A wide stone staircase in the center of the hall leads to the second floor of the Doge's Palace. The smooth stone surface made of fine stone step by step, the handrails of the staircase made of fine wood by the craftsmen, the red fur carpet that goes straight to the second floor.

It used to be the living bedroom of the Governor of Safat, and although the Governor of Safad was a loyal man to Adam Bakr Khairifan, this did not stop him from being extremely luxurious. The Governor's chambers were arguably the most extravagant in the city, and they were now the private property of Alphonse.

Standing in front of the arched wooden gate on the second floor of the Doge's Palace, the two soldiers in bright armor and majestic expressions were none other than the most loyal force in Alphonse, the members of the Royal Guard. Their right hands were tightly gripped on the hilt of their swords, and their wolf-like eyes stared intently ahead.

In this foreign war, the royal guard can be said to attach great importance to it. Half of the men, that is, 500 men, were sent to be on guard at Alphons' side at all times to protect Alphonse, of course, this "protection" was under perfect circumstances, and if one of them wanted to betray Alphonse and assassinate Alphonse, this protection would become murder.

In fact, a long time ago, Aimo had a black hand on the royal guard, and rebelled inside, although it had little effect, but after all, there were people in the royal guard who obeyed his orders, and reported Alphons's whereabouts to Aimo at any time, and would play an unexpected role at a critical moment. If Yiqiē had really followed the script of a dramatist named Aimo, Alphonse would have been in a different place by now. Either they were assassinated by the assassins or killed by their own men. It's a pity, though. As clever as Alphonse, he had long thought that the Royal Guard might be bribed by Aimo, so he secretly controlled the Royal Guard early on. In the end, it is the mastermind of this conspiracy who is in a different place.

Anyone in the Royal Guard who is absolutely loyal to the royal family of Colesman. All were embedded in the Guards as a deep nail by Alphonse, and a covert counterintelligence operation was launched. It can be said that as long as Emotze rebelled, Alphonse would immediately know, and once again gathered back the members who had fallen to Amor, using his fame and interests. In this way, before Aimo knew it, his plan to assassinate Alphonse had already been leaked to Alphonse by these double agents. It's ridiculous that Aimo is unconsciously kept in the dark, sitting with unrealistic dreams.

"The king has arrived!" two deep voices came from the mouths of the two members of the guard.

The originally noisy atmosphere in the hall was quiet. For the first time, there was silence in the hall, or rather a sensation.

The nobles and the clergy did not talk any more, and put down the wine glasses in their hands, and slowly and gradually gathered around the hall, divided into two factions, and looked at the wooden door on the second floor with anticipation.

If Alphonse, who had not yet been in power, attended a ball, it would never have had such a sensational effect. At most, people do it to show respect. A slight greeting to Alphonse, but now, no one can afford to take the king lightly, and Guy is now Alphonse enough to make everyone fearful. There is a respectable and awe-inspiring power that represents the authority of the monarch.

Vickers, who had been on the edge of Liechtendon before, was unable to find a good position in the crowd to meet the king in person. I could only stand at the edge of the crowd, watching the king slowly walking down from a distance.

"I wonder who His Majesty will summon first this time...... a nobleman said to the people around him.

Being on the edge also has the benefit of being on the edge. At least on the periphery, there is no need to worry about the conversation reaching the king's ears. But even so, the two nobles could only talk slowly and softly. I'm afraid that the voice is too loud to attract the attention of others. It's not a good time to get people's attention, it's not a good place.

"It should be Barres of the Knights Templar, he has ......a lot to do this time," the man replied.

"Well, it seems that the Knights of John are in a bad situation this time. ”

"That's not necessarily, don't you see the face of the old nobles, that's what makes it really uncomfortable. ”

"Tsk, that's what they deserve......"

"Wait and see, the king's will is not something we can speculate. ”

Sure enough, the herald summoned the name of Evra de Barres in a majestic voice.

Naturally, Evra walked slowly forward amid the applause of the crowd, came to Alphonse, and bent down to salute Alphonse.

Although I couldn't hear what Alphonse and Evra were talking about from afar, it must have been some nice words, after all, real secrets are impossible to say on such an occasion.

