But then, Shen Mu's lips curved into a smile.
In the past, this was indeed an important tool and key figure for the Diesel Company to plunder the opportunities of others.
But now...
It was a great help for him, Shen Mu, to unify and collect spoils of war and distribute them evenly, achieving a beautiful future so that Blue Star Humans could better enjoy life!
"This is truly excellent." Shen Mu's smile grew even wider.
After a brief chat with Zhang Caidong, Zhang Bo, and the other Blue Star Humans who had been designated as high-level managers, he waved for them to leave the Noble Residence.
The current conversation was merely to reassure them and to signify that they were considered 'their own people' among the Blue Star Humans, serving as a form of encouragement and recognition.
However, for these Blue Star Humans, each of them was extremely grateful and thankful.
After all, in the past, they were merely the lowest-ranking temporary workers. Although they had some influence, compared to the official employees of the Diesel Company, they were truly cannon fodder.
They were completely looked down upon.
Therefore, when these Blue Star Humans entered Shen Mu's management system, they instantly leaped like a carp over the dragon gate, transforming into high-level managers.
Their gratitude towards Shen Mu was still quite strong.
And it is often those who are elevated from the bottom by a benefactor who value loyalty so highly. This, of course, is also what Shen Mu needed.
Then these Blue Star Humans left.
Manid walked over.
As he passed, he paid no mind to the respectful demeanor these Blue Star Humans showed him. Instead, he proactively approached Shen Mu and bowed respectfully, greeting him: "Greetings, Lord Shen Mu."
"Yes, Manid, you've come." Shen Mu gestured for Manid to sit down and said with satisfaction, "I've seen the new buildings you've planned these past two days, and how the Blue Star Humans have moved into the Town Area. You've done very well."
"This is all my duty," Manid replied sincerely.
Although coordinating the Blue Star Humans was Zhang Caidong's job, the Town Area was actually Manid's responsibility.
This included how to allocate housing for the Blue Star Humans and their daily meals. Manid carefully analyzed everything before drafting a plan, which was then relayed by Mount & Blade Soldiers and overseen by Zhang Caidong.
Ostensibly, Zhang Caidong was the manager of the Town Area.
He was responsible for the entire livelihood of the Blue Star Humans.
But in reality, the true management was still handled by Manid, the experienced merchant, whom Shen Mu had appointed as the administrative officer of the Town Area and the steward of the Castle District.
After all, even if Shen Mu believed in trusting those he used and not using those he doubted, and had given power to Zhang Caidong and those Blue Star Humans, he still needed to maintain a bit of vigilance in his heart.
Therefore, Mount & Blade Soldiers and mount & blade Generals, who were entirely born from the Mount & Blade System and Mount & Blade Rules, were specifically placed by Shen Mu at key points.
For example, the power of approval and allocation.
Zhang Caidong could submit reports.
Then his mount & blade Generals could approve the reports, which counted as giving Zhang Caidong the authority to distribute the materials from the approved reports.
However, if his mount & blade Generals did not allow material distribution, then the Mount & Blade Soldiers guarding the granaries and warehouses would absolutely not allow any Blue Star Human near their protected locations.
After all, controlling the granaries and warehouses meant controlling the source of material distribution.
No matter how great Zhang Caidong's power was, as long as Shen Mu gave an order, even if he played tricks with material distribution, once the source was cut off, he would ultimately be like a clever housewife unable to cook without rice.
This was also why Shen Mu dared to delegate power to Zhang Caidong.
It was still the same saying.
Shen Mu truly trusted his mount & blade Generals and Mount & Blade Soldiers. For the Blue Star Humans, they were merely elevated and displayed as mere ornaments.
This was for Faith Power and to serve as a display board for other Blue Star Humans, showing that they too could have opportunities for development in his new human territory!
Therefore, Shen Mu did not listen carefully to any reports Zhang Caidong had. He simply told him to quickly organize all the Blue Star Humans so they could provide mental energy, which was Faith Power to him, as soon as possible.
This was of utmost importance.
Now, Shen Mu, on the other hand, listened attentively to Manid's report, especially regarding Manid's suggestions for subsequent town construction and development, and he pondered them seriously.
