Talleyrand's words caused gasps of surprise and confusion in the meeting room.
That can't be right? Didn't the Empire achieve a decisive victory in Austermark's Huff Wind Root? Didn't Chaos lose 150,000 people? Now, where did the three armies of at least 300,000 soldiers come from? Why are they suddenly advancing in three different directions?
Fine, let's just say that Chaos farmed Martian super soldiers all day long. The Brittany was used to this, but what about the Empire? What about Emperor Karl-franz? What about the Empire's 100,000 troops?
Did they just watch as the three armies of Chaos bulldozed their way into the Empire?
What was Emperor Karl-franz doing?
The regent of Brittania, Marshal Lauen Leo Cornwall, the Duke of Brittania, who had just completed the reconstruction work in the south and the establishment of the Carcassonne defense system, had just returned to Musillon the day before yesterday. He seemed to be in good spirits, but most people could feel his fatigue. Lauen really did not understand why the Empire did not respond at all. He simply asked directly, "What are the people of the Empire doing? Talleyrand, is this news true? "
"It's true, Your Excellency Lauen." Talleyrand was also a little tired. Cripple had been working very hard during this period of time. He took out a letter from his pocket. It was a letter from Duke Schultz of Marlinburg. The letter detailed that three Armies of Chaos were slowly approaching. Nord's Army of Chaos and Austermark's Army of Chaos were moving slowly, but the Empire could not organize a decent resistance at all, allowing Chaos to bulldoze their way through.
The real threat to Marlinburg was the Nurgle dragon fleet from Noska. Thousands of dragon ships under the command of the three Nurgle Brothers were approaching Marlinburg from the Claw Sea along the coast of Wester.
As the trade center of the Old World and the largest deep-water port of the import and export trading center, Marlinburg naturally had its own information channels. As the Duke of Marlinburg, Schultz also had his own private information channels.
Everyone in the meeting was silent. Many people looked at the heads of MI7, Aurora and Teresa.
Teresa averted her gaze somewhat awkwardly. The female Warlock had been busy with cultivation during this period of time, wanting to break through to the mid-Sanctuary realm. She herself was not very good at such things, and could be considered an Ice Witch of the academy.
"Don't look at me. The information I received was from the Empire, and my information channels have verified it once." Aurora hurriedly came out to help. She glanced at Laing and saw that he didn't seem to have any intention of protecting her and her daughter. She hated him in her heart and simply said, "Your Excellency, do you think there's a problem with the official news of the Empire, or do you think there's a problem with us, MI7, personally appointed by His Majesty?"
"I didn't mean that." Laura naturally wouldn't be fooled by Aurora. The Regent of Brittany frowned and said, "I don't think your information is necessarily wrong, Lady Aurora. However, we need to consider multiple sources of information and analyze them."
"I agree with Ron's view." Laing's father-in-law, François, also glanced at Laing who was thinking. Seeing that the Knight King really had no intention of speaking, he simply said, "At present, I personally think that if the Empire really won a great victory, then why are there still three armies of Chaos continuing to go south? Why is there no official response from the Empire? Why is there no news at all about Emperor Karl-franz and his hundreds of thousands of Empire's main forces?"
"Is it possible that the Empire won a pyrrhic victory?" Kalade, the hero of tens of thousands of people, whose fame spread all over the world, was usually very direct when he spoke. "Both sides suffered huge losses?"
"There's no reason for there to be no response even if the losses are huge." The First Marshal, Red Dragon Duke Berchemund, spoke.
Yesterday, he had clearly asked for leave from the head maid, Sylvia, and said that he wouldn't be coming this morning, but for some reason, he arrived on time. However, when they saw the young Knight of the Holy Grail standing behind him, everyone present understood something.
Standing behind Duke Berchemund was his great-grandson, the recent rising star of the Red Dragon family, Lingard de Bastogne, a 28-year-old Knight of the Holy Grail.
This guy was born in Bastogne, and as the beloved great-grandson of Duke Berchemund, Lingard grew up in a very good environment. He once showed excellent talent, and Berchemund quickly arranged for him to enter the Brotherhood of Red Dragon Knights as an attendant for the Knights of the Holy Grail. He participated in training as a reserve, and often took the time to personally guide him in horsemanship and swordsmanship.
However, ever since he entered the Brotherhood of Red Dragon Knights as an attendant for the Knights of the Holy Grail and went into battle with them, Lingard immediately lost his spirit. Not only was he flustered, but he also made all kinds of mistakes. In a year, not only did he not gain anything from more than a dozen security and patrol battles, he was also in a very bad state.
After Berchemund reprimanded him many times, not only did Lingard not change his attitude, but he also became more and more clumsy. In the end, the Red Dragon Duke was disappointed in his great-grandson, but he did not make any big mistakes, so it was not easy to punish him. In the end, Berchemund sent Lingard to the third guard of the Badlands. On the one hand, he wanted to let him fend for himself, and on the other hand, he wanted to see what he could do.
