What happened in the past week was bound to make many people sleepless at night.
The Free city-state parliament, which had always been known for its inefficiency and wrangling, actually passed the motion of forming a wartime alliance with the Lionheart Empire in just four days. According to the terms of the motion, both sides would fully disclose to each other the military arrangements and movements of each army within their borders. At the same time, all ports would be opened, and when the war progressed to a certain stage, the possibility of entering each other's territory to fight was not ruled out. In addition to that, there were a series of joint provisions including commerce, food support, and refugee reception.
According to McConnell, "We and the Lionheart Empire have different systems of government and political philosophy. The people of the Free city-state will never give up the pursuit of independence and freedom. However, we are all part of the human world. When disaster comes, we should work together to overcome the difficulties, just like our ancestors did. Therefore, we choose to accept His Majesty Lionheart VII's proposal and form an alliance with the Lionheart Empire to deal with the upcoming catastrophe together."
The final decision of the Free city-state was not unexpected. Although it was a joint governing body composed of many forces and classes, the south was the hometown of the ancestor of sorcerers, Roland, the birthplace of magic, and the traditional sphere of influence of sorcerers.
As early as the incident in Setta City, the Free city-state was the first human country to speak out.
However, no one had expected that the council led by McConnel would reach a consensus in such a short period of time. D 'Idarion had just taken over the Magic Association, so logically speaking, he shouldn't have made such a quick move. Therefore, there was only one explanation: Da Vinci, Staines, and the others had already made corresponding arrangements, and now, it finally played its role.
Then, when Lionheart VII personally led the Royal First, Third, and Sixth Knight Regiments across the border and set foot on the territory of the Sacred Alliance, the entire Dawn Continent was shocked.
Then, the Lionheart Empire issued a three-page crusade, revealing the truth that the church led by Vennar V had betrayed the interests of the human race and was willing to become the lackeys of the gods.
However, it was undeniable that the number of believers in the entire human world accounted for more than half of the population. This was especially true in the Holy Alliance ruled by the Temple of Light. The people's worship of the Church and the Gods was not something that could be changed in an instant. Although the believers had begun to waver after the incident in the north, the attack on Williams, and the change in Setta City, it did not mean that they would welcome the invaders from the Lionheart Empire.
However, Lionheart VII's target had never been those ordinary cities. In order to ensure the element of surprise and mobility, the old Lion King did not choose any troops other than the cavalry. Once they crossed the border of the Sacred Alliance, they would head straight for Saint Massa. The two armies would meet within the borders of the Kingdom of Falo, and if everything went smoothly, they would be able to surround the capital of the Sacred Alliance in less than two months.
Elwood was currently in a state of panic. He was still looking for someone to discuss the church's handling and response plan after the war in Setar City, but he didn't expect Reinhardt VII to suddenly send his army to the border without any warning.
By the time he received the declaration of war, the Lionheart Empire's cavalry had already penetrated more than two hundred kilometers into the Holy Alliance's territory.
The church was in a flurry. Elwood sent messengers to denounce the Lionheart Empire's invasion while mobilizing the army for war.
As more and more news came from various places, Elwood breathed a sigh of relief. The Lionheart Empire's attack this time was fierce. Reinhardt VII personally led the army, and the elites of the empire were chosen. Fortunately, the number of people was not as large as expected. He personally led the first, third, and sixth knight regiments, which numbered about 150,000 people. In addition, there was also an army led by the Red Fox Duke Milford. The latter was the most famous general of the Lionheart Empire, and under his command were two regiments of knights, totaling 70,000 people.
In other words, even if both sides added up, it would only be a little more than 200,000 people. This was also the disadvantage of a surprise attack.
Such a force might be enough to flatten a small country, but in the Holy Alliance of the same level, it was still too weak.
Due to the frequent occurrence of Abyssal Cracks in recent years, the church had also strengthened its military reserves. Now, the church had as many as 16 armies under its command, numbering more than a million people. In addition, there were also local armed forces used to maintain law and order in the various countries under its rule. Thus, if it really needed to be mobilized, Elwood could gather an army of more than three million people.
— — But the premise of all this was that he had enough time.
Elwood made a rough estimate. According to Lionheart VII's current momentum, he should be able to organize 300,000 troops of the Temple and 200,000 local troops before the enemy reached the city. The Pope felt slightly relieved. These people might not be a match for Lionheart VII in a real battle, but it was more than enough to build a solid line of defense. And as long as the 200,000 people of the Lionheart Empire were tied down, the balance of victory would naturally shift in the church's favor.
The Holy Alliance, which fought on its own, would receive an endless supply of reinforcements. On the other hand, once Lionheart VII was tied down and lost his mobility, he was destined to be unable to escape the fate of being constantly nibbled away. At that time, it would be impossible for him to retreat even if he wanted to.
Elwood was already prepared to teach the old Lion King a deep and unforgettable lesson. After the initial panic, the supreme ruler of the Holy Alliance had regained his composure. Elwood even began to feel that the Lionheart Empire's declaration of war against the church wasn't entirely a bad thing.
Perhaps by doing so, the Holy Alliance, the Mage Association, and the Lionheart Empire would completely break off relations. That way, perhaps those eternal and great existences wouldn't blame the incident in Setta City on the church.
That's right. Compared to the Lionheart Empire's army, Elwood was more worried about something else. After the incident in Setta City, the church had cut off contact with them. The number of Oracles was already very small, and one of them had already stepped down three years ago because he was too old. The successor, Van 'er the Fifth, had now left the human world, leaving only a student here to patronize him. The young man named Flo had recently tried to communicate with the other side, but the pious pleas he sent out were like stones thrown into the ocean.
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