Seeing Goethe nodding in agreement, Little Graz finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Only after experiencing despair can people understand the value of hope.
The despair he had just experienced was still fresh in the memory of little Graz.
At that moment, little Graz even swore that he would give up his position as king to whoever saved him.
Therefore, don’t say that you are a foster father!
You can call me grandpa!
Moreover, as the second son of the Grand Duke, Little Graz is definitely not a fool.
Under the influence of the education he received since childhood, the young king knew the situation in Hesettins clearly. He seemed to have won, but in fact he was just relieved.
After all, outside Hesetins is only Wolfe's forward army.
Behind them is Wolfe's main force.
How many people are there?
Four divisions!
There are sixty thousand people!
Heavily armed and well-trained!
And they are accompanied by mysterious side troops!
And how many people are available in Hesetins?
Less than ten thousand!
The previous attack by the Wolf Kingdom was too sudden and too fast - Lane was crippled before he could react at all. The assassination of the Archduke of Graz and the assassination of a large number of army generals directly left Lane's army in disarray.
And the stupidity of Ryan IX has exhausted the secrets of the mysterious side of the Ryan royal family, so that the advisors and mysterious side troops affiliated with the Ryan royal family were almost completely wiped out.
The only good thing is that the White Lions defended their ultimate honor.
Then……
He was also disabled!
But thanks to the battle of the White Lions, the time was delayed until the adoptive father returned.
And this gives him a trump card!
A trump card that can win out of defeat!
Therefore, Little Graz must pull God into his chariot!
Because he understands that only with the deterrence of his adoptive father can he get a chance!
A chance to gather all the remaining troops in Lane and fight against Wolfe!
Of course, there is one more thing!
He had previously sent diplomatic documents to the four countries of Beta, Dier, Chige, and Iger - but except for Beta, the remaining Dier, Chige, and Iger did not respond.
And the beta that responded?
It also requires a large amount of Lane's land as payment.
Even in the reply letter, the Beta royal family stated rather politely that if they didn't give it to them, they would come and get it themselves.
Adding insult to injury!
Undoubtedly adding insult to injury!
If you don’t give it, that was before!
Now?
call!
Little Graz took a deep breath and saluted Goethe again.
"Father, please sit here."
"I need you to help me make the final choice - call a staff meeting!"
Little Gratz ordered to Silik.
Silik nodded and left.
After a while, three staff officers appeared.
Little Gratz's face darkened.
You know, a consultant is different from a consultant.
Most of the latter have mysterious extraordinary powers, which are forces that need to be fought for by each royal family. They are quite rare in number. The staff are different. They act like secret arts and think tanks. Each royal family has dozens of people around them.
.
The Lane royal family is no exception.
And now there are only three.
The young king asked no more.
He knows what's going on.
Moments before Goethe appeared, everyone wanted to leave Hessettins, including him, the king.
So, what right does he have to blame anyone else?
After all, he had just become king and had not paid his advisers any salary.
but,
His father gave.
Therefore, Gratz believed that these people should be sent down to ask his father if he would forgive these people.
Little Gratz thought so and did the same thing.
He gestured to Silik.
Silik left again knowing full well.
Sometimes, Silik's abilities are far more useful than imagined.
The three staff officers who should have noticed Little Graz's gesture did not notice it at all, because they all looked at Goethe sitting next to him with reverence.
Use your own power to turn the tide of the war!
The hero who saved Hessettins!
Your Excellency Poirot Marple!
One of the younger staff officers bowed and saluted without hesitation!
The remaining two immediately followed.
"Come on, let me introduce to you. This is my adoptive father, His Excellency Poirot Marple, who is also the regent of Lane - from now on, my adoptive father's orders are my orders."
"Understand?"
said the young king.
In the last sentence, the pronunciation is emphasized.
The three staff officers who were already saluting immediately lowered their heads.
In the subsequent staff meeting, Goethe did not participate as an observer. He politely rejected Graz Graz's proposal and temporarily left the castle in the name of "going home for a visit."
Compared to this staff meeting, Goethe paid more attention to the words in front of him——
[Entering the ‘Secret Realm’, determining...]
[With the ‘secret key’, the judgment is passed! 】
[The holder is entering for the second time and is being judged...]
[The judgment holder continues to walk in the ‘secret realm’ with his original identity, and the judgment is passed! 】
…
[Background: You have returned to Hesettins again. You originally had a series of plans, but when a cannonball fell from the sky and destroyed your house, your plans were completely disrupted! 】
[Main mission: None]
[Stay time: four weeks (27/28)]
[Acquire a temporary language and disappear automatically when leaving the instance]
[The appearance is the same as when you first entered, and will be restored automatically when you leave the secret realm]
(Note 1: If you have obtained an identity in the ‘Secret Realm’, you will not need to complete the main mission.)
(Note 2: When four weeks have passed, you will leave the ‘secret realm’ immediately)
…
"There is no main mission anymore, because we have an 'identity'!"
"But I can't stay longer..."
"Is it because there isn't enough money?"
Goethe guessed.
Then, Goethe's thoughts drifted to the battle just now.
Easier than imagined!
Compared with the trepidation when I first entered, this time it was like walking on plain ground.
Except he really became stronger.
It’s also because of the restrictions placed on the aborigines in the ‘secret realm’ in front of us!
Even if there are still some 'mysterious elements' left, the concentration is too low - just like the battle he just fought with Herman. According to Silik's description, the other party is the heir to the Wolf Kingdom.
