Groningen is in the northern part of the lowlands, and the icy sea breeze from the North Sea makes it cool or even slightly cold all year round, but the four seasons are beautiful, and the fields of flowers are striking for their colorful displays, and the boats that crisscross the waterways to transport goods from the south to the farther north.

The castle of the same name, built as early as the 12th century, is the heart of this prosperous region.

From a castle to a city to a member of the Hanseatic League, the Groningen family is arguably one of the oldest and most influential families in the Low Countries.

So, the man in front of him with a slightly crooked shoulder and a leg that seems to be disabled is a Groningen?

Alexander looked at the man, wondering why he had invited himself at the risk of angering himself.

It is impossible for a man to be unaware of what anger can look like, especially when a woman is at stake.

Perhaps the man didn't know how much Alexander cared about Sophia, or maybe he saw women as mere tools to manipulate or exploit, just as Olgala meant to him?

But Alexander felt that he didn't need to make him understand the difference between the two, and then another thought came to him that he was equally concerned.

And he must hide this matter in his heart and not reveal it, otherwise it may make him fall into passivity.

Jonini, the old man who let it all start and continue!

If it weren't for Jonini, perhaps Alexander would have frozen to death in the sea, and the Calibo would probably have fished out his cold corpse.

If it hadn't been for Giannini, he and Sofia would have come to Naples without a hitch, and maybe a lot of what happened would not have happened.

Of course, these assumptions don't make sense anymore, but the point is that when he and Sophia were separated, he saw Jonini rushing towards them with a group of rebel sailors.

Did the old bastard recognize him? Maybe he wouldn't recognize himself in that panic, but he took the initiative to talk to him at that time in order to attract his attention.

This Groningen said that he punished those sailors, so how did he punish them? Will they cut off their heads, as they do with all rebellions at sea, or hang them all on the crossmasts?

Does that include Jonini?

Alexander knew that if there was one person in this world who knew his deadliest secret, it was Giannini!

The real Giore Mordillo had become a madman, Quinto was dead, and the abbot of San Sebaron would never say anything about his impersonation in order to cover it up, so the only one who would expose him was Giannini.

Although he didn't know that Giannini had even seen Giorn Mordillo's corpse with his own eyes, he couldn't forget the threat from Giannini.

Modillo may not have doubted his origins, but the situation caused the Count to ignore these suspicions, intentionally or unintentionally, but if these suspicions were fully proven, then the threat to Alexander would be too great.

What will be Modiglo's reaction?

Alexander knew that it was impossible to fight Modillo with his current strength, which is why he had to agree when Modillo asked him to go north,

The so-called honeymoon period with Mordillo will one day pass, and Alexander, who has not yet been able to compete with the power before this, can only find a way to make this period as long as possible.

Then, Giannini's life and death became the key to it all.

And the person in front of him also made him suspicious, could he already know something? Why else would you want to see yourself? Alexander couldn't help but be troubled by the speculation.

Unlike other countries and regions, which are always controlled and controlled by power, the Hanseatic League is a true "alliance of merchants".

From the 12th century onwards, this guild alliance of merchants from all walks of life grew so powerful that even the most conceited monarchs had to sign treaties with them wherever there was a trading post for the alliance, or at least not to oppose it.

And the person in front of him is a member of the influential guild family in this huge force.

"Please believe in my sincerity, Lord Gombray," Hubert van Groningen picked up a document from his desk and handed it to Alexander, who smiled smugly when he saw the contents of the document. ”

It was an IOU, and just looking at the numbers on it, even the hearts of others would be shocked, and Alexander believed that Queen Joanna would not be much better.

"Now it's yours."

Seeing Alexander's inquiring look, Van Groningen waved his hand indifferently, as if the IOU with tens of thousands of ducats written on it was not a big deal.

"This is the last IOU, but you don't have to tell the queen about it."

Groningen smiled a slightly mischievous smile.

But Alexander didn't show any relaxed look on his face, because he knew that this person was so generous, so what kind of conditions he would put forward next, just thinking about it would make people secretly frightened.

