After being forced to step down, the once-annoying nun eloped with me.

"If you approach rashly, we will treat you as enemies and shoot you. To avoid unpleasant border clashes between our two countries, please leave first."

The elf's words were neither warm nor cold, but rather like a song, conveying profound truths to Priscilla in an operatic style, purportedly detached from personal feelings, hoping that Priscilla would quickly lead his people away.

Priscilla gritted her teeth, knowing that it was impossible for the elves to cross the perilous monster forest to reach this unclaimed land thousands of kilometers from their border... but she also dared not risk directly starting a war between the Roman Empire and the Elven Kingdom by forcibly entering the Elven camp.

Elves are an unusual race.

Although they have two eyes, a nose, a lip, and pointed ears just like humans, their thoughts, morality, and worldview have been transformed into utter monsters to humans due to their extremely long lifespans.

Humans cannot wage war against another family or even a nation simply because a child is being bullied outside.

But the elves will.

They would not only wage war, but also, in accordance with the strict rules of the Elven race since ancient times, send 200 elegant declarations of war to humans before the war to clarify the hostile relationship between the two sides—because it is something that humans cannot understand and will not comprehend for a child to fight a war that could destroy a country, but it is commonplace for the Elves.

Similarly, elves are extremely particular about rules when it comes to anything concerning their own territory.

From a human perspective, it's only natural to step on a patch of grass to get somewhere—the person who steps on the grass shouldn't feel apologetic, and the local owner won't reprimand them. This is common sense regarding trespassing on someone else's territory, as understood by humans.

In the elves' understanding—since it's their territory, that patch of grass naturally represents the dignity of their race. If you trample countless blades of grass on your way to the elven kingdom without feeling any remorse for the forest, then it's only natural that you're expelled from our territory.

Even worse, if outsiders are forced to fight wild beasts without the elves' permission and pollute the elves' land with their blood, it is not surprising that they would be directly attacked by the elves.

Elves are such a stubborn, ancient, and free-spirited race. They value their own rules highly, and the prerequisite for communicating with proud yet, in a sense, extremely humble elves is to abide by them.

Otherwise, they would incur the dislike or even resentment of the elves—just like the stubbornness of their race, the free-spirited elves are also exceptionally stubborn in their emotions.

The love one has for someone will never fade, even in death. This love can continue from one human to another family, and may even be inherited by an elven family, thus achieving the beautiful name of a "millennial covenant."

To hate someone, given the long lifespan of an elf, it's possible for them to hate a human family for fifty or sixty generations before their own death severs this inexplicable and estranged relationship from humans.

That's why no one wants to anger an elf—everyone wants to win the elf's favor, but no one can afford the price of the elf's wrath.

As a compromise, almost everyone in the Roman Empire, except for the parish and Yang Hao at the time, reached a consensus: that they should not have any meaningful contact with the elves.

But right now... it's a done deal.

Priscilla tried her best to recall the etiquette of the elves that she had learned in the court.

She tried to avoid stepping on the grass in what the elves considered a temporary camp, and after mustering the courage to look them directly in the eye with elven courtesy, she asked her question in the elven way, rather than with the cunning and manipulative language of humans:

"I have no intention of offending the elven territory, but I would like to ask whether the elves know where the two humans who previously lived in this monastery are?"

"do not know."

Before she could describe the other person's appearance, the elf gave a blank answer.

“When we arrived, this place had already been cleared out. We would not enter the camp of humans who are not our friends while humans are still here. Our presence here means that those who once lived here have already left.”

Upon hearing this, Priscilla felt dizzy and, for a moment, unconsciously uttered a foolish remark:

"You're taking over someone else's place..."

Are you questioning our race?

Priscilla bit her tongue sharply, trying to calm herself down.

Elves don't lie; at most, they might conceal something—which is why many questions that are only useful to humans seem particularly dangerous when facing elves, especially given their fiery tempers.

When the elf began to question, it was already on the verge of declaring war—to avoid the powder keg exploding, Priscilla had to bow her head in apology and then carefully take two steps back to avoid stepping on any grass:

"No, I'm not questioning... let's leave now."

"..."

Under the elf's watchful eye, they slunk away.