Of course, these were also some of Manid's personal insights, and they were quite in line with Deherim's current plans.
Shen Mu did not want to interfere too much.
He merely offered Manid a few small suggestions based on his experience with urban construction on Earth, leaving the rest entirely to Manid to arrange.
Currently, Shen Mu was more concerned with military matters.
After all, for him now, there were too many dangers and risks. If the military couldn't keep up, then everything else would be empty talk.
And while Shen Mu and Manid were conversing, outside, his other generals had already gathered.
Of course, James and Fatis were the first to arrive.
Earlier, Fatis had been overseeing the assurance, so he had not seen Lezalit and Bestour.
But when he finished his patrol and happened to see James about to come over, he joined him, and had already heard from James about the two evil-aligned generals arriving.
However, for the steady Fatis, there were no excessive words or aversion; he simply chose to silently accept it.
Because this was Shen Mu's arrangement.
Fatis believed he only needed to obey orders. After all, as a noble and a soldier, he only needed to obey.
"Lord Shen Mu."
"Lord Shen Mu."
Fatis and James jointly bowed and greeted Shen Mu.
"Mm." Shen Mu nodded, gesturing for Fatis and James to come and sit down, and also asked them to talk about their work over the past two days.
While conversing, he was, of course, also waiting for Bandak, Lezalit, and Bestour to return after touring the Castle District.
Because just a moment ago, Shen Mu had already arranged for the kitchen to prepare some delicious food as soon as possible to comfort their hungry stomachs, which had been eating simply during their time away.
After all, Shen Mu could never get enough of Halfling cuisine.
In Shen Mu's opinion, these Halfling chefs were completely on par with master chefs from his previous life on Earth.
Eating the food prepared by these Halflings was a true enjoyment.
It was comparable to spiritual comfort!
And very soon.
Bandak had already led Lezalit and Bestour on a tour of the Castle District, introducing them to all the defensive fortifications within the Castle District.
As well as the various defensive strongpoints.
Then he led the two of them back to the Noble Residence.
"Lord Shen Mu, I have already led Mr. Lezalit and Mr. Bestour on a tour of the entire Castle District, and I have also introduced them to all the defensive fortifications and strongpoints within the Castle District."
Bandak respectfully bowed first, greeted him, and then reported.
"Mm, well done."
Shen Mu nodded and gestured for all three of them to come and sit together.
However, at this moment, the two sides of the long table were clearly divided into two groups.
Previously, the combat-oriented generals sat on the right, while Manid and James, as non-combat generals, sat on the right.
Now, Fatis was the main one, sitting first on the right, followed by Bandak, James, and Manid.
If Aleron were still here, he would sit before Bandak, in the second position.
They were arranged according to rank and noble status.
It was an unspoken understanding among them.
And on the left side, Lezalit was sitting, followed by Bestour.
After all, Lezalit, as an instructor and an all-rounder, and also of high noble birth, was indeed above Bestour's status as a Kujit Steppe Khanate noble.
But this also clearly distinguished the generals of the good alignment from the generals of the evil alignment.
It was also their respective seating arrangement under Shen Mu's command.
Of course, these were minor details that Shen Mu didn't need to care about. It was excellent that they could arrange their own seating and find their places.
After all, he didn't want to get involved in these small matters.
And soon, the Halflings from the kitchen brought over the prepared delicacies.
"Lord Shen Mu, and all lords, this is the lunch we have carefully prepared." The Halfling chefs also bowed respectfully and said, "We hope you will be satisfied with our cooking."
Then these Halflings slowly retreated, returning to the kitchen.
"Oh wow, what a feast." To Shen Mu's left, Lezalit's eyes lit up slightly at this moment.
Bestour also showed a pleasant smile on his face.
This was their first time tasting food prepared by the Halfling race, so they were quite surprised by the food placed on the trays on the table in front of them.
Because all these dishes were perfect in color, aroma, and taste. Just the fragrance emanating from the table in front of them made their mouths water.
This was truly delicious.
Whether by smell or in their hearts, they were already certain that these foods made them extremely happy.
