The meeting hall of Ludwig the Savior was located in the center of the Empire's palace. At the highest point of the palace, the walls were made of granite and obsidian mined from the Ridge of the World. Dozens of coats of arms and murals were hung on the walls, which recorded the countless great wars in the history of the Empire. The wide marble floor was branded with the coat of arms of a double-headed eagle, a griffin, and a skull cross. Eighteen giant columns with golden and silver rings stood in the middle, holding up the golden dome of the meeting hall.
The murals on the dome depicted the stories of the human race, telling the stories of the heroes who sacrificed themselves in the history of the Empire. Each of the niches recorded the birth and death of the heroes, their history, and their great achievements.
In addition to Emperor Charlemagne, who was holding a godly hammer and showing off his strong muscles, the statue of Ludwig the Savior was also located in the center of the meeting hall, behind the emperor's throne. It was made of a complete piece of obsidian and was six meters tall.
Compared to Emperor Charlemagne who did not hesitate to show off his bravery, Ludwig the Savior was not an emperor who liked to fight in person. Although he was also very powerful, and the two founding emperors were regarded as equally great, Ludwig appeared more as a wise and wise ruler and a military strategist. He was as serious and determined as he used to be in his life. He just silently watched the people who were arguing in the meeting hall.
Everyone in the meeting hall was dressed in luxurious clothes. The robes made of silk and the best silk hung to the ground. However, compared to the heyday of the Empire, most of the seats were empty. Even the seats that should have been occupied by dozens of Empire generals and councilors were mostly empty. Now, only the silhouettes of the glory of the past were left here.
The debate in the meeting hall had been going on for some time. Obviously, they could not come to a conclusion. As the new Chief Grand Wizard Gregg Matak opened the door with two servants, everyone in the meeting hall looked at the new Chief Grand Wizard of the Empire.
Then, as if they thought he was someone unrelated, they continued to chat.
"No one knows Chaos better than I do." Theodorick Geisel, Grand Duke of Nord and Kurfürst, said in a rough voice. He was very strong, 1.9 meters tall, wearing a coat with fur lining and a long green cloak. His face was covered with snow-white hair like a lion's, and a goatee hung on his wrinkled face. Although he was old, he still carried the bearing of a warrior, and his resolute eyes did not show the slightest weakness.
Compared to the other two Kurfürsten on the spot, Matak appreciated Gaither the most because he was more like a warrior and a general. The Empire did not need so many politicians at this moment.
Unfortunately, even though Gaither's voice was the loudest, he was not the one who spoke the loudest.
"Oh? Is that so? If you know Chaos so well, why do you look like a stray dog right now? "A woman's voice full of sarcasm and disdain echoed.
After all the Kurfürsten, Matak hated this woman the most. Emmanuel von Lebowitz Bernardino, the Grand Duchess of Wesen, the Grand Duchess of Nur, and the Kurfürst. She was wearing an unbelievably gorgeous silver-gray dress with strings of pearls hanging from it. Her golden hair was tied up high into a bun, making her look like a gorgeous lady.
A pair of champagne-colored high heels with a skull crystal pattern and a pair of smooth black velvet pantyhose wrapped tightly around her beautiful legs. It made her slightly delicate figure stand straight, exuding a noble, elegant, and charming aura.
Matak could smell the perfume on her from twenty to thirty meters away. It was the typical scent of cornflowers and irises, and the Wood Elf lipstick and makeup on her face. Matak did not know why this 50-year-old Kurfürst who was only at the beginning of the legendary level did not have any wrinkles, wrinkles, or age spots on her face. Instead, her oval face was as delicate as a young girl's, but Matak just hated her.
Especially her aggressive attitude. "That's enough, Geisel. If you can defend Winter City, then tell me this."
Emmanuel's voice was not loud, but everyone present felt a great pressure. This pressure did not come from the Empire's Duchess herself, but from the black-clad generals standing behind her.
Nur's Grand Marshal Erstein and six other Nur generals stood behind her. The aura they gave off was frightening, and the army they had made everyone in the hall wary. The 50000 Nur field soldiers were outside the city, 500 Blackstone Guards, and 300 Armoured Nur soldiers were outside the palace. This army was fifty times more than Brunswick's standing army!
