Chapter 85: A Shift in Plans

Promen’s single sentence utterly stumped the Grand Prince.

Indeed, it was already too late!

The Grand Prince, beads of sweat trickling down his face, stammered, “Father Emperor, it hasn’t reached such a dire state yet. Furthermore, this would only make other nations perceive our excessive apprehension toward the Church, thereby diminishing our national prestige.”

Fortunately, Promen was merely voicing his frustrations. After all, merely exiling Ambassador Larkin would be letting them off too easily.

The recent period of intense work and severely curtailed rest had left him deeply agitated. Yet, he was compelled to maintain a clear, rational mind, daring not to misstep in any decision.

Since only his trusted confidantes were present, he knew these brief complaints would not be taken to heart.

Having grasped the general attitudes of the Grand Prince and Promen through their exchange, the ministers understood the broader direction and began to offer their counsel.

“What if we were to inform other nations that the Tenth Prince had been abducted and coerced by the Church?”

Immediately, a minister countered, “That would be ill-advised. Several other races were present at the Holy Communion. Unless we can compel them to cooperate and standardize their accounts, it would be impossible. This, frankly, is far more difficult than simply having the Holy Light Church retract their propaganda.”

Promen nodded in agreement. This was precisely the most challenging aspect.

The Holy Communion was attended by impartial observers beyond the Aral Empire’s control. Should the Aral Empire attempt to deny Larkin’s words, these impartial figures would inevitably be exploited by the Holy Alliance to confirm the Church’s narrative. The Aral Empire would then suffer a significant loss of prestige, becoming a laughingstock.

“Your Majesty, this may not necessarily be a bad development.”

At that moment, a minister offered an unexpected perspective.

Promen turned his gaze to the minister, silently urging him to elaborate.

“Your Majesty, as you know, I have long harbored doubts about initiating war with the Church. While Your Majesty and the esteemed individuals present have devised comprehensive contingency plans, it is, after all, the Holy Alliance. In terms of overt military might, they are by no means inferior to the Empire.

Crucially, we remain utterly ignorant of the nature, function, and completion status of their newly developed weaponry.

While the inherent characteristics of the Holy Alliance dictate their lack of sustained combat capability, it also suggests that, should war erupt, the Church would undoubtedly commit their full strength from the outset. Such a large-scale conflict would entail too many variables, as Your Majesty well knows.

Furthermore, we must concurrently manage the operations of the three races’ Tribunals. The Holy Alliance’s non-cooperation would immensely complicate this task.

Moreover, to secure our two allied nations, the Empire established new fortresses along the border to house the mine Tribunals. However, there is no guarantee that these two nations will not cause trouble once the Empire has borne the brunt of the Holy Alliance’s assault and its strength is diminished.

And the Tribunals themselves are located so close to them, despite their lack of overt aversion to religion, or even their active embrace of it.”

Promen’s fingers gently tapped against the tabletop.

Previously, he had staunchly rejected the notion of the Church as a power rivaling the Aral Empire.

The purity of the nation and its allies, once it had weathered the storm, would accelerate the integration of the three races and the Empire.

At that point, things would also become much easier. Therefore, all plans had been formulated with this strategy in mind.

This was indeed a gamble, but it only required one wager. A successful all-in bet would secure victory.

Inviting the Church into their affairs was also a gamble, yet this one had no clear stakes or discernible end, demanding a prolonged contest between both parties.

Promen had many ambitions. He understood that in his lifetime, establishing a second unified empire of different species would likely be impossible. However, he at least hoped to glimpse the finish line, and thus wished to avoid squandering time in protracted disputes with the Church.

Yet, plans are often thwarted by unforeseen circumstances.

This time, luck was not on his side.

He believed Larkin and the other key individuals were caught in the labyrinth’s unexpected turn of events.

It was simply a matter of lingering reluctance.

Now, the Church’s propaganda would undoubtedly spread throughout human nations with the utmost speed. Previously, the Aral Empire’s performance in the Council had swayed some wavering nations to its side due to its relationship with the three races.

However, the Church had now employed an alternative method to inform these nations that it, too, possessed the support of the Elves and Dragons.

Even though this was not an official meeting, those present were merely junior members of the Elf and Dragon races. However, one was an Elf, and the other was a black dragon—a rare sight indeed.

Perhaps this unofficial interaction would prove more persuasive than any official declaration of support.

Furthermore, Larkin’s presence would leave the wavering nations uncertain of the Aral Empire’s stance, causing them to once again indulge in their oscillating allegiances.

Promen was not an overly stubborn man. This matter was complex, and stubbornness was ill-suited for an emperor, who required both composure and adaptability.

‘Phew,’ he thought. ‘It’s time to change the plan. Besides these demands, what else does that missionary want?’

The Minister of Foreign Affairs replied, “He hopes Your Majesty can make time for a direct dialogue with the Pope—the topic being to set the schedule and related itinerary for the Pope’s visit to the Empire.”

