When Conrad returned to Hydra Palace full of resentment and hugging the corpse, the atmosphere in Tulun Harbor was like a giant bomb that lit a fuse, ready to explode at any moment.

Off the coast of Tulum Harbor, a terrifyingly powerful naval fleet is cruising slowly and proudly.

Hundreds of battleships, hundreds of large cruisers and large frigates, all of which had their gun doors open, revealing countless black muzzles.

These arrogant warships, as if they were holding a naval parade, lined up in a neat phalanx, slowly swimming back and forth on the sea, this feeling is like a few bullies accustomed to extortion, carrying short knives and daggers, dangling back and forth in front of the bitter master's house, constantly exerting mental pressure.

On the Golden Fleece and Silver Bull headlands in Tulum Harbor, two new forts have been raised with blood-colored battle flags.

With the sound of a high-pitched horn, a giant mortar slowly slid along the railroad tracks on the ground to the gun position. Well-trained artillerymen, shouting trumpets, use special pulley cranes to load unusually heavy shells into the chambers.

A large-caliber fortress gun poked its head out of the turret and condescendingly locked onto the fleet in the distance.

But the fleet on the open sea, very cunning, was stuck just outside the maximum range of all the heavy guns in the battery.

On the two large batteries, there are senior technical officers with various instruments, constantly measuring the distance and speed of the offshore fleet, as well as today's wind speed and direction.

The commander of the two batteries, sweat already oozing from his forehead, was lying on the large binoculars, watching every move of the mighty and terrifying fleet.

The two new batteries in the port of Tulum, with their condescending position, undoubtedly had a huge advantage in range.

In terms of caliber, the two new batteries had the largest caliber mortars of a staggering 800 millimeters...... Such a huge cannon, not to mention a single hit, even if it falls into the water near the battleship, it can cause fatal damage to those large battleships.

However, compared with the fleet in the open sea, the two new batteries were completely inferior in terms of the number of guns and the rate of fire.

The hundreds of battleships alone, each battleship had hundreds of guns.

Moreover, the rate of fire of small-caliber naval guns is at least ten times that of these large-caliber fortress guns, and twenty or even thirty times that of super-jumbo caliber mortar guns......

With the strength of this fleet, if the other side goes straight to the port of Tulum at any cost...... The two new batteries could not stop each other at all.

As soon as several battleships of the opposing side broke into the harbor inland sea of the port of Tulun, they launched artillery bombardment at the battery from behind...... Hehe......

Of course, a detachment of the Imperial Navy was stationed in the port of Tulum......

But no one took that detachment seriously.

Just a few tattered old battleships, the Tulun port detachment in front of the fleet in the open sea, is just a purely beaten child, a round of fire will be blown up and sunk to feed the fish.

On the eastern outskirts of the port of Tulum.

In a hilly area planted with various flowers, olives, grapes, figs and other cash crops, an army in dark gray uniforms has formed a salvo array.

The number of this army is about the size of two full brigades, that is, about 11,000 people.

Military flags fluttered in the wind, and in front of the long salvo array, a military band of 100 people beat the war drums, making out a neat, dense, and heart-pounding drum sound.

To the south of this army, about half a mile away, a sturdy viewing platform was built with solid logs and steel elements. The long viewing platform was filled with dignitaries and foreign consuls from the port of Tulun, as well as the commander and adjutant of the Ice Kingdom's home fleet, Dekes, and several naval observers.

Hesse, dressed in fine clothes, stood at the front of the viewing platform with a large cigar in his mouth and grinning teeth.

In front of him was a small square table with a few contracts on it.

Opposite him was a burly, hairy Barbaria.

The two stared at each other across the small square table, Hesse was still very calm and steady, while Barbaria's forehead was bulging, his nostrils were dilated, and he was spitting hot air, looking like he could jump over the small square table at any time and beat Hesse.

Rafa, the third inquisition of the Holy Inquisition of the Golden Oak Church, as well as several high-ranking clergy, as well as the consul general of the Kingdom of the Ice Sea, the Republic of Gaul, the Kingdom of St. Chia, and the United Kingdom of Nice in the port of Tulum, stood at the small square table and carefully examined the covenant on the square table.

Earlier, at the Naval Club in Port Tulum, Hesse, Duke Ross and Dirks had fallen apart.

Hesse arrogantly provoked Dex, asking the navy of the Ice Sea Kingdom to land and fight to the death with the Imperial army.

Dex ...... on this proposal Undoubtedly flinched.

Barbaria, on the other hand, jumped out on his own initiative and took Hesse's provocation.

