Although he seems to be living a peaceful life, he actually still longs for a peaceful love and the company of his lover.
Naturally, Mr. Arthur, as an outsider, a handsome but self-defeating playboy...
In the first few months after entering Fingel, a country with a population structure that had not changed for hundreds of years and with more women than men, he had won the attention and recognition of the elves through his actual abilities and achievements... and naturally won the love of many remaining elven women.
You may find it difficult to understand why Mr. Arthur still flirts with other women after getting married.
But in fact, this is the result of a compromise in the elf society. So I am glad that Mr. Arthur is a playboy. Otherwise, Fingal might have become a cruel battlefield between women in the past period of time. "
At this point, Finn took another sip of juice. She looked at Theresa with a meaningful look, while Theresa looked at Finn without giving in.
"Elves will do anything for the ones they love. When a man who is devoted to only one woman is loved by more than a dozen elven women at the same time, the consequences will be disastrous.
Perhaps after a brutal struggle, only one winner remains "secretly" by using any means necessary - of course, they will never let the person involved realize anything.
After all, elves are very long-lived, and it is normal for them to travel for hundreds of years. Using this excuse to cover up the disappearance of a female elf friend of the person involved for decades would definitely be the best excuse, but only they know what actually happens.
Of course, in rare cases, there is room for compromise - but this is only based on a family of identical twins, or when two elven women are as close as sisters and neither of them wants to separate, they may choose to compromise and cut off this deformed love that is in line with the current situation of the elves.
From Finn's perspective, any of the above is unacceptable... So I'm really glad that Mr. Arthur is a promiscuous person.
He really knows how to manage the interpersonal relationships around him.
Which elf likes me can't wait to rush over, which elf still has room to delay a little, and can even divide the working time and rest time through time management -
He danced in the Shura Field like a butterfly in a rain of arrows, and prevented any bloodshed involving elves from happening in Fingel during this period. He was truly amazing.
The only price is that his legs will not be intact for a few days - but this is also the tradition of the elves. You have also heard of their "promise" of marriage, right?"
"Yes."
"Then I don't need to say more - after all, I just hope that Your Majesty Yang Hao can be prepared."
"Clam?"
Yang Hao looked confused and dazed for a moment.
Theresa looked at Fen's smiling face with a serious expression. On the surface, Fen wanted to prevent Yang Hao from having any grudges against Arthur's actions. But in fact, she was just using Arthur's experience to "announce" something to herself.
Finn announced that she would never give in and would do whatever it takes to convince the Regent to stay permanently in the Elven Kingdom.
But the final "promise" is telling himself that although he will "do whatever it takes", the elves will still remember their oath - in other words, this is "do whatever it takes" based on the previous oath... right
Tsk tsk. What on earth have the elves become in the past thousand years because of the losses in the Demonic War? !
Theresa felt a headache... At this moment, Yang Hao also took a sip of the drink and sighed:
"If that's the case... I really have to praise Arthur's emotional intelligence. If it were me, I would probably only regret it after bloodshed."
"You can imagine that there's going to be bloodshed at the end, and the knights are amazing - most people don't even realize what happens at the end."
"It is precisely because I can think of this that I have great respect for Arthur's emotional intelligence. This is also difficult for him, carefully maintaining the balance. Maybe when I was the regent of the Roman Empire, I didn't have as much pressure as he does."
"Haha. Compared to this, aren't you anxious for us to rescue the little queen right away?"
When talking about the little empress, Yang Hao's expression was naturally extremely serious.
But he said he was really not in a hurry - to be exact, even if he was in a hurry, the actual situation did not allow him to be in a hurry.
"Let's not talk about how the elves will withstand the attack from the diocese in a few months. If the elves really want to rescue the little queen and the court president at this critical moment, then it won't just be the diocese that attacks the Elf Forest."
The little empress was now the symbol of the Roman Empire, a bright and great being sitting on the throne of the emperor—at least in the minds of the Romans. Except for Gasson.
