Wizard From Afar

"So... how did you convince Holy Cross Church to make them agree to compromise?"

Sitting obediently and honestly in the chair, cautiously holding hands Loren asked very sincerely.

Charlotte didn't answer him immediately, and the female count who was pondering for a moment swept an uncontrollable arc across her mouth.

Although I know that this guy’s trembling with fear, his face like walking on thin ice is pretended, maybe he’s already clear about the whole thing from beginning to end in private-but as long as I haven’t revealed it yet He will continue like this after showing signs of deflation.

Even if it is pretended, the attitude of being cautious and afraid of neglect is really pleasant.

Well...keep it for another day...no, it's still a week, let this bastard understand his mistake clearly.

Moreover, you must have enough "profound" knowledge.

"Before answering this question, I want you to answer one of my questions first." Suddenly, the female count who "selled a close", the smile on the corner of her mouth grew stronger:

"Your Excellency, the reason you want to get the answer is because of pure curiosity about how I did it, or is it because of the guilt of not being able to take responsibility at such a critical moment?"

Uh...

Loren looked blank.

Although Charlotte had an expression of "just asking casually", the apparently uncontrollable smile made his back cool, and things were not as simple as the surface.

If the answer is not good, maybe...you will die.

"This...is really difficult to say, because many things cannot be explained clearly in a word." Almost instantly, Loren's mouth showed a formulaic smile, spiritual palace was using it. Ten times the usual speed to organize the appropriate language:

"I am very guilty for not being able to shoulder the responsibility at the critical moment-but the problem has not been solved? Out of instinct and to Charlotte Your absolute confidence, of course, I will be a little bit curious, and want to know that you can do it."

"If you insist on describing it, it's like an ordinary mortal, seeing the Holy Cross The masterpieces completed by the hand of miracle always try to explore the principles...Don’t forget that I am a wizard, and it is my nature and habits to ask the bottom of it."

"After all...you can only understand when you see the whole picture. The true charm and elegance of things—what do you think?"

The voice fell, and the sincere Loren blinked his big innocent eyes.

"I think this remark makes sense." Slightly nodded, the female count readily understands.

Then silently adjust the deadline from one week to one month in the bottom of my heart.

The black hair wizard who breathed lightly and unaware of his next "destiny" put down his wine glass and raised his hand to signal: "Then please tell me, our Scarlet Blood Castle female count, yes How to mediate with the hard-line and stubborn church is nothing but compelling."

"There is nothing complicated-intimidation, temptation, coercion, and restraint are all the means at the negotiating table, just like a card game. , The key is whether you can hold the most advantageous card to suppress the enemy."

Charlotte lifts the head, her pupils can’t hide her pride: "Fortunately, this card There are three people on the table-Byrne, the church, and...Arles."

"Arles?"

"The connection between the Duchy of Arles and the Vault of Heaven, the church, how many The most alienated of the big ducky-Holy Cross Church this time can be described as aggressive, intending to solve the two big ducky at the same time, and support their people as ducky bishop."

Loren is still a little ignorant: "So this time Arles is on our side to fight against the will of the church and the sky palace together?"

"No, it is better than this-Arles intends to betray us and use Byrne’s interests in exchange for the church’s approval , And then they reach a compromise with each other."

Huh? !

Where is this good?

"Have you not seen the essence of the problem, my duke-a three-person game, everyone is uniting one to deal with the other, but the real idea..." Female count slightly paused, Don’t lighten your lips with deep meaning:

"They both regarded the other two as prey at the same time, and planned to ruthlessly eat them in one bite."

Put away your smile, black hair wizard Listening carefully.

"Holy Cross Church is aggressive, Arles intends to shut everyone out-their interests are in conflict with each other, but Byrne is a thorn in the church’s eyes, and Arles doesn’t care about us at all. , So we can unite."

"So...we have to buy Arles and then draw them to fight the church?"

