Louis shook his head, not so easily persuaded by Arnold.

"As much as you have a point, I still don't see what you have to lose in this covenant?" Louis stroked the folding fan, not looking at Arnold's, "Is it possible...... You are so reluctant to have two sisters?"

The corners of Arnold's eyes twitched imperceptibly.

"Louie, before you are enthusiastic about this alliance, it is better to understand what others can benefit from it, and what we have to give. ”

Arnold's lecturing tone upset Louis greatly, and he hated others above him, which was unacceptable to his arrogant character.

But Louis also knows the timing of forbearance, and Count Gunther of Rota, whom he hated so much at the beginning, can also choose to talk to the other party with a smile and coexist peacefully for the stability of his title, until the time is ripe to kill the other party. So, Louis could tolerate such small grievances, but when the time came, he would definitely ask for them back.

"So, cousin Arnold, what do you want to teach me?"

"Northville. Arnold raised his hand and pointed to the still empty seat, "Do you know why they came up with this alliance and what they can gain from it?"

Louis clenched the folding fan in his hand, of course he had thought about this question, but no matter how much he analyzed the information from the city of Vodahara, he could not think of the result, and even the wisdom of Archbishop Benedict did not work.

"Oh—does Cousin Arnold know?"

Arnold glanced at Archbishop Benedict behind Louis, and the old man had no special expression on his face.

"Since Duke Erren, the Norsvi family has gradually encroached on the lands of the Askar Alliance with incredible power, and their strength and fear, you and I, Tamska and Fegraf, should be all too clear. In that case, why would such a powerful Northville family, with the fortress of Vodahara that will never be breached, take the initiative to seek an alliance and ask for our help?"

Louis listened quietly, Arnold said that the question was indeed what he wanted to know, and it was also something he had been unable to figure out.

This shows that Northville is now facing terrible dangers that even they cannot handle. ”

"What, then, is this danger?" said Archbishop Benedict, who seemed particularly interested in the question, and his otherwise calm eyes now glowed with a delicate light.

Arnold looked at Louis and Archbishop Benedict and did not answer the question immediately, and the atmosphere in the church was very solemn for a moment because of his silence.

"A being whose form we can't yet tell, maybe it's a demon, maybe it's a newborn evil god, in short, it's powerful enough for us to treat him as we see gods and demons. ”

Hearing this news, Louis and Archbishop Benedict, as well as Titus, Oz and others behind Arnold, all looked surprised, especially the archbishop, as a clergyman, he was naturally more worried when he heard such news.

"Really...... However, I have not received an oracle, may I ask Lord Arnold, is this information accurate?"

"I don't dare to say 100% accurate, but there is no doubt that the threat that Northville has encountered is something comparable to the existence of the Nine Grand Dukes of Hell. This guy's target wasn't necessarily Northway, he came up from the sea, and his destination could be somewhere on land, and Northway was just unfortunate enough to be in this guy's path. ”

In other words...... Northville can choose to escape and not have to fight this guy, right?" Louis said keenly, "Of course, I don't think Northville will give up the territory conquered by Duke Ulren, and with their philosophy of valuing civilians, they should choose to fight to the death." ”

"Maybe Northville can escape, maybe the people living in the Eastern Realm can escape, but who can be sure of the ultimate destination of that thing? Northville may have further information, but for me that doesn't justify risking. ”

"Adventure......" Louis rubbed his chin and the corners of his mouth curled up again.

"If that thing were on its path and also covered our territory, Louie, would you choose to escape?"

Louis rubbed his chin stopped.

"So, we probably don't have the right to refuse Northway, right? Under such a threat, we have no choice but to live and die with that neighbor. But in that case, cousin Arnold, why don't you approve of this alliance when you know you can't refuse?"

When Louis asked this question, Titus, Oz and the others all came back to their senses from their previous surprise and looked at their duke with great curiosity.

"Because, that's a very sad thing......" Arnold sighed, bowed his head, and his hair covered his eyes, making it impossible to see his eyes.

"Mortals who fight against gods and demons, no matter what the final victory or defeat is, will inevitably cause huge casualties. Is it worthwhile for the dead to save the world of the living that they are saving for them to do so?"

Several people in the church looked at Arnold in surprise, as if they didn't expect Arnold to say such a thing. Louie, in particular, looked at Arnold with almost suspicion in his eyes.

