Brando naturally thought of the Duke's daughter, Miss Faena. She was Veronica's student, and at the same time, was at the top of the Imperial noble circle. She was the most suitable person to get information from. What was even more valuable was that there was no real conflict of interest between him and the Duke's daughter, and he did not have to worry that she would deceive him for no reason. Although the Duke's daughter was arrogant and rude in the Loop of Trade Winds, she did not look like a cunning person.
Besides, he really needed someone to prove from the side whether the Crown Prince's supporters in the South were reliable or not.
When he dealt with the local nobles of the Empire, he had always cleverly avoided the topic of the Crown Prince. He described himself as a friend of Veronica and Mangrove's overseas military forces in the North of the Empire. This identity naturally made him feel close to the nobles who had a good impression of the Crown Prince. In addition, Lenarette had exposed some of his loyal informants to Brando. Through these people, Brando and his envoy group easily established a relationship with the Crown Prince's faction in the Empire.
But these people were not reliable after all, and Brando was very clear about this.
He immediately wrote a letter to Faena. There was still a long journey from Floating Cloud Hill to Flower Leaf Ridge, and he did not expect to receive a reply for a while. But at this time, the nobles in the South brought him a new message.
This message was also something Brando had asked them to help find out. It was mainly about the current Holy War. Almost at the same time when the Holy War began, Erouine's envoy group set off for the Empire. When they passed through the bustling areas of Ampere Seale, they could more or less inquire about the war. But after entering the Balta Plateau and then the Anzeruta Mountains, these uninhabited areas were really isolated from the rest of the world. For the past two months, except for the conflict with Earl Jean and Earl Alcorn, almost all the information about the outside world was completely blank.
According to the nobles in Cruz, since the big explosion in July and August, the revenge of the Lion People and the Wind Elves at the border opened the curtain of the Holy War. This war was carried out from October to November, and both sides were in a stalemate. It was completely silent in the last month of the Year of Swords. The farce between Brando and the southern nobles of the Empire seemed to have attracted everyone's attention for a while, and it made the ongoing war seem insignificant. After the first round of attack in the Wilderness of Four Realms, the Wind Elves began to withdraw. After all, this was a revenge action based on the tragedy of Perkins. Although it was seen by all parties as the curtain of the Holy War, the curtain had not been lifted yet. Compared to the private actions of the local legions, the two huge Empires still needed time to react to this war. This was a unique phenomenon in the Third Holy War. It was as if the limbs of the body were already moving, but the brain was still operating slowly.
On the other hand, the Lion People's side was even more strange. When the people of the land began to attack the Rokezi Highlands and the Broken Sword Mountains, they seemed to have fallen into silence. It was unknown whether it was because of the fear of failure or because of the logistical difficulties in the winter, but they did not move an inch.
This news, except for the part about Toquinin, was not fundamentally different from what Brando and the rest heard two months ago in Ampere Seale.
However, the offensive actions of the Wind Elves were predictable. In this era, except for Madara, the central authority of the empires was in fact very limited. Among them, the Cruz Empire was slightly stronger, and the Wind Elves of Saint-ausol were slightly weaker. This was because the Saint-ausol still faced the problem of conflict between the two main races, humans and elves. This problem had not been resolved in Brando's era until the Slate War. Fanzin was even worse. Fanzin was a loose alliance, with the Inir as the main body. Internally, there were also countries like the Gretius Knight Regiment. The north was a fertile land with a city-state system. If it were not for the power of the Templar Church, it would be almost impossible to call it a country. Of course, it was very rare for the domestic situation to be as bad as that of the Kingdom of Erouine. The three empires were each carrying out internal reforms. Among them, the Wind Elves and Fanzin were at the forefront. The Cruz Empire and the Silver Queen were currently trying to create a highly centralized empire. Lenarette was also ambitious, but for the time being, these huge empires still relied on the local nobles to maintain their operations.
The revenge of the Elves of Saint-ausol was initiated by the commander and lord of the Perkins Legion. Although it was in fact tacitly approved by the Elven Court, the counterattack launched by the Cruz Empire's Red Legion was in fact initiated by the Silver Queen, but it was also tacitly approved by the Supreme One. Even the Holy Cathedral of Fire did not object. The trick was that both sides had the intention to continue the war, but both sides were not fully prepared.
Therefore, it was predictable that the Wind Elves would suddenly pause after launching their attack.
However, the Lionmen's movements were very strange.
Toquinin was a tribal kingdom. This kingdom consisted of the Lionmen and the Dwarves, as well as some Orcs and Werecreatures. The Lionmen, Dwarves, Orcs and Werecreatures formed clans and tribes of various sizes scattered across the plains and the mountains in the north. They had a king, who was the great chieftain of all the clans and tribes in name. They also had a spiritual leader, who was the high priest of the Temple of the Earth, or the prophet. In theory, under the call of the chieftain and the prophet, these tribal people gathered together and decided to launch a holy war. This meant that the Golden Kingdom was ready for the war.
