Cumberland and Emerson didn't fully understand Todd's decision, but that didn't stop them from carrying out the king's orders.

On the premise of aiding the Holy Acropolis, Emerson began to think about a series of preparatory measures: "Since the decision was made to provide food aid to the Holy Acropolis, it was first necessary to determine the amount and timing of the first food supply. ”

Cumberland added: "The first batch of grain should not be in large quantities, but the time must be as fast as possible, and it is better for the convoy carrying the grain to reach the Watch Fortress under the jurisdiction of the Holy Acropolis before the first snowfall." ”

Emerson nodded and said, "I agree, I always have a hunch that this matter may not be as simple as it seems. ”

Todd had the guards recruit a council of monks in charge of agricultural development, summoned the head of the post station, asked them about the grain reserves and transportation capacity of Twilight City, and finally integrated the various departments to finalize the capacity of the first batch of grain and the departure time of the convoy.

After determining the size and itinerary of the assistance, Cumberland added: "There is one more question, the head of the mission who is accompanying him. If we can establish an embassy on the Acropolis, we will be able to negotiate with the locals on the one hand, and on the other hand, we will be able to find out information in a timely manner. However, the selection of the envoy is a problem......"

Following the old knight's train of thought, Todd continued: "The person in charge of this mission to the Holy Acropolis will not only be responsible for the delivery of food, but also responsible for future diplomacy with the Holy Acropolis. This person should be excellent in etiquette, adept at handling complex international relations, and must have the ability to adapt to changing circumstances. There aren't many people like this in the whole of Dusk City......"

Emerson looked at Todd's hesitant look and took the initiative to ask, "Your Majesty, I'll go." ”

The latter frowned and looked at the chief privy envoy of the kingdom, but did not agree, nor refused.

Cumberland glanced Emerson up and down, shaking his head in disapproval: "You're not suitable. ”

Seeing Emerson's round eyes and ready to attack, Cumberland crossed his arms to his chest and looked at the former for a long time: "Those people in the Holy Acropolis are a group of crazy people who advocate force, if you have to run over, old turtle, with your body and those two punches and kicks, it is estimated that the turtle shell will be dismantled!"

Looking at the two old men in front of him, who were nearly a hundred years old together, arguing in the council hall with red faces, Todd, who had a sore head, stretched out his hand to stop the argument between the two, and said his decision: "Emerson, you better stay, there are many government affairs in the kingdom that need you to coordinate." ”

Cumberland scratched the back of his head: "And what about the candidates for the mission?"

Todd looked up at the ceiling and let out a long breath, "Let me think again." ”

As the affairs were settled, the officials who had come to discuss the matter gradually dispersed, and in addition to the guards, only Todd and Huggins were left in the huge hall.

Leaning to Todd, Huggins whispered, "Your Majesty, it's time for lunch." ”

Todd looked at the porch at the end of the hall and asked softly, "On the way back from the dinner day, did you have any eyebrows about what I told you to investigate?"

Huggins' figure trembled slightly, pursed his lips and said, "It's clear, the report has been placed on your desk, and those two people have been confined to the house." ”

"Is it confirmed?"

"They have already admitted it themselves. ”

Standing up from his throne, Todd slowly walked out the door of the hall.

Huggins thumped his thigh, which had been numb after standing for too long, and limped after Todd: "Your Majesty, where are you going?"

Glancing back at Huggins, Todd deliberately slowed down and dropped a sentence: "Bring them here." ”

Sitting at the desk in the audience room, Todd was eating a simple lunch while flipping through the investigation report that Twilight had just submitted, and he only saw half of it, then pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers and closed his eyes depressedly.

There was a soft knock at the door, and Huggins's voice came: "Your Majesty, the people have been brought." ”

"Let them in. ”

Huggins led the two men into the room, and held out his hand to signal them to step forward, while he stood guard at the door.

The Raglans stood a short distance from their desks, their eyes fixed on the carpet beneath their feet, expressions of trepidation.

