Chapter 296 (2): Impregnable Fortress x Unbreakable Defense x Advantage Is Ours

Megan collected the agreement with an expressionless face, glancing at the world map behind the desk and locating the defense line precisely. She pondered how she should breach it.

Auston smiled wordlessly, playing with the antique silver coin in his hand happily. He would be honest; he believed he had this in the bag. He would soon wash away the humiliation he had suffered.

“Wayne, do you really think that Franc only focuses on defense and places all hope in one defense line, and they are doomed to fail in that gamble?” With the agreement signed, Auston felt comfortable enough to speak frankly. It was why he had asked Wayne to come today.

“No, I just believe in Prussia more. Just look at the sewers, and you’ll know that they are a people of rigorous discipline, down-to-earth attitude, high intelligence, and great foresight.” Wayne spoke with sound reasoning.

Auston didn’t know what Wayne was talking about. “Do you believe that the churches do not participate in wars?”

Now we’re getting to the point!

Wayne’s eyes lit up. “Quite the contrary, I think the mages of the churches will definitely partake in this coming war. Things will be different this time. In the previous war, the churches didn’t even have time to enter before it was stopped short. They definitely won’t pass up a second chance.

Whether the churches would join the war in an official capacity was hard to say, but the mages of the churches would surely participate. The reason was simple: although faith had no borders, mages did belong to different nations. When war broke out, and they faced the deaths of loved ones, mages stricken with grief would surely seek revenge when opportunities arose.

Considering the outcome of the First World War, it was likely that the churches were actually involved; they simply hadn’t been open about it.

Wayne wasn’t making random guesses; he had evidence: his being a reincarnated angel. Why would Heaven send seven angels all of a sudden, corresponding to the Seven Demon Lords of Hell? There had to be more to the story.

The Church of Heavenly Father was the number one faith in the Chosen Land. When Heaven made a move, the matter had to be grand in scale. He would even boldly speculate that Heaven wasn’t only making a move against Hell, but also all the other faiths in the Chosen Land. How could the churches stay out of the war then?

“If you think that the churches will join the war, why do you believe that Franc won’t be able to hold the line of defense?” Auston asked curiously. “Once the line falls, all of Franc will be left defenseless. They will face an unprecedented landslide defeat. No churches want that.”

“Huh? What do you mean? I don’t get it.” Wayne was a bit confused. “Why would the churches protect Franc? It’s only when the world is in chaos that they can better promote their gods, and people will believe in their nonsense more. World peace serves them no good.”

“No, a stable order is more important.” Auston used Windsor as an example. “We all know that Windsor has her problems, big problems. I know it, the Prime Minister knows it, and Her Majesty knows it, but no one ever proposes reform. Reform means changes, and changes mean destruction.”

“When an order is functional, it is correct no matter how many flaws it has. What’s correct will not be changed, or it’ll mean failure, and failure will bring annihilation.”

Wayne understood now. In his language, when a piece of code was running, it shouldn’t be touched, despite the bugs. Even if the attempt to debug was done with good intentions, it could lead to a chain reaction that made the entire program break down. Compared to that, a few bugs didn’t matter.

Seeing the bemused expression on Wayne’s face, Auston said with the silver coin in his clutch, “So I’m certain that Franc won’t lose. They will just sink further and further, unable to restore their former glory.”

So that’s how parasites like you think!

Wayne shrugged. “Even so, I believe in Prussia.”

“Because of your stereotypes of them?”

“Because their uniforms are super cool!”

“...”

Megan remained expressionless, while Auston rolled his eyes, unable to fathom Wayne’s point. He said with exasperation, “As a high-level spy cultivated by Windsor, aren’t you favoring Prussia too much? Control your mouth when you’re outside this estate and don’t voice your opinions unprompted, especially in this sensitive time. Many are watching me.”

“The other Tulip Families?”

“And Her Majesty.” Auston sighed. “I’ve been away for too long without a reasonable explanation. My being voted to bear the losses at the August meeting was Her Majesty’s warning to me. At the same time, I’m being watched by certain people in secret. I have to keep a low profile.”

Wayne nodded, suggesting rebelling and locking the Queen up in the basement.

Auston ignored him and told him to be serious, going back to discussing the family’s future strategy.

“It’s too troublesome. You’re the Darkness Knight, and I’m many knights in one. Just eliminate everyone who causes us trouble. Why use our brains?”

Wayne had his belief. His brain power was a precious resource that should be reserved for managing his time and keeping his many girlfriends happy. He didn’t want to waste it on parasites.

“You’re too arrogant.”

