I, the prince in distress, send money

Chapter 424 A Wonderful Idea

The fact that the Cult of Mechanism had set out to carry out its crusade was not deliberately concealed. Both the Reteria Empire and the Kingdom of Minicia, which was one of the parties involved, could see the crusade's departure as long as they had spies in Tavitsky.

This time, the Bagnian Holy Crusade set out along the coastline whenever conditions allowed. They first headed east to Omdur, then north, walking where there were roads, and forging their own paths where there were none.

Omdour is about 150 kilometers away from Suvano as the crow flies, which is not far.

The encounter between the vanguard of the Holy Expeditionary Army and the refugees was just a minor incident and nothing serious.

The players did not encounter any additional obstacles on the rest of the journey, and the Minisian villages and towns along the way were basically deserted.

Players scouting ahead occasionally encounter a few living people. By using food to learn from them, they discover that the civilians near the Suvano region have either fled into walled cities, or headed north or south to seek refuge with the Kingdom of Bagnia.

The refugees encountered by the vanguard of the Holy Expedition were only a part of this group.

……

As the Holy Expeditionary Force, not a very large contingent, advanced along the rugged coastline from Omdur to Suvano towards the Serpent People's lair, news blew back to the capital of the Kingdom of Minicia—Treasure Island—like a sea breeze.

This bustling port city is located only 150 kilometers from Suvano, but the majestic and precipitous Nasi Mountains, covered in dense forests, lie between them, acting as a natural barrier that separates the snake-man-infested Suvano region from the heart of Minicia.

However, the barrier of mountains is not absolute.

The sporadic snake-people infiltration squads, along with the terrifying rumors stemming from their chilling sacrificial practices, had already quietly crept across the mountain passes, spreading throughout the royal palace, council chambers, taverns, and even aristocratic salons of the island, bringing with them a lingering chill and unease.

Besides, although the Naxi Mountains are a natural barrier, even the iron cavalry and snake people of the Reteria Empire cannot cross them, but the snake people can bypass them... by swimming over the sea next to them.

During their routine patrols of Naxi Bay, the royal fleet has repeatedly reported sightings of scattered snake people at sea, who are deliberately swimming northwards.

They were clearly scouts from the snake-people tribe entrenched in the Suvano region, scouting out a route for their main force that would allow them to cross the bay and storms to reach the other side of the Naxi Mountains.

The Kingdom of Minicia strengthened patrols along its coastline and security at nearby city ports, but these were only temporary solutions.

The great nobles of Minicia have always believed that they need to do something more useful... such as destroying the snake people's stronghold in Suvano.

But they couldn't do it. The army didn't have the capability, and while the fleet could approach Suvano from the sea, it couldn't land, or even conduct conventional artillery bombardment... The kingdom was so broke that even the warships' gunpowder consumption became a problem.

Therefore, the atmosphere was complex when King Charles III and his key advisors gathered in the palace council chamber to discuss the steel torrent that had crossed the border from neighboring Baghnia.

"Your Majesty, the holy army of the Kingdom of Bagnia has left Omdur and is advancing rapidly toward Suvano."

The intelligence minister pointed to the winding coastline on the map.

"Their route runs close to the coast, and they are marching very fast. It is clear that the Bagnians are determined to go to Suvano to cause trouble for the Snake People... Your Majesty, our navy can stop them."

"The navy is of course no problem."

General Dalek, a close confidant of Charles, snorted, his voice calm yet carrying a hint of barely perceptible contempt.

“Our fleet is certainly capable of causing them significant trouble along the coastline, even severely damaging their vanguard, but, Your Majesty…”

He turned to King Charles.

"The premise is that there is sufficient military funding."

A moment of silence fell over the council chamber.

Everyone understood General Dalek's unspoken message, but no one dared to say it aloud except him.

"The Bagnians have crossed the border; this is an infringement on our sovereignty!"

A young, hot-blooded diplomat couldn't help but speak up, his face filled with indignation at the loss of the kingdom's dignity.

"Stop them from crossing the border?"

