Chapter 1294 - 1212: Only Just Beginning
The luxurious ship sailed on the Nao’an River, cutting through the autumn wind as it went.
Thierry, having changed into a woolen blend coat, hesitated for a long time at the door of a cabin before gently knocking.
"Lord Lorenzo, may I come in?"
"Come in." The voice inside remained composed to the point of being cold.
Stepping inside, Thierry stood before Lorenzo, who had just set his book aside, and hesitated for a long while.
It seemed Lorenzo knew what Thierry wanted to ask, but he did not speak, simply waiting quietly.
"Teacher, are we really going to sign the treaty at Black Mud Castle?"
"What else? Are we here on vacation?"
"Do you really believe the vampires will uphold the treaty? You know, because of your actions, many think you’re, you’re..." Thierry trailed off without finishing.
Lorenzo simply placed the book down and pointed to the chair in front of him, indicating for Thierry to sit down: "What do you think?"
"I don’t think you’re a traitor, nor a coward."
Lorenzo did not directly respond to the question, instead gazing out the window, staring at the flowing water for a long time.
"I don’t know if you’ve received the news." Lorenzo took off his glasses and wiped the fog from them with a handkerchief, "Omes has fled."
"Who? Duke Omes?" Thierry seemed unable to believe his ears and confirmed repeatedly.
"Who else could it be? A regent with no sense of responsibility." Putting his glasses back on, Lorenzo spoke disgustedly, "He’s probably scared."
Duke Omes was indeed scared, and more so, regretful.
How could he have been so blinded by greed to take on this mess?
Currently, Leia’s south is eyed covetously by the Falan, and the east craved by the Holy Alliance.
One could have still been the monkey watching two tigers fight, but now vampires are landing in the north and west.
They can’t win the internal wars, nor the external ones.
If they keep losing, even the homeland will be gone.
The northern army of the Royal Court seems poised to invade from the south, forcing Duke Omes to sign the treaty.
Omes knew he had to sign, but once signed, his reputation and prestige would be destroyed, and feudal lords everywhere would rise up.
But if he didn’t sign, the nobles at home would rebel.
Since he was doomed both inside and out, Omes simply refused to act.
He pretended ignorance of the treaty, took his old family treasures, feigning illness, and hid in Thorn Garden with gold, silver, artisans, and beauties.
Currently, Leia is in a state of vacancy, and the great nobles and lords of Leia are already prepared for battle.
The second civil war is about to break out.
Evidently, in the eyes of the Royal Court, Leia is also a meal on the table.
"So what should we do?"
"We’ll support King Jiji’s ascent to make him sign and stabilize Leia first."
This was also an important factor in Lorenzo’s decision to sign the treaty.
It doesn’t matter if Leia is ruined, but it would be bad if the stationed foreign corps were dragged in.
With Falan having suffered several defeats, it’s time for strategic withdrawal.
They need to recall the corps and focus on dealing with the vampires.
Thierry was no fool and immediately understood the implication.
He clenched his fists, his face reddened with pent-up emotion, and finally could only say, "Omes is really a mo..."
"Enough, are you some country bumpkin? A noble must remain calm and graceful at all times, especially given the position you’ll hold in the future."
Lorenzo’s tone was indifferent as he adjusted his new glasses that kept slipping.
It wasn’t that he couldn’t afford a suitable pair, just that he hadn’t had time to get them.
After all, upon hearing the news yesterday, he uttered Falan’s curses while smashing the old companion that had been with him for over a decade.
Thierry naturally bowed his head to take the lesson: "I lost my composure."
"The situation in Leia is just one factor; next is the situation with Norn." Lorenzo, finding the glasses not sitting well, simply took them off, "The situation in Norn..."
Seeing Thierry with paper and pen ready to take notes, Lorenzo suddenly laughed: "Hey, the materials I sent you, you must have read them before this leave, right? How about you tell it, okay?"
In the cold weather, Thierry broke out in a sweat.
He began straining to recall from his three days of drunken stupor the documents he skimmed three days ago.
After staring at Lorenzo’s gaze and recalling for several seconds, he slowly began to speak.
Regarding the northern army, as the governance stabilized, Lakunio immediately began the second phase of action — winning over reliable forces.
At this time, the jurisdiction of the northern army had already encompassed most of the Roaring Corridor, beginning to border the territories of the Dwarves and even Centaurs.
Due to old grudges and envy towards human wealth, Centaurs, Dwarves, Beastmen, and other races chose to join the Royal Court.
Within the Royal Court, there are only masters and slaves.
The master vampires are superior, and naturally, all other races are inferior.
