Translator: Cinder Translations
...
"That's right, please make sure to convey our request to Earl Grayman," Marquis Joe Foster said as he hosted a distinguished guest in his study.
The guest's name was Friedrich Liszt. They had met several times before, when Liszt was still the business representative of Todd Shipping in the Northwest Bay for the Horns Bay region, and Foster's family had business dealings with him.
But now, Liszt had become the official representative of Earl Paul Grayman, the most powerful lord in the Northwest Bay. Their conversation was no longer just about ordinary business.
"I will faithfully deliver your intentions, My Lord Marquis," Liszt replied respectfully.
Although this wasn't the first time they had met, Liszt still felt immense gratitude towards Earl Grayman. When he used to visit Foster's family mansion in the past, it was often to meet the ordinary members of the Foster family who handled specific business matters. The actual head of the family, Marquis Joe Foster, was rarely seen. The few times they did meet might better be described as formal audiences rather than true meetings.
Liszt recalled those times when the Marquis was high and mighty, and he himself had been a small, insignificant person in front of him—humble to the extreme. Now, however, he was treated with respect by the Marquis himself, and in his private study, no less.
Marquis Foster smiled and asked, "I wonder... what is Earl Grayman's stance on this war in Horns Bay?"
"Stance?" Liszt responded, "My lord, the Earl sympathizes with the oppressed coastal peoples."
"Oh, that's good," the Marquis seemed satisfied. "If possible, would he be willing to send troops to assist in this righteous war?"
"Send troops? No, no, no!" Liszt shook his head vigorously. "Earl Grayman is the lord of Aldor, and no matter his personal feelings, he cannot bypass the kingdom's stance. The Earl's loyalty to the kingdom is beyond question."
"Oh, of course!" Marquis Foster waved his hand. "We have no intention of asking Earl Grayman to do anything improper. But..."
He smiled and continued, "I've heard that a mercenary group employed by Earl Grayman is stationed in Horns Bay, at Lion's Corner."
"Do you mean...?"
"Compared to traditional armies, mercenaries are quite a flexible tool, aren't they? And I heard that the mercenaries are actually composed of people from Horns Bay. Well, would it be possible for us to rent this army from the Earl?"
"If Earl Grayman agrees, it should be no problem," Liszt said, but then his expression became puzzled. "However, I don't quite understand. After recruiting some new members, our mercenary group has only about two thousand people. Excuse my rudeness, but is the allied army really so desperate for two thousand more soldiers?"
"Oh, certainly not," Foster said firmly. "It's not that bad. Although we've had some setbacks recently, our treasury and manpower are still abundant. It's just..."
He chuckled, "We must always plan for the worst. Let's hope your mercenary group will grow even larger by that time."
As Liszt was about to leave, Marquis Foster suddenly stopped him.
"Mr. Liszt, has the Church made contact with you?"
"As far as I know, no," Liszt replied.
"Good," Foster said. "Let me just remind you, the Horns Bay Church, along with countries like Collins, are extremely conservative and backward. You can tell from their prolonged witch-hunting campaigns. If they were to dominate the entire Horns Bay region, this land would fall into prolonged decline. Prosperous cities would become lifeless. I'm sure Earl Grayman, who has always supported commerce, would not want to see such a scene."
Liszt nodded. "I'll keep your reminder in mind, Lord Foster."
---
"Oh my god! Sevya, did you know? I just faced Lord Foster again, and he was neither humble nor arrogant, from start to finish."
Once he returned to the carriage, Liszt couldn't wait to boast to Sevya, who was waiting inside. Although he had dealt with many influential figures in the Council as the envoy of the Grayman family, this time, there was no beautiful woman to confide in.
"Really? Well, you are quite impressive, Mr. Li—sst—t," Sevya intentionally drew out his name to "compliment" him.
But she immediately asked, "How's the situation with the Horns Bay Alliance? Did the Marquis say anything?"
As the main force of the Protestant army, the Horns Bay Alliance largely represented the state of the entire Protestant nations' coalition.
Liszt said, "The war is still ongoing. The alliance is very wealthy, with both money and manpower."
Though Marquis Foster had shown some signs of pessimism, and even prepared for the possibility of hiring foreign mercenaries—Liszt didn't mention this to Sevya, since she wasn't his colleague and he couldn't tell her everything.
"Dammit!" Sevya said bitterly. "What a bunch of useless fools! They've fought all the way here, and they were so close to capturing Collins, that big prize."
Though the Horns Bay Alliance's attitude toward magic users remained unclear, as long as they could strike a blow against the Church, Sevya was happy with the victory and disappointed by the failure.
---
On the road to Goen, a large army was marching steadily.
They were the so-called "Church Army," a large force primarily composed of inland nations from Horns Bay, gathered under the call of the Horns Bay Church to fight against the Protestant alliance.
At the head of the army, General Webster was riding his horse, carefully considering the next battle plan.
Webster was dispatched by the Church, leading the army to rescue the Church Army from its current predicament, and was experienced in warfare.
After arriving in Horns Bay, he merged his forces with the original Church Army to form a new one.
A rider on a fast horse came up to him.
"General, the new batch of supplies has arrived. Please sign here."
"Finally, it's here," Webster said, taking the parchment and quill from the messenger, quickly signing his name.
"General!" The messenger looked at him with admiration. "Congratulations on winning a great victory, washing away the shame brought by the defeat of the Northern Army. The people of Horns Bay—especially those devout followers—are all thanking us."
The defeat of the Northern Army referred to the failed attack on the northern coastal nations via the neutral city-states, ending in a disastrous defeat near Hydras, a region in the Duchy of Eaton.
"Thank you! But I must remind you," Webster said, turning to the messenger, "our recent victory relied heavily on those abundant supplies. If we want to keep winning victories like this, I hope the lords in the rear will pay close attention."
(End of the Chapter)
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