Section XXVII: Chaos

While Ashrufat and Ajin were discussing the future of profitable business, many people were also discussing it in many corners of Eagle City. This is a very normal thing, because for the vast majority of human beings in this world, it is customary to consult with someone and listen to the opinions of others before making any important decision. The only difference is that strong-willed people only refer to the opinions of others, while weak-willed people listen to the opinions of others.

"Byron, that guy...... What the hell are you doing!" Rafa, Grand General Gruny, asked in a tone that seemed to be talking to himself.

It was his mansion, or rather a safe place in his mansion. Several of his subordinates, or at least close political allies, gathered here. On the surface, it seems that this is just a private gathering of several ministers and nobles, but anyone who knows anything about the current situation in Eagle Falcon City knows that they are definitely not that simple together.

"Completely, I don't understand!" said the other man.

"I thought he would be desperate to stay the course, but I didn't expect that the budget we proposed would be passed with a little bit of change...... It's like pie rain falling from the sky!"

"No, it can't be, I don't believe that cunning guy has suddenly become a harmless little white rabbit! "General, I'm afraid it's just a façade!"

"Disguise? What kind of disguise is worth the price he pays?"

"It's very simple, the plan is to wipe us out! If he is going to paralyze us...... Then mobilize forces and ...... us directly by force"

"No, no matter how stupid he is, he doesn't do that, what troops does he have in the city? On the one hand, he has enough strength to wipe us out in one fell swoop, and on the other hand, he can hide from us to find out? If there is such a possibility, it is that he has mastered the Guards!"

General Rafa looked around, and everyone shook their heads, signaling that this was impossible.

"If Byron, then, is going to use force, what strength can he rely on?"

"In Eagle City," one of the men replied. "Aside from his personal guard, he doesn't have full control over the amount of power. Your Excellency, you know that in the palace, there are three squadrons of the Praetorian Guard......"

"I know that there are three squadrons, one squadron is under my orders, one is under Byron's control, and the captain of the last squadron is a cousin of the Grand Superintendent Skaderla. This part of the force is completely negligible...... Even if Byron wanted to do anything with this army, a hundred people really couldn't afford to make waves. But in the city, there is a security guard in charge of security...... The total number is about 3,000 people...... Most of this force is currently under Byron's command......"

"Ah, General, they're not regular troops, they're just garrisons. And we've managed to win over some people in this force. If Byron wants to do something with them, we'll know and be prepared for it. Byron himself knew this, so he ......"

"You're right, at least in the short term, don't worry about that...... As for the Guards, even my hand can't get in, let alone Byron. General Paul...... A man of total allegiance to the royal family, he was an allied member of the court head Skadra...... In any case, the Guards could never be used by Duke Byron. As long as he's not dead, that's it. ”

As he said the words "not dead," Rafa gave a chilling sneer. But it was only for a moment, and he immediately gathered his mind. This matter can be talked about later, and the biggest trouble at the moment is Byron.

"Why, then, did Byron do this......? It's equal to ...... He was completely incapacitated. Without money, he can't do anything!"

Everyone was silent. It's really strange, because what is happening now seems to represent Byron compromising and retreating, no, this can no longer be described as "compromise", it is more appropriate to simply use "surrender". Because all the government's revenues have been spent, he has no money left to engage in any kind of intrigues.

"Did he get a large sum of money from some source?" someone suspected. "Or is it hiding a large amount of income? or, borrowing?"

"Ah, borrowing is impossible. In the first two years, he had borrowed all the money he could. Now, even if you borrow money, it's only a very small amount, and it doesn't matter the big picture. As for...... Financial aspects...... Although the Chancellor of the Exchequer is from Byron's side, we also have corresponding eyeliner there. Fiscal revenue is inextricably linked, and it all affects the whole body at once. Byron shouldn't have the ability...... But even if he had this ability, he wouldn't be so eye-catching!"

Rafa groaned. "Indeed, if he really hides a large amount of income, he will quarrel with us over the distribution of finances to distract us and hide his secrets. He did this in a very blatant way, showing that he had no selfish intentions...... Reassure me...... But what is this for?"

The general was silent for a while, but he couldn't guess the mystery behind it.

"General, perhaps...... The Duke of Byron was deliberately using this gesture to win allies. For example, similar to the Grand Supervisor Skadra. The old man was loyal to the little queen, and might have been deceived by Duke Byron's deliberate disguise. But in any case, the numbers don't falsify. Our duke will certainly not do anything in this year. Because he doesn't have the money to do anything. That is, he has no threat in a year!"

"That's right......" General Rafa nodded. "Whether he's deliberately pretending to show others, or trying to confuse me, it's impossible for him to take any action for at least a year......"

......