Todd nibbled on the honey bread in his hand as he continued to flip through the pages of the report, as if he had forgotten the arrival of the two men.

Compared with her own sweaty, crumbling husband, Mrs. Raglan was calmer, and she said with a pale and apprehensive face, "Your Majesty......"

Looking at the data on the report, Todd pulled the corners of his mouth and smiled: "It's only been five months since you took office, and the royal family industry you run has earned 670,000 gold in perfume alone, what a great achievement!"

It sounded like a compliment, but it made the Raglans tremble.

"Let me see, next to the Twilight Harbor, a 28,000 Silver Moon Seaview Mansion, the 'Lilyelle' clothing store, a total of 7,600 Silver Moon clothing, and the investment ...... of nearly ten stores in Twilight City" Todd flipped through the papers faster and faster, and finally threw the report directly on the table: "Even the beggars in Twilight City know such a rumor that the swimming pool built by the Raglans at home is not filled with water, but a pool full of Silver Moon!"

"In order to earn a commission, you oversold perfume products when the production capacity was insufficient! Because the factory could not fulfill the order, you spent money to buy off the director of the gunpowder production line, and smuggled raw materials from the factory to increase the production of perfume. ”

"Not only that, but the two of you also recruited people, instructed your subordinates to add soybean beans to the guests' meals under the guise of free meals, and even ran to the aqueduct in the immigration area at night and poured medicine into it!" Todd rubbed his temples vigorously with his fingers, and roared in annoyance, "What you have done is far beyond the authority I have given you!"

There was a dead silence in the room.

Looking at the frightened two people in front of him, Todd suddenly sighed gloomily, he gently picked up the report from the table and shook it vigorously in his hand: "You two may want to say that I have brought huge profits to the entire kingdom, why should I be blamed?!"

"Listen! What I'm angry about is not the behavior of the two of you, what really annoys me is your unscrupulous mentality to grab wealth!" shouted these words, Todd seemed to be drained of all his strength, and he waved his hand happily: "You two, from now on suspended for investigation, before I think about how to arrange you, give me honestly wait at home to think about it behind closed doors!"

Watching the Raglan couple being taken out of the room by the Security Service guards, Todd turned his gaze to the remaining man in the room and said softly, "Huggins......"

"Your Majesty. ”

"You already knew, didn't you?"

"I ......"

"The Grand Court has also approached you and told you about the conduct of these two men. ”

“......”

"These two are old friends of the monastery assembly, the first officials appointed by His Majesty, and the trusted ones of my own circle...... That's all you thought, right?"

On Huggins's forehead, cold sweat slowly overflowed, and his mouth wanted to speak, but his tongue did not listen.

Todd's body was facing away from the sun outside the window, his face was not real, but his voice was cold and piercing: "I am a person who misses the old, but this does not mean that the longer the person who accompanies me, the greater the privilege!"

Walking out of the audience room, Todd walked out of the outdoor garden, looked at the neatly trimmed flower branches, and muttered: "Is it a good thing or a bad thing to show the knowledge of my previous life to this other world?"

A white figure flashed quietly from Todd's sight.

Looking at the bushes in the distance, the 'woman' in military uniform wearing a bayonet sword and wiping her hair with a dry cloth, Todd was stunned for a moment, and then said, "Dieng?"

Dion, who had just finished his swordsmanship practice, wanted to take a shortcut from the palace garden to the mansion when there was no one at noon, but he didn't want to meet the king here.

"Your Majesty, what a coincidence. Dieng straightened up, a little surprise on his face.

Looking at the saber on the other party's body, Todd smiled and asked, "How is the work of the palace swordsmanship teaching?"

"Honestly, it's boring. ”

Looking at Todd's surprised expression, Dieng shrugged: "Since taking this position, I have a decent salary and nothing to do. The guards usually hone their martial arts in the barracks, and the only member of the royal family doesn't seem to be very interested in my swordsmanship. ”

Speaking of this, Dion glanced at Todd, and the meaning of his words was self-evident.

