The situation in the southern border has deteriorated, which is an unexpected crisis.
It's not that the second dynasty ignored the Cecil family in the southern border. In fact, since the fall of Brumaire a hundred years ago, the new royal family, which has hidden inheritance rights, has never relaxed its vigilance against the southern border. Among them, Cecil is the only family that has declined due to the corruption of the Brumaire. At the beginning of its decline, its remaining power is still enough to shake the foundation of the entire kingdom. The second dynasty is supported by the other three Dukes. Under the circumstances, it took a full hundred years to separate and suppress the southern border to the current situation, which can be seen in the importance it attaches to the southern border.
After Gawain Cecil was unmasked, this emphasis was even greater than before.
Francis II ordered the nobles in the southern border to increase their surveillance of Cecil's forces, but they only got information that "the Cecils are doing the potion business to buy slaves"; the aid team sent by the royal family to the southern border also included spies. , but these eyeliners soon stopped sending any information; the defenders of the Rock Fortress have actually increased by 30% in the past six months, but the 30% increase in soldiers has not been used in any way; By investigating the Cecil family's employment of craftsmen in the capital, they estimated the construction progress of the Cecil Territory, and concluded that the Cecil Territory is still in a stage where the houses are not enough. They never thought that those craftsmen would go to the south. Afterwards, he was trained as a magician and a mechanic...
It can be said that Silver Castle made all the correct responses, but did not receive any correct feedback. The biggest mistake they made was to use traditional aristocratic thinking to speculate on a person from another world, regardless of experience, knowledge or way of thinking. Very different "satellite elite" mode of action.
They miscalculated the real intention behind every move of Gawain Cecil, miscalculated the way the Cecil family rose, and finally, misjudged the speed of the fall of the Rock Fortress.
In the wrong direction, any effort is just wasted energy.
The situation has deteriorated to this point.
"You two dukes, Your Royal Highness, I must tell the truth," Cromwell White Mountain said in a serious and heavy tone, "Unless the Eastern Rebels retreat today, it is impossible for us to take back Rock Fortress."
Another knight lord stood up and said the worst possible possibility: "If the Cecil family raises troops to attack the capital like the Loren family, it is impossible for us to win. Just judging from the fall of the Rock Fortress, Cecil His army is a formidable enemy."
A nobleman at the scene couldn't help but said: "Does even a knight lord fear the enemy?"
Cromwell Baishan glared at the nobleman who spoke: "We are just stating the facts. If they really attack the capital, the Knights will fight to the last moment. You don't need to worry about that."
"Gentlemen, calm down," Victoria Wilde interrupted the debate. Her voice was cold, and her eyes seemed to contain frost. "Duke Gawain Cecil just occupied the Rock Fortress, and he hasn't gone north yet."
"We must first determine the purpose of the founding hero," Duke Baldwin Franklin nodded, and took Victoria's words. "I suggest sending an envoy to contact the southern border."
The nobles at the scene began to discuss in low voices, but generally speaking, no one objected to Duke Franklin's opinion.
"The rebels in the east are approaching, and we can't take another shot in the south," the Duke of Franklin continued, "so as long as the Duke of Gawain Cecil is willing to talk, we should talk. We should be ready and ready to admit that Cecil The legal rule of the Cecil family over the southern border, the recognition of all the noble titles, honorary titles, historical fiefdoms, and restoration of noble privileges of the Cecil family... "
The discussions among the nobles became louder, and some people showed obvious astonished expressions, but more people just nodded with gloomy faces. Welsh Moen sighed slightly when he saw the reactions of these people.
"Your Highness," Duchess Victoria heard Welsh's sigh. She turned her head and stared at the nominal heir to the kingdom with eyes as clear as ice crystals. "Do you have something to say?"
"I just think it doesn't matter to the founding hero whether we admit it or not," Welsh Moen didn't want to say anything, but under the gaze of the Duchess, he said slowly, "These things are already in his hands No matter what we say here, the reconstruction of the Principality of Cecil is already an established fact, Grand Duke Franklin, do you want to give him the things that are already in the hands of Grand Duke Cecil as a gift again?"
Baldwin Franklin didn't change any expression on his face, just nodded slightly, and said lightly: "Your Highness's thoughts are right."
"We'd better think again and think about what leverage we have to compromise."
After saying this, Welsh Moen lowered his eyelids and stopped talking.
The voice of Francis II seemed to echo in the mind of the middle-aged crown prince:
"A king rules a kingdom... the art of compromise..."
The meeting is over.
The nobles left in order, and Welsh Moen also left the hall accompanied by the royal attendants. In the huge military hall, only the two regent dukes were left sitting quietly.
After a long silence, Duchess Victoria looked at Baldwin Franklin: "What do you think our founding hero wants to do?"
"I hope he just wants to get back his family business. This is also the most logical and most consistent with the situation described in the history books," the Duke of the Westland said unhurriedly, "but I don't rule out the possibility of worse Gender forgets the list on Ansu's foundation stone and the signatures on the oldest canonized documents in the Royal Library. From a certain perspective, his claim to the throne is no less than our 'His Royal Highness'."
