While the war was still fighting in Desik's country, there was also controversy within the business alliance. The Duchy of Kaman has obviously suffered the most of the desik's wrath, and the rest of the countries of the Merchant Alliance have their own little ninety-nine, so they don't want to take advantage of this situation to make a profit.

The Merchant Alliance, originally originating as a free trade organization founded by neutrals of the Rebel Coalition, had no more attitude towards the Magic Empire during the First Continental War than the San Jose people nor as much hatred as the Desiks. Therefore, after the end of the war, a large number of neutral people formed a series of free trade organizations, and some of the nobles who were knighted became the leaders of these trade organizations.

Later, as the civil war continued, parts of the organization split and merged, and annexation and demise were staged on a daily basis. Eventually, nine larger states and several independent city-states were stabilized.

The nine nations are the Kingdom of Manning, the Kingdom of White Harbor, and the Duchy of Carlin, which are the three closest to the Grand Canyon. Close to the Sunset Mountains to the northwest include the kingdoms of Southern Madur, Carthage, and the Duchy of Kosok, three small states with only a few cities each with no particularly good production. Finally, there are the three small but rich principalities to the southwest: Kaman, Tra and Mosat.

The three eastern kingdoms, the largest in size and the most abundant in terms of products, are located in the most downstream places within the territory of the Morro River Merchant League, so the commerce is the most prosperous, and the population is the largest. Enjoy the trade dividends of the entire merchant alliance, and at the same time be separated from the Desik Empire by the Grand Canyon, with several bridges across the valley leading to the border.

The three northwestern countries, because they only have the most barren land and the least population, so their national strength is relatively weak, and they have been looking forward to the three eastern countries with Manning as the core in recent years, hoping to get the support of the three eastern countries and change the status quo of poverty and weakness.

The three southwestern kingdoms were the richest of the merchants, with the largest plains, the most fertile land, and a large production of wheat and other crops, while each developing core trade products such as the tequila of Kaman, the herbs of Terra, and the special minerals of Mossart.

In fact, although each country exists in the same alliance environment, each has its own mind. The three eastern kingdoms wanted to expand their influence to counter the two empires, the three northwestern kingdoms hoped to acquire the wealth of the three southwestern kingdoms, and the three southwestern kingdoms also wanted to increase their influence.

Geography, wealth, and military strength make these countries, even under the mediation of the chairman of the business alliance, the contradictions exist all year round, and they are never far away, and people on the mainland often jokingly call the chairman of the business alliance "the business alliance quarrel meeting", because the main job of their members is to quarrel with each other.

This process lasted for many years, until the signing of the Desik-Nine Business Alliance trade agreement. Within the Business Alliance, the Principality of Kaman was actually betrayed by the conservatives led by Manning, and for the sake of practical interests or other ulterior secrets, the Three Northwestern and Eastern Three Kingdoms took the lead in compromising with Desik.

The chairman of the business alliance will have a nine-vote system, one country, one vote, and the three southwestern countries are united in honor and disgrace but cannot do anything. As a result, in the final trade agreement, the main responsibility for food exports fell to Kaman. The rest of the countries will bear the rest, but Carman will also have to make concessions in other areas of business. All of a sudden, Karman's economy suffered a huge blow.

It was at this time that Kester actually returned to Carman, and it was at this time that Prince Ferdinand of De Rec decided to discuss further cooperation with the Merchant Alliance.

It was the early autumn of the previous seven years, another ordinary early autumn. No one realizes that a major crisis is coming, farmers are busy harvesting crops, merchants are busy exchanging winter supplies, and time passes day by day.

Since meeting Duke Carman, the image of this once rumored pleasure-addicted Duke has changed suddenly, and he didn't expect him to be such a person at all. Kester sometimes thinks that maybe even Little Mu doesn't know what his father is.

Fortunately, the duke's golden jasmine badge was genuine, and when Kerter took out this badge in front of Xiao Mu, Xiao Mu's jaw dropped in surprise.

"This badge, badge, you, you, where did you come from?" Xiao Mu, who was overly surprised, stammered a little even when he spoke.

Kester couldn't help but sigh, this old duke is really strange, it would be good to explain it directly to Xiao Mu. "If you can recognize this badge, do you need to ask me where I came from?"

"You've seen the old man!" Xiao Mu was still surprised and excited.

"Shhhh Koster glanced back at the painting that hung quietly on the wall, but Koster always felt a pair of eyes staring at the room.

After explaining to Mu the process of being invited to the castle by the Duke and giving him important tasks, and hiding the details of the two nobles hiding behind the wall and peeping, Chester finally breathed a sigh of relief, as if Xiao Mu did not focus on himself.