Did you see that? We, the Nuer people, are trying to reason with you.
"Alright, mother. Everyone is discussing something." If there was anyone who could appease Emmanuel's arrogance, it would be Frey Derick, who was standing behind her and wearing a full set of Master Grannie armor. After going through the tempering of blood and fire, Frey Derick was becoming more and more like a real man and warrior. He gestured for his mother to calm down. A young girl wearing a black and white maid outfit and a beret was holding his arm.
Finally, there's someone who understands, Matak thought. He knew this guy was the son of the Empire's Duchess and the Sun King.
Like father, like son.
The battle of Nur and the Battle of Borni were fought beautifully. Matak read the battle report on the way and admired Frey's decisiveness, bravery, and strategic skills.
"Nur couldn't resist the invasion of Chaos because I didn't receive any military aid. Mildenheim, Tara Beheim, Brunswick, and even Nur, while you people were enjoying peace, we fought bloody battles with the Northerners in exchange for all of this." Kurfürst Gesser tried to shout out loud to drown out Emmanuel's voice, but when he saw the unfriendly expressions of the Nur generals, his voice immediately became softer. He muttered, "The Nur people have sacrificed too much."
Gesser only had one team of Royal Guards and two teams of Royal Marines left. This was his last army, with less than 400 people left.
"Don't tell me we Steyrs haven't sacrificed enough? We almost single-handedly helped you limit the terror of Sylvania! "
The one who spoke was the Grand Duke of Steyr and Kurfürst Graff Albraich Hout Anderson. He was wearing a simple military green coat, a simple woolen sweater, and leather military boots. Compared to the other people who were dressed in luxurious clothes, he looked like a country bumpkin.
Unfortunately, Steyr had also fallen. This time, it wasn't Chaos that attacked, but the vampires. Vlad, the Lord of Death, believed that in the face of Chaos' attack, they had to "fend off the enemy outside the country" and "prioritize Sylvania's deployment point", so he sent troops to attack Steyr. Steyr was already poor and in a difficult situation, so it couldn't resist Vlad's attack at all. He could only escape with a small team of attendants, and thus, the entire Steyr fell.
However, Vlad didn't chase after them. He even ordered Gul and Arkham, who had already surrounded Hout Anderson, to "lift a hand". Only then did Anderson and a few attendants escape.
"Single-handedly?" Emmanuel repeated. "Are you sure? Then why are you here? Graff? "
Hout Anderson's face instantly turned red, but he knew very well that he couldn't defeat Vlad's Undead Calamity, so he could only remain silent. Seeing that the two Kurfürst were looking at him, he could only weakly explain, "It's not that we didn't work hard, it's just that the enemy was too strong."
"Look at this statue, the statue of the savior, and say that again?" Gaither finally found a soft persimmon.
Hout Anderson didn't say anything else. He wasn't a good general, but a lord who had worked hard for the welfare of the Steyr people all his life. He had a responsibility to protect his land, but now he had lost it.
The chief wizard of the Empire's royal family, Gregg Matak, looked at everything in front of him with interest. He could feel that everyone's attitude was different.
Gaither thought that he could still be of use, and he was trying to regain his glory.
Anderson, on the other hand, was grasping at straws. He didn't think that hiding behind a high wall was embarrassing.
Emmanuel, this dangerous woman, was obviously planning to get her hands on the highest power in the Empire, and the army under her command was very likely to be the last hope of the Empire.
Thinking of this, Matak couldn't help but feel deeply sad.
There were no heroes in this world, and this made him famous!
Where were the great names of the Empire in the past?
Karl-franz, Helberg, Schwarz Hammer? They fell in the northern frontline, and their whereabouts were unknown. Perhaps they were dead.
Archbishop Wickmar? Grand Commander of the Knights Templar, Hans Reitdorf?
Disappeared in Sylvania.
Grand Alchemist Galt? Exiled and sinful, he could only hide in Saul Hill.
Griffin Duke Ivan? Kurfürst Marius? It was said that they encountered an Orc army in the Drakwald Forest and had to change their route.