"Wales Moen..." Victoria said softly. She recalled the only speech made by the crown prince in the meeting just now. "He is actually the one who resembles Francis II the most..."
The Duke of Franklin shook his head slightly: "But it was because they were too similar. Francis II finally chose Edmund. Our king made a wrong decision in this regard. This country does not need an overly tough king."
Victoria raised her eyelids, took a deep look at the Duke of the West, and then stood up: "I will return to the north soon."
Franklin raised his eyebrows: "You want to mobilize your mountain army?"
"The Holy Dragon Principality is preparing to celebrate their 'Dragon's Day', and the Violet Kingdom has been very quiet recently. I can dispatch part of the mountain army to deal with the battle in the Holy Spirit Plain," said the Duchess, who was surrounded by ice and snow, while watching To the Duke of the West, "Where's your West Legion?"
"It's too far from the western border to the eastern front, and the consumption of the army on the road is unbearable. Moreover, since the beginning of summer, the believers of the Doomsday Church and the Eternal Sleeper in the western region have not been quiet," Baldwin Franklin said on the side He said, pressing his forehead in distress, "I may be able to dispatch a knight order to defend the capital, but it is impossible to send troops to the east."
A few crystal clear snowflakes floated in the air, Duchess Victoria put on her white shawl, left her seat and walked towards the door: "...the king does not need more knights, the Earl of Cromwell is enough to guard here, if you have extra If you have the strength, just pay attention to the south."
The Duchess left, leaving only a few icy snowflakes flying in the air. Baldwin Franklin reached out to catch one of them, feeling the coldness gradually dissipating in his palm, he sighed slightly: "... really like those snowflakes. Is it the same as a madman talking nonsense... The darkest age... "
Four days later, Cold Winter Castle, the capital of Ansu's northern border.
A team of gryphon knights flew over the fortress, and the leading griffin skillfully landed on the platform on the top floor of the castle. Victoria Wilde jumped off the griffin, and the cold wind from the northern mountains blew through her long silver-white hair, making her Slightly narrowed his eyes.
Even in this midsummer season, there is still such a cold wind on the top of the mountain in the north of the mainland.
The "dragon blood nobles" of the Holy Dragon Principality said that the cold wind was the breath of the sleeping dragon in the mountains, while the mages and scholars of the Violet Kingdom believed that the cold air came from the farther north of the mainland, from the land blocked by ice floes and storms. **On the opposite side, it comes from the everlasting cyclone.
But Victoria doesn't care where the cold wind comes from, she just likes this icy breath very much, the clean cold air in the mountains is much more comfortable than the dirty air filled with all kinds of peculiar smells in the royal capital.
The black-haired maid Maggie came to the platform, and Victoria nodded to this trusted maid: "Go and gather my knight retainers, the Mountain Legion has something to do."
"yes."
The Duchess has absolute authority in this land. The Mountain Legion loyal to the Wilder family accepted the order of their "Ice Queen" without any doubts. After a short military meeting, about one-third of the Mountain Legion One of the troops was drawn out and included in the list to support the eastern front of the Holy Spirit Plain.
After the meeting ended, Victoria did not return to her dormitory to rest. Although she had experienced a long flight journey on the back of a griffin and had just held a meeting, she still cheered up and flipped through the documents in front of her.
"Vicky, you need a break."
The black-haired maid said that when there was no one else, the black-haired maid called her mistress by a friendly nickname.
"I'll take a rest," Victoria said casually, "Did the Holy Dragon Principality do anything unusual recently?"
"The intelligence from the northern outpost is all normal."
Victoria exhaled slightly, her heart settled down slightly.
The Holy Dragon Principality in the northern mountains... has always been a factor of instability.
As early as the Gondor period, humans who claimed to be descendants of dragon blood established this country in the extreme north of the continent. They claimed that they were vassals of the dragon. Therefore, the supreme ruler of the country is not the king, but the so-called "Dragon Blood Duke" , They are closed, xenophobic, admiring themselves in the mountains, and they have never liked the Ansu people who suddenly appeared on this land seven hundred years ago.
Seven hundred years have passed, and this closed and mysterious country is still [ ] using "uninvited guest" to describe Ansu, which has been established for seven centuries.
But fortunately, after so many years of running-in, the Principality of Shenglong and Anzu finally reached a compromise and balance. As the general guardian of the north, one of Victoria Wilder's responsibilities is to always be vigilant against that sensitive, closed, and xenophobic country. country, and try to avoid war between the two sides as much as possible.
After finally processing the documents in front of her, Victoria Wilde stretched her waist. She took a deep breath, and then let it out slowly, bit by bit relieving the fatigue accumulated in her body, and the black-haired maid came forward. , while gently pinching the shoulder of the hostess, asked in a low voice: "Do you want to rest?"
"No, there is one more thing." The Duchess closed her eyes and paused for a long time before continuing, "Get ready, I'm going to the ancestor's mausoleum."