But, Louise’s house huh…
Louise’s big sister that I met earlier was a beautiful woman, but she had a hard expression, didn’t she..., he thought. Splendidly, Saito saw with only a glimpse. At the time they met he noticed that even though her eyes were different from Louise’s, she had the same high-minded attitude. Will Louise give off the same feeling when she grows a bit older? That would be painful.
Also, there was a kind of suspicious feeling in the air. It seemed that Louise and everyone in that house had differing opinions.
This time, we’re going towards the home of that Louise.
Saito looked up at the sky, sighed, and thought with an attitude lacking spirit... what’s going to happen from now on?
In the southern part of Londinium, the capital city of Albion, stood the Howland Palace.
The White Hall inside was indeed an appropriately vital point of the “White Country” Albion.
That place, painted entirely in white, was incredibly impressive. There were sixteen columns supporting the ceiling of the hall.
Like a wound in the wall, a face illuminated by the light was revealed.
In the middle of that hall stood a huge “Round Table” made of rock, around which the ministers and generals of the Holy Albion Republic were gathering, waiting for the start of the council’s meeting.
This was the place at which, until roughly twenty years ago, the ministers gathered around the king in order to control the country. But the ruler had since changed.
The people that participated in the revolution and took the country from the monarchy gave themselves top posts in the country as was to be expected.
As for the person that, until twenty years ago, was a simple local bishop…
The one that used to have a lower social status than everyone that had gathered here… even than the protection squad members that were standing on the sides of the door…
The two protection squad members opened the hall’s door.
“The Holy Albion Republic’s noble government congress chairman, gasp, Oliver…”
Cromwell, raising his hand, interrupted the voice…
“G-Gasp?”
“Shouldn’t we remove this useless tradition? Because amongst the people that have gathered here, none stands above another!”
As always, Cromwell’s private secretary, Sheffield, was walking behind him and next to her the figures of the healed up Viscount Wardes and Fouquet the Crumbling Dirt could be seen.
As Cromwell headed towards the chief’s seat, Sheffield followed him like a shadow. Wardes and Fouquet sat down in two free seats.
After the chairman and first emperor were seated the meeting began. One man raised his hand. It was General Hawkins. With grey hair, white moustache, and a long military service, the general stared with intense eyes at the emperor that used to be a bishop.
After Cromwell acknowledged him, he stood up.
“Your Excellency, I would like to ask you something.”
“Ask whatever you want.”
“After losing the battle at Tarbes and our army that remained there, reorganizing our naval fleet has become essential. That’s because if we don’t have an armada, we can neither transport our armies nor defend our own territory.”
Cromwell nodded in agreement.
“The secret operation to abduct the Queen in order to earn some time failed as well.”
“That’s right.”
“Have those results reached His Excellency’s ears?”
“Of course. After all, it’s necessary to know everything about the incidents.”
“The enemy army is... ah. Tristain and Germania’s allied forces are preparing their fleets as quickly as possible. The two countries have a total of sixty battle-ready ships that can set out into the sky. If we begin the reorganization of our army now, after the maintenance our warship battle-line will not be able to rival theirs. Moreover, their side’s warships are all brand new.”
One of the generals muttered with a voice full of disdain,
“It’s a fleet of Haribotes! They are inferior to us!”
“That’s a story of the past, Your Excellency. There is no reason to praise our own army now. At the time of the revolution we executed the majority of our superior generals and as a result the strength of our side was weakened. The remaining veterans were lost because of the defeat at Tarbes.”
Cromwell was staying silent.
“At the present, they still haven’t finished rallying their ships. Furthermore, they seem to be calling together the lords’ armies.”
“They’re like a hedgehog. If it’s like that it will be difficult to attack us.”
A fat general blurted that out with a cheerful voice. Hawkins glared at him.
“Difficult to attack? Isn’t it obvious that that the enemy’s army is probably scheming something if they’ve gathered so few forces?”
Hawkins hit the table strongly.
“They’re planning to attack this continent, Albion, you know. And, a question. I’d like to be informed of His Excellency’s defense plan. If it comes to a decisive battle with fleets, we will be defenseless. If the enemy’s army manages to land… it’s over. Our army is exhausted because of the revolutionary war, so please give me an answer…”
“Those are the thoughts of a defeatist!”
A young general with bloodshot eyes criticized Hawkins. Cromwell grinned lightly as he raised one of his hands as a signal to stop.
“In order for them to attack Albion, it will be necessary for them to mobilize their entire military force.”
“However, they have no reason to leave soldiers in the country.”
“Why is that?”
“Because to them, with the exception of our country, there is no other enemy.”
“Do they intend to leave their back unprotected?”
“Gallia declared neutrality. That’s something that was foreseen and is necessary in order for the invasion to take place.”
Cromwell looked over his shoulder and exchanged glances with Sheffield. She gave a small nod.
Cromwell went with Sheffield, Wardes, and Fouquet to his office and after he sat down in the ruler’s seat, he looked at his subordinates.
“Your wounds have healed up, right? Viscount.”
Wardes bowed. Cromwell smiled lightly and questioned Wardes.
“Now then, say what you have to say.”
“As that general pointed out, Tristain and Germania are certainly going to attack us, right?”
“Yeah. So, what are the odds?”
“Evenly matched… no, perhaps our power is a bit greater. The number of our soldiers is lower, but we have an advantage considering position.”
“Also, we have Your Excellency’s Void.”
Fouquet said in a thoughtful manner. As she said that Cromwell coughed unpleasantly.
“Is there something wrong?”
“No, it’s nothing. All of you should understand, after I’ve told you so many times, that I can’t use any powerful incantations. Except for giving life to those that have already died, that is. If you keep saying that, I’ll be troubled.”
As Cromwell said, he couldn’t use any useful incantations at all.
“I didn’t intend to trouble you. Only that, if we don’t show that we have a trump card, the army’s morale will be lowered.”
As Wardes said that, Cromwell nodded.
“Indeed, there is no greater trump card than the Void.”
“Well then, as I thought, is Gallia going to join the war?”
At the beginning, the plan was for Gallia to aid Albion’s invasion of Tristain by attacking Germania at the same time, but… because Albion’s army was defeated at Tarbes there was a need to change the original plan. The proposition that came from Gallia’s side was to deflect the enemy’s army into the Albion continent, while Gallia took that opportunity to attack Tristain and Germania.