XII

She walked up the dark staircase. The second floor of the timber-framed inn is small and oppressive, and all the doors look the same, with no number or room name. The wooden floor creaked as if it was going to collapse at any moment. She stopped in front of a few rooms at the end, settled on one, tapped twice, paused for a moment, and tapped twice.

The door opened silently and automatically, and it was quiet inside. So quiet that you can hear the ticking of your pocket watch. A total of nine candles were lit inside, and in the darkness a man sat beside the bed far from her. She walked in and sat down on another bed, the board making a slight noise.

"Tell me what happened to Kengrad after Govar's death. Be concise and to the point. ”

The man turned. "They were in a mess and decided to surrender to the Lenny Army to save their lives. Nikolai did it—no, you should say you did it?"

She heard that something was wrong, and stood up sharply, her magic gathering in her right hand. However, for some reason, the spell was sent out like a stone sinking into the sea. She tried in vain to tempt the spirit, the attack of energy, or the confusion of illusion, but no magic could be used. It's not an anti-magic array, but it's like a powerful interference.

"I've been pursuing you for a long time. You always use various methods to hide and influence everything behind your back. But this time you're too far ahead. ”

The faceless man's tone did not fluctuate in a single bit, and each syllable was squeezed out of his teeth. The candles went out one by one, and only the sound of the pocket watch was clearly audible. She suddenly realized that the person in front of her must speak two syllables per second, no more, no less. She wanted to ask, but found that it was no longer feasible for her to even ask.

"You don't have to ask who I am or how I got here. I won't make a deal either, because it's no longer necessary. ”

Only the last two candles remained...... No, it's one. Another source of light came from the man's hand: the flickering light of a candle reflected off the metal surface. She finally understood, her pupils dilated uncontrollably. This sentiment ...... Is it called fear and despair?

"Good night. Have a good dream. ”

The man continued to speak in his rhythmic voice. She only felt a chill on her chest......

It's over.

Bonnie Seiffel gasped and sat up sharply, realizing that she had been awakened by a nightmare as usual. At some point, the quilt only covered her legs, and her upper body was exposed to the cold air.

She was so used to it that it only took three seconds for her to regain her composure and determine where she was now.

It was not until eleven o'clock in the evening, and she had at least six hours to go back to sleep, which gave her a small burst of joy. A faint glow emanated from the fireplace next to him, dispelling the cold of the room. The fireplace reminded her that she was in Kengrad, the capital of the Julok Republic, the coldest of the southern republics. In this city, magic alone won't guarantee that you won't freeze at night. As the starting point of her political career, the city was fraught with crises, but also with opportunities.

"It's a thriller tonight, and there's a lot of variation. ”

Nightmares are different from night to night, covering all genres from youth to action, with the only thing in common is that they all have a terrible ending. No amount of magic or potion used, or changing sleep habits can change these dreams. The deep causes of these nightmares are basically clear to herself. If the content of the dream is analyzed by psychoanalytic methods, she can get the title of "founder of psychoanalysis". After all, there were no psychotherapists in this day and age who charged two hundred and fifty pounds per analysis. This is the world she was born in two centuries ago, and all modern science is still in its infancy.

In her own time, Bonnie Seiffel was an elite member of the Magical Arbitration Society, a genius who was able to use both arcane and divine arts, and was both rational and sensual. In this day and age, she is a behind-the-scenes manipulator with a variety of identities, ranging from a dangerous half-vampire and an efficient manager to a respected official, who can handle any situation with ease. In the eyes of ordinary people, she should not have any troubles at all.

The problem is that man is always a creature that lives in symbiosis with stress, trouble, and a sense of crisis. Her goal was so far away, there was so little time, and the obstacles were so great. In front of her was the whole unfriendly world. She has never had true trust, admiration, and allegiance from the opposite sex—not even love.

It's just that tonight's dream seems a little strange: the symbolism is not so strong, and the plot has little plausibility in the abruptness. Perhaps because of her anxiety about the future, Radetz Goval died too early, which seriously disrupted her plans: she had to work with Nikolai Machiavelli to try to bring Kengrad peacefully into the hands of the Free Army. The dream, perhaps to say that she would subconsciously rather see this man alive as a shield against Derand and Lennie, seemed too evasive......

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. The maid's announcement came from outside the door.