The argument between the Kurfürst made the scene as noisy as a market. Matak's heart was filled with deep sadness. Even at this time, the Kurfürst were still fighting for power.
Gaither was trying to prove that he was still an excellent general and applied to lead his own army. In troubled times, military power prevailed over everything. Gaither knew that at this time, no tycoon could win against the warlords.
Anderson was testing how much food was left in the city. Antiques in prosperous times, gold in troubled times. With food and money, one would be the king of the grass. He was trying to extend his hand into logistics and storage, and he was indeed an expert in this field.
The most troublesome was Emmanuel. This woman clearly knew how much power she had. The 50000 Nur Field Army under her command was too deadly. Matak was worried that she didn't really understand the power she had. The 50000 Nur Field Army were well-equipped, well-trained, and had high morale. They only listened to her and her son's orders. She just hadn't made up her mind yet.
Finally, Grand Commander of the Knights Rick, Hans Zentler, spoke up to smooth things over. "Everyone, everyone, please calm down. I would like to introduce to you the new Imperial Chief Wizard of the Empire, the honorable Supreme Dean of Amber Academy, Gregg Matak! Everyone, please welcome him! "
"…" Sparse applause could be heard in the meeting hall.
Gaither muttered, "Since when did the military and political affairs of the Empire have to be decided by wizards?"
Anderson put on a smiling face and said, "Please advise us, Your Excellency Matak. We need your wisdom."
Emmanuel frowned and looked at Matak with a little disdain. The Empire's Countess obviously had a good relationship with Galt. "I don't recognize a Chief Wizard who is appointed without a duel. Anyway … Greetings, Dean Matak. What do you think?"
"Bayershazer Galt is the Chief Wizard of the Empire. I'm just a professional bird farmer who sleeps in a stable." Gregg Matak laughed sarcastically. "But this is a special situation. Everyone, a special situation. I just want to get two answers from you, and then you can continue arguing."
"First, we have to do something about the destruction of Marlinburg," Matak insisted. "No matter what, the Empire has to give us an explanation."
"Explanation? What explanation? The people of Marlinburg are all bastards, filthy separatists, parasites of the Empire, and exquisite egoists! They deserve it! "Gaither roared angrily. Grand Duke Nord always believed that he had the title of Marlinburg.
"But Grand Duke Valverde insisted that they did their best. They said that they did their best to resist the Chaos and fought to the last man before giving up the city." Zentl said hesitantly, "They said that the Nurgle army only has one goal, and that is to destroy the human world. They said that they are iron-blooded capitalists and also the guardians of the Empire. They want to be treated accordingly."
"Guardians my ass!" The three Kurfürst scolded almost at the same time. "Iron-Blooded capitalists? Get lost! "
"But what do we do now?" Someone asked. The Empire's Royal Court was still in a state of panic.
"A bunch of trash. Without Marlinburg, they are nothing. Without Marlinburg, the founding ceremony of the Savior will be completely nullified," Emmanuel snorted. "I will deal with them. All private armies will be reorganized, and all assets will be confiscated. This matter is over. Let's move on to the next one!"
Everyone was green with envy. The rich merchants who escaped from Marlinburg had brought their families with them. There were thousands of carriages. It was a huge piece of fat meat!
Unfortunately, this group of people also had a large number of elite private armies and mercenaries. Apart from the Nur army, no one could or dared to deal with them. Everyone could only watch as the Nur people ate this piece of fat meat.
"Very good. The second thing is that our environment is getting worse. After piles of dirty weeds grew around the well overnight, the panicked citizens began to escape from their poor residences. Nest after nest of big, twisted, rolling rats burst out of the drains. Every night, there will be terrible screams, but the city guards have never been able to track them down. Some people even claim that the river itself is changing. It's getting thicker and thicker, like the broth in the stove." Matak immediately continued, "We have to think of something!"
"You are a beast type saint wizard. Why don't you think of a way to solve it yourself? Why are you asking us?" Emmanuel scolded without holding back.
"I need your help!"
"We don't know magic. You should go to the Church and the Academy of Light!" Gaither scolded, "Alright, I think we have to shift our attention to the city's defense. We need an experienced general who often fights with the Northerners …"
"Don't even think about commanding my army. We Nur people will not listen to the orders of the Nords. Not even a single soldier!"