"Please don't look like this, you've made me nervous with you," Groningen tried to shrug his shoulders, but let out a low moan of slightly pain, he touched his left shoulder, which was obviously slumped, and said with a wry smile, "It looks like it's going to rain in a few days, and my shoulder can predict the weather for the next few days." ”

"Is it an old injury?" Alexander asked, as if intentionally or unintentionally.

"The disability left over from the past battles with pirates, you must know that the sea is very unstable, especially those barbarians from the north."

Alexander nodded slightly, he knew that the Hanseatic League's unusually large fleet could almost be called the overlord of the North Sea, but even so, sea voyages in this day and age were still fraught with risk, just consider that his almost negligible trip from Sicily to Naples was accompanied by a mutiny of sailors.

"Now that our misunderstanding is gone, allow me to give a little idea for the future," Groningen said with a smile, "I think we can be very good friends, and you need friends right now, don't you?" ”

Alexander looked up at Groningen, and he knew what the man meant.

He did need a friend now, or rather a quick opening for himself to the circle of aristocratic power in Naples or anywhere else.

He didn't know what Modillo's intentions were, but whether it was learning all kinds of knowledge or seemingly acquiescing to his nonsense in the brothel, which would make him famous among the aristocracy, he was far away and powerless from the real center of power, which was certainly not the result that Alexander wanted to see.

Money and power are always the criteria by which everything is determined and measured.

When a person is unable to protect himself through power, he can also use money to make himself omnipotent, which may not happen in the East, but here, on the European continent, it is not impossible.

At least the Hanseatic League, represented by the man in front of him, is a living example.

Nearly a hundred years ago, the Hanseatic League fought a brief but unexpected war with the Kingdom of Denmark.

Undaunted by a powerful king, the merchants of the Hanseatic League finally relied on their vast and unrivaled wealth to arm an army, which not only taught Denmark a harsh lesson at the time, but even forced the kingdom to open the markets of all coastal ports and inland cities to the entire alliance.

That's the terrible power of money.

"It doesn't seem to do you any good to be friends with me, you said you are a businessman, and businessmen don't make money-losing trades." Alexander said noncommittally, "If you are looking for a friend, shouldn't you be looking for someone like Frederick?" ”

"Ah, the prince," Groningen exclaimed, slightly outlandish, with his lips slightly open, "I think you may have misunderstood, and the friend I am talking about is not what you think, or rather not so simple. ”

"What kind of friend is that?"

"I hope to be my personal friend first and foremost," Groningen said with interest, "just like the IOU, I hope it will help you build a friendship with the Queen, but I believe that friendship only exists between the two of you, at least not directly related to who she is." And that's the kind of friendship I hope to build with you. ”

But Alexander felt that he had understood what Groningen meant, even though he was tempted to tell the man that the friendship between a man and a woman could not be the same as the friendship between a man.

Fingers tapped lightly on the IOU, and Alexander put it away.

Seeing him do this, a smile appeared on Groningen's face, he picked up his wine glass and gestured slightly, and then drank it dry in one gulp.

When Alexander came out of Lady Olgara's house, it was almost night.

Although there was no curfew, the streets were already dark and silent.

At the end of September, the night was already very cold, and as he walked down the street, Alexander raised his head slightly, looking at the bright crescent moon in the sky, and he slightly exhaled the depression that had been accumulated in his heart.

This meeting with Groningen erased a shadow that has always lingered in his heart.

Although he knew that even if Sophia had really been through it, he would only find a way to soothe her wounds and help her get out of the nightmare, Alexander still felt indescribable relief when he knew that she had not suffered those things.

At least, Sophia's life will not have such a shadow, and she will not have to hold on to the crossbow that never leaves her when she wakes up from her dream years later.

He wanted Sophia to be happy, even if it was just the laughter she made every day over a little thing or the satisfaction of squinting her eyes like a cat to get a sweet treat.

