When the Saint comes, she does not collect food

Chapter 1212 is just the beginning.

Luxurious boats sailed on the Nauan River, cutting through the waves and cleaving the autumn winds in their wake.

Thierry, who had changed into a wool blend coat, hesitated for a long time at the door of a cabin before gently knocking on it.

"Lord Lorenzo, may I come in?"

"Please come in." The voice from inside the door remained calm to the point of being cold.

Thierry stepped in and stood before Lorenzo, who had put down his book, and hesitated for a long time.

Lorenzo seemed to know what Thierry wanted to ask, but he didn't say anything and just waited quietly.

"Teacher, are we really going to Black Mud Fortress to sign the treaty?"

"Otherwise what? Did we come here for a vacation?"

“Do you really believe that vampires will keep their promises? You know how many people think you are because of your actions, that you are…” Thierry stopped mid-sentence.

Lorenzo simply put the book aside, pointed to the chair in front of him, and gestured for Thierry to sit down: "So what do you think?"

"I don't think you're a traitor, much less a coward."

Instead of directly answering the question, Lorenzo simply looked out the window and stared at the flowing water for a long time.

“I don’t know if you’ve received the news.” Lorenzo took off his glasses and wiped the fog off with a handkerchief. “Omes has run away.”

"Who? Duke Omes?" Thierry asked repeatedly, seemingly unable to believe his ears.

"Who else could it be but him? A regent of such stature, yet he has no sense of responsibility whatsoever." Putting his glasses back on, Lorenzo said with disgust, "He's probably scared."

Duke Omes was indeed afraid, and even more so, he regretted it.

How could he have been so blinded by greed and taken over this mess?
Today, Leanon is eyeing France covetously, while the Holy Alliance in the east is eager to seize it.

Originally, they could have relied on two tigers fighting each other to become monkeys, but now vampires have landed in the north and west.

We can't win a civil war, and we can't win a foreign war.

If we keep losing, we'll lose our hometown.

The Royal Court's northern army is now stationed on the border, seemingly with the intention of invading southward and forcing Duke Omes to sign a peace treaty.

Omes knew he had no choice but to sign, but once he did, his reputation and prestige would be ruined, and the lords from all over the land would rise up in revolt.

But if they don't sign, the nobles back home will rebel.

Since he was neither human nor innocent, Omes simply decided to cease being human.

He pretended not to know about the treaty, and with his family's wealth, he lied about being sick and took his gold, silver, craftsmen, and beautiful women back to the Thorn Garden.

Leia is currently in a state of great vacancy, and the great nobles and lords throughout Leia are ready for battle.

The Second Civil War is about to begin.

Clearly, in the eyes of the royal court, Leia was also a piece of fat meat on the table.

"so what should I do now?"

“Let’s support King Gigi to the throne again and have him sign the document to stabilize Leia first.”

This was also a key factor in Lorenzo's decision to sign the peace treaty.

It doesn't matter if Leia is destroyed, but it would be bad if the overseas legions got involved.

Now that France has suffered several defeats, it is time for strategic retreat.

They need to withdraw their legions and focus their efforts on dealing with the vampires.

Thierry was no fool; he immediately understood the meaning behind it.

He clenched his fists, his face flushed, and in the end, all he could say was, "Omes is such a mother..."

"Alright, are you some kind of country bumpkin? Nobles must remain calm and elegant at all times, especially in your future position."

Lorenzo spoke casually, pushing up his new glasses that kept slipping off.

It's not that he can't afford suitable glasses, it's just that there's no time to get them.

After all, when he heard the news yesterday, he cursed at Fran while throwing his old partner of more than ten years to the ground.

Thierry naturally bowed his head in apology: "I was out of line."

“Leia’s situation is just the first factor; next is Norn’s situation.” Lorenzo, finding his glasses uncomfortable, simply took them off. “This Norn situation…”

He looked at Thierry, who was holding a pen and paper ready to take notes, and suddenly laughed: "Hey, you must have looked at the materials I sent you before your vacation, right? Why don't you explain them to me?"

Even though it's freezing cold, Thierry Khan came down.

He began desperately trying to recall the information he had glanced at three days earlier, still lingering in his drunken stupor.

He stared at Lorenzo for several seconds, recalling what he had seen, before slowly speaking.

On the northern route, with his administration stabilized, Lacuño immediately began the second step – to win over reliable forces.

At this time, the Northern Army's territory already included most of the Roaring Corridor and began to border the territories of the dwarves and even centaurs.

Due to old grudges and their covetousness of human wealth, centaurs, dwarves, beastmen, and other alien races chose to join the royal court.

In the royal court, there are only masters and slaves.