In this case, rescuing the little queen who is being watched by everyone from the throne will only provide a strong "righteous cause" for other parts of the Roman Empire to send troops to attack the Elf Kingdom.
Whether it was the military district, the parish, or the noble landowners - they all wanted to rule the Roman Empire, but apart from the royal family, they had no legal "claim" to support themselves in doing so.
So they could only wait and see. When the diocese was fighting the Elf Kingdom, the other three factions were doing their own things, splitting up as much as possible, appearing so harmonious.
But if the elves rescue the little queen at this critical moment, the originally divided forces will reach a consensus: beat the elves first.
By then, the little empress who had finally gained freedom would have to face the dilemma of being displaced again, and Yang Hao did not have the ability to protect his sworn brother's daughter among thousands of troops... So after thinking about it, what's the point of being anxious now
I am anxious in my heart, but in reality I have to act quickly and steadily.
Yang Hao was muttering something—and at this moment, Qinna suddenly broke into the reception room.
"Fen, His Majesty Yang Hao, His Majesty Theresa... Sister. News has come from the coast that our rangers have come into contact with a force claiming to be Ishgard."
When she said this, she paused for a moment, as if she was considering the right words.
Then she presented the complete intelligence in front of everyone: "They have two metal warships and three merchant ships, and they are building a secret port in the uninhabited land about 40 kilometers away from the border of the Roman Empire. They are equipped with some very strange weapons, and most importantly, there is a black dragon in human form who is seriously injured."
"Black Dragon?" Yang Hao blinked, thinking, this can't be such a coincidence? "Do you know the identity of this black dragon?"
Qinna shook her head to indicate that the other party had no intention of revealing Black Dragon's identity. They were just politely saying that they needed help and were willing to exchange the goods they had in hand.
But the weapons they bought were some strange tube-like weapons, and the rangers had no idea what they were used for, so they hoped to get some instructions from the rear.
In response, Yang Hao simply said seriously: "Is there any way for us to see the situation on the scene? This is an opportunity! The best chance to obtain advanced technology from Isgard!"
He was very emotional. He really didn't expect that he would have such a good thing as a pie falling from the sky.
Chapter 19: It is better to sign a non-aggression treaty with Isgard and cross the Roman Empire
Along with the magic cast by the elven wizard who hurried over, Yang Hao and others immediately obtained information about the scenes seen by the rangers on the scene.
There is no doubt that the ironclad ship anchored in a natural secret harbor is naturally one of the Ishgard steel battleships.
Their hulls were covered with traces of battle, and there was even a metal gap sealed with wooden boards above the waterline. They must have experienced a brutal naval battle on the way to the continent of Elucia.
But Yang Hao was not concerned about these iron-hulled ships - after all, the elves lived deep inland and had no need for a navy for the time being.
What he was focusing on was the long-barreled weapons in the hands of the Ishgard guards in front of the elves.
"It's... a bolt-action rifle. Has Ishgardian technology advanced that far?"
Although it looks very rough, there is neither a magazine nor the unique structure of a lever-action rifle, and there is not even a bayonet in front of the muzzle.
But there was no doubt that this bolt-action rifle, which would load a bullet every time it fired, was indeed a true "breech-loading rifle" and a true "bolt-action rifle" - he could even see standardized paper shell bullets on the bullet belt on the guard's chest.
(Is it a new type of firearm similar to the Drese rifle? Oh my goodness... This firearm with an effective range of at least 400 meters is a dimensionality reduction blow to the Roman Empire. I'm afraid that the invasion and colonization of Isgard will be brought forward.)
Yang Hao frowned. (How can the Roman Empire, which still relies mainly on bows and arrows and has little crossbow equipment, withstand the invasion of Isurgard? The only advantage is probably that Isurgard is fighting across the ocean, and it is very difficult to supply bullets, right?)
The emergence of muzzle-loading firearms would cause demoralized feudal armies to collapse at a faster rate.
The thunderous roar of gunfire, the smoke in the air, the hot and pungent air, the inexplicable falling of comrades around, and the armor and shields being directly penetrated - all these scenes always brought endless panic to the soldiers in the feudal period.
