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Translator: Cinder Translations

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McDonald was furious. He stood up and slammed his hand on the stone table in front of him, causing it to rattle loudly.

"Aldridge, if you were a warrior, I would demand a duel with you right now."

His nostrils flared with anger. After shouting that, he dropped back down onto the stone bench.

His alarm at opposing the church wasn't due to his religious beliefs but rather the reaction of a seasoned soldier calmly assessing the strength of both sides.

Had these scholars, who spent their days researching in the Scholar's Tower, lost their minds?

"Oh, Lord McDonald, I apologize. I was just trying to provoke you. I never doubted your loyalty. With your wisdom, you must have seen through it by now."

Aldridge had a look of regret as he apologized.

"In fact, you need not worry. Our strength is not as weak as you might think. Our sorcerer partners have demonstrated their power in various aspects. As a soldier of the Empire, I believe you would be keen to study the application of magic in military contexts after witnessing their capabilities."

McDonald took a moment to calm himself. "My concern is not with the church within the Empire, but with the Vatican behind it. The Vatican is a strong power that can rival the Empire in various aspects, and it has the fervent support of believers from all over the continent."

"Ha ha, Lord McDonald."

Alvey picked up where he left off.

"There will be someone to test the waters with the Vatican before us."

"Who?"

"Horns Bay."

McDonald suddenly understood. "Could it be that the recent situation in Horns Bay is being manipulated by you?"

"Ahem, Lord McDonald, it's not 'you,' it's 'us' now."

Aldridge reminded him that they were on the same side.

"You are correct. The situation in Horns Bay has indeed been influenced by us, and it will escalate until it drags the Vatican down with it."

McDonald voiced his doubts: "Can those city-states match the military power of the Vatican?"

Aldridge laughed while stroking his beard. "Ho ho, Lord McDonald, don't underestimate those fat merchants of Horns Bay. They have long dominated the trade between East and West, making a fortune year after year. They have the financial strength to support a high-quality army, and this is merely trimming down their wallets. Moreover, when the battle approaches the coast, their true ferocity will come to light. Many sea merchants are pirates at heart. In short, if the Vatican plunges in, they will certainly suffer losses."

"And we can watch closely to assess the Vatican's strength and develop appropriate countermeasures."

McDonald's expression returned to normal. "That's cunning, but it's indeed a prudent strategy."

"Additionally," Aldridge continued, "we will publicly acknowledge the existence of sorcerers under the banner of a certain country in Horns Bay at the appropriate time, recognizing their legal status across the continent to gauge the reactions of various nations. If it doesn't provoke a widespread backlash, then we will repeat this in Gabella—of course, only after Prince Antonio inherits the throne."

McDonald asked, "What if it incites an attack from other nations?"

Aldridge replied, "No matter how other nations react, it will be beneficial for our plans. Lord McDonald, remember, once the first nation does this, when the second follows, public acceptance will increase significantly, regardless of whether they support or oppose it."

McDonald was no longer as worried as before; his curiosity about the so-called Arcane Order grew, mixed with a hint of awe.

Oh, and these two in front of him... they could be considered old friends, yet they had silently accomplished so much.

"One more thing, does His Majesty know about this?"

McDonald asked with some concern. Strictly speaking, the current emperor was the one he should be loyal to. If the emperor was unaware, then he, Aldridge, and Alvey would be colluding among themselves.

"He doesn't know!" Aldridge's quick response made McDonald tense up.

The old scholar sighed. "Bartley... is an honest but rigid man. His personality is not suited for the throne. I must say this is a result of his father's influence, to avoid threatening his brother, who was supposed to inherit it. But fate took his brother early, and Bartley was forced to ascend the throne. Of course, Bartley is quite intelligent; theoretically, he understands how to be a qualified ruler. However, in practice, he despises many of those approaches."

"That doesn't mean his character is flawed; in fact, I quite like and admire his personality. But if he were to learn of this, he would try to negotiate with the Vatican. He naively believes that—faced with the existential crisis of humanity—the Vatican would abandon its long-held prejudices and choose to reconcile with sorcerers against a common enemy. Oh, Lord McDonald..."

Aldridge noticed the look in McDonald's eyes. "Please don't doubt me; I've subtly tested his real attitude. You can trust the art of communication that an old scholar from the Scholar's Tower possesses when exploring others' true feelings."

At this point, Aldridge shook his head with regret. "Alas... I fear he will be too open with the Vatican. If Bartley could be like his son—any of them—that would make things much easier for me."

McDonald hesitated. "But regardless, His Majesty is a hurdle we cannot bypass; this country belongs to him."

"It belongs to him, and in the future, it will belong to his son." Aldridge's gaze turned cold as he spoke in a low voice. "Compared to the crisis of human civilization's extinction, personal feelings and old morals are insignificant. But regardless, I will ensure that the nation of Gabella is passed down through Bartley's bloodline."

After finishing this sentence, a range of emotions flickered across the old scholar's face—sadness, guilt, determination, and resolve.

Alvey patted McDonald on the shoulder, reassuring him. "Prince Antonio will not make things difficult for his father; he will receive the respect and status he deserves, so don't worry."

McDonald lowered his head, seemingly deep in thought. After a long while, he raised his head, looked at the two scholars, and said firmly:

"Scholar Aldridge and Scholar Alvey, thank you for everything you have done for Gabella and for humanity."

"I am... honored to be involved in your endeavor."

(End of the Chapter)

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Translated 4 Series, 1.65K+ Chapters and 2.01M+ Words.