Reinforcements = Confidence
On the holy mountain, as the Human Alliance meeting approached, the atmosphere within the Church grew increasingly tense.
Although the Blood Moon Horn was retrieved, the Church's dark history still has a "hundred million" more to it.
With the deliberate instigation of various countries, messages detrimental to the Church continued to spread across the Aslant Continent.
Some local churches have even publicly declared that the Church headquarters has fallen under the control of the devil and will no longer accept any orders from headquarters.
Even the Church's activities within the Orc Empire were exposed. Rumors spread like wildfire that this Beastfolk invasion was retaliation for the Alpha Kingdom's offense against the Church.
In short, public opinion is currently very unfavorable to the Church, and the general public is overwhelmed with information. There have been more scandals involving the Church in the past year than in the previous decades.
With the charges piling up, Pope Pius VII grew tired of explaining. The main problem was that there were too many flaws left unexamined; the more he explained, the more problems were exposed.
"Bishop Solon, how far have our public relations efforts with various countries progressed? How many supporters do we have now?"
This is an awkward topic, as Royal Authority and divine authority are inherently opposed. Even some countries that normally have good relations with the Church do not want to see the Church's influence extend further.
"Your Majesty, the current situation is somewhat delicate. Although we have secured the support of some countries, most of them are not very influential."
Even the Iberian Kingdom, the Franks' adversary, has been very cautious on this issue.
Perhaps our previous actions were too over-the-top, causing people to have negative associations, so..."
Seeing the Pope's displeasure, Bishop Solon swallowed back the words he was about to say.
Admitting you're wrong is far more difficult than making excuses. Even though everyone knows that the current dire situation facing the Church is the result of their own foolish actions.
"Alright, the support of some small countries is enough. The north is in the midst of fierce fighting, the Beastfolk army has just made a breakthrough, and other alien races are starting to stir."
At this critical juncture, the Franks' attack on us was all bark and no bite.
As long as we deny all their accusations, the matter will quickly pass. At most, we'll just lose some reputation.
Pope Pius VII said with a gloomy face.
It may seem like a light touch, but it actually reveals a deep sense of helplessness.
Every pope had done this, but it was only during his term that it was exposed.
On the one hand, they encountered a powerful and formidable ruler, which ignited the fuse of conflict; on the other hand, the Church expansion led to continuously increasing expenses, and in order to fill the deficit, they resorted to slightly excessive measures.
The strong reactions from various countries were largely due to the shock of the Church's major actions, which awakened long-dormant memories of terror in people's hearts.
If the expansion of the military hadn't triggered such a sensitive reaction, and it had only been the Franks making a fuss, other countries wouldn't have followed suit so quickly.
"Your Majesty, the Beastfolk armies of the north are rampaging. The Alpha Kingdom can still hold on, but the Moxi Duchy and the Warhammer Kingdom are in grave danger."
Especially for the Moxi Duchy, it's uncertain whether it can survive this year without external assistance.
Besides our conflict with the Frankish Kingdom, another major topic at the Human Alliance meeting will undoubtedly be sending troops to support the three northern kingdoms.
Fighting against the alien races is the foundation of the Human Alliance. Following past practice, the proposal to send troops to support the northern front will undoubtedly be approved.
We are now deeply embroiled in the infamy of colluding with the Beastfolk. If we simply go through the motions as before, we'll likely be unable to explain ourselves.
Blake tried his best to perform.
The return of the Blood Moon Horn temporarily saved the precarious Order of Judgment Knights from disaster, but his position remained unstable.
Especially in times like these, it's crucial to achieve results. Otherwise, we'll be driven home by our adversaries sooner or later, especially considering the great price the Church paid to retrieve the Blood Moon Horn.
Especially the charge of colluding with Beastfolk, which also implicated the Order of Judgment Knights. Although they were acting under orders, the Pope couldn't be made to take the blame for this, could he?
Pope Pius VII's brow furrowed even more deeply.
The Church's position among humans is currently quite awkward. Nominally, it holds supreme power and is the leader of the religious world.
