Lord: Starting with Biological Modification

Chapter 287: Chapter 282: Gray Bay Alliance

The next morning, there was a knock on the door to Velin’s study.

Caroline walked in.

She wore a perfectly tailored seafaring suit, her silver hair combed immaculately.

But the faint dark circles under her eyes marred this perfection.

Her spirits, however, were high—perhaps a bit... unnaturally so.

"Velin, this is the latest immigrant transport plan."

She unrolled the plan on the long table with a sweeping motion.

The parchment was covered in complex sailing routes and charts, drawn in several colors of ink.

The name, cargo capacity, crew complement, and departure time for every ship under the Golden Sail Commerce Association were all clearly marked.

It even included estimates for the freshwater reserves at every supply point along the Wind Shear Island route.

"I’m notifying the fleet now. I expect all preparations to be completed ahead of schedule in three days, and then we can set sail."

She spoke quickly, her finger moving across the map as she detailed her plan.

"I’ve added the *Sea Siren’s Song* to the escort convoy. Its heavy ballista array can handle any unforeseen circumstances."

"I heard you promised to give my flagship to Sea Wolf?"

Caroline looked up at Velin.

Just as Velin was about to speak, she looked away.

"I’ve already agreed. It’s an asset of the Commerce Association, after all."

Velin’s gaze fell upon Caroline.

The more agreeable she acted, the more it seemed she was trying to prove a point. This was not her usual demeanor.

Even the most oblivious person could tell something was off about her.

’So she did see that letter...’

’Looks like this new partner has her worried—about the dilution of her shares, of course.’

Velin thought, confirming his suspicion.

"Caroline."

Velin interrupted her.

He picked up the plan, rolled it up carefully, and set it aside.

"About the letter I wrote to the Dawn Territory," Velin said, looking into her eyes. "I think we need to talk."

Caroline’s body stiffened slightly.

She thought he was about to lay his cards on the table.

To lay his cards on the table about the countess—about their supposed marriage contract.

Her mind raced, assessing the bargaining chips she held.

The Golden Sail Commerce Association’s fleet, her commercial network spanning the Gray Bay, and this perfect plan she had stayed up all night to create.

’Will it be enough?’

She quickly regained her composure, a perfectly suitable smile appearing on her face.

"I am all ears, my lord. I trust that every decision you make has its reasons."

Her reply was impeccable, repositioning herself as a purely professional partner.

Velin didn’t explain.

He took out another document from under the table and pushed it in front of Caroline.

"This," he said, "is the enemy we are about to face."

Puzzled, Caroline’s gaze fell upon the intelligence report.

The first page detailed the composition of the Unas clan’s main forces.

Three "Giant Tide" class War Giant Beasts. Beside the intel was a rough sketch based on Korsh’s verbal description, depicting a creature even larger than a siege tortoise and with a form more akin to a deep-sea monster.

Eight Centurion-level, Level 5 experts. Behind each name were notes on their specialized combat techniques and past achievements in battle.

Four hundred elite clan Warriors.

Caroline’s fingers brushed across the cold text.

She knew exactly what these numbers meant.

The professional smile on her face finally broke.

"This force... it’s enough to crush everything in the Grey Marsh Territory." Her voice was dry. "We can’t possibly hold them off on our own."

"That’s right. We can’t."

Velin agreed.

He picked up the folded letter and placed it beside the intelligence report on the Sea Race.

"That’s why I need an ally powerful enough."

"An ally who can help us completely trap this force within the bay."

Caroline’s gaze shifted from the terrifying intelligence report to the letter, and finally back to Velin’s face.

Without giving her time to think, Velin began to lay out his strategy.

His pointer moved across the enormous sea chart, indicating one key location after another.

"The Dawn Territory has three things we need most."

"First, high-level combat power. As an established noble house, the Dawn Territory commands one of the more powerful military forces in the southern Duchy. They have troops capable of effectively tying down, or even hunting, the enemy’s Level 5 Transcendents on a large-scale battlefield."

"Second, administrative talent. With the development of the Gray Sea Marsh and the Newly Cultivated Land, we don’t just need a large number of immigrants; we also need an experienced team of Civil Servants to manage the surging population and resources and maintain order. The Grey Marsh Territory is too new; we lack that kind of talent reserve."

"Third, and most crucially, its location."

Velin’s pointer drew a circle on the map, connecting the Dawn Territory to the south with Minas Tirith to the north.

"The main forces of Unas will make landfall along the coast. When they do, our Newly Cultivated Land on the Gray Bay side will become the first line of defense, pinning them in the shallows. Meanwhile, the Dawn Territory, at the southernmost entrance to Gray Bay, can help us control the mouth of the bay, sealing their escape route from the Gray Sea back to the North Sea. Caught in a pincer from the north and south, the Gray Sea will become a giant cage."

When Velin finished, he pushed the letter in front of Caroline, unfolding it completely.

"You can read the letter."

Caroline picked up the letter.

The salutation read, "To the esteemed Countess Diana," and the tone was that of the most formal diplomatic language used between nobles.

The letter detailed the threat the Sea Race invasion posed to the entire northern Duchy, articulated the necessity of a military alliance between the Grey Marsh Territory and the Dawn Territory, and proposed an urgent meeting between the two sides to discuss the details of a joint military operation.

It was filled with strategic analysis and matters of mutual benefit; not a single word touched upon personal feelings.

Caroline read it silently, word for word.

Her face was expressionless, but deep inside, a tightly wound knot of tension began to loosen.

She wasn’t happy because Velin and the countess shared no personal relationship.

She was happy because Velin had chosen to lay everything bare before her—his most vital strategic plans, all without reservation.

He hadn’t brushed her off with a "This is my private affair," nor had he tried to placate her with a "Please, just trust me."

He had simply laid all his cards on the table: the intelligence, the plan, everything.

This show of trust was more powerful than any explanation.

"I understand."

Caroline put down the letter and nodded solemnly.

The tension and agitation in her eyes vanished, replaced by an unprecedented determination.

She looked at the huge sea chart, her gaze returning to its usual sharpness.

"Your plan is excellent. But negotiating with the Dawn Territory will take time. While you’re away, the home front in the Grey Marsh Territory must be completely secure."

She picked up the immigrant transport plan again.

"The Golden Sail Commerce Association will mobilize all its resources to ensure the first phase of the ’Newly Cultivated Land Plan’ and the ’Immigrant Plan’ are completed before your return."

Her finger tapped on the dangerous sea route by Wind Shear Island.

"For our shared future."

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