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General Tobias Schwaben of the Marimburg Iris Guards held a letter from the Dwarves and read it aloud in the House of Lords. "King Lorek thinks that the Green Skin army is targeting Humans! He wants us to be prepared. The Dwarves might not be able to stop them, and the Green Skins might attack Marimburg!
Everyone in the House of Lords was solemn. After dealing with the Dwarves for a long time, the people of the Empire knew how the Dwarves spoke.
If the letter from the Dwarves said that they could easily deal with the Green Skins, it meant that the Dwarves had the upper hand, or at least they were evenly matched.
If the letter from the Dwarves vaguely said that the Dwarves and the Green Skins were evenly matched, it meant that the Dwarves were at a serious disadvantage, and the situation was very dangerous. As for how bad the situation was … many professional scholars and clerks in the Empire could judge from the words used in the letter, the strength of the writing, and the degree of wrinkles on the paper.
But now, King Lorek had sent a message saying that the Dwarves might not be able to stop them. This could only mean one thing, and that was that the Dwarves were very pessimistic about the situation. They were helpless and were asking for help from the humans.
All the members of the House of Lords understood.
"Our only good news is that the Green Skin army is gathering very slowly. We still have a lot of time to prepare," Sea God Archbishop Aldrich said.
The gathering of the Green Skin army had a special characteristic. It took a long time from the beginning of the gathering to the end of the gathering. When a Green Skin warlord started a big WAAAGH! When a Green Skin army gathered together, it would attract many Green Skin tribes and other Green Skin warlords. But in this case, the warlords would not submit to anyone, including the Goblins.
Thus, a "big mess" was unavoidable. Only through a civil war, this big WAAAGH would a true leader! Only then would a true leader emerge. This process would take a long time, and Marlinburg still had enough time to prepare.
"What's the use of preparing? We claim to have 10,000 mercenaries and 8,000 Cavalrymen, but you know how many people and combat power the Iris Guards of Marimburg have, "Duke Schultz said. Grand Duke Schultz said in a low voice. He clenched his fists. "There are only about two thousand people who can really fight. The rest are just patrol teams and nominal mercenaries."
The other senators nodded in agreement. Baron Greimar continued, "Spring plowing is just around the corner. It will be hard for us to recruit enough troops."
"We can't count on the mercenaries at this juncture. They might not be willing to fight to the death for this city," Viscount Casanova said.
"The dwarves can't even protect themselves. They won't provide us with more reinforcements." Another High Councilman agreed.
"If the High Elves are willing …" One of the senators asked tentatively. The High Elves' ambassador, Taymarg, immediately shook his head. His tone was extremely disdainful. "Our soldiers are few in number. They will only appear when protecting the city, and will definitely not send reinforcements."
"We can't defend the city! We definitely can't defend the city!!! "The Archbishop of the Church of Wealth said subconsciously. His point of view was agreed by everyone.
The prosperity of Marlin Castle must not be affected. That would affect everyone's interests.
In fact, there had always been a choice, but no one took the initiative to say it. However, after all the available options had been eliminated, they knew that there was only one reliable choice left.
In the end, this sentence still needed Schultz to say. Grand Duke Marlin Castle sighed. He interlocked his fingers and leaned his elbows on the sandalwood table. "Let's ask for reinforcements from the Empire. Everyone, be prepared. Our new emperor's asking price may not be low."
"Now that things have come to this, this is the only way." Archbishop Aldrich of the Sea God also sighed.
After the decision was made, there was no need for fast horses. A simple letter was sent directly from the Marlin Castle Senate to the Human Empire's palace in Brunswick under the power of magic.
However, today, Emperor Karl-franz Frey Aldrich of the Empire was not in the palace.
West of Brunswick, the Griffin Knights' encampment, Griffin Cliff.
The dense forest extended into the depths of the mountains. The distant mountains were shrouded in clouds. The footsteps of February had taken away most of the snow in the forest, but the peaks and slopes were still covered with snow, reaching into the depths of the white clouds.
At the peak of the mountain, there were many powerful creatures with wings on their backs flying freely in the sky. They spread their wings and constantly streaked across the sky from low altitudes to high altitudes, declaring their sovereignty over the sky.
This legendary creature was none other than the Gryphon that had shaken the entire continent. It had the body of a lion and sharp claws, the head and wings of an eagle. The lower half of its body was covered with yellowish-brown fur, while the head and forelimbs of an eagle were covered with golden eagle feathers. This powerful creature had a huge body and sharp movements. Every movement of its was balanced and exquisite. However, this high degree of elegance did not hinder the Griffin's battle, nor would it be its weakness. On the contrary, the Griffin not only used its powerful claws and sharp beaks to tear the enemy into pieces, but it was also very skillful and amazingly efficient fighters. Although its skills were superb, the Griffin basically did not kill the innocent. However, when hunting or defending their territory, they would not have the slightest mercy or hesitation. They were fierce and cold, but not cruel.