“I’m a Gold-ranked mage and many chosen knights in one, and I just saved the world. What’s wrong with being a little arrogant?”

“...”

Discussion was impossible without common ground. Auston decided to formulate the family strategy on his own.

“The research is over,” Wayne said. “The secret base can be disposed of now. I have no use for those Forgotten Ones. Send them back to the asylum.”

Auston tightened his grip around his coin. “The Princess has returned. Your research succeeded, didn’t it?”

“It’s good enough based on the current results.”

“Then, when do you plan on breaking Silvia’s dragon blood curse?” Auston pressed.

Silvia had been in poor condition lately. She started questioning her abilities and was considering breaking through to Legendary rank. To prevent the dragon blood curse from acting out, Auston wanted Wayne to act as quickly as possible.

“I can start now, but I personally think it’ll be better to observe a little longer. I need to follow up on Juno.” Wayne glanced at Auston. “Appease Master on your end. Ultimately, it’s your changes that made her insecure. She’s too strong-willed and doesn’t want to be protected by you.”

“How long?”

“Let’s say a month for the first treatment.” Wayne thought for a moment. “If that doesn’t work, just tell her the truth: I’ve obtained a method to control the dragon blood curse from Senna, and I’m still studying it. Master cares so much about the family, so she’ll definitely be willing to wait.”

They discussed the details. Then Auston changed the topic back to the Ministry of Magic. Of all three Vice Ministers, one died in the Astral Plane, and another disappeared without a trace. The Ministry of Magic, unable to maintain normal operations, was undergoing a reorganization.

Several legendary mages were eager to claim the vacant spots for easier embezzlement.

Wayne wasn’t interested in the power grab. He asked curiously, “The coming of war means the old policies were flawed. When will the Prime Minister step down?”

“Soon.” Auston clicked his tongue in disappointment. “At the most recent meeting, two members of the Tulip Families went head-to-head, both wanting to become the next Prime Minister. You’ve met one of them...”

Rupert Wilson.

When the High Reverend of the Church of Moonlight was attacked, the Queen was forced to order a thorough investigation, spearheaded by Auston. Following the trail, he had identified the Wilson family as suspects.

It was later proven that the Wilsons were innocent, and Obed, the traitor, had forged all the evidence. However, Auston had still uncovered something that allowed him to blackmail and extort the Wilsons.

At the meeting where Wayne was judged for his eligibility to become the Lando heir, Rupert had retaliated by producing evidence of Wayne being a Francan spy.

The feud between the Landos and the Wilsons was thus established. Auston couldn’t possibly support Rupert to become the Prime Minister in wartime, not even for the Queen’s sake. Between the two candidates, Auston chose to work with the other one.

Winston Churchwell[1].

He was also from a Tulip family and similarly devoted to military and political fields, making him the kind of hawkish figure the nation needed during wartime. He would be perfect for distinguishing the nation from her previous pacifist policies.

...

Yeah, the name alone sounds like Prime Minister material. He’s probably also a warmonger.

When would he take office then?

“Not yet. He’s about to take on the position of First Lord of the Admiralty. Let’s see how he performs first. If he does well and finds suitable cabinet members, it’ll be the right time...”

Auston then warned, “I believe quite a few people will be seeking you out soon. Besides MI6, there will also be others watching you in secret. They represent Her Majesty and are all ordinary people. I hope you’ll behave and not create more trouble.”

Hearing that they would be ordinary people, Wayne immediately commented in a sarcastic tone, “How nice of Her Majesty. She knows that there is something wrong with your one-month absence, but she still chose to turn a blind eye.”

“She had no choice,” Auston said dryly. “Among the fourteen Tulip Families, the Lando family is among the most loyal to her. That’s all there is to it.”

It had nothing to do with personal feelings and everything to do with the image that Auston had cultivated over the years. He hoped that Wayne would do the same. No matter what he thought, he had to behave like a loyal official to the monarch and a patriot!

“By the way, how’s your control over the Darkness Knight’s power?”

“I’ve made progress.” Auston’s lips curved slightly as he probed, “How about you meet me tonight at the Great Cemetery in the Western District?”

“Oh, no. I’m afraid I won’t be your match now. You’ll be kicking my ass if we meet up.”

“...”

“Why aren’t you saying anything?”

“I’m not going.”

Wayne sighed in regret. He’d overdone it. He should’ve pulled back a little.

1. As this is obviously a parody of Winston Churchill, I’ve picked a surname that’s believed to be a variant of Churchill rather than a name that is pronounced similarly to the surname in the raw (qiu-te). ☜