I will be crowned king

After saying the last few words of instruction, Carlos did not stay long and quickly stood up and left, walking toward the small waiting room surrounded by guards.

Sophia was the only one left in the huge Tulip Hall.

Before leaving, Carlos did not forget to instruct the servants in the room to "meet all the needs of the colonial governor"... It is no exaggeration to say that even if Sofia now wants to go to Carlos's bedroom, or in His Majesty the King's wine cellar and cloakroom There will be no obstruction from these people when hosting an impromptu carnival party.

But don't talk about the orgy, she doesn't even want to see anyone right now.

Carlos, father, Viscount Bogner... What they said was better than what they sang, and their gestures were getting closer to each other. Their request was also very simple: abandon the Storm Division and Ice Dragon Fjord Colony, and achieve a turning point for them to win this war. opportunity.

To Sophia, this was ridiculous to the extreme.

Could it be that Emperor Herred would be crazy enough to actually send 100,000, 200,000 or even more troops to seize a land across the sea? Even if he wanted to, those grand dukes who at least nominally have the qualifications to "elect emperor" Can we really agree with the emperor's irrational behavior?

To put it another way, even if this plan succeeds, will Clovis be able to defeat the Empire?

Sophia is not a military strategist - she pursues detective novels - but from Anson's battle reports and Ludwig's tireless "showing off", she has a clearer understanding of the empire's strength and details.

Although the two people have different perspectives, their views are surprisingly consistent: the empire has a strong foundation and cannot be easily defeated in a war.

If Clovis wants to win, to a certain extent it does not depend on himself, but on the empire itself; it depends on the authority of the Emperor Hred within the empire's ruling system and the level of war-weariness in the entire country.

When the emperor's majesty is shattered, or when the entire country is tired of war, that's when Clovis wins.

And now that the colonial rebellion was successful, the colonial minister was defeated, and the emperor's face was slapped loudly. It is said that the Storm Division's mission in the new world has been achieved, why are they allowed to continue fighting and refuse to give Any reinforcements?

Because it doesn't matter.

In their eyes, both themselves and the Storm Master can be sacrificed at will, and even if they are lost, there will be no impact; if they can still play a small role in their plans while being sacrificed, then... why not Woolen cloth?

This is how they treat themselves.

Run your own newspaper, build an army, manage colonies... No matter how great your achievements are, they can only be discarded, sacrificed, and used as a medium for transactions; no matter how big mistakes your stupid brother Ludwig makes, , are all objects that can be made up for, corrected, and continued to cultivate.

It was obvious that they were all descendants of Franz, and it was obvious that he and Storm Master could achieve greater success in the new world; but no matter how promising their achievements were, they could not compare to their own plans.

Their plan...

Sophia stood up slowly with a sneer, turned around and left decisively.

………………

Osteria Palace, Grand Antechamber.

As Carlos II and a group of attendants and guards entered the venue, the originally lively atmosphere in the hall suddenly became depressing.

Privy Council members, cabinet ministers, trade union leaders, wealthy patriarchs, royal families, church representatives, high-ranking military officers, diplomats and special envoys from various countries... It can be said that almost all "adults" with influence and status in the entire Clovis City "Already gathered here.

Originally, whether it was an investiture ceremony or entertaining foreign envoys, it would usually be arranged in a place such as the reception hall that could better demonstrate the royal style; but apparently the number of people present this time exceeded the initial expectations, reaching nearly a thousand people. .

In addition, there were also a group of "distinguished guests" who had no experience in entering the palace. In order to avoid trouble, the process had to be simplified and the ceremony location was directly placed in the most spacious antechamber, which was also the first to arrive for everyone.

Even so, there was nothing crude about the entire ceremony; it even seemed more grand and solemn because the venue was more spacious and there were more people.

Hundreds of honor guards dressed in red, black and gold military uniforms, with eagle feathers on the brim of their hats and a single cloak on their right shoulder filed in from the side door; carrying new rifles with bayonets on their shoulders, they marched in neat queues. The crowd present was divided into two parts, with the king as the central axis.

