Steel, Guns, and the Industrial Party in Another World-Chapter 719: The Church’s Request
TL: Rui88
Liszt, appointed by Paul as Alda’s representative in Horn Bay, had recently been in a state of some trepidation. The war between the New Protestant Army and the Crusader Army was raging, but the scales of victory were slowly tipping in favour of the Crusaders.
After all, the Crusader Army had the Holy See behind it. The power this behemoth had accumulated over a thousand years was not something the countries along the Horn Bay coast could compare to. In terms of influence alone, the Holy See could theoretically call upon the strength of almost half the continent to crush this small handful of people in Horn Bay who dared to disrespect the gods.
Fortunately for the New Protestant Army, limited by transportation, executive power, and other constraints, the Holy See could not exert its full theoretical power, so the New Protestant Army would not face such a devastating disaster.
However, even if the Holy See could only move a single finger in Horn Bay, once it got serious, it quickly changed the tide of the war.
Since the failure of the Northern Army’s grand flanking manoeuvre, the Crusader Army changed its strategy, switching to a defensive posture in the north and concentrating most of its forces for operations in the south. The Holy See even sent its own troops directly into the fray from thousands of miles away.
Faced with a greatly strengthened enemy, the eastward-advancing New Protestant Army was narrowly defeated at Merl Castle in the territory of Collins. After that, not only did they fail to organize another decent offensive, but they were pushed back all the way into the territory of the Horn Bay Alliance by the Crusader Army, which was mainly composed of Holy See troops.
After a few more disheartening defeats, the aggressive Crusader Army was not far from the Alliance’s capital, Fort Ness.
This was the reason for Liszt’s trepidation.
Alda’s leased territory in Horn Bay—Lion’s Port—was not far from Fort Ness, only about half a day’s ride on horseback. Once the calamity of war approached Fort Ness, Lion’s Port could not remain unscathed.
On the other hand, although Alda had maintained a neutral stance in the Horn Bay war so far, doing business with whoever paid, if the New Protestant Army was destined for destruction, it was emotionally unacceptable for Liszt.
Ever since Lord Grayman dispatched a fleet to open up the Horn Bay shipping route, due to geographical reasons, Alda first established closer ties with the coastal countries. The two sides achieved a mutually beneficial relationship through large-scale trade. In Lion’s Port, the vast majority of Ordo people were emotionally inclined towards the New Protestant Army, which was mainly composed of the coastal countries.
Moreover, what attitude would the Horn Bay Church and the Holy See behind it have towards Lion’s Port?
“The newly recruited mercenaries will soon complete their training. At that time, we will have more than three thousand soldiers guarding our city.”
“A fleet will soon bring us gunpowder weapons. We will install cannons on the city walls and deploy muskets, which will greatly enhance our defensive capabilities.”
“The merchants have made donations, so funding is not a problem.”
In the council chamber of the Lion’s Port Town Hall, Liszt convened a meeting of the administrators to discuss the recent situation. Elvin, Doug, Ferguson, Raja, and others were in attendance.
“Based on your understanding, how likely is it that the Crusader Army will attack a neutral party like us?” Liszt looked at Doug, Ferguson, and the other Horn Bay locals.
Doug was the first to shake his head. “Neutral? There are no true neutrals in war.”
Ferguson nodded and said, “This small piece of land of ours is too far from our homeland of Alda. The Church will have no qualms about plundering us.”
Raja also said, “And it’s not just the Church, Lord Liszt. I must remind you that the Horn Bay Alliance next door is also very dangerous. They can barely protect themselves; it’s hard to guarantee they will still care about the little bit of friendship between us. And the various supplies within Lion’s Port are exactly what they urgently need.”
A wave of pessimism spread. Elvin, as the person in charge of military affairs, had to force himself to boost morale. “Hmph, let anyone who dares to come and rob us find they can’t handle the consequences.”
Liszt pondered for a moment. “We should contact the Crusader Army in advance. We must let them know that protecting Ordo merchants is definitely more profitable than harming them.”
“Alright, that’s all for today’s meeting. I’ll have to trouble you all to put more effort into defence matters!”
After the meeting, Liszt returned to his study with a frown, sat down wearily in his chair, and closed his eyes in deep thought.
Before long, he heard the door open again. Light footsteps sounded, followed by the sound of a hard object being placed on the desk.
Liszt opened his eyes. Seviya was placing a steaming cup of tea on the desk in front of him.
“Thank you, my dear.” A smile finally appeared on his bitter face.
The two had confirmed their relationship not long ago. Although faced with the heavy pressure of the situation, Liszt could still find solace in the brown-haired witch, which helped to soothe his mood.
Seviya gracefully moved behind him and began to gently massage Liszt’s temples with her hands. “Are you worried about the recent war?”
“Alas, it’s a long story.”
Seviya said resentfully, “It’s all the fault of that bunch of useless trash in the New Protestant Army.”
“You can’t say that. The Holy See is just too powerful. I’m not afraid of them, but I’m afraid of failing the trust Lord Grayman has placed in me.”
Liszt suddenly took Seviya’s hand. “I’m planning to go to the Church’s side myself to communicate with them.”
Seviya frowned at once. “It’s too dangerous! The situation is so chaotic, I will not allow you to go and see that bunch of beasts!”
As the two were arguing, a knock suddenly came at the door. “Lord Liszt, a gentleman claiming to be an envoy from the Church requests a meeting with you.”
“The Church? Hmph!” Seviya’s expression was anything but pleasant.
Liszt, however, was delighted. “They’ve come to us themselves.” But then a look of worry crossed his face. “They won’t be making some difficult demand, will they?”
A few minutes later, he met the man sent by the Church in the drawing-room.
After some simple pleasantries, the other party indeed made a request that put him in a very difficult position.
“We request that Lion’s Port cooperate with the Church’s grand army in attacking Fort Ness.”
“This…”
Liszt’s face stiffened. “We are only here in Horn Bay to do business. We strictly maintain neutrality.”
The Church’s envoy smiled faintly. “You should think carefully, Lord Liszt. The Sacrilege Alliance is already doomed to defeat.”
“Er…” Liszt hesitated.
The forces of Eton in the north were still going strong, he had originally wanted to rebut, but instead, he said, “I do not deny your statement, but what does that have to do with us?”
“The land under your feet was leased to you by the Horn Bay Alliance. After the Church takes full control of Horn Bay, do you think we will have any need to uphold the agreement signed between our former enemy and you?”
Liszt realized the gravity of the problem. “Although I am Lord Grayman’s representative here, I really do not have the authority to make an immediate decision. I need to request instructions from the Northwest Bay.”
He intended to use a stalling tactic.
“There’s no need for such trouble. You can make the decision directly. The power of the Holy See is great. I believe that Lord Grayman, who is so far away, will not go against it.”
The envoy’s tone had become threatening.