"Rafa, that old thing must be guessing right now...... Hehe, he can't guess anything, he must be so depressed that he vomits blood...... Ha Lu Ha ......"

In another part of the Falcon City, or more specifically, in a small conference room in the palace, Duke Byron was laughing in Harry. It must be noted here that although in appearance, whether it is Byron or Rafa, they are already old men, but in fact they are quite different in age. The Duke looked to be in his sixties, but his real age was much younger. On the contrary, General Rafa is the kind of old man who "does not show his age", and his real age is almost seventy.

There is a big difference between people, some people are born looking older, while others are looking much younger than they really are. But Rafa's "not looking old" is completely reflected in his face. At least, on his body, aging left a deep mark. It has long been no secret that General Rafa is not in very good health. On the contrary, the Duke of Byron's face looked old, but in fact he was very strong. To refer to a common saying among doctors: living another twenty years is not a problem.

"Hmph, in this way, it is impossible for him to mix in Eagle Falcon City anymore. Byron said happily.

"Yes, he's got a lot going on on the Northeast Frontier...... This time he has been away from the army for a long time, so he must be eager to go back, straighten out, and deal with some chores in the army...... "One of his subordinates immediately beat the snake with the stick, and took the opportunity to make a big slap." "He can't guess what our real purpose is!"

"But ......" To be honest, there are both sycophants and ignorant fools in this world, at least on the side of Duke Byron, both seem to have both. Another subordinate spoke. "Lord Duke, is it really good to do this? after all, this matter is ......"

"What are you afraid of, as long as the whole situation is decided here......" replied the Duke of Byron. "What if I pay my debts? What can that one do to me? How can I say that it is separated by thousands of mountains and rivers. ”

If a third party is present, it will be clear that although the content of Duke Byron's last sentence is tough, his tone is somewhat lacking in confidence.

"By the way, Nighthawk, what's going on with that thing?" said Duke Byron, turning his head to one of his men. It was a rather young-looking man, tall, thin and well-proportioned, wearing a pale gray coat with a cape. He had a pale face that didn't fit his age, and one couldn't help but feel dangerous. The high bridge of his nose and thin lips make him always look like he is sneering—even though he may not be smiling at all.

If one of them had taken a closer look at him and Duke Byron, it would have been easy to see that the two of them had at least five points of similarity.

"It's almost. Nighthawk replied with a smile, at least a smile. "Lord Duke," he said visibly in a tone as he spat out the four words. "Actually, I've already brought it...... It took me a lot of money and a lot of time. ”

As he spoke, he reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope. The envelope looks a bit thick, and there should be three sheets of paper inside, or even a little more.

"In order to be accurate, it needs to be a little ...... Proofread it. Nighthawk said. "After all, the stakes are high, and it doesn't matter if you make a mistake, but if you miss one, you'll be in trouble. I spent a lot of extra time trying to do this. ”

Byron nodded, reaching for Nighthawk and taking the letter. "How much did it cost?" he asked seemingly casually as he held the letter in his hand.

"One hundred thousand gold oli. Nighthawk replied.

100,000! That's a lot of numbers. Byron weighed the envelope with his hand, imagining what it would feel like to hold a hundred thousand gold coins in his hand. But it wasn't a big deal, the letter was so important that he wanted to get it even if it cost three times the price.

"I need a little money tomorrow. Byron said. "I estimate it will be three to five days before Rafa leaves. I don't want to waste even a little bit of my time. It's just 100,000 gold ori. He said in a very casual tone.

Nighthawk bowed his head and saluted. It was only when his head hung to its lowest point that a flash of anger flashed in his eyes.

"Alright, you can go. Byron said.

"Lord Duke!" Nighthawk said clearly in a respectful tone, "I need some ...... right now. weapons. ”

"What kind of weapon?"

"I need a musket or a heavy crossbow. The kind of weapon that is easy to handle, but no one can withstand a blow. If you can, it's better to have a crossbow, after all, the musket is loud. ”

"I'll write you a note in a moment, and you can go to the military warehouse and get a hundred crossbows. The Duke of Byron replied.

Nighthawk bowed again, then walked away. There was no one here to stop him, so he quickly walked out of the door of the Duke's mansion. He stood not far from the doorway, looking back at the large building with a complicated expression.

"Oh, isn't this a little bastard?" a flowing voice sounded. Nighthawk turned his head and saw a youngster, gorgeously dressed, followed by a few followers. The young man had a high-end cigarette in his mouth and looked at him with disdain.

Nighthawk didn't answer, he just glared at the other man, and then immediately walked away quickly. The mansions of the aristocratic district were large and surrounded by walls that formed natural alleys with each other. So the figure of the Nighthawk quickly disappeared.

"Phew!" the swinger spat at the ground. "Next time, we should teach him what politeness is!