In the first volley, the soldiers who saw the power of muskets for the first time might stop charging in shock.
Once they stop advancing and become lost in the open battlefield, they will almost certainly flee under the second round of volleys.
In the early days of guns, the essence of guns was not "power" but "terror."
As long as gunshots were heard and white smoke rose, someone would die - once the feudal army understood this fact, it would be impossible to take even a single step forward.
After all, bows and arrows can be dodged by reaction and bravery, and even if they hit the body, you will not die if you have strong enough armor.
Magic and theocracy have signs visible to the naked eye, so if you discover them, you may still be able to escape. In fact, many people have successfully escaped from the range of magic and theocracy.
But this is not the case for firearms that fire suddenly after aiming.
Their power itself was excessive for the soldiers of this era, and most soldiers had no means to protect themselves from muskets, let alone continue charging towards the enemy's formation, or even make effective evasive moves based on the gunner's movements during the charge.
Given the lack of accuracy, slow and cumbersome loading of bullets, and the need to form a square formation and fire in unison to effectively kill the enemy, the dominance of early muskets on the battlefield was already so terrifying. What about the bolt-action, rear-loading rifles that Ishgard now has
Yang Hao only hoped that this new type of rifle was also a rare commodity in Ishugard. If they were already in large-scale deployment in Ishugard, then the elves would not have to think about continuing to farm in the Elven Forest after defeating the parish. It would be more practical to just find a way to migrate as far away as possible...
But then again…
"The other guards are still equipped with crossbows. Some of the tubular weapons don't look as advanced as those guys... Maybe the weapons you're worried about, Yang Hao, aren't equipped on a large scale in Isgard?"
Sister Teresa pointed at the weapons in the hands of the other Ishugard guards in the picture and reminded them.
Admittedly, the guards equipped with the new rifles were very few, and most of them were still holding crossbows and weapons similar to muzzle-loading rifles. It seemed that the new rifles were just novel products in Isgard... right
Yang Hao didn't dare to be careless. Because industrialized countries like to give people illusions -
One month they said this new product couldn't be mass-produced, and the next month they stuffed the product into his stomach without even using it up... He had experienced this kind of thing many times, so he couldn't let his guard down.
However, it seems that the other party is facing a lot of difficulties in Elusia. If the Elven Kingdom can establish a trading relationship with Ishugard, or even temporarily sign a "non-aggression treaty", it can gain more development time... It can also give itself more time to rescue the little queen and others when Ishugard invades.
How much would the other party want to pay in exchange for the new rifle? This is a good question.
Yang Hao glanced at Fen, who was also solemn, and then he reached out and rubbed his stubbled chin:
"If possible, I'd like to get the 'bolt-action rifle' that this soldier has - preferably two, and more than 20 rounds of ammunition. Some I need to display at the Elven Council, and some I need to replicate."
"No problem. But they seem to value this weapon very much, and Japaria may not be able to pay enough."
"Huh?"
"Haha, some women won't even accept such a good deal as restoring their country and reviving their religion. Naturally, there are also humans who won't be willing to give up their weapons, right? But they have a seriously injured black dragon, maybe we can start from there..."
Let's not talk about the strange look on Sister Teresa's face. Anyway, under Finn's orders, the rangers negotiated with the representatives of Ishgard.
They were smart not to make it clear what they wanted right away - after all, there is a saying that goes, if you want to open a window, someone will definitely object. But if you plan to open a ceiling, people will be willing to open a window for you.
The Elf Ranger says that Japaria is willing to help, but wants to purchase an ironclad ship.
The representative of Ishugard looked unhappy when he heard this, and shook his head repeatedly to say no. After that, the rangers gathered together and talked a lot of strange things, and finally reached a consensus with Ishugard.
Ishgard would never sell their ironclad ships, because they still needed them to get home to deal with the threat of Ares pirates who also had ironclad ships. However, although the ships would not be sold, some personal equipment could still be negotiated.
But the lion of the Isgardians opened their mouths so high that even the elves felt the pain.