"no! This seems feasible, but it is never desirable. The way!" The female count frowned slightly and categorically rejected: "Once we try to buy Arles, they will understand that we want them-the result is that Arles sits on the ground and raises the price. Even if it can win, it will be a heavy loss."

"The most important thing...I don't think I can get a moment of stability by selling profits."

Loren became more and more curious.

"The only correct way is to divert attention-to make Arles the primary goal of the church, so that Arles can ask us, and Byrne becomes the arbitrator of both parties; finally wins Arles and fights against the church "

After finishing speaking, Charlotte picked up the wine glass, took a sip of the scarlet wine, and his eyes dropped slightly: "It is necessary to win over allies, but also to keep them in a state of anxiety and need protection at all times. Make the enemy regard allies, not us, as the primary goal."

"Byrne...control the whole situation."

"Speaking of which, this is what the Duke taught me to use Dealing with the wrist of the Yunling Kingdom."

The black hair wizard was surprised.

Yes, I am too slow.

For three years, as the female count of the Scarlet Blood Castle, as the only female count in the history of the Round Table Council, the "woman" who can always hold the parliament’s voice and initiative...

Charlotte Torino, she grows with age, but it is not only her mature and slim figure and unique and unmatched personality.

The deserted living room is quiet for one minute.

"So...how did you shift the goal of the church?"

Straighten up, Loren crossed his fingers on the table, as if sitting by the fire waiting for the storyteller Like a traveler who tells the story: "As you said, Byrne is a thorn in the church's eyes, but Arles is not."

"That's right-so if you want to change your goal, you need a more urgent one and let them It’s all right when something threatening breaks out." Charlotte slightly nodded:

"Castalan Clovey."

"Who?" Loren eyebrows raised.

"A Knight of the Holy Cross Church, a Captain of the Knight of the'Shield of Defense' oath; two years ago, under the direction of the church, he was stationed at the Cathedral of Arles."

This is nothing strange.

According to the tradition of the Holy Cross Church, the "Sword of Oath" is responsible for the missionary mission with the sword, and the "Shield of Defence" shoulders the responsibility of protecting the church. The cathedral is not only a spiritual sanctuary for the local people, but also a frontline barrier against various Evil God and local heretic.

However, after twelve generations, the number of Oath Knights has been greatly reduced. There is only one "Sword of Oath", and the number of "Shield of Defense" is not even enough for a Hundred Men Squad. Part of them are concentrated in the fortress of Duanjieshan and Imperial Capital’s cathedral.

It wasn't until a letter from Loren three years ago that in order to stabilize the situation and believers' confidence in the church, the church consciously sent the "Defense Shield" to various places to patrol and maintain the authority of the church.

"But...why is Arles?" Charlotte slowly said: "Why not areas where there are more believers and are more important to the church-such as Lothel Duchy?"

Loren thought a little bit: "Maybe... because they want to take this opportunity to use the opportunity to fight against heretics, Evil God, and monsters to increase the church's influence in remote areas like Arles? "

"In the beginning, I thought so; therefore, Dalton · Kander Master also only sent two Fiend hunters, followed by them and entered Duchy in Arles."

"But the actual situation is beyond imagination-Castalan Clovis, this'Shield of Defence' has never left the cathedral after arriving in Arles."

"Because he has other...more important tasks."

"What is the more important task?"

The female count did not answer his question immediately, but She raised her gaze meaningfully; following her gaze, Loren looked towards outside the window, her pupils condensed slightly.

That's... the direction of Byrne Cathedral.

The black hair wizard immediately understood.

"Kastalan Clovis... his real mission is to monitor a "blasphemous weapon" suppressed under the Arles Cathedral, to guard against all heretics coveting this weapon Order." Charlotte's expression became serious:

"The turmoil in Eboden, the disaster in Scarlet Castle...all made the church feel a deep threat."

"He failed?"