However, the current situation was that the Lionmen, Dwarves, Orcs and Werecreatures had gathered together to form an army. However, this army was hesitant to move forward. This situation was promoted by the Empire as the Rokezi Highlands and the Broken Sword Mountains Fortress Group were not good at sieges. Therefore, these barbarians were unable to launch an effective attack on the Empire. They could only look at the walls and sigh. When winter was over, they would naturally be unable to hold on and return.
Most of the nobles who brought this information to Brando believed this. The Empire's walls were high and the city was strong. Unless it was an opponent of the same level as Saint-ausol, how could they possibly break through the Empire's fortress group? However, Brando really wanted to remind these blindly optimistic nobles that one of the Empire's fortresses had been breached not long ago, and the one who did it was the Count of a small country at the border. Now that the Count was right in front of them, shouldn't they think twice before acting so arrogantly?
But in the end, he shook his head. The arrogance of the Empire's people was a tradition. It was as if it had become a deep-rooted concept. Once such a concept was formed, it was basically no different from superstition. They would not listen to different opinions.
However, he and Maynild knew very well that the Golden Mane Lionmane Beastmen of Toquinin were not good at sieges, but there were also the Mountain Dwarves in the army. The Mountain Dwarves were a tribe of dwarves that lived in the mountains of Wohnde. In fact, they only existed in the Temple of the Earth, in the Broken Sword Mountains north of the White Plains. They had been living there since the Dark Age. They dug through the mountains, dug tunnels, and were good at building underground palaces and halls. They had considerable knowledge in architecture and mechanics. They were both craftsmen and warriors. They were the best at sieges, especially digging tunnels.
The Cruz people seemed to have neglected the craftsmen and warriors who were best at sieges.
As for another popular rumor, it was said that the Toquinin army was stagnant because of the winter supply line. In fact, it was nonsense. Nomads and clansmen never needed a supply line. Their habit was to plunder along the way and raise their own supplies. For such an army, it would be strange if they suddenly stopped.
Brando looked at the map again and again, but in the end, he still could not figure it out.
But he was thinking about something else.
In history, when the Holy War began, the Lionmane Beastmen attacked fiercely. They once broke through the Rokezi Highlands and the Broken Sword Mountains. At the most critical moment, they even threatened the war of the Red Army in the Wilderness of Four Territories. But at that time, the Empire's players were too fierce. They used their bodies to delay the Lionmane Beastmen's advance to the north. It was said that it was the first time the players changed the course of history in the game. The average level of the players in that era was not higher than level 35, and the Toquinin side also had a large army of players. That battle could only be attributed to the unity and strength of the players on the Empire's side.
Since then, the Lionmane Beastmen could only look at the Broken Sword Mountains and the Northern Plains that were divided into two by Anzeruta.
Brando was now wondering if history would repeat itself.
Of course, he was not talking about the history of the Lionmane Beastmen being defeated by the players, but the history of the Lionmane Beastmen breaking through the Rokezi Highlands and the Broken Sword Mountains. As far as he knew, in the battle between the Lionmane Beastmen and the Broken Sword Mountains, the role of the Toquinin players was limited. This was because the main force of the siege was the Dwarves, and the Dwarves were one of the races with the least number of players. After all, the Lionmane Beastmen were tall and mighty, so the Dwarves were not. Not to mention, even the female Dwarves had to grow beards. A race that could not attract female players certainly could not attract male players. This was the iron law of history.
And the significance of this news to Brando was that if history was not disturbed, then the Wohnde in this world would be more likely to repeat itself.
But when he asked Maynild about this possibility, she denied it.
"Now, the Holy War is three years ahead of the one I saw in my dream, Brando," the female Knight looked at his face and replied. "This is because of us. You should know this. The situation now is completely different from that time."
Brando did not see it that way. The Holy War was ahead of schedule, but this was not necessarily a bad thing for Toquinin. The Lionmane Beastmen mobilized quickly for war, and they did not have to prepare logistical support. Besides, they were very mobile in the grasslands, but for the Empire, this meant that they had less time to prepare. So the current situation seemed to be more advantageous for the Lionmane Beastmen than in history.
He mentioned this to Maynild, but the female Knight shook her head. "It seems so, but the Lionmane Beastmen's actions are very unusual. They have not behaved like this in previous wars. In that dream, it was even more so. The battle where they took down the Rokezi Highland and the Broken Sword Mountains was not very clean, but the whole process was very active, which is completely different from the current situation. "
Brando could not help but frown when he heard this. He knew that Allium Japonicum was better than him when it came to the details of the game's history in the Year of Spring Dawn. His knowledge of that history came from the forums and the memoirs of some later players, but for Allium Japonicum, most of it was her own experience. There was a key difference. Before level 30, the game content and story that players came into contact with were very low-level, and Allium Japonicum was one of the few players above level 30 in that era.
After listening to Maynild's description, Hao Ren could not help but purse his lips, wondering where the difference came from.