"Mr. Luther, I'm sorry to disturb your sleep, but Your Excellency Second Secretary of State is waiting for you in the living room. ”

"Ah, wait ......a minute," Bonnie habitually spoke, only to find that the voice was female. The girl hurriedly made up for her illusions, changed her voice, flattened her chest, and got up to dress. Realizing the predicament of being a woman, she chose a different approach.

She pushed the door open and walked into the reception room. Waiting for her there was the most powerful man in the city at the moment.

"Good night, Luther's Treasurer. I'm really sorry to visit in the middle of the night. The stern-looking visitor, dressed in a black suit, stood up and greeted her. The clock in the corner shows that it's eleven o'clock in the evening, which is indeed midnight for the cold winter months.

"Good night, Nikolai. Coming in the middle of the night at such a time is probably something urgent? Is it related to the imminent arrival of the Central Army? Or is it that the already panicked defenders intend to disobey the disarmament order?"

She pulled herself together and asked in a male voice. This is the public identity she has chosen, a playboy with a neutral beauty, the new financial assistant of the Julok Republic, Pluto Luthor.

The political system of the United Provinces Republic is a system in which the parliament is the center, and the government, the judiciary and the military are the executive organs, and the parliament elects the government, appoints military officers, and approves the judiciary. The council, which is the supreme power, is composed of three levels: the municipal and county councils, the Republic councils and the joint councils. The supreme governor of the republics is the Secretary of State, who varies from one to three according to the election, and they share all the powers and carry out the day-to-day conduct of their affairs - two in the Julok Republic. The number of professionals who assist them is also varied, with the financial assistant being the most important.

An identity that has considerable influence, but does not attract the attention of those who are truly dangerous. After all, there is the more conspicuous presence of "Nikolai Machiavelli" in front of her. Not long ago, she persuaded this man to join her in solving the thorny problems facing the Kengrad Governorate.

"No, neither. To tell you the truth, I'm here tonight to discuss with you whether we should escape now. That's what all my staff suggests, but I'd like to hear from you anyway. After all, you're someone you can trust even 'her'. ”

Bonnie's movements froze. The man in front of him has completely lost his usual unfathomable and easy-to-use politician demeanor, and only panic remains. Even with the addition of a few third-rate aides, he could not handle such a complicated situation, after all, he was just a stand-in for the real "Machiavelli" to deceive the world. "What happened?"

"Radetz Govar is back. He took control of the army before I could react. Nikolai pulled out an invitation and a report from the inside pocket of his coat, "and this is his invitation." ”

"How is this possible?!" Upon hearing the news, Bonnie's usual hippie smile disappeared without a trace. "His death should be an indisputable fact! This is the result of a special investigation team, who have used a variety of magic to restore the scene!"

"You're right. Both you and my intelligence network and the spokesman for Lennie's government swore that he should be a dead man. Nikolai said irritably, "but now the problem is that this man not only returned, but also took control of the situation." First Secretary Chase must take the opportunity to cancel the disarmament order and hold accountable my previous surrender. That vain guy has been holding on to me for a long time, and he won't miss this opportunity. ”

"That's right...... Chase Brighton, this kind of small role is also jubilant. ”

Bonnie, who had fully come to her senses, frowned and tapped lightly on the table rhythmically, thinking about it.

After receiving the news that the 10th Division stationed at Fortiburg had been completely annihilated, and that the whereabouts of the commander-in-chief, Field Marshal Govar, and the negotiator, Chase Brighton, were unknown, Kengal was in a state of complete panic. It didn't take much effort for the caretaker government to pass the decision to disarm the Central Army heading north, and was ready to accept defeat. But at this juncture, the old marshal, who had been regarded as dead by all parties, returned with the remnants of his army, which had escaped death, and the means were even more powerful than before.

Bonnie believes that Govar really deserves to die. Not because of the "amateur" methods of the special investigation team, but because the incident was confirmed by her sister herself. It was hard to imagine anything wrong with what a mage of her sister Anne's calibre had confirmed. There is no more than one hand in the world that can outperform Anne in magic, and there is certainly none that can compare to her in magical diversity. After all, it was the brainchild of two hundred years of modern magic.

"Govar's efficiency is unusually high this time, if we don't act quickly......"

