PS: Yesterday's chapter count was wrong, it was repeated. The previous chapter should have been 797 chapters, so this chapter is 798 chapters.
PS2: This chapter is 5,200 words long. I guarantee that everyone will have a good time reading it. At the same time, I'm asking for a wave of votes!
For Laing, he didn't care about Kislöw. Brittany was too far away from Kislöw for the Frost Kingdom and the Old World's first line of defense against Chaos. He really didn't need to go so far. Therefore, Laing was really uninterested in Berliat's proposal. There was really no benefit there, so he politely declined.
Even if something really happened to Kislöw, the Empire would provide support. If the Knight King really wanted to help, he would have to wait until the female Tsar took the initiative to ask for help or even when the country was on the verge of extinction. Otherwise, even if Laing took the initiative to extend an olive branch, the other party might not appreciate it.
The most important thing now was to return to the country and a series of rewards.
Obviously, the victory of the Eight Peaks Expedition had spread the names of Laing and Laing throughout the Old World once again. Now, many people couldn't wait to crown Laing with the titles of "The Greatest Knight King since Arthur," "The Last Brittany," "The Whip of the Lady of the Lake," and "The Conqueror of the Wicked Land." In the human countries, Laing's name had become the brightest star.
Empire Calendar 2513, mid-January, the center of the Old World, the capital of the Empire, Brunswick.
In winter, the capital of Brunswick was slightly less prosperous than it was a few years ago. The streets were filled with people of all shapes and sizes, leaving quickly. In addition, many churches of justice, especially the battle priests who worshipped Charlemagne, were constantly preaching on the streets.
In contrast, the battle priests of the White Wolf Church, the White Wolf God Yuric, were also preaching on the streets.
The smell of gunpowder between the two sides was very strong. This caused a large number of troops in the capital to have no choice but to come out to patrol, maintain the security of the entire capital, and think of ways to separate the believers of the two factions. However, in the face of the stubborn priests of the White Wolf Church, even the Emperor's decree was powerless.
Charlemagne was once the champion of the White Wolf God, Yuric.
The savior, Ludwig, had once passed through the White Wolf Holy Fire unscathed. Relying on this action, he had united the entire Empire. This was also a gift from the Wolf God Yurik.
This meant that the Emperor could not deny the existence of the White Wolf Sect. Otherwise, he would be denying the legitimacy of the Empire and his rule.
However, just a few days ago, a terrifying internal conflict broke out outside Brunswick. The army of the Church of Justice led by Archbishop Wickmar and the army of the Church of Justice led by Bishop Richtel Vesmond of the Church of Eureka in the Vesmond region had engaged in an extremely intense battle. Both sides suffered heavy casualties, and the cause of all this was Bishop Richtel's sermon, "Charlemagne is not God."
Because of this sentence, the two sides fought outside of Brunswick.
Emperor Karl-franz did not want to see this battle happen, but the Emperor also knew that his base was the Church of Justice. Archbishop Wickmar was the Emperor's close political ally, and also the most powerful supporter of Karl-franz. He was also the one who gave the three crucial votes in the election of the Emperor. Therefore, Karl-franz did not stop the battle. He allowed both sides to fight in the suburbs of Brunswick, and ordered the Eureka Guards and the Emperor's private army to prepare for battle.
As Bishop Richtel of the Vesmond region was smashed by Archbishop Wickmar's command scepter and died on the spot, the Emperor finally found an excuse to order the Eureka Guards and the Emperor's private army to mobilize. They used the excuse that Richtel was corrupted by Chaos to lead the army to surround and disarm the Church of Justice. Then, they unilaterally announced that the conflict had ended, and that the Church of Justice and the Church of Eureka were still brothers.
Therefore, this battle ended with the Empire's southern faction winning. However, even though Archbishop Wickmar won a military victory, to the Empire, there was no winner in this battle. More than a thousand people fell on the battlefield, and these troops were supposed to be used to fight against evil.
