Guardian of Faith

When Laszlo returned to the banquet hall, he found his eldest sister, Anne, chatting intimately with Leonor, occasionally covering her mouth and chuckling softly.

Charles stood not far from them, swirling the wine glass in his hand, the fine wine gently swaying with his movements.

His cheeks were flushed, his eyes a bit hazy, and an unrestrained smile hung on his lips.

It seemed this wine-loving young master of Burgundy had enjoyed quite a bit at the banquet again.

"Charles!" Laszlo walked up to his brother-in-law and lightly patted his shoulder.

Charles turned his head at the sound, his eyes instantly clearing, and he quickly bowed slightly to Laszlo: "Laszlo… Emperor."

Laszlo keenly noticed Charles's reserve; the wild and unrestrained Charles he remembered had now reined himself in considerably.

He seemed to have gained a sense of propriety.

However, it was more likely that his younger brother, Anthony, had specifically advised him on some matters before the banquet began.

"We should give the ladies some space," Laszlo glanced at his sister and wife, who were conversing, and quietly asked Charles, "How is the situation in the Kingdom of France?"

Charles's expression immediately became serious: "Charles VII is said to be critically ill and completely incapable of managing state affairs now.

The Queen holds all power, controlling everything, and the Duke of Anjou and Crown Prince Louis are colluding, suppressing other forces, which has already caused widespread dissatisfaction.

Even important ministers like the Count of Foix and the Duke of Bourbon have been squeezed out of Paris by them."

After listening to Charles's description, Laszlo nodded with satisfaction, secretly thinking: Let them stir it up, the more chaotic France becomes, the better, so he can reap the benefits from behind the scenes.

"Charles, I have a premonition that the day of Burgundy's complete liberation is not far off."

"Hmm!" Charles nodded heavily in agreement.

In his view, the current France was a dilapidated house, and he only needed to kick it lightly for it to collapse with a crash.

Laszlo, however, secretly scoffed in his heart; with Charles's political intelligence, ten of him combined would struggle to outwit Louis, known as the "Universal Spider."

Neither of them intended to delve deeper into conversation, as this was, after all, a banquet, so they began to discuss other topics.

Charles looked somewhat distressed, showing an envious expression to Laszlo, and complained, fueled by alcohol: "Ah, Emperor, two years ago, your sister gave birth to a daughter for me; I named her Mary, she is a lovely child, and my only child.

So much time has passed, and Anne's belly still shows no signs of life.

I don't understand why we can't have a son if both of our bodies are fine?

Unlike you, Emperor Laszlo, you are still so young, yet you are already the father of two sons.

People say this is a gift from God because of your piety… I wanted to ask if you have any secret remedies or something…"

"No!" Laszlo's face darkened, and he earnestly advised, "Charles, these things cannot be forced; who knows, maybe it will happen someday?"

Charles could only nod in disappointment; he began to suspect that perhaps he had played too wildly in his youth, which led to his lack of a son.

They both turned to look for Anne and Leonor, intending to continue enjoying the banquet.

The two ladies were discussing married life; they had many common topics, such as their husbands being warmongers, spending a lot of time each year engaged in war.

And women left alone always needed some diversion.

Anne enjoyed embroidery and weaving, and in the culturally rich Burgundy, she also grew fond of music, drama, and literary gatherings.

Leonor's hobbies, however, were quite different; she greatly enjoyed balls, and also liked hunting, horsemanship, garden parties, and even gambling—anything that made life feel less stagnant interested her.

They also shared a common hobby: various knight novels, romance novels, and other popular readings, especially the great works of Mr. Aeneas.

Before her marriage, Anne had also received instruction from this Poet Laureate, and her interest in literature and art began then.

Aeneas, the Imperial Tutor and Grand Chancellor, who was currently clinking glasses with the High Justice in another corner of the banquet hall, rubbed his nose, feeling as if someone was talking about him behind his back.

The relaxed and pleasant banquet lasted for three full days, with food, fine wine, music, and laughter intertwined.

Almost all guests were immersed in it, full of praise for the Emperor's warm hospitality, reveling in this rare time of peace.

After the banquet, guests successively bid farewell to the Emperor and then set off from Vienna.

Laszlo had been eagerly awaiting William's return from his mission to Rome, and he finally brought back a letter from the Pope.

In the study, Laszlo took the reply from William's hand, walked to the desk, opened the letter, and carefully read its contents.

The letter first affirmed the Emperor's achievements and expressed congratulations on his military victories.

Then, the tone shifted, truthfully relaying the results of the Council of Bishops, subtly rejecting Laszlo's peculiar proposal to invite the Papal States to join the Empire.

Nicholas also stated his position in the letter, claiming that he personally wished to support the Emperor, but the will of the majority was hard to defy, and he could only reluctantly refuse.

Next, the letter mentioned that the Pope intended to convene a new Grand Duke Conference in Ferrara.

The Council of Constance and the Florence Grand Duke Conference were separated by 15 years, and next year would be exactly 15 years after the conclusion of the Florence Grand Duke Conference.

Scheduling such an important meeting at this time was reasonable.

This was indeed a good time; the two major powers on the continent had just concluded their war, and holding a large religious conference covering the entire Catholic world at this opportunity would not face too much resistance.

Laszlo was indifferent to this; the theme of this Grand Duke Conference would undoubtedly be church reform, and he would try his best to pass proposals favorable to him.

At the end of the letter, Nicholas also mentioned his intention to bestow upon the Emperor the title of "Guardian of the Church and Faith."

Accompanying this title was not just honor, but also the obligation and right to protect the entire Catholic world.

This way, Austria would truly become a bulwark for Catholic believers, and a place for Catholics worldwide to express their unwavering piety and seek protection.

"That's acceptable."

Laszlo, of course, welcomed such a title; he had done so much hard work for the Church, surely there should be some return?

Putting away the letter, Laszlo turned to William: "What is the Pope's actual attitude towards my invitation?"

William pondered for a moment before replying: "Your Majesty strongly supported your proposal in the Council of Bishops; I believe he genuinely wished for the Papal States to join the Empire, but most bishops fiercely opposed it, and the proposal ultimately did not pass."

"It seems Nicholas has not forgotten the help I provided him," Laszlo was about to nod, but suddenly frowned, "No, if he truly wanted to join the Empire, why would he convene the Council of Bishops? It seems this Your Majesty has also forgotten his original identity and become a 'Roman.' "

So-called absolute loyalty is absolutely disloyal.

Laszlo had intended to manipulate the Holy See through Nicholas, but now it seemed he had thought the problem too simply.

Not to mention the complex intertwining of forces within the Papal States, even Nicholas, his "own man," was no longer so compliant.

One's position determines one's perspective, and Laszlo was not surprised by this; he knew the Pope could not escape his aid and influence.

The Pope's refusal to accept the invitation was not entirely bad; at least he avoided the danger of becoming a public enemy on the continent.

It was a good time for him to focus on developing his family's territory and manipulating the situation from behind the scenes.

He would use this rare period of peace to push forward church reform through the Grand Duke Conference.