King Louis, to be exact, King Louis IX.

This man known as the eloquent man in the outside world has many nicknames, such as the Avenger of Sealand, the Conqueror of Greene, the Destroyer of Faith, the Iron King, etc., but the most important of these nicknames must be the "King of Plantagenet".

This fifty-five-year-old man is in the prime of his life, and based on the fact that the average human being in this world can live to be one hundred and forty years old, his rule over the kingdom that has just been born for thirty years will inevitably last for a long time.

Wise, steady and majestic, the legendary King Louis had all the qualities of a legendary king.

Even the most stubborn Sealand conservative aristocrats and the most radical Isa Restorationists in the Great Council would put aside their arguments when confronted by King Louis and listen to the advice and opinions of the kingdom and the future "Emperor".

The most commendable thing is that, despite his real power, King Louis rarely interfered with the political or military decisions made by the Great Council since he formed the Great Council to reconcile the contradictions between the two major factions in the country.

If the exercise of power is also regarded as a talent and skill, then King Louis is definitely a master in this regard.

He maintains the ambition of his ministers and parliamentarians to control the affairs of the country, but he can also exert his omnipresent influence anywhere in a subtle way.

Although thirty years of operation had allowed the Great Council to form a standard process for governing the country, even the roadside beggars in the Plantagenet Kingdom knew that King Louis could still empty or even abolish the Great Council overnight if he wanted to.

This is a king with real power, but he knows how to delegate power!

Moreover, he established a great vision of "reform" as the foundation of the new state, whether it was the prime minister, the grand council, and even the conservative aristocracy that was retained, all of them were his tools to realize this ambition and vision, and were arbitrarily transferred and controlled by the king, who had already enjoyed the manipulation behind the scenes.

The Plantagenet Kingdom is now thriving.

It is like a young man, positive, aggressive and irritable, bringing great pressure to the people around him and at the same time full of energy.

Such a King Louis looks flawless, but only those who are familiar with him know that King Louis also has his own shortcomings.

For example, under the steady, solemn and solemn appearance, there is a tired soul that is dissolute and uninhibited, but forced to perform its duties. After all, King Louis's ambition in his youth was to become Sealand's finest poet and traveler, and he was a brilliant and prodigal man, having more than seven lovers at the age of nineteen.

These include an elven sage and a Songhai priest.

The reason he became king was not because he wanted to, but because his father and his older brother, who had been made prince, were accidentally assassinated during a visit to the kingdom of Isha.

To put it bluntly, Louis IX, who was only a month away from his twentieth birthday, was forced to ascend the throne, and the first thing he did when he was put on the throne by the three nobles and powerful ministers in the Kingdom of Sealand was to command the newly reformed country to wage a war of annihilation against another country!

He won.

And it's not difficult to win.

With the help of the Silver Dwarves and the Priests of the Earth, it took less than three months for the prodigal prince to invade the Fog Capital, forcing the last king of Isa to marry his sixteen-year-old daughter, Princess Elizabeth, to him before he could marry him, thus completing the establishment of the Plantagenet Kingdom.

At this time, General Loren, who had returned from the front, saw his Majesty in the afternoon sun at the Plantagenet Palace, also known as Dunwich Palace.

The latter hosted a banquet in his favorite garden to entertain his most loyal and trusted general.

It is said to be a banquet, but in fact, it is an exquisite afternoon tea.

The half-dwarven general sat on a gold-encrusted chair specially made for his height, enjoying the emerald forest black tea brought in from the Antani region in his hand, while looking at the man in front of him who was reading the Capetian Travels with interest in the sun.

That's his king.

It is also His Majesty who has been guarding since he joined the army.

However, General Loren still cannot forget the unsettling autumn of thirty years ago.

When the news of the assassination of the old king and the crown prince at the same time reached Sealand, a group of young Janissaries led by him went mad in search of the then prodigal prince in Bourbon, and finally dragged him out of bed and back to the palace in a studio.

General Loren even remembers it clearly!

He remembered that he had pulled up the equally unstripped young prince from the parcel of three beautiful maidens who were not a single strand.

The most outrageous thing is that it was a mother and her two daughters

Well, this is basically one of the most humiliating affairs of His Majesty King Louis in his youth, and it is also a private secret that a king must be kept, and it is one of the things hidden in the heart of General Loren.

Thirty years have transformed a prodigal son into a noble king who can shake the continent even with a cough, and after the Plantagenet Kingdom has completed the annexation of the Confederacy of Portia, the country's next move is likely to put King Louis on the throne.

With the current territory and strength of the Plantagenet Kingdom, it is fully qualified to be upgraded to an empire.

However, this is not easy on this continent, and a new emperor must be approved by the two ancient empires in order to be born.

Of course, this is not talking about the "emperor review" that is stuck in the hell, the leader of any force can call himself the "Great Emperor" as long as he is shameless enough, but an empire that is not recognized by super forces of equal status is destined to have fun behind closed doors.

The Songhai Empire, where it originated, and the ancient kingdom of Callum in the east, are super ancient forces that rule over terrifying areas, unimaginable populations, and have existed for more than 700 years.

