After the welcome banquet, Gawain did not immediately have follow-up contact with Victoria or Veronica. Instead, he allowed these guests to rest in the "Autumn Palace" or follow the reception staff he arranged to visit some places. The reason given was that he hoped that the guests could learn as much as possible about the land and take a good rest during these few days to relieve the fatigue accumulated from such a long journey - using this valid reason, he left the guests to dry for three days.
Victoria did not waste these three days. During these three days, she tried her best to learn everything about Cecil, from people's daily lifestyle to sporadic intelligence about Cecil's army. From market products to surrounding products—despite her limited access, she never missed any opportunity that would help her understand this land.
On the fourth day, she finally waited for news from Gawain.
In the study room of the Lord's Mansion, Victoria Wilder sat on a single sofa specially provided for guests. She looked at the place where Gawain usually worked with a little curiosity, and her eyes swept over the places full of people. Full of bookshelves and decorative armor, they finally landed on a huge map: the map was hung on one side of the wall, between the two bookshelves. It depicted the entire territory of Anzu, and even a part of the ruins of Gondor. As well as the land of Typhon, the Holy Dragon Principality, and the Augure Tribal Nation, it is the most exquisite and detailed map Victoria has ever seen in her life. Not only is all the mountains and rivers accurately marked on it, but also a large number of Numbers used to describe distances...
It is not unusual for lords to hang maps in their studies, but it is not easy to hang such an accurate map. The Duchess's sight fell near the center of the map, and at the Holy Spirit It stopped at a certain point in the eastern region of the plain.
She saw an eye-catching red cross marked near the giant wooden crossing. Next to the red cross was a line of annotation: Ansu 736, the 43rd of the Harvest Moon.
That was the date of the last large-scale battle between the rebels in the east and the king before winter began. The time and place were exactly the same.
"She seems to be very interested in my map? The girl from the Wilder family?"
Gawain's voice suddenly came from the side, waking Victoria up from her brief thoughts. She saw the founding prince enter the room and sit down next to her on the other couch.
"Betty, prepare tea and send it to the study." After sitting down, Gawain waved to the little maid standing by the door, and then turned to Victoria, "I hope I didn't delay too long—— The new principality is always busy with affairs."
"Of course, I can imagine how busy you are every day," Victoria bowed slightly and saluted Gawain. Although they were both guardian dukes, they were of great seniority. The gap still made her have to pay attention to etiquette at all times even in such an informal occasion. Then she raised her head again and looked at the huge map, "...you have very good cartographers, and you seem to be paying great attention to the southern territory. The situation outside?”
“The Cecil people hope to live in peace, but the outside world is not like us.As peaceful as you wish - if you want to live a solid life, you have to pay more attention to the external situation." Gawain smiled, "And don't you also care about the situation here? "
Members of the mission were walking around the city. Of course, such public things could not be hidden. Victoria had no intention of covering it up at all. She just nodded slightly: "This land is important to us. It's very mysterious. Since autumn, the entire southern region has been hidden in the mist for the royal capital. This is of course curious. "
The little maid Betty brought tea and started to fill the tea cups for the guests. Taking this opportunity, Victoria directly turned the topic to the direction of her concern: "Duke Cecil, you What do you think of the civil war in Ansu?
Gawain kept smiling, looked at Victoria and said unhurriedly: "I'm sorry to see that the descendants of my former friends have reached this situation, but if you want to ask me Who do you support in this civil war? All I can say is, I support no one. "
This can be said to be an expected answer. Victoria's expression did not change and she just continued: "We did not provoke the war. No one in Silver Castle wants Ansu to split and a sudden rebellion from the east. So far, we have been passive. "
"Ah, 'He was the one who made the first move' - I heard Hetty said that Rebecca often complained like this when she was a child after fighting with others." Gawain raised his hand, "You know, until she entered Before winter, Rebecca was often scolded by me for getting into trouble, so you should really be glad that Charlie, Snow, Anthony and Evans did not come back with me, otherwise you would have to worry about more than just this civil war. ——Girl of the Wild family, are you going to explain to Snow Wilder that it was the children of Anthony Lauren and Charlie Moen who acted first? ”
All explanations and negotiation scripts prepared by Victoria in advance have failed.
She has not communicated with anyone who can be her elders for nearly twenty years. In this regard, Her experience was not even comparable to that of Rebecca, who was beaten twice a month.
But fortunately, she was smarter than Rebecca, and she reorganized her language after a brief period of shock: " ...I understand that you and the founders of the kingdom did not create this country for us to kill each other. This civil war will definitely make you sad. However, the situation has developed to this point. The war cannot be stopped if we want to - we The country cannot be handed over to a prince who killed his father and usurped the throne and the prince of the kingdom who broke his oath. I believe that the Eastern Territory will not compromise so easily. Therefore, the civil war will continue, and Anzu's power will become weaker and weaker during the war. At the same time, all of us know that Typhon is waiting nearby, waiting for the Anzu people to shed the last drop of blood. "
Gawain looked into Victoria's eyes: "Very good, you can at least realize that there is Typhon next to you, so in order to end this war as soon as possible - and end the war in a way that meets your expectations , what have you come up with? ”
Victoria pondered for a moment, and then said what Gawain expected: "The king's position cannot continue to be vacant."