Only after they left did the elf return to the roof where he had been standing, and exchange glances with his companion:

"The regent whom Finn asked us to protect has safely left the borders of the Roman Empire. Our efforts over the past year have not been in vain."

One of the elves seemed somewhat relaxed as he devoutly prayed to the wood that would soon be used as firewood. After planting the saplings he found on the wood, he reflected on the hardships he had endured throughout the year.

"The Regent is a capable man who has accomplished what several generations of humans have failed to achieve. I have the utmost respect for him—why then have humans sent countless assassins to him? Is this how humans treat the chosen ones of their own race?"

One of the elves seemed quite confused. He was a young man who was only a little over two hundred years old and clearly did not know much about the history of the Roman Empire's rise to power or the strangeness of outsiders.

"This isn't a problem with the entire human race, but rather a foolish act unique to the people of the Roman Empire—we will continue as planned. Finn's reforms need this regent."

Another, older elf offered a sharp explanation, directly analyzing the core of the problem and reiterating their goal for this trip.

Finne needs their protection to protect the Regent of the Roman Empire because Finne is about to undertake a major reform of his Elven kingdom.

This reform will affect the future of the entire elven race. Fin recognized the human regent's abilities and admired him from the bottom of his heart. Therefore, upon learning of the rumors that the human regent had been exiled, Fin immediately dispatched the elite of the elves to protect the regent's safety until the day he completely left the Roman Empire.

"But how can we guarantee that he will go to our kingdom, and not cross the monster forest into the Great Khan's grasslands, or perhaps the ruins of the Bayrjan Empire?"

However, the confusion of one of the elves caused his companions to fall into deep thought. Indeed, the Regent had left the Roman Empire, but who could guarantee he would head towards the Elven Kingdom and not somewhere else?

The elves exchanged bewildered glances, and amidst the crackling of the firewood, the elf who had spoken first shook his head:

“Fen is confident that the Regent will come to our kingdom, because the Elves are willing to lend him a helping hand and give him the trust he has never received in the human empire.”

"Are humans all fools? Even the great Finn is shown respect to them, aren't they incredibly stupid? Are they really intelligent beings who share this continent with us?"

“Child, please add the qualifier: ‘The humans of the Roman Empire are a bunch of fools.’ That’s more accurate, after all, we can’t slander the brave and loyal people of the Bayern Empire.”

"I remember the Twin-Headed Eagle Empire disappeared long before I was born. I heard its remnants are still fighting the demonic calamity underground... By the way, is that rumor true? I've also heard there's a powerful human empire across the sea..."

"..."

"..."

Chirp, chirp, chirp.

The elves were discussing important matters that concerned them.

And they left from the deep mountains.

Priscilla and his companions found the lone knight—or rather, part of the knights.

A group of villagers, armed with torches and various weapons, were scrambling for something on the ground.

Under the cover of night, they slowly approached. Once they were close enough, the knights took a closer look and realized that it was their comrade who had been killed by the villagers.

The villagers of the Roman Empire brutally murdered the lone knight, stripped him of all his valuables, and even cut off his head, intending to hand it over to the militia as a mountain bandit in exchange for a bounty. However, they fell into infighting due to the possibility of unequal distribution of the spoils.

Dozens of people were divided into three or four small groups, fighting over a bloody head. Some of them, standing at the front, were wearing the armor that the knights used to wear or were holding the knights' weapons.

The scene resembled a group of pigs fighting over pig feed, and passersby were shocked to discover that the pigs being used as feed were actually their own comrades.

The witch and knights stared blankly as the people they had sworn to protect were now frantically snatching the heads of their fellow human beings.

Without realizing it, they clenched their fists.

Chapter Thirteen: "National Prosperity and People's Strength"

......

2 month 17 day.

When news reached the Roman capital that Priscilla's efforts to win back the Regent had failed, and that scouts from the Elven Kingdom had been found at the Regent's last known location,...

Although the representatives at the roundtable meeting appeared to have changed their expressions drastically, they each harbored their own ulterior motives.

"What a pity!"

The representatives of the nobles and landowners disguised their sorrow and despair perfectly, but in secret they were overjoyed: as long as the regent did not return, what rightfully belonged to them would not be taken away!