"I don't want the soldiers who owe my allegiance to me to die on such a desperate battlefield, it is so sad, death in battle is almost a certainty, and hope is so slim, but for the sake of that incomparably slim hope, we have to deceive them, force them to fight, to give their lives. Isn't that sad? They did not act out of their own will, but we imposed on them, and to fight and die for such a reason, is it really ...... It's sad. ”

"As a lord, if you can have such thoughts, I think the people of the Cold Mountain Domain will be very happy. Archbishop Benedict was the first to speak, his tone and expression as if he really believed Arnold's words, "But this time the battle is not the will we impose on the people, in order to survive, it is their own choice." In the face of life and death, anyone will fight, Lord Arnold, and you need not be sad about it. ”

Arnold looked up at Archbishop Benedict with a deep sadness in his eyes.

"Yes, yes, this time we can say that it is people's own choice, but what about the next time? The existence of the alliance establishes the enemy and the enemy, the war will continue, the next fight and death are inevitable, this is the meaning of the existence of the alliance. ”

"Well, what are you trying to say......" Archbishop Benedict frowned.

"If it's just to protect people from an evil evil, then Northville doesn't have to propose an alliance at all, and it's a marriage alliance. But the alliance is a form that everyone can accept, and it is also the form that everyone expects, and this battle is for the future, for the future of survival. And the purpose of the alliance is also for the future, for the intrigue in the next battle. ”

"In other words, do you want this alliance to be limited to this alliance, and not to be involved in future wars?" Louis understood what Arnold meant, but he was still incredulous that Arnold would say such a thing.

"That's right. Arnold nodded earnestly.

"Oh, that's it. Louie's eyes lit up with a strange light, "There is no point in marrying each other in such an alliance, is it? If the alliance is not for the future, but only for the present, then marriage as a long-term bond is not necessary, and you seem to hate marriages." ”

It has to be said that Louis was quite perceptive, and repeatedly asked Arnold why he opposed the alliance, and even though Arnold answered many credible reasons, he Haihui Temple sensed this crucial point.

Arnold glanced at Louie.

"Marriage is just a tragedy, and as a product of marriage, I have a deep understanding of this. ”

"That's terrible, but isn't that how we nobles live? Constantly mixing bloodlines and spreading their bloodlines to ensure the survival of the family looks noble, but in fact the nobles are just such dirty things. Louis sneered, his words full of sarcasm, but this time it was a sarcasm of society, "Cousin Arnold, don't you want to live by this way of life? Of course, no one can stop you, and Uncle Tiger probably can't take care of this now." It's your freedom, if you really want that. ”

Titus stared at Arnold's back, his eyes hesitant. Thinking of Arnold's attitude towards Herkasi and the others, and thinking of his reaction to this alliance, Titus always felt that something was wrong. However, he was not John Fonner, and no matter how hard he tried to think about it, he could not think of an answer.

"Even marriage doesn't improve our relationship. The peace between us so far has been nothing more than a hypocritical cooperation out of profit, are you the one who would become soft-hearted because of kinship?"

"Oh, you don't look like that, Cousin Arnold. ”

"No......" Arnold lowered his eyes, "I'm a person who values family affection. ”

"Huh, are you serious, aren't you joking? Obviously exiled your biological father and killed two half-brothers, are you embarrassed to say that you are a person who pays attention to family affection?"

"Of course. Arnold's face didn't change in the slightest, "If I wasn't a family person, then I wouldn't be sitting here talking to you now." ”

Louis was stunned for a moment, and then immediately realized that he had been fooled by Arnold.

"You ......," his fingers tightened on the folding fan, almost breaking it, "is this a provocation to me?, or are you planning to declare war on me, the lord of Tamská, and the Duke of Snowlon, Louis Tamska?"

"No, I didn't say that. Arnold looked at Louis coldly, "I'm just answering your question." ”

"You bastard...... so arrogant that Louis could barely bear it anymore, he couldn't even care about being polite, and he was already on the verge of attacking.

"Lord Æthelwolf Northway I has arrived, Duke of the East. ”

With the sound of registration at the door, both Fegraf and Tamska in the church turned their eyes.

A burly figure first came into everyone's sight, although the tall body was decorated with gorgeous clothes, it still couldn't hide the man's sturdy figure, and under the brocade and satin, there was a faint metallic luster of armor.

The duke who fought to defend the people, Æthelwolf Northway I, was never forgotten.

Arnold looked at his resolute countenance, and though he was a little old, the Duke of Æthelwolf was not so old as to have a wrinkled face and cloudy eyes, and he was only just past the prime of life, a little late.

Maybe in another ten years, my father will be like this.

Arnold thought silently, then looked away. Although Duke Æthelwolf's eyes are more kind, his momentum is very awe-inspiring, unlike young dukes like Louis and Arnold, this old duke has been fighting in this position for decades, even his son is more than ten years older than Arnold, and his momentum is naturally not comparable to Arnold and Louis.

"Unexpectedly, we Northville were the last to arrive. Duke Æthelwolfe smiled and sat down in the chair on the east side, "Now that everyone is here, let's get down to business, the Coalition." ”