"So, what if you think about going to the appointment?" Bonnie looked up and put back that casual smile, "I don't know if there are any beauties, but I don't mind going to this kind of late-night banquet." ”

"Going to an appointment? In fact, my apartment has been monitored. I don't think the popular Chase is a merciless man. Besides, if she's not there, we won't have a last resort......"

"It doesn't matter. Bonnie smiled lightly, as if hinting at something: "If there is any danger, as long as there is a woman on the other side, I can handle it." Is there a time limit for that invitation? Or is it as soon as possible?"

Nikolai looked at the overconfident "him" and seemed to understand. He flipped through the invitation: "They said discuss it as soon as possible." ”

"As soon as possible. Then we'd better head out now and surprise these dusty guests. Bonnie rang the bell to summon the maid and asked her to bring formal attire for formal occasions only.

"Now?" asked Nikolai, "will you be in a hurry?"

"Now. The other party will definitely not sleep tonight, but is busy sorting out the situation. Bonnie put on a snowproof coat, "It must be difficult to get here on such a cold day." This is probably the best opportunity. ”

Then the Second Secretary of State, Nicolas Machiavelli, and the Auxiliary Secretary of Finance, Pluto Luthor, set off. While sitting in the carriage, Bonnie couldn't help but think of the rain of blood she had seen in her previous dream.

If it were her known history, the city would have been under siege by the Imperial Army right now. After the Lightning-fast capture of Fort Still, the entire war in the North should have collapsed...... She tried to change, but she didn't know how much she could change.

*** ***

Passing past the heavily guarded gates of the State Guesthouse and past the nervous novice guards, it was midnight when Bonnie Seiffel finally saw the man who was supposed to die.

It only took her one glance to tell that the person in front of her was a living person. Not a zombie resurrected by some kind of spell, nor the self-righteous work of a botched illusionist.

"I heard he's dead. No, he must have died. It must be magic, but ......"

The gray-haired Field Marshal of the Directory looked tired, much older than she remembered Goval. Those wrinkles and gray hair are so real that every hair is not visible. If I had to say that it was an illusion, it was also a frightening illusion. To maintain this level of illusion, it is necessary not only to have amazing magic or powerful magic items, but also to have sufficient information about the simulated subject himself, as well as a professional mage who is very skilled in retaining information. Even in a future where almost everyone can use magic, it's hard to come by, let alone in an era where the number of spellcasters is less than one percent of the population......

...... Unless the other party has premeditated. And there is only one force that can have such a premeditated plan, and at least, it will certainly not be able to rely on the bombastic politician over there.

"I didn't expect you to dare to come, Nikolai. You sold your country faster than anyone else. Is the free, self-governing Julok that we have worked so hard to build about to be re-thrown to Lenny in the blink of an eye?

Chase Brighton, foaming at the mouth, almost pointed at Nikolai's nose and denounced. His indictment, like his usual speeches, is full of empty words and fiery tones. Nikolai glanced at him impatiently and said coldly, "Enough." There is no waiting for the people you incite here, let's get down to business. If you can conjure up taxes and armies with empty words, it's okay if you say another day, if not, shut up. I'd like to ask, who was tasked with going to Lenny to negotiate, but who ended up sneaking back to the city at night like a defeated general?"

"Are you a politician in a democracy......

Before Chase could finish his seizure, there was a soft applause from the other side of the room.

"Refreshing. It's really Machiavelli, and it lives up to its name. If you had been born in our country, you would have been a great cabinet minister, no, maybe a prime minister. To be born in this country, what a waste of your talents. ”

Bonnie set her eyes on the man. It was a young nobleman dressed in neat but not neat armor, sitting upright on a couch, with a two-handed sword within reach. She saw in this man a temperament that the citizens of a free country did not have.

"Have you had some hardships on the way here?" she asked in a flirtatious manner, "For the lord of the Empire, the humid water and soil in the south are not very good. I'm afraid women aren't to their taste, right?"

"Where. Although I am not very interested in the women of the South, another of my companions seems to have hunted quite a lot here. These commoners also yearn for noble titles. The knight did not look at her as he spoke, "Forgive me for being clumsy, who is this gentleman?"

"Finance Assistant, Pluto Luthor. ”

"Wait a minute, the assistant treasurer shouldn't be ......" Chase stood up in shock as he heard Bonnie introduce herself, "...... Did you do it, Nikolai?"

