At the end of this morning's round table meeting, the ministers had a brief lunch and quietly gathered together again.

This is not a formal Privy Council meeting.

On the bright side, they both belong to the old "chocolate club" and are both chocolate lovers. But in reality, it was a small meeting attended by only a dozen ministers, including the Privy Council and the Minister of Trade.

After the round table meeting and before the start, the knights who have common interests or are good friends with each other will gather and confirm each other's ideas and suggestions to avoid fighting each other in the round table meeting.

Although it is not like Iris, which has two distinct and opposing parties, it is actually a gang.

The difference is that these knights know each other in their hearts, and there must be more than one such small meeting. At this moment, the knights, who were amazed by what they had seen and heard, must have gathered in groups of three or five to discuss with each other.

Even every minister here may not have only added one such small meeting. They speak ill of other people at the Chocolate Club, and maybe some of them will have a "candy club", "honey club" or something like that, and then talk bad about them.

"I think something is not quite right with Your Majesty."

Privy Council Minister Camelot had a serious expression: "The reaction is completely different from what we expected. ”

"It seems that you and Her Majesty are not that close."

The gray-haired old man sarcastically said, "I don't even know when she changed her personal style." ”

He is the Minister of Education in Avalon.

And Minister Camelot was just silent.

Prior to this, the Privy Council Ministers had sworn that Isabel was a gentle and soft child. She must not be able to adapt to the position of queen, and she will feel a lot of pressure.

And at this time, if there is a force that can enthusiastically show favor and help, it will be subconsciously relied on by the helpless and confused young queen.

That's their chance – the perfect opportunity to get rid of the high-rises.

The high-rise school refers to the tall buildings of the headquarters of Lloyd's and refers to the ministers who regularly enter Lloyd's. This usually means that they have a close interest in Lloyd's.

Although Lloyd's is now in decline, it is not as good as it used to be. But it still exists. The immense wealth it wields is still eye-catching.

And under this premise...... Lloyd's, which has lost its deterrent power, has instead become an ATM. Now that the Lloyd's community is leaderless, no leader can subdue everyone, and this combination of businessmen's interests is still fighting among themselves.

Because they no longer have the enormous, lurking power of control to turn wealth into political influence. It has been completely exposed, and in such a situation that it needs to continue to cede a large amount of benefits just to maintain its existence.

As a result, the ministers who had been paid from Lloyd's continued to take money.

They can even safer take more money and earn more than ever before, but do less. Or simply do nothing - it's already friendly if you don't destroy them.

Maybe after a while, the merchants will be able to slow down. But at least not now.

And under this close alliance of interests, the influence of the Knights of the Round Table of Lloyd's has increased rather than decreased. Led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Minister of Housing and Community, the Chancellor of Health and Social Welfare, the Chairman of the Board of Trade, and the Secretary of State for Maritime Affairs, they are more united than ever. In many matters, they are in the same way and helping each other.

Their main tendencies are to open up free trade, free markets, across-the-board tax cuts, and focus on promoting a "merchant knight" system. Even entrepreneurs who advocate excellence can also enter the round table room.

The Moriarty family, the only one of the founder's family who has been in business for generations, naturally belongs to this faction.

Because the core of the faction, the former trade secretary Drost, was investigated, and the post of trade secretary was also sent by the queen to another large faction that opposed them as a counterbalance.

That is the "Chocolate Club" headed by the Privy Councillor. They are also known as chocolate pies.

Chocolate is a dessert that became popular in Avalon at the end of the Hellasr Empire. Because of the high cost of transportation, only a very small number of knights at that time had the power and wealth to taste this expensive sweet. At that time, the "Chocolate Club" was opened, and only veteran knights and the founding families could join.

But just as chocolate gradually found its way into the people, the wealth that had been in the hands of these knight families in the early days was gradually controlled by the commoners.

They were the knights who had refused Lloyd's bribes. However, this is not to say that they are honest - their ideas are to suppress the power and trade of merchants, to prevent the landing of "merchant knights", and even to demand that merchants be taxed and that their welfare and income be increased.

Tax increases and reductions, discussion of the feasibility of "merchant knights", constraints on knights and social welfare...... This is a long-standing topic of discussion in the round table room.

Although they are still informal factions, they can also be said to be the prototype of parties.

Because of this, the personal positions of these knights are also not stable.

They also have their own personal interests, so they have their own ways of achieving the same ends. This leaves room for discussion.

The Chancellor, for example, likes to raise taxes on all sorts of worthless small goods on a large scale. For example, he plans to start taxing matches and kerosene lamps next spring – on the one hand, he can continue to promote electric lights, on the one hand, he can make the accounts look good by raising taxes, and on the other hand, he can increase people's knee-jerk resistance to tax increases, and then protect merchants in disguise.

And the most uncertain thing for them at the moment is which faction the current "Minister of Care" who is deeply trusted by the queen should belong to.

On the one hand, he is the heir to the Moriarty family. He is also the future head of the family - although there is no inheritance ceremony, he can even be said to be the current head of the family. He should naturally belong to the high-rise faction.

