98: undercurrent

The appointment of the "Supreme Commander of Humanity"!

The "Ultimate Battle" mobilization order!

These two messages,

like an irresistible decree, spread throughout every corner of the Dawn Continent at an unprecedented speed, propelled by the information network controlled by Spirit Eye.

Official propaganda molded Brian into the sole savior, and public opinion, intentionally guided, boiled over.

Fervent worship of Brian had become a religion in the three northern kingdoms and was beginning to spread like wildfire in the south.

Under this banner, a tapestry of "survival" and "righteousness," Brian's integration machine began to operate at full speed.

Teams of instructor-type robots, resource allocation officials, and "Divine Revelation Secret Art" executors hidden within the ranks,

formed work teams,

carrying the decrees of the Supreme Commander's Headquarters,

and departed for various locations.

However,

the influence of the Mental Seed lay in subtly twisting individual cognitive tendencies,

but it was difficult to instantly erase power structures formed over centuries, deeply ingrained aristocratic pride, and calculations based on real interests.

Undercurrents,

began to surge beneath the seemingly calm surface.

The first undercurrent originated from the "ancient pride" of the military system.

In the royal capital of the Feiori Kingdom, the headquarters of the Gale Knights, known as the "Shield of the Kingdom," welcomed the instructor team dispatched by Brian.

Leading the team was a cold-faced human officer, followed by ten silent instructor-type robots.

They were received by the Knight Order Commander, Sir Galt.

He was a peak Fourth-Rank Knight, with slightly graying temples, eyes as sharp as an eagle's, exuding the fierce courage of a battle-hardened veteran and the unique reserve of an ancient noble.

He was not impolite, but his pride, stemming from history and strength, formed an invisible wall.

"Welcome, everyone,"

Galt's tone was steady, yet carried an undeniable distance,

"The training regulations of the Gale Knights were forged with the blood of the founding monarch and the first knights. For three hundred years, it has helped us defeat countless powerful enemies and guard the glory of the Kingdom."

His gaze swept over the cold robots, and a nearly imperceptible hint of disdain appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"Your Excellency's 'human-machine collaboration' and 'standardization' sound quite novel. But the glory of a knight lies in charging, in the perfect understanding with his mount, and in the tradition defended with sword and shield. To ask us to abandon time-tested battle tactics to cooperate with these... iron lumps, forgive my bluntness, but it will take time for the knights to 'understand' and 'adapt'."

He used the most standard official rhetoric,

enveloping direct resistance in the procedural delay of "requiring study."

This was a soft resistance!

Stemming from a firm belief in their own traditions and an instinctive rejection of unknown changes.

The second undercurrent came from the "interest barriers" of local nobles.

In the distant south of the Warren Kingdom,

where the climate was warm and the land fertile, the great nobles had for generations managed vast estates and mines, living affluent lives.

The threat of orcs?

That was a distant story only northern barbarians needed to worry about!

When the Supreme Commander's Headquarters' material requisition orders reached the hands of several great nobles who controlled grain-producing regions and fine iron mines,

they outwardly accepted the orders respectfully,

but then turned around and began their exquisite "feigned compliance."

"Oh dear, it's not that we don't want to support the front lines, it's just that several main roads leading north are undergoing large-scale repairs, making it difficult for convoys to pass!"

A marquis sighed to the special envoy urging action.

"What's stacked in the storeroom is indeed grain, but that's strategic reserve, and the procedures for using it are extremely cumbersome, requiring approval by more than two-thirds of the Kingdom Council members..."

"The rainy season is approaching, the roads will be muddy, and transporting now would likely result in over fifty percent loss. Can the Commander's Headquarters compensate for such a huge loss?"

All sorts of high-sounding excuses were thrown out.

Delay,

was their most adept political weapon!

They knew well,

once the massive war machine started!

Every day it consumed vast resources, and the urgency of the front lines was their bargaining chip.

To hand over resources?

That would be to concede their power base!

This resistance, based on the most primitive interests,

was more stubborn and realistic than ideological disagreement.

The third, and most dangerous, undercurrent stemmed from a "vague awareness" of an unknown power.

At the Allied Intelligence Headquarters,

in a secret room filled with Magic Formations,

Intelligence Chief Desai was looking at a top-secret report from a subordinate.

The author was one of his senior internal inspectors,

and also an old mage extremely sensitive to fluctuations in spiritual power.

The wording in the report was extremely cautious, even somewhat hesitant:

"...During routine spiritual examinations of seven colleagues whose behavioral logic showed subtle adjustments after recently attending Supreme Commander's Headquarters meetings,

extremely faint, unknown-attribute, and highly homogeneous spiritual power residues were found on the outer layer of their spiritual landscapes.

This residue was not a natural emanation; its structure was stable, suspected to be some kind of... long-lasting imprint.

Due to the low sample size and intensity, its nature and intent cannot be determined, but the possibility of an external force conducting super-standard information collection or... guidance cannot be ruled out."

Desai looked at the report, his eyes behind his spectacles complex.

His own spiritual world had been seeded, and subconsciously, he trusted Brian implicitly,

but this professional report from one of his most capable subordinates made the rational part of him feel a hint of unease.

He pondered for a long time, finally annotating the report:

"With a major war imminent, stability is paramount. This matter must be kept strictly confidential, not to be spread, lest it shake morale and cause unnecessary suspicion. Continue to observe; no action is to be taken without concrete evidence."

He locked the report in the most confidential filing cabinet, attempting to suppress this doubt.

But he didn't know that this action merely extended the fuse of a potentially explosive bomb by a small amount.

At the top of the Mage Tower,

Brian, through Spirit Eye's real-time monitoring,

clearly saw the surging of these three undercurrents, like watching a sand table exercise.

"Indeed, pure military force can conquer land, but to completely control people's hearts, especially those deeply entrenched interest groups and proud souls, requires more refined operations."

There was no surprise in Brian's tone, only the calm of one who understood human nature,

"It's time to make them understand the cost of resistance."

He turned to Spirit Eye,

and began to issue a series of precise commands.

"Activate the 'Public Opinion' protocol, target: Warren southern nobles."

"Authorize iron oath First Squadron to proceed to the Gale Knights training grounds for 'friendly' joint exercises."

"As for our perceptive mage friend... in the name of the Commander's Headquarters, send him a formal invitation to come to the Commander's Headquarters for 'academic guidance.' It's time for him to undergo a thorough 'health check.'"

The invisible network began to tighten, and Brian's combination of punches was about to strike these daring resistors with thunderous force.

The storm!

Had already arrived!