I don't know when, there were already several people standing at the door.

There is His Majesty the Emperor Iken, who everyone is very familiar with, but has been regarded as a mascot by Yang Fengyin and Yin; There was the Marquis de Gelbat, who was also a member of the Privy Council, the military and strategic adviser to His Majesty the Emperor, who was also well known; There are also magic advisors who are not very familiar to everyone, but as long as they see them, they will not forget and will never like them, and Mr. Baltoli, a magic consultant who hides his head and tail and wraps himself like a mummy; Of course, there are also two old colleagues who are too familiar to everyone to be familiar with, but who they did not like very much before, and who are now extremely disgusted and repulsed, and regard them as "betrayers", the commanders of the Second and Eleventh Legions, Count Franmere and Viscount Agrit.

These two were the only two of the twelve legions under the central legion to swear allegiance to Emperor Iken with their troops. Their actions made Emperor Iken's command suddenly add 40,000 well-equipped, well-trained, and powerful full-time professional soldiers, and they have also become the most powerful military cards in the hands of this stormy Auckland Supreme. But the biggest problem is that there are also five other legions near the imperial capital with more than 100,000 professional soldiers. As a result, whether it was the Battle of Honghe or the Battle of Herin City, even at the most dangerous juncture, the emperor did not dare to transfer his most powerful hole card out of the imperial capital, let alone go north and face the anus of Her Royal Highness the world's first princess.

Count Vlamel of the Second Legion was a graceful middle-aged man, who looked rather like a noble-born civil bureaucrat with a good demeanor, and smiled kindly; And Viscount Agritt of the Fourth Legion is a sharp-eyed and fierce-looking man. A person with a thin body is indeed a very capable military style. It's a pity. He always likes to squint his eyes and cut people, which inexplicably gives people a gloomy feeling like a poisonous snake.

We all know that. Politics is the art of compromise and balance most of the time. Even a strongman leader like Gaius the Great could not cover the sky with one hand and do everything as he wished. He and Empress Estelle wanted to carry out military reforms and establish a nationalized central army directly subordinate to the imperial court, which would naturally be resisted by the princes and lords. As a result, the Sun King and his wife did win the final victory after playing a series of beautiful political tricks, but at the same time, they had to make certain compromises, allowing some sons or sworn friends of the gate lords to occupy important positions in the central army. Count Vlamir and Viscount Agritte are the product of this balance.

Or rather. The fact that they had won at the cost of just two legions was a sign that the Sun Kings had been astonishingly agile and precise in their political skills.

The person who spoke just now was none other than Count Vlamir. His voice and his appearance and temperament give the same impression, there is a sense of grace and luxury, gentle and calm, ordinary people are easy to be very upset by this temperament, calling it a real aristocratic style, but the iron men in the army who look at him unpleasantly often call it "dough" behind their backs.

"My generation of warriors, in addition to the martial arts who defend the country. All you want to pursue is nothing more than a little posthumous name. Count Vlamir said to his friends in all seriousness: "Honor is my life, loyalty is my heart, this is the motto of our ancestors when they founded the empire." Today, if we abandon honor and loyalty. It will definitely bring shame on the ancestors of Auckland, right? ”

It's really an emotional rhetoric, but it's completely useless for the veteran generals present. In the eyes of the generals, the content of this "dough" speech was too deliberate and blunt. It is clearly to say to everyone, "Obey the orders of the new emperor, and the warriors of Auckland are truly loyal and honorable."

"Each of us has done a great job of bringing glory to Auckland. Except for you. Secretary Vlamir. Baron Lurkus looked at each other with a sneer: "When you are really famous as a warrior, it is not too late to discuss the issue of honor and loyalty with us." ”

Thereupon. In everyone's eyes, the dough quickly puffed up, as if it had been baked in a stove.

The old marshal, Count Cornieli, did not even look at Vlamir with a straight eye, as if for him the commander of the dignified Second Army was simply an inconsequential background. The old man stood up with a movement that did not appear to be sharp, and still spoke slowly in his gentle voice: "Your Majesty, I salute you. Seeing that you are still healthy is really gratifying to the ministers. ”

With the old man's movements, all the generals present also stood up, even Sir Prol, who was the most disdainful of the new emperor in his bones. After all, everyone is an adult, even if they are unruly, at least they will have politeness and demeanor, and they don't need to lose the face of His Majesty the Emperor on some subtle issues.