The two ancient kingdoms existed when the tribes of the Sealands, Kates and Nords were still playing the "village fights" of fighting on horseback on the mainland.

Winning the approval of both the Pharaoh and the Dragon Emperor was not an easy task even for the King of Plantagenet in front of him.

"It's a good romantic documentary, but I guess that's certainly not the case with the first reports from the young people of the Capet family. The men of that family were intimidatingly serious, like my political advisor, the Count of Lyons. ”

The king laughed and put a third of the report in his hand on the table, and thoughtfully placed a bookmark made of gold leaves inside.

He was like a gourmand who had gotten a delicious meal and couldn't bear to swallow it in one gulp, intending to stay and enjoy it slowly.

The king lifted his teacup and leaned back in his chair as he gazed out in the warm afternoon sun at his beloved garden and the royal maids in black and white uniforms walking through it.

It was his favorite place and one of the few places where he could take off the mask of a majestic king and enjoy his life.

The sun shone on King Louis's face, casting a shimmer on his solemn and elegant face, and the well-groomed beard was like a work of art that recorded the years, adding a touch of momentum to this face that was actually a little soft.

But upon closer inspection, it was not difficult for General Loren to find that the king's face still had a little softness on the face of the foolish young man of the past.

"You've been watching me, Frederick Qing."

King Louis put down his teacup very unpleasantly, and he stared at his most trusted general with a feigned glare, and said:

"So, is it my steelheart general who found something dirty on this king's face?"

"Well, not really, Your Majesty."

The half-dwarf leaned over slightly, and replied solemnly, but then whispered in a strange voice:

"It's just that you have lipstick on your neck that hasn't been wiped clean."

"Huh?"

King Louis suddenly became embarrassed, and quickly took out the "royal handkerchief" and wiped his neck.

The general didn't talk nonsense, there were indeed residual lipsticks there.

But it's not from the "confidantes" who he has long since lost contact with and forgotten in time.

"Before summoning you, I was having lunch with Margaret and Elizabeth, and you know, the ladies are occasionally warm and welcoming."

The king explained, but the general smiled but did not answer.

Countess Margaret, the most beautiful flower that can be born among the Sealanes.

His Majesty had been violently courting this lady on the eve of his accession to the throne at the age of nineteen, and after his accession to the throne he had severed all contact with all his lovers in order to maintain the majesty of the king, except for Countess Margaret, who had been by his side all the time, and had even given birth to a healthy daughter for the king seven years earlier.

It was a well-known secret in the upper circles of the Plantagenet Kingdom, but no one complained about it, not even the most traditional conservative aristocrats dared to chew their tongues on it.

It was clear to all that the noble-born Countess Marguerite would have been the only and perfect queen of King Louis if it had not been for political necessity.

But the most outrageous of all the outrageous little stories about Louis IX is that even though it was only a political marriage, His Majesty and Queen Elizabeth were as harmonious as a real husband and wife.

Five years earlier, the Queen had given birth to a healthy boy for Her Majesty, who was subsequently established as heir, and the daughter of Countess Margaret was canonized as a princess.

Neither the queen nor the countess had any complaints about this.

This can only say that His Majesty's talent in the matter of the relationship between men and women in front of him is really no less than his specialty in manipulating power.

"Ah, it's unpleasant to have such a dwarven smile again, Loren!"

King Louis, who no longer addressed the general by his official surname, but by a more intimate one between the two, snorted, took another sip from his tea-cup and said:

"With your character, you certainly didn't come all the way to see me to deliver this nice travelogue, what else do you think is important to me to know? Go ahead. ”

"Please finish your tea first, Your Majesty."

General Loren took out the second document, and he whispered:

"I guess, after you read this, I guess you won't be in the mood to drink tea."

"Then you wait, I don't want to ruin my good mood today because of some sudden, eyeless bad things."

King Louis nodded, and then spent about ten minutes chatting with General Loren about the battlefield, drinking tea and eating a few rose cookies.

It was only after the beautiful and leisurely tea time that he wiped his hands and took the second document.

The document is short, only a few pages.

After all, it's just a confirmed clean-up disaster and a few unsubstantiated and irresponsible conjectures.

But the king looked very seriously.

After a few minutes, he closed the papers, reached out and rubbed his brow, and said:

"There is no evidence in Cape's report, but my mind tells me that it should be true, and I trust my sanity, but I also need to ask the opinion of the general I trust the most."

King Louis opened his eyes.

In the depths of the deep blue pupils that are as gentle as a lover, there is a touch of coldness and decisiveness.

He turned his head to look at General Loren, and under the gaze of this lion-like gaze, the half-dwarven general immediately straightened up, waiting for orders.

The king spoke.

But instead of asking General Loren what he thought about the matter, he asked quite directly:

"In the event of a conflict, how much force do you need to uproot the Tower of the Ring? I don't want the worst outcome of this to affect the national reforms that are about to be restarted. ”

"It depends on how long you want to end this dispute."

