Chapter 36: Who Are You Missing

May, 1064.

Isabella Agnes Pe Albion was the second daughter of Edward VI, Emperor of the Albion Empire. Although she was the second daughter, she was nearly twenty years younger than her elder sister, Princess Maria.

While Maria’s mother had been a princess of the Empire of Castilia, Isabella’s mother was merely a minor noble of the Empire, and she had been executed by Edward VI.

At the time, Isabella had been far too young.

She had no memory of her mother, and naturally none of her father, Edward VI, either. From a young age, Isabella had been raised and cared for by her sister Maria. One could say Maria had been half a mother to Isabella, and Isabella had never seen Edward VI even once.

Edward VI had only one thing on his mind—his son. Nothing else mattered to him.

Perhaps out of a desire to protect Isabella, to keep her far from the center of power, Princess Maria had sent her to Brittany, where she was cared for by the Beaufort family of Brittany.

For Isabella—

She had spent all her misfortune in exchange for her encounter with Ning Luo.

That was also why Ning Luo believed Isabella was just some noble young lady.

After all, if she were truly a princess, how could she possibly be allowed to keep a poor boy like him outside the palace?

Under normal circumstances—

Ning Luo would have taken up a post in the courts after graduation, and Isabella might have chosen to renounce her title as princess. The two would marry and have children, just like any other couple.

But—

The war changed everything.

Of course Isabella understood why Ning Luo worked so hard—because Brittany was their home. The little café in Brittany was the most important place to them. No matter what, Ning Luo had to protect Brittany. But in order to win the war, it seemed they had to abandon Brittany.

For the war, they had to give up everything that could be given up.

Now—

In order to win a war that had no option for victory, Ning Luo had gone to the Holy Federation.

And Isabella had to help him hold the Brittany Fortress.

The method for holding the Brittany Fortress was something nearly everyone knew by now. The war had reached such a stage that no novel tactics or strategies mattered anymore. The only options left were either money or manpower.

After thirty-four years of war, every empire and kingdom’s manpower pool had been drained dry.

Money became the only option.

But war bonds had been forcibly suspended, and restarting them was near impossible. The Orthodox Church of Albion could no longer come up with any substantial funds. The Universal Church under the Grand See had already poured all its military aid, religious support, and financial backing into the Holy Federation.

The Albion Empire.

The imperial capital.

Londinium.

The Silver Palace.

“You mean to say I should go talk to Archbishop Antel and get him to agree to hand over Church lands to fund the war?”

Princess Maria stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, not turning back to look at Isabella.

“That would be the best possible outcome.”

“You think the Church will agree to give up its land?”

“They won’t.”

As the most powerful Universal Church in the world—

Its presence had far more enduring influence on these lands than any current empire.

It held unimaginable sway across the entire world.

It owned nearly fifty percent of the land on the entire Europa continent. Even in a region like the Albion Empire, where its influence was relatively smaller, the Universal Church still held thirty-five percent of the land.

But the Universal Church would never agree to give up its land.

Just like when Ning Luo had Lieutenant Colonel Stewart execute so many nobles—not to strip them of their power entirely, but merely to redistribute it. It was the war bonds that truly stripped away their power.

The greatest foundation of the Universal Church’s authority wasn’t just faith.

It also lay in its role as a substitute for state power. The national administrative institutions simply could not manage every corner of the empire. In those remote villages and small towns, the administration lacked both the funds and the means to resolve local issues.

That was where the Church’s power manifested—it filled in for the state where it failed.

Power only ever transfers.

It never disappears.

To force the Universal Church to sell its land was effectively to force it to surrender its grip over the empire’s grassroots.

Princess Maria turned to face Isabella.

“You knew the Church wouldn’t agree, and you still came to me?”

“I just want to end the sins our father committed.”

“He is not my father!”

Princess Maria shouted furiously at Isabella. When it came to matters like these, she often lost her composure. But then she looked Isabella in the eye and firmly declared:

“And he’s not yours either!”

“I know, sister. But it was because of him that the conflict between the Universal and Orthodox Churches began. Because of him, this war has lasted thirty-four years. We can’t keep making the same mistakes he did. We have to end this cycle.”

