People in this chapter: (Sercius Thor), (Dylan Norma).

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Chapter 024: (Late Night Talk)

Late at night, in the hall of the lords.

A slightly chubby man in a gorgeous dress sat on the side, and when he saw the owner of this place appear, he got up without a slight smile on his face.

"Lord Sercius," the middle-aged man stepped forward and said politely. "Allow me to introduce myself. ”

"Your Excellency, please. Sercius changed into a solemn and elegant aristocratic gown, which made him look more like a noble lord.

"I am Viscount Dylan Norma, lord of Normatown, and a vassal under Grand Duke Holt DiLinald," he declared at the end. He is also the rightful heir to the Arad Empire, the guardian and ruler of all of Calradia, and a loyal supporter of Queen Athona Augustus. ”

The identity of the other party surprised the freelancers. He originally thought that this envoy was a small lord loyal to the princess of the previous dynasty in the [Suno] region, or a knight of oaths, but he did not expect that the other party would actually be a viscount lord from the province of [Uxhall].

When he first arrived in Calradia, he had heard about it from an elderly storyteller. The Dilynard family, one of the five nobles of the Swadia kingdom, were the most loyal supporters of the House of Augustus. And Duke Holt is the father of Princess Azona's mother.

In the year of Harlaus's usurpation, Duke Holt gathered all his vassals and knights in his domain [Uxhall], recruited a total of more than 3,000 soldiers, and planned to raise a large army for his granddaughter [Suno] to regain the throne that belonged to his granddaughter.

However, they were blocked by the Thunderbolt Crossbow Battalion led by Earl Luther Wharton, the Iron Leg, under Duke Ed Harongoth, and the Black Hawk Infantry Regiment led by Tormond, the Giant Buster, on the south bank of the Vallos Bridge. Tens of thousands of troops crowded on the bridge, unable to move an inch.

The Varos Bridge is the closest link between the province of Uxhall and the Suno. Count Holt had also guessed that his tens of thousands of infantry would be besieged by the soldiers of the Harungus family in the southern provinces, but it was the heavy cavalry that could really decide the victory.

The other army of Duke Holt consisted entirely of knights, led by his generals, Count Genos Disping and Baron Roque Dean, and assembled in Normatown. The cavalry of 5,000 men intended to bypass the 'Umeya Canal' and attack [Suno] from the southeast.

However, this army was also attacked from both sides by the Knights of Sanction led by Baron Parocus Red and the Knights of the Guards led by Baron Kane Greer, and Count Michod at that time also led a cavalry team of about 2,000 men to besiege them from the other side.

At that time, it did not escalate into a large-scale bloody conflict, but Count Dispin, seeing that there was no chance of victory, took the initiative to lead his troops to retreat. The Knights of the Sanction and the Knights of the Guards did not intend to really exterminate them, but wanted the other party to recognize the facts in the face of strength and not to do useless work.

"Lord Norma," Sercius asked in a modest tone. "I wonder if you've traveled here for a long time and come to visit late at night, what do you want to tell me?"

Viscount Norma replied with a pleasant face: "Presumably, Your Excellency Sercius has already guessed the purpose of my trip. ”

Is this a temptation?, the freelancer thought to himself. "I'm worried that I can't guess accurately, so I'll make you laugh, and I'll ask the adults to tell me personally. ”

Viscount Norma chuckled. "It seems that Your Excellency is indeed a cautious and humble man, as some have said. ”

From the other party's short sentence, the freelancer heard another meaning. It seems that this messenger had visited other people before, and this person knew him well and knew him a little bit about himself. He thought to himself. Who could it be?

"Your Excellency," Sercius smiled innocently. "I really can't guess the purpose of your trip. Please also make it clear. Since the other party is not in a hurry to explain his intentions, he has no reason to be in a hurry.

"In that case, I will say it bluntly," said Viscount Norma. "I have come on the orders of Grand Duke Holt to convey to the nobles of the Swadian kingdom the news of Queen Asona Augustus' return to Calradia, and to summon loyal and brave knights to serve the queen. ”

This princess of the previous dynasty has already proclaimed herself queen, and it seems that she is full of confidence! Duke Holt has really paid for his granddaughter! Or is it to return the humiliation suffered more than ten years ago to the other party? But in the final analysis, it is inseparable from power and desire.

