A gust of cold wind blew into the Obsidian Palace. The tall and burly Ferdinand? Grand Duke Wendell walked through the long corridor like the wind. The attendants retreated to the sides respectfully and bowed as they watched the chief minister of the empire walk to the Emperor's study. They were all secretly guessing the reason why this' Wolf Duke 'was urgently summoned to the palace.
Ferdinand did not delay at all as he went straight to the Emperor's room. After the attendant opened the door, he saw that the ruler of the empire was already sitting behind the desk, waiting for him.
"Your Majesty." Ferdinand walked into the study and bowed in front of the desk. "I'm here."
"This is an urgent message from Andesha." Rosetta Augustus was calm and composed. Augustus's face was as calm as a stone statue, and no emotion could be seen in his deep eyes. He pushed a report copied by the messenger on the desk and said in a flat tone, "We took a wrong step."
Through the relay of the communication tower in the empire, the news from Winterwolf Fort was immediately sent to the Obsidian Palace.
Ferdinand vaguely realized the contents of the report. He took two steps forward and read the report from beginning to end. His face darkened bit by bit as his eyes moved.
A few minutes later, the Wolf Duke raised his head and frowned. "Your Majesty …"
"Cecil's people are very cunning, and they arranged for a very troublesome and excellent commander to oversee Longwind Fortress. Their trick fooled everyone, including me. Now, we've missed the opportunity. According to Andesha's report, a powerful mobile fortress powered by magicite technology has arrived in the Palamel region and is supporting Longwind Fortress. A large number of troops have also arrived at the border with that fortress," Rosetta said calmly. "In the first battle, Cecil's people showed strength that exceeded our expectations."
"I should bear some responsibility," Duke Ferdinand said in a low voice. "I misjudged the situation …"
"You're just fulfilling your responsibility, and you're not the only one who misjudged the situation," Rosetta interrupted Duke Ferdinand. "Now is not the time to hold anyone accountable. We should think about the future."
"… Cecil's people have also missed a chance to deal a heavy blow to us in this incident. On the other hand, they probably don't want a war now," Ferdinand said thoughtfully. "After experiencing a civil war and a natural disaster, coupled with the fact that the new royal family and national system have just been established, what they need most now is peace and recuperation."
Rosetta nodded slightly, agreeing with Ferdinand's judgment. However, he frowned again and said solemnly, "Leaving them to recuperate is also dangerous."
"That's right." Ferdinand's tone was deep. "Cecil's people … They've already displayed a strong ability to develop, whether it's their army or their economy and society. What about Gwen? The new order created by Cecil has shown an exceptionally terrifying potential. If they really get the chance to recuperate, the Cecil Empire will probably become an uncontrollable beast very soon … "
The old duke's tone was filled with emotion. He had studied the Ansu for most of his life, and in the end, he saw it fall apart under the erosion of internal and external troubles and layers of conspiracies. However, no one expected another Cecil to rise from the ashes of Ansu. This new empire was even more troublesome and dangerous than the previous rotten kingdom. The flames that were supposed to burn down the kingdom turned out to be a ceremony for the giant to be reborn from the ashes. However, at this critical juncture, Typhon lost the only chance to kill this new kingdom.
However, regardless of whether it was Rosetta or Ferdinand, they would only sigh about this, and would not feel too frustrated or resentful.
When the times changed, it was only a waste of time to complain about what had already happened. The Cecil Empire was indeed developing, but Typhon … was not standing still either.
After missing the opportunity to fight, instead of hoping that the opponent would stop, it was better to move faster so that they could be prepared for another conflict in the future.
"If I'm not wrong, Gwen? Cecil should be sending us a signal through his' commercial diplomacy 'very soon. There's a high chance that he'll choose peace, and I can only accept it — and gladly accept it. "A few minutes later, Rosetta broke the silence and said," We have to be prepared to welcome a new confrontation. "
One side needed to rest and recuperate, while the other side was in a critical period of change. The two empires were on the edge of a cliff. Whether it was fate or deliberate guidance, they had coincidentally entered the stage where they needed "peace." It could be expected that for a long time, it would be difficult for Cecil and Typhon to fight again. A kind of "confrontation" that was different from war might become the norm for the two empires in the future.
Rosetta had already foreseen the general shape of this confrontation, and he planned to make some preparations for the future.
After thinking for a while, he looked at Ferdinand and said, "Duke Savin's economic policy can be fully implemented now. Let the capital flow further, and let the small nobles and merchants promote the factories. Our magic engineering industry is already one step behind Cecil's, and we can't continue to fall behind.
"The scale of the Empire's Craftsmen's Association needs to be expanded. We have to do everything possible to recruit and support technical talents. I plan to add the title of 'Superior Lord' and several types of medals. Those outstanding scholars and craftsmen, even if they were born poor, will have the opportunity to be conferred titles and awarded medals.
"The Parliament has been arguing for months over whether the commoners can have the same teaching materials as the nobles. Now, these arguments have to stop immediately.
"Our commercial activities with the southern part of the continent … After discussing for so long, it's time to push it forward. Refer to the trade model established with Cecil's people now, and do business with the Kaolin Kingdom and the elves. Leave this matter to Earl Hallmark. He understands the situation in the southern part of the continent. "
Ferdinand raised his eyebrows and said, "The trade with the southern part of the continent … wasn't it put on hold previously?"
"The elves are very dissatisfied with our logging in the southern part of the continent, which has affected our relationship with the Kaolin Kingdom. But now … we have to open up the trade route to the south," Rosetta said firmly. "The development of the magic engineering industry is alleviating the pressure caused by the previous new policies, but the products produced by the factories must be sold to turn into profits. Otherwise, the nobles and merchants who invest in the factories will inevitably become unstable again. Other than the trade route with the Cecil Empire, we have to find more markets."
