The weather was gloomy, it was raining lightly, and thick dark clouds pressed on the top of people's heads, as if they could reach the dark clouds if they stood taller and reached out.

Mitheus, Count of the Empire, director of the Imperial Library, was revered by many literate people within the Empire. But at this moment, he looked very embarrassed, walking in the dark street wearing a poncho, pushing open a wooden door in disrepair on the side of the road, and stepping into this tavern hidden in the small alley outside the imperial capital in the harsh sound.

The tavern was empty, with only one table of people, and these people looked very good-looking, and their decorations were decorated to highlight their aristocratic status. If there are people who know the nobles of the imperial capital very well, you can find that almost all of the people present here are idle nobles of the imperial capital. Although these people have the status of aristocrats, they have no real power, and they are often moldy in some better-sounding positions. To put it nicely, it is that Huai Cai is not met.

"Mitheus, you're late. A bespectacled nobleman put down the poker in his hand and straightened his back to look at him.

Mitheus took off his poncho and coat and stamped his feet in the doorway, leaving several overlapping wet footprints. He grumbled and walked over to the round table and sat down, taking a sip of a glass of wine, "Damn the weather, I'd rather it be colder, snow is much more comfortable than rain." ”

It was a drinking party organized by a small circle of idle nobles, and only certain people could join, provided that they had certain abilities, but were not accepted into the three major aristocratic groups.

It's not that the three aristocratic groups don't accept them, it's that they don't look down on the prices offered by the three aristocratic groups, and feel that they are being despised by them, so they refuse to deal with any of the aristocratic groups and become neutrals. They are not inclined towards royalty, nor towards any one group, and only do their own thing.

To put it simply, it's a cynical wall-to-wall grass.

"It's been a dull atmosphere lately and I think there's going to be something big. Mitheus gasped, "Did you see? The royal representatives in the Imperial Diet applied for the canonization of the eldest princess's dukedom, and Alfred and Hussein were the first to vote in favor, they are staunch anti-imperial factions, and it is impossible for them to make such a compromise for no reason, there must be something that we don't know." And then there's the recent rumors about Faith and Chloe, which all of a sudden came to an abrupt halt, and there's someone behind it all. ”

"Eventful spring. Another silver-haired old man sighed, "The Pope has come to the imperial capital in person, and Fabio actually wants to canonize Rossi as the patriarch of the imperial capital region, this is simply nonsense." His ambition is no longer hidden, which is a very dangerous signal, and it is very likely that the three nobles will go to war within the year. ”

As soon as the topic was spoken, the dozen or so people in the tavern fell silent. Political struggles often take place around them, but they have nothing to do with them, and they can observe the struggles between the noble groups of the Tullman Empire from a more detached perspective.

Bloody and brutal!

Brell is the most obvious example, Rossi gave a knife to the royal family, and the royal family did not hesitate to use the knife to cut Breel. It is said that during Breel's exile, he was attacked by a group of thieves, and dozens of members of his family were spared. But there is no news in the imperial capital, and if it weren't for the fact that the people here also have a little way, they wouldn't know the news at all. Don't think about it, the first time you hear the news, everyone's first instinct is the hand of the royal family.

Blair got the situation wrong, but he had to pay a bloody price for his unintentional mistake, which was really too heavy!

There is no reason for the parties to fight against differences, only differences in positions.

The silence was quickly broken by the bespectacled guy, "I plan to transfer out of the imperial capital as soon as possible, I'm a little worried that this fire will burn on us." ”

Mitheus smiled wryly and shook his head, the director of the Imperial Library seemed to be inconspicuous, but in fact it was also a fairly important department. It falls within the purview of the Imperial Ministry of Education, but it is a completely independent place beyond the subordinate relationship of the Ministry of Education. Mitheus can be said to be half a teacher of all those who have gone to school, because he is almost equal to knowledge in the academy and is known as the nobleman of the empire with only knowledge.

In this position, Mitheus has exhausted half of his life's efforts, and he has sacrificed a lot of things for this, and he can't just give it up, and he is not willing to give it up.

