Marquis Yoakam stood in the dark, watching Brando and Freya leave the inner court in confusion. "Who is that woman?" "She seems to be the Knight of Her Royal Highness, my lord." "So, Yanbao intends to get close to the Royal Faction, or is this their hidden move?" Marquis Yoakam frowned. He believed that Brando was Count Yanbao, and this sudden move made him feel a little threatened.
"It's just Yanbao. It's not worth mentioning, my lord." A rough voice came from behind. Marquis Yoakam turned around and saw a bearded military officer standing behind him. He recognized this man. It was Count Vitokin, who did not show up at the meeting. He was the Black Blade Squad's Legion Commander. He was a soldier and one of Duke Seifer's loyal followers.
"Marquis Yoakam." A young man with red lips and white teeth stood beside Count Vitokin and bowed slightly to the king's brother. Marquis Yoakam noticed the young man. The young man had the aggressive aura of a young soldier. His eyes were astonishingly bright, like an eagle that was about to spread its wings.
Marquis Yoakam's eyebrows twitched as if he recognized the young man.
However, he did not intend to answer the question of the head of the Black Blade Squad. Yanbao was naturally not a concern, but it was different with Archbishop Wood behind him. Marquis Yoakam sneered in his heart. He did not intend to reveal this information to this vulgar country bumpkin. On the contrary, he was pleasantly surprised and greeted, "Cecil? I thought you weren't coming. I will never forget the hunting ground in the Grey Mountain. The scenery is beautiful, the weather is pleasant, and it is much better than His Majesty's Royal Hunting Ground. Why, do you still welcome me as a guest when you have time? "
Count Vitokin frowned. Cecil was his real name, but among the nobles, only enemies and close friends would call him by his name. Marquis Yoakam was obviously not his close friend, but he could not be considered an enemy. He also knew that the marquis was famous. However, when Cecil mentioned the hunting ground in the Grey Mountain, he could not help but twitch the corner of his mouth and change his expression.
The last time Oberg VII came to Vitojin for an inspection, the Marquis actually raped his sister. Of course, this wasn't a big deal, but the bad thing was that her fiancé was also in the castle at that time. Naturally, he did not dare to shame the king, so he could only let his sister bear the responsibility. That poor woman was still a nun in the convent. Thinking of this, Count Vitokin could not help but feel a little flustered.
Fortunately, he also knew that it would be useless to vent his anger on Marquis Yoakam. Count Vitokin knew that his king's younger brother was petty and vengeful. No one would want to offend such a person. Not to mention, the other party had a big shot backing him up. "Lord Marquis, you must be joking." Count Vitokin forced a smile. "How would I dare to compare it to His Majesty's hunting ground … That young man should be the one you met a few days ago, right?"
Marquis Yoakam pretended to change his expression, and at the same time, he secretly cursed the old man for being well-informed. "Which one?" He pretended to be puzzled.
"Lord Marquis, you don't have to hide it. This young man is a rare genius. Being defeated by him is not a shameful thing." Count Vitokin smiled and touched his chin with his hand. He did not mind that his beard was prickly. "However, it is not a good thing for a young man to be arrogant. The Elves have a saying, 'The strongest beast often becomes the hunter's prey.'"
Hearing Count Vitokin's sarcastic consolation, Marquis Yoakam's face turned livid. He secretly cursed this guy for having bad intentions. However, he rolled his eyes and suddenly saw the young man beside Count Vitokin. He quickly pretended to be angry and said, "What bad luck. I thought he was just a country bumpkin. I don't know how he got the favor of the Archbishop. Presumably, in ten or twenty years, this guy will be one of the top existences in Erouine."
As soon as he said this, Count Vitokin and the young man's faces changed. How could they not know the meaning of this sentence? The current Black Blade Squad Commander, Count Vitokin, had been blessed by the previous Archbishop. That was why he had the status he had today. In fact, his ability was far inferior to Brando's. He was also aware of this. In this way, it could be imagined that in the future, Brando's achievements would be far greater than his.
He frowned and thought that Yoakam was implying something. He could not help but secretly look at Yoakam. He found that Marquis Yoakam's face was livid. It did not seem like he was deliberately instigating discord. Vitokin was stunned for a moment, but then he felt relieved. He looked down on the King's younger brother from the bottom of his heart. Naturally, he would not suspect that Yoakam was scheming.
At this time, the young man beside Vitokin smiled and said, "Indeed. In terms of individual strength, I am afraid that at this age, there is no one who is more talented than him in Erouine. However, aristocratic politics was never based on personal strength. The aristocrats of the north would probably not give up the benefits that they had obtained for the sake of a genius. Powerful people like the Sword Saint can only show off their bravery on the battlefield. "
"Is that so?" Marquis Yoakam showed a disgusted expression and said, "I am afraid that there is no one who is more talented than him in Erouine. I heard that there is a hero in Tónigel who stepped into the Gold Realm at the age of 20. He also showed extraordinary talent in military affairs. What do you think? "
The young man's face turned red. Comparing him to a bandit was the biggest insult among the nobles. If Count Vitokin had not warned him in advance that Yoakam was always fearless with his words, and that the difference in status between the two was too great, there would have been an internal duel before Duke Seifer could even attack the Royal Faction.