On the other hand, the high-rise faction was hit one after another—the president and vice president of Lloyd's were arrested one after another, the secretary of state of trade and the minister of the navy were arrested, and the minister of maritime affairs was executed. These were the result of the direct intervention of Ivas Moriarty.

Today, even the Privy Council Ministers are suppressed.

The loyalty of the Camelot family is unquestionable. Eight of Avalon's twelve monarchs to date have had their Privy Council ministers from the Camelot family.

But he was sent to the fifth position.

If you go a little further back, it can be understood that Isabel is closer to the high-rise faction, and then Avalon will be inclined to peace and economic development. In that case, they will also have to make a certain degree of concession and self-transformation.

But the fifth position...... It's actually quite high.

The first four happen to be the four pillars of the country who are the "big characters", and none of them belong to any faction. In other words, he happened to be the first after those four fifth-level powerhouses.

"I think that this attitude of Her Majesty Isabel is actually very clear."

It was the Minister of Defence who spoke.

The old general, who was still wearing armor at a private meeting, said with a serious expression: "'Before the Privy Council, there were four protectors'. This means that His Majesty, while maintaining the utmost fairness, considers 'individual strength' to be the more important factor.

"When the status of the four protectors is higher than that of the Privy Council, it means that what Avalon needs most now is a fifth-level transcendent."

“…… You mean, His Majesty's train of thought is war? ”

The Education Secretary asked rhetorically.

"Combined with the idea of increasing military spending and increasing conscription, I do not rule out this possibility. It can even be said that it is quite possible. ”

The Minister of Defense said in a deep voice: "Everyone, prepare for war. ”

"When Lord Meg is likely dead?"

Griffith, the new trade secretary, couldn't help but ask, "Don't you think we have no chance of winning?" ”

"I wonder if there is a possibility," said the Privy Councillor slowly, "although Your Majesty did not have the affinity for the authoritarian path when she was young, does that mean that she cannot awaken to this path the day after tomorrow?"

"Just as when we are old, there are people who awaken the path of wisdom and those who awaken the path of twilight. It's all about acquired factors.

"Although we all say that Her Majesty the Queen may be the only one who cannot inherit the path of authority...... But she had the blood of Durak in her veins. What if she wakes up again later? ”

The old man said slowly: "Old people, don't talk too dead. Who would have thought before today that Her Majesty would have such momentum at the first round table? Miss Nariguia is not necessarily inferior to Meg. ”

"I don't think it's a question of whether it's better or not."

The trade secretary retorted: "Rather, 'as long as you feel that it is possible to be incomparable,' then it will inevitably not be comparable." Lord Meg is indeed powerful, but we can keep the peace, and it is not up to Meg to defeat all enemies. But as long as the Star Antimony and Irises knew that we had Meg, they wouldn't come to do it.

"Whether or not Regia has the strength of Lord Meg—of course, she can't—but even if she did, it would be useless, for she was a different person after all. Her name doesn't frighten people, then there is a possibility of war.

"Once the war starts, it may be too late. Today's Star Antimony is different from the Irises of twenty years ago, and there is a strong need for war within Star Antimony. ”

Griffith warned: "Once they start fighting, they will never stop. Because as long as they stop, they will collapse on their own. So as long as there is a war, it is a battle of life and death. ”

He was the diplomatic ambassador to the Embassy before being appointed Minister of Trade by the Queen, but he was withdrawn only after the Queen's diplomatic attitude deteriorated. Now that StarTyre's diplomatic attitude with Avalon has improved, Griffith, who has friendly relations with StarTy, is appointed by Queen Sophia as the new Minister of Trade to negotiate a new phase of the trade contract.

As such, Chancellor Griffith is perhaps the most knowledgeable of all the people in the audience about the Kingdom of Star Antimony.

"What does that mean?"

The Minister of Defense sarcastically said: "Surrender with your hands raised?" ”

He had always been unaccustomed to Chancellor Griffith.

Perhaps because of his many years at Star Antimony, Griffith has a strong Star Antimony style. I couldn't see the knight's tough attitude and courage, but I cowered. And when it's okay, he likes to brag about the strength and advancement of the Star Antimony people - which makes the Minister of Defense quite disgusted.

"We can get them to turn to irises."

Minister Griffith whispered, "And we can help secretly—to help the Star Antimony Man, and to help the Iris Man." As long as the Star Antimony people feel that victory is possible, they will not stop the war; And as long as they don't take it for a long time, there is a high probability that they will disintegrate on their own. ”

"A good offer."

Minister Camelot said slowly: "But this matter is for Her Majesty to decide. ”

"Will it be handed over to Queen Isabelle, or will it be handed over to Chancellor Moriarty?"

Minister Griffith sarcastically said, "Do you really not understand, or do you pretend not to understand?" Your Majesty's attitude today is so abnormal, obviously prepared. Minister Moriarty was with His Majesty last night, and did not come today - what else did His Majesty say, that he was unwell? He's a pastor!

"If this is put in the star antimony, it will be called the harem to do politics. Are you loyal to Queen Isabel or Minister Moriarty? ”

(End of chapter)