Burly man, broad-shouldered and thick-shouldered, taciturn.

The former commander of the Lüdes garrison gave a rock-like image, just sitting in front of him felt like a mountain standing in front of him, and General Delz straightened his back and stared at Roland.

As a scapegoat for the Bloody Sunday affair, Delz was relieved of his duties and ordered to think behind closed doors. If the prime minister hadn't come out to speak, this Geng Zhiwu, who was usually fair and strict in life, so he offended many powerful people, might not even be able to keep his military status and title, and would be driven home to eat old rice.

Now, the general, who had lost his power, looked at the overly young governor of the district with a blank expression.

The situation is really, really delicate.

Not only Roland, but also Delz, who has always been outside of the political power struggle, has a similar feeling in his heart.

Whoever controls the heir of the consortium will hold the future consortium in their hands, and whether or not they can obtain the support of the consortium is crucial for anyone who covets the throne.

Because of this, the royal family arranged the engagement of the outstanding and beautiful Princess Minerva to Roland early, aiming at the influence of the next generation of royal families on the consortium after Li Lin. In turn, the consortium also saw the great influence of the Tong guò marriage on the royal family. Under the delicate intertwining of interests, the marriage contract is easily passed.

The process was logical and foreshadowed, and Delz was not surprised when he learned the news. But when he learned that the prime minister was determined to raise the young fourth prince to be the new heir to the throne, he immediately felt that trouble was coming. Sure enough, not long after the news broke, assassinations and even outright terrorist attacks against Prince Charles and Princess Minerva took place one after another. The strictest one almost killed Minerva.

Derz, who remembered Minerva, had a wry smile on his lips.

Because she is a concubine, she is a girl, and there are three princes above. Minerva was neglected for a long time, and Charles IV devoted most of his energy to governing the country and raising a qualified heir, and the love invested in his daughter was not absent, but it was also very thin.

may be an extremely lacking relationship of paternal love, when Delz, who is very martial artistic, became Minerva's riding and swordsmanship teacher, the strict and kind teacher naturally became a "father" in the girl's heart. In the past, Delz adopted orphans who were picked up from the battlefield, and was always full of protection for weak lives, and did not care about Minerva's dependence.

If things continue according to this situation. It is very likely that the relationship between the two will develop beyond that of the monarch and the minister, master and apprentice. As a royal family that attracts the attention of the world. This kind of development can be described as extremely dangerous, and the slightest carelessness can put two people in a situation from which they will never recover. But surprisingly, Minerva's relationship with Delz has always maintained a delicate state of master and father, in addition to admiration and trust. And nothing more mixed in. There is no ambition or desire in this except for Delz himself. Minerva's self-esteem and self-discipline are also a very important factor

In this sense. The third princess can be said to be very good.

But-

(Maybe the kid resembles himself.) ）

Delz sometimes thinks so.

Although there are huge differences in status, it is impossible to look at them by the same standard...... However, under Delz's education, Minerva, like his teacher, had a particularly clumsy part in some respects. At least none of them are suitable for cunning fame and fortune. So in the task of enlisting the heirs of the consortium, Delz did not expect much from Minerva. All he cared about was whether Her Royal Highness would be happy or not—it was just that.

The biggest factor that determines whether Minerva is happy or not is to sit quietly across from him, looking at himself calmly.

（...... His expression had become pretty good, but-)

Delz muttered to himself as he looked at Roland's face.

He didn't deal with Roland very much, and his impression of him was only a hurried glimpse of the opening ceremony of the National Academy of Magic. At that time, he did not have a good sense of Roland, except for the factor of the consortium, Roland did not have a temperament that matched his identity at that time, and always showed a little immaturity - but after experiencing a series of events and bearing various shocks and difficulties, Roland's expression has already revealed a little "man" appearance.

It's not bad-

Delz thought so.

If the fate of the kingdom and her majesty were to be entrusted to a coward or weakling who could only survive on his parents, and who could not be independent, he could not bear it in any way—from various standpoints, Delz asserted. Even if he doesn't think about it as a warrior, a teacher of the princess, or a general of the kingdom, Delz hopes that the person who will be able to influence Charlemagne in the future is a person who can be independent as a man.

Originally a warrior who believed in using his own power to remove obstacles in his way, Delz inevitably had a strong sense of resistance to entrusting the future of himself and those important to others, and to let others carry his own future. What's more, no matter how Delz looked at it, the boy was like a human who had grown up in a world where he had no chance of staking his life, not to mention the almost unusually cruel and indifferent like his adoptive father, and he was still far from thinking like Richelieu who separated his feelings from reason, and it was doubtful whether he was worthy of trust.

Delz would love to replace him if he could.

On the other hand, Delz is well aware that being too independent can also invite danger from within. The president's likes and dislikes were more influential than the hostility of the outside world, and the influence was strong enough to affect the fate of Roland and Minerva, and indeed the entire country.

Li Lin is not a tolerant person, and when necessary, he will also make some tolerant gestures. But in essence, as a authoritarian, Li Lin will never allow the situation to be out of his own control, he is the type who likes to make his own decisions and completely control the situation. It's hard to imagine someone like him allowing others to carve power away from him, and perhaps he will appreciate Roland's achievements in the SAR for now, and will give him all kinds of support, but how long will that support last? Or when Roland becomes more and more independent, showing talent and ambition to replace Li Lin. That support may immediately turn into hostility.

This is just a conjecture, no one can say whether it will evolve like this in the future, but from the standpoint of the powerful, family affection and the like must be separated from reason, and only by preparing for the worst will we not fall into a situation from which we will never recover.

When necessary, there should be awareness.