"I should salute you, Your Excellency." Emperor Iken opened his mouth to speak politely, and with the qualifications and merits of Marshal Corneli, of course, he deserved the respect of an Auckland emperor. Of course, because of Emperor Iken's character, even if he opened his mouth to say kind words, others would not feel any warmth at all.

According to the law of noble titles in Auckland, the highest title of landless nobles is "Earl with a sword", which is the current title of the old man Corneli. Of course, this kind of sword-wielding earl title because of military merits is rare, but there are still a few, and in any case it is not rare to have the only two marshals in all of Auckland. People, including the emperor, out of respect for the old man of Kornieli, of course preferred to address each other as "marshal" rather than "count". This is also true of Marshal Gorros, the uncle of Her Royal Highness the First Princess of the World, you know, he also originally had the title of Marquis.

Of course, the "marshal" representing the highest military rank in the Federation is a very classical official position, which is equivalent to the meaning of the supreme commander of the national army. Of course, in modern times Auckland has evolved into the highest class of honor, and in terms of etiquette, his position should theoretically be above all the members of the Privy Council, only half a rank lower than the Imperial Prime Minister.

"Please be seated, everybody." The emperor beckoned again with a stiff gesture, walked to his throne, and said in the same stiff voice: "Since I ascended the throne." I have never had a formal banquet for everyone, which is my negligence. ”

Icon clapped his hands. The maids waiting outside pushed open the small door and presented Auckland court cuisine as gorgeous as a work of art. Many of the generals present focused their attention on the dishes that exuded the refreshing aroma of food. But there were also many people who noticed that the Emperor's military advisor, the Marquis of Gerbat, and the magical advisor Baltoli were on his right and left hands, respectively. According to the court and table manners of Auckland, this means that they are the most important guests present besides the hosts, and their status is theoretically more precious than that of Marshal Corneli.

This was enough to cause unpleasantness among many people, and the generals exchanged disgruntled glances, and Sir Proll even let out a very obvious cold snort.

That's what he did on purpose.

As a member of the Privy Council, the Marquis of Gerbat will not talk about it for the time being, why is his origin, identity unknown, and gender unknown. How can a guy who has no position in the Imperial Government, who is only the personal adviser to His Majesty the Emperor himself, sit at the head of the marshals and generals? Even if this is a so-called private banquet, there should be etiquette.

Or did this dying emperor really think that such a childish trick could humiliate these iron men in the army present? Isn't that stupid? In addition to venting personal anger, is there any practical significance at all? What's more, it will once again greatly offend the generals present.

If it weren't for Marshal Corneli, who was the head of the military generals, but he acted calmly and turned a deaf ear, even if these hot-tempered generals present were not ready to speak, they would definitely make sarcastic remarks that would make His Majesty the Emperor unable to come to power...... Well. The supreme who has lost the support of the military is actually so hard.

Fortunately, His Excellency the Marshal, who has become a serious man, does not seem to be ready to see such a petty way of doing things in the same way at all. His attention seemed to be fully focused on the delicacies in front of him.

"It's a pity......" The old man let out a wordless sigh as he looked at the sound of the boiling hot soup poured on the prawns.

This is one of Auckland's most famous court dishes, and the main ingredient chosen is the king crustacean shrimp caught from the Solmis River. This monster species of creature. Adults are basically the size of a suckling pig, and their carapace is as hard as steel, and they can control water waves. Unleashes a wave of water with the piercing and destructive power of a crossbow to prey and enemies.

What's more, this kind of overlord crustacean shrimp only starts to enter the mating period in winter and spring. The meat is also the most delicious, but it is also the most aggressive period. Such animals. The difficulty of fishing is naturally conceivable.

As for the dashi stock, it takes nearly a month to make it with many precious ingredients. The soup itself is as clear as a stream, but the real essence of the food is all melted into the liquid, colorless and intangible, but it exudes a rich aroma that can make even anorexic people unable to suppress their appetite.

It can be seen that Emperor Iken seems to have put a lot of effort into this "private banquet", and this main dish alone requires hundreds of gold and Austrian baht - this is still the cost price, and there is absolutely no way to discount it.

