"Cruz's envoy?"
"A man named Donnus Burney, a viscount."
"Wait, I know this man," Brando interrupted The Shire, remembering that Veronica had once told him this name. This man was a secret envoy of the Silver Queen. After the explosion in the Deadly Frost Forest, the Empire sent an envoy to investigate the whereabouts of the eldest prince. This man was the main person in charge of the envoy. Veronica also told him that this man's real purpose was probably to confirm the death of the eldest prince. "I also know about this envoy," he finally remembered this matter. Recently, there had been a succession of affairs, mainly the Autumn Twilight War and the sudden letter from Her Royal Highness, which made him almost forget about this matter, "Are these Cruz people ready to return to the Empire? Why did Dilferi suddenly tell us this?"
"No, My Lord, in fact, the Cruz envoy is still in Lantonilan. Now they are in charge of someone else. According to our understanding, this Mr. Donnus Burney has not appeared from beginning to end," The Shire replied.
"What the hell is going on?" Brando frowned.
"It is said that because the viscount suddenly felt unwell, he returned with the fleet in Derdtal. He did not go ashore in Arreck at all."
Brando thought that this was obviously an excuse. Since this man was the queen's secret envoy, how could he return empty-handed because he was unwell? He first thought that maybe the Cruz people noticed something, but then he suddenly realized how Dilferi knew about this. In the territory, there were only a few people around him who knew about the existence of the Broken Sword Knight Order and Prince Lenarette. He suppressed the doubts in his heart and asked, "This is just an internal matter of the Cruz people. Why did Miss Dilferi tell us this?"
The Shire naturally understood Brando's subtext. He replied, "My Lord, this is actually the case. It is said that the Cruz people's returning fleet hunted a rare beast on the Shining Sea and wanted to present it to Her Majesty the Queen. In order to guard against the attack of the Temple of the Earth, they chose a more reliable land route." Count Yanbao's situation is unknown. Some people say that he is seriously ill, some say that he is dead. In short, he has not appeared in public since four or five months. As for Miss Dilferi … Well … Miss Dilferi is now Tónigel … cough … guest. "When he said the word guest, there was inevitably some awkwardness. In fact, everyone knew that the Countess was worried about her father's situation and was eager to fly back to the Yanbao territory immediately. However, she was placed under house arrest in Abies by Brando. Of course, this was also at the behest of Her Royal Highness the Princess. The purpose was to ensure the safety of the Countess so that she would not be a moth to a flame. He paused for a moment and continued, "All in all, now Yanbao is a dragon without a head. Those guys led by Baron Dahl spread all kinds of rumors all day long, wanting to seize the Count's power. However, the Yanbao family's reputation is still there, and it will be difficult for them to succeed in a short time. The Cruz Empire has also had considerable influence in Yanbao for a long time, so of course, these people will not let go of the opportunity to curry favor with Viscount Donnas Burney. "
"I don't know if you still remember that you and Her Royal Highness had asked Count Yanilasu to investigate Yanbao. Soon after that, the Count sent a group of people into Yanbao. These people were quite efficient. They quickly got in touch with Dilferi's old subordinates and established a secret network." Brando knew that this matter was actually ordered by Her Royal Highness, and he did not intervene at all. However, when it came to The Shire's mouth, he, the feudal lord, got half of the credit for no reason. Of course, he could hear this kind of compliment, but it was difficult to expose it. Or rather, it was better to say that he had long been used to it. But when he heard this, he finally understood something.
The Shire continued, "So these people reported this matter to Count Yanilasu as usual. They also used a Record Crystal to attach the images of the convoy, Mr. Donnas Burney, and other accompanying servants and assistants. Count Yanilasu then sent the report and the Record Crystal to Miss Dilferi. This matter itself is not too important, but Miss Dilferi more or less heard about you, Lady Veronica, and Prince Lenarette entering the Deadly Frost Forest together. After she learned about the purpose of this diplomatic mission, she was worried that the Kirrlutzians would harm you, my Lord, so she handed these things over to Medissa. I didn't expect that our little princess would really find out something fish- "
"What's fishy?" Brando frowned slightly when he heard this.
