She changed Europe

Page 61

PS1: Everyone's come looking for the fox.

Chapter 224 Irises Withering in the Alps: Capter 85 The Jesuits (Seeking Votes)

"Excuse me, beautiful Miss Rita, now that you've come here, could you please explain that it was a clue left to you by your Highness that allowed you to come here?" Chloris twirled the dagger in her hand, sheathed it, and calmly surveyed her surroundings.

There are many paths to Gisela, and Chloris doesn't believe that so many coincidences could happen in such a large country as Italy.

"..." Rita fell silent at Chloris's speculation, because even he had to admit that the woman in front of him was a little too perceptive.

“Yes, Her Highness did leave me a clue, but I only hope she is really safe and sound.” Rita bit her lip. Clearly, this memory was too cruel for her. Watching her beloved fall into the icy Ticino River, exhausted, and being powerless to help, the self-blame completely crushed Rita that day.

She frantically broke free from Tifa's grip and jumped into the Ticino River in search of her prince. The swift current carried her downstream, and she remained submerged for hours before finally being washed ashore.

She didn't know how long she had been unconscious, but in her dream she suddenly remembered the clues her prince had left for her. So when she woke up again, she went straight to the place she remembered.

"Don't worry, the little fox is most likely still alive."

How can you be so sure?

“This is my intuition, and it’s normal that you don’t understand.” Chloris first examined Rita’s maid outfit, which had some stains on its chest, with her scarlet eyes, then raised the corners of her mouth and looked at Rita’s pretty face with interest.

So focused on chasing the little fox, I completely overlooked the fact that the maid beside her was also a true beauty.

Li raised an eyebrow at the somewhat amused look in his eyes and instinctively took a step back towards the wall behind her.

"It's meaningless for you to look at me like that, because my heart and soul belong only to our Highness!" Rita's cold expression softened with a hint of apprehension, and her right hand clenched tighter. Although she and Chloris often hurt each other before, if they really fought, ten of them wouldn't be a match for her! After all, that's the difference between a Magic User and a Magic Warrior.

"Is that so?" Chloris pinned Rita against the wall, wedged her knee between Rita's feet, firmly restrained her right hand with her left hand, and then lifted Rita's chin with her right hand.

"Let me go!" Rita tried to turn her head to the side, but Chloris's right hand wouldn't allow it.

"Do you know? Taking something from someone else is the happiest thing in the world, whether it's their sweetheart, their wife, their wealth, or their power. Conquest is the most primal and fundamental human desire. Isn't obeying desire a blessing from God?" Chloris whispered in Rita's ear, her gentle words and warm breath caressing her earlobe like a feather lightly teasing Rita's already reddened earlobe.

“Shut...up...you blasphemous Protestants.” Rita’s words sounded fierce, but her unsteady demeanor and wavering tone betrayed her inner turmoil. (Prussia was a Protestant country; those familiar with history should know why.)

"Oh? Although you say that, Miss Rita's physical reaction isn't as sharp as your words suggest." Chloris ran her index finger down Rita's chin. Her slender finger gently brushed past Rita's neck, then her chest, and then her lower abdomen. Even through her clothes, the ticklish sensation both surprised and delighted Rita. After all, she had her little fetishes. She understood what Chloris wanted to do next, but she didn't understand this subtle sense of transgression, why she felt a fleeting "anticipation."

Damn it! If this continues, I'll be letting down my princess... Rita warned herself inwardly.

"We're being watched. There's someone on the left side of the roof and someone in the corner of the second-floor balcony," Chloris whispered in Rita's ear, pulling her back to reality from her reverie.

"Don't alert them yet. Now, put your arm around me and hold my left hand with your right. I'll get your dagger for you, and you get mine for me. You'll be on the second floor, and I'll go to the roof." Since both of them had their dagger sheaths hanging under their skirts near their thighs, it would be too much of a movement for them to get them themselves. But when they were doing this, they would reach under each other's skirts, making it less obvious.

Someone was plotting to kill two birds with one stone, but nobody cared at the moment.

And so the two masked men, who were watching the two beautiful ladies doing some unspeakable things, prepared to enjoy an interesting performance like onlookers.

“drei, zwei, eins!” (German: 3, 2, 1) As soon as Chloris finished speaking, the two girls quickly separated. Rita stepped on a wooden barrel on the side of the wall, then jumped to the opposite wall, completed another leap, grabbed the railing with her left hand, and then used her magic to amplify her body, spun 180 degrees and flipped onto the balcony. She kicked her right leg, which was wearing a high heel, in the face of the person watching. With a huge impact, the masked man was knocked to the ground, and the mask was easily shattered.

