The dark castle, the silent guards, and the hazy sky that seems to be forever covered by dark clouds.
On the street, mice chirped and shuttled by.
The residents were hunched over and hurriedly walked through with their heads lowered.
The young man walked at a steady pace and arrived at the castle that had been captured by the imperial army.
When he saw that the flag above the castle had been replaced by a golden sun flag, a ghostly smile appeared on the young man's lips.
He took small steps and climbed up the steps of the castle gate. The guard quickly stopped him, and the young man calmly took out a letter from his pocket and handed it to the imperial guard.
A soldier from Iveyland took the letter and quickly turned around and entered the castle, while the other guard stayed in place to guard the mysterious visitor.
A few minutes later, the guard who had just gone in to report trotted out and signaled to the other guard that he could give way to the visitor.
The soft leather boots stepped on the bluestone floor, making a clear thumping sound. It was still so quiet here, just like in previous years, with a trace of dark wind blowing in the corridor.
Passing through the fountain garden and the armory, the young man, led by the guards, arrived at the new lord's office and residence.
"Let him in."
A deep and powerful voice came from the Lord's Hall.
Soon, the young man walked slowly into this cold hall.
The meeting hall of Bailokhov Castle is cold and dark, with only two small windows on the four thick walls that are airtight, transmitting a faint light.
So much so that even during the day, the hall needs to be lit with torches.
Marius, the Elector of Aviland, was sitting high on the lord's throne, looking at this mysterious visitor with an indifferent expression.
"Please introduce yourself first, friend."
whispered the Elector.
Although this was not an order, the oppressive feeling of the elector's low tone and the heavy-armored halberd guards on both sides made people interpret the simplest words as orders.
The young man obediently took off his cloak, revealing his beautiful long silver hair.
"My name is Alexandro Varur. A common knight from Utterbad."
"It's not ordinary. You said in your secret message that you were Alberich's personal bodyguard."
Marius asked in a cold tone.
Obviously, as an elector, he distrusted all strangers. Suspicion and suspicion were part of his life. Even the closest people could not be completely trusted by Marius.
"Yes, my lord."
"Then why did you betray him?"
Marius's voice suddenly became louder, causing the entire hall to echo with his powerful questioning voice.
"It's not a betrayal, my lord."
The young man replied happily——
"This is not a betrayal. I did not harm Lord Alberich, nor did I do anything detrimental to him. I am just telling you what I know, your lord."
"What's in it for you?"
Marius asked again.
"For money, sir. I don't need to hide or lie. Your eyes can see through everything, including lies. So, I don't need to hide my true purpose."
"As far as I know, the salary of Alberich's guards is not low."
"Sorry, this is my private matter. Everyone is always short of money..."
"Humph, don't tell me you have gambling debts."
"Sorry, sir, this is my private matter."
The young man repeated it again, his eyes firm.
Marius no longer persisted in this "insignificant" topic, but began a formal conversation.
"You said in your letter that the envoy from Kislev also had a secret meeting with Alberich?"
"Yes, sir. We talked for a long time."
"Now, tell me everything you know, and the reward will not be less."
"As you command, my lord."
"The Kislev envoy named Brandi Otto arrived in Utbad a month and a half ago. This was a public visit. However, what many people don't know is that after that, Brandi Otto came to Utbad again.
I stayed in Utbad for nearly a week before finally returning to Kislev."
"As Lord Alberich's personal bodyguard, at certain moments I heard some, um... conversations that I shouldn't have heard."
The young man paused deliberately and looked at the elector on the lord's throne in a roundabout way.
"what is that?"
Marius obviously didn't like to talk in circles like this. He asked impatiently, almost in a commanding tone.
"I heard their conversation outside the room. Brandiotto conveyed the meaning of Queen Denis of Kislev and Lord Rhodes. During the attack on Sylvania, Kislev and the Stir Territory
Every castle captured by the Legion will belong to the Stir Territory. As a trade, the Stir Territory will provide Kislev with the materials, manpower and assets needed for the construction of the Great Wall of the North every year."
As soon as the young man finished speaking, Marius frowned and gritted his teeth.
Of course, he would not trust this stranger so easily, but according to Rhodes' behavior, Marius concluded that this Yankee was very likely to do such a thing. The so-called credibility was just for the next deception.
.
"anything else?"
Marius asked in a colder voice.
"Also, once the Sylvanian War ends, Kislev will accelerate trade cooperation with the Stir Territory and establish a Southern Strategic Alliance."
"Strategic alliance? Who should we be wary of? If vampires completely disappear from Sylvania, who should Stirland be wary of?"
Marius asked loudly.
"This... Sir, you might have guessed it even if I didn't tell you."
Young people pretend to be mysterious.
This made Marius furious.
"You mean, they are wary of me?"
"Sorry, sir, as far as I know, that's what it means."
"reason?"
"The reason is very simple, sir. The Stir Territory is weak and has been harassed by the undead on the border for a long time. As the largest province in the south, the Aiwei Territory that you rule, there are always attempts to annex the Stir Territory.
Possibly. As a lord, Lord Alberich is naturally on guard. And there is no surprise that Kislev would assist the Stir Territory. Although Kislev is large, it does not want a person to appear on the border.
Powerful neighbors. Maintaining the multi-party balance of Stirland, Mutland, Aviland, and Ostermark is actually what the rulers of Kislev want to see most."
"When a bunch of small provinces coexist on the border, they won't pose much of a threat to Kislev."
The young man said, with a proud smile on his lips.
"You know too much, which is inconsistent with your identity."
I thought that after an explanation, Marius on the throne of the lord would be furious. However, the "Mad King" changed from his normal behavior at this time and used a cold tone to question the visiting stranger.