But even so, the young man was so angry that he could not say a word. He could not do anything to the king's brother, but in his heart, he hated Brando who started this topic. As for the 'hero' in Tónigel that Marquis Yoakam mentioned, the young man was not willing to degrade himself to the point of arguing with a bandit. In his opinion, the difference in status between the two was too great to be measured. They were not people of the same world.
At this time, Vitokin finally realized that something was wrong and could not help but curse Yoakam in his heart. However, he did not suspect him and quickly changed the topic. "Alright, Tónigel is a matter for that bastard Randner to worry about. It has nothing to do with us, right?"
"Naturally." Marquis Yoakam shrugged and said, "This one is just mentioning it in passing."
Count Vitokin finally could not stand Yoakam's sloppy attitude. He gritted his teeth and said, "Alright, Marquis Yoakam. You know that I'm here to speak on behalf of that important person. Let's get back to the main topic. The scapegoat that you prepared made that important person very dissatisfied. Anyone with a discerning eye can see the flaw in it. Oberwei and Makarov are both shrewd people. Aren't you afraid that they will see through it and be alerted? "
"So what if they are alerted?" Marquis Yoakam smiled. "I didn't support this in the first place. I don't think that my cute niece can make any waves. Why don't you just let her abdicate the throne? "
"She hasn't ascended the throne yet. Why should she abdicate? Besides, it's Haruz's business if she wants to abdicate. " Count Vitokin cursed in his heart, but he still reminded him in a low voice, "Do you want the people to have the impression that the nobles of Erouine backed down under the threat of Cruz?"
"So what? Isn't that the truth?" Marquis Yoakam smiled slightly. "Do you think that I care about that little bit of reputation? In fact, I just want to drag you down with me. Since you want the throne, you naturally have to pay a price, right?"
Count Vitokin was almost angered to death. "You're crazy."
"What did you say?" Marquis Yoakam's face turned cold.
Vitokin then remembered that he was facing a person who would seek revenge for the smallest grievance. He quickly replied, "Nothing, it's just that … this is too crazy. If the people think that the Holy Cathedral of Fire and Cruz can influence the opinions of the nobles of Erouine, I'm afraid it will be detrimental to the rule of House Seifer. At that time, Erouine will only exist in name. Even if it's for the sake of your nephew's future, you should at least be more serious, right? "
"What does that have to do with me?" Marquis Yoakam sneered. "You want to reap the benefits without paying the price. You want me and Arreck to take the blame? It's not that easy to be a bitch. To be honest, although the plan this morning was a little unexpected, I believe that old man Arreck is not surprised at all. Do you really think that you can stop Fleetwood and Her Royal Highness with just eight Gold rankers? You underestimate the power of the royal family. Now there are only two paths in front of you. One is to force my niece to abdicate with the help of Cruz, and the other is to return to the North to prepare for war. "
"I think that old man Arreck is waiting for you to choose the second path." Marquis Yoakam replied with a smile, as if all this had nothing to do with him.
Count Vitokin's face turned red and white. He couldn't even ignore the fact that Marquis Yoakam had called him a bitch. His back was drenched in cold sweat. After a while, he raised his head and looked deeply at Marquis Yoakam. "So that's what you think. Is this what you want to say to that big shot? I understand."
Marquis Yoakam shrugged. "Do you think that I'm as afraid of Cruz as you are? Like a mouse that sees a cat?"
"That's true. Marquis Yoakam is naturally not afraid of anything." Count Vitokin spat out these words and then left the inner court. But as soon as he turned around, the smile on Marquis Yoakam's face turned cold. He rubbed his slender fingers, and the killing intent in his eyes was unrestrained.
"Marquis Yoakam, do you know that young man?" At this time, the attendant beside him whispered.
"That should be Vitokin's designated successor. I happen to know him. He fought a few beautiful battles with the Lion Beastmen. He is perfect and is also a genius. If there is no accident, the next leader of the Black Blade Corps will fall on his head. What a lucky man. "Marquis Yoakam smiled." If there is no accident. "
… …
The black tea in the white porcelain teacup had completely cooled down and solidified into the color of agate. There were only a few people in the splendidly decorated study. Soft light shone through the floor-to-ceiling window onto the carpet. The light separated the people in the room into two sides. One side was Brando and Freya, and the other side was the quiet princess. Beside her stood Maynild, Fleetwood, Makarov, Oberwei, and a balding middle-aged noble that Brando did not know the name of.
