Sibor, Count's residence.
Heavy snowflakes fell from the sky, and the ground was covered with a thick layer of snow. Everyone in Sibor tried their best to hide in their warm houses, guarding the fireplace with burning charcoal, and preparing to survive the harsh winter.
The carriages on the street basically didn't come out because of the ice and snow, and the city gates began to open. After the attack of the undead, Sibor gradually returned to its former state. Of course, compared to other seasons, winter was often the dullest.
Victoria Count rubbed her eyebrows and tried to open her eyes. Her eyes were red from staying up late, and she looked haggard. Her face was a little yellow, and her body was stiff from sitting in front of the desk for a long time. She put down the document in her hand and stood up with her hands on the huge table. She felt that her legs were a little numb. She wanted to massage them, but she suddenly felt that her vision was a little dark, and she fell back into the armchair.
Because she stood up in a hurry, this kind of situation that only happened due to extreme fatigue made Count feel a little sluggish.
Since Sibor was attacked by the undead, the number of letters from Sirius had increased, but the contents of these letters were not related to the undead.
Most of the letters were about the analysis and intelligence of the situation in the Empire, as well as the heavy pressure from the Caesar Palace.
Victoria tightened her warm leather coat and sat down on the armchair in front of the fireplace. Count, who could barely lift his eyelids, raised his head and looked at the map of Saint-Rames hanging on the wall. He sighed and didn't want to think about it anymore.
There were many things marked on the map. The territory of the Empire of Saint Reims was marked with different colors, and there were complicated annotations and comments. Looking at it carefully, it was a detailed "political map"!
The map detailed the contradictions and conflicts in the political situation of the empire, as well as the positions and analysis of the upper nobles. Even if a person who didn't understand politics was placed in front of this map, he or she would be able to understand where the main contradictions of the empire were!
Two contrasting colors appeared on the north and south sides of the Empire.
"Lord Count, take care of yourself. You haven't slept for two days."
The old butler entered the house with a tray of food and reminded him.
"Is there any news from the Oditore territory?"
Victoria covered her eyes with her hands and rubbed them hard, but she suddenly remembered this almost forgotten place.
"So far, there's no news, but someone said that the relationship between the Count of the Sith Court and the Baron of Oditore is very strained. The supplies that should have been sent over have not been delivered on time." The old butler collected this information. Apart from the Count's daily routine, he had to do it seriously every day. "The armaments of Fort Oditore have also been intercepted. The pre-rotated troops were not rotated over in time due to a flimsy reason, and Silias has also remained silent."
Victoria's heart skipped a beat. She slowly put down her hand without any expression on her face. Then, she picked up a label from the small table in front of her and pasted it on Sith Ting's seat. Without saying anything, she turned around and continued to deal with the documents.
※ ※ ※
At the border of Velun.
It was snowing heavily, but the snow in Velun was much heavier than in Sibor. The air temperature was more than ten degrees lower. But in this world of ice and snow, two figures dressed in black robes seemed to be strolling idly.
"Saville, don't tell me you won't fight again in winter?"
"Historically speaking, a war in winter doesn't benefit any side, even the undead."
"Oh?
I don't see any difference. The Undead Plane doesn't have such cold weather. Will it affect the soldiers? "
Chris asked all the questions he had. He maintained the attitude of a strict spellcaster without the slightest arrogance or humility.
"In this kind of temperature, we mages can maintain our agility by gathering elements, but the zombies will be greatly affected. But speaking of which, the soldiers you summoned from the Undead Plane seem to be in a better condition. But I haven't heard of any changes in the parliament's decision. Even if we can attack, I don't have the authority to order it."
Saville's voice echoed faintly in the wilderness as his rotten chin moved up and down.
"What an unreasonable parliament." The red light in Chris's eye sockets flickered. There was a hint of mockery in his tone. "It's been a few thousand years. Has no one overthrown it?"
"Without exception, they have all failed."
Saville walked at a leisurely pace. It seemed as if he would be leisurely for the rest of the winter.
※ ※ ※
"What's wrong?
Is my daughter thinking about something complicated? "
Charnak patted Flora's shoulder and followed his daughter's gaze to look outside the window. Sirius had also welcomed a heavy snowfall. From here, the snow-covered Sisfel Palace was a unique scene.
The servants were working hard to shovel the snow, but it seemed that the snow was getting heavier. These people were probably going to be very busy.
"Father, I'm thinking, should we be like these people, knowing that the snow will cover the ground sooner or later, but still working hard to sweep it clean?"
Flora was wearing a long dress that looked a bit mature. She was wearing a thick mink coat. Her blonde hair was tied up with a simple knot, which made her look very plain. Her pale face no longer had the quirky look that she used to have when she was playing pranks on others. Instead, she had a calmness that normal people couldn't match.
She stood quietly in front of the window. It was not a meeting hall, but a hall that Charnak did not use much. It looked like a meeting room for private matters. This room had a warm fireplace, a thick fluffy carpet, spacious armchairs, and some political and military materials used to analyze the situation of the Empire of Saint Reims. For example, a map of the Roslorian Continent was hung on the wall. There was a large round table with detailed maps of the various territories of the Empire of Saint Reims on it.
The window was open. Snowflakes floated into the room and melted in the air.
"Why do you say that?
My daughter. "
Charnak's strong palm pressed on Flora's shoulder lightly, signaling her to continue. He then took a few steps back and sat on the armchair in front of the fireplace, waiting for Flora's reply.
The princess turned around and lowered her gaze. She seemed a little helpless and dejected. After sitting beside her father for a long time, she increasingly felt the helplessness and effort of a ruler.
"The nobles have already formed an alliance to fight against us. No matter how hard we try to salvage our relationship, some people still wish for us to be destroyed. We are like the servants who are working hard to sweep the ground. We are working hard to sweep the snow, but if the snow keeps falling, there will come a day when we run out of energy."
Flora's voice had changed a lot as well. It seemed that ever since she lost her voice in front of a lot of people, her voice could no longer be as childish as it used to be. Now, her voice was light. Although it wasn't hoarse, it was deep and full of an indescribable magnetism.
"Actually, if you think about it from another angle, you will find something new, Flora." Charnak raised his head slightly and closed his eyes. "It doesn't matter if you sweep or not, the snow will eventually fall. If you sweep, there will be an effect. If you don't sweep, there will be no effect. My daughter, there is a sentence that Cleveland the Third said in the past."
He paused as if recalling the specific content of the sentence.
"He said, 'People often tell you to take a step back. Take a step back and wait for the difficulty to pass. So you take a step back. When you take a step back to the point where you can see the whole situation, you will realize that other than adapting to it, it is already too late for you to make any changes.
So don't retreat. You must hold on. Hold on until the end. Either you are strong, or the difficulty is over. 'I am saying this to you now. I hope you understand the meaning behind it. "
A moment of silence.