“I might be the first emperor of the Aral Empire to receive a visiting Pope from the Holy Light Church since its founding,” Promen remarked, a hint of self-deprecation in his tone. “Very well. However, inform him that before that, I need to speak with Larkin. Schedule it for tomorrow morning.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

After another brief discussion, the ministers and princes departed the study. The unexpected incident had disrupted many arrangements.

They likely had no time for rest tonight.

They likely had no time for rest tonight, as many of the Empire’s decisions would require thorough re-planning and redeployment.

“Hmph.”

Promen let out a long breath, expelling not only the gloom from his heart but also releasing a massive burden. The thought of a full-scale war with the Holy Alliance was a pivotal battle for the Aral Empire, one concerning the very fate of the nation.

Although he had made up his mind beforehand, such a do-or-die decision had placed immense pressure upon him.

Though not part of the original plan, his tenth son’s miraculous actions had significantly reduced the likelihood of this major war erupting, at least pushing it out of Promen’s immediate priorities.

Yet, this also shrouded Promen’s once clear vision for the future in a thick mist.

What changes would the Pope’s upcoming visit bring to the relationship between the Empire and the Church?

Promen could only take things one step at a time now.

The Old Patriarch received the news slightly later than Promen, but by evening, he too had seen the Holy Light Church’s propaganda report, featuring the magically rendered image of the Holy Communion and the diverse, colorful statements on the newspaper.

He turned to Eisenhower and asked, “Does this black dragon understand that she needs to be accountable for her words and actions?”

Eisenhower chuckled softly. “Evidently, she still believes the Old Patriarch will shield her from the storm.”

Their discussion atmosphere was far more relaxed than Promen’s.

Just as Promen surmised, for the Old Patriarch and his elders, who governed the clan was not paramount. As long as they were willing to uphold the Council’s legitimacy and abide by its decisions, whether the Aral Empire or the Church advanced the Tribunals was acceptable.

Of course, it would be preferable for Promen to lead the initiative, but ‘preferable’ did not mean the Dragon race should make an appearance this time.

While the Holy Light Church had committed a grave folly in the past, that was over a thousand years ago. In recent years, their attitude toward other races had been noticeably amicable.

Each year, they specifically sent envoys to greet Moria and present gifts.

The Old Patriarch yawned. “Heh, a black dragon with an innate rebellious streak, always expecting me to clean up her messes.

The Dragon race has only just escaped the brink of natural extinction. For a long time to come, we must focus on replenishing our numbers. Unless it’s an earth-shattering event, we will not proactively take a stance.”

Eisenhower inquired, “Should Moria make a trip? To prevent her from being misled into becoming a Holy Dragon. This timing would be a direct blow to His Majesty, the Emperor.”

The Old Patriarch shook his head. “That is inconsequential. If our Emperor can still think calmly, he will adjust his policy toward the Church, moving the confrontation from overt to covert.”

Eisenhower raised his doubts. “What if he doesn’t understand? From my interactions, the Emperor is not as generous as he appears.”

“If he doesn’t understand? That is also inconsequential,” the Old Patriarch said leisurely. “Neither Promen nor the Empire behind him has reached a point where the Dragon race needs to consider their reactions before acting.

It’s merely the title of a Holy Dragon. Moria has resided within the Holy Light Church for so many years; is it not natural for us to have a good relationship with the Church? Rather than dwelling on this, I am more interested in what they truly experienced within the labyrinth.”

Eisenhower asked, “So the decision is left to Theresia?”

“Yes, to her… and Theodore,” the Old Patriarch mused. “By the way, tell the Emperor that before the Tribunal is completed, I will dispatch a Dragon race specialist to negotiate its operational plan with him. This specialist will be Theresia and Theodore. Don’t say I’m biased toward the Church.”

Eisenhower nodded. “I understand. I will depart immediately.”

The Old Patriarch shook his head. “No, no, no, there’s no rush. Come tomorrow. I don’t have the Church’s communication coordinates; he should have them. After I speak with Theresia tomorrow, you can organize your thoughts and then depart.”

“Very well, Patriarch. There’s one more thing: regarding Theodore being a giant, I believe there’s a possibility of it being exposed.”

The Holy Light Church’s propaganda did not mention this point.

However, Eisenhower felt it still needed to be guarded against.

This matter might not have a significant impact on humans and dwarves. After all, most of their historical documents have been lost, and with so many generations having passed, giants are now merely fantasy creatures from living fairy tales.

However, for the Elves, it would be quite shocking.

After all, the transfer of hegemony from the Dragon race and giants at the end of the Dragon Alliance was not entirely peaceful. The dignity at the negotiating table was earned through power outside of it.

The Dragon Alliance utilized its last Giant Dragon Knights, ensuring that the Elves never took aggressive measures against the Dragon race throughout the entire Elven Age.

The Old Patriarch nodded. “I will confirm the situation with Theodore tomorrow. It was never something that could be concealed forever, but fortunately, I have already prepared for this. I should be able to control the impact of this matter.”

Eisenhower finally felt completely at ease.

He naturally held immense trust in his Patriarch.

“Hmm, the Holy Light Church, you say?”

In her chambers, the Elf Queen rested one hand on her chair, propping up her head as she gazed at the newspaper, having maintained the same posture for nearly half an hour.

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