A black carriage with no signs on the outside followed the gravel paved road into the gate of Shannon Manor's white marble and black iron flowers, and stopped at the steps of a small brown building. On the porch of the small building, a butler who had been waiting there for a long time quickly walked down the steps and opened the car door.

Eugene got out of the carriage and looked up at the small building in front of him, his eyes flashing slightly.

"Madame Eugene, please go directly to the drawing-room, she has been waiting there for a long time. The butler leaned over and said respectfully.

Eugene nodded, and looked back to the coachman and several of his servants to wait outside. Then he followed the butler into the small building.

Walk through the hallway and up the stairs. A moment later, Eugene had already entered a living room on the second floor, which was not spacious and luxurious, but was exceptionally elegantly furnished. As soon as I walked through the living room door, I was greeted by Mrs. Joyce, dressed in a long emerald green dress, smiling and standing up from the sofa and curtsied.

"General Eugene is really a punctual man. Not a minute or a second is missing. ”

Eugene returned the salute, handed over the coat to the butler, and said calmly: "This meeting with Mrs. is related to the life and death of Lulian, and I dare not slack off in the slightest." Besides, if I can't make it to the appointment on time, I think it's hard for Madame to believe that I will keep my promise. ”

"The general's words are serious," Mrs. Joyce waited for Eugene to go around the sofa, stretched out her jade arm, and asked Eugene to sit down, then gently stroked the hem of her skirt with her hand, sat down, and said in her mouth, "Joyce is a female streamer, shallow in knowledge, and cannot afford to be responsible for Lulian's life and death." ”

"Worthy of it!" said Eugene straight to the point, sternly, "and, I don't think there is a single person in the city of Muni except Madame." It can be so important. ”

Mrs. Joyce's face showed a hint of unnaturalness, and she smiled and covered up the past by reaching out to pour Eugene coffee.

The two were silent for a moment.

Eugene pondered and said softly, "Madam, since we are sitting here today. Then be open and honest. If you have any thoughts or concerns, you may wish to speak up, and I will listen to you. ”

Mrs. Joyce drank tea, her long eyelashes drooped for a long time, and then she said softly: "Can the general sue me, what are the chances of winning this battle of General Fano?"

Eugene nodded, he knew. This is at the heart of all the issues.

"Talking on paper, in fact, doesn't help. But if Madame wants to know what I think, then I think ......," said Eugene with a solemn expression, "our chance of winning will not exceed thirty percent." ”

As if she didn't expect Eugene to be so honest, Mrs. Joyce looked up at him with some surprise, and after a moment, she smiled slightly: "The general is really an honest man......"

She sat up straight. Put your hands crossed in front of your lower abdomen and say, "Since you can call a spade a spade." Then I'll tell you the truth. These days, we have been studying the situation on the front lines. And your judgment is roughly the same as the judgment we have made. ”

"Since February, the Filiet Army has accelerated the pace of troop transfers, according to intelligence. At present, in the major port cities along the coast, thousands of Fei martyrs have landed every day. The ratio of the strength of the enemy and us has reached two to one. Plus the Archduke Adolf and the main Lulian army he led were under siege......"

Speaking of this, Mrs. Joyce shook her head with a wry smile and said, "Actually, even if it is a thirty percent win rate. It's all already overestimated. ”

Eugene pondered, and suddenly asked, "So, does Madame know what our odds of victory were at the beginning of the Battle of Medin City?"

Mrs. Joyce was stunned and shook her head.

"The Fifth Army had left us behind and tried to cross the El Hilai and attack the rear of the Firean. but they have exposed us to the city of Medin as bait to lure the enemy. At that time, our chances of winning were less than 10 percent. ”

Eugene took a sip of coffee, looked at the wall lamp on the opposite wall with a gloomy gaze, and said coldly: "At that time, the Philip Striker was only ten kilometers away from us. If they are entangled, the main Lulian force will have to be forced to fight a decisive battle with the other side in the city of Medin. In the absence of the Fifth Army, we simply could not be an opponent of the enemy. Therefore, we must take the initiative to retreat before we are entangled by the other side.

