Fleet Southward

As soon as Paul returned to Northwest Bay, he received a piece of news that shocked him.

The small harbor he had rented in Horn Bay had actually drawn someone's attention.

The discussion with the members of the Government Affairs Council was quite pessimistic.

"Regardless, the other side is forcing Lister to give them an answer by a deadline. There isn't even enough time for a Mail Ship to make a round trip. They might have already come knocking—or... Lister may have already surrendered!"

"The latest news was brought back by a merchant ship yesterday. The Church's army has stationed itself outside Lion City. They claimed it was part of the unified plan to attack Niceburg, but it's clearly meant to intimidate us."

"We don't even know whether the firearms we sent over earlier will be enough."

As he listened to everyone's discussion, Paul suppressed wave after wave of anxiety in his heart.

He could only confirm two things: "Regardless, Lion Harbor cannot be handed over to the Church, and we cannot send troops to assist them in attacking Niceburg."

Lion Harbor was the link that allowed merchant ships from Northwest Bay to sail directly eastward. If they lost the place, the transportation of goods from Northwest Bay would have to be handled by others.

Sending troops to assist the Church was even more impossible. On the one hand, bypassing Crystal Radiance to participate in a war on foreign territory was legally unjustifiable. On the other hand, he was not loyal to the Holy See, so how could he let the other side lead him around by the nose?

In the end, Paul decided to exercise his right to self-defense.

The idea that a ruler could order a subject to die and the subject would have no choice but to