Everyone aspires to have a certain amount of power, and they all aspire to expand their power indefinitely. It is human nature to want to control others and make others obey themselves. The size of power marks the level of status, and also determines the degree of one's ability to control others.

It is like a lowly peasant who aspires to become a wealthy merchant who can call servants, an ordinary knight who aspires to become a lord with many servants, and the lords who aspire to become kings themselves and thus control the fate of all.

Aristocrats are almost innate in power, because they have enjoyed the sense of superiority and control that power brings to them since they were children, so they are more eager than anyone else to have more power to control the fate of others and satisfy their own desire for control.

Power gives itself the ability to extend its influence and control its surroundings. The acquisition of power often brings certain benefits.

"My lord, with all due respect," Sercius reminded him. "When you say these things to me with the intention of rebellion, don't you fear that I will order the soldiers to take you down, and then bring you before the king to be punished?"

"I'm sure Your Excellency wouldn't do that. Viscount Norma replied casually.

"For what?" Serseus blurted out.

"I think Your Excellency is not only a prudent and modest man," said the Queen's messenger. "He is also a smart man, and he knows the consequences of doing that. ”

He has a round face, a pair of bright big eyes, always like to blink and shine with a joyful and gentle light, that small and delicate nose, slightly upturned, a small mouth, long on a round face, speaking in an orderly manner, making people happy and convinced.

"Power is a good thing. The freelancer shrugged. "Even if what you just said is enough to make your head fall to the ground, no one dares to offend Duke Dirinard for this, which is why you stand in front of me so fearlessly. ”

Freelancers are equally eager for power. He had a glorious and glorious time in the Duchy of Gronia, but that was gone forever. Now that he's on his own, he wants to reclaim what he's lost in this strange land.

If a person is a small lord, then he may only be able to govern a few hundred households, and in order to have greater jurisdiction, he will want to have more power. Only with more power can he have a greater impact on his surroundings.

"Your Excellency is right, but not entirely," said Viscount Norma, smiling. "Not everyone is afraid to offend Archduke Holt, and I dare not say these things to some people. ”

"I'm curious to know what some of the people you are talking about. Serios decided to find out how much chip his opponent had and then choose whether to bet or not.

Viscount Norma knew that the other party was testing the truth and the truth, and then chose the dominant side as the camp. But he also planned to hide the secrets between the nobles of the Swadia Kingdom, even if he wanted to, he couldn't hide them, but it was better to tell the truth.

"For example, the Duke of Hallengoth in the Southern Province, the Count of Sweden in Kerrydanburg, and the Count of Berlands in Ribletburg," he added. "Of course, the ruler of the Dehrim region, the king's most loyal supporter, is Duke Michod. ”

Sercius had roughly guessed that the names of these people would come out of each other's mouths. With the exception of Duke Harongoth, the other three lords were all loyal supporters of King Harlaus. They will not hesitate to remove the head of the messenger who claims to be Queen Ezona.

The Earl of Belllands, the 'Bull Knight', and the Earl of Sweden, the 'Axe and Shield General', were not afraid of Duke Dirinard's revenge, and the 'Hand of the King', Duke Michod, would even raise an army against Duke Holt of [Uxhall] for this reason.

Only the ruler of the southern provinces, the guardian of the south, the shield of Svadia, Duke Harungos, could not guess the intentions of the Duke of Harongoth. Will the arrogant Black Eagle make the same choice he did back then? His choices have the potential to change the situation.

"These are the names of some big people!" Sercius exclaimed, feigned surprise. "What's worse is that among the five nobles, the Harungos family and the Michod family, if you are against them, I am afraid your chances of victory are not good. ”

However, the other party did not mention Count William Daygrana, who controlled the entire royal fleet, and Count Elaine Melt of [Golden Tree City], presumably they would not oppose it even if they did not support it. Instead, it is possible to choose to wait and see, and then choose to put down the chips at the right time.

Although the strength of these two families is not as strong as that of the five nobles, they are comparable to the strength of the Swedish family and the Berlands family. In particular, the Degrana family of Dvalinburg is located in the northwestern part of the kingdom of Swadia, facing the sea on both sides, and the land is fertile and populous.

