Chapter 515: Probing
TL: Rui88
MacDonald was furious. He stood up and slammed his palm on the stone table before him, making the surface rattle loudly.
“Aldridge, if you were a warrior, I would be demanding you step outside to duel with me right now.”
His nostrils flared with rage. After roaring this sentence, he sat back down on the stone bench with a thud.
His alarm upon hearing they would have to oppose the Holy See was not born of his own religious faith, but rather the reaction of a battle-hardened soldier after a cool-headed consideration of the two sides’ strengths.
Had these scholars, who spent all their days doing research in the White Tower, lost their minds?
“Oh, Marshal MacDonald, I do apologise to you. I was merely trying to provoke you just now, not truly doubting your loyalty. A man as wise as yourself has surely seen through it by now.”
Aldridge offered him an apology with a remorseful look on his face.
“In fact, you need not worry at all. Our strength is not as weak as you might think. Our spellcaster partners have already demonstrated their power in various ways. I believe that as a soldier of the Empire, after witnessing their abilities, you would be very willing to study the military applications of magic.”
MacDonald calmed his breathing slightly. “What I am concerned about is not the Church within the Empire’s borders, but the Holy See that stands behind it. In every aspect, the Holy See is a great power that is in no way inferior to the Empire, and it also has the support of fanatical believers from all over the continent.”“Haha, Marshal MacDonald.”
Arvis took up his point.
“Someone else will test the waters of the Holy See for us.”
“Who?”
“Horn Bay.”
Understanding dawned on MacDonald. “Could it be that you have been pulling the strings… have been orchestrating the recent situation in Horn Bay?”
“Ahem, Marshal MacDonald, it is not ‘you,’ it is ‘we’ now.”
Aldridge reminded him that they were now on the same side.
“Your guess is correct. The situation in Horn Bay developing as it has is indeed a result of our influence at play. And it will only intensify there, until the Holy See is also dragged into it.”
MacDonald said doubtfully, “With the strength of those city-states, can they stand against the armies of the Holy See?”
Aldridge stroked his beard and laughed heartily. “Ho ho, Marshal MacDonald, do not underestimate those corpulent merchants of Horn Bay. They have long controlled the trade between the east and west, earning coffers full to overflowing year after year. They have the immense financial resources to support a high-quality army. Right now, it is merely a matter of trimming down their purses a bit. And once the fighting gets close to the sea, their true ferocity will show. Many of the sea merchants are secretly pirates. In short, if the Holy See dives headfirst into this, they will lose some skin one way or another.”
“And we can watch the Holy See’s performance with wide eyes, assess their strength, and then formulate corresponding countermeasures.”
MacDonald’s expression returned to normal. “Very cunning, but for us, it is indeed a prudent strategy.”
“Furthermore,” Aldridge continued, “at the appropriate time, we will use the name of a certain country in Horn Bay to publicly reveal the existence of spellcasters and officially recognise their legal status to the entire continent, in order to see the reactions of the various nations. If it does not provoke a united attack, then we will repeat this act in Gabella…after Prince Antonio inherits the throne, of course.”
MacDonald asked, “And what if it does provoke a siege from all the nations?”
Aldridge replied, “Regardless of the nations’ reactions, it is beneficial to our plan. You must understand, Marshal MacDonald, as long as the first country does this, then when the second country does it, people’s psychological tolerance, or rather their level of acceptance, will be much higher, regardless of whether they agree or disagree.”
MacDonald was no longer as worried as before. He was now growing more and more curious about the so-called Arcane Society, a curiosity mixed with a hint of awe.
Oh, and these two before him… his old friends, he supposed. To think they had accomplished so much in secret.
“One more thing, does His Majesty know about this matter?”
MacDonald asked with some concern. Strictly speaking, the current Emperor was the one he should be loyal to. If he knew nothing, then would he, Aldridge, and Arvis not be guilty of collusion among ministers?
“He does not know!” Aldridge’s swift reply made MacDonald’s heart tense.
The old scholar said wistfully, “Bartley… is an upright but inflexible man. His personality is not suited for this throne. It must be said, this was the result of his father’s deliberate shaping, so that he would not pose a threat to his older brother who was supposed to inherit the throne. But fate took his brother early, and Bartley was forced onto the throne. Of course, Bartley is very intelligent. In theory, he has a very good grasp of how to be a qualified ruler, but in practice, he abhors many of its methods.”
“This is not to say that his character is bad; in fact, I am very fond of and admire this character of his. But if Bartley were to know of this matter, he would certainly try to talk with the Holy See. He believes, quite idealistically, that in the face of a matter of life and death for humanity, the Holy See would abandon its long-held prejudices and choose to reconcile with the wizards to resist a common enemy. Oh, Marshal MacDonald…”
Aldridge saw the look MacDonald shot him. “Please do not doubt me, because I have sounded him out on this matter with veiled questions before. Please trust in the art of conversation an old scholar of the White Tower possesses when seeking out another’s true attitude.”
Speaking of this, Aldridge shook his head with regret. “Alas… it is precisely this fear that he would be frank and open with the Holy See. If only Bartley could be like his sons…any of them would do…how much trouble that would save me.”
MacDonald said hesitantly, “But no matter what, His Majesty is an obstacle we cannot bypass. This country belongs to him.”
“It belongs to him, and in the future, it will belong to his son.” Aldridge’s eyes grew cold, and he said in a low tone, “Compared to the crisis of human civilization’s extinction, personal feelings and old morals are insignificant. But no matter what, I will ensure that this nation of Gabella is passed down through Bartley’s bloodline.”
After saying this, a succession of emotions…sadness, guilt, resolve, determination…flashed across the old scholar’s face.
Arvis patted MacDonald’s shoulder and comforted him, “Prince Antonio will not make things difficult for his father. He will be given the respect and status he deserves, please rest assured.”
MacDonald lowered his head, seemingly deep in thought. After a long while, he finally raised his head, looked at the two scholars, and then said with resolve:
“Scholar Aldridge, and Scholar Arvis, thank you for all you have done for Gabella, and for humanity.”
“To be able to personally participate in your cause, I… feel deeply honoured.”