In the end, no one expected that Lingard's performance would change drastically after he was sent to the third guard of the Badlands. In the eight years that he was sent to the third guard of the Badlands, Lingard had a second chance. He found his place in the Varyag Guards of Lucien. In the Badlands, he broke away from the constraints of his family, escaped from the expectations of countless people, and found his own world of freedom. In eight years, he had killed two Skaven warlords, one Gray Prophet, three Engineering Warlocks or Plague Priests, two Green Goblin warlords, and one Orc warlord.
Of course, the most eye-catching performance was the letter from Eight Peaks Mountain. When Berlegar asked who would be willing to take on the task of delivering the letter, Lingard and a Ranger with a small beard, Ghent Staraxe, accepted the task.
In four months, they had more than a hundred battles. Lingard and Ghent Staraxe set off from Eight Peaks Mountain, passed by Iron Peak Castle, fought the remaining Skaven Rat Men, passed by the Poison River and Blackflow River, fought the Green Goblins, fought the Vampires in the Drifting Sands, arrived at Sardenburg, went around the Araby Coast, fought the Tomb Skeletons, and took a boat to Shark Fjord and Pirate's Cove to repel the attacks of the Undead Pirates and the Tomb King Pirates. Lingard and Ghent Staraxe really killed their way here.
Lingard's bravery, fearlessness, wisdom, and faith in this bloody journey moved the Fairy of the Lake. The Fairy of the Lake gave him the glory of the Holy Grail, and the Red Dragon Duke family had another Holy Grail Knight. His optimism, open-mindedness, arrogance, and bravery left a deep impression on people. The legendary story of him and Ghent Staraxe riding for thousands of miles (dwarves don't ride horses) also moved all Brittany.
People gave him the nickname "The Pope of the Great Evil Circle", or "Lin Huang" for short.
François glanced at Lingard, who was standing behind Berchemund. Lingard's short hair had been set on fire by the vampire pirates' firearms during the battle and had to be cut off. Laing's father-in-law thought that this old thing was most likely here to ask for a military position for his great-grandson.
Yes, ever since Laing's reforms went deeper, the knights and nobles were actually losing their thousand-year army. A large number of troops, especially the freedmen and serf infantry regiments that were the backbone of the army, were nationalized, and the knights and nobles were degenerating into simple landowning nobles. The knights and nobles could actually feel this, and naturally, they were somewhat dissatisfied. However, with the situation in the old world, and the immense external pressure, and Laing's excessive military virtue, everyone could only pinch their noses and accept it.
Under such circumstances, the position of marshal and military position became extremely important. Originally, it was more of a temporary title that symbolized honor and wartime, but now it had become a position with real power, and it was actually leading an army.
It was no wonder that Berchemund personally brought Lingard here.
This old thing always pretended to be stupid, but in fact, he was very knowledgeable!
The old father-in-law immediately thought of the Champion Knights Brotherhood of Quinnarius, his cousin Jerrold, and his son Julius, who was still far away in Ruthia.
Duke Winford's influence in the Brittany military system must be maintained!
It seemed that he still needed to let his daughter Suria have some pillow talk.
Thinking of this, the old father-in-law spoke. François stroked his goatee and said, "Is it possible that … it's a funeral? Is Emperor Karl-franz of the Empire really still alive? "
His father-in-law's words instantly changed the atmosphere of the room.
Everyone looked at each other and did not speak.
Laing sat on the main seat and did not speak either. The Sun King frowned slightly as if he was thinking about the possibility of this matter.
At this time, Zhu Kefu, who had been looking for an opportunity to show himself and plan to become the marshal of Brittany, felt that the opportunity had come. He immediately stood up, and even Berliat who was sitting beside him could not hold him back. "Your Majesty, and everyone in the Supreme Command, if this is really the case, then it's already very bad. We have to make corresponding responses!"
Berchemund frowned slightly, François was silent, Laun lowered his head and thought, Berchemund did not respond, and the four marshals were all silent. Only Kalad was a little eager. "Responses?"
Zhu Kefu did not get the reply that he expected, so he simply said, "Your Majesty, we have to prepare early. The Army of Chaos is on the way. If we plan to rescue the Empire, then we have to open up the main artery of the Empire. We have to ensure that Marlinburg does not fall, so that we can go upstream through the Rick River …"
Zhu Kefu pointed his finger directly on the map. "Let's not talk about Nord and Ostmark's Army of Chaos for now. Let's talk about Marlinburg. Marlinburg is located at the mouth of the Rick River, which can be said to be the throat of the old world. We have to control this place … or at least, we can't let Chaos occupy this place. Otherwise, when we rescue the Empire in the future …"
"Then here's the problem, General Zhu Kefu of Kislöw." François interrupted Zhu Kefu. His father-in-law's tone was a little impatient. "Why should we rescue the Empire?"
"Why don't we rescue the Empire?" Zhu Kefu did not expect to hear this from François. He said in disbelief, "Aren't we allies?"
