Translator: CinderTL
The candlelight flickered, and Antonio's gaze drifted to the darkening sky outside the window. His voice suddenly turned thoughtful.
"Marianna," he began slowly, "do you think... is it possible to bring Paul Grayman over to our side?"
Marianna paused, startled, but didn't answer immediately, waiting silently for the Emperor to continue.
Antonio sighed, as if lost in memory. "To be honest, at first I thought he was just lucky, that he happened to win a small battle during the Orcs' first invasion."
He paused, a bitter smile playing on his lips. "But later I realized how wrong I was."
He turned, his gaze settling on Marianna. "Do you know that all those new things that have become popular in the Imperial Capital in recent years—that thin yet durable paper, those thermoses that keep water warm for hours, those beautifully patterned yet affordable porcelain wares—all originated from Northwest Bay?"
Marianna nodded gently. "Yes, Your Majesty. They all come from there. Merchants from Northwest Bay use cargo ships to sell their goods throughout the Human World."
Antonio nodded slowly, his voice tinged with a mixture of respect and complexity. "I used to think true power came from armies, magic, and political machinations. But now I see there are forces that can quietly change people's lives."
He walked to the table, picked up a thermos, and gently traced the patterns on its surface. "Paul Grayman has no magic, but he possesses another talent—the talent of creation. He has made things once exclusive to nobles accessible to ordinary people."
He set down the thermos, his voice growing serious. "A man like that shouldn't be confined to a backwater lordship."
Marianna listened silently, not interrupting.
Antonio continued, "More importantly, he has a history of conflict with the Holy See in Horns Bay. If we can bring him to our side, he might provide unexpected assistance in our war against the Church."
He looked at Marianna, his gaze probing. "Do you think this is possible?"
The question hung in the air, plunging the study into silence.
Marianna stood in the candlelight, her eyelids lowered, her fingers resting lightly on the back of a chair, her knuckles faintly white. She didn't answer immediately, instead letting her thoughts drift into the realm she dreaded yet couldn't avoid—her son.
Paul!
Of course she knew what he was doing. She knew he was locked in a desperate struggle against the Orcs north of Aldor. It was a brutal war, a fight for survival.
She wouldn't, couldn't, let him be dragged into another, more distant and complex imperial conflict.
"Your Majesty," she finally said, her voice steady but with a subtle edge of caution, "Paul Grayman is a vassal of Aldor, the lord of Northwest Bay. He has no direct vassalage to Gabella."
She raised her head, her gaze meeting the Emperor's calmly. "His loyalty belongs to Crystal Glare."
Antonio smiled faintly, as if her answer hadn't surprised him.
"Loyalty can shift," he said lightly, yet with an undeniable authority. "Especially in the face of greater forces."
Antonio turned to the window, his gaze fixed on the distant night.
"Aldor?" he scoffed suddenly, his tone laced with undisguised contempt. "It's just a dilapidated house."
Without turning around, he continued slowly:
"It leaks from all sides, the beams are cracked, and a strong gust of wind could blow it down. Do you think I don't know their situation? Tight finances, nobles drifting away, an outdated army... They have the natural barrier of the Rocky Mountains, yet they can't even hold back the Orcs from the Grassland."
He paused, a hint of mockery in his voice. "That young king? Hmph, he wants to accomplish something, but alas... his nation's illness isn't skin-deep; it's in its very bones."
Marianna remained silent, standing quietly as she listened.
Antonio turned, his gaze cold and sharp.
"He wants to reform the finances, but he can't even pay the soldiers' salaries. He wants to implement reforms, but he lacks the foundation to do so. He wants to rule with diligence and vigor, yet he can't even control his own vassals—Giles, Vibern, Bradley... Heh, just watch. More will follow."
He shook his head lightly, as if assessing an actor destined for failure.
"He's not an incompetent ruler, but he's certainly not one who can turn things around. He's just barely holding on. The army that defeated Giles might be the greatest achievement he'll ever accomplish on the throne—oh, and that was thanks to Grayman's help. I'm growing increasingly impressed with him."
He turned to Marianna, his tone softening. "So, I don't believe Grayman will remain loyal to such a nation forever. He deserves a grander stage—not just Aldor, but the entire continent."
Antonio's words stirred a long-dormant emotion within Marianna.
Always composed, always restrained, she couldn't deny the tremor in her heart this time.
She was well aware of Aldor's plight. She knew Paul faced not only the Orcs but also the constraints of the nobility, the financial woes, and the weakness of the monarchy.
Meanwhile, Gabella—the empire that had risen under the guidance of Spellcasters—was slowly but steadily reshaping the continent's order with unstoppable momentum.
She gazed out the window, where the empire's flag snapped in the night wind.
"Gabella..." she murmured the name, as if rediscovering its meaning.
The current Gabella and the Arcane Order are essentially two sides of the same coin. She had fought for them, sacrificed for them, and even been separated from her child because of them. But now, she began to ponder a question she had never seriously considered before:
What if Paul were to stand on Gabella's side?
She imagined the scene: a mother holding a high position in the empire, a son commanding a powerful army. United, the Grayman Family would ascend to glory, their position unshakeable.
Marianna's heart quickened slightly.
She knew Paul's character, knew he wouldn't betray Aldor easily. But she also knew her son was pragmatic, a man who understood how to weigh the pros and cons.
If Gabella truly could unite the Human World and become the core of a new order, it might not be a bad path for Paul to follow.
More importantly, she could finally stop hiding her relationship with Paul. She could stand openly by his side, no longer the mother who could only watch him from the shadows.
Marianna turned to Antonio. "Your Majesty, why did you bring this up with me alone?"
Antonio smiled.
"Oh, I just thought you and Nathan were more familiar with Aldor. Perhaps you could convey certain messages on my behalf."
(End of the Chapter)
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