"This Viscount Donnas Burney, there's nothing wrong with him, but Princess Metisha seems to have recognized someone among the entourage and assistants of the convoy."
"Recognized someone?" Brando's heart skipped a beat. "Who?"
"This person should be one of the military officers accompanying Cruz and Veronica. I have some impression of him, but it's not as deep as Metisha's."
"My Lord," Metisha's voice finally sounded at this time. It was as gentle as ever, but it was organized. "If I remember correctly, that person should be called Boymer. I've heard others call him that before. He went under the glacier with us at that time. He's one of the noble military officers accompanying Cruz. He's a little young, about twenty years old. "
Brando felt as if there was an electric current flowing through his back, making his hair stand on end. He took a light breath. Although he did not speak, his expression was so serious that Amandina and Freya could see the clues. The two girls looked at each other and looked at him with some worry. Brando put his hands on the desk. Countless images flashed through his mind. He thought carefully for a moment and suddenly asked. "When did Cruz's envoy arrive in Derdtal?"
"The 19th of August. That's the fire-raising festival of the mountain people." Amandina answered without thinking.
"The 19th of August." Brando repeated to himself. "It's been four weeks since we left the Deadly Tundra. It's been exactly a month."
"The Shire, how long has it been since Viscount Donnas Burney arrived in Yanbao?" He asked again.
The Shire calculated. "Miss Dilferi received the letter last week, but it took a lot of twists and turns to reach Tónigel. It should have been at least a month before that, not less."
A month. Brando's heart went cold. This was enough time for Cruz to walk back to Lust Tower. Freya looked at him from the side and finally couldn't help but ask. "Brando, what happened?"
"I think we were careless, Freya." Brando answered word by word.
"Careless?"
"It's all my fault. I didn't think of this direction at all." He could not help but pat his forehead in annoyance. Then, he said in a deep voice, "Ciel, let the spies we sent out ask. Let them search the area around the Deadly Frost Forest again. Spread out the image of that guy and confirm if anyone has seen him. No, I think someone has definitely seen him. The key is where and when. I want to find out the answer to this question as soon as possible. Also, think of a way to send a group of people to the Cruz Empire. If it doesn't work, ask Count Janilasu to help us. He won't refuse. "
"My Lord, before I passed this message to you, Miss Roman had already sent people. Now the territory is fully activated," The Shire replied. "But there are some mercenary leaders who still don't understand the situation. They want to ask if you are making a fuss over nothing. Metisha and I are also here to ask you for instructions."
"She did the right thing." Brando heard the news and let out a long sigh. "Wait for the news. I hope Cruz won't regret it."
Brando felt someone pressing down on his arm. He turned around and saw Amandina looking at him with some worry.
"Is there news about Scarlet?" Amandina asked sharply.
He nodded slowly.
The victory of the Battle of Autumn Dusk had not yet spread throughout the south, but all kinds of rumors had already spread widely in the areas affected by the war. The Randner people were uneasy for the first two weeks, but they were also looking forward to it. They were uneasy because they were afraid of being punished, but they were also looking forward to it because the young and promising Count was likely to become their new ruler in the future. But compared to the other parts of the south where all kinds of rumors were flying, Viero and Tónigel were uncharacteristically quiet. In Viero, Fort Valentin was sending out a large number of messengers day after day. They carried the secret letter back and forth between the north and south, day after day.
In Tónigel, only a few people with sharp senses could sense that a storm was brewing under the calm surface. The merchants in Port Gris gradually began to feel that the patrols of the cavalry were becoming more frequent, and the inspections were becoming stricter day after day. The goods exported from the territory were also quietly changing. The magic crystals in the Black Forest had been decreasing for several months, and it seemed that they had finally run out. Furs, leather, and metal ores were replaced by other goods, and the number of ships transporting goods into the territory had suddenly increased.
Some people were secretly speculating that the people of Tónigel were preparing for a new war.
