Chapter 1649 Scandal (Ⅱ)
If Benedict Laval publicly admits that he has indeed borrowed the power of demons in the war, no matter what his reasons are, it will be tantamount to destroying his public image and social reputation, and the Midgard colonial government and military will also Will be implicated by him and fall into the vortex of scandal.
After reading the report in the "Jotunheim News", Governor William Nichols was so anxious that he quickly ordered the local newspaper to publish a newspaper to refute the rumors and deny all vicious slanders about Baron Laval.
However, he also knew that it was useless to just publish the rumors in the newspaper. Thousands of people on both sides of the battlefield witnessed Baron Laval summoning demons. The news has already spread all over the city, and there are too many witnesses, it is impossible to stop people's mouths!
In such a passive situation, Governor Nichols could only write to Baron Laval, who was still on the front line, asking him to come forward to "refute the rumors" in order to set the record straight.
Baron Laval is the war hero of the Midgard colony and the idol of thousands of passionate youths. His reputation and influence can be transformed into real credibility.
As long as he personally denies the accusation made by Master Fei, denounces it as an indecent means of spreading rumors and slanders, and tries to use words instead of swords and guns to save face for the defeat on the battlefield, then no matter what the facts are, all Midgardians who have not been there in person, They will all believe that their beloved Commander has indeed been discredited by the enemy, and defend the reputation of Baron Laval with the enemy.
Governor Nichols had a very good idea, but he never expected that Baron Laval would refuse to refute the rumors himself and remained silent on the collusion with the devil.
Baron Laval also stated in his reply to His Excellency the Governor:
"Regarding the matter of summoning the iron cavalry demon on the battlefield, it was indeed a last resort, but I didn't want to explain it, let alone complain to others."
"I can choose not to speak, but I cannot speak against my will. Please forgive my silence."
Governor Nichols was almost blown away by Baron Laval's reply!
In a fit of rage, he wrote another letter, criticizing him for being too naive, acting only according to personal preferences, acting on his own will, and completely disregarding the overall situation.
After scolding his head and face, Governor Nichols calmed down a little, and then changed into a earnest tone, persuading Laval to be more mature.
"The sign of a man's maturity in the political sense is to learn to view lies correctly, use them appropriately, and sacrifice his moral cleanliness for the sake of the overall situation. Ben, I hope you can pass this hurdle, even though it may be difficult for you It's not easy."
Governor Nichols sent a second letter with high hopes, but he still failed to receive a reply from Baron Laval.
Not replying to the letter was itself a statement, and Governor Nichols had to completely give up on this stubborn man.
The accusations made by the real Fei can be published in the newspaper to "refute the rumors", and the rumors in the city can be deaf and dumb, but there is one thing that Governor Nichols must take seriously - the battle report submitted to the imperial authorities.
After finally fighting a big victory, Governor Nichols planned to make a big contribution in the report, using the victory of the Battle of Lake Aosta to prove that His Majesty's subjects in the overseas colonies did not lack the courage to serve the country and defend the territory loyally , so as to strive for the imperial authorities to send troops from the mainland to support as soon as possible, and to fight against the invaders together with the colonial compatriots.
Since you want to show your merits and rewards, it stands to reason that Baron Laval, as the commander of the colonial garrison and the front-line commander of the Battle of Lake Aosta, should take the lead. However, Governor Nichols has to worry about the impact of the scandal.
The religious atmosphere in the Ashan Empire was far harsher than in the colonies. The Inquisition was so arrogant that it hunted and arrested the so-called "heretics" or "demon believers", and either sent them to the stake or sentenced them to life-long exile.
The former Far Eastern province of the empire was a place of exile specially used to punish heretics.
The direct cause of the rebellion in the Far Eastern provinces was that the imperial authorities did not treat the heretics and criminals in exile as human beings, and over-exploited and squeezed them, forcing the people in exile to rise up and rebel.
Even overseas colonies such as Midgard and Alfheim have always been the destinations for those pagans who refused to accept the state religion in the empire to flee and seek refuge.
The reason why the colonies have formed the looser religious beliefs today is also because a large part of the colonists are pagans who fled the empire for religious rather than economic reasons.
Governor Nichols himself tends to implement a loose religious policy. However, he has to consider that the atmosphere of the empire is very different from that of the colonies. As soon as the scandal of Laval's collusion with the devil spread back to the mainland of the empire and attracted the attention of the public opinion circles, he was in an embarrassing situation.
Governor Nichols didn't want to do bad things with good intentions and send Baron Laval to the stake.
In desperation, he could only downplay Baron Laval's achievements in the battle report.
Since Baron Laval is not suitable to be portrayed as a war hero, someone must take the first place in his place.
Judging from the actual performance on the battlefield, both Lord Custis and Logan Walsunger particularly praised the military mage Joan Vida, claiming that the talented young man from Midgard University played an important role in the war. The role of the army is at least equal to the strength of a battalion.
Governor Nichols has long heard of the name of Joan Vida's genius, and Franklin, the dean of the Officiant Law School of Midgard University, regards this student as a treasure, but these reputations are only limited to the academic field. Your Excellency really did not expect that this doctor of Austrian law, who has published many heavyweight papers at the age of 15, can achieve the same dazzling achievements as his academic achievements on the battlefield.
A young man like Dr. Vader who can not only immerse himself in learning but also be competent as a "strategic weapon" on the battlefield can be described as an "all-rounder in both civil and military affairs". , Established as a typical representative of the younger generation of colonial elites.
However, Joan Vida is too young, age is not only his greatest advantage, but also a hidden disadvantage.
Joan's position in the army is only Sir Custis's adjutant and the accompanying mage of the Volsunger Corps. Although his role on the battlefield far exceeds his duties, it cannot change the fact that this young man People are just a small role, and they can be commended as representatives of students who volunteer to join the army, but they are not suitable for publicity as "commander" figures who command the army.
Although Joan Vida is very talented, it is a pity that he is too young, his position is too low, and his qualifications are too shallow to carry the banner of "prime hero".