Chapter 250

Is this guy an idiot? I actually lost to such an idiot? Is Wildea really inferior to the Kingdom of Lotte??

For a moment, Elvian wanted to smash Amabena's head, but she was now under someone else's roof and had to bow her head, especially since Amabena was Ryan's woman... Elvian patiently explained, "Essentially, this meeting is an alliance Northern Federation and Augustus, but Augustus is waiting for the Northern Federation to take the initiative so they can seize the upper hand. After all, Augustus is more powerful and doesn't have to directly face the threat from Arcadia. However, because of Archbishop Josh's intervention, things might change. If the Gate of Janus sides with the Northern Federation, the balance of this alliance will tilt to some extent."

At this point, Elvian sneered. She knew those charlatans from the Gate of Janus all too well; they always appeared at just the right time, using their influence to reap benefits without lifting a finger. She had even already figured out what Josh would do next: under the pretext of helping the Northern Federation, he would get the latter to cede more benefits—such as having them build more Church in the Northern Federation.

This advantage is perfectly balanced by the Augustus Empire's dominance over the Northern Federation. No matter what conditions Augustus offers, as long as Gate of Janus is slightly lower, the Northern Federation will naturally tend to choose them.

Of course, the Gate of Janus won't go too far. Augustus will definitely get something out of it. Eventually, things will turn into Augustus cooperating with the Northern Federation, providing manpower and resources to help the latter fight against Arcadia, while the Gate of Janus, as the good guy who facilitated the cooperation, will receive their due 'reward'.

It's the same old routine!

Isn't this how the Gate of Janus came to be today, step by step?

As for whether Augustus would be furious because some of the benefits were taken away, Elvian thought it was highly unlikely, because Augustus also needed to be wary of Arcadia. In essence, this was a joint effort, only the stronger party had to ask the weaker party for benefits.

"Vainay Your Majesty," Josh, sitting in the back, said with a smile, "Since no one can think of a good solution for the time being, I have a suggestion. I wonder if Your Majesty would be willing to listen to it."

'Vainay' said calmly, 'Of course I'm willing.'

"In that case..." Josh stood up, smiling and nodding to everyone, "The Arcadia Empire has invaded the Northern Federation, and its army has already captured four city-states of the Kingdom of Rugon. It seems that the Northern Federation alone can hardly withstand Arcadia. If we allow the war to sweep across the Northern Continent, it will only bring suffering to our people and more disasters. Therefore, I suggest that Augustus form a temporary alliance with the Northern Federation to jointly fight against Arcadia."

"If Your Majesty is willing, I will represent the Gate of Janus as a cardinal to draft an alliance treaty between the two countries, and witness the alliance between the two countries in accordance with the principles of absolute fairness and impartiality, so as to jointly resist Arcadia."

"Oh?" 'Vainay' nodded slightly. "What do you all think?"

"An alliance is fine, but why should the Gate of Janus be the one to draft the treaty?" Magana scoffed. "You Gate of Janus, are you really that kind? Coming all this way just to witness it?"

Ryan secretly gave the Grand Duke a thumbs up.

At this point, it's not appropriate for anyone to speak up except for Magana.

Because Grand Duke is always very reckless!

Moreover, she has enough status and strength to confront Josh head-on without involving the Empire, making her the perfect candidate for a confrontation.

Josh smiled gently, "Grand Duke Magana, your question is exactly what I'm about to address. As we all know, the Chaos Space's Power have been growing stronger lately. The Gate of Janus has detected that the power of the Four Great Outer Gods is expanding. Whatever the reason, once war breaks out, factors such as war, emotions, intrigue, and plague will spread, further enhancing the power of the Outer Gods."

"We follow Janus and will use our life's strength to fight against the Outer Gods. Therefore, the Gate of Janus hopes that the war can be put an end. The alliance between Augustus and the Northern Federation is the fastest and simplest means. At that time, the Arcadia Empire will definitely be wary and dare not make a move."

"As the largest church on the Rhea Continent, I think the Gate of Janus should be qualified to be a witness to the alliance between the two countries, right? What do you think, Vainay Your Majesty?"

'Vainay' didn't speak, but looked at Magana.

The latter snorted, "I, the Grand Duke, think this method is not good."

Let the Gate of Janus bear witness? Isn't that just sneaking around and pulling some dirty tricks? Absolutely!

Josh continued smiling, calmly asking, "Then, Grand Duke Magana, do you have any good ideas?"

Magana, who in the entire Northern Continent doesn't know her?

Gate of Janus naturally knew about her.

The assessment is that he is brave but lacks intelligence.

He didn't believe Magana could come up with any better ideas... In fact, forming an alliance was the only option, but no one mentioned it earlier because everyone was waiting for the right moment, and he, as an 'outsider,' was the most convenient person to bring it up.

"Me... it's a trivial matter, why would I, the Grand Duke, need to say anything?" Magana stood on the chair, glanced at Ryan arrogantly, "Lord Ryan, tell me, what's the best course of action now?"