To make matters worse, there were signs of the Empire being divided. After the battle ended, the Grand Duke of Midden, Kurfürst Boris, immediately led the Midden army to the Kurfürst Palace in Kalonburg and confronted the Emperor across the river. It was said that Boris was extremely angry at the result of this battle, and he scolded Karl-franz for being the puppet Emperor of the Church of Justice.
At the same time, Nur, who was extremely distrustful of the Emperor and had an obvious tendency to be independent, also began to be restless. The Empire's Lady Emmanuel led the Armoured Nur to the Emperor's palace. Many rumors said that she wanted to ascend the throne as the Empress of the Empire. There were also rumors that she was seeking political blackmail from the Emperor to support her son, Frey Derick, to become the next Emperor of the Empire – as the price for Nur's support of Brunswick.
The entire Empire finally had some time to rest and recuperate, but in the blink of an eye, the clouds of war were densely packed. There were rumors everywhere in the marketplace, and there were even people who believed that this was a sign that the Empire, the great alliance, was falling apart.
On the streets of Brunswick, under the holy statue of Emperor Charlemagne, a Battle Priest of the Church of Justice was loudly giving a speech to the passersby, and many people stopped to listen.
"Empire, son of Charlemagne, in the name of Savior Ludwig, please listen to me!"
"We are faced with a great disaster!"
"In the North, the vicious and despicable Boris Todbringer and his White Wolf Gang have already pressed on with their army! He can proclaim himself as the Wolf Emperor at any time! "
"In the East, the ambitious and unpredictable Emmanuel -Von Lebowitz -Bernardino has led her subordinates to Brunswick, our capital. It is difficult to distinguish friend from foe! Danger is everywhere! The Armoured Nur can invade the palace at any time and proclaim a new emperor! "
The Battle Priest's impassioned speech had already stirred up the emotions of the citizens nearby. They were crazily shouting and waving their fists, venting their dissatisfaction.
During this period of time, the economy of Brunswick, or Brunswick Territory, was not doing well. Because Emperor Karl-franz had accepted the "five-year plan to rebuild Saul Territory" and supported the Empire's Chief Great Wizard and Great Alchemist Gelt to restore Saul Territory and build Fort Saul at the Winter Tooth Pass, the Empire's palace had been tightening its finances recently. Many projects and constructions had been temporarily halted, and many large orders and purchases from the palace had been reduced in scale. The citizens of the capital could not only feel the coldness of the climate, but also the coldness of the entire industry.
"Oh Charlemagne above, all of this is a great humiliation!" The Battle Priests continued to stir the emotions of the citizens. "At this moment, citizens, we must stand up and defend the position of Brunswick, defend the dignity of the capital of the Empire, protect our interests under the oppression of foreigners and outsiders, protect our supreme honor as citizens of the Empire! Let us support our mighty ruler, Karl-franz! "
"Yeah yeah yeah yeah!"
"We must stand up and save Brunswick, save the Empire!"
"Brunswick belongs to the Brunswick people. Foreigners and outsiders, get out of here!"
"We will not allow the bastards from other provinces to compete with us for positions! Take away the wealth that belongs to us! "
The anger of the citizens was quickly stirred up by the Battle Priests. They roared and roared, blaming the recent economic downturn and the decline of income on the foreigners and outsiders, especially the people of Midden and Wesson.
"Citizens of Brunswick, please give us your strength! For the sake of the Empire and our beloved Emperor Karl-franz, please support us. Let us have the ability to overcome the current difficulties and overcome the current difficulties! " The Battle Priests continued. "Please help us as much as you can. Please, everyone, unite closely beside Emperor Karl-franz and fight for him!"
Under the encouragement of the Battle Priests, the citizens of the capital generously donated money and goods. Many of them even volunteered to join the Empire's army.
Not far from this street, on the walls of the palace of the Empire, Emperor Karl-franz was looking at this scene with a heavy heart. His hands were behind his back, and his face was covered with haze.
