Chapter 135: Departure (Part One)
February 15, 1190.
The weather in Ethanbel was starting to warm up, with trees sprouting tender green leaves. When the strong winds blew through, they made a soft “swish swish” sound. The atmosphere in the city was lively, and the spikes at the southern edge had all been pulled back. The streets were bustling with people and carriages, just as busy as any other day.
However, there were a few folks occasionally glancing up at the sky.
“How long has it been overcast?”
“Feels gray… like it’s holding back a storm that just won’t come…”
“It can’t be a torrential downpour, can it?”
“Dunno…”
“Well, better take an umbrella when stepping out. No one enjoys being soaked to the bone, right?”
…………
In the south of the city, at the Ethanbel Royal Palace, the king’s meeting room.
A fruit platter was laid out on the long table, a delightful aroma in the air. Queen Elizabeth sat at the table with several elderly noblemen. The wind outside had inexplicably died down, and a more serious atmosphere filled the room.
Meanwhile, sitting next to Her Majesty, a girl in a black skirt was munching on fruit with loud “crunch crunch” sounds, making her seem quite out of place.
“The Fifth Knights Order has retreated,” one of the old men announced.
“On February 11, just the day after we signed the mutual defense treaty with the Empire, Antoine led 16,000 knights east to Gusburg, while also sending a delegation to make nice, stating they have no intention of going against any ruling powers or countries, and they promise to never oppose your council, Your Majesty.”
At this statement, laughter erupted around the table.
Not long ago, many in the palace had been preoccupied, speculating about the Fifth Knights Order, which had nearly 20,000 well-armored knights. If they had decided to make a sudden move on the royal city, where would they strike from? Little Reikmon had spent days debating and preparing for this, only to find the opposing side bolting without even putting on a show!
“I’ve been saying it for ages; if we’re talking about incompetence, it’s got to be the Fifth Knights Order under Antoine. Ever since he took charge, they’ve turned into a bunch of well-fed bumblers. They’ve been all talk and no action for over a decade, even the Second Knights Order must be blushing with shame!”
“Looks like they won’t have any more moves before we hear back from the Holy City…”
“True, but we need to be vigilant. It’s times like this that we can’t afford to be complacent. We’ve got to watch out for any counterattacks…”
Everyone seated in this meeting room was a representative of the current influential families in Ethanbel. With the royal family’s actions against the church and the currency exchange, these guys had certainly thrown in their support.
Having just pocketed some major benefits, what they were really worried about was the Fifth Knights Order’s retaliation. Hearing about Antoine’s retreat was the last stone lifting off their chests, and amidst their relief, they began to brainstorm whether they should host a grand banquet to celebrate or something.
However, Her Majesty had summoned them here for something far more serious than a celebration.
“Now that our worries are gone, we need to focus all our attention to the south,” she declared.
Little Reikmon immediately jumped in, “As of now, we still haven’t received any new reports from the Holy City.”
“Based on the intelligence we have, it’s clear that St. George’s side has turned against each other. The source of this chaos seems to stem from Magipanny and her Star Association. The aim remains unclear, but the meteoric fire mentioned in the reports—I’m certain it’s due to Magipanny’s sword techniques. As for the hurricane…”
“Order of Wind—aside from Her Majesty, I think you all can guess who could tussle with the one known as ‘the person beneath the heavens’ to that extent.”
As soon as he finished, someone sighed dramatically, “Seems like the old man really went to the Holy City after leaving the royal city… I met him once and told him, with injuries like that, he should just come to my wellness clinic for some excellent care in his golden years…”
Interest piqued in another, “Wait a minute… Hasn’t it been over twenty years? Almost thirty?”
“Poor Magipanny, after all this time regrouping to clear her name and face off against that strongest one again—whoa…”
“Wouldn’t it be great to witness that?”
“If I recall correctly, the old man lost an arm over by the Holy Wall, right?”
“Severely wounded and dragging that old frame around—while Magipanny has been hibernating in the mountains sharpening her swordsmanship, probably only coming down when she heard he was hurt… that…”
“That’s the work of a petty criminal right there.”
“What are you all talking about…”
Noticing the elders at the table getting carried away, Little Reikmon shot a glance at the still-expressionless Queen, brow furrowed: “Is this really the time for this?”
“Cough, cough…”
Seeing the youngest and most powerful in the room looking displeased, one person coughed awkwardly, while another jokingly replied, “Hey, you started it! We’re just rolling with it to pass the time…”
“What I really meant is, the situation in the south is critical right now. Our old buddy was racing around the city warning everyone, now he’s put his life on the line. The Holy City could be nearing its end, while the situation at the Holy Wall remains uncertain, but judging from the drastic moves of the Second and Sixth Knights Orders, things are probably worse than we thought.”
Little Reikmon continued seriously, “Gentlemen, we must take this seriously. No more lucky thinking—we need to actively take measures and strengthen our ties with the Empire. I propose we begin discussing the formation of a joint military force between our two nations.”
As soon as he finished speaking, others chimed in with agreement: “I’m in favor.”
“Me too!”
“An alliance with the Empire is a wonderful idea! If things go smoothly, we might completely overshadow the church in the next decade…”
“Ha, is it really that easy?”
“The current issue is, the situation in the south is chaotic. We don’t know what’s happening in the Holy City or the Holy Wall, so I believe we shouldn’t recklessly make any decisions without more info. We need to get a clearer picture and obtain more accurate intel. That’s the top priority right now.”
“Without any knights left in the Holy City, how significant do you think the losses will be this time?”
“Right now, they might be quite hefty…”
“Ugh, we can’t jump to conclusions like that…”
“Pope Angel is cunning and ruthless; his methods can’t be predicted by common logic. He must have been prepared for this long ago, especially with St. George leading that pack of misfits…”
“In any case, it’s almost a given that the barrier surrounding the Holy City has broken through. Regardless of what tricks Angel may have, whether St. George can actually pull something off or not, given how tight the current battle situation is, it’s undeniably a potential mutually assured destruction scenario. We should definitely wait.”
“Let’s send more people to scout and wait for more confirmed intel to come back—then we can make a solid decision…”
“What’s the Empire’s current stance on this matter…”
“Princess Peilo…”
…………
With all this back-and-forth, half-hearted tug-of-war, and muddled deliberation, the skeptics dragged their feet in indecision, and before they knew it, most of the day had evaporated without settling anything.
By the time afternoon faded into dusk, the girl emerged from the palace, hopped into a war chariot, and prepared to head back to Longdoll Street.
She had exited the meeting alongside Viki, leaving the others still caught up in their long-winded discussions. Queen Elizabeth had ordered them to remain until they reached a resolution, stating they wouldn’t leave the palace until they had a plan.
They could all see that while everyone was saying nice things on the surface, deep down, no one wanted to deal with any more trouble. After resolving a few of the church’s chronic issues, the sense of crisis had completely vanished. It seemed the right time for celebration and enjoyment, and they planned to hide in comfort while waiting for news of the Holy City’s self-destruction.
Before the true form of any disaster appeared or its horrors were felt, most people continued to harbor their delusions of luck.
Mobilizing an army or resources, setting up a big defense down south, or even confronting the Holy City head-on were all risky, troublesome, and costly endeavors that brought no apparent benefits. Either the girl or the Queen knew this too well.