Thinking of Sophia, Alexander couldn't help but shake his head slightly, and the corners of his mouth showed sweetness.

It's just that this sweetness didn't last long, and soon his expression gradually became solemn.

The Groningen didn't ask for anything in the end, on the contrary, he really just wanted to make friends, which made Alexander feel that this man was not only a little mysterious, but also unsettling.

What kind of person would be willing to befriend himself, at least for now, who seems to be just a small person? Alexander couldn't guess, especially when he stroked the IOU in his pocket, and this speculation deepened, and the willingness to pay the price of such a generation of money, and not showing any dissatisfaction with him taking Sophia, let alone making any demands for retribution, could not but make one doubt his purpose.

Obviously, Groningen knew that he would arouse suspicion by doing so, but he did it anyway.

In addition to making people feel that he is too self-serving, more importantly, probably he wants to make it clear that the other party understands that he has no scruples about giving so obviously, and he will also have no scruples when he asks for something in return.

And what keeps him at ease is Giannini.

Throughout the whole time, Groningen did not mention Jonini, but the more this happened, the more Alexander had a hunch.

Johnini, should still be alive.

In Groningen, the Hanseatic League, Alexander looked back in the direction of Lady Olgara's house, which was no longer visible, and he knew that whether he wanted it or not, there would be no end of contact with this man in the future.

When Alexander returned to the villa, Sophia had already woken up, and looking at the girl sitting motionless on the steps of the gate, Alexander stopped to look at her.

The torches lit on the doorpost looked unusually bright in the night, and the light of the fire was cast on Sophia's body, and looking at her with her knees crossed and looking out of the courtyard gate, it was really like a wife waiting for her husband to return late.

At this moment, all the gloom disappeared quietly, and at the same time he secretly swore that even for this short moment, he would do whatever it takes,

Alexander came out of the shadows and opened his arms when he saw the girl who stood up and ran towards him.

Sophia, who almost pushed Alexander back a step back, hugged him tightly, her two arms were so hard that it even made Alexander feel a little suffocated, which also made him feel strange, after all, it was a bit outrageous for a girl to have this kind of strange power, but thinking about his even more terrifying old man, Alexander could only sigh at the wonder of heredity.

And what this power brought to Alexander, in addition to a little pain, was more full of warmth.

It's just that when he felt the unusual "oppressive force" coming from Sophia's chest, Alexander lowered his head slightly distressed and kissed the girl's thick black hair, then raised his head to look at the moonlight and forced himself to calm down a little, and then said with some annoyance: "Sophia, why don't you grow up quickly." ”

When Alexander placed the IOU with an almost astronomical amount in front of Queen Joanna the next afternoon, the expression on the queen's face could be said to be very rich.

"This, all?" The queen finally could only ask in a low voice that she felt ashamed to listen to, and although it was already autumn, she felt that her forehead and the tip of her nose were wet.

"Yes, Your Majesty, at least that's what that Hubert van Groningen told me," Alexander did not give an affirmative answer, although he himself knew that this was not the case.

The queen's face, which had been relieved, showed a tense look again, she bit her lip and looked at Alexander, and after a long moment she nodded and said, "Agri Gombray, I am very pleased with your loyalty to the royal family, may God bless you for such a good deed." ”

Knowing that this brief meeting was over, Alexander immediately bowed and left cleanly, in fact, he did not want to be with this short-sighted widow for a while.

On the contrary, when he thought of that Hubert van Groningen, he had to admit that that man was indeed very good at understanding people's minds.

It was probably a long time for the queen to suffer from gains and losses in anxiety, which was not necessarily a good thing for Alexander.

At this moment, on the deck of a large Galen ship in the port of Santa Lucia, Groningen was strolling leisurely, accompanied by an old sailor with a new scar on his face.

"That girl is really powerful," Groningen shook his head, looking at the healed but hideous scar on her face, "If I had come late, maybe you would have let her kill with that short crossbow." As he spoke, he patted the old sailor on the shoulder, "But we all have to thank her, don't you say Jonini?" ”