That must be talent and extremely powerful.
But what is the reality?
If he hadn't taken advantage of the opponent's hands for the sake of caution, he would have killed the opponent with one blow.
Therefore, the aborigines in the 'secret land' in front of us know a little bit about the 'mystery', but they are not thorough enough.
I don’t know what will happen when the true ‘mystery’ reaches a certain level!
Even if there are records of the 'Seven Heroes' and the 'Dark Dynasty'.
I'm afraid, they are all regarded as legends!
therefore……
He thinks he needs to change his plans!
He entered the 'Secret Realm' to obtain more [Bloody Honor].
Of course this will not change!
What will change is the way to get it!
From more moderate to more radical.
Of course, there is one more thing!
If he didn't change his approach, he might not have enough time. His original plan was to take three months to gain the opportunity to visit the armors and weapons of the ancestors of the royal families of various countries in a gentle way.
But now?
War emerged.
It's basically impossible.
It can only be changed, but the caution in Goethe's character made him still have some concerns.
Quantitative changes will definitely lead to qualitative changes!
Even if he is strong enough in the 'secret realm' where the mystery is gradually disappearing, once he is trapped in a tight siege, he will be in great danger.
One bullet is fine.
Two bullets are fine.
What about hundreds of thousands of bullets?
It’s probably going to be pureed right away!
Therefore, Goethe was thinking and hesitating at the same time.
Until he saw Maria——
His maid was standing outside the castle's drawbridge, with a little boy beside her.
"Owner!"
After seeing Goethe, Maria waved her hands repeatedly.
Goethe walked over. He lowered his head and looked at the little boy standing next to Maria. He was only one meter tall. He was holding a book of poems in one hand. There was a bullet hole in it, which was already stained with blood.
The other hand was clenched into a fist, quietly hidden behind his back.
"Who are you?"
"I am Little Tom, and my father is Old Tom. The bad guys came. They burned down our hotel and killed my father and mother. My brother took me to hide in the cellar, and then came to Hesettins to seek refuge. Then
…My brother is also dead.”
The little boy's face was dark, his body was filthy, his clothes were in tatters, and he only had one shoe left.
When speaking, he was a little slurred.
But the general idea is still expressed.
Old Tom?
hostel?
Goethe carefully recognized the little boy's face, and in a trance, the smile of the innkeeper who drove him to Hersettins emerged in his mind - honest and contented.
"What's in your hand?"
Goethe looked at the little boy's clenched fists.
The little boy hesitated for a moment and looked at Maria beside him. Under Maria's encouraging gaze, the little boy opened his hand.
There is a grain of sugar in it.
"When dad came back from Hessetts last time, he brought me two candies - he said they were a gift from His Excellency Poirot Marple, and asked me to thank him! I ate one when I was hungry before.
One grain, and one more grain."
The little boy answered honestly.
"Then why didn't you take both pills?"
Goethe asked.
"Dad said that if I want to repay my kindness, I have come to Hessettins. I may meet Mr. Poirot Marple. I want to give him this candy and say thank you to him."
The little boy said innocently.
"Well, I received it."
"Poirot Marple received it."
Goethe raised his hand and picked up the candy and said this.
The little boy who was about to snatch it back was stunned and a little at a loss.
Finally, the little boy asked timidly——
"Is it sweet?"
"sweet."
Goethe replied seriously.
Suddenly, the slightest concern in his heart...
Gone.
Maybe it was washed away by the sweetness.
Perhaps the hidden adventurous side of his personality has surfaced?
Goethe didn't know, he just smiled at Maria.
"Take care of him."
"Take care of yourself too."
After speaking, Goethe walked to the conference room of the castle.
At this moment, the discussion between Little Graz and the three staff officers came to the last moment——
The youngest staff officer proposed to gather the remaining soldiers, rely on the reserves of Hessettins, defend in depth, and fight Wolff to the end.
The middle-aged staff officer suggested that Little Graz continue to send diplomatic documents to the four countries of Beta, Dier, Chig, and Iger, requesting more reinforcements.
The elderly staff officer supplemented the plan put forward by the middle-aged staff officer. Using Hesettins as a bargaining chip, he asked for reinforcements from the Beta Kingdom, gathered troops in his own direction, and then waited for the opportunity.
Concerning the suggestions of the three staff officers, the younger Graz naturally preferred the first one.
Little Graz would not consider the latter two at all.
Once the Beta Kingdom joins the war, the Lion Kingdom will be doomed.
Yes, there are merits in driving away tigers and devouring wolves.
But the greater probability is that the boss and the second child will fight, and the third child will be gone.
Unfortunately, Ryan is now the third child.
Once the Beta Kingdom joins the war, there is a high probability that when Lane gathers its troops, it will cooperate with the Wolf Kingdom very tacitly and let it kill all the Lane royal family before the two sides fight again.
Of course, if he 'plays by the rules'.
The outcome may be better.
I will probably spend the rest of my life in a country house somewhere.
Or rather...
He might as well die of illness in a year or two.
It will be recorded in the history books that Lion X, the king of the Kingdom of Lion, died in depression three years after the kingdom was overthrown.
Little Graz doesn't want this.
However, having made a decision in his heart, the young Graz did not forget Goethe.
Just at this moment, Goethe walked in.
"Father, what do you think?"
the young king asked respectfully.
Goethe did not answer and went straight to a corner of the conference room - where there was a huge map with the divisions of Wolfe's main force marked in detail.
