitutes what we in the West Province call the Black Wall, a defense against the vampires and the undead beyond."