A Brand-New Way to Travel

"We've long known that many nonhuman races live in these seas, but I never imagined the English would set their sights on them," Marlena said bitterly. "I don't know how the British army controls them, but those minions of hell have become its strongest weapon for ruling the seas."

Charles VII turned to Chen Xuan. "I heard from a traveler that people in the East call these beings Demons and have ways of dealing with them. I intend to send an embassy east to seek their support. Joan of Arc suggested that her friend the Divine Envoy has deep ties to the East and has earned the Lord God's approval. With you as the link between us, we might achieve twice as much with half the effort."

That could work?

"Can't France find more allies closer to home?" Chen Xuan asked. After all, the journey from France to East Asia was anything but short!

"Yes. Us, for one." Marlena gestured to the black-robed woman beside her. "The Assembly Association has decided to fight the British army with everything it has. Its members have now left their secluded homes and gathered in Paris City."

"As for the other countries... they might prefer to see England defeat us." Charles gave a helpless smile. "It's shortsighted, of course. Once the British army has established itself on land and seized control of the seas, why would it stop at France? But our neighbors won't understand until they feel the pain themselves."

And the East would help?

To be honest, Chen Xuan was curious about what the great power in the East was like now. According to the history he knew, it should have been the early Ming dynasty, not long after Zhu Yuanzhang became emperor. How had they come to specialize in dealing with