"The army has been mobilized, Your Majesty. If you need it, we are ready to fight Boris and his wolf cubs at any time." Marshal Rick, Curt Helberg, stood behind the emperor. "I'm waiting for your orders now."
The Emperor looked at the scene where donations and army were enthusiastically being made. Suddenly, he said, "Tell me, Helberg, how can we fight without money?"
"Your Majesty?" Helberg was very confused. Marshal Rick emphasized again. "Your Majesty, there are no problems with the army's pay and supplies. The capital's army has just been paid."
"The Eight Peaks Mountain expedition has been won, Helberg." The Emperor said without rhyme or reason. "The knight brothers and the dwarves of the Angran clan have really recovered the Eight Peaks Mountain from the hands of the Green Skin and the Skaven Rat Men. According to the news from Rick's guards, Laing Macado has seized amazing spoils of war. The entire fleet is filled with gold and all kinds of treasures."
"It's good that the expedition has been won, but this is their business. It has nothing to do with us." Helberg emphasized. "The army of Rick is still closely united around you, and so are the people."
The Emperor thought that it was a mistake to tell Helberg this, but if it wasn't so, he wouldn't have appointed him as Marshal Rick.
On the one hand, the Emperor of the Empire was happy about the victory of the Eight Peaks Mountain expedition. Because the evil forces were defeated, the danger from the Evil Land was far away from the Empire. This allowed him to divert a lot of energy to deal with the threats in the north and the Empire.
But on the other hand, the Emperor felt envious and jealous deep down in his heart. The king on the other side of the mountain had made great achievements in the war, and his prestige was like the sun in the sky. Before the Eight Peaks Mountain expedition began, the court of the Empire had carefully evaluated the possibility of winning this war. Even if they had taken into account Laing's personal bravery and his excellent command, the court of the Empire still judged that the possibility of winning this expedition was less than 30%.
Thinking of this, the Emperor clenched his fists. Boris Todbringer's army was pressing on the border, and the war was about to break out, but the Emperor's treasury was empty. In order to help Gelt rebuild Saul Hill, the court of the Empire was already in financial difficulties. Although it was not to the point of exhaustion, it would take one or two years for Saul Hill to get through the difficulties and start to repay the Empire.
These two years would be extremely difficult.
What should I do? So the Emperor thought.
"Your Majesty, Lady Emmanuel has arrived at the palace with the Armoured Nur and the Nur Champion, Theodore Bruckner." At this time, a guard came in and reported, "Your Majesty, do you plan to have a meeting with the Countess?"
Emmanuel! The Emperor's eyes were a little unfocused, and he was even a little unsure. "What is she doing here?"
"The Countess said that she is here to see her son." The guard bowed and said, "She is now in the back garden with Little Frey Derick."
The Emperor nodded slowly, his heart calming down. Emmanuel's love for her son was obvious to all. The first thing the Countess of the Empire did when she entered the palace was to see her son, who was also the Emperor's godson. The strong political signal released from this made the Emperor feel a little more assured. No matter what Emmanuel's plan was, at least she did not intend to declare war or declare independence, so there was room for mediation. And for the Emperor, as long as there was room, he would have a way to operate.
"Arrange a meeting immediately. I want to discuss with the Countess what to do next." The Emperor signaled his subordinates to arrange it immediately, and then he quickly left the room and walked towards the parlor.
But before that, the Emperor had to meet his Minister of Finance, Madam Hawkswold, in the luxurious and magnificent palace study.
Everything was very tense. In addition to the pressure of the soldiers, the finances of the empire were also stretched. The army needed money to rebuild the walls, roads, cities, and farms of Saul Hill. The emperor did not have time to ask, but from the sour expression on Mrs. Hawkswold's face and the way she kept fiddling with her ruby ring and platinum brooch, he knew that the empire, or at least the Brunswick Court, was facing financial difficulties.
