I

The iron-colored cross fluttered quietly in the cold winter morning mist, fluttering above all mundane things. Around it, five flagpoles and four flags were guarded – the one belonging to the Soma family had not yet been raised.

If you stand on the top of a hill in the middle of Teresa, you will have the illusion that you have ruled the whole world.

From here, you can see the cold north as far as the blue water can see, and the white sails float in the world's largest port. To the south of the hills, there is an endless expanse of plains, with fertile wheat fields stretching to the edge of the royal domain. The altitude of the mountain is not high, but it stands out from the crowd relative to the surrounding plains. The towering spires of Teresa's towering buildings encircled the splendid palace like countless giant swords pointing to the sky, symbolizing the power and majesty of the empire. The nearly 2,000-year-old Imperial Palace of the Holy Empire sits on this hill, and all the historical dust of the past lies quietly under the base of this building.

This mountain has seen the heroic appearance of the city ordered by the Prancing Horse from the top of the mountain after the victory of Curras the Great at the Battle of Diramon, and the miracle of the young Arthur Corman's seven-day raid on the city of Kuras. The mountain has seen the corpse of Paul Hugh Kirman, the last emperor of the First Dynasty, who was pierced by a sword in the flames, and the repentance of Harrielet Hugh Kirman, the recovered lord of the Second Dynasty, weeping at the graves of his ancestors. Today, it is still quietly witnessing the birth of a new era and the rise of a new generation of great personalities.

At this time, His Majesty the Venerable Emperor was standing on the top of a hill looking down at the territory he owned—and the territory he still owned in name. The cold wind of winter whipped through his tall, slightly emaciated frame, but he didn't feel cold at all—the golden magic wand he clenched in his hand gave him warmth.

The name of the wand was "Great Power". It is a sacred token passed down from generation to generation by the Second Dynasty of the Holy Koman Empire, symbolizing the imperial power of this empire.

"Your Majesty, you are here again. It's almost time for the round table, and the ministers have already arrived, aren't you going yet?"

A slightly hoarse voice sounded from behind him, with deep tiredness in it. Gustav Hugh Kirman turned to face the man, and he knew it was a voice he knew very well. Most of his courtiers had served two generations of emperors and one regent, but the head of the court, Spann von Ellen, was more senior. This old man, who was over seventy years old, once served his grandfather, Emperor Ledon the Great. From an early age, Gustav was familiar with his voice.

"I was about to go back. The Emperor replied lightly, "I don't have to rush to think of it." Today's meeting is important and I cannot miss it. ”

The old steward nodded silently, and followed the thin and short emperor down the mountain. Anyone who really sees this emperor will find that he is not as handsome as the head on the front of the Golden Mark, nor as tall as the majestic figure on the statues and portraits. His blonde hair was not pure blonde like a lion, but a dark yellow with a slight blacken. The golden crutch in Gustav's hand, titled "Might", struck lightly against the steps with a rhythmic "click" that obscured his slightly limping right leg, a sequelae of bone magic.

Soon, on the top of the hill, which represents the majesty of the royal family, only the howling of the cold wind and the tombs of the past Koman emperors lying quietly there. There was only a trace of residual warmth, which remained in front of the tombstone engraved with "Diristan Hugh Kirman". There is not a single epitaph on the tombstone other than his name - but everyone in Deresan knows that under this tombstone is Gustav's uncle, the former regent.

To Gustav, this man was like his real father.

It is said that since the execution of Diristan with his own hands, Gustav has developed a "royal impose". No one knows what this young man, who was in his early twenties at the time, was thinking in the face of a dark, bloody and inexplicable power struggle. This genius and short-lived celebrity has left only endless speculation for future generations.

*** ***

The Grand Council Chamber is located in the very middle of the Royal Palace, just behind the main hall of the entire castle. The Emperor walked briskly through the hundred-seat hall and into a small door on its side. Behind that inconspicuous carved wooden door was the highest administrative decision-making body of the entire empire. It is known as the Round Table – sometimes referred to as the "Cabinet" because of the name of this small hall.

The Round Table is more like a court of debate than an institution of power. The people representing all sides of the power of the empire sat around the round table, symbolizing equality, and expressed their opinions on various topics, just like the plaintiffs, defendants, lawyers, and prosecutors of the law, while His Majesty the Emperor acted as a judge, asking questions, making recommendations, and finalizing conclusions. His Majesty the Emperor was also not very dignified at this meeting, and the cabinet members were free to speak or express their opinions without fear of offending the monarch – a rule of the Second Empire. The Round Table originally had thirteen seats, then increased to nineteen, and now fifteen—four of the Southern aristocracy have been removed. Today, the fixed list of the round table includes the emperor and his prime minister, the five archdukes who support the empire, and eight cabinet members, who are divided into four ministers and four ministers.