On the other hand, the clergy of the Church, the Knights of John, and the new nobles all had stiff smiles on their faces. Especially the church and the old aristocracy, the old aristocracy was hit hard by this operation, and the people of the church had a sense of forced laughter.

Although the church seems to have a very large influence in the principality, it is actually this very large power that makes the people of the church a little jealous of doing things.

The Knights of John and the Knights Templar are two armed forces of the Knights that have been recognized and approved by the Church, and they are conventionally supposed to be at the mercy of the Church in some way. But in reality, the Knights of John and the Knights Templar mostly ignored the orders of the Church, and only maintained face respect. In fact, it's no wonder that everyone has a greedy heart for power, and who likes others to dictate their power?

The old aristocracy and the new aristocracy, fundamentally speaking, these two forces are recognized by the church, but it is precisely because of this recognition that the church feels a headache. In the absence of the bloody night in the army, the Church spared no effort to support the old aristocracy, and only gave spiritual support and comfort to the new aristocracy, but when the power of the old aristocracy was dealt a heavy blow. The church suddenly found itself in a very awkward position.

Supporting the old aristocracy was clearly an unwise act to offend the royal family. Supporting the new aristocracy? The church was embarrassed to pull down its face.

As for the royal family, it was even more embarrassing for the church. Could it be that he immediately ran to Alphonse and confessed that his previous support for Aimo's behavior was a very wrong choice? This would undoubtedly offend the old nobles who were still dead.

Magic Guild ...... Needless to say, it's good that the church didn't impose eternal punishment on the magicians in the Magic Guild!) The Church believes that those who commit great sins, especially those who have heard the gospel but do not believe it, will go to hell for their souls when they die, and they will be subjected to all kinds of capital punishments, which will never be forgiven, and become "eternal punishment." Greek mythology in reality. Sisyphus had been sentenced to eternal punishment. After talking to Alphonse for a while, Evra retreated with a satisfied look on her face, waved her shirt with her hands, and slowly paced towards the corner where the Templar Knights were.

When passing by Riga, Evra did not forget to smile at him, of course, there is a bit of truth in this smile that is worth speculating, but I am afraid that this smile is more sarcastic.

Riga didn't say anything about Evra's smile, just kept a straight face as usual. Coldly silent, staring at Alphonse tightly.

Riga and Evra were like ice and fire, one silent and the other moving. But in the same vein, both men have a status that is extremely prominent in the principality. The head of the two knights, John and the Temple.

It's just that people are not in the mood to pay attention to the-for-tat between the two captains of the knights anymore, and all the attention is focused on Alphonse under the crown.

Priest of the Church, knight of the Order of John. Old nobles, new aristocrats......

Everyone's face invariably showed a nervous look. There was some deep thought in his eyes.

Next, Alphonse opened his mouth to summon the people who went up. It will play a pivotal role. The first to step forward was the Knights Templar, and there was no doubt about it, as no faction had been able to support Alphonse as much as the Knights Templar, even committing heinous acts.

Alphonse's intimate encounter with the Knights Templar had long been expected, and it would not be surprising, but the second person who was summoned next was a little more significant.

The second person to be called up at this moment, regardless of his status, has an effect akin to an olive branch. For the Knights of John and the Church, the old aristocracy, this olive branch is a symbol of peace that represents forgiveness, and the two sides can resolve the previous conflict and reconcile, of course, there are definitely some unknown rifts in this reconciliation. For the new aristocracy, it is a symbol of goodwill and a sense of cooperation. If a good relationship is established between the nouveau riche and the royal family, it is definitely something that the new aristocracy will see.

So, who will the second person be?

The hearts of the people were swirling several times, and Riga de Barres Denwe Nabo ?............

It is true that it is not very good to wantonly speculate on the thoughts of a king, and there are even some offenses, but once it is related to their own net worth and life, the stability of the faction, everyone is unconsciously vigilant.

Finally, in the midst of everyone's anxiety, Alphonse softly said a few words to the herald beside him, but because of the distance, the people below did not hear what Alphonse was talking about.

The solemn herald's voice was heard again in the hall: "Your Excellency Viscount Tomelio, please!"

Boom, there was another sensation in the hall. This sensation was different from the majestic sensation of Alphonse when he appeared, but a sensation of shock and incomprehension.

Who is Tomerio? Is there a nobleman in the Duchy with the surname Tomelio, or is Tomerio the name of a place in the Duchy?