On the temporary high platform, Carlos II, who had put on a crown and robe, looked at the bustling crowd below the stage without speaking, but silently gave the archbishop beside him a wink.

The latter nodded slightly in understanding, then turned around again and stood at the foot of the king's steps as if nothing happened.

Soon, as the melodious bells entered the hall, the military musicians who had been waiting for a long time stood up and played cheerful and solemn music.

At the same time as the drumbeats sounded, the Wang family guards opened the doors of the antechamber from both sides, and a beautiful figure with her back to the sun behind her appeared in everyone's field of vision.

Sophia Franz, wearing a diamond tiara and a blue ribbon, raised her head slightly, coldly faced countless pairs of eyes with different expressions, and stepped onto the red carpet designed for her.

Surprise, astonishment, confusion, jealousy, regret... Even without looking at them specifically, the girl could feel the expressions and moods of those people.

How could a woman become a colonial governor who could be on equal footing with cabinet ministers, or even have a higher status?

How could a woman be allowed to hold such a grand ceremony and have His Majesty summon so many distinguished guests to confer honors on her?

a woman...

A woman!

The girl bit her teeth lightly and locked her eyes tightly on Carlos II and her father.

Following her steps, the honor guards on both sides raised their rifles and saluted Sophia, the Governor of Ice Dragon Fjord, in accordance with the standards for cabinet ministers. Behind her, they held up their floor-length skirts. The six royal guards beside her bowed their heads and served the girl with the etiquette of serving a queen.

Because Clovis has never had an important minister at the level of a "governor", let alone a female governor. As a result, the imperial ceremony was copied mechanically, and the kingdom's senior officials deliberately wanted to elevate Sophia's nominal status. This set of things is very different and grand to the extreme.

Finally, the girl came to the steps and knelt down in front of everyone.

Carlos II took the sword handed by the attendant and slowly pulled it out.

"Blessed by the ring of order, recommended by all the people, witnessed by all the guests, I... direct blood descendant of Osteria, supreme guardian of Clovis, Carlos Osteria, decree this person to be an ice dragon Fjord Colonial Governor!”

After a slight pause in his words, Carlos II stared at Sophia's calm eyes. The tip of the sword that was resting on her chest shook slightly, and then tapped her left and right shoulders:

"From then on, from Beluga Harbor in the south to Gray Snow Town in the north, all the population, fields, rivers, woods, mineral deposits... are all under the name of Sophia Franz!"

"No matter what your past has been, what titles you have had, and where you come from; when you stand up, you...will be the Lord of Ice Dragon Fjord!"

After Carlos II finished speaking, the royal attendants who had been prepared immediately stepped forward, took off the decorative crown for the girl, and replaced it with a "simplified version of the crown" - smaller and less decorated, but with the same shape. ——A gold-plated cane symbolizing "law" and a sword representing "leader" were presented.

In the Dark Ages and even in the early days of the sectarian wars, the Governor-General meant "deputy king". With the power granted by the king, he managed certain remote or newly incorporated territories, and had absolute power over the local area of ​​life and death.

Of course, as the "honorary governor", Sophia can only have these powers in name. If nothing else, she will probably never have the opportunity to see her "territory" with her own eyes.

But at least at this moment, she can enjoy the ceremonial cheers of the people in the audience with this identity - no matter how envious and jealous they are of her, they still have to give her warm applause and shout "Long Live" three times.

Under the gaze of everyone, the girl with a new look slowly stood up from the ground, holding the scepter and sword in her arms and looking down at the figure under the steps, as if she was their king at this moment.

She looked around and said in her clearest and brightest voice:

"Ladies and gentlemen, as I stand here I believe you already understand what this means."

