Volume 6 Chapter 29 I Don't Intend to Fold the Rag
With the introductions involving Alan, Catherine and the others have concluded, now it's Abel handling the first wave of arrivals from the Church, after finishing a game──dubbed as play──with Alan, Keith, and Livia.
By the way, the representatives from the Church were Julius and Livia who raised their hands.
To put it simply, they were being considerate.
After all, he thought, he should at least make some time for his 3 classmates.
After all, once today's welcoming is done, Catherine and Julius will head to Hartfield to join Annabelle and the others.
"After that, I'll be collaborating with Leon and Lady Annabelle for various preparations on the Hartfield side."
Liz murmured, "I see," as she watched Catherine gracefully pour herself some tea.
Although a Saint representing the Church, she can't stay abroad for too long.
That's why they are stationed at Hartfield, where shipping services to Victor are available, to handle various matters.
It's not just about welcoming to Hartfield, but also seeing off the personnel headed for Victor.
"Is there really any value in seeing you off?"
Randy didn't hide his dubious expression, and Ellie, who appeared, nodded with a smirk, "That's right."
"What a rude pair. There's plenty of value!"
Catherine snorted, raising an eyebrow, "I am a Saint, you know?"
"With a prayer of 'I hope you all are blessed,' it's a sure thing."
What a down-to-earth smile.
Randy sighed, wondering if he should capture the loudly laughing Saint in a photo to show the believers.
"Well, setting my blessings aside... Are you okay?"
Catherine's worry stemmed from the fact that there have been intrusions by the [Pilgrim of Truth] in both Victor and Hartfield.
This means they are being watched by the Empire.
It would pain Catherine if believers she dispatched were caught in the turmoil of war.
"Well... honestly, there's no problem at all. To say otherwise would be a lie."
Randy let out a small sigh, but the fact remained that the Empire would invade no matter where he was.
Additionally, Alan mentioned that even if the Empire advances, a large-scale attack on Victor would be difficult.
"I definitely get why those trying to take down the kingdom wouldn't foolishly deploy their forces here and at Hartfield."
The Empire's goal is primarily the invasion of the kingdom.
The top priority is to seize the royal capital.
The forces allocated to Hartfield and Victor are merely a bluff and a means to delay.
It's undoubtedly true that agitation and confusion will be caused using [Pilgrim of Truth]. The attacking execution units will ride on that confusion.
This is a strategy to ensure that Victor and Hartfield cannot send reinforcements, while simultaneously avoiding criticism from the international community and the kingdom's citizens who would face occupation.
Originally, it would be a foolish move to divide their troops, but they plan to be supported by local forces supplied by the cult.
The strategy aims to present the Empire's troops temporarily suppressing these groups on behalf of the kingdom, which is unable to cope due to the cult's rebellion...
Thus, they are deploying [Pilgrim of Truth] in various places.
That's precisely why it's so ineffective in Victor.
Both brainwashing through [Pilgrim of Truth] and sending Empire soldiers are difficult.
The advantage of the land and the state.
To enter the Dukedom, surrounded by cliffs and mountains, they can only traverse through Beast Forest or along the great river.
For the Imperial army to travel upstream on the great river, permission from both the kingdom and the Dukedom is essential.
If they were to push through forcibly, they would surely be ambushed by both countries along the river.
"Well, they're probably going to discuss it with both governments..."
With a wry smile, Randy noticed Ellie frowning, saying, "We don't need incompetent allies."
In truth, Ellie was right; the kingdom government and Dukedom Government, which were supposed to be allies this time, were entirely untrustworthy.
Neither could afford to be invaded by the Empire, but that didn't mean they would heed the words of Lucian or Alan.
Furthermore, there's the dilemma of not being able to say everything.
If their true motives involve Ellie's body or the ancient king, the day they can break each seal looks most suspicious.
However, even if they were to convey the day of the attack, it would be too pinpointed, making it suspicious instead.
"That part should be handled well by the Old man and His Excellency."
With a sigh, Randy noted that the main battlefield for Victor and Hartfield would likely be another Count's territory close to Hartfield land.
While it may not rival Eisenfels, it has a large port, meaning there's a significant possibility of being attacked.
In any case, the Empire's available moves are limited right now, which is why both Alan and Lucian chose to go along with the enemy's plans.
"Regardless, the Old man has allowed acceptance. I will absolutely protect it."
Hearing Randy's words, Catherine showed a serious face and said, "I believe in you."
"Trust me. I swear by Victor's name that no harm will come to the villagers."
With a serious Randy, Catherine exhaled deeply and replied, "I understand."
"Let's stop the dark talk for a moment. Anyway, even if they do stir something up, it's probably still a bit ahead, right?"
Taking a sip of her tea, Catherine changed the subject to town building, her expression brightening.
"It's still under construction, but doesn't it seem like it could be a pretty wonderful town?"
A wide street leading to a great river.
For Catherine, a town that could stimulate commerce and deliver a large amount of goods to the port town via waterway looks like a bundle of potential.
"Do you have a concept or something?"
With sparkling eyes, Catherine listened as Randy explained that he wanted to create designers' town focused mainly on fashion.
"Oh, a designer. Speaking of which, your sister was quite something, huh?"
Catherine nodded thoughtfully, while Ellie, for some reason, was contentedly nodding and saying, "Isn't that right?"
"That said, she's still a child and unknown. Relying only on Clarice is a bit shaky."
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