It's easy to leave the imperial capital, and there is a place in the countryside if you squeeze it casually, but it is very difficult to come back.

He didn't want to go.

Another nobleman objected to this view. "We are very low-key on weekdays, and we have not done anything wrong, we never interfere in the dumping, and only concentrate on our own business. Why would they want to do it to us? Why? If there is no reason, even the royal family has no right to do this, right?"

The silver-haired aristocrat sneered twice, "What more reason do you want? For those big people, what they say is evidence, and their gestures are reason. Don't be naïve, old Tony, this empire has long since decayed. His voice was full of cold mockery, and at the end, he said half-jokingly: "I really don't believe it, you here have not collected a single copper benefit fee, I tell you the truth, during my tenure in the Imperial Capital City Planning Institute, at least 100,000 gold coins were collected as a benefit fee, maybe a little more." ”

The people present were silent, and the words of the silver-haired nobleman obviously pierced the secret in their hearts. It's Mitheus, and he has also taken a lot of benefit fees.

The simplest way is to issue letters of recommendation for certain students who are not qualified. As the director of the Imperial Library, he still has a little face in the field of education, and it is a very normal courtesy exchange for those parents to give him a little money to help him find a good college for their children to learn knowledge in order to have better development and prospects. And he will not be attacked by others when he does this, his purpose is not to plunder the benefit fee, but to let the child have a better learning environment.

What a lofty intention? It was so touching that I was about to cry!

But with such a noble idea, the purpose is really for those shining gold coins.

These things are not even "things" in normal times, but if something really goes wrong, that is the handle.

The atmosphere froze again, and the silver-haired nobleman shook his head and drank the bitter wine one by one with his glass.

After a while, Mitheus smiled bitterly and said, "What do you mean, it's time to take sides?"

"Otherwise, maybe you have a better way. ”

This gathering was spent in silence, everyone could not see tomorrow, and the mood was as gloomy and cold as the dark clouds over the imperial capital.

After the meeting, Mitheus put on a poncho and walked back to his house, but he was surprised not to see the butler guarding the door for him. When he walked into the hall in confusion, he saw a young man who was now hot in the imperial capital-Rosie.

"Count Mitheus, you're finally back. Rossi smiled very naturally, and he took the initiative to step forward and shake hands with the stunned Mitheus, "I came this time at the request of Prince Fabio, Prince Fabio asked me to greet you, he has always admired your knowledge and demeanor, and hopes to have the opportunity to talk with you about some views on the imperial education system." ”

Mitheus suddenly came back to his senses, he invited Rossi to sit down, changed his own clothes, and then sat opposite Rossi, "Please help me say hello to Prince Fabio, I am very grateful for the importance he attaches to me." After a pause, he pondered and said: "The imperial education system is not too big a problem for now, this is a system that has been continuously improved for nearly a thousand years, and ordinary people like me have not yet had the ability to meddle. ”

Rosie nodded with a smile and stood up, "I must bring your words here, I still have something to do, so I will leave." ”

The whole process took less than ten minutes, but it felt like a year had passed for Mitheus. As soon as Rosie left, his face pulled down, and it was terrible to look at. He understood very well that this was Prince Fabio's invitation to join the Fabio aristocracy, but he refused. Because once he joins that group, he has to fight and contribute to Fabio's ambitions. He needs to kill his former colleagues, even his best friends, and turn against those who are like him.

Among these people may not be the old friends from the meeting just now.

He is not high, but he does not want to be a sword in the hands of Prince Fabio, nor does he want to be a lackey of the aristocratic group.

After waving off the servant, he sat in the hall all night, and after dawn he decided that on the next ten days of the imperial government, he would apply for a transfer from the imperial capital and leave this place of right and wrong.

But sometimes, some things don't go as planned.

Speaking of Rosie, after Rosie left, he took out a small notebook from his bosom and drew a cross after the name of Mitheus. He glanced back at the Count's mansion, hidden in the darkness, and shook his head.

At this time, who can be left alone?