"Well, the Duke of Hesse's bet is 100 million gold marks...... The Duke of Barbaria, on the other hand, made a bet on a large iron mine in the western part of the Duchy of Portland, near the border of the Empire. ”

Rafa's voice resounded throughout the viewing platform: "Delen Empire, eleven thousand soldiers, decisive battle...... Hussars of three brigades of the Duchy of Portland. ”

"I ask the notaries to review the dueling deed, and if there is no opinion, then ...... Please sign and seal your two Excellencies. ”

On the viewing platform, Fredet and Lucien, as well as a group of Freret's staff, were also present.

Surrounded by his staff, Freette lowered his voice and complained to Lucien in great annoyance: "Dear Lucien, this feeling is very bad, very bad. ”

"There is nothing to do with the Navy at all, and it has nothing to do with the Navy."

"Damn it...... They, they dispatched such a powerful fleet...... Moreover, this is only a part of their fleet...... And we, on the other hand, can only sit here and watch...... A war is imminent, and we can't do anything. ”

Lucien spread his hands helplessly: "This is the current situation of the Imperial Navy, Your Highness. But isn't it just to change this frustrating fact that we came to Tulun Port? Everything will be fine, everything will be fine. ”

"New warships, there will be; More warships, there will definitely be; This is just a matter of financial investment. ”

"The Marines we have formed have recruited enough soldiers, and as long as they complete their training, as long as they have enough combat effectiveness, they can occupy more colonies and plunder more wealth for us."

"Colony...... Wealth...... Battleship...... It's going to be a perfect resource cycle. ”

Lucien reassured Freret: "Now, only the labor pains before childbirth, only the darkness before dawn." ”

Frerett pursed his lips and stole a glance at Tifa, who was sitting not far away, playing with the small gavel.

What a damn ......

If you can hook up with Tifa, the assets of the Ritu family are enough to build a new fleet that is not weak.

Of course, Frerett already had a wife, and counting the blood relationship, his wife was Barbaria's niece who was signing a gambling agreement with Hesse.

But...... Frevice did not like the wife who was born into the Lucian royal family and was as domineering and savage as the Lucian Empire.

He admired Tifa even more, a man of knowledge and temperament, who was born and raised in the Delen Empire...... What's more, there is an indigenous beauty with a big big daddy!

"The darkness before dawn...... Ah, it's so frustrating. Frevice sighed: "Guess who's going to win?" ”

Lucien chuckled softly.

"It doesn't matter who wins, this gambling war is just a prelude to the war...... The Duke of Ross and the Duke of Hesse want to show off their strength with this. And Barbaria, he seems to have the same idea. ”

"It's just a little fun before the big game, it doesn't matter who wins."

Lucien's smile became very strange: "However, you will definitely be very happy with the news that has just come from the imperial capital...... Magnum was in solitary confinement, his arrogant mother, who had done some, very unseemly things. ”

Freret's eyes lit up.

"Oh? Tell me in detail, my dear brother, hehe, what did he do that angered people? ”

Tifa was playing with the small gavel, and Liya was sitting beside her, pinching Weima's ears with her hand: "Weima, sit obediently, it's not peaceful here today, don't look at those guys nearby who are all sanctimonious, there are few good people here." ”

After teaching Weima a few lessons, Liya turned around and whispered to a middle-aged man behind her with a gloomy face and an extremely weak sense of presence: "So, have you bet all the money I prepared for the gambling games organized by the honorable consuls?" ”

The middle-aged man nodded slightly, his voice like a mosquito humming, and only Lia and Tifa could barely hear him.

"Yes, Mistress...... The total bet was 200,000,000,000 gold marks, cut into 127 parts, and 127 bets were placed separately for anything that had nothing to do with us. If we bet on the winners, according to the current odds, deduct the 100 million gold marks lost by the head of the family, our final profit can be about 230 million. ”

Leah nodded slightly, the corners of her mouth slightly hooked.

"Find a way to get the list of bets...... We can bet on ourselves to lose, but those big and small families in Tulun Port, if any of them secretly bet on us to lose, they will find a way to concoct them one by one in the future. ”

Tifa's eyes widened and she looked at her mother in amazement.

"What are you talking about?"

Leah smiled, leaned into Tifa's ear, and muttered softly, "Ah, dear Tifa, of course...... This gambling battle will be more ugly to lose. ”

"Originally, I was ready to waste this 100 million gold marks."

"But since these ill-intentioned gringos, they have opened such a gamble with the endorsement of their own national bank, then play with them!"

Tifa lowered her voice: "We, will we lose?" ”

Liya narrowed her eyes: "In this game, you're not ready to win...... Look at the soldiers, there are more than half of them, felons who have just been brought out of prison...... Do you think it's possible to win? ”

Tifa was stunned.

She took a deep look at her mother...... There's so much twisting and turning in there?