Klasha and Seraphim found some money in the chests, 2000 Gold Crowns. Not bad, but there was no doubt most of the money had been moved somewhere else. Frederick or one of his men probably took it... Well, it wasn't a small amount of money.
Meanwhile, Hix found something quite interesting... One of the chests contained a high quality medallion looking like an Iron Shield. He didn't need much examination to verify that it was magical, blessed with defensive magic. The other chests were open. It was possible that after seeing that they were going to lose, the guards took the treasures and fled. Some jewelry had been left, but not much, worth only about 500 Gold Crowns at best.
As the looting was taking place, Lilith looked at Kya with a mixture of curiosity and disbelief. It was hard to find truly loyal men and women, even among the ranks of the Order of Heavens. After a few seconds she sighed and smiled.
"Well, it seems you truly are the most adequate for the job... I'll try to be brief. The Empire cannot win this war. This is not pesimism, this is a fact. Our army is bigger, yes, but what the Alliance lacks in numbers, they make up with their leaders and the fact they only have us as their enemies. We have other problems besides the Alliance. Barbarian attacks from the north, pirates on our coasts, bandits... Even if we defeat Matthew's army, the Empire will lose, as it will be left in such a state that there is no way the Empress will be able to keep it together."Well... That was bad. It was widely known that the Empire wasn't living it's best times, but those news were quite grim.
"Our only option is to find allies. Allies that need our help, support or influence so much that they will support the Empress no matter what. And we can't afford to be picky about our allies. However some of our potential allies hate each other. If they could be made to work together, it would be great. But it would take a miracle. And we can't risk antagonizing powerful factions."As she was saying this, Lilith took a piece of paper from one of her pockets. It was a list.
"You might have guessed it by now. The Empress needs someone to go around the world looking for allies. Doing whatever it takes to ensure that they will help. And I believe you and your men will be the best for the job. Of course, you would have to be sneaky about this. We can't afford the Alliance know what we are doing. I have a small list of possible allies. And while it is possible that you find someone else who can help, I believe these are the most likely to help us... As long as we help them too."She gave Kya the list... It included names, small explanations about why they could be allies and some details about them. It seems they had been thinking about this for a while.
"In many ways, this mission is more difficult and way riskier than fighting in the war. And it is more important. Do you think you will be able to do it?"The Holy Church of Abel: One of the most powerful organizations in the world, with a lot of influence, money and power. Their Inquisitors are all skilled and powerful warriors, and their knowledge of the supernatural will be handy against Matthew Gaul's new allies. They are likely to ask for much, though. In order to contact them, travel to The Dominion of the Church, south from both the Alliance and the Empire, would be needed.
The Steiner Family: A family of merchants, they are one of the two families that control the merchant guild known as Black Sun. Unlike their partners, the Delacroix, the Steiners seem to have some sense of ethics, and could help in exchange for some favours and payment. They can be found mostly in Gabriel, to the East of the Empire.
The Lands of Al-Enneath: Believers of a faith predating Christianity, the people of the lands of Al-Enneath (the Principalties of Kushistan and Stygia) dislike the Empire, but have been attacked by Matthew Gaul in the border they share with the alliance and dislike him even more.
The Pirate Kings: Lords of the Inner Sea, to the east of both the Empire and the Alliance, the Pirate Kings pillage the coasts of both the Empire and the Alliance. They could be convinced to attack only the Alliance, but their inner politics are quite chaotic, so they aren't quite trustworthy.
Samael: A secret organization. All their members are supernatural creatures and the last survivors of races thought to be no more than fairy tales. They hide in plain sight from men. They have remained neutral, and the Empire has ignored them for centuries, as they caused little to no trouble. They would help in return for support and protection. Their leaders meet in Kaine, capital city of the Principalty of Togarini, the heart of the Azure Alliance.
Prince Lucanor Giovanni Frey: The last Giovanni, and Prince of Lucrecio. Not only his support would be invaluable, as it would give more value to Elisabetta's claims to be the Empress, but the technology developed in his Principalty could be put to good use in the war. However he is known to remain neutral most of the time, and the fact that no spy has ever come back from Lucrecio makes him a last resort option.
The Principalty of Daphne: An island-Principalty near the coast of the New Continent, Daphne has been ruled by women for centuries. As such, their ruler is quite sympathetic to the Empress, but they have some internal problems. They would need help sorting them out before they could send their army.
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Topic: Knights of the Empire (FEF IC) Chapter III: More than meets the eye (Read 27810 times)