As soon as he reached the door of the cabinet, Gustav heard a heated argument coming from inside. The voice was loud, full of energy, full of intimidating persuasiveness. Of all his staff, only one person would speak so bluntly and without minus.

"Do you want to keep this state of affairs for another three months, or six months?!Prime Minister, are you kidding?! Why do you have to hold your troops now? Do you know how many gold coins are used up in the treasury by the troops who are always on the highest alert every day? Do you know that the Ministry of Finance has already used next year's budget and national debt for this sudden attack? In order to make all preparations for this offensive, to hire reservists and mercenary troops, to prepare logistical supplies, to improve the condition of the roads... ... We have already spent seven million gold marks, which is half of this year's total military budget! If we do not have a special war tax, our national treasury will be left with not a single gold coin by this time next year! You have been here to talk about war, patriotism, and revenge, and you have approved that adventure, and now you are here to talk about peace! If you want to choose peace, please immediately revoke the present state of maximum combat readiness, stop the complete blockade of the borders, and dismiss the mercenary regiments and reserve forces......"

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Moris Gresham, has spoken out against the Prime Minister's opinion. Gustav frowned, stepped into the cabinet, and slammed his cane on the ground twice. The familiar voice immediately made everyone stand up and bow to the majestic figure. Gustav found a random chair and sat down, motioning for everyone to take their seats. As usual, four of the fifteen chairs at the round table were empty.

"Gresinqing, don't be impatient. The round table has not yet begun, and I am not very familiar with your respective proposals and positions. It is the responsibility of the ministers to make the best decisions for our country. ”

“...... Yes, Your Majesty. Morris replied after taking a deep breath. By this time, his face had turned red with excitement and a long speech.

This adventurer from the southern Republic of Intre has a fiery temper and is only able to enter the center of power in the empire because he is appreciated by the former regent. Ten years ago, he swept away the depreciating mess left by the Fourth Rebellion, and the Golden Mark, the official currency of the Empire, is his masterpiece. The latest general mobilization has cost the treasury enormous, and the entire logistics and dispatch system has been thrown into disarray, and the Minister of Finance, Home Affairs and Logistics is already exhausted.

"Now that Your Majesty has arrived, let's begin the meeting officially. The old Chancellor Icosagon von Chilingburg, who was sitting next to His Majesty the Emperor, announced. Like the head of the court, this prime minister is also a veteran minister who has gone through three dynasties.

"The theme of today's meeting is the increasingly intensifying situation in the South. As you are well aware, the Southern Army is now divided into two factions, the Government Army loyal to the Government and the Coup Army loyal to the coup leader, and they are facing each other along the Maitebutsi River. The two armies were evenly matched, but so far neither had escalated into a real civil war. Both the Provisional Government and the rebel leader, Field Marshal Govar, have declared that they do not wish to trigger a civil war and hope for a peaceful resolution of the dispute. Three days ago, we had an emergency freeze on the Blue Meteor program, and now we have to decide on the next course of action. Just as Gresin said, delaying it all the time will be a great damage to the national treasury and to our armed forces. The information we can get at this stage is quite partial and incomplete, so please introduce it to Naserqing. ”

The Prime Minister's eyes fell on the handsome-looking man sitting across from him, who then stood up and flipped through the thick report in his hand.

If you just look at the appearance, no one would have thought that this young man full of androgynous charm would actually be the security minister who controls the security and intelligence system of the entire empire. Like all those who can be promoted to the position of Minister of Security, Cid Nasec is a tight-lipped man — though he is not usually reticent, it is harder to get something out of his mouth than it is to climb to the sky. Sid himself graduated from Imperial University with a degree in magic, and is highly skilled in spells such as prophecy magic, encryption magic, and dismantling magic, and the platinum badge on his chest proves that his magic skills are second to none in the entire Empire.

"First of all, I would like to apologize for our lack of intelligence. Our intelligence network had only received the wrong information before the coup d'état, and was unprepared for the rapid intensification of this coup. The earliest information we have is from three days ago, and most of it is vague and untrustworthy, and all sorts of gossip confuses our ears and eyes. Thanks to the efforts of analysts from the Ministry of Security, it is only today that we have such an overview of the political situation in the south after the coup d'état. At present, almost all of the troops in the Rulok-Northern Military Region have declared their support for the coup army, and most local governments have been coerced by the garrison to declare that they do not recognize the Provisional Government of Lenny. Most of the Ite-American Republic supported the Provisional Government, but the 7th Division in the south-west direction was not included. All the garrisons of Fates and Inter supported the Provisional Government. If we compare the strength of the army, it is about seven government troops and three coup army, but if we compare the real combat effectiveness, the coup army, which has the elite of the Northern Military District, has a slight advantage. It is difficult to estimate how the situation will develop at the moment, but the possibility of a full-scale civil war cannot be ruled out, nor can the possibility of a peaceful settlement be ruled out. ”