Xiao Mu was still immersed in doubt, "The old man is so strange, I haven't seen him for a long time, how can he know you?" Xiao Mu couldn't understand, suddenly stepped forward and pinched both sides of Kerster's face, and pulled it hard, seeing Kerster's painful grinning, he still didn't give up: "It's really Kerster, it's so strange, no, I have to ask my sister." ”

Xiao Mu rushed out of the room in a hurry, ready to go to Princess Mu to ask. However, it didn't take long for him to return in dismay: "I didn't see anyone, two strange women, locked themselves behind that broken statue, and ignored me. ”

Koster laughed, "Addicted to magic, I've been seeing San Jose for more than a year, I'm afraid you won't be able to see anyone in a short time, so be your regent." However, Kerst silently said in his heart, "Don't be funny, your sister has finally escaped the pain of the regent, and she will take care of you later." ”

Helplessly, Mu explained the origin of the badge, which actually came from the first Grand Duke of Carman, the archpriest who had defected in the war. Jasmine was his family coat of arms at the time, and the Magic Flame represented his status as a priest (Note 1).

Later, after the founding of the Carman state, this badge was passed down from generation to generation in the hands of successive Grand Dukes of Carman, and it was basically a symbol of the Duke himself.

Hearing what Xiao Mu said, Koster hurriedly threw the badge to Xiao Mu, "I said, it is probably a token given to me by the old duke, it would be good if you approve it, you should take this hot potato yourself." ”

Xiao Mu took the badge and rubbed it silently, saying in his heart, did the old man pass the badge to me by the hand of Koster, did he want me to be the next duke? However, he still gave it back to Koster, and he felt that the old man must have some purpose in giving Koster this badge.

Thinking about breaking their heads, the two of them didn't come up with a reason, and lay on the big table weakly, Xiao Mu knocked on the table helplessly, "Guards, guards, ask someone to get something to eat, I'm so hungry." ”

Chestter smiled bitterly, thinking to himself the old duke, can you be a good regent, Xiao Mu's frivolous appearance.

Surprisingly, it was not the Kaman guard at the door who pushed the door in, but an old man who looked like a bell, and it was actually the affairs officer.

"Regent, that, you haven't replied to the invitation to the chairman's meeting, you see?"

"What's back!" Speaking of this, Xiao Mu was angry, Kaman had already suffered a lot of losses, and at this time he let himself go to the chairman's meeting, when he was angry, "Don't go, I haven't received this letter, recently there have been bandits in Kaman, and they have been robbed and robbed." ”

Kester couldn't help but be impressed by Xiao Mu's eagerness, thinking that this guy's brain circuit was really strange. Can countries play such scoundrels with each other?

Xiao Mu was like a roundworm in Kerster's stomach, he didn't wait for Vester to speak, he directly pointed at Kerst and scolded with a smile: "Don't think I don't know what you think, let me tell you, between countries, or the relationship between big hooligans and small hooligans, it is nothing more than who is more hooligan." ”

"Ahem", at this time, the affairs officer couldn't help it, and couldn't help reminding: "Or, regent, you send a plenipotentiary, it's still perfunctory, find someone who is not familiar with anyone in the business alliance, and it's best for newcomers in the political circles." ”

Xiao Mu became interested, "Oh, what do you say?"

The official was unhurried, "Regent, you see, we are not perfunctory, we have sent a plenipotentiary, this person has a very high status in the country, which means that we attach great importance to it." Then he didn't understand anything, he didn't know anything, and he didn't know anything about it, and he was embarrassed to get angry at him. ”

"Wow!" Xiao Mu's eyes lit up, "Then you say, is there a suitable candidate?"

Chest suddenly felt that something was wrong in his heart, and he noticed that the affairs officer glanced at him inexplicably, and abruptly, "Don't!"

Before Koster's words could be spoken, the clerk preemptively said, "Regent, I think Lord Koster is good, he meets all the conditions." ”

"Damn", Kerst said in his heart that it was so, damn, the old duke and the clerk were wearing a pair of pants, and the two had obviously thought about it a long time ago. This old duke seems to be indifferent, but in fact, he has a clear heart, no wonder, he is a student, a dilapidated little nobleman, where did he come from, and he was inexplicably favored by the old duke, it turns out that the truth is here!

Xiao Mu didn't think about it so much, he was dying of all kinds of troubles, and any straw at this time could save his life. "Hey, hey, hey", Xiao Mu didn't say a word, just stared at Kerst with a smirk.

"Phew!" Kerst looked at the shameless Xiao Mu and spat out.

So the matter was settled, and after a trip to the Duke's Castle, Koster found himself transformed from an ordinary small lord to the regent of the Duchy of Kaman, and would represent the Duchy of Kaman at the summit meeting of the Chairman of the Alliance.

With the old duke, the little duke, and the affairs officer in his heart, Koster still accepted the appointment. Although he found himself jumping into a big pit dug by others, fortunately the person who helped was Xiao Mu, from the bottom of his heart, Kerst was still willing to do it.

So, the simple packing of the Khor, with the twenty Kaman guards sent by Feida and Xiao Mu, once again set foot on the waterway to Manning City, his car was the "Golden Jasmine" of Duke Carman's family. On the sailboat, the golden jasmine flag fluttered high.

Note 1: In the history of the Magic Empire, a circle of magic flames on the coat of arms represents that the family has produced high-level magicians, such as the Grand Magister, the Grand Priest, and so on. The types of flames are slightly different, with different patterns and patterns, representing several different categories of magicians.