In the evening, at the foot of Mont Saint-Hilde.

At the intersection of the road up the mountain, in the roadside woods, several four-wheeled carriages with imperial insignia on the doors were lined up and parked there.

Several royal knights stood lazily aside, their eyes vigilant not letting go of any disturbance around them.

In the open space surrounded by several carriages, Freette sat on a pony with a thick tome with a cowhide cover, frowning and turning the pages.

After turning a dozen pages, Frevice cursed in a low voice, closed the book heavily, and threw it on the grass at his feet.

It can be seen that on the dark brown cowhide cover, a few lines of gilded large characters are printed with the title of the book and the author's signature - "Discussion on the Command of the Battleship Grand Fleet", the author is Admiral Mayat, First Class Admiral of the Ice Sea Kingdom.

"Pointless, Lucien, pointless."

Freette exclaimed angrily: "The so-called Grand Fleet, the total number of large and small caliber naval guns in the entire fleet exceeds 150,000...... There were no less than sixty battleships of all classes in it, damn it, sixty! ”

Frerett stood up, drew his sword, and slashed a small tree the size of an arm beside him.

His dark gray eyes flickered, and he roared angrily: "The Ice Sea Kingdom, when it has begun to discuss the conventional tactics of the Grand Fleet, the entire Delun Empire, draining all the mobile forces, can't put together a large fleet!" ”

"Twenty years of shipbuilding plans have been discussed, twenty years!"

"In total, how many new warships have we launched in these twenty years? I couldn't bear to say that number. ”

"I can't understand why the shipyard equipment, those engineers, designers, and skilled workers that were stolen from the Kingdom of Saint Xia are actually controlled by the army?"

"It's so interesting, a country's army, controls the lifeblood of the navy."

Lucien sat on another matza, reading the Imperial Capital Daily, which had arrived by train this morning. The speed of the train is limited, and the content of this newspaper is old news from nearly ten days ago, and he still reads it with relish.

Listening to Freret's roar and complaining, Lucien patted his head helplessly: "Your Highness, what can be done?" It was the army that broke into the kingdom of St. Chia, plundered those shipyards, and snatched back so many engineers, designers, and skilled workers. ”

"With that one's means, these resources will naturally be controlled by the army."

"So, this is also one of the purposes for His Royal Highness to let you come to Tulun Harbor - the Imperial Navy must have its own Marine Corps strength, and a lame Navy can't compete with that one no matter what."

Freette planted his saber in a large tree, and he crossed his hands on his chest as he looked at the top of Mount St. Hilde: "Yes, this is one of the purposes of my visit to Port Tulum...... The location of the Marine Corps Command, have you picked it? ”

Lucien smiled and nodded: "It's not bad, they gave us the original customs building of the port of Tulum." It was a very sturdy fortress-like building, very practical, and very suitable for the headquarters. ”

Freret's face was gloomy again: "I don't like that building, it's been shelled and people have died...... But, well, the current port of Tulum, we don't count. Wait, wait until our Marines are ready to go, and then we'll take care of these minor matters. ”

On the bell tower of the cathedral, six bells rang in the flutter.

Lucien stood up, took out a small gold-shelled pocket watch, looked at it, and said loudly, "Your Highness, get ready to go." ”

"The custom in the south, the coming-of-age ceremony for important family members, the guests start to enter in the afternoon, there are refreshments, drinks, drinks, it is a formal social tea party."

"From six o'clock, preparations begin for a dinner party with the main goal of showing off financial resources, and the main course will be prepared in public...... I'm curious to see what the main dish is preparing for the Vetol family tonight. ”

"The dinner party doesn't officially start until seven o'clock, and the time from half past six to seven o'clock is to let the protagonist of the coming-of-age ceremony carry out a certain talent show. You know, it's like a male peacock opening the screen, which is a means of showing off its feathers and attracting the opposite sex. ”

"After a short dinner, the dance starts at eight o'clock and stays late at night, even early in the morning."

Lucien put the small pocket watch back in the pocket on his chest, shrugged his shoulders and smiled: "It's a very complicated and boring procedure, much more fancy than the coming-of-age banquet in the imperial capital. Understandable, though, isn't it? ”

Frerett drew his sword and put it back into its sheath.

He said with heartfelt emotion: "Yes, it's understandable...... They have money, so they can squander it as much as they want. And we, too, have to come to the door in person to give the gift of adulthood to the son of a little hillbilly Junker. ”

Lucien sighed: "For the sake of military expenses, Honorable Highness, for military expenses." ”

Frerett sighed, "Yes, for the golden mark...... Her Majesty, the respected grandmother back then, made concessions to those damned rich men for the sake of the golden mark, and opened up the chaebol aristocracy system outside the traditional military aristocracy system of the empire......"