"I understand." Ferdinand nodded. "Then, how much do you want Earl Hallmark to concede?"
"Typhon can stop all logging in the disputed forest areas of the southern part of the continent, and stop the development of the Blue Rocky Hills …" Rosetta had obviously thought about this before today. "We can even acknowledge the title of 'Blue Rocky Earl' conferred by the Kaolin Kingdom. But the prerequisite for all this is that they have to open up the city for trade, and the three main roads from the Blue Rocky area to the ancestral forest."
Ferdinand was stunned when he heard Rosetta's conditions. But after two to three seconds of silence, the old duke lowered his head and said, "I understand."
"Apart from that, let Andesha return to Oldenheim soon. She's the only person who has had direct and close contact with the Cecil Magic Engineer Army. There are many things that I wish to discuss with her face to face. You'll be in charge of the defense of the borders.
"Order the Winterwolf Army to build more fortresses at the Winterwolf Fortress. The 'border rotation' and 'new soldiers reclamation' plans that you suggested are very good. Now, I want to use them. The empire's newly formed army and trained new soldiers will rotate once every three years to assist the Winterwolf Army in defending the northwestern defense line. I don't expect them to be able to attack the Longwind Fortress, but they must create enough pressure for Cecil's men."
Ferdinand immediately understood the intentions of the ruler of the Typhon Empire.
Cecil's men could not be allowed to develop quietly, and they could not be freed from the Longwind Fortress.
Compared to the Cecil Empire after the Great Calamity, the Typhon Empire had a lot more reserve soldiers and construction resources. Cecil's men had built eighteen fake fortresses at the border, while the Typhon Empire could build twenty-eight real ones at the border.
Be it the garrison of the Longwind Fortress or the war machine that was created from some unknown source, they had to be firmly held at the border. Even the large number of reserve soldiers in the Cecil Empire had to be held at the long border.
After making all these arrangements, Rosetta Augustus sighed. Augustus let out a long sigh.
He saw the expression of the ruler of the Typhon Empire. After losing such a regrettable opportunity and welcoming such a vigilant enemy, what he saw on the face of the ruler of the Typhon Empire was a pair of exceptionally bright eyes, full of fighting spirit and joy.
Ferdinand was surprised by this expression. It had been many years since he last saw Rosetta Augustus. Augustus saw a similar expression on his face. He vaguely remembered that the last time he saw him like that was not long after his coronation, when he decided to reorganize the Noble Council.
"Cecil is really a strong enemy, isn't he, Ferdinand?" Rosetta said happily. "Just like Prince Malik back then, as well as Duke Fabro and Duke Coleman Roknee … Perhaps he's a little stronger than them?"
"He is a little stronger than them." After a brief moment of astonishment, Ferdinand finally smiled. "After all, the 'three-man rebellion' back then only wanted your life."
Rosetta was a little taken aback. Then, he laughed happily. "Hahahaha …"
…
A loud whistle sounded at the dock. At the port of Saint Sunil, the magic warship 'Pathfinder', which was preparing to head south, slowly left the river bank. The powerful sound of the magic engine and the low roar of the water pressure device gradually became louder and louder. The magic wings on the back of the warship that looked like mechanical wings opened little by little under the action of gears and levers, looking majestic and majestic with a strange sense of beauty.
The citizens and soldiers gathered by the river bank cheered. The curious children yelled on the high roofs and river banks. In the dock square, the two dukes, Victoria and Baldwin, who had come to send the warship off, stood quietly in the company of their attendants. They watched the warship leave and did not retract their gazes for a long time.
The magic warship began to accelerate slowly, and the accompanying ships also entered the designated escort position. The majestic city walls of Saint Sunil became smaller and smaller in his line of sight. Finally, they were covered by the hills and forests on the plains. Only when they could no longer be seen did Gwen retract his gaze from outside the porthole.
"We're finally going back." Beside Gwen, Amber stretched and said in an exaggerated tone, "I almost forgot what the South looks like!"
"You've only been away for less than half a year. Don't say it like you've been away for half a lifetime." Gwen glanced sideways at the half-elf. "Also, speaking of contact with the South, as the Director of Military Intelligence, you're probably more frequent than anyone else, right?"
Amber pursed her lips and turned to look at the black-haired maid beside her. "You have to be careful, Miss Maggie. His Majesty is a person who can squeeze water out of a stone. If you're not careful, you'll be given a bunch of jobs, and you won't even get a raise …"
Maggie stood on this cutting-edge mechanical warship and was looking at the retreating river bank through the crystal glass porthole. This incredible magical creation deeply fascinated and intrigued her, and she could not help but look forward to the 'advanced magical technology' that Rebecca had described. She was so engrossed that she did not hear what Amber said at all. Her reaction was also half a beat slower. "Ah? Sorry, I didn't hear it clearly … "
"You don't have to mind her. She's just too excited. Most of what she says at this time is nonsense." Gwen waved his hand and then looked at the black dragon maid seriously. "But I really didn't expect that Rebecca had successfully 'borrowed' you from Victoria. When she told me about it, I thought she had gotten into trouble again."
Maggie could not help but think of Rebecca's impudent "show me". She smiled slightly. "Her Highness Rebecca's sincerity and her incredible knowledge moved me. As for the mistress … in most cases, she will respect my opinion."
"It seems that your relationship with Victoria still has a lot of secrets, but don't worry, I won't ask," Gwen said with a smile. "I hope you'll like life in the South for the next period of time."
Maggie slowly revealed a sincere smile. "Yes, I'm looking forward to it."
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