The master, a vampire, is superior to humans; all other races are naturally inferior to vampires.

Although all are considered inferior, some are clearly born even more inferior. Since humans have not proven their worth on the northern front, they are currently the lowest-ranking race in the Northern Army.

With the support of the vampires and having lost their greatest enemy, Bearhold, the dwarves of the Forge Plateau immediately raised the banner of revenge.

They began to prepare for war, helping the royal court to manufacture weapons and equipment while preparing to march south and seize land on the plains.

The immense pressure finally fell on the Norn Highlords, who were now scattered and began to choose sides.

To resist or to surrender, that is the question.

According to information brought by Fran's spies, apart from a few cities and territories in the north that chose to submit to the royal court, the vast majority of the Norn Highlords chose to resist.

The election ceremony has now begun at Machamp Castle, where the kings or their messengers are arriving to cast their votes.

According to Lorenzo's own speculation, it is highly likely that they will re-elect the Norn Elector within the next month.

According to reliable sources, as of now, Sanderson, the head of the cod burger, and Jerkshausen, the head of the chicken leg burger, have gained a significant lead in votes over the others.

According to the Norn rules of kingship, all Norn Highlords must vote again among the top two candidates.

Is it Sanderson, who is stronger and closer to Fran, or Yekashausen, who is weaker but closer to the Holy Alliance?
We should have the results soon.

In other words, the Norn will most likely join the war, and they will be a powerful force.

“That’s well said.” Lorenzo nodded in satisfaction. “However, I have to correct one point.”

"You say."

"Norn's army is not a powerful force; they can only rely on their terrifying depth to contain the Northern Army. We cannot regard them as the decisive force."

"The Norn never disappoint when it comes to disappointing people."

“I understand.” Thierry took out the Dick gold pen that his old friend from the Holy Alliance had given him and quickly wrote in his small notebook.

Over the past decade, Joan of Arc paper from the Holy Alliance has become popular throughout the empire.

These small notebooks, used for jotting down notes at any time, have become standard equipment for many French bureaucrats.

The paper mill in Fran was naturally dissatisfied, but with a formidable enemy at hand, they were ordered to do nothing.

As for Leia, she was completely subdued by the military strength of the Holy Alliance and dared not do anything.

The Jeanne d'Or paper company currently holds a near-monopoly on the empire's papermaking industry.

After finishing his notes, Thierry turned to the next page: "Now that we've covered the situation on Norn's side, what about our side?"

Lorenzo gave a rare wry smile, but his naturally sharp features made even his wry smile seem like a mockery.

Frankfurt, while not exactly a place of frequent good news, is certainly in a precarious situation.

The Queen Mother's side, Charles's side, the traditional nobles' side, the new nobles' side, the bishops' side, the merchants' side...

Various forces and social classes are causing chaos and upheaval in various places.

Some wanted to continue fighting, some wanted to settle accounts first, and others wanted to continue doing business with the royal court.

But in any case, they can't continue playing.

Firstly, given the current situation, the French military is scattered, and continuing to fight would only turn into piecemeal tactics, resulting in wave after wave of casualties.

That's how King Gigi was defeated in the Valley of a Thousand Rivers.

Secondly, the pressure from several defeats could, if used properly, become a driving force for reform.

The events of Lemington and the massacre have made many Frans realize that vampires are their natural enemy.

Thanks to the Holy Alliance for inventing the newspaper.

A hundred years ago, it would have taken at least three to five years to generate such a strong public opinion.

Riding on this public sentiment, Charles VIII decided to convene a three-tiered assembly of citizens, clergy, and nobles, modeled after the Constitutional Assembly of the Holy League.

Of course, it wasn't for establishing a constitution, but for borrowing money, enacting legislation, and unifying thought.

"We must mobilize the pride of all citizens in France and transform it into a consensus for war!"

"By transforming this consensus into a driving force for reform, a new Fran will eventually rise from the ruins of the war!"

This is what Charles VIII said to Lorenzo while banging on the table.

He wants to fight internal reforms and foreign wars simultaneously. The flames of war will engulf France, but they will also allow France to rise from the ashes.

In addition, Lorenzo was not idle either.

The current situation is clear.

The alliance of the former Big Three—Fran, Leia, and Norn—has collapsed.

The next triumvirate will be the alliance of Fran, Saint Union, and Norn.

"What about the Kingdom of Naraya?"

"Where do you think this new century war will take place?"

Lorenzo had to buy time, and also buy time for the second triumvirate.

Even if it means bearing the scorn of countless ignorant people.

"The new Hundred Years' War is over?" Recalling the newspaper headline, Lorenzo looked out the window. "It's only just begun!"

(End of this chapter)