Alien Knights

When Emerson and Cumberland pushed open the door of the king's audience room, they discovered that Todd's expression had never been heavier than before.

Cumberland was stunned for a moment, and then asked: "Your Majesty, you...?"

Emerson kicked Cumberland's calf with his toe, telling him to shut his mouth.

Emerson walked to the front of the desk and cleared his throat: "Your Majesty, according to your will, we are ready to recruit troops eastward."

Todd nodded and opened his mouth to speak, but his voice was unexpectedly dry and hoarse.

"How is the evacuation work for the Protestants going?"

Emerson replied: "We have sent out a group of Protestant envoys. They will be responsible for contacting and evacuating the people of the major Protestant kingdoms as soon as the war begins."

"Where are the logistics supplies?"

"Using the Holy Acropolis as the assembly point, all supplies and equipment have been put into storage and sealed."

"What about domestic public opinion?"

"Churches, universities, theaters, city halls...many public places, according to your plan, have been continuously criticizing the church for several months. Through the victims' personal testimony, dramatization, display of relics, etc., the country is now There has been a wave of denunciation against the Church of Heavenly Father.”

Todd turned his attention to Cumberland: "How is the army?"

"The Muxi Knights dispatched 12,000 people, including 230 lance regiments, 2,200 alien soldiers, and 12 regiments of soldiers." Cumberland touched his chin and slowly Said: "The Navy has dispatched a total of forty-six warships, including five armed gunboats and eleven ballista ships... Oh, by the way, the alien warship that Wayne is building will also participate in the battle, but it seems that Not finished yet…”

Todd took out a roster from the desk drawer and said: "In this battle against the Papal States, I plan to let the Crusaders also participate. The total force is controlled at three thousand people. Here are the species and soldiers participating in the battle. Introduction to abilities.”

Cumberland frowned: "Your Majesty, with all due respect, the troops of the Muxi Knights are fully capable of dealing with various situations in this battle and do not need the support of the Crusaders."

Todd put the roster on the table and slowly pushed it forward: "Victory is just one of the goals of war, politics is the ultimate goal."

Seeing the astonishment on Cumberland's face, Todd smiled and said, "You taught me this sentence."

Emerson whispered to Cumberland: "Your Majesty wants to use this war to coordinate the relationship between the races in the kingdom."

Cumberland pondered for a while and then asked: "Your Majesty, who is the commander of the Crusaders in this battle? Who has the final military decision-making power?"

Understanding what the old knight was worried about, Todd replied: "The commander of the Holy Army is Ackerman, but the commander-in-chief of the battle is you."

Cumberland shook his head: "This is not appropriate."

"Your Majesty, in a sense, the Crusaders are actually your private soldiers. I have no right or ability to command this army. Forcibly doing so will only increase the conflicts within the army and even cause conflicts among the war groups. of discord.”

Cumberland pondered for a while and then suggested: "I suggest that the Knights and the Holy Army can be divided into two groups and given two different combat goals. This can minimize..."

"That would go against my original intention." Todd patted the roster with his hand: "There has never been such a thing as a private soldier. The Crusaders belong to the kingdom, and they serve this country. their faith.”

Todd looked at Cumberland and comforted him: "Before the Crusaders set off, I will tell them who is the boss in command of the war. Also, I will let the leader of the shaman ——Ms. Minnie is traveling with the army. If you are still worried, if you encounter any disputes over command, you can enter the kingdom of heaven and call me at any time, and I will help you take charge of the overall situation."

Cumberland was stunned: "Your Majesty, you don't plan to go out with the army?"

"I have more important things to do."

Cumberland said hurriedly: "Your Majesty, you may not understand the significance of this war. If we follow the predetermined strategic goals and capture the capital of the Papal States, the city of Tyro, then the thousand-year-old religious dispute will be over. It will come to a complete end. From now on, there will be no Heavenly Father Church and the Most Orthodox Church in the world. The people who believe in God will convert to one sect together, and you, as the highest spiritual leader of the Unification Church, will Invisibly, hundreds of countries will rule the entire northern continent."

Cumberland looked at Todd and said with emphasis: "Your Majesty, let me be more straightforward. When this war ends, as long as you are the first to enter Taylor City, you will create history that will last forever. Be the first to unite religions.”

"Cumberland, you don't understand." Todd shook his head slowly and said: "Unifying religion, creating history, and being a spiritual leader, to me, these are all trivial things, and they are not the goals I pursue at all. For me, "The only thing I want to protect is the land beneath my feet and the people who believe in me and are willing to entrust everything to me."

"In the far south, an unprecedented catastrophe is happening. Although these signs seem to be very far away from the kingdom now, the consequences it brings may completely overturn the results of our efforts so far. "

Cumberland asked: "catastrophe? Your Majesty, what are you referring to?"

Emerson winked at Cumberland, motioning him to look in the direction of the sea outside the window, and said softly: "Look there, look at those weird mermaids and sharks. The reason why those ocean races gave up their homes and came to seek dragons. There must be a reason for the country’s asylum, right?”

Cumberland looked at Waiheke Island in the distance and said with enlightenment: "You mean, something is happening in the south, forcing these marine ethnic groups to flee to the north?"

Todd sighed slightly: "Regarding what happened in the south, I have issued strict orders to prohibit anyone from leaking information, just to destabilize the hearts of the people within the kingdom."

Emerson nodded in agreement: "Your Majesty's decision is correct. The kingdom has enough troubles to deal with right now."

Cumberland sighed: "In that case, then I will take on the role of commander-in-chief of operations and try my best to coordinate the relationship between the Knights and the Crusaders."

Todd said: "Remember, taking the capital of Tyro is only the first step. How to deal with the relationship between the church, the secular royal family and the nobles is the top priority of this battle. I hope to get a stable , a friendly occupied area, which can give the Dragon Kingdom the least pressure to deal with other more important matters."

Cumberland nodded.

After saluting the king and saying goodbye, Cumberland picked up the roster on the table, followed Emerson, and walked towards the door of the audience room. The old knight walked to the door, suddenly remembered something, turned around and said to Todd : "Your Majesty, regarding the matter I mentioned to you before..."

"turn down."

Todd said to Cumberland without hesitation: "When it comes to fighting in the entire kingdom, no one is better than you. Now is not the time for you to retire!"

Perhaps feeling that his words were too strong, Todd slowed down and said in a half-joking tone: "Cumberland, think about it, if you were kept away from the army and had nothing to do all day long, that kind of life might be better. It makes you more uncomfortable than death. So, cherish the days now. Maybe... maybe the time you contribute to this country in the future may last longer than me, the king..."