Age of Adventure

Inside the Apostolic Palace, Ariana and the Pope is still talking with each other.

Alex is thinking deeply about the weakness of the Holy Zun Empire compared to the Holy Empire of Vanheim or United Kingdom of Veva

The weakness of Holy Zun Empire was that it had no foreseeable future that they could see.

They do not know how to breakout from their current situation and what kind of methods that they should use to pacify the region that they have conquered and their next step forward.

It could be said they reached the limit of their expansion because of the lack of administrative ability that they could exert to control the region.

Having more would put a strain into administrating duties. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

In the beginning it was easy annexing small states but as they are now tangling with Veva who have the Black Robe Eric and with Vanheim who have Aero the Divine Strategist, they know how hard it is to breakthrough these two people and the power behind them which is United Kingdom of Veva for the former and Holy Empire of Vanheim for the latter.

The moves of these two people are full of tricks and scheme. Even if Holy Zun Empire win the battle against these two people, they might lose the war.

As such, the Pope wanted someone that could direct the general trend like Aero or someone that have the ability to reverse it like Black Robed Eric in his employ but he had no such person under him

’Hah’ he sighed and Arianna also sighed.

She is even sighing harder than Alex.

Alex look at Ariana with a puzzled expression, like he was asking with his face expression why do you sigh?

Arianna notice the question in Alex face and chuckling she said

’At least I should sigh with you since I could not help you in this matter’

Hearing this Alex laughed like a child. Arianna then patted his head. Alex blushed red. He did not dislike it.

Since the first day they took this journey together, Alex had always relied on this woman and even after he had become the Pope he had never forgotten her and bring her alongside him to see the world

He wanted Arianna to see the sigh of the world from the highest peak. And he wanted to be beside her when that day comes.

’Is there anything else I could do? If you ask me to come to listen to the things I could not do, then I will be mad, Alex’ Arianna ask

Closing his eyes, Alex nodded

’I don’t know who to consult with in this matter’

The Pope then write on one of the paper and then he shows it to Ariana.

The word is fisherman. Arianna instantly know what matters that the Pope wanted to consult with her

It is no doubt that it is relating to the letter that the Chancellor had sent them

They deduced that it is the Chancellor that sent them and while they don’t have a definite proof about this they were quite confident of this deduction.

It is also because of that they also believe that the battle in the Plain of Ethylred right now would be won by Vanheim.

They are convinced that the Chancellor is there on the Plains of Ethylred. But they were forced to wait, since nobody is moving

The Pope sighed and then said

’The letter that Aero had sent us told us to wait and be the fisherman. I didn’t move not because I follow his instruction or trusted his written words’

’I didn’t move my army because other people also didn’t move. It is quite amazing.... Aero of the East’ he said.

Arianna nodded acknowledging the statement.

She herself had never met Aero of the East and she had never clash with him. But she herself knows that there are some things that she is lacking compared to Aero of the East.

And that is the ability to scheme and direct the trend of the era.

His ability is very suited for the title the Divine Strategist. Because of that title people sometimes forget how powerful Aero of the East is when he is fighting.

He had defeated Zeus easily and created a feat by rampaging, killing forty thousand men by his lonesome

That is not a man you want to fight with one on one.

She also read the letter.

But because she did not know what scheme and plans that the Chancellor is playing at, she could not have commented on it.

She would follow Alex decision. The church top decision makers have always been the Pope and the Holy Maiden

Both Arianna and Alex recognize that there is a very apparent flaw in the Holy Zun Empire.

And that is the fact that Holy Zun lacks someone like Eric that could see things clearly about the relations of the kingdoms and lack someone like Aero who could designed a multi layered plan that aided the victory.

It could be said that if Aero and Eric scheme against Holy Zun Empire, the Holy Zun Empire could only take it and have nowhere to cry on.

If not for the fact that the Pope could summon miracles and Arianna is talented in training generals and commander of the army, Holy Zun Empire might have fall a long time ago

Arianna then ask

’Do you want me to attack Nero?’ she asked. It is clear from what Alex said that he is rethinking his decision after half a year

Alex frowned and then he said

’I don’t know what Aero means by waiting to be a fisherman in the beginning. It is only later I understood. Since anyone that move would be showing their back, then all we have to do is wait for the opportune moment’

Then he clicked his tongue and then he said

’But if everyone waited, then who would reap in the end? I finally understand this so I am hesitant. I am hesitant whether to order you to march your army or to stay for a while. I wish to talk about this with you’

Ariana also could not say anything because she didn’t know what she could say for this matter.

They think for a while but they clearly could not see the multi layered scheme that Aero had set up, different from Eric who have a deep understanding of Aero principle of trapping his enemies with two choices that both leads to the outcome of his enemies losing.

The two choices he gave to people is both choice in which they lose and Aero wins.

But the Pope and Arianna could not even see the two choices and trying to decipher the scheme of Aero to them is very hard.

Politics is not quite their strong point and strategizing is also not their strong point.

If they are, Arianna would not have slaughtered the Bishops like that and all kinds of city state problems would not have cropped up.

The Chancellor has also been gone from the world with the Exodus but why was it when he returns, the Empire problem did not deteriorate?

It is because the Chancellor had created a sturdy pillar foundation for ruling, a perfect system in his place that did not crumble easily unlike the Holy Zun Empire that seems to embodied reacting to the circumstances changing things on the go

Of course Vanheim most worse internal problem was the rivalry between the Imperial brother.

But that problem was there since the beginning and while the relations of the imperial brother is deteriorating, the matter of the Empire was spared from the moods of these two brothers.

Alex look at Ariana and Ariana look at Alex. Looking at each other, they frowned and then they smile and then they laughed.

Because they didn’t seem to be able to think of anything at all.

Arianna was about to suggest them to have some break in the garden to clear their mind and revisit this matter later but suddenly the guard outside the door of the Office of the Pope seems to shout.

There seems to be a commotion outside

Ariana hearing this unsheathe her sword and stand in front of the pope.

’Stand behind me, Alex’ Alex did not protest as he stands behind Ariana.

A second later the door of the Office of the Pope was push open forcefully and an old man with well-trimmed beard and wearing the ceremonial robe of the church burst out in the room.

Ariana was shocked to see the person. It is Bishop Paul. Bishop Paul is also an adventurer like them. From his face expression, he seems very pale and sweats filled his forehead.

’Your Holiness!’ He said as he kneels down.

The guard was about to drag him out but Ariana gesture them to leave him as quickly as possible.

The guard quickly return back to their position and close the door.

Bishop Paul keep trying to take his breath like he is out of breath.

Only Paul knows how much he rushed this matter that he is running all over the Apostolic Palace to relay the news that he had received from the borders and the spies departments

Both Alex and Arianna felt that there must be something wrong for Bishop Paul to do away with all formalities and barge into the office of the Pope.