The weather was getting colder by the day, but the black pines in the forest seemed to be growing taller in the cold weather. Or perhaps it was the withered leaves that set off these evergreen Erouine symbols. Even though the rivers had not started to freeze, most of them were already covered in white frost. At the beginning of November, it was said that people in Menta saw Knights descending from the sky and walking out of the flames. These Knights were like gods descending from the heavens, patrolling the skies for a while before disappearing. Those who witnessed this scene with their own eyes swore that they were the Maids of War. It was said that when they appeared, it often meant the arrival of an era of war.
While these illusory legends were spreading, a message tied to the leg of a carrier pigeon fell into the hands of The Shire.
"There's news, my Lord." When The Shire spoke through the telepathic link, Brando was still telling his mother the stories that had happened in the past few days. The fireplace was already lit, and the charcoal crackled inside the iron fence. He had already repeated his experiences more than ten times, but Lady Windsor did not get tired of it at all, especially when she knew that her son had a 'kind-hearted and good housekeeper' in Tónigel. This was how Brando described it. He thought that the Roman's mind was simple, and could probably be described as kind-hearted. As for housekeeping, the merchant girl had the ability to gain something without risking anything, so it should be barely acceptable.
But when he heard The Shire's words, he immediately stood up from the sofa and gestured to his mother, Amandina, and Freya. He then walked to the side and asked in a low voice: "What's going on?"
"My Lord, you guessed right. Someone has seen this person near the Deadly Frost Forest. That person is a farmer near Bernicel, called Old Bayard. He has a daughter called Jocelyn, and they rented a carriage to that person after the explosion. It is said that the person gave them a sum of money and never appeared again. There was another person with him, and according to the girl's description, Metisha believes that the second person should be a noble called Babarn."
"They rented a carriage." Brando muttered to himself: "Bernicel has a hostel, so why would they rent a carriage from a farmer's house? Most of the farmer's carriages are covered wagons with large sheds. Normal nobles would not ride those things."
"They wanted to store something." The Shire replied.
"And then?" Brando asked again: "Did anyone see this carriage near Derdtal? No, if I were them, I would be more careful. They should have changed carriages along the way."
"My Lord, you guessed correctly. They changed carriages at Arucher and Winterrose Castle. But after we confirmed their route, it was easy to ask for these details. The last carriage they used was indeed last seen in Derdtal. Someone saw them around the middle of August."
"Middle of August." Brando replied: "Derdtal, Cruz."
He took a deep breath and clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles cracked. He practically squeezed out the last few words from between his teeth, "Mr. Donnas Burney and the others, the 'rare beast' they were escorting was probably transported by a carriage, right?"
"Yes, my Lord." The Shire was silent for a while before he replied: "My Lord."
Amandina and Freya sat on the sofa and looked at Brando's gloomy face.
… …
The fireplace in the study room was also burning with flames, illuminating a few faces.
"Go and invite the Count, Mistress Hill. I'll have to trouble you."
Princess Gryphine put down the letter in her hand and looked at Makarov. This was the tenth letter she received in two weeks. This letter was personally sent by the cunning fox of the kingdom. It was obvious that the Royal Faction had foreseen the subtle changes in the situation. It was not strange for the Empire to confer the title of Countess. It could even be said that it had nothing to do with Erouine. But the Countess' birth was related to a similarly sensitive person in the kingdom. After reading the letter, Gryphine let go of the last bit of hope in her heart and gently threw the letter on the table. She was exhausted as she spoke to her maidservant. The noblewoman opened the door and walked out. She could not help but look back at the withered leaves outside the window and sighed slightly.
"Your Highness." Makarov reminded her softly.
"You don't have to say anything, Lord Makarov. I understand." Gryphine looked at him and replied.
In just a moment, Brando came into her study room. His expression was still a little stiff as if he had not recovered from the news he received earlier. He bowed to Princess Gryphine and raised his head. Naturally, he saw Princess Gryphine sitting behind the desk and Makarov standing beside her. Brando looked at the cunning fox of the kingdom and then turned his gaze to Gryphine.
Neither of them spoke, but they seemed to understand each other's thoughts.
