— — — — — — —
That was the one thing no one in the Charlotte Family could resist.
"Ha! What are you all laughing at?" Cracker scoffed as he listened to his older siblings teasing him. "At least I have desserts! What about you guys? Hah!"
The moment those words left his mouth, the atmosphere changed dramatically.
"Huh?"
Cracker suddenly felt an ominous shift in the way his siblings were looking at him.
At that moment, he fell into silence.
But...It was too late to take his words back!
All he could do now was shut his mouth and pray that whatever punishment was coming wouldn't be too painful.
Amande shot Cracker a sharp glare before turning to their eldest brother. "Big Brother! Using Cracker's Biscuit Soldiers is fine for the short term, but in the long run, we need to produce real elites."
"After all, Biscuit Soldiers have a very low growth ceiling. It's impossible for Cracker to continuously create those 'perfect' soldiers."
Cracker nodded in agreement. "Big Brother, creating those perfect Biscuit Soldiers takes way too much time. It's just not realistic."
Joey remained calm as he responded, "I understand. The best approach is to start selecting elites from the non-human races. But even that won't be an easy task."
Perospero added, "Big Brother! We should aim for an initial force of 100,000 elite troops. We'll train them using elite methods. As for the racial composition, we'll follow Amande's suggestion—50,000 from the Fish-Man race and 50,000 from the Longarm race."
Joey thought for a moment before nodding. "That sounds reasonable. But besides that, I also want to establish a truly divine force."
"Huh?"
Everyone was stunned and turned their eyes to Joey in confusion.
Joey then asked, "Amande, how many races exist within Totto Land?"
Amande immediately began listing them off, "Giants, Tontattas, Dwarves, Goblins, Longarms, Longlegs, Angels, Fish-Men, Merfolk, Three-Eyes, Snake-Necks, Oni, Beastmen, Elves… and many more."
Joey nodded.
Then, with a serious expression, he announced, "Amande, you'll be in charge of this. I want 100 individuals from each race. No more, no less."
Amande was momentarily surprised but quickly understood. "Big Brother, no problem! 100 from each race, correct?"
Joey's gaze sharpened. "That's right! I'm not just forming an elite unit—I'm creating an army that belongs solely to the Charlotte Family. A force that, in the future, will grow without limit! Every race will contribute 100 members, and that will be enough."
Perospero's expression turned serious. "Big Brother… are you planning to create the most powerful force imaginable?"
"Just powerful? No! I'm building an army of gods!" Joey's eyes gleamed with unshakable confidence.
This matter was officially decided. Now, it was time to take action.
— — —
Half a Month Later…
Oven, Daifuku, Opera, and Counter finally returned.
Stepping off their Cloud Ship, Daifuku turned to the goblins beside him and couldn't help but praise them. "I have to admit, your race truly has an incredible talent for business."
The goblins grinned. "Master Daifuku, your praise is our greatest motivation! This was a simple matter!"
"Hahaha!"
The group laughed, clearly pleased with their successful business trip.
Though goblins were known for their… less-than-appealing appearances, Daifuku, Oven, Opera, and Counter had witnessed firsthand just how capable they were.
There was no denying it.
Whether in commerce, engineering, or alchemy, goblins were top-tier experts.
And when it came to construction, they were equally skilled.
"Hmm?"
Oven noticed a commotion in the cake island and asked curiously, "What's going on here?"
Opera spotted Cadenza dashing past them and called out, "Cadenza? What happened?"
"Huh?"
Cadenza skidded to a stop and turned back with excitement. "Daifuku! Oven! Opera! Come help me!"
"Counter, you can handle the goblins—I've got urgent matters to deal with that will need the help of the others."
"Hurry! Amande is waiting!"
Without another word, Cadenza sprinted off.
Seeing this, the brothers knew something big was happening.
Without hesitation, the three of them rushed off, while Counter stayed behind to manage the goblins.
---
On Cake Island…
By now, the island was packed with thousands of Biscuit Soldiers maintaining order.
"Over here! This way!"
"Everyone, stay in line!"
"No fighting allowed!"
Following their commands, the Fish-Men and Longarms were being organized.
Daifuku walked up to a Biscuit Soldier and asked, "What's the situation?"
The soldier saluted respectfully. "Young Master Daifuku! You've returned! The Patriarch has ordered the selection of 100,000 elite troops—50,000 from the Fish-Men and 50,000 from the Longarms."
"We're currently in the middle of the selection process and need your assistance."
Oven looked around. "Where are Perospero and Katakuri?"
The soldier answered, "Master Perospero and Master Katakuri are on the other side of the island. They're overseeing the selection of the most elite individuals."
"Each race is providing 100 members to form the most powerful force under Lord Joey's command."
"I see…"
Daifuku and Oven nodded in understanding.
Opera and Cadenza joined the selection efforts, while Daifuku and Oven headed toward the other side of the island.
Unlike the crowded selection process happening here, the elite selection was much quieter.
Here, Katakuri observed every candidate with terrifying sharpness.
"Hmm."
After a moment, he nodded. "The 100 Fish-Men have been selected."
Perospero let out a tired sigh. "Biscuit Soldiers! Escort these 100 Fish-Men to rest! Training begins with the basics!"
"Yes, sir!"
With that, the selected recruits were taken away.
Perospero and Katakuri, meanwhile, looked exhausted.
As for Cracker? He was completely slumped on a couch, looking half-dead.
Over the past half-month, he had created 150,000 Biscuit Soldiers.
Every single day, he was pushed to his limit.
At this point, just looking at Biscuit Soldiers made him want to vomit.
"Hey! Katakuri! Perospero!"
Daifuku and Oven arrived, looking a bit confused at their exhausted siblings.
Katakuri sighed and rubbed his temples. "You're back. We've been completely swamped with work."
Perospero added, "So far, we've completed the selection for the Oni, Longarm, Fish-Man, and Giant races."
"That leaves the Merfolk, Goblins, Elves, Tontattas, Longlegs, Snake-Necks, Three-Eyes, Beastmen, Dwarves, and Angels… ten more races to go."
Both of them sighed heavily.
This selection process wasn't just about picking the strongest fighters.
They also had to evaluate character, mentality, and other factors.
It was an exhausting task.
Katakuri shook his head. "At least we've finished selecting from the biggest groups. The rest will take time, but we'll manage."
Perospero nodded.
Daifuku and Oven, now fully aware of the situation, exchanged uneasy glances.
After hearing how brutal this process was, they suddenly regretted coming here.
Unfortunately…Katakuri wasn't about to let them off the hook.
"You two! You're helping from now on! Do you understand?"
"…Yes, sir." x2
Inside, they wanted to cry.
---
Meanwhile, Joey was handling his own business.
[Beep—]
The video call connected.
Joey's voice was calm. "Lion King, is our deal ready?"
The Lion King nodded. "Everything is set."
"Then let's begin."
With that, the trade commenced.
Joey smirked. "Next time, I'll be interested in Dragon or Fairy tribes. I don't need any more armor—I already have 5,000 sets."
He was no longer concerned with gathering equipment.
Now, his focus was purely on securing the rarest and most powerful warriors.
.
.
.