Holy Roman Empire

Chapter 1115: Chapter 129, The Face of God

With the formation of two major camps, the international situation had become increasingly clear. One was the Continental Alliance, centered on the Holy Roman Empire as an anti-United Kingdom coalition; the other was the Anti-Holy Roman Empire Alliance, the Pan Oceanic Front, formed by Britannia.

The Suez Canal attack tore away the last veil, laying the contradictions between the two camps bare on the table.

The escalation of armed conflicts everywhere indicated that apart from a formal declaration of war, Shinra and Britain were already engaged in an actual war.

The primary members of the Continental Alliance were mostly concentrated in Europe, which had the existing organizational framework of the Continental Alliance, only undergoing slight functional changes. The Pan Oceanic Front led by the British, however, faced more trouble.

When countries initially joined the Pan Oceanic Front, the situation wasn’t like it is now. The British simply told everyone to group together to encircle Shinra, but didn’t say the enemy was the entire European Continent.

As the enemy’s scope expanded, internal disputes began to emerge within the Pan Oceanic Front. Despite everyone’s confidence in the Royal Navy, they were unsure about this war.

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“Distant relatives are not as helpful as close neighbors” does not apply between nations. Due to historical reasons, most countries have conflicts of interest and even long-term hostility with their immediate neighbors.

The enemy of an enemy is not necessarily a friend, but they can often become allies. For instance, if Chile joined the Pan Oceanic Front, then Bolivia and Peru, two hostile states, would naturally lean towards the Continental Alliance.

Those who hadn’t yet picked a side were simply deterred by the dominant position of the Royal Navy, reluctant to make a move—perhaps already making deals behind the scenes.

Against this backdrop, not only did they have to partake in the war against Shinra, but they also had to be wary of neighbors stabbing them in the back.

The British Government did think of solutions, but when interests were involved, there was simply nothing to discuss.

Taking the example of Chile, Bolivia, and Peru, it would be easy for Bolivia and Peru to give up their animosity as long as Chile was willing to relinquish its gains from the War in the Pacific.

But it’s impossible for Chileans to agree to spit out the meat that was already in their stomach, so the discussion ended there.

Britannia’s face was great, but not greater than interests. Even if the British Government was willing to share Shinra’s colonies, it would be useless.

Empty promises could not satisfy hunger, and although the Holy Roman Empire’s colonies were vast, there might not be much to seize.

With more people involved in the spoils, nobody would be satisfied. They joined the Pan Oceanic Front to feast, not to starve.

To coordinate ally relations and integrate alliance strength, the British Government was overwhelmingly busy, yet the end result was heartbreaking.

Every nation had its own agenda, and when the alliance’s interests clashed with their national interests, the latter prevailed.

The Vienna Government couldn’t get the European nations to exert full effort, just as the London Government couldn’t push the Pan Oceanic Front countries to their limits.

Before they settled things with their allies, domestic criticism was incessant. The armchair strategists jumped onto the scene, attacking the government’s foreign policy, as if this situation was solely due to the current government’s incompetence.

Tossing aside the antagonistic newspaper, Campbell massaged his forehead and asked, “Has the Navy not found an opportunity yet?”

If politics couldn’t break the deadlock, then a military breakthrough had to be found; war was always one of the tools to divert internal conflicts.

Navy Minister Swindon waved his hand and said, “Whether it’s the enemy’s Southeast Asian Fleet or the America Fleet, they’re usually scattered across various ports and don’t gather unless there’s a major operation.

Unless we split our forces to attack, it’s difficult for us to heavily damage the enemy’s main forces in one go. However, once we divide our forces, the Royal Navy’s advantage ceases to exist.

Even if the enemy occasionally gathers, they operate in coastal areas, and considering they can retreat to ports at any moment and have air force fire support, we cannot rashly take action.”

The Royal Navy’s strength lay in overall coordination. If it came down to one-on-one ship duels, their advantage wasn’t actually that significant.

This was the opposite for the army; the Lobster Soldiers were quite effective in small-scale fights, but as the battlefield scale expanded, their efficacy diminished.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Asquith said, “Since a surprise attack is not feasible, we might as well seek an opportunity for a decisive battle with the enemy.

We have allies to coordinate with, and we can completely eliminate the enemy’s two ocean-going fleets in a short time to ensure the safety of maritime trade routes.