Erouine's future little king, the young man named Haruz, stood beside the middle-aged noble.
It was the first time that Brando had time to carefully look at the princess since he came to this world. After the mysterious halo in his impression faded, the half-elf girl's beauty became clearer. Fortunately, he had seen a lot of beauties, so he had some resistance. He compared the beauties in his memory and suddenly realized that the princess in his previous life did not leave much of an impression on him other than her strong, unyielding, and shining faith. Instead, she was like a beautiful symbol.
But the one in front of him was obviously much more genuine.
If Brando had to give an evaluation, then she was just a beautiful half-elf girl. Her silver curly hair shone under the afternoon sun, and her slender shoulders seemed to be wrapped in a soft halo. But there was a trace of undetectable distress between her eyebrows. This girl who was supposed to be in the prime of her life was obviously carrying too many things.
At least, as half of the soul of a modern person, Brando could not understand how a girl of her age could understand the dirtiest and darkest side of the political struggle and voluntarily participate in it. Brando had seen some analysis topics on the forum, and one of them was about the princess's memoirs. She saw herself as a commodity and accepted the high honor of being the princess of Erouine. In the eyes of others, it was an honor, but in her eyes, it was a responsibility.
Brando did not have close contact with the princess in his previous life. His senior once said that she was a silly child. He could not help but look curiously at the shrewd girl. Was she really stupid?
In reality, Brando had always kept a respectful distance from such people.
But here, he felt an inexplicable attraction, like a moth drawn to a flame. Fortunately, after experiencing so many things, Brando's temperament was no longer the same as before. He silently looked at the princess for a while and then withdrew his gaze. In fact, Brando did not think that the Royal Faction, including the current princess, had made the right choice.
But it was true that there was no one more suitable than Erouine for this position. Brando was a lazy person. In his opinion, as long as he helped Erouine get through this difficult time and prevent history from repeating, there should be no problem for this country to continue for another one or two hundred years.
As for the future, he had never considered it. There was no dynasty in the world that lasted for thousands of years. He just wanted to make up for his regrets. In fact, he was more interested in exploring the world beyond the wilderness.
"First of all, I would like to thank you for saving us during the meeting, Mister Brendel," the princess was the first to break the silence in the study. Her voice was soft and pleasant to the ears. "But I really can't bring myself to say thank you. The Royal Faction has never met you before, but you have given us a lot of help. I haven't even had the chance to thank you every single time. Speaking of which, it's really rude of me —"
"Your Royal Highness." Brando habitually opened his mouth.
But as soon as he opened his mouth, he noticed that Gryphine's eyes lit up. Most of the other people's faces also changed. Brando paused for a moment before he realized that he had made a mistake. The Royal Princess was the king's sister. This title was only given to her after Haruz's coronation and Gryphine became the Regent Princess. It was a slip of the tongue that he said that, which was really disgraceful.
Fortunately, the Royal Faction did not feel that there was anything wrong with it. In their opinion, Brando's words were an acknowledgment of Haruz's position. This was an act of choosing a side. In politics, it was taboo to choose a side without knowing which side to take. Brando had made his stand clear from the start, which won him the favor of Fleetwood, Makarov, and the others. Even the old court mage who was prejudiced against Brando couldn't help but nod in satisfaction.
This young man was smart and steady, to be able to think of such a way to choose a side. As expected of the descendant of a great family, everyone thought so.
Brando naturally did not know that his slip of the tongue had caused so many misunderstandings. He smiled bitterly and continued, "What happened in Tónigel was actually me using the Royal Princess. Your Royal Highness does not need to apologize."
"Is that so?" Gryphine was in a good mood. She smiled and said, "But then again, we haven't really met Mister Brando yet. There are rumors that you are a Highland Knight. May I ask if this is true? "
Brando nodded.
… …
(Author's Note: I made a few mistakes in yesterday's chapter. First, I added Crown of Thorns and Blood of the Scorching Sun, which were originally Lv 5, to Lv 10. I also added Conflict Aura into the list. Conflict Aura was added to Lv 10 in Chapter 274. Also, the unlocked level for mid-tier skills was Lv 30 instead of Lv 25.
The second mistake was that I accidentally changed Jonathon from almost dying to a Necromancer to Jonathon being killed by a Necromancer. Damn, I can't believe Jonathon would come to me with a face full of blood and say that I died a horrible death … I immediately kneeled down to Jonathon.
Also, there is a prerequisite for the experience gained from killing people. That is, these people are disguised as cultists. In fact, you should know from the previous chapters that cultists like the Disciples of the Black Flames who believe in Chaos are seen as monsters.
In short, you can just treat them as if they are not humans. Instead of staying in the Order Faction, they chose to join the Twilight Dragon. This is the worst kind of evil that can't be escaped from.
As for the compensation for yesterday's mistake … this … can I roll around and act cute?) (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to qidian.com to vote for me. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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