Todd scratched his head a little embarrassed, he had arranged the position of palace swordsmanship instructor for Dieng in the first place, just to stabilize him.

After all, no one knows better than Todd how much disaster Dion, the "pheromone" walking on the ground, can bring to the Twilight Kingdom (especially in terms of the relationship between men and women).

Todd quickly changed the subject, "I think you have another career, the executive judge of the Grand Court of Dusk?"

Speaking of the court's work, Dieng looked even more frustrated: "The executive judge is just a nice name, and within the court, the position is called 'debt collection judge'. ”

"Debt collection judges?"

"In the twilight city, there are always some unscrupulous traders or scoundrels who deliberately default on other people's debts and refuse to pay them. That's when the guys from the big court came to me. Their most common trick is to take me and the creditor, find the debtor, and tell them that as long as they can win against the "weak" judge in front of them, the debt will be forgiven. ”

Todd listened with relish: "That sounds like a good way to collect debts." ”

"Your Majesty!" Dion took two steps closer to Todd and puffed out his chest: "My family has always been engaged in foreign affairs and legal work in the capital of Taylor, and the profession in my mind is not such a third-rate thug!"

Dion's face was close at hand, looking at the delicate skin of the other party, the crystal beads of sweat hanging on the collarbone, and the picturesque delicate facial features, Todd's heart fluttered for no reason.

After a moment, Todd reacted to what was happening and quickly reached out and gave Dion a back-off gesture.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Your Majesty, my ability ......" Dion quickly took a few steps back, blushing and covering his neckline with a cloth towel.

Looking at the guy in front of him who was more like a woman than a woman, Todd rolled his eyes speechlessly, and muttered a sentence repeatedly in his heart.

"It's a man, it's a man......

After waiting for his brain to clear up, Todd turned to Dion and asked, "You said your family used to work in the field?"

Dion seemed to smell a hint of opportunity: "Your Majesty, not only did my family work in foreign affairs, but I also worked as a trainee secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs before I left Taylor City. ”

Finding a bench in the garden, Todd sat down on it, smiled and asked, "How much do you know about the envoys of the Holy Acropolis coming to Twilight City for help?"

"Not much, but enough to make some inferences. ”

"Oh? ”

Dion thought for a moment and began to analyze: "The Holy Acropolis formed an alliance with the Church two years ago to jointly conquer the barbarians and the Silver Ring Kingdom. But last summer, at the height of the battle, the Holy Acropolis suddenly shrank its defensive line and turned to the defensive. At that time, because of this incident, the church also issued a special letter of the Holy Ministry, severely reprimanding this behavior of fearing the enemy. ”

A week after the official document was issued, the Holy Acropolis returned to the battlefield, but relations with the Church quickly turned sour, the reason for which is unknown. But there is an interesting rumor that the royal palace of the Holy Acropolis has increased the number of guards, and all the windows are covered with curtains. ”

When Todd heard this, he asked curiously, "All the windows are covered with curtains, where did you get this information?"

"Tavern, of course, Your Majesty. It is home to grocers and bards from all over the world, and from their mouths, it is common to learn from them that there is something seemingly useless but hidden in the truth. Dion gently wrapped his fingers around his pale blonde hair and continued: "The next Holy Acropolis is gradually moving in the direction of breaking with the church, urging supplies and fighting passively. The most puzzling thing is that at the end of this battle, the army of the Holy Acropolis actually gave up their low-hanging fruit and returned to the city overnight. ”

"Your Majesty, these things are connected, and on the surface it looks like nothing more than a food crisis, but in fact a hidden inference can be drawn, do you know what it is?"

Todd shook his head lightly with a serious expression.

Dion clenched the scabbard at his waist, and his pretty face was full of confidence: "The old king of the Holy Acropolis is running out, and a battle for the throne will begin soon. ”