Strictly speaking, Isabella wasn’t exactly right.

The conflict between the two Churches was an irreversible tide of history. It represented the evolution of civilization across the world—no individual will could possibly stop it.

“You want me to hand power over to the Orthodox Church, just so they can devour us after the war ends?”

“There is no ‘us’ and ‘them’. We are all Albionians. The same blood flows in our veins. We've already been at war for thirty-four years—we can’t finish this external war only to begin a civil one.”

Isabella spoke firmly.

Maria’s suspension of the war bonds had already pushed the army into a position of direct opposition.

The war had reached a point where no one could win—only lose.

But there were always worse ways to lose. For example, if the Albionians tore each other apart in a civil war after the foreign war ended.

“And you expect me to believe you based on your words alone? Isabella, tell me—what Church do you belong to?”

Princess Maria questioned her coldly.

Isabella belonged to no Church. Since she was young, Maria had never forced her to join the Universal Church, instead granting her the freedom to choose her own faith. But now, things were different. Back then, neither of them held power. Now, they stood at the very peak of the Empire.

This also meant Isabella could not afford to possess a clear religious identity. She was the Empire’s sole heir—if she declared support for either side, it would lead to disastrous consequences.

Isabella took a deep breath.

“I do not belong to any denomination. But rest assured, Ning Luo is actually with the Universal Church.”

Princess Maria’s expression turned icy.

“Do you know what you’re saying?”

“I do.”

Isabella smiled gently.

For the Empire, power had the ability to corrupt everyone. It would inevitably twist the relationship between Isabella and Maria. The power Ning Luo would wield through the military would one day grow beyond imagination. And once Isabella became Empress, conflict between them would be inevitable.

But Isabella had already given Princess Maria her answer.

Everything was for Ning Luo.

…

“He doesn’t seem like someone from the Universal Church.”

“You may investigate all his records at any time. Ning Luo grew up entirely under the sponsorship of the Universal Church. His current support for the Orthodox Church is because the war has gone too far. It must end. And to do so, he’s willing to resort to the most extreme means he can think of. That was the mistake our father made—we must correct it.”

Isabella paused, then continued.

“If you don’t believe him, sister, then at least believe me.”

“I want you to swear an Oath of Scripture—that he will never betray the Universal Church.”

…

“…Alright.”

The Oath of Scripture was a heavy vow—so heavy it could scarcely be spoken.

Princess Maria didn’t respond immediately.

She had raised Isabella herself. She could never actually ask Isabella to swear such an oath.

Her gaze rested on Isabella for a long while before she asked:

“Do you love him that much?”

Isabella placed her slender fingers gently over her heart. She didn’t look away from Princess Maria’s eyes.

“I don’t know how much I love him, Sister. But I can tell you—I’m doing everything I can to love him.”

…

“I’ll go speak to Archbishop Antel.”

The conflict between the Universal and Orthodox Churches ran far too deep. The power struggles at the top of the Empire—how could they be resolved by Isabella alone?

But at the very least, maybe things didn’t have to be this bad.

The Universal Church could probably provide one million silver florins.

One million silver florins—an unimaginable fortune for ordinary people—but in war, throwing in a million silver florins…

It might not be enough to support the original wartime plans Ning Luo had prepared for the Empire. But it would be enough for the army to hold Brittany. The rest would depend on how the Holy Federation waged its war.

When Isabella left the Silver Palace, Priscilla was already waiting at the entrance.

She was Isabella’s knight, tasked with protecting her safety. She would follow no other command.

Isabella walked to Priscilla’s side.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes.”

The two walked together across the plaza of the Silver Palace. Isabella spoke.

“If you want to go look for Ning Luo, go ahead. I’m not in any danger here.”

“My duty is to protect you.”

“You’re not worried about him?”

“That’s what I should be asking you.”

Priscilla emphasized this.

Ning Luo was Isabella’s fiancé. At most, Priscilla was only his comrade-in-arms.

Isabella looked up toward the overcast sky of Londinium.

“All I can do… is wait for him to come home.”