85_85536 "Why? Hearing William say this, Duke Otto was a little puzzled: "If you don't want to go to Krakow, I naturally don't have to." I can't help much. ”

"No, it makes sense. And you don't need to be presumptuous, father, you can help. William said:

"In fact, if you're in Krakow, you're doing a great favor. It was a great help to His Excellency the Grand Duke and to the Grand Duchy of Mazovia. Seeing that Duke Otto was still a little ignorant, William continued to explain to him tirelessly:

"Father, you are a hero of the last Great Frontier War, and at the same time a great nobleman who owns a vast territory of a quarter of Mazovia. Your presence will greatly boost the confidence of the people of Krakow to resist the Centaur Khanate.

You will serve as a sign, a symbol, to boost the morale of the people throughout Mazovia, and indeed throughout the kingdom of Wende. ”

Hearing William say this, Duke Otto nodded, although he was a little reluctant to play the role of a symbol or even a mascot. But he also knew that there was nothing wrong with what William said.

At this critical moment, he took on the dual roles of a hero and a great nobleman, and made a positive gesture in response to the invitation of Grand Duke Leschek to go to Krakow. This action was indeed a great morale boost for Mazovia, and indeed for the Kingdom of Wende.

"I see. Duke Otto nodded: "I'll go to Krakow." So what should I do and what should I do during my trip to Krakow?"

"The most important thing is to show that you matter. William said: "In this situation of war, the friendship between the Hereford family and the Trieste family will keep Mazovia united." Father, you have to remember that you represent our entire family. It was a pivotal performance, an appearance of us who became the Duke of Mystia, with the title of 'Duke', in the world, in front of the public.

Krakow is an international city, whether it is the Goths, the Slavits, the Levantines of the South, and even all kinds of inhuman aliens, you can find them in Krakow. This is the best stage, father, which is very, very important.

You want to show our strength, but you also want to show your demeanor. Let people all over the world fall in love and admire it. ”

"This ...... It's a bit difficult. Duke Otto frowned and said, "To be honest, I'm not too good at acting......"

"You just have to look like you're usual. William comforted him, "You are an ascetic, and at the same time an exemplary knight full of chivalry, and at the same time a devout disciple of the Lord of Radiance. There is no better image of a nobleman in this world, you have to have some confidence in yourself. ”

"Yes, yes......" Hearing William say this, Duke Otto himself felt a little embarrassed.

"So to be specific......"

"As a general principle, you need to maintain friendly relations with His Excellency the Grand Duke. And stand firm in your position. That is, resistance to the centaurs. Anyone who opposes you, you should fight back against them. William said to Duke Otto...... Although he would prefer that his father would be able to dominate the social circles of Krakow and get as much support as possible from all walks of life.

But when you think about it, it's impossible—Duke Otto doesn't have that many eyes. He had it himself, but he couldn't go.

Therefore, William decided to settle for the next best thing, replacing flexible diplomacy with firm principles and solid political tendencies.

This will push some people to his opposite. But at the same time, it can also unite a group of people in the shortest possible time. And with his position as Duke Otto, he could most likely be the leader of this group - at least, one of them.

This could greatly improve the status of the Hereford family in Mazovia, and indeed in the entire Wende Kingdom. It can play a huge role in the next expansion of the Hereford family.

"I see. Duke Otto nodded. William breathed a sigh of relief: "We will discuss some specific things in detail later." He said to the Duke of Otto:

"Also, there are two other things to discuss with you before my father leaves. ”

"Tell me about it. Duke Otto said.

"One thing is to travel to Rome again. William said, "Meet His Majesty the Pope again." We need the greatest support from the Holy See. ”

"The second is the support from the people of the Empire. When William said this, he shook his head helplessly:

"The upper echelons of the empire are mired in a civil war, and we can't count on it for the time being. However, there are still many people in the Empire, and I hope to get money from them. At the same time, I also hope that they will organize a volunteer army to serve in the war effort. ”

After William said this, he looked at Duke Otto with a blank eye, hoping that he could give him a positive enough answer. Although he had such expectations. And know how to complete this series of operations. But the problem is, he doesn't have access and doesn't know enough people. Connections, as well as common sense, this is exactly what William lacks at this stage.

