Andreus fell silent for a moment, then said, "How about you try wiping out Mesu's Northern Fleet too?"
Charlotte gave Andreus an approving look and said, "That's a great idea!"
After Grand Duchess Mesu defected to Byron, she poured all the wealth her family had accumulated over the years into a desperate expansion, restoring some of the Northern Fleet's former strength.
The Northern Fleet now had one Legendary Warship, the Fontainebleau, along with eight Magic Alchemical Warships. Including Grand Duchess Mesu herself, it had thirteen Saint Ranks and countless Transcendents.
Even when the Northern Fleet had been at its weakest, Grand Duchess Mesu's power had still been no less than that of Old Count Brittany and Minister of War Garlanden!
It could be said that if Grand Duchess Mesu had not defected and joined Byron, Redmir would never have usurped the throne, nor would Count Brittany have rebelled.
Unfortunately, there were no ifs in this world.
From the royal Saint Ranks besieging Zimmerman, forcing the Empire's Prime Minister and several royal Saint Ranks out of politics, to the war against Byron and Black Phoenix that drove Grand Duchess Mesu to defect, the Empire's decline had seemed sudden, but there had been signs all along. It had unfolded step by step.
It could be said that the Axel Dynasty had accumulated too many deep-rooted flaws and had already reached the end of its road. Even without Brittany, it would have fallen sooner or later. After all, Duchess Mesu might not necessarily have refrained from rebelling.
Duchess Mesu stood tall upon the deck of the Fontainebleau, gazing toward Thessaly with surging emotions. If she reclaimed Thessaly, she could once again control the north and restore the glory her family had possessed before leaving the northern lands.
"Only by controlling the north can