In reality, their religious leader has long been reduced to a rubber stamp. Most of the time, he's just a scapegoat.
Even if the Pope issues an order, whether it can be carried out depends on everyone's mood.
Now that things have escalated to this point, even his nominal position as religious leader could be lost if he is not careful.
"We'll probably have to participate in this support operation as well. But we should try to delay as much as possible, preferably until the situation in the north deteriorates."
Pope Pius VII hardened his heart and said.
As a master of political intrigue, Pope Pius VII was well aware that the Church, caught in the vortex of public opinion, was now finding it difficult to extricate itself.
The best way is to create a big news story to attract outside attention and downplay the existence of the Church.
If we could gain some credit in the fight against the alien races and then publicize it, that would be even more perfect.
Lutetia, the host city of this Human Alliance meeting, is now busy with preparations.
At each Human Alliance meeting, a considerable number of representatives participated. Not only did various countries send delegations, but also numerous noble families and powerful groups sent people to attend.
The Immortal Wood Romance
The 365 councilors represent the highest authority of the entire Human Alliance.
As dynasties change and power rises and falls, the number of seats in parliament also shifts, but the total number of seats remains constant.
It is also legal for a single entity to hold multiple seats, as long as its strength matches the position.
After all, a seat in parliament represents not only power, but also obligations.
When fighting against alien races, tasks are assigned based on available seats.
Generally speaking, each country's feudal nobles, Mage Association, alchemy associations, etc., all have their own seats.
The influence of a country's representatives in its parliament can be roughly inferred by counting the number of representatives from that country.
As the strongest human nation, the Frankish Kingdom naturally holds the second-most seats, while the Church holds the most.
However, the gap between the two sides was not large, and given the Church's awkward position in the alliance, the Frankish Kingdom actually had the most say.
As the ruler of the kingdom, Charles III world with an air of triumph.
He has the right to be arrogant; even the once-powerful Church has been rendered humiliated by him.
"Your Majesty, this is a proposal prepared by the eleven northern kingdoms; they hope to gain our support."
As they were speaking, the Foreign Minister had already handed the document to Charles III.
Upon receiving the document, Charles III showed no interest in reading it and casually asked, "How far has the situation developed in the north?"
Could it be that the combined strength of the Alpha Kingdom, the Warhammer Kingdom, and the Moxi Duchy is still less than what the Alpha Kingdom alone once held out for?
With more allies, the pressure is shared, and life naturally becomes easier.
However, having many allies does not mean that the Alliance can withstand the iron hooves of the Beastfolk army for longer.
Charles III appeared to be asking a question, but he was actually subtly mocking him.
When it comes to matters of life and death, the three northern kingdoms are so capable of scheming against each other that he finds them utterly distasteful.
"Your Majesty, the most dangerous country right now is the Moxi Duchy. They have greatly underestimated the madness of the Beastfolk, and their pre-war preparations were inadequate."
The fall of Augsburg, the most important defensive line, has put both the Moxi Duchy and the Warhammer Kingdom on a strategic defensive position.
The Moxi Duchy, in particular, is barely holding on. Although several neighbors have offered to send troops to their aid, not a single reinforcement has arrived yet.
In comparison, Alpha Kingdom performed much better.
Aside from suffering significant losses in the early stages of the war, nearly wiping out the army of an entire province, their overall performance was quite good.
Hesius replied calmly.
The crisis belongs to other countries; the Frankish Kingdom, deep in the western continent, cannot feel the threat from the Beastfolk.
No matter how dire the situation became, he believed that the Frankish Kingdom had the ability to turn the tide.
Ultimately, this is the age of humans; the Beastfolk are merely a minor problem. Unless all other races launch a joint attack, humans can easily suppress the Beastfolk with just one hand.
Last night, I received a handwritten letter from Caesar III.
In his letter, he promised that if we exert our efforts to encourage various countries to send troops and severely damage the Orc Empire in the great war, they would persuade the northern countries to join our new Church plan.
What do you think?