The Griffin could be regarded as the type of beast with the highest IQ. If they could be captured when they were young and trained properly, they would become extremely loyal mounts. If they were trained well, they could even be taught to carry out many kinds of orders. Because of this, whether it was in Ossouin or the Old World, the Griffin became the first choice of many heroes when choosing a mount.
The Emperor's mount, the "Claw of Death", was the largest Griffin in the Old World. Under the Emperor's example, many Kurfürst also took pride in having a Griffin in their own stables. However, it was extremely difficult to capture and gain the approval of a Griffin.
Therefore, as the strongest knight order in the Empire, the Griffin Knights' existence greatly deterred the surrounding forces. This knight order, as the ultimate strength of the Empire, was personally established by Ludwig the Savior after the great Holy War. Ludwig selected one hundred of the most elite knights to form the Griffin Knights. After that, in the Empire's battles, the terrifying strength and decisive effect of the Griffin Knights showed Ludwig's great foresight. The Empire needed such a force that could instantly determine the outcome of the battle.
More than one hundred and fifty years after the establishment of the New Empire, the number of Griffin Knights had grown to three hundred. Not only did the Griffin Knights not decrease in quality because of the increase in number, but they also became stronger because of the selection of outstanding talents from the entire Empire. Today, nearly thirty knights in the Griffin Knights had become real "Griffin Knights," and the remaining two hundred or so knights were also riding half-Gyphons to fight.
It was also because of this that the Emperor specially came to the Griffin Knights' encampment — Griffin Cliff. This encampment was located in the territory of the Griffin Duke. If there were no accidents, Karl-franz would spend the next two days here.
The Emperor did not have many attendants, only seven or eight fully-armed Battle Court Guards and Rick Guards following behind from a distance. This place was relatively safe, and the Emperor himself was also a strong man. Therefore, they followed behind at ease, chatting and laughing, allowing the Emperor to roam and hunt in the cold forest.
Beside the Emperor was a tall man. He was wearing a set of dark golden plate armor, and the golden Griffin Knight badge decorated every corner of his body. The colorful patterns showed that the plate armor was extraordinary, and the three holy seals showed that it had the blessings of the three major churches — Justice, Life, and Magic. The value of this set of plate armor was only comparable to the Emperor's treasure of the dwarves, the "Silver Seal" full-body armor that Ludwig personally wore.
The man had long black hair that was parted in the middle, and he had a handsome face. His blue eyes were the same as the emperor's, indicating that he was a pure-blooded Aachen descendant. The Griffin Holy Sword was hung at his waist, and a white dragon skin cape fluttered behind him. He looked to be in his thirties, and he spoke in fluent High Gothic. "Your Majesty, the knights have some objections that we're not allowed to participate in this rebellion. They feel that it's time for the Griffins to go out for a walk."
This man was the Griffin Duke of the Empire, the Great Commander of the Griffin Knights, Ivan Ferdinand.
Fully armed, Karl-franz walked on the frozen forest ground. The Emperor breathed in the fresh air and enjoyed a moment of peace. Hearing the Griffin Duke's complaints, Karl-franz smiled and said, "My Great Commander Ivan, if the Griffin Knights have to be mobilized to eliminate the rebellion of a few counts and viscounts, then what's the point of having me as the Emperor?"
This sentence was very direct, and the Griffin Duke did not know how to respond. He could only smile and say, "Of course, those rebellious nobles are no match for Your Majesty."
Karl-franz immediately led his army back to the capital of the Empire after eliminating the barbarian army in the north of Nord. After returning to the capital of the Empire, His Majesty publicly announced that all the nobles who refused to accept the conscription in the war against the barbarians in the north were rebels, and they would be punished with demotion, change of title, or even confiscation of their fiefs.
Many of the nobles who were already dissatisfied with the Emperor were in an uproar. In their anger, they openly raised the flag of rebellion, declaring that they would not submit to the Emperor's rule, and sought the support of the other Kurfürst. They even bared their fangs and brandished their claws to request for a new Emperor.
However, the result disappointed these rebellious nobles. Due to Karl-franz's great victory on the coast of Nord, the Kurfürst acknowledged the Emperor's strength. In the face of the rebellious nobles' pleas for help, the Kurfürst collectively remained silent and did nothing.
Therefore, after Karl-franz led the army back to Brunswick, he did not disband the army at all. Taking advantage of the winter slack, the soldiers could serve for a long time, and the Emperor directly led the army to quell the rebellious nobles everywhere. The rebellious nobles who could not react in time were defeated and killed or captured. Karl-franz quickly settled the rebellious nobles with bloody means and stabilized his rule. The fiefs of the rebellious nobles were confiscated directly. The Emperor kept part of the fiefs for his own use to enrich the national treasury, and the other part was given to the nobles and generals who actively responded to the war.