"Some people say that Ice Dragon Fjord is just an enclave across the sea. It is the most sparsely populated urban area that is not comparable to Clovis City. It is a place where severe cold, indigenous people, wild beasts, diseases, plagues... all kinds of The barbaric land where the terror crisis is raging is a world where only exiled prisoners and bankrupts will take risks.”

"They are right."

“Because if someone hadn’t lost everything, he would never leave his beloved hometown to fight and take risks in an unknown land; if there was no way out, who would place their hope on the last straw?”

"But I have to say, this is what's going on with Clovis!"

"We stand at a terrible crossroads. We are pursued by a sudden war launched by the empire. We have been fighting the enemy on our own borders for nearly two years and still cannot escape this predicament. But our people, our soldiers , our nobles... all of us, see no hope of ending it."

"Maybe some people will question me, but this is the current situation; it is true that the empire is powerful, and it is also true that we have not won many victories."

"Yes, we defeated Yser, we defeated the enemy in Hantu, we frustrated the emperor's dream of tearing up the western defense line time and time again, we survived the interruption of trade, and the suffering of caravans being repeatedly robbed... But we Still, no straw in sight.”

"Now, I hand this straw over to you; its name is Stormcaster."

There was a slight commotion among the nobles and parliamentarians in the audience. Judging from their thoughtful expressions, they knew something; others showed disdain or sneered, obviously recalling the "Sofia" concocted by Sophia last year. "The Battle of Eagle Point".

Looking at the different expressions, the girl raised her lips slightly:

"It is true that a small colony may not be enough to produce a qualitative change, but it is enough to become a gap, a beginning, and a turning point - as long as the Storm Division and the troops of the Ice Dragon Fjord Colony launch an offensive against the imperial colony, they can achieve even Some trivial achievements may... be able to attract the attention of the empire and divert the power originally invested in the mainland to the direction of the colonies."

"After all, unlike us, the Empire has six colonies in the New World, and its population and territory are more than ten times that of Clovis. If it is defeated by Clovis's troops, then His Majesty the Emperor, who prides himself on being wise, will definitely lose face. Light."

"Therefore, just before this, I have promised His Majesty Carlos that Ice Dragon Fjord will carry forward the spirit of independent survival and will never give up easily; we will let the Empire see what the Clovis people are like Such perseverance and bravery."

"Even if there is only one-tenth of the territory and population, even if there is only one lone army, we...will kill them without leaving any trace behind!"

Having said this, the girl paused deliberately and suddenly raised the sword in her right hand:

"Clovis's royal flag will never fall from the sky above Moby Dick Harbor!"

……………………

Inner city, Friedrichstrasse, "Clovis Candide" newspaper office.

The slightly dilapidated taxi stopped under the street lights along the street. The maid opened the door and walked quickly towards the company after giving the driver an extra silver coin as a tip.

In order to hide herself from others, she specially put on a top hat with a purple ribbon, an exquisite tuxedo with turquoise buttons, and a sterling silver watch chain... She was dressed no different from the young gentlemen who hang out in cafes all year round. .

Although the clothes are exquisite, because they are wearing Miss Sophia's clothes, although the height difference between the two is not big, their body shapes are still slightly different. The result is that there is no difference between cross-dressing and no cross-dressing, and it is completely impossible to achieve what Sophia wears. time effect - this may be her only flaw

Pushing the door open and walking into the company, Angelica walked through the corridors and stairs very familiarly to the slightly strange eyes around her, and came to the general manager's room. After knocking twice, she pushed the door open and entered directly.

"you are……"

"Are there any dispatchers and carriage drivers in your newspaper office who are not out for the time being? I want them to deliver a letter." Before the other party could speak, Angelica interrupted directly:

"This is what Miss Franz has told me. It must be sent out of Clovis City within today."

Hearing the name of the major shareholder, the surprised general manager's face suddenly changed. He did not dare to show any signs of neglect: "Where should I send it?"

The little maid slightly held up the brim of her hat and took out a letter wrapped in a handkerchief from the inner pocket next to her chest:

"Ice Dragon Fjord, Beluga Port!"