The Grand Duke played a Ryan.

"Ryan?" Josh's gaze shifted.

"Well..." Ryan was 'forced' to stand up and speak, "I think Archbishop Josh's suggestion is quite good. Arcadia is strong, but it can't take on two opponents at once, so joining forces is indeed a good idea. However..."

He looked at Josh, "This is, after all, a conflict between empires. The Gate of Janus claims it will not interfere in the affairs of other nations, so I think having the Gate of Janus as a witness would cause a lot of trouble. For example, what if Arcadia accuses the Gate of Janus of secretly manipulating the situation on the continent, saying that you have ambitions to become the overlord of the Rhea Continent... Of course, we don't believe such things, but we can't stop people from saying it, right? Archbishop Josh, public opinion is a fearsome thing."

Josh frowned. "There's no need to worry about such things. After all, we're doing this to curb the expansion of the Outer Gods' power and for the sake of the people of the continent."

"You can ignore it, but we can't," Ryan sighed. "What if people say that our Augustus Empire is secretly colluding with the Gate of Janus to dominate the Rhea Continent? Not only will our reputation be ruined, but a bunch of heretics will come after us because of it."

"That's true." 'Vainay' pretended to ponder. "Such rumors are indeed detrimental to Augustus."

Magana laughed, "Isn't that right? Grand Duke thought so too!"

'Shally' said calmly, 'I must say, Earl Ryan's consideration is correct.'

Motis frowned. "The Northern Federation also needs to consider this issue."

Amabena nodded repeatedly. "I think Ryan is right!"

Caslathdi chimed in. "It may seem like a small matter, but it actually harbors hidden dangers and we really need to be vigilant."

Haino: "Yes, yes."

"..."

Josh: "..."

Seeing everyone responding, the archbishop's lips twitched violently. He was a little confused about what was going on. Was it really that serious?

Well, it's true that gossip can be a powerful force, but with Augustus's strength, is there really any need to worry so much? The Northern Federation should really consider this carefully, because if they are targeted by heretics because of this, it will indeed be very troublesome.

Josh's eyes flickered. He was considering whether to object to Ryan, who was, after all, someone the Pope wanted to win over. Although Ryan had refused for now, he might change his mind later. What if he displeased Ryan and caused him resentment, and the Pope reprimanded him...?

Josh never imagined that he would be in a difficult position because of a mere earl, considering how many dukes he had rejected before!

"But!"

At this moment, Ryan raised his voice and changed the subject again.

"Such a momentous event, wouldn't neither side feel at ease without witnesses? Your Majesty, Empress Motis, what do you think?"

'Vainay' nodded: 'That's true.'

Motis also said, "That's right, it concerns the Northern Federation, so I must be careful."

"Therefore, the Gate of Janus is still needed to witness this, but Archbishop Josh, you are not suitable to be a witness. The most suitable person should be the Saintess," Ryan said.

"Saintess?" Josh was taken aback and turned to look at 'Lin Qi'.

'Lin Qi' is expressionless, cold-blooded, ruthless, and sparing with words.

This shouldn't be... something that was planned beforehand, right? Josh thought to himself, it shouldn't be something that was discussed in advance.

'Vainay' said "Oh," and asked, "Sir Ryan, why do you say that?"

Ryan chuckled, "It's simple. Since the Saintess Maiden is the Honorary High Lord of Augustus, it's perfectly reasonable for her to handle this matter. If anyone tries to slander us, we can use that as an excuse to the outside world. We don't need to worry, and the Gate of Janus has even less to worry about."

Magana laughed loudly, "That's a great idea! That's a great idea!"

'Vainay's' eyes lit up. "That's not bad."

Motis smiled faintly, "If that's the case, then I agree."

Amabena: "I agree!"

Elvian's lips twitched slightly, thinking to herself, "What's it to you? We were just called here to make up the numbers."

Next, Imperial General 'Shally', Minister of the Interior 'Ina', Prince Caslathdi, and others all agreed with Earl Ryan's proposal.

Elvian was somewhat surprised... She hadn't expected Ryan to have such a high reputation within the Empire, and the Empress didn't seem to be hostile towards him. Could it be because of his outstanding talent?

It seems I have no complaints about him.

Forget it, I'll try my best to get along with him in the future.

Even if that guy does something excessive to me, I have to endure it, just for Wilder's sake!

"Alright, now it's the minority obeying the majority!" Magana looked at Josh with a hint of smugness. "See? What's so troublesome about this? Grand Duke advisors solved it with a few simple thoughts."

Josh was annoyed, but he still smiled and said, "As expected of Earl Ryan, this is a very good suggestion. Then let the Saintess stand in for me as the witness to this alliance... Saintess, what do you think?"

Lin Qi calmly replied, "I have no objection."

"And regarding the specifics of the treaty..."