The rear army withdrew, the lords' coalition withdrew, the Coast Mercenary Regiment, and the two battalions of the Mooney City Guard, all withdrew. In the end, all that remained was the severed Bavarian Knights and the rabble for sacrifice. ”

Eugene said, turning his head to look at Mrs. Joyce and said, "You should know the result well, Madame. Not only did we win, but we were the vanguard troops of the total annihilation of the Filies, and they ambushed in advance, and took a hard bite on the main force they followed. It was the greatest victory the Empire had ever won since the outbreak of the war......"

"But that's just a coincidence, it's luck," Mrs. Joyce said a little anxiously, "What about us now?Miss Sophia is far away in the imperial capital to form a new army, and the most elite main forces of Archduke Adolf and Lulian are under siege again, and now the front line is only the ...... of the Mooney City Guard."

As she spoke, blood welling up, her tone becoming more and more agitated: "How can we expect a miracle under such circumstances?"

"The outcome of a war is only known when we fight," Eugene said in a deep voice, "although we are at a disadvantage, it does not mean that we will definitely lose." We also had the opportunity to ......"

"Chance?" said Mrs. Joyce sneered, "and even if we have the chance, can we seize it?"

As she spoke, Huo Ran stood up, "Let's be honest, General Eugene. From beginning to end, I did not approve of General Fano's plan. It is true that it is our duty as courtiers to rescue Archduke Adolf, but we also have to face reality.

If the Muni City Guard had stayed and let the Red Leaf Knights and the Twelfth Legion shrink to the defense line of Muni City for defense, coupled with our full support, Lulian would still have a chance to live, but General Fano insisted on going his own way and had to put the little strength we had into the bottomless pit south of the city of Medding......"

She raised her chin, calmed her feelings hard, and said word by word: "This is definitely a huge mistake!"

"No, ma'am. Eugene retorted, "In my opinion, General Fano's decision was not wrong. If the Muni City Guard does not take the initiative to attack, stop the enemy's attack. The Momiji Knights on the left flank and the Twelfth Legion on the right flank are afraid that they will not be able to gain a firm foothold until now, and once they lose Medin City, Muni City will have to face the enemy's attack directly. Without the constraints of mountainous terrain, the Philip Army, which was originally known for its cavalry. It is possible to drive straight in. In addition to being trapped in the lonely city, we will lose all the surrounding territories......"

As he spoke, he also stood up and emphasized: "Besides, although Archduke Adolf is surrounded by enemies, the Bavarian Knights, the Coastal Mercenary Regiment, and the main force of the early noble alliance are still in his hands. As long as we can keep enough pressure on the Fried, they might be able to find a chance to break through!"

"But this qiē is all your imagination. Isn't it?" said Mrs. Joyce coldly, "war does not follow the designed route. ”

"But if we give up our efforts from the beginning, then we will have no chance at all," said Eugene, "and besides, you know, ma'am, if the Grand Duke Adolf is killed." What it means for Lulian. What does it mean to His Majesty Edward......"

Mrs. Joyce twisted her head to the side. There was silence, no sound.

The room fell silent again.

Eugene looked at Mrs. Joyce in front of him. He had known her for a long time, but he didn't communicate much with each other, and he didn't know each other well. All the knowledge about her comes from the gossip circulating among the nobles.

In the eyes of many. Mrs. Joyce was a very complex person.

She has a charming appearance and superb communication skills, long sleeves and good dancing, and many people in the aristocratic circle are her courtiers. She is shrewd and capable. After her husband's death, her territory fell under her control. It is becoming more and more prosperous. The power is also growing.

She was always at the top of Archduke Adolf's guest list. She was one of the most valued lords of Grand Duke Adolf and a frequent visitor to the Grand Duke's mansion.

Except for a peachy scandal that a single woman can't avoid, she doesn't have many gossips. At least in all these years, Eugene has rarely heard people accuse her of wrongdoing anything behind her back that is contrary to her aristocratic status and morality. On the contrary, she is willing to help, and she actually has a good reputation.

This time, though, she was clearly at a crossroads.