Although they are all low-ranking, clearly some are born even lower-ranking.
Because humans have not proven their worth on the northern front, they are currently the lowest-ranking race in the Northern army.
With the support of vampires, and the greatest enemy Bear Castle Territory gone, the dwarves of Furnace Plateau instantly raised the banner of revenge.
They began to organize their military preparations, crafting weapons and equipment for the Royal Court while preparing to march south to seize land on the plains.
The immense pressure finally descended upon the heads of the Great Monarch Norn, and the scattered Great Monarch Norn began to choose sides.
To resist or to surrender, that is the question.
According to the information brought by the Flanlaya spies, apart from a few northern cities and territories that chose to join the Royal Court, the vast majority of Great Monarch Norn chose to resist.
Currently, the election ceremony has already started in Mai Xiang Castle, with the monarchs or their envoys beginning to arrive to vote.
According to Lorenzo’s own speculations, it is highly likely that they will re-elect the Norn Chosen King within the next month.
According to reliable sources, in the election so far, the Codfish Castle Monarch Shandesen and the Chicken Drumstick Castle Monarch Yekashausen are significantly leading others in votes.
According to the Norn Chosen King rules, all Great Monarch Norn must vote again between the top two candidates.
Is it the more powerful and Falan-leaning Shandesen, or the weaker but Holy Alliance-leaning Yekashausen?
The result should be reached soon.
In other words, it is highly likely the Norn people will join the war, adding a formidable force.
"Well said." Lorenzo nodded in satisfaction, "But I need to correct one point."
"Please go ahead."
"The Norn army is not a formidable force; they can only rely on their terrible depth to hold back the Northern army. We cannot treat them as a decisive force."
"The Norn people never disappoint when it comes to disappointment."
"I understand." Thierry pulled out the Dick gold pen given by his old friend from the Holy Alliance and quickly jotted it down in his personal notebook.
In nearly a decade, the Joan paper from the Holy Alliance has become popular throughout the empire.
The small notebook used for jotting down notes at any time has become a standard among many Falan bureaucrats.
Falan’s paper factories are naturally disgruntled, but given the current enemy pressure, they are ordered not to act.
As for Leia, it’s been directly subdued by the military strength of the Holy Alliance, not daring to act at all.
The Joan of Arc Castle Paper Company now essentially monopolizes the empire’s paper industry.
After finishing the note, Thierry turned to the next page: "We’ve talked about the situation on the Norn side, now what about our side?"
Lorenzo rarely smiled wryly, though his naturally harsh face made even his wry smiles seem like sneers.
Falan, although not exactly filled with triumphant news, can also be said to be in turmoil.
There’s the matter with the Empress Dowager, with Charles, with the traditional nobility, with the new nobility, with the bishops, with the business owners...
Various forces and classes causing upheaval all over.
Some want to continue fighting, some want to settle accounts first, and others want to keep doing business with the Royal Court.
But no matter what, they can’t keep fighting.
Firstly, because given the current situation, Falan’s military forces are dispersed, continuing the fight would just lead to wave after wave futile efforts.
The reason King Jiji was defeated at Thousand River Valley was precisely this.
Secondly, pressure from several defeats, if utilized well, could turn into motivation for reform.
The Leamington and massacre events have already made many Falan people realize that vampires are their natural enemies.
Thanks to the Holy Alliance for inventing the newspaper.
A century ago, forming such public opinion would take at least three to five years.
Riding this wave of public opinion, Charles VIII decided to mimic the Holy Alliance’s constitutional conventions, convening a triple meeting of citizens, priests, and nobles.
Of course, it’s not for a constitution, but for raising money, legislation, and unifying thought.
"Mobilize all nationals of Falan to pride in their nation, turning it into a consensus for war!"
"Then turn this consensus into motivation for reform, eventually leading to a new Falan rising from the ashes after the war!"
This is what Charles VIII said to Lorenzo while knocking on the table.
He wants internal reform and foreign war efforts to be executed simultaneously, as the flames of war spread across Falan, leading to its rebirth through fire.
Also, Lorenzo hasn’t been idle.
The current situation is already clear.
The former powerhouse alliance of Falan, Leia, and Norn has collapsed.
The baton will be passed to the new powerhouse alliance of Falan, Holy Alliance, and Norn.
"And what about the Leia Kingdom?"
"Where do you think the battlefield of this new Hundred Years’ War is chosen?"
Lorenzo must strive for time, which is also to buy time for the new powerhouse alliance.
Even if it means shouldering countless ignorant curses.
"Has the new Hundred Years’ War ended?" recalling the headline in the newspaper, Lorenzo looked out the window, "It’s just beginning!"