"This ...... It should be fine. After thinking for a while, Duke Otto nodded: "If you really want to do this, then I have a way...... Speaking of which, the last time your aunt came back to Hereford, you were in Circassia. But this time, you should meet her. ”

"Hmm. William quickly understood what Duke Otto meant—his aunt, Duke Otto's sister, a knightly mentor affiliated with the Gothic Order, traveled between Duke Otto's Hereford domain and the interior of the Gothic Empire in the west. While escorting the caravans, it will also bring a large number of bankrupt peasants and refugees from within the empire to help Duke Otto reclaim the famine.

Trade with the Gothic Knights, to which William's aunt belonged, was once an important pillar of the Hereford family's economy.

But of course, that was before. Prior to this, the Gothic Knights had been dominant in the exchanges between the two sides. But now, the Hereford family, who have the title of Duke of Mystia, are still not comparable to the knights scattered throughout the empire in terms of strength. But in theory, its status was already on par with that of the Gothic Order.

"In other words, the fundraising I am talking about, as well as the organization of a volunteer army, can be discussed with the Gothic Knights. William nodded. Indeed, if this stronghold and network, the paramilitary organization with connections throughout the empire, could help, he would indeed be able to get what he wanted in the shortest possible time.

"She had written to me before and told me that she would be in Hereford in half a month. I guess I was already in Krakow by that time. When the time comes, you will entertain her in my place and talk to her about it. "Duke Otto said:

"I'll write her a letter explaining these things. It's up to you next. ”

"Well, thank you, father. ”

In this way, the three members of the Hereford family talked in the study for almost four hours. During this period, a lot of coffee, black tea and snacks were consumed. So much so that after William finished talking, he vaguely proposed to Xia Lumi: "I hope you can keep in shape".

In the following period, William hired a professional tutor to teach Duke Otto's etiquette lessons. In addition to this, a great deal of money was spent on tailors and jewellers to make a large number of ornate aristocratic dresses tailor-made for Duke Otto.

William hopes that his father, after the first appearance, will make the whole world remember his heroic appearance.

Because the time was in a hurry, the tailors and jewelers were in a hurry, working overtime.

Of course, William was not idle during this time. He was to help his father, Duke Otto, in his speech and in his speeches. Write speeches for him. And analyze the various situations, analyze what kind of people he will meet, what kind of dialogue he will have, what choices he should make in this situation.

In this way, Wilhelm felt that he had a bit of a touch of Goebbels, the propaganda minister of the Third Reich.

Of course, compared to the above people, the most tired is Duke Otto. He was constantly experimenting with new clothes and ornaments, all kinds of trinkets, including crowns, scepters, and all kinds of ornate scabbards and small cross-shaped jewels.

On top of that, he had to listen to William tell him about social situations and memorize various speeches. After that, his speech and manners, even the manner in which he eats, the tone of his speech, etc., are also taught by the etiquette teacher.

He is almost 24 hours a day, even the time he has to go to the toilet. So much so that he was physically and mentally exhausted, so that he eagerly hoped that such days would end soon.

In this way, three days later, when Duke Otto had finally completed his preparations and was ready to go to Krakow, he was so moved that he almost burst into tears.

"Well, I'm bothering you, my son. On the way out of Circassia, before getting on his horse, Duke Otto shook William's hands and said so earnestly.

"I will, dad all the way. Rest assured, I'll take care of our family and territory. ”

"Take care of yourself, too. Duke Otto frowned, and then commanded.

"I see. ”

So, in the end, the father and son hugged each other. Duke Otto went up and headed for ...... in the direction of Krakow with a guard of honor of a newly formed cavalry battalion.