Unlike Rita, whose movements were fluid and graceful, Chloris's approach was much simpler and more brutal. She easily leaped onto the roof and then punched the masked man on it. Watching the figure fly away, kicking up tiles, Chloris was somewhat surprised; it seemed that these two were much weaker than she had imagined.

"Your Highness Chloris, I've taken care of things here." Rita, carrying the man she had just knocked down, jumped onto the roof.

"The holy nail, the sun, and the ISIS cross—it's the Jesuit order." This symbol was all too familiar to Chloris; it belonged to the Jesuit order of the Roman Catholic Church.

The Jesuits, one of the major Catholic orders, emerged against the backdrop of the decline of the Knights of Faith. Founded in Paris in 1534 by the Spanish nobleman Ignatius of Loyola in response to challenges from the Reformation and heresy, the Jesuits were officially recognized as a semi-military organization by Pope Paul III in 1540. Modeled after the military, they maintained strict discipline. However, learning from the mistakes of the Knights of Faith, they no longer operated as a military force, but rather remained infiltrated throughout European society, controlling resources in various sectors to strengthen the influence of the Roman Catholic Church over the continent.

The Jesuit order is based on the three vows of a typical religious order (poverty, chastity, and obedience), but emphasizes absolute and unconditional obedience to the Pope. The order is further divided into three ranks: priests, monks, and assistant monks. Priests are the core of the Jesuit order, and leaders at each rank are elected from among them, known as generals. Their superintendent is called the Black Pope, and theoretically, like the Knights of the Order, they are subordinate to the White Pope (the Pope of Rome).

PS1: It's already the third year of junior high!

Chapter 225 Irises Withering in the Alps: Capter 86 Aponia's Hint

Ordinary people like Chloris and Rita, who don't care about the secrets of the church, would not know about the power struggles within, nor that the Black Pope had already controlled the Roman Catholic Church.

"The Jesuits?" As a secret religious order within the Catholic Church, even a devout Catholic like Rita was seeing real members of the Jesuits for the first time.

"Why would the Vatican be spying on us?" Logically speaking, the Empire is the Vatican's greatest ally and strongest backer. Given this relationship, Rita has no reason to believe what is happening before her eyes.

"Could they be here to spy on me?" As a pivotal Protestant nation in Europe, it wouldn't be unreasonable for Prussia to spy on her, would it? After all, in the eyes of these fanatics, heretics are often more hateful than heretics.

"In any case, we still need to continue the interrogation..." Just as Chloris was preparing to interrogate the person Rita had captured, a nun appeared behind them without them noticing.

This nun had an unbelievably good figure. Despite wearing an extremely conservative nun's habit, her voluptuous body, as beautiful as a goddess, gave the habit a seductive quality while maintaining a sense of holiness, making both of them turn their heads.

"Excuse me, ma'am, who are you?" Rita looked at the woman with some wariness.

“Me? I am but a servant of the Lord who happened to pass by, a lost soul. The one you are looking for is further south. Pack your bags and set off.” The nun held her arms across her chest, appearing exceptionally devout.

“You don’t seem to have told me your identity.” Rita frowned, more concerned about this question than her previous words.

“The Holy See has instructed me to keep a close eye on all foreign dignitaries active in northern Italy, and you are clearly one of them.” The nun spoke calmly, her tone utterly indifferent, as if recounting a trivial matter.

"One of them?"

“Yes, one of them, Your Highness. You must understand, who in Britain, France, Sardinia, Prussia, and Austria wouldn’t want to find that lovely prince? You know, worms don’t have time to wait for late birds.” After speaking, the nun looked at Rita beside her, then took a step and jumped in front of the two of them as if unaffected by gravity. She took her subordinate from Rita’s hands and walked towards the subordinate who was also unconscious in the distance.

Why should we believe you?

"Whether you believe or not is up to your own judgment. The Jesuits and even the Holy See will not choose to be enemies with either side of your conflict." The nun quickly jumped off the roof and disappeared from their sight.

Although they didn't understand the Jesuits' stance, they could only take things one step at a time, whether they were friend or foe. At this moment, Chloris and Rita, though not communicating, reached an astonishing understanding.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Several more sunny days have passed, a rare rest for the villagers who grow olives. The fruits absorb enough nutrients in the summer, and as long as they are watered properly, they will have a good harvest by the end of the year. It is unclear whether it is due to the climate or the local environment, but this large plantation rarely encounters pests or diseases.

In the sweltering summer, people prefer to stay indoors and seek shade under the trees. The ancient olive trees, some decades old, have become a popular summer retreat for locals.