Maynild saw him thinking and reminded him, "You're thinking about the Lionmane Beastmen in Toquinin?"
Brando nodded. He did not hide anything from Maynild. These days, he had gotten used to discussing such matters with the female Knight. It was as if he had returned to the past, and he was looking forward to it. "In history, Cruz players … Cruz adventurers, you know, people like us, delayed the Toquinin army until July, until the White Legion joined the battle. The war started in May, but that was between spring and summer. In winter, the White Legion would be further south in Lieru, and their reaction time might be faster. We just need to find a way to delay the Lionmane Beastmen's pace, and we will succeed."
He paused for a moment before continuing, "You should have seen my plan. I need a certain amount of prestige. My grandfather's identity is a great advantage, but Brando is too young, so young that it is almost impossible for him to inherit Darius's position in the imperial army. But fortunately, his starting point is high enough. People are always willing to believe in some superstitions. If I can do the right thing and confirm some of their visions, then I still have a good chance of gaining a higher position in the army in the future. "
"According to Veronica, the situation in the empire is very turbulent, and history is completely different from what you and I have seen in our dreams. Whether it is the queen, the prince, Duke Ludwig, Bankel's military forces, the Holy Cathedral, or us, if we want to gain the upper hand in this game of chess, we have to be able to determine our own destiny. The only way is to be a chess player, not a chess piece. I was a little hesitant at first, but Scarlet's experience finally made me decide to take this path. I was too naive in the past, thinking that Erouine could settle down in a corner and find his own path in the Black Forest. "
"But in fact, when the tide comes, no one can escape. You and I have both witnessed this —"
"So there are some things that I have to do now, and I have no choice but to do them." Brando replied in a deep voice, "Teaching the nobles in the south a lesson is just the beginning. I need them as a stepping stone to let the empire know of Erouine's existence. But the only thing that can really connect Brando and Darius is the Holy War. But currently, we are very weak, and it is impossible for us to find trouble with the Wind Elves in Saint-ausol. Our only chance is in Toquinin. "
Maynild was silent for a while after listening to Brando's words.
"You did all this just to save a mountain girl?" She suddenly asked.
"From a personal point of view, yes," Brando replied, "It's just like how you planned to save us from Madara in the Bunosson. You lacked rationality, but it was natural for you to do so. You saved us because you were our leader, and you promised to protect every member of your team. I saved Scarlet for the same reason. I promised to give her freedom and hope for the future, so I had to do it. "
"This is an obsession." Maynild listened to Brando's words, and her mouth moved as if she was trying to think of a way to refute him. She knew that he was referring to another part of her experience, but instinctively, the female Knight did not acknowledge that it was her. She thought that it was just a dream of hers. But this time, she didn't refute him. Instead, she replied as such.
"This obsession is the driving force behind my return to this world," Brando replied, "I don't want to give up a second time, senior."
"I'm not …" Maynild finally sighed, "Well, I have to tell you one thing, Brando. You rely too much on everything you've seen in your dreams. I don't know why you always believe in that dream so much, as if it had really happened before. But a dream is a dream after all. For me, the greatest benefit of it is that it gave me a different life experience, allowing me to mature quickly and stand out from my peers. But I never thought of confirming anything from this dream, because if I did, this world would seem too illusory to me. "
"And in you, I seem to see another version of myself. You always act with great foresight, but the more you rely on that dream, the more you can't free yourself from it. For you — for a lord, for a count of the Empire …"
The female Knight looked into Brando's eyes, paused, and then said word by word, "It's too childish."
Brando was completely stunned. He never thought that Maynild would say such a thing to him, but her tone was completely like the person who taught him how to be a qualified commander.
"But …" he replied.
Maynild seemed to have expected what he was going to say. She shook her head and said, "Actually, you already know what to do, Sophie."
Brando froze as if he was struck by lightning. He looked at the female Knight as if he was possessed.
"It's because of your dependence on that dream that you can't trust your own judgment." Maynild shook her head and changed back to the way she addressed him. "Do you understand now?"
Brando was stunned for a long while before he seemed to understand what the female Knight meant. He looked at her deeply and said, "You mean, I should analyze what the lion people in Toquinin will do?"
"Didn't you analyze it well just now? I've taught you how to analyze the mission and how to plan the mission. Today, at least I can see that you've learned very well." Maynild smiled. "If I were your Allium Japonicum, I would be very pleased, but unfortunately, I'm not. And you are not Sophie, Brando. You have more knowledge than even Sophie has. You are the Count of Erouine, you should understand this. "
Brando took a deep breath.
He shifted his gaze back to the map.
"Well, I understand," he replied softly. "All in all, we still have to prioritize the mission. Since the guests have arrived first, as the host, we naturally can't neglect our guests. This is the demeanor of the nobles of Erouine."
Maynild nodded. "Exactly."
In the last ten days of the month of Dongqin, the eyes of the entire empire were focused on a war that was both unexpected and expected. On this day, the army gathered by Count Jean and Count Alcorn finally arrived at Floating Cloud Hill.
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