All kinds of doubts filled people's minds, and no one knew who this "Viscount Tomellio" was, and they had never even heard of this surname. Presumably, this viscount must be in-depth and simple on weekdays, otherwise he would not be so nameless, but if it is really in-depth and simple, how did Alphonse know about this Viscount Tomellio?

All sorts of whispers were heard in the crowd, and people were discussing the identity of the Viscount Tomelio, but it was a pity. When they asked anyone close to them if they had heard of the surname Tomelio, everyone looked puzzled. said he had never heard of any of these things.

And what about our client, His Excellency Viscount Vickers Tommelio, who was now looking at him with a strange look on his face.

Then he took a deep breath. Slowly pushing away the crowd, he walked towards the place where Alphonse was in the hall.

People's eyes suddenly gathered, looking at the blonde young man who slowly walked forward, and under the night shadow, the golden hair flashed with a strange color.

"It's him, I remember him. A nobleman suddenly exclaimed.

"Who is he? Why did I never know this man?" asked the man next to him.

"Viscount Boseksen, the lucky lad of the Thousand Cavalry, the Dragon Slayer. You see, then. ”

"Shhh...... Is that the Viscount from Wolf who killed a dragon?" hissed from his throat.

"That's right. I didn't expect His Majesty to value him so much. ”

After seeing Vickers, people couldn't help but turn their heads and ears. If Alphonse had only spoken of a Viscount of Tomellio before, few people knew about it, after all, it was impossible for a person to remember everyone's surname in the Duchy. But once it comes to Viscount Boseksen, it can really be regarded as everyone knows and everyone knows.

Viscount Boseksen, a dragon slayer who went out with a thousand cavalry and then somehow returned victorious, although not everyone is familiar with the story of this occurrence, but most people remember the title and fief of this young dragon slayer. As for the name, I'm afraid that very few people know it.

Evra. Riga, Denway, and the others stared at Vickers with burning eyes, as if they wanted to see through his whole body. It's hard to imagine how a human can have such sharp eyes, it seems that the long years of being in a high position have made their whole body sharp and sharp.

But Evra only glanced at it a few times. He smiled at Vickers, then closed his eyes and recuperated. To be honest, he doesn't need to panic because of Vickers's sudden appearance. Patrice Evra was already the first to appear anyway.

On the contrary, Riga and Denway watched Vickers much longer. Eventually, though, they looked away and didn't look at Vickers again.

"Kick!" Vickers slammed every step against the marble floor of the hall. There was a heavy, heart-pounding sound.

"See Majesty. Vickers stopped, looked at the king sitting above, put his right hand on his chest, and slowly got down on one knee and bowed his head.

"Flat. ”

"Xie Majesty. ”

"Grant Vickers Tomelio the Earl of Salem. ”

“............”

“..................”

“..............................”

The hall suddenly fell silent again, and everyone looked at Alphonse on the stage with some astonishment, trying to see the reason in his delicate face.

But unfortunately, no one could see a trace of wind and rain in the quiet Alphonse, who sat there calmly as before, and his face did not move because of the contempt of the crowd.

Salem, in Salem, west of the Hinco River. Although it is not as extensive as the cultivated land of the Safat, it cannot be said to be as golden as a desert, and if you want to describe it well, it is more appropriate to describe it as desert. Due to the lack of abundant precipitation and the lack of irrigation water, it is a desert area with scattered meadows.

Judging from the geographical advantages alone, there is no superior environment like the Safat, and there is no natural barrier that is easy to defend and difficult to attack, only scattered some low mountain ranges, so it cannot be said to be a battleground in terms of geographical environment.

However, Salem has an advantage that cannot be matched elsewhere, that is, Salem has a large amount of iron ore, and there are many open-pit iron mines.

When the Iqzar dynasty was still flourishing, Salem relied on the advantages of surrounding resources and connected the surrounding cities to form a city circle centered on Salem, and to the west, you could enter the West Sea through the port of Guò Masha Besade, and to the south, you could send iron into the hinterland of the Iqzar dynasty.

