In the Name of Empress-Chapter 264 - 186: No One Knows What They Want

"Don’t speak so definitively. I’ve heard that in the Second Era, there were super ironclad ships hundreds of meters long, and even giant iron birds that flew in the sky."

"I’ve heard about that too, but those were miracles. Is there anything like that now?"

Winston snorted lightly, "If he can sail an ironclad giant ship up the Tamas River, I’ll show you how to eat a warship raw on the spot."

"Well then, be sure to bring some sauce." Alben retorted sharply.

William raised both hands to put an end to their argument.

"Gentlemen, let’s not have pointless quarrels. Let’s hear if there’s any more interesting intelligence."

William still needed to be given face.

Although Alben and Winston didn’t see eye to eye, they did not continue to quarrel but instead sat upright like gentlemen.

The Chief of Military Intelligence continued to introduce Roland and Sif’s new policies since the beginning of the year.

They were making large-scale long-term investments in the Three Overseas Provinces, some of which might take ten years or even longer to show results.

William was somewhat speechless, completely unable to understand what Roland intended to do.

He frowned and asked, "Don’t they have any investments that can enhance power in the short term?"

"Yes, Roland is now an Honorary Knight of the Divine Court of Light, titled Knight of Light. The Divine Court values him highly, granting him five thousand Temple Warriors and three High Tier Sanctuaries."

William fell silent.

After a long time, he chuckled lightly and mocked, "My goodness, that’s five thousand Temple Warriors. I’ve heard their combat power is incredible. How many regular troops can these five thousand handle?"

"If it’s the Imperial Capital Guard, about ten thousand. If it’s the most elite Imperial Guard, even with equal numbers, we still win."

The Minister of the Army spoke with confidence.

Sussex’s army is not the best in the world, but it is definitely not something a religious army can challenge.

The Temple Warriors are indeed elite, but their numbers are too few.

William sarcastically asked, "So how many troops do we have?"

The Minister of the Army said in a deep voice, "There are four hundred and seventy thousand troops stationed domestically, and the combined forces in all Governor’s Territories amount to about three hundred thousand. If war requires, we can expand to over two million at any time."

"We can’t expand that much, there’s no money in the treasury!" The Minister of Finance, playing deaf, opposed openly.

William laughed heartily and waved his hand to stop the argument.

"In short, Her Majesty and her lover cannot threaten us through force. They have no intention of using military force to resolve disputes. Does she think she can rally the troops to switch sides with a wave of her arm?"

"That’s even more impossible. The government pays the army’s salary, not the Imperial Family."

William said indifferently, making his final judgment.

But soon, he felt a headache.

He couldn’t understand Roland and Sif’s enigmatic maneuvers at all.

"What exactly do they want?"

"It’s simple. They probably don’t want to come back." Alben said coldly.

William was momentarily stunned, puzzled, and frowned, "What do you mean by not wanting to come back?"

"It’s just as it sounds."

Alben calmly explained, "Our Majesty the Empress has been frequently traveling between the Three Overseas Provinces and Val City, and she’s having a great time."

"Though they lose power abroad, they gain freedom. This is probably the optimal solution."

William fell silent.

This indeed seemed like a cunning idea Roland might come up with.

If they can’t win power, then they might as well be a local emperor abroad.

Although Northern Rodinia Governor’s Territory can’t compare with the homeland, it is still larger than an ordinary kingdom.

Faced with the choice between being a puppet emperor and having real power abroad, she would still choose the latter.

William couldn’t help but laugh.

Alben’s mockery aptly explained the reasons behind Roland and Sif’s actions.

They plan to enjoy life in the Three Overseas Provinces, hence the long-term construction.

Instead of returning to mutual distaste, why not simply not see each other?

"Is this really possible?"

"Why not? When she officially ascends the throne, just declare Hansa as the accompanying capital." Alben provided an explanation from the legal perspective.

William smiled with satisfaction.

"Ladies and gentlemen, perhaps this is the best outcome. If this is what Her Majesty wants, we loyal subjects have no reason to oppose."