Fangzhou Xier, starting with failing the art exam

"sit down."

Marner sat down in the main seat and gestured for his two nieces to sit down beside him.

The atmosphere at dinner was somewhat somber.

Maria excitedly unpacked the drone, muttering the names of the various parts.

Both Margaret and Margaret seemed preoccupied.

"Uncle, the people outside... are saying some very nasty things."

Margaret finally couldn't help but speak up. She put down her knife and fork and looked at Marner intently.

Maria stopped what she was doing and looked nervously at her uncle.

“They say…you are a disgrace to the Lightbringer family, a traitor to Kazimierz.” Margaret’s voice trembled slightly, but more so with anger.

"I don't believe it! Uncle, you must have your reasons!"

"Just like before, when you were such a powerful knight, you still had to go to the company and be bossed around by those businessmen! You must be protecting us, right?"

Maria nodded vigorously beside her, her little face showing approval of her sister and trust in her uncle.

"Yes! Uncle is the best!"

　Looking at the determined eyes of her two nieces, Marna felt a lump in her throat.

He longed to tell them, "Yes, you're all right."

He longed to hold them in his arms and tell them not to be afraid, that his uncle would take care of everything.

But he can't.

He picked up a burnt oat cookie, slowly put it in his mouth, and chewed it carefully.

The burnt, bitter taste spread across his tongue, just like his mood at that moment.

“Perhaps…” He swallowed the bitter taste, his voice eerily calm, “Perhaps what others say is right?”

"impossible!"

Margaret stood up excitedly, the chair scraping against the floor with a screeching sound.

"You are Marna Nearl! You concealed your brilliance for the sake of your family! How could you possibly be a traitor!"

Marna chuckled self-deprecatingly: "Margaret, you must remember, the first thing the people of the Lin Guang family need to learn is to face reality."

He put down the half-eaten oat cookie and wiped his mouth with a napkin.

"I'm back today because I have something to tell you."

His tone turned serious; he was no longer the loving uncle, but the head of the Lin Guang family.

Margaret and Maria both sensed the change and unconsciously sat up straight.

“I have already arranged places for you,” Marna said, looking at them with an unquestionable air.

"Next week, you will travel to Triinttelme, the capital of Letania, to study at the Imperial Royal Academy."

"What?!" Margaret stared in astonishment.

"Go to Letania? Why? I'm not going!"

"How can I leave in Kazimir's current state!"

"I want to stay in Kazimierz! I want to become a knight like my father and mother and protect this country!" Her voice rose with emotion, and her eyes filled with tears.

Maria was also frightened. She tugged at her sister's clothes and began to sob softly, "I don't want to leave Uncle... I don't want to go so far away..."

“This is not negotiable.” Marna’s voice was cold and hard, leaving no room for negotiation.

"As the head of the Linguang family, I have a responsibility to make the best arrangements for your future."

“Trintelme has the best educational resources on Terra. You can learn more there than you can in Kazimierz.”

“I don’t want to learn those things!” Margaret shouted stubbornly.

"What I want to learn is the way of chivalry! Knights of the Nearl should die on the land of Kazimierz, not live a life of ignominy in the enemy's capital!"

"Snapped!"

A crisp sound echoed through the restaurant.

Marner stood up, his hand still hanging in mid-air.

A clear handprint appeared on Margaret's face.

The whole world went silent.

Maria stopped crying in fright and stared blankly at everything.

Margaret covered her face, her eyes filled with disbelief.

This was the first time her uncle had hit her.

From childhood to adulthood, no matter what she did, her uncle never laid a finger on her.

Marna's hands were trembling slightly.

Seeing the shattered trust and hurt expression in his niece's eyes, his heart ached.

"The way of chivalry?" He withdrew his hand, his voice even colder than before.

"What do you know about chivalry?"

"The first thing a true knight must learn is obedience! How can you call yourself a knight if you dare to disobey the orders of your elders!"

"Pack your things, and I will personally deliver them to you in a week."

He left those words behind, not looking at the two children again, and strode up the stairs, shutting out their cries and astonishment.

Back in her room, Marna locked the door and leaned against it.

Outside the door, the crying gradually subsided.

……

Holy Lytanian Empire: Chapter 119: The Next, Victoria

[Thanks to your swift and decisive actions and the cooperation of Manna Nearl, the situation in South Casimir has stabilized at an astonishing speed.]

The remnants of the business federation were uprooted after several probing riots, and their assets became the initial capital for rebuilding the nation.

Those knights who had been basking in past glories, after witnessing Letania's ruthless purge and Marna's determination to avoid infamy, mostly chose to remain silent or leave.

The Ursus Empire's infiltration efforts also met with resistance.

Gertrude's intelligence network seemed omnipresent; Agent Ussart had barely made contact with the disgruntled knight lord when Letanian special forces had already surrounded the manor.

The unexpected discovery of the evidence put Ursus in a diplomatically disadvantageous position.

Faced with Serafina's protest note, accompanied by clear photographs and a statement, Emperor Feodor had no choice but to recall the ambassador and publicly declare that he "respected the choice of the people of Kasimir," thus ending this clumsy interference.

With the crisis averted, Marna Nearl is finally able to unleash her full potential.