"Do what you can. Let me think of something." This was the Emperor's order to his Minister of Finance. Karl-franz did not even have time to rub his tired forehead and the crow's feet at the corner of his eyes when Emmanuel came in with her and Laing's child, little Frey Derick.
Compared to a few years ago, Emmanuel, who was now in her thirties, didn't show any signs of aging. Instead, she looked even more elegant and beautiful. Emmanuel was wearing a Ginger Candy Cream Empire see-through dress with a golden crown on her head. Her soft golden hair was tied behind her head, and her collar was raised high. The dress was made of translucent silk and reached her ankles. Inside, she wore a black miniskirt that wrapped around her hips. Her slender legs were faintly discernible, and she wore a pair of red stockings inlaid with Silmarils and skulls. Wherever she went, there would be waves of fragrance.
The Empire Emmanuel's elegant facial features and alluring figure made it impossible to tell that she was already a mother of two children. However, from her radiant and calm expression, the Empire Emmanuel seemed to be doing well recently.
Isn't that so? The Emperor grumbled in his heart. Everyone knew how good Nurr's economic situation was recently. The biggest beneficiary of the alliance between the Empire and Brittania was Nurr. The orders from Brittania, the orders from the Ryan brothers, Forgen, and the Ashes Legion, as well as the introduction of all kinds of advanced technology and technical talents, Brittania naturally chose to seek help from Nurr. According to the information obtained by the Emperor's intelligence department, in the past few years, under Emmanuelle's supervision and supervision, the salaries of the frontline workers in Nurr's gun factories had continuously risen by more than 50%.
The Empire Emmanuel was now loved by the citizens of Nur. She was now addressed as "Our Beloved Emmanuel" by the citizens of Nur.
"Good morning, Your Majesty." Emmanuel held her son, Frey Derick Jr., with an enigmatic smile on her face.
"Good morning, Godfather!" Even though he was only seven or eight years old, Frey Derick Jr. had grown to a height of 1.4 meters. The little guy had a sturdy body, and his dignified appearance was very lovable. He was also very polite. Seeing his mother greet his Godfather, he followed suit. Emmanuel reached out and patted little Frey Derick Jr.'s shoulder, indicating that he should go find Grandpa Ludwig. The little guy nodded and quickly ran off.
"Emmanuelle, are you here to help me and Boris mediate?" Karl-franz forced a smile. The Emperor was very direct. After all, they were old rivals and friends, and both sides understood each other quite well.
"Yes, I am here to mediate." The Empire Emmanuel said without hesitation. "No one wants the Empire to be divided. I also don't want our strength to be used to defend against foreign enemies. Therefore, I came to Brunswick in hopes of mediating between you and Boris. I believe Boris will give me this face. Or, does Your Majesty have any good ideas?"
"Then I'll have to say thank you." The Emperor smiled. He first shook his head, then nodded. "Regardless, thank you. But I think, Emmanuel, you must have other things to say, right?"
"Little Frey Derick Jr. is clamoring to see father." Emmanuel nodded. Her face was flushed. "It just so happens that the Eight Peaks Mountain Expedition has ended. I'll bring little Frey Derick Jr. to Brittany for a visit for a while."
"I see." The Emperor was slightly relieved. With the Empire Emmanuel Jr. mediating, and Boris not being an idiot, the reason why Kurfürst White Wolf deployed troops at the border was because he was forced to do so. In order to strengthen his position, he sometimes had to do something. With Emmanuel Jr.'s appearance, naturally, both sides would have a way out.
"There's no free lunch in the world, Your Majesty." Who knew that Emmanuelle would suddenly change the topic, her words becoming sharp: "I want to know one thing!"
Karl-franz's heart skipped a beat. The Emperor's face was serious as he maintained a bright smile. "What is it?"
"I heard that you obtained a large war loan from Supreme Dwarf King Solgreen of the Eternity Peak in the name of the Imperium?!"
"Tell me, Karl-franz, is this true?!"
Damn it! The Emperor's heart turned cold. The quill in his hand trembled slightly.
The news was leaked!
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