"We are allies, but are we a country?" François seemed very impatient. His father-in-law stroked his beloved long beard and pointed his finger on the table. "Under any circumstances, we, as knights, have to prioritize the safety of our country before we think about anything else! Protecting our country is the most important thing! "
"Besides, we've already done that last time. Whether Marlinburg will allow us to enter is a big problem." Talleyrand also leaned on his cane and said, "I think there's a 99.99% chance that the two courts of Marlinburg will stop us at all costs this time, unless there's a war."
"They're afraid that if we come, they won't leave." Lauren nodded in agreement.
"It's our duty to protect our country, and it's their duty to protect their country," Bertrand disagreed. Bertrand also expressed his disapproval. "The goal of Chaos is not clear at the moment, and the Empire has not responded yet. If we take the initiative to send troops now, it will be too humble, and it will also make our people dissatisfied."
Zhu Kefu's proposal was not approved. Kislöw could only secretly sigh and hate that he did not get the chance to show his talent. He could not help but look at Wang Laing, who was sitting on the throne without saying a word. He thought that perhaps Laing was indeed old, muddle-headed, and conservative. He was probably no longer a military genius.
On the other hand, Katarin was jealous. Clayon's subordinates were really star-studded. If this team was given to her, she believed that even if she couldn't compare to Clayon, she wouldn't end up like this.
At this time, Laing, who was sitting on the throne, was actually talking to Suria. "What do you think?"
"As Talleyrand said, we caught them off guard last time. Now, Marlinburg will definitely not give us any chance to enter or even get close to the city." Suria expressed her opinion. "Unless we launch an attack, Laing, it's impossible."
"I don't know what Marlinburg is planning. Maybe I should write a letter to Schultz." Laing nodded. Suria was right. "Ask him what he's planning."
"Why don't you ask Veronica to come over?" Suria changed the topic.
"Veronica is very busy. She's the president and has too many things to deal with. Every year during the Grass Festival, she has to personally check all the new apprentices," Laing said casually.
"What time is it? Hurry up and ask her to come to Muxilon." Suria's attitude was surprisingly firm.
"Okay." Laing did not say anything else.
Since Laing still did not make a decision, the five marshals and Brittany's dukes and generals in the military meeting did not agree to take the initiative to send troops when the situation was unclear. After all, Brittany had spent a year to reorganize and rebuild their army. Their army did not come from nowhere.
Most of the knights and nobles agreed on this point, which was to prioritize protecting the country. However, if Marlinburg asked for help, the Empire asked for help, or if the Army of Chaos really penetrated the core of the Empire, then they could really consider sending troops. With this as the basis, Brittany's army must always be vigilant. What if the Army of Chaos did not attack Marlinburg but attacked Colona or Le-Angoulang instead?
Just like that, the proposal was made. The new Knight of the Holy Grail, Lingard, brought the letter and Foreign Affairs Minister Talleyrand to Marlinburg. Regent Lauren, on the other hand, followed Laing's orders and began to gather an army in Colona.
At the same time, the whole city of Marlinburg was in an uproar!
A fleet of thousands of dragon ships was approaching Marlinburg along the Claw Sea!
The largest trading center, port city, and commercial center of the old world was facing an unprecedented crisis. Ever since the great Holy War, the people of Marlinburg could barely remember what the captain of the Dragon Ships looked like!
The whole city was in chaos.
Several undercurrents surged at the same time. Although the enemy's dragon ships were slowly approaching, the upper and lower levels of Marlinburg were completely separated!
Should they ask for help? Should they defend? Where should they run to?
Both the upper and lower houses of Marlinburg had a heated discussion about this matter.
Grand Duke Schultz and most of the small merchants, as well as a few large merchants, the temple forces, and the trade union forces, believed that it was time to ask for help from the old world!
However, most of the members of the upper and lower houses, who were at a disadvantage in terms of numbers, hesitated and rejected this proposal.
What if the Army of Chaos is not coming for us?
What if these barbarians can negotiate?
What if it is easier to invite them in than to send them away?
What if the Brittany or the Empire use this as an excuse to rob us again like last time?
"Let's see what happens next." This was the original words of Valverde, a newly rising merchant in Marlinburg.
The shadow brought by Laing last time and Schultz's "unfair" trial was too deep. The members of Marlinburg would not accept any other army entering the city again. While the losses were huge, they were also forced to set the maximum working hours, extra holidays, and minimum wages. Everyone suffered a great loss!
Originally, we could earn 10 gold coins from a chest, but now we can only earn 8. We lost 2 gold coins!
"We must be wary of Schultz and the dock workers playing the" knight's way "card!"
This was the consensus reached by the rich merchants in private.
At the same time, the rich merchants were secretly delighted. This time, could they play the "Chaos card" on those who were not determined and small merchants?
The bold ones were full, and the timid ones were starved to death!
If they let the Chaos reshuffle the cards in Marlinburg, wouldn't the whole city become ownerless? At that time … hehehe!
Just like this, Schultz's proposal to ask for help was never passed.
After many failed proposals, the Grand Duke of Marlinburg finally submitted his resignation in anger.
And on the day Schultz submitted his resignation, Laing's letter and the official document from the Empire arrived at Marlinburg almost at the same time!
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