At this moment, Laura and her sister, along with Gisela and Garibaldi, as well as Sister Aponia from the church, the four "young ladies" and a little girl, were enjoying the shade under the big tree.

Perhaps it was because of her fluffy fox ears and fox tail, Gisela was only wearing a white linen dress, which was much cooler than the elegant and dignified Aponia opposite her, who was completely covered in a nun's habit except for her face. Yet, she still felt the hottest.

Sweat soaked her clothes, leaving her feeling sticky and uncomfortable, which gave Gisela a strange and unsettling feeling. But what puzzled her most was that, ever since that day, Garibaldi's gaze towards her had become much more subtle.

Thinking of this, Gisela used her knees and hands to support herself as she crawled to Garibaldi's side and said somewhat obediently:

"Is my sister still angry because I didn't want to leave with you right away?" Gisela blinked her innocent big eyes, which were filled with disappointment.

"I didn't, I didn't..." Garibaldi raised an eyebrow at Gisela's words, somewhat unwilling to admit it, and turned her head away shyly, not daring to meet the fox's gaze, afraid that she would not be able to help but feel sorry for the guy again.

"What did you say, sister? I didn't hear you clearly?" Gisela tilted her head and looked at Garibaldi with feigned confusion.

You think you can mess with me? I've seen plenty of works like this in my past life. Once a man starts using these tricks, women have nothing to do with him. It seems easier to control Garibaldi than I thought.

"Alright, I have to leave for a bit." Garibaldi stood up again and walked away somewhat awkwardly.

Of the three sitting a little further away, only Aponia's gaze remained fixed on Gisela, never wavering for even a second. The other two simply assumed Gisela was having a casual interaction with Miss Garibaldi, so they didn't interfere. After witnessing the entire process, Aponia nodded thoughtfully, as if confirming something.

After a moment, Aponia rose from her kneeling position, walked lightly to Gisela, then knelt down again, politely bowed to Gisela, and said:

“Miss Ulpe, please remember what I told you. Of course, after you have heard these words clearly, please keep them to yourself and do not tell anyone.” Aponia took off the white glove covering her right hand, revealing a pair of black lace gloves with a purple-red rose decoration on them.

"I came to this monastery three years ago. This monastery belongs to a special institution of the Roman Catholic Church called the Thirteenth Division. I won't tell you too much about this institution here, but please remember that if you encounter any difficulties in the future, just look for the room called XIII in churches around the world and give it to them. They will provide you with some simple assistance." The Thirteenth Division has always operated in secrecy, so in the eyes of the Jesuits, it is still just a loyal henchman of the Papacy, a convenient tool in the hands of the puppet Pope.

PS1: The Papacy has multiple factions 0v0

Chapter 226 Irises Withering in the Alps: Capter87 The Thirteenth Court (Seeking Votes)

Aponia handed Gisela a badge that resembled wings, then looked at the princess with a smile.

The nun's smile seemed to radiate sincerity and enthusiasm, but Gisela felt an inexplicable feeling. For some reason, she had a gut feeling that she should not believe anyone here.

“Miss Aponia, why are you telling me all this? Am I someone closely related to you? If so, please tell me about my past.” Gisela frowned slightly, feigning ignorance as she spoke.

After all, he hadn't really lost his memory. But he could use this persona to get the other person to say something in return.

"It's not the time to tell you about your identity. In short, while you can befriend Miss Garibaldi, you must never go with her." The reason why the Thirteen Courts arranged for Gisela to meet with Garibaldi, and why they arranged for Gisela to stay at Laura's house, makes it easy to guess that they must have their own ulterior motives. Now, combined with the other party's words, this confirms a fact: the Thirteen Courts seem to have some disagreements with Garibaldi and the Sardinian Kingdom behind her.

“Alright, Miss Urpe, it’s time for lunch. Look, Miss Laura and her sister are waiting for us.” Aponia patted Gisela on the shoulder, indicating that she shouldn’t worry about the current problem and should just stay here for a while.

“Miss Aponia, how long do I need to stay here?” Gisela asked her last question.

“Soon…” Aponia’s words were still quite vague, but she believed that this was enough for the princess before her. Gisela nodded and continued to enjoy her picnic with the ladies and the tranquil midday.

Port of Toulon, France

At this moment, a dark-haired woman was lying on a bench, enjoying the sun while looking at the news in a newspaper with great interest, and behind her was a servant giving her a massage.

After all, for Sarah Adolph Thiers, Napoleon III's wars had nothing to do with her.

At that moment, a blonde woman stood directly in front of her, blocking the light from her newspaper. The dark-haired woman looked up and glanced at the unusually impolite woman with some impatience.