Charles III asked with a smile.
Establishing a separate Church was a long-planned scheme of his. However, it involved too many complex issues, and the various human nations were embroiled in endless disputes over it.
The Frankish Kingdom also made many efforts to win over other countries to join it.
Unfortunately, no one is stupid.
The Church is indeed despicable, and if possible, everyone would not mind dragging them into the abyss.
The question is, is the new Church, spearheaded by the Frankish Kingdom, easy to deal with?
The Church is now a rubber stamp; if you ignore them, they'll at most annoy people occasionally.
With the unknown new Church and the added support of the Frankish Kingdom, who knows what will happen next?
People are always filled with fear when it comes to the uncertain.
Without sufficient supporters, Charles III's plans were forced to be shelved, and he could only first tarnish the reputation of the Church before slowly carrying out his schemes.
Now the opportunity has arrived. If we can gain the support of the northern countries, along with the Frankish allies, we will have the foundation to establish a new Church.
If we can get a few more countries involved, we could change the landscape of almost half the human-majority continent.
Even if the Church were to assemble a large-scale expeditionary force, the remaining nations would likely only offer perfunctory responses.
After all, with other races watching from the outside, no one dared to start a large-scale civil war.
"Your Majesty, Caesar III's promise should be reliable. The Alpha Kingdom and the Church have a long-standing feud, and it's not surprising that they would get involved given the opportunity to bring down the Church."
The only problem is whether they can fulfill their promise to persuade the northern countries to join.
However, this is ultimately a good thing for the kingdom.
Success or failure, it never hurts to try.
Chancellor Bergson responded with a smile.
If they can't win over the northern countries, they can at least bring in the Alpha Kingdom. When it comes to confronting the Church, no one will complain about having more allies.
The fluttering flags, amidst the summer heat, tell the story of the hardships of a thousand-mile march.
After crossing the border, Hudson felt a sense of loss and unease.
Fighting in a foreign land requires constant vigilance.
Fortunately, the Griffon Cavalry brought by Crown Prince Caesar played a role in reconnaissance, which reassured Hudson somewhat.
Hudson declined invitations from nobles along the way whenever possible, trying to stay away from the military camp as little as possible.
These minor incidents caused no ripples whatsoever. The guest of honor at the banquet was Crown Prince Caesar, not him, the young viscount.
Sending an invitation is already a big favor. Whether you attend the banquet or not, it's really a case of him not making a difference.
This was based on the fact that the reputation of the "Laite County Legion Elite" was widespread; otherwise, people wouldn't even know who Hudson was.
Watching Crown Prince Caesar move effortlessly among the various nobles, Hudson felt a pang of envy.
This skill isn't something you can learn just by wanting to. Without exceptional interpersonal talent, it's very difficult to achieve.
Of course, the most important thing is to be born into a good family.
Once you gain status and position, people will help you interpret your words and actions positively.
Being polite is a mark of nobility.
Unrestrained and unconventional, that is a spirit soaring to the heavens, not caring about trivial matters.
In short, everything that important people say and do is right.
If you find a problem, it must be your own problem.
It would be good if Crown Prince Caesar attended more banquets, as this would allow the army's marching speed to be reduced reasonably.
Unfortunately, Hudson's wishful thinking ultimately failed to materialize.
Within a few days, all the banquet invitations disappeared, and even fewer nobles came to visit.
Anyone with a little common sense knows that this isn't because Crown Prince Caesar has lost face; more likely, it's because the high-ranking officials of the Moxi Duchy have intervened.
The frontline is in dire need of help, while those at home are indulging in lavish meals and hindering progress. What kind of situation is this?
Ultimately, the Beastfolk didn't beat them enough. If the Moxi Duchy were to suffer a few more beatings, preferably one that nearly led to the destruction of the kingdom, they would surely learn their lesson.
Judging from the behavior of the nobles of the Alpha Kingdom, even though the nobles along the way knew that Crown Prince Caesar was in the army, they would at most come out to greet him.