Of course, at this moment, for Fatis, Bandak, James, and Manid, the four generals of the good alignment, the drooling appearance of the two truly exposed their selfish qualities, causing a bit of disdain to grow in their hearts.
After all, when faced with delicious food, one must maintain one's demeanor, otherwise, one will be looked down upon.
This is a person's character, the most basic manifestation. In fact, it's also one of the reasons they found within themselves to dislike the Evil Faction generals.
As for Lezalit and Bestour, they simply didn't care what the Good Faction guys in front of them thought of them.
They also admitted that they were quite selfish.
Such good food was right in front of them; if they couldn't feast to their heart's content, it would be equivalent to all this delicious food going to waste.
Of course, since Shen Mu was still here, Lezalit and Bestour didn't rush to pick up their knives and forks. Instead, they turned to look at Shen Mu, waiting for their lord to speak before they could begin eating.
"Alright, everyone, let's eat," Shen Mu's lips curved slightly, quite pleased with their performance. Then, he gestured for everyone to start eating.
Because these foods were indeed quite delicious.
On the tray in front of Shen Mu, everyone's food was actually the same.
The main course was extremely tender antelope meat, stewed with spices, a base of savory and slightly spicy flavors, and a little honey, milk, and water.
There was also baked sliced white bread, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and with a golden-brown crust.
This was accompanied by side dishes made from boiled onions, carrots, and cabbage.
In addition, there were pan-fried eggs, dried meat, and sausages.
Finally, each person received a large cup of mead.
And a large bowl of extremely thick wheat porridge, boiled with wheat grains, and containing chopped vegetables, salted fish, and antelope meat.
It was, of course, a very rich lunch.
"Thank you for your hospitality," Lezalit, Bestour, and the other generals all bowed their heads in thanks, then began to feast, picking up the knives, forks, and spoons in front of them and eating the food.
However, Lezalit and Bestour truly lost their composure at this point. After the first bite, both of their eyes lit up slightly.
The crispy bread paired with the tender, stewed antelope meat made them feel as if their tongues would be chewed up and swallowed.
Although one of them was a noble from a ducal family in another region.
And the other was a tribal noble from the Kujit Steppe.
And both were considered geniuses in their respective fields, having enjoyed various delicacies, beautiful women, and a carefree life.
When they first tasted the food prepared by the Halfling, a dexterous race from the Spirit World known as a famous chef race, they still felt a sense of awe.
"This is truly delicious," Lezalit and Bestour exclaimed, their knives and forks already put down. They directly used their hands to tear and chew the bread.
The only thing still in their hands was a spoon, which they used to scoop large mouthfuls of the extremely tender stewed antelope meat, so soft it would fall apart with just a touch.
They also poured the thick antelope broth over the crispy bread, which further enhanced the flavor, and ate it in large bites with the boiled onions on the side, making crunching sounds.
"Eat slowly, there's still a lot in the kitchen," Shen Mu advised them at this point, as their eating manners were indeed not very graceful.
"Of course, we understand," Lezalit and Bestour finally swallowed all the food in their mouths, then picked up the mead next to them and took large gulps to wash the food down their throats into their stomachs, letting out a satisfied sigh.
"Apologies, Lord Shen Mu, after battles, we always like to relieve our suppressed emotions with delicious food."
Lezalit also noticed the disdainful looks from the Good Faction generals regarding his eating habits just now.
But he didn't care about their gazes at all.
Instead, he puffed out his chest and said boastfully, "After all, although the food in New Rivadin is plentiful, it's not as delicious as the food you, Lord Shen Mu, have arranged for these Spirit World races called Halflings to cook. If possible, I would like to be under your command and, after every fierce battle, be able to enjoy the delicacies provided by the Halflings you've arranged for us."
"That's right, Lord Shen Mu, the food prepared for us by these races you've arranged, called Halflings, is one of the reasons I'm willing to die for you!" Even Bestour puffed out his chest and spoke at this moment.
These words were like an oath of allegiance, and also a form of flattery.
Normally, those Good Faction generals wouldn't casually say such sycophantic words; when they spoke, it was always in a very formal manner of allegiance.
