For both factions, there was no disagreement on either recovering the Eastern Territory or destroying the Church, which had been included in the plan during previous meetings.
The only disagreement was on when to retaliate against Dawn.
Due to the clear diplomatic stance that Roland had expressed before, this time no one mentioned taking a step back and letting it pass. However, the municipal officials still hoped to wait until after the Grand Ceremony before conducting negotiations in a "justifiable" manner, not excluding the use of force. Clearly, the future planning conference during the Evil Moon had given them enough temptation and motivation, all thinking of supporting the Fourth Prince's ascension to the throne as the veritable King of Graycastle as soon as possible, so that they could become true Kingdom Ministers from local officials.
If they were to fight deep into Dawn, it would not only require mobilizing a large number of troops and resources, but the Coronation Ceremony would also be affected—no king would send out his elite generals during his ascension and then complete the coronation ceremony in a simple and perfunctory manner; it wouldn't look good for anyone.
Of course, the final decision still rested with Roland.
For three days, he had simply watched everyone discuss without showing any obvious inclination, a stark contrast to his tough attitude when dictating diplomatic letters before. It was precisely because of his silence that everyone had room for heated debate.
It wasn't that he had changed his original intention, but that he was waiting for an opportunity.
An opportunity to obtain the greatest benefit at the lowest cost.
As evening approached, someone knocked on the office door.
He breathed a slight sigh of relief when he saw that the visitor was Andrea.
She had finally arrived.
If she hadn't come to him, he would have had to go to her—the effect would undoubtedly be much worse, and it was uncertain whether it would even succeed.
"Here, dried fish," Nightingale manifested and handed her a piece of honey-glazed grilled fish. Besides Wendy, Andrea was one of the few witches who could share snacks from Nightingale.
Was this the mutual attraction between nobles?
"Thank you," but Andrea didn't seem to be in high spirits. She took the dried fish and put it in her pocket, then bowed with a hand on her chest. "Your Majesty, I..."
She stopped halfway, seemingly not knowing how to express herself.
"You want me to save your childhood friend, Otto. Rossi, right?" At this time, Roland couldn't let Andrea hesitate any longer. If she changed her mind, wouldn't these days have been wasted?
In addition, he vaguely guessed her hesitation. One thing was certain: Otto's crush on her was one-sided. Because of this, she didn't know what position to take to make this request. Childhood playmate? So many years had passed. Andrea didn't miss her past in the Kingdom of Dawn. After all, when Earl Quinn discovered that she was a witch, he didn't protect her but directly fabricated an accidental death. This kind of memory was hardly pleasant.
One winter, Otto visited Neverwinter, and Andrea's performance was very clear; she obviously didn't want to be involved with the past anymore. Now, coming to him, it was probably just out of simple kindness and guilt.
"Yes..." She took a deep breath and nodded slowly.
"But in the meeting, you also heard everyone's discussion. If we want to force Anpein Van, we need at least three thousand troops, and if we add the troops attacking the Holy City, it will increase to about five thousand. This is already the strength of the First Army."
Despite the disagreements, the municipal government and the staff department still made a rough plan—because the Hermes Plateau and the Kingdom of Dawn had no water systems directly connected to Graycastle, supplies could only rely on horse-drawn carriages and manpower, and the number of logistics teams was shockingly high. Adding the remaining 20% that needed to stay and defend the various territories of the kingdom, the First Army had no spare capacity to garrison and occupy land and could only leave after the battle. All in all, it was definitely a losing deal.
"This is just manpower. If you count the materials... various losses, transportation costs, grain expenses..." Watching Andrea's increasingly troubled expression, Roland was about to add fuel to the fire when his voice suddenly stopped.
"Your Majesty?" The blonde witch couldn't help but be stunned.
It wasn't that he had noticed something wrong, but Nightingale had pinched him hard in the back and said in a voice so low that only he could hear,
"Don't force her. Can't you just say no?"
"Cough cough... it's nothing," Roland coughed twice. "These are just objective circumstances, but through some subjective efforts, the disadvantages can be reversed. It just depends on what the Three Great Families are willing to do."
"The Three... Families?"
"Obviously, the king no longer trusts them. Relying on us alone, we might be able to save Otto, but this will also cause a complete break between the Moa royal family and the Rossi family. Even if Anpein is driven off the throne, will the next Lord of Dawn forget all this?" Roland stroked his chin. "Facing a strong enemy like the demons, I can't invest too much energy and manpower in neighboring countries. The ultimate determinant of Dawn's direction is still them."
Andrea seemed to realize something. "Please continue."
"Someone must replace the Moa royal family," he said, word by word.
"..." She was silent for a while. "I see. Do you have a plan?"
As expected of a woman from a great family, Roland thought. She could face the subversion of royal power without changing her expression. The following conversation would undoubtedly be much simpler. He asked directly, "Are you interested in becoming the Lord of Dawn?"
"Your Majesty?" This time, Andrea finally showed surprise. "No... I don't want to leave..."
"Leave what?"
She bit her lip. "No, it's nothing... I mean, I have no interest in the throne of Glow City."
Roland was a little surprised—it wasn't that she didn't want to become the King of Dawn, but that her demeanor showed a look of anxiety, which was rare to see in Andrea, whose gestures were always full of elegance.
Was there something more reluctant than becoming the ruler of a country?
Roland calmly took a sip of tea, glad that he had a backup plan.
"Then what about your father? Is he willing to stand up?"
The reason why the Quinn family was the best choice was not only because their strength was stronger than the other two families, but also because Andrea, who was loved by both Otto and Oro, was key—it could be said that her opinion represented the Three Great Families to some extent.
According to Neverwinter's education level, the personnel trained were not enough for use within the kingdom. Thoroughly controlling Dawn was not realistic; supporting a zhèngquan inclined towards Graycastle was more convenient. If Andrea agreed to this plan, he wouldn't have to pay too much and could obtain the resources of a neighboring country.
"Of course, the other two families will not gain nothing. This power shift will make all participants winners. More importantly, the threat pressing on your heads will no longer exist," Roland said slowly. "In this way, Neverwinter will not have to bother investing troops and financial resources. It only needs to assist the Quinn family in completing this change."
This time, Andrea didn't hesitate for too long. After thinking for a moment, she agreed. "I think... my father will agree."
After a slight pause, she repeated, "No, he will definitely agree."
When she said this, Roland knew that she completely understood his meaning.
The time was ripe.
"Then Neverwinter will take action soon. Don't worry... Otto. Rossi won't be imprisoned for too long."
()