“Go away, Elizabeth. I’m not interested in what you did that night.” Sarah waved her hand, signaling her maid to step aside. Then she sat up and dressed in front of the servants. Since the beach was her private property, she had no problem with it. Her maids were used to their mistress’s somewhat indifferent attitude towards worldly opinions.

"Really? Sarah, have you forgotten our failure last time?" Originally, the plan was to launch a sneak attack to kill Gisela, escalate the conflict between Austria and Napoleon III, and incidentally decide to cooperate with the Jesuits.

Unfortunately, her overconfidence ultimately led to Gisela not being killed, which in turn led to what happened next. This incident brought Thiers' relationship with the Jesuits to a freezing point. After all, the shadow queen of France did not show enough sincerity, and her perfunctory attitude towards the agreement did indeed disappoint the Jesuits.

“It doesn’t matter. Even without their support, I can still obtain the power that belongs to us. Besides, Princess Gisela is still in a state of uncertainty. I have already achieved my initial goal. Look at how Joseph and Napoleon III are locked in a life-or-death struggle across the Ticino River. What is there to regret?” Thiers raised his right hand and snapped his fingers. The maid kneeling on the ground slowly rose and fastened the back of her bodice.

“Sarah, unfortunately you guessed wrong this time.” Elizabeth looked at Sarah with a smug expression, then took out a document stamped with the Jesuit seal from her bag.

“Gisella is not dead; she is now in the mountains near Voguera. Of course, this information comes from Jesuit informants.” Elizabeth waved the document in her hand, refusing to hand it to Thiers.

“Miss Elizabeth, if I remember correctly…” Sarah sneered.

“You seem to be still a fledgling.” Sarah crossed her legs and rubbed her soft, curly black hair, propping her right hand on her knee as she looked at the blonde duchess with great interest.

"Why did you suddenly bring this up!" Elizabeth was somewhat surprised, her eyes flashing with an awkwardness that was different from her previous smugness.

“I just noticed that no one seems to realize your situation. As for what you talked about at the salon last time, maybe I should tell them next time.” Thiers licked his lips, revealing his signature mischievous grin.

"Enough! Here you go! I'll give it to you! Sarah, you devil! You're not only an exhibitionist, but also a bullying lunatic. You're practically the 19th-century French female version of the Marquis de Sade!" Elizabeth finally succumbed to Thiers' threats and was forced to back down.

Thiers took the document and carefully examined its contents.

If I were not a demon, how could I rule over you beasts in human skin? You bathe in human blood, and how many in my Order Party speak lofty words while committing acts of ruthless exploitation and cannibalism? God gave the French people the weapon of resistance (revolution), but He did not give them the wisdom to understand, and the apple of Eden was never picked again.

"Tell them there's no problem. This time I will personally lead the army." After a moment, Thiers stood up, gave Elizabeth the order, wrapped himself in a towel, and walked towards his villa.

-

On September 3, 1870, after several weeks of rest, Napoleon III finally issued the order to cross the river and march straight for Milan. The French army would be divided into two columns.

The First Column, nominally commanded by Napoleon III, comprised nine divisions—18 brigades (117 battalions)—including one Guards Grenadier Division, the corps of François Certain-Comrobet, Adolphe Nière, and Achille Baraj-Durieux. This column advanced directly along the Novara-Milan road, where the San Martino Bridge is located. Their primary objective was to capture the Boffalola and Magenta Bridges, thereby opening the passage from Novara to Milan and paving the way for the subsequent siege of Milan.

The second column, commanded by Miss Patrice McMahon, comprised one Guards light cavalry division, her own corps, and the main force of the Sardinian army brought from Sardinia, totaling eight divisions, or 16 brigades (109 battalions, due to some differences in organization between the Sardinian and French armies). This column also needed to cross the Ticino River. After crossing, it could not linger; it had to cross the Navillio River before the main force of the first column reached Magenta, thus enabling a flank maneuver against the Austrian army, that is, launching an attack from the north of the main Austrian force's location.

PS1: Ra!

Chapter 227 Irises Withering in the Alps: Capter 88 Battle of Magenta (Seeking Votes)

Faced with the overwhelming French army, the senile and incompetent Marshal Güle, considering the safety of His Majesty the Emperor and Empress, decided to abandon the small fortresses along the Ticino River that required a large number of troops to defend. He left nine brigades to defend the San Martino Bridge and deployed the main force near the Magenta Bridge, while Freya was required to remain in Milan to prevent enemy attacks.