"It's just that your former lieutenant was found to be corrupt, it's a common thing. His cell is in Otis Prison, so you can take a look at it at your time. Now, there is no need for us to waste precious time on people whose political lives have ended. Machiavelli still maintains a high-pressure attitude, not at all like a representative who has come to negotiate on his own initiative.

The First Secretary of State's face turned pale, his fists clenched, and his teeth gritted: "Talking about the future of the country with people like you is simply playing a symphony to a goblin......

They were interrupted by a deep voice that suddenly interjected. "Enough. If you are not sincere, this is the end of this meeting. ”

Hearing this resounding statement, the corners of Bonnie's mouth curled slightly.

"This person who plays Marshal Govar seems to have a considerable degree of acting skills. Looks like it's not going to be easy tonight—"

In fact, she also understands that there is no point in debunking the other party here. The other party has already made such a desperate bet that he will not hesitate to take more risks to kill Luthor and Machiavelli. Even if it really wants to be exposed, it must be saved for the moment of truth to turn the situation around. With the mentality of "listen to the other party's purpose first", she suggests that Nikolai put away his gestures in order to fight for equal bargaining status.

Once her side stopped talking, the other party's voice was concentrated on the nobleman who called himself the Imperial envoy "Vrazor Rasta". Together with Chase, he put forward all the requirements one by one.

"In three days, Lenny's 'Central Army' will arrive in the city. In order to save the Directory, we have to turn to the Empire for help in preventing the Fifth and Second Divisions from continuing north. We must let the high-ranking officials of Lenny who are trying to re-oppress us know that the Rurogas will not be tied up as they have been in the past week. ”

"I promise in the name of the Emperor that we will never send troops into the Juloks unless Kengrad falls or receives your request. All the Empire can do is guarantee the independence of the free government of the Juloks and send unofficial military advisers to assist you in defending against the aggressive onslaught of the Lennis. We will always be your most loyal friends. ”

"In short, now that the 7th and 8th Divisions have surrendered, we must not continue to obediently disarm like this!

Hearing these impassioned statements, Bonnie's heart brightened. In the final analysis, they wanted to take advantage of the instability of the Rulocks and use "guaranteed independence" and "military protection" as bait to directly put the imperial army into the hinterland of the republics. She was even more sure that the silent Govar in front of her must be an impostor. She shifted her seat and motioned for Nikolai to continue her rebuttal.

"Everybody will say bold words, but what about the money? Will the empire provide us with enough military expenses for defense? Not to mention the guest army that maintains the empire, even if it is the northern army, our military salary can only support it for a month. The Second Secretary of State threw out the practical data as a rebuttal.

Bonnie added: "To be exact, it was a month's worth of ordinary pay after the surrender of the Eighth Division, and we couldn't support it for even a month before. If the Northern Army, which is more than 60,000 strong, is to continue to be supported, the Empire must provide at least 800,000 gold marks per month. ”

"Eight hundred thousand gold marks!" Rasta almost got up from the couch when he heard the figure and remembered his special work budget. If this figure had been agreed, the Imperial budget deficit in 1666 would have doubled. He pressed his forehead and thought for a moment, and said slowly, "This number...... Somewhat difficult. How about half of it?"

"Then we're afraid we'll have to surrender another division to Lenny. What do you think of capitulating the 'Republic' division at Fort Still, sir?"

Before Rasta could reply, Marshal Govar interjected first: "The Republic Division is not good, the first division joining the Central Army means war." Now we can't lose a single division, otherwise the entire front will collapse. ”

Bonnie's eyebrows raised. This fake Govar seems to be helping them negotiate?

“...... Half a million. Rasta spat out the maximum amount he could authorize, "plus a loan of three hundred thousand guarantees in the name of the Emperor at most." ”

"Luther" propped up his chin and tapped his left hand lightly on the armrest of the couch: "There is a problem with secured loans, and that is that the Kengal regime must remain safe. Otherwise, the banks of the South would probably not have provided this money, and the banks of the North would ...... IMHO, that's no different from the emperor paying directly. In order to guarantee this, the Imperial army stationed in Kengrad had to be kept within a symbolic number of 1,000 men and guaranteed not to provoke conflict. Fort Stille could not send troops. ”

"Yes. If the Imperial Army were to send an army here, it would be no different than if we had surrendered to the Empire. The Jurlocks did not like Lenny's*, but they also did not like the oppression of Deresa's force. Nikolai added.