New rifles - they were willing to sell them. The first one was to have the elves send a wizard to treat a black dragon that was naturally resistant to magic. This was as difficult as drilling wood to make fire in the wettest forest, but the elves gritted their teeth and still thought it was feasible.
For the second gun, they asked for a huge amount of money: You must exchange it for the core technology of the Roman Empire’s steam factory!
This worries the elves... After all, to put it bluntly, it is actually a clear unwillingness to trade the second gun so that they can dismantle the weapon and then put it back together as it is and use it as a reference for copying.
But the problem is... the people of Isgard don't know that the promoter of the steam factory is in the Elven Kingdom
Finn looked at Yang Hao with a half-smile, while Theresa covered her mouth and was obviously having a hard time holding back: Yang Hao is here, he knows the core technology, so the "high price" for the second gun is actually almost free.
Yang Hao thought for a while and said that he would certainly provide the technology, but he would have to modify the core technology...
"How could I possibly sell the original technology to them? Even if I had a problem with my brain, I would never do that - but this way I feel relieved."
"Are you relieved?"
"Isgard needs a steam factory, which means their industry may not be advanced enough to mass-produce new rifles.
I will give them the technology to modify the core of the steam factory, but this is just like the unscrupulous merchants in the royal capital using rat meat instead of pork. I am not stupid enough to let them take off all at once."
Yang Hao muttered, and after calling for paper and pen, he began to write on it. Theresa leaned over to take a look and found that he had drawn a simple sketch, with various strange annotations, and the most important one was a sketch about steam machinery.
"This part of the sketch must be handed over to Arthur for processing tomorrow. The first plan for the steam plant at that time was made by the two of us." Yang Hao explained, "He can understand my ideas, so just leave it to him without worry - but compared to this... Finn, please tell the rangers on the scene to tell them that [the former regent of the Roman Empire is in the Elf Kingdom] here."
"Oh?" Finn blinked, obviously curious about what Yang Hao was going to do. "Do you want them to have a clearer understanding of the Roman Empire's strength?"
"To be precise, I want the Elven Kingdom to establish a five-year "non-aggression" treaty with Isurgard. Isurgard is a powerful empire after all, and establishing trade relations with her will be of great benefit to the Elven Kingdom's subsequent reforms."
“But the diocese will conduct the invasion around October this year.”
"If everything goes well, it will only take two months for Ishgard to sail to the Elucia continent. After taking into account the repairs, they can deliver important supplies when the Elven Kingdom and the Diocese are at war... Of course, it doesn't matter if they can't deliver, but it would be best to establish a trade relationship. Please consider this."
Facing Yang Hao's explanation, Fen just nodded thoughtfully. It's not that she couldn't understand the profits of cross-sea trade. Letting Ishgard's products enter the closed elven kingdom should indeed be able to further give the people who are trapped in the perfect conservative circle new ideas...
Um…
All right. That's it.
She smiled, and after Theresa's vigilant gaze, she gestured to Qinna to go prepare some midnight snacks and bring them over, and then she said:
"Now that you are the regent of Caparia, there are some things you don't need to report to me - during the time you were the regent, you and I were basically on the same level."
"But Finn you are the king of the elves."
Faced with Fen's smiling emotions, Yang Hao remained unmoved and seemed not to understand Fen's hint.
…
Communication with Isgard went unexpectedly smoothly.
When the other party heard that the former regent of the Roman Empire was now the regent of the Elf Kingdom, he immediately showed a humble attitude that was completely different from before.
Not only did the requirements for commodity transactions become lower, they even hoped that Yang Hao could go over to "reminisce" with their leader, Black Dragon Nia - but would Yang Hao be so stupid as to go over? Definitely not.
Just like the look in the eyes of those guards who wanted to eat me after hearing my name in the magic scene...
He doubted whether he had gone there, fearing that he would go dark before his eyes and appear on the sea the next day, heading towards Isgard.
This is not good, so he will definitely not go to the coast - if we want to meet, let's meet at the edge of the inner forest. That's good for both of us, isn't it