With funding, technology, and expert guidance from Letania, a new police force began to be formed, land reform decrees were posted on bulletin boards in every city, and abandoned factories began to roar again.

Goods from Letania and resources from Casimir are beginning to circulate with unprecedented efficiency, and a new economic zone centered on Trilintelme is taking shape.

Meanwhile, within the framework of its collaboration with Columbia, the Imperial Academy of Sciences experienced a technological explosion.

Scientists and engineers from Colombia brought entirely new design concepts and cutting-edge technologies.

[You also participated in this effort, proposing a series of ideas such as anti-ship missiles, drone swarms, powered armor, and upgrades to the protective firepower of main battle tanks and fighter jets, while emphasizing the importance of information technology.]

You are very clear about who your future opponents will be, and you are preparing for it.

……

Trinitylme, a side hall of the Imperial Council, a room specifically reserved for strategic planning.

There is only a sand table here, and maps hanging on the surrounding walls.

There were only a handful of people in the room, all of whom were Lacey's core team.

Intelligence Minister Gertrude Strolo, dressed in a sharp men's suit, with her long, gray-black hair tied back.

External Relations Minister Serafina remained as gentle and kind as ever, standing quietly to the side, her distinctive feathered ears occasionally twitching slightly.

Tax Minister Lenia was holding a thick notebook, ready to take notes at any moment.

And the Minister of the Army, Taylor, and the Minister of Economic Affairs, Mecklenburg.

Volner, Arturo, and Mace, whose positions were unrelated to imperial strategy, were not present in the room.

“Gertrude, tell me what’s going on,” Lacey said.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Gertrude stepped forward and pointed with her baton to the core area of ​​Victoria on the map.

"The latest intelligence on Victoria is that the infighting among the eight dukes has temporarily eased due to our actions in Syracuse and Qazimir."

"But in private, the cracks of suspicion are widening, especially among the three most powerful men—the Duke of Wellington, the Duke of Castle, and the Duke of Windermere."

"Analyze the existing intelligence gathered by the intelligence department."

"The Duke of Wellington is an ambitious man who has been secretly funding the Tara resistance group 'Deep Pool' for years."

"Those Draco sisters, Abrahina and Raphsini, were very likely pawns used by the Duke of Wellington to undermine Victoria's existing Aslan legal system and pave the way for his ascension to the throne, tools to be used and discarded once the fact."

"And the Duke of Castells, the sister of the former Lion King, is a staunch defender of the Aslan legal system."

"Her conflict with Wellington is irreconcilable, and she is at the heart of a potential anti-Wellington alliance."

“Of course, this is just speculation based on the available intelligence, at least on the surface.” Gertrude said, her expression not entirely certain.

"As for the Duke of Windermere..."

"She seems to be neutral, waiting for the best offer."

"The rest either align themselves with Wellington and Castle, or remain neutral, waiting to see which way the wind blows—a bunch of opportunists."

"Is this the kind of people who define Victoria's glory?" Lacey turned around, a mocking look on her face.

"How ridiculous! Wasn't their former lion king overthrown by this group of 'loyal' nobles and met a tragic end?"

"Now they're raising the banner of 'Athlan orthodoxy' again, but it's just to protect their own interests."

Lacey walked to the table, picked up a red chess piece representing Letania, and gently placed it outside the map of Victoria.

“We can’t just storm in,” Lacey said, looking at everyone and emphasizing each word.

“Victoria is not Syracuse, nor is it Casimir. It has a large fleet and a large number of ducal private armies, and its military strength should not be underestimated.”

"The capital, Lentinium, is even said to be invincible."

“Even if we win a simple military invasion, Letania will suffer heavy losses and can only watch as Ursus and Columbia bleed us dry.”

"Therefore, we need to change our strategic focus."

Lacey held up two fingers, outlining his plan: "Divide and conquer, use Victorians to control Victorians."

Lacey's gaze first fell on Gertrude: "Intelligence Department, I want you to immediately increase your infiltration efforts in Victoria."

"First, dig up evidence that Wellington funded Deeppool, but don't rush to publish it. Instead, use an indirect method to let the Duke of Castells's informants discover this evidence."

"Remember, let them investigate and guess for themselves. We are only responsible for providing clues. I want the seeds of suspicion to take root and sprout in their hearts."

Lacey continued, "Second, spread rumors and create panic."

"For example, a duke's fleet is being secretly mobilized, or a duke is conducting arms deals with the Colombians."

"The content can be half true and half false, but the purpose is the same: to make them unable to trust each other and unable to form a united force."

Gertrude's face lit up with excitement; this kind of task, manipulating people's hearts in the shadows, suited her taste perfectly.

"Understood, Your Majesty. Make sure each of them feels like they have a poisonous snake sleeping next to them."

Lacey nodded and then said to Serafina, "Deep Pool, this Tara resistance organization, is the best fuse to ignite this fire."

"But it must be in our hands."

"I need you to cooperate with Gertrude to make contact with Abrahana, the leader of the Deep Pool, and establish an alliance."

Lacey paused for a moment, then looked into Serafina's eyes: "Serafina, I know your abilities, and I believe in them."

"Go and feel her heart, her desires, her fears."