Chapter 779 — A Talk Between Friends

"But it takes us more than a decade to train a mage, and once one dies, they cannot be replaced in a short time. It takes them but a moment to produce a machine, and the soldiers who operate the machines need only months, or even weeks, of training. Last time they sent out only one 'war fortress,' but I strongly suspect their second war fortress is nearly ready to walk out of the factory! And do we have a second Iron River Knight Order?

"As I said just now, Cecil's advantages are their magitech and that system they call the 'Administrative Hall,' and these two things cannot be transformed into national power at once. But that also means that once they are transformed into national power, we will have no chance left at all!"

An Luo's tone gradually grew heated.

In the cold winter wind, atop the walls where Winterwolf Keep had stood for a hundred years, this young female general who commanded the Winterwolf Legion clenched her fists, as though striving to grasp an opportunity that was slowly slipping away, as though striving to remind the imperial scion before her, to make her and the imperial house behind her take notice of this brewing crisis—not to wait until the last chance was lost before feeling the sting of regret.

"I have already written to His Imperial Majesty, and I have expounded these views to the noble Council of Aldernan," An Luo said hurriedly. "Cecil is very dangerous to the Empire—very, very dangerous. I can feel it. I can feel that they are in fact still preparing for war. Though they keep sending out signals that look like peace, the changes at Fort Longwind are plain for all to see along the border. I believe there are problems in all the various actions they are now undertaking—whether it is increasing commercial circulation, establishing embassies, exchanging students, railway cooperation, or investment plans..."

This time, before An Luo could grow even more agitated, Matilda suddenly spoke and cut her friend off. "I understand, An Luo. I understand what you mean."

An Luo fell silent. She finally noticed that there seemed to be a deeper meaning in Matilda's expression.

Earnest, and yet tinged with a certain helplessness.

"Magitech and the Administrative Hall will rapidly boost Cecil's national power, and so they will soon become an exceptionally powerful enemy, and now may be our last chance to snuff this enemy out—otherwise, if the present direction of development continues, every day of delay will diminish that chance a little more. That is what you wanted to say, is it not?"

An Luo nodded slowly. "...Yes."

"In Aldernan, conclusions of a similar kind were delivered to the desk in the Obsidian Palace long ago."

An Luo stared at Matilda in astonishment.

"Curious who arrived at the same conclusion as you?" Matilda looked quietly at her friend of many years, seeming to carry a measure of lament. "It was the noble Council—the very one you called 'playing with words'—and the advisory corps directly under the imperial house.

"The conclusion was reached three days after you last left Aldernan.

"An Luo, the capital's advisory corps is far larger than what you have here, and the gentlemen and ladies of the Council are no fools—beneath the triple spires of the noble Council there may be the selfish and the self-serving, but never the stupid and the idle."

An Luo's eyes went wide.

Faced with a truth she had not expected, she felt no embarrassment or indignation, for before such feelings could take hold, the first thing that rose in her mind was a question: "But... why..."

"Because it is too late. That is the only reason," Matilda said quietly. "The situation no longer permits it."

An Luo could not help saying, "But we still hold..."

"If there were only two nations in this world, Cecil and Typhon, matters would be far simpler. But An Luo, Typhon's border does not consist of Winterwolf Keep alone, the one line you garrison," Matilda cut her off again. "We let slip what may have been our only opportunity. After you left Aldren, and perhaps even after you withdrew from the Palemel Highlands, we had already lost the chance to defeat Cecil with ease.

"Now, even if we could still seize the advantage, once drawn into war we would be torn to bloody shreds by those steel machines.

"And to the south, the Kingdom of Highridge does not look on us kindly, and then there are the silver elves... Surely you do not imagine that elves who live in forests and love art must therefore love peace as well?"

An Luo fell silent.

She was only one of the Empire's frontier commanders; that she could scent the direction of international affairs at all already put her ahead of most.

But in the end she could see only a part of it. The Empire's long border was, to her, too vast a span.

Beside her, Matilda spoke slowly. "We are no longer the sole mighty empire in the human world, and around us there are no longer weak city-states and alien peoples waiting to be swallowed up. My father, and yours as well, together with the councilors and advisers, are carefully reviewing the Typhon Empire's foreign policy over the past century, the present state of international affairs, and the mistakes we have made, and seeking ways to make amends. Count Holmark, charged with contact with the Kingdom of Highridge, is laboring to that end even now. His negotiations at the Bluestone Hills are not merely for the sake of trade with Highridge and the elves."

A hush fell over the wall for a time; only the howling wind stirred the banners, snapping and billowing ceaselessly behind them.

Matilda broke the silence. "Now you should understand the reason for my existence, and for that of this delegation I lead?"

"Forgive me, Matilda," An Luo let out a breath. "I took some things too simply."

"Think nothing of it. As a wolf general, you were only doing what you ought to do."

An Luo nodded, though her expression looked far from easy.

"What is it?" Matilda could not help asking with some concern. "What has occurred to you now?"

"Nothing," An Luo sighed. "The embarrassment... has caught up with me."