However, due to years of internal strife, the Iqar dynasty is now slightly deficient in the agricultural population. Naturally, labor-intensive activities such as iron mining and iron smelting were also stopped. But the fact that Salem has stopped growing doesn't mean the city has lost its former relevance. On the contrary, once Saint-Collesmans captured Salem. The Duchy of St. Colesman, which has always relied on the import of high-quality foreign steel, will definitely develop this place vigorously.

Of course, this qiē was built after the capture of a city.

That's right, Saint-Colesmans hasn't taken the city yet, so Alphonse's current promise is somewhat akin to an empty check, like a mirage in the desert.

However, there is another implication in this, which is that Alphonse is determined to cross the Hinco River, and his ambition is not simply to capture the Safar and its surrounding cities.

Originally, in everyone's hearts, they had long thought that Alphonse would give Vickers some rewards, such as a title that looked illustrious. And give a fief that is neither bad nor bad. But no one imagined that Alphonse would be so generous as to promise to give Salem away.

This is no longer just an ordinary award, but a naked and obvious love from heaven, and it is foreseeable that Vickers Tommelio will become one of the most sought-after nobles in the Duchy.

Even if he is not keen on fame and fortune, under the temptation of reality, Vickers will definitely enter the power vortex that wantonly throws flesh and bones.

"Multi-...... Thank you very much. Vickers understood the implications, too, after the initial shock. Vickers said slowly.

I'm afraid that this time I want to watch the fire from the other side of the Duchy temporarily, and it is impossible for Mingzhe to protect himself, Alphons's move seems to be a great benefit to Vickers on the surface, but in fact, it is to bake Vickers on the stove!

The Earl of Salem. It's basically a knighthood standing on the cusp of the storm, and once he Wickers goes to Salem, it means that he will be ready to have some open guns and arrows with other forces in the principality.

First of all. After Alphonse made such arrangements for him, Vickers inevitably became the representative and leader of the new aristocracy. Even if it wasn't what he wanted, but on the surface and in name. Most people will believe that Vickers is at least in the eyes of outsiders, and that Vickers is the representative of the new aristocracy, the one who represents the interests of the new aristocracy. Otherwise, how could Alphonse choose him, a minor nobleman from Wolff, to control such an important city?

In the same way, after Vickers acquiesces, no, or rather, after Alphonse affirms the status of the Earl of Salem, Vickers will become a shield that attracts the old nobility, the Church, and the Knights of John. Usually, when a new group shows its edge, it will inevitably attract the knocking or dissatisfaction of other old forces. It's a privilege that Vickers is now such a character.

Alphonse needed a shield to temporarily fend off the fire from the three factions, so that Alphonse could buy time to complete his deployment in the Duchy.

It can be said that the higher Vickers's status, the more prominent his reputation, and the more powerful his power (of course, without threatening Alphons), the more time he can buy Alphons. Even if Vickers was defeated by the three forces in the end, Alphonse must have completed his deployment and consolidated his position by then.

It stands to reason that if Alphonse just wants to divert the attention of all parties, there should be a better candidate than a powerless and powerless young man like Vickers. For example, among the new nobles, there are many nobles from other parts of the continent with deep backgrounds, and if they mobilize the forces behind them, they will not necessarily be weaker than some old people who have entrenched power in the principality.

However, Alphonse wants a powerless person like Vickers, if the person who controls Salem is really a person with deep strength, I am afraid that Alphonse will really worry.

If you can't raise a tiger, you will be bitten by a tiger. Alphonse didn't want that to happen. So this is how Vickers came into Alphons' considerations.

With a high enough reputation, the matter of slaying the dragon will ferment after returning to China, and Vickers's prestige will definitely be unique in the principality for a while.

Powerful forces, this Vickers really doesn't have, but this can be cultivated. What, afraid that the other forces in the principality will strike Vickers before he grows up?

Alphonse would not allow such a thing, Vickers was originally a shield he deliberately cultivated, how could he arbitrarily let others suppress Vickers. Besides, it is not easy for other forces to act in such a hurry, and it is not a good comment to eat too ugly, and in the case of such a complicated relationship between all parties, once anyone shows his feet, I am afraid that he will be hit immediately.

Vickers looked up and looked at the seated boy with purple-blue dawn-like eyes, the crown on his head like a giant beast.

Alphonse lowered his head and looked at the half-kneeling youth with blue-purple sunset-like eyes, the sword at his waist resembling an eagle.

....................................................................................... (To be continued......)