On the other hand, according to war game simulations, Marshal Güle and Emperor Joseph reached an agreement that the French army would launch a frontal attack on the Austrian army, just as it had done 60 years ago.

Therefore, they decided to send a detachment of troops from Magenta along the Abbiategrasso direction, with the aim of launching a surprise attack on the flank of the main French force in front of them, and of course, to keep an eye on the roads toward Milan.

Of course, that's not all. Considering that northern Italy is flat and has many rivers, the imperial army also needed to allocate a large number of troops to defend various key points leading to Milan. This greatly dispersed the already small number of troops in the empire, making the forces even more stretched. Of course, this also exposed Marshal Güle's outdated strategic awareness.

For example, General Kramgalas's First Army had just arrived in Milan when half of its forces had to be sent to the vicinity of Magenta to join General Lichtsteiner's Second Army to complete the deployment. The reserves for both armies were the Leschach Division, which was transferred from the Seventh Army under General Zobel's command.

The remaining 1 division of the 1st Corps (commanded by General Corden) moved along the road to Turbigo; 2 divisions of the 2nd Corps guarded the bridge, 1 division was located near Mazhenta, and the Leshah Division (belonging to the 7th Corps), as mentioned earlier, was positioned near Kolbieta.

The forced dismantling of various units for strategic reasons was not a major issue in itself, but the Austrian Imperial Army had always been divided according to ethnicity. While a unit with similar languages ​​would not have trouble command, the forced dismantling of the units highlighted the problem of coordination between them.

It's worth mentioning that Gisela's Bohemian Army has been taken over by the Marquis of Brno, appointed by Emperor Joseph. This nobleman is Rania's father, and his adjutant is still Tifa. In fact, in terms of political stance, the high command of the Bohemian Army is still in the hands of the Empress's faction, that is, Gisela's current backer, her mother, Empress Elizabeth.

This heroic unit, which had previously shone brightly, has been given a new name by Joseph: the "Snow Fox" Army, named after the magical armor used by their former commander. Whether it was to commemorate his daughter, whose fate was unknown, or to express the Emperor's anger towards the French, he had a reason for choosing this name.

At this time, in the Austrian military camp located in Magen Tower—

"Mr. Hans, how long will this war last?" Pete asked, looking at the middle-aged man with a bandage around his right eye and a cigarette dangling from his lips. Hans and Pete, one older and one younger, were not related by blood, but their relationship was closer than father and son. They had both participated in the defense of Obira, witnessed the princess's genius-level command skills (in their opinion), and her terrifying strength as a magic user. To them, that princess was no longer just a 14-year-old girl, but a true deity worthy of worship.

It's a pity that he perished in the devastating explosion that night. Although everyone said that His Highness was protected by God and would be alright, there had been no news for nearly half a month, which made this veteran Hans become pessimistic.

Hans seemed too absorbed in his own thoughts to hear Pete's question.

"Uncle Hans! There's some cigarette ash on your boots," Pete reminded him somewhat helplessly. At that moment, Hans also felt a burning sensation on his boots. He quickly threw the cigarette butt on the ground, then stood with his right foot on the ground, lifted his left foot, and patted the smoking boots with his hand.

"Pete, why are you only reminding me now?" Hans frowned, then looked angrily at the boy, whom he considered somewhat unkind.

"You're blaming me! Uncle, I talked to you for a while, and you didn't reply to a word." Pete tapped the ground with the butt of his Skoda 1869 rifle, somewhat annoyed.

Hans looked at the young man in front of him and sighed helplessly. After all, he was in the wrong and there was no use in saying anything more.

"What did you say earlier, kid?" Hans sat back down cross-legged on the ground, picked up his rifle, and cleaned the remaining dirt from the barrel.

“I’m asking how long we’re going to fight this war,” Pete repeated his question once more.

"You should ask God about that, but I am still very grateful for His Majesty's visit." Emperor Joseph's arrival brought more supplies to the empire's soldiers, whether it was cigarettes or food. Finally, they no longer had to endure moldy and smelly meat products, nor did they have to worry about the miserable situation of having diarrhea every day.

Although the French developed canned food as early as 1804, the method involved packing meat and soybeans into jars, gently sealing them with corks (ensuring gas could freely enter), and then heating them in a hot water bath until the food boiled for 30 to 60 minutes. After removing the jars, the corks were tightened while still hot, and the jars were coated with wax to seal them. However, this technology was not mature enough to be widely adopted until Louis Pasteur's sterilization theory emerged in 1873, which truly made canned food popular.

Of course, for soldiers of that era, canned food was still a distant dream.

“Indeed, His Majesty’s arrival has greatly improved our situation.” Pete nodded in agreement.