"Five thousand. 500,000 marks, 300,000 loans. Rasta's expression was serious, "Change to a neutral, non-hostile Julok." ......It's a bit expensive, right?

"It doesn't have to be. If you think you can rule this country with that gentleman over there, it doesn't matter if you kill us now. The long-term investment will be much higher than 800,000 gold marks per month. ”

Bonnie crossed her hands on her lap and squinted at Chase, and the whole room sighed at the same time. The First Secretary of State clenched his fists in anger, and the detection magic light reflected from his body turned a crimson for "anger" in Bonnie's right eye, but was stopped by Rasta's gaze.

Govar stroked his gray-white curls with his right index and middle fingers, and muttered, "Indeed, if an army of 25,000 men is allowed to advance to Kengler, the Free Army will probably continue to expand." If one is not careful, it is the fire yao barrel that is detonated. ”

"But isn't the present state of affairs a barrel? Can this state of affairs be maintained forever? The garrison at Fort Stille must be reduced, and the number of our garrison at Kengrad should be adjusted according to the number of the frontal Lenny Army. ”

An imperceptible glint of displeasure flashed in Rasta's eyes. This fluctuation of emotions also turned green and was reflected in Bonnie's right eye. She signaled Nikolai to take two steps back with a code, and began to nervously speculate on the position of the mysterious archmage.

"Well, three months. What about this time when you will guarantee our independence until the re-election? The strength of the force was no more than half of the frontal Free Army. ”

Govar and Rasta looked at each other and nodded in agreement. "Deal. ”

"So, in the next three months, let's do what we can. ”

Machiavelli dropped the provocative remark and turned away. Bonnie glanced thoughtfully at "Govar" and then exited the room after him.

The other party's "Radetz Govar" seems to be interesting. Although it is a fake, he does not seem to be firmly on the side of the Imperials.

After three months......

She smiled. At that time, it was spring, which was suitable for military operations, but it was also the time when the soldiers were most wary after the winter break.

Then the situation will be different. When the real "Magia Veri" returns to the city, her mission will be over.

She had earned two and a million more gold marks and a Stillburg than she knew about history. Even if the entire Julok threw herself into the Empire, she would not necessarily lose her money—strategy is not the mathematics of one plus one and two, and sometimes one plus one is even less than one. Compromise is the quickest path to peace, as it has always been.

What she didn't expect was that Magia would never return to the city. If she hadn't studied psychoanalysis, she might have discovered this fact sooner. Sometimes dreams are not just a subconscious reaction, but can also be a means of communication.

*** ***

"Why do you agree with them?" said Rasta, who walked up to "Govar" after Nikolai and Bonnie had left peacefully, and asked in an anxious tone, "If you don't speak, maybe we won't have to back down so much......

"For I have said that I will assist you only if there is no war. I don't want to see this become a battlefield at all. ”

"Govar" switched back to a female voice. Rasta was speechless for a moment, he really didn't want to argue with a young lady.

"Forget it...... The agreement has been reached, so be it. In any case, neither of us intends to strictly abide by this verbal agreement. Truth be told, you're not wrong, Danika. Those two were very difficult to deal with. He sighed and walked to the door gloomily, "There's a good chance that this person is about to be transferred, and I don't know how many more days this envoy will be in office." ”

"May I ask who that man is, is he the next one to rule us?" asked Govar, known as "Danica," asked curiously.

"Ah, that's my top boss, and in a few months I might become everyone's top boss. You've probably heard his name too......" Rasta turned and stared into Denica's eyes, saying the forbidden name word by word.

"The man your newspapers call him 'Machiavelli of the North.'" Personally, I would advise you to quit as soon as you see him, this kind of quagmire is not something young girls should be involved in. ”

Danika Villeen felt a chill, but only shrugged his shoulders in response. She dragged her somewhat tired body to her room in the building, smiling at each soldier along the way.

Like the opponent she's about to face, there's no going back. She had no choice but to choose the quagmire.

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Welcome the majority of book friends to come and read, the latest, fastest, the hottest serialized works are all here!