Holding high-profile banquets is out of the question. Anyone who dares to violate this unspoken rule will immediately receive a call-up order to the front lines.
During wartime, frugality was practiced, and banquets were rarely held except for victory celebrations.
Even when Crown Prince Caesar left the Royal Capital to take up a military post, there was no farewell banquet.
The tense atmosphere quickly affected Crown Prince Caesar's mood.
He's still just a twenty-year-old boy, not yet having developed the shrewd, unyielding demeanor of a seasoned shrew who can conceal all his emotions.
If everything is fine outside, something must be wrong inside.
With nowhere to vent his energy, Crown Prince Caesar soon directed his anger at the teams behind him.
Accompanied by several guards, he mounted his horse and went to inspect several camps in the rear.
Hudson didn't know exactly what had happened, but Crown Prince Caesar looked extremely grim.
Going up there to invite trouble was out of the question, but Hudson still couldn't escape the mess.
Compared to his colleagues, Hudson's status rose accordingly as the commander of the only "elite legion".
He attended all major military meetings without fail. His opinion was sought most of the time...
"We'll be arriving in the capital of the Moxi Duchy tomorrow, and we're only a little over two hundred miles from the front lines. Does Hudson have any plans?"
Upon hearing the Crown Prince's question, Hudson inwardly groaned. Was he being used as an advisor, the kind who did all the work but got no pay?
It's impossible to refuse; it involves the allocation of tasks later, so I have to find a way to try and get it done.
"Your Highness, the war situation in the Moxi Duchy is urgent, and we may be called up to the front line soon."
The Laite County Legion was new to the area and had not yet adapted to the local climate. Rushing into battle could easily lead to terrible consequences.
My personal suggestion is to rest and recuperate in the Moxi Duchy for a while, and then participate in this war after reinforcements from all sides have gathered.
I originally thought it was just a matter of not being used to the local environment, but this is an era with magic and technology, and once you take a bottle of potion, you have to accept whatever you don't like.
As for whether there will be any long-term effects, that's hard to say.
So he simply changed to an even more vague excuse, directly implying to Crown Prince Caesar that he did not want to go to the battlefield at the moment.
This is the Moxi Duchy, not our own territory. There's no reason to sacrifice our own strength for the benefit of others.
"Your Excellency, rest assured, I will raise these issues. Regardless of how the situation in the Moxi Duchy develops, the Laite County Legion will not be deployed to the battlefield in the short term!"
Crown Prince Caesar made a grand promise.
Elite troops are not cannon fodder. If such a force were wiped out in the Moxi Duchy without achieving any remarkable results, even the Crown Prince would be overwhelmed.
From the moment it acquired the title of "elite," the Laite County Legion was given high expectations by all sides and became a model for propaganda.
Caesar was no exception; the army before him was crucial to his ability to achieve great things.
Without even spotting any fighter jets, why would he be willing to invest his most important asset in the front lines so early, engaging in a war of attrition with the Beastfolk army?
As for when to take action, Caesar was in no hurry at all.
The Alpha Kingdom's leadership held little hope for the Moxi Duchy. Their primary objective was simply to buy time; defeating the Beastfolk army was not even a consideration.
What appears to be reinforcements sent is actually confidence.
The Laite County Legion was sent here so quickly was essentially to show the entire Moxi Duchy, to strengthen their resolve to fight the Beastfolk to the death.
Seeing this, Hudson's tense heart eased slightly.
As long as Crown Prince Caesar doesn't give his approval, things will be much easier in the Moxi Duchy. No matter how tense the situation is at the front, we'll have to wait until we've had our rest and regrouping.
The intense march had left not only ordinary soldiers exhausted, but even officer Hudson was somewhat fatigued.
They were already pseudo-elite troops; if they dragged their exhausted bodies onto the battlefield, wouldn't they just be handing themselves a free kill?
Although the soldiers of Laite County viewed the Beastfolk as slaves of the Mountain Territory, this was merely a political propaganda tactic.
The soldiers can believe it, but if the commander also believes it, then it's all over.