"Money is not everything, but without money, it is impossible." Freette shook her head bitterly, and stepped into her carriage with three sighs.

In the carriage, the dressed Heniway sat there expressionlessly.

Freette gave Henniway a deep look and said in a deep voice, "Dear Henniway, today, you can't be willful. Laugh, you have to smile brightly, and then, go and get close to Joe's mother, sister, and sister. ”

"I don't care what means you use, I don't care how humiliated you feel, in short, you have to get rid of the bad impression you have in their minds."

"You want to be a friend of the ladies of the Rittal family, even if you can't be a close friend, you have to be their friend. Remember? ”

Haniewi closed her eyes, and after a while, she opened them, and then smiled: "Dear Freret, of course I know what I should do...... For the Navy! ”

Frevice smiled, he gently patted Henivia's little hand, and said in a deep voice, "For the navy!" ”

Frevice sat heavily in the seat, and after a while, Lucien got into the carriage, and he smiled lightly: "The greater the man, the later he arrives, this is the prerogative of the big man...... The convoy of the Marquis of Seeak and the Duke of Ross has just passed, and we can also go. ”

"As Imperial royalty, you can't arrive earlier than them." Lucien whistled lightly.

"I agree with that...... If not, I'd like to see Joe's talent show, and we'd have waited until seven o'clock. Freette shook his finger: "Lucien, what do you think our fat son of the hillbilly Junker will give us?" ”

There was a brisk, mocking laugh from the carriage.

Several carriages left the grove and returned to the road outside, making a brisk journey towards the Wittu family mansion in the mid-mountainous area.

The Marquis de Siacs and the Duke of Ross had passed one after the other, and Fredet would undoubtedly be the last to arrive...... Waiting in the roadside woods more than two hours in advance, isn't that the effect you are pursuing?

On the grass in front of the main building of the Ritu family, the arrival of the Marquis of Seeak did not make any waves.

After all, right next to Hesse, there are so many people from the dukes and marquises families, and more than half of them have more power in their hands and influence in the imperial aristocratic circle than the Marquis of Seeak.

However, it was the arrival of the Duke of Ross that caused a small commotion.

Including the few people around Hesse, who also came from the Duke's family, they also followed Hesse and personally went to the gate to greet Duke Ross with a bandage on his left hand.

Everyone knows that one free port and three provinces in the Southern Special Region are the territory of the Duke of Rus, and no matter how powerful the big noble family is, if they want to share a piece of the benefits here in the port of Tulun, they must get the Duke of Rus's approval.

Duke Ross, who was surrounded by stars and moons, was in a good mood, wearing a red dress and a hat decorated with blood-colored mountain rhododendrons, shaking a small folding fan briskly and smiling happily.

"Ho ho ho, you're welcome, Joe is a lovely, capable little guy, oh, I remember the first time I saw him, he was just such a little little bit."

"Unexpectedly, in the blink of an eye, he will become an adult. It's an incredible thing. Ho ho ho, I'm just here as an ordinary elder, don't be restrained, let's celebrate, enjoy yourself. ”

"Your Excellency Ross is right, I'm just here as an ordinary friend." Fried's motorcade arrived just in time, and two sterle-looking ceremonial officers shouted a list of Fried's titles, and Frerett walked out of the carriage laughing loudly.

Low, exaggerated exclamations rang out from the crowd.

The coming-of-age ceremony of the youngest son of the Vetu family, not counting so many top nobles, there were even members of the royal family who specially attended.

Whatever the purpose of these people coming to the Vetul house, they were dedicated to Joe's coming-of-age ceremony.

Whatever the reason, the influence of the Rittal family in the port of Tulum is evident today.

Hesse raised his eyebrows and glanced at Duke Ross quickly.

Duke Rose smiled slightly and bowed his head slightly.

Hesse, with the other six members of the Council of Seven, and a large group of leading figures from the port of Tulum, greeted Fredet with enthusiasm.

"Your Royal Highness, your presence has made the Weitu family sincerely afraid."

"Oh, no, no, Lord Hesse, you will treat me as a regular friend of Joe...... In the future, I will be based in Tulum Harbor, and I hope that I can truly become Joe's friend, don't you think? ”

Hesse bowed ninety degrees and assured Freret: "This is a matter of course, please come in, Your Highness." ”

After being busy for a while, when Hesse accompanied Freette and Duke Ross back to the main building, Joe, who had been forcibly dressed up in a fancy and angry manner, walked out of the porch of the main building and walked onto a specially built wooden platform in front of the porch of the main building.