"I will convene another internal meeting to discuss this matter," 'Vainay' said with a faint smile. "Saintess Lin Qi is also a citizen of the Empire, so we can discuss it ourselves. There's no need to trouble Archbishop Josh."

"Well... alright." Although Josh had his objections, he could only agree for the time being. He would talk to Lin Qi about it later. In any case, the interests of the Gate of Janus should be the priority. He wasn't worried about that, since Lin Qi was Saintess and had always worked hard for the church. What Josh was worried about was that after this incident Lin Qi's reputation within the church would rise even higher, and that a 'Saintess faction' might actually form.

"I'll have to ask His Holiness the Pope again. If the Pope says he can deal with Ryan, then things will be much easier," Josh thought to himself.

Next, 'Vainay' dismissed everyone else, leaving only the people from the Augustus Empire to discuss the general direction of cooperation with 'Motis's' side.

How to cooperate and join forces against Arcadia? If Augustus contributes, the Northern Federation will definitely have to give him some reward, otherwise it won't make sense to the outside world. This matter is easy to solve. Anyway, we'll agree on it first and then implement it. It's just a matter of money going from one pocket to another, and we can come back for it later.

Considering the choice of personnel to deal with the Arcadia army, the final decision was to send Wildea first. Given Wildea's geographical location, he could reach the front line in less than three days. Moreover, the characteristics of the Moonlight Knight Order were perfect for countering the Arcadia Rifle Cavalry; they had sufficient defense and, with the enhancement of superhuman strength, were also highly mobile, so there was no worry about them being kited by the Rifle Cavalry.

Although Elvian was reluctant to deplete Wildea's military strength, she could only obey 'Vainay's' decisions. However, when Ryan proposed that the Northern Federation should provide Wildea with economic and material support in this matter, and when Augustus subsequently relaxed Wildea's tax policy, Elvian was deeply moved.

In the long run, this is definitely beneficial to Wilderness's development.

Ryan... what a good person!

"... Then, it's decided." After discussing it, 'Vainay' made the final decision. "The contract will be officially drafted tomorrow. Ina, you will be in charge then."

Ina nodded slightly. "Yes."

I mean to correct my wife's old marriage

"What do you think, Your Majesty Motis? We can discuss this further later if you have anything to add."

Motis nodded. "I have no objection."

"Thank you all for your hard work... Your Majesty Motis, I have prepared a banquet to celebrate the alliance between Augustus and the Northern Federation, and I hope you can join us."

"Of course."

'Vainay' and 'Motis' exchanged a smile.

"Earl Ryan, you are the hero of today. Please come to the castle tonight as well," 'Vainay' said, turning her head.

"Your Majesty has invited me, I will naturally arrive on time."

Ryan glanced at 'Vainay' and then at 'Motis', thinking that tonight might not just be a banquet; the two Empress would be competing on the same stage—such an opportunity was rare.

One in ten thousand days! Updates galore! Throw your monthly tickets like crazy, brothers!!!

Chapter 153 The Saintess Faction and the Party [Seven Thousand]

Five o'clock in the afternoon.

①⒈㈡/○㈨

The Northern Continent Conference was the subject of much discussion throughout Baron City. Even ordinary citizens who never cared about politics couldn't help but pick up their newspapers and take a look.

The results of the meeting have not yet been made public, but the people of Baron City have already begun to get excited. If Augustus allies with the Northern Federation, then given the difference in strength between the two, Augustus will definitely still be in control. In this way, they can be said to have indirectly witnessed the 'unification' of the Northern Continent.

○ㄚi②⑵/⒊⑨8

Although it has a bit of an Ah Q mentality to it, isn't the point of living to be Q?

At this time.

Inside Janus Church.

Josh sat at the long table, tapping it solemnly.

The gas lamp on the wall illuminated the room, reflecting in his deep gray eyes, which sometimes furrowed and sometimes relaxed, as if he were deep in thought.

After a moment, a Nun knocked on the door and came in after being given permission.

"Lord Josh, the Saintess has returned."

"So you're finally back?"

Josh breathed a sigh of relief, got up and walked out of the room. He saw Lin Qi walking past the rose window corridor not far away, with Alchino by her side.

"Saintess, please wait a moment."

"Bishop Josh, is something the matter?"

"I think we need to talk," Josh added in a low voice. "I'd like to know what you talked about afterwards regarding this meeting." He glanced at Alchino, who tactfully left.

"I'm sorry, Bishop Josh, the official alliance agreement will not be finalized until tomorrow. However, even after the agreement is signed, I cannot disclose its contents according to regulations."

"Saintess, I hope you understand the seriousness of this matter. Ryan's request for you to be a witness is an attempt to use your status High Lord of Honor to prevent the Gate of Janus from interfering in the affairs of the Northern Continent. But you are also Saintess. What does this mean? It means that we, the Gate of Janus, have done our work, but we will not receive any benefits."

Zhao Yisi led the three-stage liquor target

Lin Qi's face remained expressionless, as indifferent as ever.