"Listen, what we need to do now is to collect all the food in the city and store it properly. Then …"
The Kurfürst continued to argue.
Matak was greatly disappointed. The Royal Chief Wizard still wanted to say something, but there was suddenly the sound of hurried footsteps coming from the corridor outside. It was clear that a group of heavily armored soldiers was approaching.
Everyone immediately stopped arguing, and the Kurfürst immediately put their hands on the rune teeth at their waists.
* Bang! * The door of the meeting hall was kicked open, and Marshal Rick Helberg appeared at the entrance. His face was wrapped in gauze, and his expression was as angry as a demon. The marshal waved his hand and shouted at Captain Hans Zentler, who came forward to salute him, to retreat. He roared, "Emmanuel! Tell your people to get out of the palace! Why did you have your Blackstone Guards and Iron Guards gather at the entrance? Are you rebelling?!!! "
When Emmanuel saw Helberg, who should have died in battle, appear here, her expression changed slightly. She quickly exchanged a look with her son. Frey Derick thought for a moment and saw his fiancée, Noelle, secretly shaking her head. So, he gestured to the new commander of the Blackstone Guards, Nur General Alfred Frey von Schlifen behind him.
"Where is Marius? Where is Todblinger? Where are my generals? Where are the deans of the major sorcerer academies? And who is this beggar in dirty clothes? " Seeing that Emmanuelle had relented, Helberg heaved a sigh of relief and continued to roar stubbornly.
"Gregg Matak, the new Royal Chief Wizard, Emperor Karl-franz's imperial edict." Gregg Matak took out an imperial edict that smelled of hay and horse dung. "Or you can tell me what I am?"
Helberg glared at Matak, but did not refute.
"Helberg, what's the situation? Where's the Emperor? Where's Volten? Where's Schwarzhammer? Why are you the only one back? "Emmanuel asked anxiously. Laing's maidservant's heart was in a mess as she calculated.
She originally wanted to let Frey take the throne in one go, but now it was a little difficult.
"Tarr's Fang! We failed. I saw the Emperor die in battle. Volten, Huss, and Schwarzhammer brought a few people and fled to the east. If we're lucky … Anyway, our enemies are coming for Brunswick! We have to be thankful that the enemy is Nurgle. They're slow and we still have some time. Unfortunately, the enemy's scale is huge, unprecedented! " Marshal Rick Helberg told everyone how he escaped death. He brought back more than a thousand soldiers from the north. These were the last of the tens of thousands of elites in Rick's territory.
"Find any armed forces left in the city and close all the gates. No one is allowed to leave without my permission!"
"Ensure the safety of the armory. Appoint a chief quartermaster to ensure that all water sources and food storage are under his control! Violators will be executed on the spot! "
"Put the Franz family's flag on top of the palace and fly it! Let everyone in the city see it! Find me a substitute for the Emperor! Let everyone believe that he has won a great victory and will return to the capital in a few days! "
"Immediately issue an order to protect the Emperor. Have all the troops in Rick's territory gather in Brunswick! We will face everything here! "
Marshal Rick Helberg immediately issued a series of orders. Seeing that everyone was still in a daze, he hysterically pulled out the Runic Fang, "What are you waiting for? Carry it out!"
Matak laughed, and the royal Wizard finally had a trace of comfort in his heart. There was finally someone who could make decisions, but the royal Wizard still took the opportunity to ask, "I have a question."
"Speak!"
"Are we going to ask for help from our allies? For example … The Sun King? Dwarves? Elves? "
Everyone subconsciously looked at Emmanuel and Frey Derick.
These two were the key to asking for help from the Knight King.
"Of course! Now? What time is it? We should seize all hope! Charlemagne's throne must not fall! " Helberg made a prompt decision, "My Countess, immediately write a request for help and have someone send it to Ubetherick and Bogenhafen! Have them light up the beacon towers … If they haven't fallen and the roads are still clear! "
"Yes!" Emmanuel glanced at her son. Seeing that he did not object, she could only reluctantly agree.
Seeing that everyone had left, Helberg finally slumped into his chair.
There was still hope. There was still hope for the Empire.
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