And such flattering words were indeed quite fitting for these generals from the Evil Faction who had already experienced the ways of the world, gone through many real-life trials and tribulations, and had become completely pragmatic.
After all, people need to be realistic, otherwise, reality will teach you a lesson.
"Hahahaha," Shen Mu was indeed quite pleased by these flattering words at this moment, and he nodded, saying, "Of course, as long as you fight hard for me, you will always be able to enjoy the delicious food provided by these Halflings."
At the same time, he noticed that the expressions of some of the Good Faction members had changed, as if they hadn't expected these two to say such nauseating words, and they looked quite complex.
He also spoke to comfort them, "No matter what, since you've come under my command, I hope you can unite and fight against those terrifying monsters, instead of fighting amongst yourselves here."
This was also a reminder.
"Of course, Lord Shen Mu, we will unite and jointly resist external enemies."
At this moment, whether they were from the Good Faction or the Evil Faction, these generals all gave a unified response, indicating their attitude.
After all, that's just how it is.
If they couldn't unite, encountering Undead Monsters, Abyssal Demons, or Hell Devil would threaten their lives.
After all, to those monsters, they were all the same kind of people, all humans, all targets to be killed.
The enemy had already seen them as targets for slaughter.
And they were still fighting amongst themselves.
That would be an extremely foolish act. They were all the cream of the crop, and regardless of their naive ideals or sordid realities.
Now, they were all united around Shen Mu to resist the monsters from another world.
To prevent their own world from being completely destroyed.
It was a noble act.
No matter what their individual shortcomings were, as long as this noble act could lead to a beautiful outcome, that was enough.
This was also why, when they heard Shen Mu say that he needed them to unite, they responded so affirmatively and certainly.
"Very good, I hope you can keep it up," Shen Mu was quite satisfied with their answer.
After all, before he returned, he was worried that these Good Faction generals wouldn't accept the Evil Faction generals.
And that the generals of the two factions would develop hostile emotions due to their respective stances.
If they started an internal struggle, that would be even worse.
But now, it seemed alright.
On major issues, the generals of these two factions were not confused.
After all, in the game, the trainers of these two factions were truly incompatible. As soon as they were mixed together, after a few arguments, a general would definitely leave the team.
It could even be said that as long as all these generals were gathered together, arguments would occur every moment of every day, and even extreme situations would arise due to previous conflicts.
This was, of course, a kind of fun in the game, and a way to increase gameplay and choices in management.
After all, players also needed to join one of the factions to increase replayability.
But in this reality, this replayability couldn't be taken seriously.
Of course, Shen Mu was also quite satisfied now. Although they would also have arguments, due to the appearance of the other world and monsters, their arguments were considerably restrained.
After all, having a common enemy and common high pressure to push them, forced them to unite.
This was really good.
"However, if we're talking about factions, these Good Faction and Evil Faction generals seem to have one common characteristic."
Shen Mu suddenly had an idea in his mind at this moment.
He frowned.
He looked at these generals, and a word suddenly appeared in his mind: "My trainers, whether they are from the Good Faction or the Evil Faction, their character and personal behavior seem to have one thing in common."
His tone paused slightly.
Shen Mu pondered, "Lawful."
That's right, that's the word.
Lawful!
It's just that their alignment is Lawful Good and Lawful Evil, respectively.
They all belong to the Lawful Alignment.
They advocate order.
"I remember Elder Polo once said," Shen Mu recalled some words Elder Polo had said earlier.
"In understanding, there are Lawful Alignments and Chaotic Alignments, and to some extent, the division between these two alignments is more intense than the conflict between Good and Evil backgrounds."
Shen Mu also thought of the Abyssal Demons and Hell Devil, these two races.
Abyssal Demons are absolutely Chaotic Evil.
While Hell Devil are Lawful Evil.
Even though they have tacitly cooperated to invade the Blue Star World, they would still fight fiercely if they encountered each other.
They would never let each other go.
"Alignment?" Shen Mu's eyes became even more thoughtful at this moment: "It seems this concerns the distribution of major powers in the Spirit World."