Gustav, who listened with his chin propped up, pondered for a moment, digesting the detailed information: "Please continue. Do you have a detailed disposition and the status of the standoff between the two sides? I know that the coup army has increased its troops to our southern border. ”

Sid quickly flipped through a few pages: "Okay. At present, the spiritual leader of the coup army, Radetz Govar, is still in Fortiburg, where he presents his manifesto of political reform, on the themes of "no civil war", "compulsory military service", "reform of the military system" and "equal citizenship"; The Provisional Military Directory of the Coup Army was established in Kengrad, the industrial and economic center of the South, where an Interim Parliament was formed. They deployed their main forces on the line from Kengrad to Fort Forti and on the line of the Olas River on the southern border of our country. Government forces were cut in two by their deployment: Army Group Fates, led by General Vena Betsy, and Army Group Capital, led by Lieutenant General Klad López. Due to the considerable restraint of both Governments, the hostilities between the coup and government forces are currently limited to a mutual blockade. That's all for the overview, and that's it. ”

In Sid's speech, there is not even the slightest inclination to "war" or "peace." As the Minister of Security returned to his seat, the exchange of eye and psychic communication magic immediately began among the attendees of the round table, apparently devised a strategy to convince the Emperor. His Majesty the Young Emperor watched with some annoyance as he always did with his most trusted courtiers, but he also knew that this would at least avoid some of the foolish decisions and strengthen his position. Since the establishment of the Second Dynasty, there has never been a disaster at the end of the First Dynasty in which "the nobles raised troops to threaten the central government" or "the generals of the Praetorian Guard changed the emperor without authorization", which is inseparable from the establishment of the Round Table.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please hurry up and put forward your suggestions. It starts with you, Tsarinburgh. Gustav said.

The Prime Minister stood up with his hands on the table, his legs trembling slightly, and Gustav hurriedly asked him to sit down and speak. The old prime minister coughed twice and cleared his throat before speaking.

"In my personal opinion, we should postpone or cancel this military operation and focus on the rebellion. His Majesty's plan for an assault on the south is too wishful thinking, and it would be unwise to do so when the other side has strengthened its vigilance. ”

No one expected that the Prime Minister, who has always been known for his prudence and caution, would take the initiative to directly oppose the "Blue Meteor" plan to raid the south that the emperor had pushed before.

*** ***

"Your Excellency, I think your statement is too foolish...... No, that's too illogical! Before, we were dealing with all the armies of the South, and now, at worst, we are dealing with half of the underprepared South. Why do you think that we should not take the opportunity to march south? Do we want to wait until the two armies of the south have reached a compromise, reorganized the government, and established a new order before attacking them?

Prime Minister Ekausagen gave a cold glance at the tall man who was standing up with a slap on the table, it was the Emperor's Foreign Secretary, Corway soe Eaglewing.

The tall count, who was actually younger than Sid Nasser, was one of His Majesty's most trusted vassals, and had a fairly fertile territory in Eagle Wing County in the province of Diramon, which had been given his current status thanks to his contribution to the civil strife of the previous regent. Covey himself has a very noble royal branch bloodline, and his wife is also the daughter of the Grand Duke Cannae, and she is very eloquent, as a foreign secretary, she is a person who makes the best use of her talents, and can be said to be familiar with the relationship between the royal family and the nobles in various places. He and Maurice Gresham were the two loudest voices at the round table, and if Gresham had persuasiveness based on data, Count Hugh Eagle Wing had incitement based on slogans.

Of course, he is also a young man who has not seen the horrors of the last war...... The prime minister thought with some melancholy. He still remembered the tragic situation of the Fourth War, under the city of Lenny, when the Imperial Army was attacked by those Southern volunteers who were not afraid of death. It was not a war, but a one-sided killing, but thanks to the efforts of these civilian soldiers, the Imperial forces were never able to capture Lennie. Eventually, with both flanks broken, the Imperial army retreated to Fort Steele, where Emperor Leostan died from the bombardment of giant mortars......

Ekausagen no longer wanted to use the Empire's professional army of chivalry to fight a militant Directory's militia, which was dishonorable and uneconomical.