Therefore, everything was happy, except for the rebellious nobles who were suppressed and lost their lives and fiefs. However, no one cared whether they lived or died, and everyone had a comfortable winter festival.
The new Emperor's wisdom, ruthlessness, and talent could be seen at a glance.
Karl-franz had his own considerations when he specially came to the Gryphon Duke's Territory this time. He knew that after a series of victories and rebellions, he had finally stabilized his position as Emperor. However, if he wanted to realize his dream of commanding the entire Empire, he had to win more support, and the Gryphon Knights was one of the most important forces.
The three major Knight Orders of the Old World were the Holy Grail, the Gryphon, and the White Wolf. However, these three Knight Orders were relatively independent. The Holy Grail was needless to say. Without the direct orders of the Lake Goddess or the Lake Fairy, the Holy Grail Knights would not accept any orders. Even the Knight King did not withdraw. Although the White Wolf Knights were better, they still valued the orders of the White Wolf Archbishop more.
Similarly, the Gryphon Knights were only loyal to the position of Emperor, and not to Karl-franz himself. Therefore, the Emperor specially came to the Gryphon Duke's Territory during his leisure time after the Winter Festival, intending to communicate more with the Gryphon Duke.
The current Gryphon Duke's name was Ivan Ferdinand, and he was already over ninety years old. He was a friend of the Emperor, and also one of the few strong men in the Old World. This Gryphon Knight Commander was a late bloomer, and he had received guidance from famous teachers since young. Whether it was swordsmanship or horsemanship, he was the best in the world. Not only did he receive military education, he even entered the Empire's Royal Engineering Academy for further studies. When he was twenty-nine years old, he went to the World's Ridge Mountains to learn a lot of knowledge and rich combat experience from the dwarves.
It was not until he was almost sixty years old that Ivan was conferred the title of General of the Empire and began his military career. After the death of the old Gryphon Duke, he, as the first successor, successfully inherited the title of Gryphon Duke, and became active on the battlefield of the Empire as the Gryphon General and Commander.
Although he was over ninety years old, Ivan did not show any signs of aging. As a Sanctum Grand Knight, he could live for hundreds of years. In terms of total lifespan, he could only be considered to have just entered his youth.
Such a powerhouse was someone that the Emperor had to rope in.
The Emperor himself was also from a military background and had received excellent military education. He was also a Legendary powerhouse. He drew his bow, and the exquisite bow given by the High Elves immediately shone with the luster of magic. The arrow shot out in a straight line and accurately hit an elk. The elk howled and fell to the ground.
In the sky, a huge gryphon howled and flew over the heads of the Emperor and the Gryphon Duke. That was Karl-franz's mount, Death Claw, the largest gryphon in the Old World. It was also here today.
"Your Majesty, good archery skills." The Gryphon Duke walked over slowly and said with a smile, "It seems that tonight's banquet will have a richer variety of dishes. This is all thanks to Your Majesty."
"My Commander, aren't you going to show me your skills?" Karl-franz asked Death Claw to pick up the elk and send it to the rear while teasing the Duke. The Emperor was in a good mood.
"I think I'll pass. A gryphon's responsibility is to spread its wings and soar in the sky. If we meet a hippogryph or manticore, I'm more than willing to fight." Ivan smiled and shook his head, making it clear that he did not want to fight.
The Emperor's eyes moved. He knew that the Gryphon Duke was expressing his dissatisfaction with him. The nobles who participated in the war in the north and quelling the rebellion in the territory had all benefited. Only the Gryphon Knights had volunteered to fight, but they were rejected by the Emperor. The Emperor also did not allow them to fight to quell the rebellion. These strongest knights of the Empire naturally had their own opinions.
"Gryphons can sometimes fly lower than chickens, but chickens will never be able to fly as high as gryphons, my Duke." Karl-franz noticed that Guard Rick had come to his side with a letter, so he patted Ivan's shoulder and took the letter from Rick's hand.
The Gryphon Duke was moved by the Emperor's words. He actually understood why the Emperor did not want them to fight. After hearing this, some of the dissatisfaction in his heart dissipated.
Ivan thought that the current Emperor was indeed outstanding. Perhaps under his leadership, the Empire would prosper like never before.
"Oh! You really get what you want. " Karl-franz finished reading the letter and handed it to Ivan. "It seems that the Goddess of Luck is always on your side, my Duke."
"What happened?" Ivan took the letter.
"A huge army of Green Skins is gathering at the Gold Mine. Fort Marlin is asking for our help!"
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