The footsteps of war are approaching, and we do not have much time left. That saint from the Vienna Palace is currently performing his final act.

If nothing unexpected happens, it won’t be long before their investigation results come out, and then they will declare war on us righteously.”

Asquith clearly had no affection for Franz. Considering everyone lacked image and only he had one, it would be odd if he weren’t resented.

Foreign Minister Adam said indifferently, “The issue of joint operations, the Foreign Office has already started coordinating. However, this still needs some time.”

Now, there were two troubling issues at hand: one was the question of command authority, and the other was the distribution of post-war benefits.

“Our allies all have a voracious appetite, desiring far more than their actual strength can justify, and it was necessary to make them face reality.”

Ever since the enemy had shifted from Shinra to the European Continent, the allies of Britain were less willing participants. It was just that boarding was easy, but disembarking was hard, reality left them no room to shrink back.

At this juncture, even if some were inclined to jump ship, the Vienna Government had to first consider the feelings of their own allies and it was simply impossible to accept turncoats.

Neutrality was even more absurd, standing in line and then wanting to step back was akin to offending both sides, they would certainly be held accountable after the war.

If it weren’t for the need for the efforts of each country, the British Government would have been less courteous to these allies with their insatiable appetites long ago.

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While the British were busy forming teams, after a week’s time, the investigative report finally appeared on Franz’s desk.

Without any surprise, this more than thirty-page investigation report pointed all its evidence towards the British.

After flipping through it casually, Franz lost interest in continuing. The report was too lengthy, a sheer waste of life.

Glancing over at everyone, Franz shook his head, “There’s too much content, it must be condensed. The evidence is too detailed, almost as if experienced firsthand, it simply won’t withstand scrutiny.

“Remove and reduce, then add some ambiguous elements. After the war, supplement it with the British depositions, and it will be perfect.

“Once finalized, make it public, demand the British Government hand over the culprits, compensate for losses, and deliver them an ultimatum.

“Forget it, let’s wait a bit longer! Christmas is next week, let the British enjoy their last Christmas out of respect for God’s face.”

Investigating evidence also requires time, merely a week had passed, with much of it spent in transit.

Regardless of whether a thorough investigation was conducted, to produce such a voluminous report in such a short period was a frightening thought.

Yet, this report was drafted by professionals. The investigators were forensic experts from various fields, those who strived to perfect the evidence the most.

Theoretically, the report was impeccable, listing complete testimonial and physical evidence, even photographs of meetings, all bulletproof, leaving no room for the British to deny.

But in Franz’s eyes, it all seemed askew. In those days, people had yet to deeply understand that, as those affected by the internet know, the more detailed the fabricated evidence, the easier it is to overturn.

On the contrary, it is the equivocal material that is the hardest to discredit. After all, history books are written by the victors, and the vague content could be proven after the war.

Time has its influence on a person, and after decades in this world, Franz was thoroughly integrated into the era, including giving God face.

There was no way around it; the face of God was just too significant. Generally speaking, not giving God face on a pivotal event like Christmas was like going against the whole populace.

One need only look at the reactions of those present to know, not a single one raised an objection, seen as all were “faithful” believers of God.

Prime Minister Chandler said, “Very well, Your Majesty. We’ll get to work on the investigative report.

“However, as for the declaration of war, since it has been postponed until after the holiday, do you think we should consult the Pope for an auspicious day?”

It wasn’t sarcasm. Europeans also choose their dates for significant events, and some superstitious leaders even consult fortune tellers.

Including the Papal State in the Anti-British Alliance, with their most professional team of diviners, it was natural to take advantage of this.

What seemed like feudal superstition was actually not. The outbreak of war often left people feeling lost, needing a spiritual anchor.

With the help of the mighty Pope, failing to utilize this resource would be like abetting a crime. Not pinning the heretic label on the British was already commendable on the part of the Vienna Government.

Of course, decorum would prevent them from doing so regardless. The struggle between royal and ecclesiastical authority has always existed, it’s just been in the last two hundred years that royal authority has overshadowed ecclesiastical power.

Before this, European monarchs also had their trials. Even though they professed themselves as the most devout believers of God, when it came to core interests, Franz was unwilling to give The Vatican any openings.

“Then inform The Vatican to set the date for war declaration on December 27th and for the Pope to make preparations.”

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