In fact, in the luxurious restaurant of Seroxia, this overlord crustacean shrimp, whether it is soup or shrimp, is far inferior to the secret of the palace itself, but it can be marked with a price of more than 500 gold coins, and some people are eager to buy it.

"I can understand your feelings, Your Excellency." Bartoli, who was wearing a hood and only showed half of his face under the light of the ornate palace lamps of the Luna Hall, said to the old marshal next to him in a male and female voice: "There are only a dozen people sitting here enjoying this dinner, but the cost is enough for tens of thousands of refugees outside the city to have a comfortable and nutritious meal with soup, meat, and white bread." When you went on an expedition to Sosnes, you also encountered a large number of refugees, and if I remember correctly, you were taking a large part of the army's rations to help them, right? Your Excellency is regarded by the Auckland warriors as a military god, but you have such a warm and noble heart. ”

It's easy to tell whether it's polite or sarcastic. So the old marshal just glanced at the other party with a wordless gaze, and then said indifferently: "Because that is the food that belongs to them." For the sake of the war situation, I can do whatever it takes to strike at the enemy's living forces, including burning down their farms and robbing them of their stockpiles. But outside of the battle, even an old martial artist like me has the same conscience...... Of course, this may also be a kind of hypocrisy. ”

He looked at Baltoli deeply, but his eyes jumped over him to the Emperor on the throne: "But I only do this because I don't want the people of Auckland to have the same fate as the refugees of Sothness, at least not while I am alive. ”

The calm and kind old man seemed to have lost all the sharpness and heroism of his youth, but at this time, his eyes had completely penetrated the granite-like temperament and face of Emperor Iken, and went directly into the other party's heart.

Half a second later, Emperor Iken looked away from his eyes and avoided the old man's gaze. His actions are naturally imperceptible, but what kind of characters are these veteran generals present, their observation and sensitivity are different from ordinary people. Such a gesture of almost surrendering made the generals shake their heads in their hearts: what kind of prestige and will would a supreme who was afraid to even look directly at his own courtiers to rule the most powerful empire in the world?

The old marshal felt the same disappointment, but also a deep suspicion. He was already seventy years old, and he had almost grown up watching these royal children, and he was familiar with everyone's personality and style. Old Man Corneli never felt that Iken was a suitable person to take over the empire and continue to implement the Sun King's new policy, he was stubborn and narrow-minded, like an old antique living in the last century. Compared with himself, a dying old man, his body is more filled with the twilight of the feudal empire of the old era.

But even so, the old man would at least frankly affirm the merits of the other - Prince Iken was indeed a strong-willed, just and demanding man. He is mean and strict with others, and even more mean and strict with himself. Comments like "strong and unconquerable" have always been well-deserved for the current Supreme...... At least, before he sat on the throne of obsidian, it was.

Can a person's fall really happen so quickly? Marshal Corneli couldn't help frowning. At this time, the Marquis of Gerbat, who was opposite him, quickly squeezed out a smiling face and began to make a mud: "Yes, beloved marshal, this is really a great tragedy. Therefore, His Majesty also took out 1 million gold and Austrian baht to buy food and medicinal herbs for the refugees outside the city. ”

Hypocrisy, and meaningless...... Old Man Corneli couldn't help but hang his head and look at the top-notch meal that had been laid out in front of him—though it was only an appetizer, it was still as beautiful as a work of art. Of course, it also has a price like a work of art.

"It's a drop in the bucket, it's pointless, and it doesn't solve anything other than to give the Privy Council a kind of 'Ah, we're doing our best for the victims' self-satisfaction. Marquis de Gerbat, if this is the advice of the Privy Council to His Majesty the Emperor, then I can only say that you are just a bunch of vegetarian corpses. Viscount Perkes let out a barrenly sneer. Although he has the title of "Black Fox", his real cunning is reflected in the use of soldiers, and he usually treats people and things that he doesn't like, but he is completely a military demeanor, but he is just bitter and mean enough.

Marquis Gerbat looked embarrassed, and at this moment, Bartoli suddenly interjected, "Yes, a drop in the bucket." Until there is a fundamental solution to this problem, all measures are just meaningless self-satisfaction. I completely agree with you, General Perks. (To be continued.) )

PS: Hey, even if there is no outbreak, there shouldn't be a little monthly pass, so continue to ask for tickets