Drawing Cards in the Middle Ages to Rise in Ranks

Chapter 847 - 71: War Council

"Giovanni?"

Crack, crack—

The sharpening sounds were continuous.

Giovanni Giustiniani stopped his actions, looked at the newcomer, and hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, why have you come here?"

"I was just puzzled as to why you’ve secluded yourself these days instead of mingling well with your kindred here. Your greatest wish back then was to create a paradise for these wandering fellows, wasn’t it?"

In the simulation scenario, although communication between Losa and Giovanni was not frequent, their relationship was that of a harmonious sovereign and subject, aligned in purpose.

With a great battle imminent, Losa wanted to hear the innermost thoughts of this old subordinate.

"I didn’t expect such a trivial matter to concern Your Majesty."

Losa smiled, and patted Giovanni’s shoulder gently, "No problem, it has been a while since we, as sovereign and subject, have sat down for a proper chat."

"Indeed, since you abdicated from ’departing,’ it has been many years since we’ve had a long discussion, Your Majesty."

A hint of nostalgia appeared in Giovanni’s expression. He was from the Wolf Race and, though pure-blooded, was not confined by sect or prejudice regarding lineage. When he was a mercenary in Genoa, he sheltered a group of half-blood Wolves.

After being granted Limnos Island as his fief, he did not build a palace or indulge in pleasures, but invested the proceeds from the emperor’s bestowed estate, conch fisheries, and silk workshop into developing the territory, creating a sanctuary for wandering Wolves there.

Numerous Wolves who came seeking refuge joined his ranks, assisting him in waging battles for the emperor, and achieved great feats. Eventually, they even expanded their territory to "New Eleusis," which is this New Continent.

To Losa, Giovanni’s actions bear a striking resemblance to those of Texans of this world.

But seeing Giovanni’s expression, he seemed to disagree.

"I personally think that the future of the Wolf Race cannot be achieved without the shelter of an emperor like Your Majesty. These Texans... you helped them for a time, but you cannot assist them permanently; a Wolf Race’s country that stands apart from other nations is indeed conspicuous, lacking in foundation, sparsely populated, and establishing a nation here is truly unwise."

In Giovanni’s narrative, his armies of Wolf warriors had become intermediate officers within the Empire, having accumulated many merits through years of war.

Moreover, because Constantinople had become an isolated city, local noble families that once influenced the Empire’s political dynamics were all swept away.

The Rome under Losa’s rule was completely separated from the previous regime, filled with rising ruling classes. The once rigid class barriers were broken, and many Wolves intermarried with the emerging military elite families of the Empire.

In Giovanni’s view, only by intertwining with the Empire in this manner could the future monarch avoid exploiting followers after achieving goals, ensuring that the Wolves under his rule would always serve as a source of imperial officers.

"When you handed over the reign to Emperor Orhan, the Empire had already become a top power spanning four continents—Asia, Europe, Africa, and America. If it continues till now, it would be a world hegemon, making England, which stayed content on one island back then, incomparable to the Empire."

Losa laughed lightly and sighed, "Nothing in this world can be accomplished in one stroke. Each generation does its own thing; I cannot guarantee the survival of Texas after my departure; nor can we be sure that Orhan’s successor will be vibrant and able to revive Rome in the future, nor can you guarantee that there won’t be a purge against the Wolves inside the Empire in times to come. Overthinking such matters is worrying over nothing."

Giovanni understood the idiom "worrying over nothing" and was momentarily lost in thought.

"Your Majesty!"

A man riding on a Sharp Claw Dragon urged his mount to stride forward, "Why have you come to Giovanni, this introvert, Texas’s scout team and your foolish kinsman have come back and are about to report the news to you."

...

When Losa arrived in the Hall of Wolves, all eyes immediately turned to him. It seemed that during his delay at Giovanni’s, the upper echelon of the Wolf Race had already gathered and only waited for him to start the meeting.

"Mr. Losa."

"Sir, you’re here."

Greetings arose one after another. Losa returned a simple salute and then heard someone calling, "Come sit by me!"

Raising his eyes, he saw Valentina looking at him with a playful expression, flashing a wink, while Cherina sat beside her, slightly puffing her cheeks as she nibbled on a biscuit.

A small bat perched on Nina’s shoulder, occasionally accepting a bite from her feeding, but it only stood on Nina’s left shoulder and stubbornly refused to stand alongside Valentina.

Losa did not stand on ceremony. After stepping forward to sit down, he heard Clan Leader Juliano on the main seat saying calmly, "The English have reached the city’s gates, and based on the scouts’ observation, it’s conservatively estimated that the enemy numbers over one hundred thousand, with over four hundred light and heavy cannons, including twenty siege cannons which pose the greatest threat to us; as for land cruisers and other war machines, comparatively speaking, they are less concerning."

The terrain of New Basilicata is very rugged; though land cruisers are powerful tools for assaults, it is impossible for them to scale the mountains. The defenses of those armored infantrymen may withstand bullets but cannot withstand city defensive artillery.

The Iron Duke and the King’s Blade, King’s Shield, still pose a huge threat to the defenders.

The small bat spoke up, "With the magic arrays I’ve placed lately, the enemy’s cannons shouldn’t be able to break through their defenses!"

Though she spoke with certainty, Losa knew that his little bat had a habit of exaggerating, but in such times, he couldn’t step forward to obstruct her claim.

After her words fell, the confidence of the Wolf Race was visibly boosted, with many exclaiming, "Worthy of being the princess of the Blood Royal Court!"

"Princess Furin’s magic prowess is truly astonishing!"

The pleasant flattery caused the little bat Furin, who had been putting on a sour face these days while laboring across all the city walls of New Basilicata, to raise her head proudly.

Ultimately, it was Juliano who interrupted the praise, "Thanks again to Princess Furin for your assistance. If the enemy discovers their cannons can’t breach our walls, they might resort to other strategies."

"Indeed, the Brits are not very brave; they won’t dare to charge en masse under our artillery—such would be nothing but suicide. We’ve mined quite a lot of White Crystal and Magic Stones recently. Although our cannons’ range falls short compared to the Brits’, in terms of power, it shouldn’t be much inferior."

"Indeed, the Brits are not very brave; they won’t dare to charge en masse under our artillery—such would be nothing but suicide. We’ve mined quite a lot of White Crystal and Magic Stones recently. Although our cannons’ range falls short compared to the Brits’, in terms of power, it shouldn’t be much inferior."