Gabella, the capital city.
The last rays of the setting sun fell on the spires of the palace, in the heart of the empire, where a cabinet meeting had just concluded.
Emperor Antonio Griffin stood by the window, watching his ministers rise and leave.
He suddenly nodded slightly to Mariana, who was about to leave, and asked with a smile, "Madam, could you stay a moment? I have something I'd like to ask you."
In the current cabinet, the ten-member group is particularly eye-catching. They are no longer the spellcasters hidden in the shadows of the Mystic Society, but rather, as royal advisors, they sit openly in the highest decision-making meeting of the empire.
Mariana nodded slightly and sat down gracefully. She wore a dark blue robe, her red hair was like fire, and her gaze was calm and sharp.
"It's about the Aldor," Antonio said, getting straight to the point. "Nathan and the other mages have been in northern Aldor for a while now. How are things on the orc side?"
Marianna sighed softly, a hint of sarcasm in her voice:
"According to their latest feedback, orcs do not seem to be as well adapted to the human world as we thought."
"oh?"
"Before entering Aldor, they were warriors of the grasslands, but after entering Aldor, they became addicted to the pleasures of the town. They began to wear fine clothes, drink fine wine, and live in luxurious houses. Those warriors from the barren grasslands were no longer warriors."
Antonio frowned slightly: "What about the war?"
"The result of the Second War," Mariana said calmly, "was an overwhelming victory for the Aldor army. The orcs were routed. It wasn't a matter of tactics, but a matter of will; they no longer wanted to fight."
As soon as Marianne finished speaking, Emperor Antonio suddenly chuckled.
"You say the orcs have fallen and their fighting power has declined..." he said slowly, his tone carrying a profound meaning, "but according to the information I have, their performance on the battlefield is not as bad as you say."
His gaze was sharp, carrying a condescending composure. "The reason they failed in the Second War was not because of their fighting strength, but because of—Paul Gleman."
Marianna raised an eyebrow slightly, saying nothing, but a hint of wariness flashed in her eyes.
"The rise of the Northwest Bay has changed the entire course of the war," Antonio continued, speaking calmly. "Aldor was exhausted by internal strife, and if it weren't for the new army and new defenses established by Marquis Gleman, the orcs would have already razed the entire kingdom to the ground."
He paused, a faint smile appearing at the corner of his mouth: "In fact, during the first invasion, the orcs suffered a great loss in the Northwest Bay, and their westward-bound army was almost wiped out."
The emperor looked at Marianna, as if observing her reaction, "So it's not that the orcs are no good, but that they have met a real opponent."
Mariana listened quietly, her face remaining calm, but her heart was subtly tightening.
She was certainly aware of the changing situation in the Northwest Bay, but she hadn't expected the Emperor to be so knowledgeable about the war there, even more so than many locals in Aldor.
What made her even more uneasy was the tone Antonio used when he mentioned Paul. It seemed he wasn't just stating facts; was he perhaps testing her?
"Your Majesty seems to know quite a bit about Aldo," she said, trying to keep her tone calm.
Antonio smiled slightly. "I'm just concerned with who the real pieces are in the future game."
Antonio stood by the window, gazing at the distant horizon, and suddenly chuckled softly, a hint of self-deprecation in his voice:
"To be honest, I'm really not happy about it. Back then, I personally led a large army to the north, but I only managed to fight Abar to a draw. Later, when the domestic situation became tense, I had to make peace with him, which ended in a humiliating defeat."
He turned to look at Marianne, a hint of mockery in his eyes:
"But who would have thought that someone I couldn't even handle would be so thoroughly defeated by Aldo, a mere local lord? I am the emperor, Abar is the great chieftain of the grasslands, and the other party... is just an unknown local lord."
Mariana smiled slightly.
"Your Majesty is joking. When you went to war back then, you used the Empire's ordinary army and faced orcs who were mainly cavalry. They were like the wind and fire on the grasslands, coming and going like the wind. It was already a rare victory that you were able to stabilize the situation and defend the border."
She paused, then changed her tone:
"But things are different now. The power of the Arcane Society has penetrated deep into the army. Spellcasters are no longer just advisors or strategists, but key figures who directly participate in battle and influence the course of the war. If you had the warriors and resources you have now back then, the orcs probably wouldn't have even been able to set foot on the border."
Mariana said slowly, "Times have changed. You were facing an old world back then, but now we are standing at the door of a new world. Paul Gleman's success is precisely because he adapted to this change."
Or perhaps she brought about this change herself, she thought to herself.
Antonio paused for a moment, then chuckled softly and shook his head:
"You're right. Maybe I should leave my resentment to those who truly deserve it."
The candlelight flickered, illuminating Antonio's slightly weary face. His previously relaxed tone suddenly shifted, his gaze calm yet carrying a hint of suppressed anxiety.
"Speaking of which, things haven't been going too well with the Vatican lately either," he said slowly, tapping his fingers lightly on the edge of the table as if deep in thought.
Marianne stood to the side, listening quietly without interrupting.
"Our army has crossed the border and entered the Papacy's territory," Antonio continued. "But they don't rely on tactics like the orcs, nor do they pay attention to formations and deployments like we do."
He paused, a hint of annoyance in his voice:
"They rely on... fanaticism."
He raised his head, his gaze deep and thoughtful.
"The Vatican has recently begun mobilizing large numbers of fanatical believers. These believers, brainwashed by their faith, disregard their own lives and charge towards our lines in droves. They even drink hallucinogenic drugs before charging, their eyes showing no fear, only a single-minded determination to die."
His tone revealed a hint of anger and confusion:
"This is not war...this is sacrifice. They are using human lives to delay our progress."
Mariana frowned slightly, but remained calm.
"Our soldiers are starting to waver," Antonio said in a low voice. "Not because of the enemy's tactics, but because they have never seen an enemy so reckless with their lives. Ordinary tactics are no longer effective against such people."
His gaze fell on Mariana:
"Our pace of progress has slowed down."
Mariana pondered for a moment, then slowly spoke:
"The Vatican's belief system is built on sacrifice and martyrdom. They are not fighting a war, but using war to prove God's will."