The Path to Lordship Begins in the North

Lilith probably didn't expect that calling him "brother" would actually work.

The governor of the North granted the capital the authority to purchase new types of firearms.

Although it's just a sale, the fact that the other party is willing to sell an updated model is already a form of support for Lilith.

Moreover, the other party's shipment volume this time was astonishingly high. Lilith said that she would buy as much as the other party had, hoping that the other party could sell more. But she did not expect that the other party seemed to really want to clear out the stock. No, Lilith even suspected that the other party had already started reproducing this type of musket.

As a result, Lilith couldn't handle the first batch of goods on her own, so she had to urgently contact Judith and Scott to find a solution. Fortunately, they said they could provide raw materials instead of payment and even extend credit.

Even though she knew that doing so would strengthen the other party, Lilith had no way to refuse.

Although Lilith repeatedly emphasized at the roundtable meeting that no one should be allowed to use this matter to cause trouble, and even less should anyone use it to target the nobles of the southwest, especially the two dukes.

Even with Nora's strict vigilance, these voices began to emerge in the capital, and the more Nora suppressed them, the louder they became.

It was all because of the Duke of the Southwest's incompetence that Her Majesty the Queen lost face.

This is already considered relatively mild, because Lilith previously forbade using this matter to attack Judith and Scott, and some people even spread rumors that it was because Lilith had really fallen in love with Alberto that she strictly prohibited discussing this matter.

Even though Lilith had never met Alberto, several versions of the story had already circulated in the royal capital's knight novels.

Nora and some nobles were furious upon hearing the rumor, but they were powerless to do anything about it. They couldn't pinpoint the source of the rumor, and a victory against the Kingdom of Anjou was needed to dispel it.

Even a small victory would be fine.

Looking at the semi-automatic musket in her hand, which was almost modern in design, Lilith felt both excited and afraid.

With these muskets, the Kingdom of Anjou in the southwest could at least remain quiet for a while longer. However, the fact that they were willing to offer such weapons in trade means that they must have even more powerful weapons.

They sell you a generation, then show you the next generation, but what they're actually using is the generation after that, and the generation after that is already on the planning list, all built with the money you gave them.

Lilith suspects that the weapons of the gray-collar workers are at least two generations ahead of this world.

Otherwise, Lilith couldn't possibly believe that just because she called the other person "brother" twice, he would bring out the latest weapons to support her, could he? The other person wasn't actually her brother.

Now that the enemy probably has weapons that are two generations ahead, and if they also unify the North, Lilith feels she can just relax and wait.

"I heard that Alberto also wrote a letter to Governor Linde."

Lilith asked Nora with some curiosity.

"Yes."

The letter was not deliberately concealed, so it quickly spread throughout the North. Although it was ridiculed, the governor did not seem to be in a hurry.

Not to mention that Anjou is quite far from the North, most people in the North don't even know what Anjou is, let alone that the current governor of the North is riding high, and with victory after victory, the King of Anjou's taunts seem insignificant.

In his reply to Lilith, the governor also advised her not to let the ridicule cloud her judgment, but to remain calm and reassure her that the North would always be Her Majesty's strongest support.

Lilith's feelings were complicated. Where was her solid support? She was thinking about the Fengtian Rebellion all day long.

But regardless, with this batch of weapons, we can indeed make some moves in the southwest. Even if we can't win, we should at least show our attitude.

Judith was probably even more shocked than Lilith. She never expected that her distant cousin would actually offer such substantial assistance, leaving her wondering why he was offering his help.

Reason told Judith that the other party was obviously only helping her for money, but Judith always felt that there was a deeper conspiracy behind it.

In his reply to Judith's secret letter, Lind showed no surprise at his supposed identity as a descendant of the old empire, which was exactly what Judith expected, since the rumor had originally spread in the North.

What puzzled Judith was Lind's attitude; rather than being unsurprised, it was more like indifference. This indifference wasn't even due to taking it for granted; rather, it was because he felt that this identity was completely unnecessary.

In other words, Lind wasn't helping Judith out of consideration for their shared ancestry with the old empire.

There must be some other reason; this distant cousin's motives are definitely not as simple as just money!

Judith began brainstorming, recalling every detail, and even had a real portrait of the governor obtained.

Originally, the mainstream impression of this governor in the capital was that he was a muscular man who ate two children alive every day. In addition, he always stayed in a gray-white office job, so this image has never been corrected.

It wasn't until recently, when the governor began to inspect the areas he had already occupied in the North, that some people began to draw his portrait.

He was more delicate-looking than I had imagined. At least he didn't look like the kind of person who would eat two children alive. He was quite handsome, no wonder he inherited the blood of the old empire.

"My lord, His Majesty has summoned you."

Just then, a maid came to the door to announce something.

Presumably it's about the new arms trade with the North, Judith nodded and said, "I understand. Let's go to the palace."

Judith was very familiar with the route to the palace, but she felt something was off when she saw Claire on duty there.

The Augustins were not friendly to Her Majesty the Queen, so why did Her Majesty choose an Augustinian to be in charge of guarding the palace?

Although a deputy from the Papacy was assigned to Claire, Judith still felt that the decision was somewhat hasty. Even if it was to balance the situation in the capital, she should not entrust her personal safety to the royal family.

But after careful consideration, Judith realized that Princess Claire was, after all, Her Majesty's close friend before her ascension to the throne, so she felt relieved. If that was the case, it was indeed a good decision, as it would ensure that the palace remained under her control while also balancing and winning over Augustine.

Seeing Judith arrive, Lilith gestured for her to sit down, and then began to speak:

"Sir Judith, I believe you've already guessed why I invited you here. The North has recently provided us with a batch of new weapons. With these weapons, I think we can begin to organize a counterattack against the Kingdom of Anjou."

"This counterattack doesn't need to be grand or spectacular. The most important thing is to win, or at least not lose too much. As long as we don't lose too much, we can claim to have won."

"Also, the military funds for this weapons purchase may not be available in time. We need to inform Sir Judith and Sir Scott that we need to consider exchanging materials specified by the other party. We need the help of the two sirs in this regard."

Lilith talked a lot, only to find that Judith was rather silent today.

Judith stared blankly at Lilith's face, then immediately realized her rudeness and said, "I understand, Your Majesty. Please give me a plan, Prime Minister Nora, and I will arrange it immediately."

Lilith, unaware of why Judith seemed a bit out of sorts today, didn't mind, as Judith had her own matters to attend to. So she continued, "I understand. Prime Minister Nora will come to discuss the details with you."

After the meeting, Judith immediately returned to her residence and paced back and forth in front of Lind's portrait, as if confirming something. Then Judith summoned her personal maid and said, "Go and reinvestigate Her Majesty's background. You must find out the truth. Collect all the rumors, understand?"

Judith had a startling guess.