Berserk, Total War: Second Son of Nobles

Inside the royal palace in Helmingen, the morning light shines through the stained glass onto the crimson carpet, illuminating the entire meeting hall with solemnity.

John sat on the spacious throne, tapping the armrests lightly with his slender fingers, the rhythm of his fingertips intertwined with the occasional bird calls from outside the window.

He had just finished dealing with a pile of tedious official business. The ink left by the pen tip on the parchment had not yet dried. The air was filled with the faint scent of ink and the unique old smell of parchment.

"Good day, your majesty."

Theodore and Wesker knelt on one knee and bowed their heads.

John nodded slightly, motioning them to stand up. Then his eyes fell on Theodore, and his voice was low and calm:

"How is the situation regarding the Heldran citizens occupying the Yoda area being handled?"

Theodore stood up straight, bowed slightly, and replied:

"It's basically complete, Your Majesty. All relevant personnel have returned to Helderland. As per your instructions, the local courts have handled this matter lightly, imposing symbolic fines."

He paused, seemed hesitant, and frowned slightly.

"that is……"

John raised an eyebrow, his eyes darkening slightly.

"Just what?"

Theodore took a deep breath and continued:

"Even those Yodas who originally assisted our citizens are now crying and making a fuss, wanting to follow us into Helderland. Many have even broken through the checkpoints. Prisons in several border cities are already overcrowded."

John heard this, and the tapping sound of his fingertips paused slightly, then returned to normal.

"I know about this matter," he said calmly. "The governor of Brun Province also wrote to me earlier. I allowed him to allocate funds from the provincial government's treasury to build three prisons on the border to accommodate Yoda refugees."

Theodore was slightly startled, then nodded in agreement.

John didn't dwell on this issue any further. He turned his head and looked at Wesker, his voice still calm:

"Has the intelligence department investigated the Yoda people's attitude towards Heldran?"

Wesker took out a document from his arms and presented it with both hands.

"The investigation is complete, Your Majesty. Here is the assessment report."

John took the document, slowly unfolded it, and scanned the lines of text.

The report analyzes in detail the attitudes of different groups in Yoda towards Helderland and John himself. It can be said that from the free people and serfs in the countryside, to the citizens, merchants, and scholars in the middle, to the priests, officials, and nobles at the top, all groups have a positive attitude towards the Kingdom of Helderland and John.

John closed the document, the corners of his mouth slightly raised.

"Yes, it's worth it that I've been showing them The Voice of Helderland for so many years."

The so-called "Voice of Helderland" is a "propaganda product" carefully crafted by the Helderland officials over the years.

It is not just a newspaper, but a series of carefully edited news compilations - reporting positively on the customs, scientific and technological progress, and social prosperity of Helderland, while also promoting Helderland's friendly exchanges with other countries, its noble morals, and how Helderland citizens are respected and treated well all over the world.

The newspaper was cleverly distributed to neighboring countries, especially those areas with backward economy, social unrest, and where nationalism and statism had not yet taken root.

For civilians who could barely afford food and clothing, Helderland, as described in the newspapers, was a paradise.

Citizens of Helderland travel by horse-drawn carriage and dine in high-end restaurants established by the Helderland Chamber of Commerce. They enjoy the most exquisite cuisine and the most thoughtful service, have decent and well-paid jobs, and have the best education and medical care.

After going abroad, the nobles and officials of various countries not only did not make things difficult for them, but treated them with great courtesy.

Such a contrast instantly transformed countless civilians into "Helderlanders".

For scholars, Helderland is even more of a "holy land of civilization."

As Helderland's science and technology developed, many scholars were invited to visit Helderland for exchanges and witnessed Helderland's libraries, laboratories, workshops, and advanced equipment that were simply unimaginable in their own countries.

After returning to their own countries, these scholars all wrote articles praising Helderland, and some even directly declared:

"Helderland's technological level is at least fifty years ahead of its neighboring countries. Compared to Helderland, other countries are practically living in the Dark Ages."

Such remarks directly led to the city residents' favorable impression of the Helderlanders.

The general public all agreed with it, not to mention the top leaders of the country.

His father-in-law was one of the core decision-makers of the Yoda Noble Council, and his father also served as a court minister in the Kingdom of Mitlan.

Over at the French King's Hall, Saint John, the only living saint on the continent, can shut everyone else up.

It can be said that Helderland has infiltrated all countries with the same faith, from the grassroots people to the top leaders.

John put down the documents and leaned back on the throne, tapping the armrests lightly with his fingertips, his eyes deep.

He knew very well that true conquest never came by swords and armies.

True conquest is to make your enemies identify with you from the bottom of their hearts and even become your supporters.

Helderlan's army may not be the strongest, but Helderlan's influence is invisible and deadly.

When a country's people, merchants, scholars, nobles, and even clergy all believe that Helderland is the "most civilized, most advanced, and most worthy of following" country, this country has become invincible.

And Helderan had already become the shadow king of this continent without realizing it.

John slowly leaned back into his throne, tapping his fingertips lightly on the armrest, his eyes deep and sharp.

"Since we have such a strong public support, let's proceed directly to the next step and seize the throne of the Yoda people!"

His voice was not loud, but it hit the conference room like a heavy hammer, making the air seem to freeze for a moment.

Theodore and Wesker looked at each other, neither of them showing much surprise on their faces.

As early as after Count Reginale's secret visit, John had discussed this matter repeatedly with all the core ministers.

The situation in the Yoda Empire is now in chaos. The rebel "Earthly Heaven Kingdom" has repeatedly launched uprisings on the border, but has never been able to truly shake the foundation of the empire; and the war with Midlan has reached a stalemate. Both sides are exhausted, but neither can completely defeat the other.

As for the House of Lords?

The once high-powered authority is now dead in name only.

The prestige of Count Castori, the president of the Parliament, in the early days of the establishment of the Parliament of Nobles had long been eroded after years of political struggles and power reshuffles.

Today, all forces are secretly competing and sharpening their knives to nominate their own people to ascend the throne of Yoda.

John was already prepared.

"Oh, right."

John suddenly remembered something, tilted his head slightly, and looked at Wesker, his tone casual but with a hint of interest:

"The rebels on Yoda's side are called 'Earthly Heaven', right? What's their leader's name?"

Wesker was slightly startled, then quickly replied:

"Min Tser, Your Majesty."

"Min Caier!"

When John heard the name, his eyebrows raised slightly, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

He stared at Wesker, as if confirming the authenticity of the name, and then slowly spoke:

“That’s a good name.”

Wesker was stunned, not understanding why John suddenly became interested in the name of a rebel leader.

John didn't explain, but just narrowed his eyes slightly and tapped the armrest with his fingers, as if thinking about something.

After a moment, he spoke:

"Send someone to communicate with him. I want to meet this person."