The general was quite cautious about the draft he had typed along the way, and he reported in a very orderly manner:

"If you need a thunderbolt method, then I can immediately return to Silver Castle to contact my relative, with the help of the Silver Dwarf Earth Priest and Gaia's Janissaries, plus the old Praetorian Guard, I can burn the White Cliff to a white ground in half a month!

But I'm afraid you have to be prepared for the old Praetorian Guard to suffer most casualties, or even to cancel its establishment.

If you can tolerate the end of the war in six months, then I will mobilize the Legion of Glenny and the Pioneer Legion, plus the assistance of the newly surrendered Wolf Poison Clan.

A three-way attack can wipe the Tower of the Ring from the kingdom without affecting your reforms, while draining the Wolf Poison Clan and completing the final military reform of the Pioneer Legion. ”

"What if I wanted to be faster?"

The king touched his beard and whispered coldly in the sun:

"What if I want to end the fight within three days of my rebuke reaching the White Cliff? You know, Frederick Clear, the last thing I can tolerate as a person is betrayal. It was like a fire burning my heart, and like a glass of acid burning my stomach, making it difficult for me to sleep.

I want to see traitors suffer, just as they have been a burden to me. ”

"Three days."

General Loren thought it over carefully, and he finally gave a plan:

"Then while contacting Silver Castle and using the Wolf Venom Clan, you may need to invite the Winter Wolf Church of the Nordtov Kingdom to intervene as a king. After all, only another group of psionics can quickly defeat one group, and after the collapse of the Avalonian church, we lack the psionic power that belongs to the kingdom.

But it also means that you need to open up the Plantagenet Kingdom's realm of faith to those Northerners, so that their Wolves of the North Wind can roam the land that belongs to us.

You also know that after the collapse of the Church of Avalon, the spiritual plane of the people was like a wasteland, and their poor hearts longed for the nourishment of rain and dew.

However, this opening cannot be opened!

Once the Church of the Winter Wolves is allowed to enter the kingdom, Nordtov will form a clamp on us.

After all, there will be a war between the two countries in the future, and the wolf girl. With all due respect, Your Majesty, it is better to count on the surrender of the queen who inherited the blood and tyranny of the heroic king Boris on the battlefield, than to count on you to conquer the young girl who is only 25 years old with your masculine style.

It's much more cost-effective for you than a war. ”

"I'm glad you compliment me on my charms, but you want me to target a 25-year-old girl and make me feel like you're making fun of me for being an old rascal.

Let's just follow the first plan. ”

King Louis threw the papers in his hand on the table, closed his eyes, and whispered:

"I will hand over the command of the old Praetorian Guard to you, and if the Tower of the Ring does not give me an explanation that satisfies me, then I will go out of the White Cliff!

I can fully understand their importance to the Kingdom.

But if the psionists think that they can do anything because of their importance, then there is no need for such a stupid force to exist.

I can't tell who the owner's dog is, so it's better to kill it as soon as possible.

Ah, what an unappetizing thing!

I was expecting to be in a good mood this afternoon to listen to the noble members of Parliament arguing over a little bit of petty profit, which would be so interesting, but forget it for now. ”

The king stood up, and a royal housekeeper immediately stepped forward to fetch what had been prepared for His Majesty.

A lavishly decorated and very practical command sword, a medal of national hero with the coat of arms of the Plantagenet Kingdom, and a set of marshal's ceremonial uniform embellished with a blue ribbon.

"I wanted to announce this good news to you with a good heart, Secretary Frederick, but now I must send you into another dangerous battlefield while giving you the highest glory of being a soldier.

I hope you don't blame me for that. ”

King Louis handed his command sword to the most trusted general in front of him, and he said in a deep voice:

"Please continue your duties as the King's Blade of Punishment, my Marshal Loren."

"Your Majesty, I am deeply honored for this! Of course, it would be even more perfect if this was a marshal battle axe in the style of the dwarves. ”

General Loren, uh, no, Marshal Loren took the command knife and complained a little, and then he saw two royal maids struggling to carry a golden dwarven-style lord's battle axe, which was also decorated with blue ribbons.

This made the marshal realize that his majesty had already arranged everything, and he smiled, but then said with still worry:

"Your Majesty, I'm not afraid of war with psionics, but now the Black Plague is coming, maybe"

"It's time for the enemy to eradicate the hidden dangers within, and I need to teach those psionics a lesson that will be as hard as breaking bones."

King Louis waved his hand and said quite decisively:

"Besides, can't you fight without a psyker? The lack of a large-scale psionic master does not prevent the unbelievers from standing tall on the continent, and their steam technology has become a force that is on par with psionic energy, and that power is being held in our hands little by little.

The Tower of the Ring must be aware of this fact!

It's they who need the country!

And not that the state needs them! ”

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Seeing that King Louis had made up his mind, Marshal Loren gave a military salute and watched his majesty leave the garden.

He stroked the hilt of the marshal's knife, and determination flashed in his eyes.

Ha, psionist.

If you dare to take advantage of the dwarves, you will really have to pay the price.

(End of chapter)