Another minister, a cunning old fox in charge of domestic affairs, spoke slowly.

"They marched along the coastline, their target the snake people of Suvano, a desolate and rugged coast that was not part of our core control area."

In short, they're fighting snake-men, which can temporarily distract these aliens, and besides…

He paused, then gave King Charles a meaningful look.

"The panic caused by the snake people's sacrifices and attacks has made the nights on the island no longer peaceful."

Merchants complained, nobles worried, and even uneasy whispers came from the temple: their lair isn't as far from our political center as the crow flies. Your Majesty, mountains can hold back armies, but not fear and infiltration.

That's the key point.

King Charles listened in silence, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the armrest of his throne.

The Naxi Mountains, as a barrier, have limitations; they cannot completely block the snake-man plague, which lurks in the shadows.

The threat posed by the Serpent People to the Kingdom of Minicia lies not in the frontal battlefield, but in their pervasive terror and corruption.

Although the Bagnian Holy Crusade's arrival was motivated by their own fanatical doctrines, objectively speaking, it was indeed cleaning house for Minicia, removing a foul-smelling tumor that had been entrenched beside their bed.

"His Majesty."

General Dale spoke again, his voice steady.

"We are powerless to stop them... or rather, we shouldn't stop these Bagnians and let them fight the snake people to the death."

Whatever the outcome, it will be in our favor.

If the Holy Expeditionary Force wins and the Snake People are wiped out, the biggest external threat to Taiwan will be eliminated, and we will not have to expend a single soldier.

If the Holy Expeditionary Force is defeated, Bagnia's army will suffer a heavy blow and be severely weakened. In the short term, it will no longer be able to exert strategic pressure on us, and may even make concessions on border issues.

He tapped Suvano's location on the map.

“That place will become a meat grinder for the power of Bagnia.”

A barely perceptible smile finally appeared on King Charles's lips, which was exactly what he wanted.

In fact, Charles understood that the so-called unwillingness to stop it was a political pretext, and the reality was that it was unstoppable.

The advantages that General Dalek mentioned were only the reasons that were on the surface.

King Charles harbored an even deeper, more secretive thought.

Bagnia's power had always made him wary; he was always afraid that Chris would march north and annex the entire Kingdom of Minicia in one fell swoop.

Let these mountain barbarians wear themselves down in the dense forests, swamps, and serpent-men's lair of Suvano. Regardless of victory or defeat, this will greatly weaken their strength.

"What you say makes sense."

King Charles spoke slowly, his voice carrying a deliberately contrived air of royal authority.

"The Bagnia Holy Army's crossing of the border is indeed inappropriate, but their target is the Suvano Snake People, who have long been a scourge to our kingdom. Their evil deeds have already disturbed the peace of our precious island. Although our army is brave, it would be unwise and not good for the people to rashly block their advance at this time."

He stood up, walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window, and looked out at the bustling Taiwan Harbour and the faint outline of the Naxi Mountains in the distance.

"Order the naval fleet to send ships to patrol along the coast, and at the same time send scouts ashore to closely monitor the movements of the Holy Expeditionary Force. However, they must not provoke the enemy unless attacked. Also..."

He turned around and faced the crowd.

"Strengthen the defenses of all passes on our side of the Naxi Mountains. Double the patrol density. If any snake people or defeated soldiers attempt to cross the mountains, kill them all without exception!"

His orders were clear and ruthless.

"Let the mountain barbarians of Bagnia gnaw on the snake bones of Suvano."

Charles's voice lowered, as if he were talking to himself, yet it carried clearly throughout the council chamber.

"We just need to wait and see, guard our homes, and then..."

He paused, not uttering the second half of his sentence, but all his trusted ministers understood the profound political scheme in his eyes... After the dust settled, the Kingdom of Minicia would gracefully step onto the center stage and reap its own rewards.

Whether it can be done or not is another matter, but at this moment, it does not prevent everyone here from believing in the wonderful plan that King Charles has given.

What else could happen?
Surrender?

kindness……

(End of this chapter)