What do they care if a few troublemakers starve to death due to the drought? At worst, they can just pretend to convert and seek refuge with the elves or simply become independent—it's just a few troublemakers, right? Let them starve to death!

They never cared about the lives of their underground subjects. As long as the subjects could still bring value, the masters naturally needed to maintain the tools. But when the subjects not only could no longer bring value, but also needed to devour the value they had once produced, what they naturally had to do was simply throw these tools away.

There's no need for anyone to waste their own interests on such trivial matters, is there?

Even more impressive than the nobles and landowners was His Majesty the Pope's lament—"Yes, what a pity...ah."

A surge of rage welled up within him: Over the past year, he had sent countless assassins to kill the lonely regent! And yet, none of them had succeeded? What were those assassins he had sent out even doing?

"You really can't trust those money-grubbing bastards!" Peter muttered to himself, but he was also secretly pleased that those bastards' "savings accounts" were deposited in the parish.

This is an institution officially called the "Redemption Savings Book of the Church of Light," used to store the funds and important assets of believers within the diocese—of course, these assets naturally belong to the church leader after the death of the person in question and their related family members.

Back then, the leader used the gold coins in his savings account to bribe the regent's army, and then, two months after the normal gold coin salary was paid, he sent them to the perilous monster forest a week before the third salary payment date.

Afterwards, only one in ten of the traitors survived, and the gold coins they had stored in their savings accounts naturally returned to the cult leader's pocket. The cult leader had conducted this kind of risk-free transaction many times before, and naturally, the money obtained by the assassins was also delivered in this way.

But even after the assassin's money flowed back into his own pocket, the cult leader still couldn't feel happy—because all he wanted was for the regent to die.

As long as the Regent lives, there is always the possibility that the saint who has locked herself in the secret crypt of St. Peter's Basilica to pray may one day apostatize.

In the saint's heart now, religion and the Regent hold almost equal weight. To ensure the saint's swift return to the embrace of God of Light, Leader Peter must ensure the Regent's death here... This is not only for the benefit of tens of millions of believers, but also for a bright future!

(...but venturing into the monster forest or even the elven kingdom becomes a problem...we'll have to send out more assassins.)

The cult leader muttered to himself, and just then, General Dreschka, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke:

"In this way, we must be prepared for the former regent to fall into the arms of the Elf Kingdom and use this as a basis to launch an attack on the Roman Empire."

His words caused an uproar at the roundtable meeting. Apart from the silent royal representatives, everyone exchanged bewildered glances.

The Regent's abilities are undeniable. His ability to unite previously fragmented tribes into an empire is proof enough—although this man ultimately succumbed to attacks from within the Roman Empire, which failed to unify its enemies after peace was achieved. But if he were truly sent to the Elven Kingdom and became its advisor...

It's hard to imagine that the northern elves would still only keep their own small territory as they used to... After all, if they really had the ability, who wouldn't want more land?

With the Regent's help, the elves will undoubtedly launch a war of aggression. And what's worse, the Roman Empire might not even have recovered from its drought when the elves begin their war...

In other words... in order to prepare for a possible war, does the Roman Empire need to increase its military output amidst this chaos...?

This is not logically unacceptable, but objectively, the Roman Empire simply could not afford the expenses required to continue increasing its army.

Not to mention, the artisans employed by the royal family are almost starving to death. The royal family doesn't even have the money to support its own artisans, let alone continue to increase the army.

Everyone looked at each other, and finally, a heavy sigh from the royal representative brought the matter to a close.

"...General Dreschuka, please find a solution within your military district, or please communicate with Master Peter regarding the matter of [money], to increase the number of troops and train them without causing chaos."

"..."

General Dreschuka didn't say a word, but his brows furrowed sharply: "You want money from the cult? Why don't you just let me conjure money out of thin air?"

While the Pope Peter's expression remained unchanged, he secretly glared fiercely at the royal representative: Asking me for money? I'm already being lenient by not robbing you! And you actually expect me to foot the bill?

Both sides harbored their own ulterior motives, but considering the imminent demise of the Roman Empire, they temporarily calmed things down and politely agreed to "communicate privately"...

That concludes the discussion on the military. However, the immediate drought remains a pressing and urgent issue.