"I support the Prime Minister's view. As the prime minister was silenced by recollections, Lorlain von Figota, the military minister and Duke of Figota, spoke in solidarity: "From a military point of view, our surprise attack was a strategic suddenness, but now we have completely lost that advantage." There is no doubt that both the Southern army, loyal to Radetz Govar, and the Southern army, loyal to that democratically elected government, will remain extremely vigilant against our attacks. Now, even a fool can think that we will take advantage of the situation to attack - in this case, we will definitely hit the iron plate headlong and completely lose the strategic suddenness. War is not a matter of taking things for granted, nor is it a brutal struggle of pure mental or physical strength, but a science full of calculations and a creative art. Without planning, without calculation, without intelligence, the war cannot be won by relying solely on clever tactics and elite soldiers. ”

Nearly fifty years old, Loren von Figota was one of the five great dukes of the empire, and its territory was in the southeastern part of the empire, bordering Fates. He had fought many times with Wiener Betsy and Conti Fox on the South-Eastern Frontier, and was the most experienced in war of all the men here, and he had two armies under his command, and no one could contradict him in matters of war.

Since he had spoken, the emperor had no choice but to give up the solution by force: "Okay, let's give up force and adopt diplomacy first." However, the alert level of the southern troops cannot be relaxed......"

"Your Majesty, if we don't lower the alert level, we will have to increase the financial pressure by an additional fifteen thousand and one hundred gold marks every day. Gresham, who was outspoken, stood up and reported.

The emperor hesitated for a moment and changed his words: "Then, we will lower the alert level to the second level, let the second-line troops return to their stations, and the first-line troops will stay on the front line." ”

"That's eight thousand three hundred extra costs a day...... But it's acceptable. The Chancellor of the Exchequer sat back with a frown.

Seeing that the financial situation had passed, Gustav breathed a sigh of relief and continued to ask: "As for the foreign policy of the South, my basic idea is to pull one side and fight the other. Ying Yiqing, do you estimate that which of the two parties is more likely to cooperate with us?"

"This ......" Ke Wei was suddenly asked, and he couldn't answer.

Fortunately, Sid, the security minister on the side, relieved him: "In the current situation, I'm afraid that neither side is likely to cooperate with us." After all, it is unlikely that the news of our heavy military pressure on the border will completely hide from the intelligence network in the south, and my men will certainly have the eyes and ears of the south. If they want to pull one side and fight the other, the top priority at the moment is to intensify the contradictions between the two sides. ”

"Send envoys to both sides to express the goodwill of the empire and a limited pledge of support. The envoy must be a verbal envoy with a status to represent the Empire, and must not be made known to the other party. If possible, find ways to create public opinion and friction and damage the relationship between the two sides. The Prime Minister added, turning his gaze to the court magicians and court archbishops, who had been silent as was customary, "I think we can find more suitable people from the association and the Holy See, people who are very adaptable and have a certain status." ”

"There is no problem, I will inform the Holy See to find a suitable person. Ingrid, a middle-aged priestess in a yellow archbishop's robe, replied, "Mr. Victor will also inform the Society." But if you want to be noble and adaptable, it may still be a little difficult......"

Victor, who wore a platinum badge on his chest, nodded his head in agreement. The priests and priests present here represent the two powerful forces of the Society and the Holy See, and they must not make random promises.

"There are a few people with noble status and strong adaptability, but there are ...... of them."

Sid Nasser was halfway through speaking, and quietly turned his gaze to the Minister of War, Duke Figota. Duke Figota's face changed slightly at the sight of the questioning gaze, and he seemed to freeze, but after a moment of stiffness, he nodded slightly. After that, Sid continued: "...... It's Viscount Falsore Lustra, who should be up to the task. ”

"Vlasol Rasta?" Gustav paused for a moment, "the name seems familiar. ”

"He had been a knight of the palace two years earlier, and perhaps he had met His Majesty at that time. Sid replied, "Now his public identity is Viscount Rasta, the leader of the Knights of Liberation. As for the other envoys, I will continue to look for them to His Majesty's satisfaction. ”

"Oh, it's him...... His swordsmanship is very powerful. Gustav remembered the knight of the guard, who was skilled in swordsmanship, and nodded, "Then it's decided." I ask you to make plans as soon as possible, and I sincerely hope that half of the South can be obtained without blood. Adjournment - by the way, Chalinburg and Eagle Wing, the two of them can hurry up and start preparing for the official sealing ceremony of Grand Duke Soma. We may be able to use this ritual to prove our ...... 'goodwill' to the South. ”

Everyone stood up, bowed to him, and left behind a large pile of papers. After everyone had left, the Emperor stood up, dragged his limp legs, and walked towards his bedchamber, ready to browse the list of attendees for today's meeting and dinner. Day in and day out, he worked with his staff to sustain the vast empire in different ways.

Gustav had never been more hungry for horses, smoke, and tents, things that were completely different from his present tedious life.

"Just be patient a little longer......"

The figure of the emperor holding a scepter, in the empty palace, looks majestic and lonely.

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Welcome the majority of book friends to come and read, the latest, fastest, the hottest serialized works are all here!