Li Lin's reputation is not good, but his ability is obvious to all, and so far, most of the people who have tried to challenge him have been buried underground. I want to challenge him. Enlightenment alone is not enough. But if you don't even have enlightenment, then you don't have to talk about anything.

At this moment, Roland may not have the consciousness to challenge Li Lin, but he also seems to have made up some kind of determination and is actively starting to take some actions.

(This heir is really interesting.) Mr. President?)

A smile appeared on the rock-like face. Feelings of old age and weakness rise in the body at the same time.

"Are you determined...... That's right. ”

A smile in response is no different from a wry smile. But there was something similar to the one in the purple pupils.

Delz nodded slightly, silently staring at Roland, waiting for his next step.

Roland also silently endured the test-like gaze.

The uproar of the crowd. The shouts of the security officers and soldiers came in through the reinforced wall panels, and the silence in the carriage was made even more eerie by a membrane-like murmur.

The tense confrontation continued, and Roland did not move at all despite the other party's compelling gaze. If you ask him why he did this, he doesn't know it himself. It couldn't be easier to look away. Maybe playing a "timid and easy man" will make it easier to act in the future. But once you look at the other person's "test" look, it's not good—Roland instinctively understands this.

"Oh?"

Delz tugged at the corners of his mouth slightly.

Before Roland could react to the smile, he heard Delz ask:

"What are you going to do next?"

Although Delz had taken the initiative to observe the princess's fiancé, Roland had arranged for him to ride in the carriage alone, most likely because he had some plan and needed his assistance.

"General, my aim has always been only one - peace, unwavering peace. ”

“......”

"You may feel uncomfortable as a warrior, but I have to say that in the current situation, peace is precious and more important than ever for the nations and for Charlemagne himself. ”

Roland carefully chose his words, carefully observing Delz's expression.

In response to the rise of Alfheim, for the sake of the upcoming conversation, humans and other races must find a viable way to coexist - Roland didn't know if he should say that to Delz, swallowing saliva mixed with a hint of bitterness.

"Regarding the major policies of the country, it is inconvenient to discuss them in the future. It should be made clear here that the Saalbadu District is benefiting from the practice of improving the economy and people's livelihoods and eliminating the soil of the rebellion by bloodless means. ”

"Hmmm......"

Delz's eyes narrowed.

Roland felt the gaze cast at him add a bit of penetration.

A reckless or insincere answer will worsen your position. Delz may realize that he has not put all his thoughts and ideas out, but in any case, at this stage, it is not the best idea to leave Delz with the impression of "being overly enthusiastic about politics like Li Lin" or "a little slippery head with ulterior motives". But Roland couldn't honestly tell it all, after all, he wasn't sure if Delz was someone to trust, and he didn't know how much Stasie's eyeliner was around him.

Taking a deep breath, Roland said:

"The current situation is good, but due to the increase in various expenditures, the SAR government has encountered some financial difficulties, so it hopes to obtain more financing channels. ”

It's a nonsense when you hear it.

Indeed, in the previous stage of municipal construction investment and land acquisition, the Governor's Palace did spend quite a lot. However, with the deepening of development, the initial investment in the real estate boom and the commercial boom brought about by the commercial tax have already reached a break, and there is even a surplus. In this situation, he actually shouted that he had no money, which was simply insulting the IQ of others.

Taking a step back, even if he really doesn't have any money, he can ask the consortium for help and say hello.

"It is true that the SAR government has no financial problems, but the Governor's Office is about to invest in the construction of the railway, and in view of the various obstacles encountered in the construction of the railway, it must consider the reserve funds needed in case of various difficulties...... The total budget is bound to be much larger than in the past. Therefore, it is not enough to rely on the financing of the consortium and the governor's palace. ”

(I see, do you want to use this trick?)

Delz nodded secretly, he had roughly understood Roland's thoughts.

Roland's consideration is not about funding, but about dominance.

It is true that the construction of the railway will face financial problems, but with the financial resources of the consortium and the funds pooled through stock speculation, the outcome will not be very difficult. The problem is that, in this way, the say in the construction of the railway is completely in the hands of the consortium, and even if they commit another stock scam like before, no one can do anything to them - they are big and bankers, and the consortium is invincible from the beginning.

In order to avoid another situation where the money was swept away by the consortium, the railway was only built for a few kilometers. The simplest and most direct way is to attract other forces with funds to join in, become shareholders in the construction and operation of the railway, and balance the energy of the consortium. In this way, unless the shareholders on the board are united, no one can interfere with the Governor's exercise of power.

"But who would want to get involved and confront the consortium?"

Delz asked.

Even if he doesn't know much about business, he can see that Roland's approach is actually tearing a hole in the monopoly position that the consortium has always maintained. Although it is not remarkable at the moment, with this precedent, people can quickly replicate it and apply it to other fields. It is impossible for Li Lin not to foresee this, and he will definitely take action to stop it, and who will dare to participate in this plan at that time?

"The Castilians, the Laplanders, the bankers of Serres, the Prime Minister, the Titans, the Second Prince. ”

After a pause, Roland continued:

"And the Crown Prince, the Army, and the Church. ”

"What?!"

The previous groups can also make people understand that the Castilians had a first-hand experience of the importance of the railroad after repeated invasions, and that the Laplands needed speculation, and that in addition to speculation, Seres also had the idea of containing the consortium. The Prime Minister, Titans, and the Second Prince were motivated and positioned to contribute based on their control of the occupied territories and military needs.

As for those in the back......

"No problem, I can assure you that the church will be willing to participate in this investment. And the army and the crown prince will need General Delz's connections. ”

Looking out the window at the huge shadow of the "Pieter Strassa", Roland said confidently. (To be continued......)