Translator: Cinder Translations
...
Edward paced anxiously in the room, making the floorboards creak beneath his feet. He continuously waved his arms, gesturing in various ways, his lips moving as if he were muttering to himself, perhaps hoping it would ease his mood.
Sanel watched Edward silently, feeling it best not to tempt the bad luck of the notorious pirate leader in this moment.
He subtly shifted his gaze to the other superior in the room.
Lady Marianna maintained her usual elegant demeanor, casually sitting in a wicker chair, holding a cup of coffee in her left hand and leisurely stirring it with a small spoon in her right.
It seemed as if the events happening in the bay had nothing to do with her.
Outside, the sound of someone climbing the stairs echoed, and soon there was a knock on the door.
Sanel quickly walked to the door, opened a small peephole, glanced outside, and then opened the door.
Standing outside was Nathan, who looked towards his mother, Marianna, as she sipped her coffee.
Nathan waved his hand inside, saying, "Everyone, I've brought Xita with me."
He stepped inside, revealing the towering figure of the muscular man behind him.
Xita had a simple, honest expression, slightly bowing his head as he ducked through the door frame.
Edward asked with a hint of humor, "Nothing happened on the way, right?"
Nathan shrugged, responding with an amused expression, "Aside from a little act of kindness, everything went smoothly. Nothing major."
He briefly recounted how they had intercepted the carriage in the street.
"The driver was probably a noble, but we got away in time, so he didn't see us."
Edward looked at Xita, who remained silent, resembling the simple, hardworking farmers common in the countryside.
He understood this man's personality and directly asked Nathan, "How is the Horns Bay Alliance doing? Have those noble gentlemen reached a conclusion?"
Nathan, who had previously appeared unfazed, now showed a frustrated expression.
"Don't mention it!"
"The council is still arguing."
From Nathan's exasperated description, everyone learned about the recent events among the Alliance's upper ranks.
After realizing that the Church's forces had flanked their weak northern allies by "borrowing" through neutral countries, there was fierce debate among the Alliance's leaders. One faction argued that they should not concern themselves with the North for now, insisting they should immediately concentrate their forces to attack the Church's territories directly towards Collins. The other faction believed they should withdraw troops to the North to confront the flanking Church forces. Now, the two factions were at a stalemate in the council, with troops gathered at the border receiving no clear orders, leading to a stalemate where they neither advanced toward the nearby Church-controlled areas nor retreated to aid their northern allies.
After listening, Edward gritted his teeth and said, "Since the Church's forces have appeared in the North, it shows there must be a manpower shortage on the Church's territory facing the Horns Bay Alliance. You should take this opportunity to strike!"
Nathan disagreed with his viewpoint, "Those northern neutral states are too weak; a single detachment could handle them. What if the Church is just feigning an attack in the North while their main force is positioned east of the Horns Bay Alliance, waiting for us to divert our main forces North, then they strike in?"
Edward argued, "Whether advancing east into the interior or heading north to rescue our allies, it's better than staying at the border doing nothing."
Nathan's expression showed helplessness, "The most critical issue is that those northern countries that feel threatened have already ordered their troops, which were headed to the Horns Bay Alliance's border, to withdraw back home. The New Faith Army is on the verge of falling apart."
"Then let us lend our support to the northern nations," Lady Marianna, who had been leisurely sipping her coffee, suddenly spoke up.
"Support? How do you propose we do that?"
Her suggestion surprised everyone.
"Ahem! Are you saying we should donate some money to them and recruit more soldiers?" Nathan waved his hand dismissively, "That's useless; those countries are not short of money."
"No," Marianna denied. "I mean—using the power of magic to directly intervene in the war."
For a moment, Nathan felt his mother was a bit off her rocker. If counted by human age, she was no longer young.
He awkwardly replied, "Well, it's not that I'm saying... while we have previously collaborated with mortal powers like Giles, that was based on years of careful contact and understanding. Now, with the situation being so urgent, it's too late. Those countries were just recently hunting down witches with the Church; if we rashly approach those in power to reveal our identities, are you sure they won't just bind us up and burn us on the spot?"
Marianna smiled at her son, saying, "If it were anyone else, it would indeed be impossible. But I happen to know a ruler in the Bay who understands and is tolerant of Witches, and his country holds considerable influence among the coastal nations."
"There's someone like that in the Bay?"
Everyone in the room was astonished.
Nathan exclaimed angrily, "Then why hasn't he stepped up earlier to champion justice for Sorcerers? Mortals really aren't trustworthy."
Marianna, slightly helpless yet understanding, replied, "As a ruler, one cannot go against the overall will of their people. At that time, the populace was misled by the Church. Even a rational monarch would be helpless; even if he had enough ability to persuade his people, he would still face isolation or even hostility from all other countries in the Bay. He could only endure silently, waiting for the right moment—when everyone was being driven to desperation by the Church's tyranny."
Nathan still questioned dismissively, "Oh? Then who is this understanding and tolerant monarch towards Sorcerers?"
Marianna answered, "The ruler of the Duchy of Eaton—His Majesty Eliot Cabre."
"The Duchy of Eaton? Isn't that the country we're in right now?"
Nathan was taken aback, realizing they had come to the capital, Hydra, of Eaton by his mother's decision, especially at this moment when the Church's forces were approaching Eaton.
Could she have planned this all along?
"Well then…" he asked, "how do you know he understands us Sorcerers well enough?"
"Ha ha!" Marianna chuckled, "Because his wife—now the Duchess of Eaton, Her Highness Helen—is a Sorcerer."
"Do you know this Duchess Helen?"
"Of course, she is my student; I guided her onto the path of magic."
(End of the Chapter)
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Translated 4 Series, 1.65K+ Chapters and 2.01M+ Words.