Gawain adjusted his sitting posture and leaned back on the back of the sofa: "Wales? Morn? "
"...His Majesty Francis once designated Edmund as his successor and swore an oath in front of his ancestors, but now this oath obviously has to be abandoned. Ansu needs a king and needs to become a whole again. "His Royal Highness Wales is the only candidate at the moment," Victoria paused. She watched every change in Gawain's expression and continued slowly, "We hope to elect Wales Morn as the new king. This is the northern and western territory." "Guarding the common will of the Duke."
She paid attention to the changes in Gawain's expression, but there was no change in Gawain's expression. The founding Duke just maintained that faint smile and listened like an outsider. and made no comment until long after she had finished speaking.
Gawain let the atmosphere freeze for a full two minutes before suddenly breaking the silence: "Victoria, is the mithril oath in Winter Castle okay?"
The duchess's heart stopped for a moment. Although her face still maintained its normal expression, the tension in her eyes did not escape Gawain's eyes.
There was no fluctuation in Gawain's heart: just as he had expected a long time ago, as a founding hero with a halo, the nobles of Ansu would not mind hanging him on the wall, writing It is written in books, carved on stones, and even offered on altars, but they will definitely mind if this founding hero sits on the throne——
Because the heroes on the books and stones on their walls can all be fake. Yes, the one on the throne is real.
But he never expected that the emergency agreement seven hundred years ago would be of any use. He just mentioned it and then continued: "Do you think Wales will be a qualified King?"
"He will," Victoria still had the content of the Mithril Oath swirling around in her mind. She answered cautiously, "Although His Highness Wales is not as sharp as Edmund. , but he inherited his father's stability and integrity. Only such a king can heal the scars of Ansu after the civil war and restore the country to strength as soon as possible - and after experiencing the trauma of the war, people will be more hopeful about welcoming A moderate king, they will support His Highness the Welsh."
"But this is not enough for you to change the situation with the East - I know your thoughts, support a king, and gain. Orthodoxy, to win the support of more nobles and encourage the people, is a good idea, and it may have some effect, but don’t forget that the Eastern Territory also has a qualified crown prince, and in the past nearly twenty years, that Each crown prince is more popular among the people. Even if you crown Wales in advance, a new king can be established in the East immediately and the situation will be restored to the previous state."
"But if you also. If you can support His Royal Highness Wales, the legitimacy of the new king will be greatly strengthened, and more nobles and people will turn to the royal family."Victoria couldn't help but said, "Your attitude is crucial..."
"Do you want me to publicly support one of Charlie Moen's descendants to kill another? Gawain knocked on the small table between the two sofas, "You should understand that it is difficult for me to express my position easily in this civil war." ”
Victoria knew that it was not that Gawain was unable to express his position, he was just unwilling to do so.
The founding Duke was a man who coexisted with caution and radicalism. His current caution was due to his fundamental He doesn’t trust Wang**—but he doesn’t seem to trust the Eastern Rebels either.
This is the best situation that was originally expected.
“So what do you mean. ..." The duchess looked into Gawain's eyes and asked tentatively.
"I have no objection to the coronation of Wales," Gawain said calmly, "but if you want me to admit that he is King, he must at least show his achievements as a king. "
At this point, he paused briefly.
"As for the mithril contract in Winter Castle - the girl from the Wilder family, you can safely take it. It was put away and I had no intention of using it. ”
It wasn’t until these words came out that Victoria Wilder truly breathed a sigh of relief.
Gawain Cecil did not explicitly support the royal family or anyone in the East. One side, but at least, he has no intention of becoming the king.
In this way, at least Ansu will not have to face another civil war.
After confirming Gawain's attitude, this. The duchess's heart settled down, and according to the plan she had made before setting off, she began to seek greater support from Gawain: "Thank you very much for your understanding - but if you can give the king more support, With support, this civil war may end earlier. As you just said, just crowning His Royal Highness Wales cannot fundamentally change the current situation in Ansu. The bloody balance between the king and the east... must be broken. "
"I have just said that I am only 'not opposed to the coronation of Wales'," Gawain interrupted Victoria, "I will not openly support any party in this civil war, and say To be honest, the southern border has just experienced a war. My army needs to rest, and my people also need to recuperate. We cannot afford the consumption anymore. "
This is a well-founded reason, and Victoria can't think of anything to refute.
But after a moment of silence, Gawain suddenly spoke again: "However, as a good friend of Charlie , I can't just sit back and watch his kingdom fall apart like this. "
Victoria's eyes widened slightly: "You mean..."
"I am willing to provide help in other fields, besides the army," Gao Wen said calmly, "For example, weapons and armor..."