She was a woman, not a knight. It is difficult for Eugene to use the rules of knighthood to demand such a woman who survives in the circle of deceitful nobility. It is also difficult for her to understand that this war is not like the business she usually touches, where the profit and loss risk can be calculated.

In fact, the reason why the nobles have never openly rebelled and never torn their faces is because Joyce is unwilling to do that.

Although she took refuge in the Lanris, she still retains her loyalty to the Grand Duke of Adolf and the moral bottom line that a nobleman should have. It was these that made her torment between reason and emotion.

The fact that she agreed to meet today is also proof of that.

Eugene is well aware of this. He knew that convincing Mrs. Joyce was his only chance. If this key figure leading the aristocracy cannot be brought back, then a series of domino-like reactions will be triggered, and this will completely destroy the entire southern part of the empire.

"Ma'am," Eugene said earnestly, softening his tone, "I have not come today to force you to make a choice. I just hope Madame thinks it through. Your decision is not only about the millions of people of Lulian, about the empire, about the life and death of Archduke Adolf, but also about the honor of you and your family. ”

"Tomorrow is the day when General Fano's rear army will go on the expedition, and there is an urgent need for food and grass supplies. On the front line, the soldiers are fighting day and night, and every minute and every second, someone is dying. They are defending our homeland, and we are in the rear, is it so indifferent, even...... Falling into the well?"

Seeing that Mrs. Joyce was silent, Eugene paused and said, "We are not saints, and it is natural for our own interests to be considered. Sometimes, however, some decisions are not related to interests. On top of interests, there is also our glory, and our bottom line. Even if this battle is really lost, at least we have fought, and we can straighten our backs and keep the family coat of arms from being disgraced by our cowardice and betrayal......"

As Eugene spoke, suddenly, there was a rush of footsteps, shouts, and the clash of weapons downstairs. Immediately, the door of the living room was slammed open, and two guard knights with long swords rushed in and said to him, "My lord, go quickly, this is a trap!"

Eugene and Mrs. Joyce were stunned when they heard this.

Eugene turned his head slowly and looked at Mrs. Joyce in disbelief, while the latter's face changed, and he walked briskly to the window and looked down.

I saw the surroundings of the small building, I don't know when, it was surrounded by dozens of knights. They rode horses, torches in hand, and galloped forward. All of them were armed with long swords, and their faces were hideous, like a group of vicious wolves that had broken into the sheepfold. The grass and flowers were trampled into a mess.

In the foyer downstairs, several guards who had come with Eugene were resisting in formation. There were already two corpses lying on the spot, and the rest of the people were also scarred and drenched in blood.

This scene made Mrs. Joyce's head buzz and she was dizzy.

As if all her strength had been drained, she turned her head and looked at Eugene, who was staring at her behind her, and opened her mouth to explain something, but she couldn't say anything.

"Boom!" there was a loud bang, and the wall of the living room suddenly exploded, and the masonry flew wildly.

In the dust, two glorious knights with flying battle rings walked in side by side.

"Your Excellency, get out!" Eugene's two guards shouted and pounced on each other. Trying to buy Eugene a chance to escape.

"Look for death!" the Glory Knight, who broke through the wall, snorted coldly at the same time, and a person on the left stepped forward and punched out.

A punch broke through the air, and eight battle rings erupted from the fist, and the golden light turned into a huge fist, slamming into the two guards.

These two guards, both of whom only have the strength of a fair two-star star, were hit by this punch, and suddenly let out a muffled snort, like a kite with a broken string, and threw them backwards.

Seeing this, Eugene's figure flashed, and he had already reached the front of the two guards, put his hands on their backs, dissolved the power of the glorious knight, and then unloaded his backhand, and let them down.

"Your Excellency......" One of the guards was short of breath, and a trace of blood appeared from the corner of his mouth.

"Well, don't speak," Eugene sighed, looking up at the pale Mrs. Joyce, "they were premeditated, and I can't escape if I want to." ”

As he spoke, he turned his head to look at the two knights of glory who broke through the wall, and there was a hint of desolation in his calm voice: "Let all of you downstairs stop, we surrender." ”...... (To be continued......)