The princess lowered her head and looked at the letter on the table. She said softly: "Mister Brando, I have to tell you about this —"
"It's about the Azure Lance, isn't it?" Brando opened his mouth.
Gryphine looked up at him. Her pale silver-gray eyes were full of complicated emotions, but she finally told him about Scarlet in detail. The Silver Queen had already made her a Countess of the Empire. In the past two weeks, all the news from various sources had been confirmed, including the origin of this mountain girl and her relationship with the Count of Tónigel. After she finished, she asked softly: "Brando, what do you plan to do?"
"Your Highness, guess what I would do if this question was asked by someone from Cruz." Brando was silent for a moment. Then he replied with a somewhat cold tone.
Gryphine's hand that was flat on her skirt tightened. Of course, she could hear the hidden anger in Brando's calm voice.
But she looked straight into his eyes, her eyes flashing with the light of thinking, but she did not answer.
Instead, it was Makarov who spoke: "My Lord, they are from Cruz."
"I know."
"My Lord, Her Highness is telling you this out of respect. But I have to ask you a question. Have you thought about the relationship between Tónigel and the Kingdom, and between Tónigel and the Empire — "
"So?" Brando asked.
"Don't put the Kingdom in danger because of a moment of anger. The Azure Lance is important to the Kingdom, but it's not important enough to let innocent people bleed and die for it." Makarov sighed and advised patiently.
Brando looked at this person — an important member of the Royal Faction. He shook his head as if he heard a joke and replied: "Mr. Makarov, you are mistaken about one thing. I don't care about the Azure Lance at all. The only mistake the Empire made today was to not go against the will of a person and take her away from this land. Of course, you may not care who this person is, but I have to tell you one thing — "
His voice wasn't loud, but it seemed to be filled with an invisible magic that silenced the room.
Gryphine and Lady Hill beside her had never seen a noble who could speak so boldly to his peers. Gryphine's eyes flashed slightly, while the lady was almost stunned.
Makarov's expression was very ugly. He suddenly realized that this wasn't the first time Brando reprimanded him like this.
Brando didn't care about his thoughts and replied softly: "If the Empire thinks that by forcing a war, the nobles of the Erouine Kingdom will consider the bigger picture and retreat, then I have only one thing to say to them — I, Brando, Lord of Abies, Count of the Tónigel Kingdom, have not developed the habit of condoning such logic."
He said to Makarov: "I promise that the people of the Erouine Kingdom will not shed blood for meaningless reasons, but the Kingdom protects its people. This is the most glorious thing in the world. If the people of the Erouine Kingdom can shed blood for another person of the Erouine Kingdom today, then more people will shed blood for them tomorrow. Mr. Makarov, this is the pride and backbone of a people. If anyone thinks that they are weak and can be bullied, then they are gravely mistaken."
Brando finished and bowed to Gryphine like a Knight bidding farewell to his King.
He turned around and opened the door. Before he left, he said: "Your Highness, I once promised a little girl that I will protect each and every one of them. I will keep my promise, whether the enemy is Cruz or Madara, or even the whole world, I will not go back on my words."
"Your Highness, if this is what the people of the Cruz Kingdom want, then I will answer them with these two words: War."
* Kacha * The door closed in front of the three people in the room.
Makarov's expression changed. He wanted to say something, but he didn't know what to say. In the end, he could only sigh helplessly and bid farewell to the princess. The two of them left the study one after the other. After a long while, Mrs. Hill seemed to have recovered from the previous shock. She couldn't help but pat her chest and said with some trepidation, "This is outrageous, this Count is really bold, he, he really dares to go to war with the Kirrlutz people …?"
Gryphine turned around and looked at her maid in a daze.
"Did you know, Lady Hill?" She said in a daze: "My father's nobles also faced the same question. Do you know what they said to me?"
She took a deep breath, and her eyes seemed to have returned to that stormy night in Ampere Seale.
… …
(PS: It took a bit of time to think about the new plot, so it was a bit late. To make it up to everyone, I added 6000 words.)
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