If the princess of the previous dynasty can get their support, add the other two families of the five nobles - the Crags family in the [Suno] region and the Dirinard family in the [Uxhall] province. Presumably, the outcome will be unpredictable.

Sercius shook his head with a wry smile, this assumption was almost impossible. The relationship between the Svadian nobles was like an intricate spider web, and he could never figure out whether they were friends or foes.

But he knew that the Mert family and the Harongath family were related by marriage, and that the daughter of Earl Elaine had married the Duke of Harongoth twenty years earlier, and although the Duke of Harongoth's wife had died of illness, they still had a child who maintained the relationship between the two families.

Earl William of the House of Degrana is the only nobleman in the entire Swadia kingdom who has always maintained a close relationship with the 'Proud Black Hawk'. Their relationship has become an almost open secret in the kingdom of Svadia.

Earl William's heir, 'Undead Knight' Barron de Grana, served in the Sanction Order for more than a decade and became the commander of the 1st Banner Battalion. This is tantamount to telling the other nobles that the House of Daygrana is in the same camp as the House of Harungus.

"They're not the only ones in the Swadia Kingdom," Viscount Normar reminded with a chuckle as he sensed the other's concern. "Prince Craggs and my lord, Duke Dilynnard, are also one of the five nobles, and their strength is not inferior to the others. ”

Sercius can't deny this. "Your Excellency is right, the Sunoye region and the province of Uxhall do have this strength. The weapons produced by Suno are among the finest in the continent of Calradia, and the crossbows produced by Uxhall are also the most accurate. ”

The province of Uxhall borders the Rhodoc region to the south, blocked by towering mountains to the southwest and surrounded by a dense forest area to the southeast. In the north, there is a natural barrier called the Umeya Canal. Only the eastern frontier is an open plain.

Irrigated by the Umeya Canal, the province of Uxhall is the second largest grain-producing region in the Kingdom of Swadia due to its fertile land and abundant products. Although there are two large forest areas in the province, the inhabitants of the province as a whole are rarely attacked by the green forest bandits.

The [Suno] region is recognized by all the people of the Calradia continent as the most fertile land. At the same time, it is also the largest grain-producing region in the Kingdom of Swadia. What's more, the Suno-Suno region produces gemstones that are more valuable than gold. Gu is known as the city of gems.

"As far as I know, Prince Craggs' position is not very firm," Sercius disagreed nonchalantly. Or maybe he has his own calculations. ”

At that time, the Duke of Craggs, the ruler of the [Suno] region, also verbally swore that he supported Princess Asona Augustus to inherit the throne, and that he would be the regent and the Duke of Holt would be the prime minister, and the two would assist the young queen in governing the country.

But when Count Harlaus led the Knights of the Guards to usurp the kingdom in his castle, the prince of Suno was always on the sidelines, and he seemed to be expecting this battle for the throne to trigger the fire of the other three families, and then reap the benefits of the fisherman himself.

Sersius doubted that the princess of the former dynasty would heed the call of the princess of the former dynasty who claimed to be Queen Kallad when he and his army were needed.

"Queen Asona and my lord know exactly what Prince Craggs wants," the queen's messenger told each other directly and plainly. Her Majesty the Queen and Archduke Holt decided to grant his wish. ”

"I'm curious what his wish is?" asked Sercius, following the other's conversation.

Viscount Norma said bluntly: "Prince Craggs does not want to continue to hang the title of a prince, but wants to wear a crown on his head, and then change himself to the supreme title of the kingdom. ”

"Oh!" asked Sertius, feigned surprise. "Then who is the king?"

"Prince Craggs will be the new king, and Princess Asona will be the queen," Viscount Norma said solemnly, changing his previous norm. "They're all going to be kings. ”

"I think Princess Asona should be more appropriate to be called queen," Sercius changed for the other. "Okay, that's all for tonight, I think I need to think about it before I reply. ”

"Of course," said the Queen's messenger casually. "Your Excellency did not directly refuse, which means that you still have ideas in your heart. ”

"The **** of power always drives people to take risks," Sercius replied. "I'm not in the other. ”

"But it depends on whether it's worth it. The other party took his words.

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