"No, he succeeded... To be precise, it was too successful." Charlotte sighed, her face suddenly darkened: "So that we lurked in the cathedral Hunter Fiend in China has only noticed the abnormality for the past two years."

"In the long surveillance career, Castalan Clovey has been scattered by that'blasphemous weapon'. Void Power corroded so thoroughly that the body turned into ashes. When Fiend, the hunter of Skywing Wings, found him, there was only an empty armor left in front of the sealed gate."

"He did it all. A vow of the Holy Cross, Knight, is the highest duty possible. But in order to conceal the truth, the priest of the Arles church, more importantly, not to be discovered the secret of the cathedral, so as not to cause panic, decided to destroy the armor and make a vow The illusion that Knight has gone."

"But they underestimated the formidable power of this'blasphemous weapon', and underestimated the firmness of Castalan Clovey's faith-even fleshy The body was destroyed, his soul was still attached to the armor, and was invaded by the'blasphemous weapon'."

"Finally... the two Fiend hunters lurking in the church had to be destroyed with mythril swords. The armor and the explosion of the Underground Palace, the church that sealed the'blasphemous weapon', finally contained the worst."

The voice of the dignified female count fell, and she sighed again.

There was a moment of silence in the living room again.

The expressionless Loren lowered his head in thought, calculating the impact of this incident on the church.

There is no doubt that a vow that Knight’s death has dealt a heavy blow to the church, and once this attempt to cover up the truth is revealed, the consequences will be even more terrifying.

But this kind of "huge lethality" news is also a double-edged sword. Once it is not used well, it will also harm itself, and even make the church recklessly give worship to revealing information in order to avoid taking responsibility. Grace to Luo weaving charges.

So... Charlotte Torino, how did she threaten the church while successfully avoiding being targeted by the church?

"Night watchman."

"en?"

"Of the two Fiend hunters we sent, one of them was Dalton · Kander Master himself' After training, I know how to leave information in a way that the night watchman understands." The female count indifferently said:

"So the Holy Cross Church who got the information only knew that something happened in Arles, and the situation was very serious. , It may even affect the entire Arles and even the southern region-the'blasphemous weapons' sealed under the church will also be exposed."

"Under this threat, the church does not have any The extra energy aimed at Byrne can only be aimed at Arles wholeheartedly-they are already negotiating with Arles to make a full squad size, ten'Shield of Defense' vows that Knight will be stationed in Arles."

"This will be an unprecedented scale since the twelfth generation, comparable to the sword-fighting mission of the first generation."

Loren finally knows Charlotte's intentions.

"I guess... Arles can't wait to get the support of Byrne to prevent the church from interfering, right?"

Take a sip of scarlet wine, the female count's face flowed. Showing a leisurely aftertaste look.

"The lowest level of support, just let the Knights enter the country, and not involve too much religious affairs in Arles. This level of compromise is still within the acceptance of the church."

"And my condition is that the Duke will be placed in Byrne's priest in the church and choose one to become the Byrne bishop, and the church shall not obstruct it."

"In this way, Both sides got what they wanted, but it was a little bit different from what they imagined. It was a "win-win" situation." Female count concluded.

"No, it should be that only'you' has gotten what you want most." Loren raised his brows: "The so-called'win-win', but created two'winners' who lost half of them. In exchange for the largest spoils of war you can get."

"The compromise of the church and Arles’ dependence on Byrne-both sides have to look at Byrne’s face before deciding to get it from the other party. More things."

The silent Charlotte raised her mouth, casually nodded.

Amazing, really amazing.

Elegant, iron fist, cold-blooded, tactful.

This is Charlotte Torino-even "by fair means or foul" seems to have become a compliment to her.

"The list of candidates for bishop has been made. All three years, I saw stitches placed in each count collar and cathedral." Put a parchment full of names on the table, Charlotte picked up the wine glass on the table "carelessly".

It seems that it is not the name of each living person, but a toy she can give away.

"Pick one you like."