"The girl was helped. ”

Sodot Rader gets straight to the point:

"When she disappeared on the battlefield, her fate unknown. ”

Some of the doubts of the Imperial Council disappeared, but more questions followed.

"Help?"

Viscount Connie, Minister of Commerce and Trade, said with a smile, quite ridiculous:

"It can't be a dragon, right?"

Tails' mind moved, remembering the scene of unkempt, silly little slippery head sitting in the ruins, silently staring at the huge and graceful dragon head.

But Viscount Coney soon discovered that no one was cheering him on.

On the contrary, the Duke of Cullen, who had always smiled, had a frozen face, and the treasurer, Jucoe Man, had an ugly expression.

The Minister of Agriculture and Agriculture, Clappen, awoke again from his sleepy eyes, his eyes suspicious, and Stylianides, who had been silent, hung his head in contemplation.

Tails sat beside Gilbert, holding back the curiosity and eagerness in his heart, and watched intently as the Foreign Secretary hurriedly flipped through the materials in his hand.

At the end of the long table, the figure of the king remained motionless, like a stone sculpture.

The entire Imperial Council was unusually silent.

Viscount Connie's smile faded.

"Nope. ”

In silence, Counsellor Sordor made the final decision, ending Viscount Connie's embarrassment:

"It's the bitter people. ”

The military adviser propped his hands on the table and looked at everyone.

Tails could feel that most of the important ministers present breathed a sigh of relief after Sodot said "no".

"The local Xitao people. ”

Soudor frowned, his palm skimming over the roads and towns on the map, tapping lightly in the empty space without the pieces.

"They helped the Grand Duchess and made her survive the battlefield. ”

And finally collect and recover some of the elites that belong to Longxiao City. ”

The military advisor grabbed a few white pieces from the map and swung back to the white queen.

Tails was relieved.

So, with the help of the locals, Thelma survived the treacherous battlefield safely.

But then he felt strange.

"Wait, didn't Count Cassel say that," Viscount Connie asked, puzzled.

"Suril Walton once slaughtered Fort Liberty, and his enmity with the people of the Freedom Alliance is as deep as the sea, if the bitter people know the identity of the Archduchess, why do they still ......?"

Many people looked to Gilbert.

The Foreign Secretary held up his glasses, his face was a little unsightly, and his movements to flip through the materials became faster and faster:

"About this - sorry, give me a few seconds - I remember just these pages......"

Sordor coughed and looked at the man from the secret department.

The scar-faced man stepped forward calmly and unraveled Gilbert's embarrassment:

"That's what the secret department thought at first—the Freedom League's bitter people and the Northlanders are dead to death. ”

"It was only later that we found out that the information we had was incomplete. ”

So he quickly approached the local intelligence station, and then corroborated it with the historical materials of the Foreign Affairs Department. ”

The Foreign Secretary finally turned to the page he needed, and he exhaled and picked up the conversation:

"Ahem, gentlemen, the national conditions of the Freedom Alliance are quite special. ”

Gilbert looked up and turned back into the stellar fox that Tails was familiar with:

In fact, unlike the bitter people of the city of Qiyuan, most of the poor people of the Freedom League, especially the part of Sodot to mention, lived mainly in the suburbs and countryside, and were of low status, poverty, and discrimination, and even when they entered the Fort of Liberty to earn a living, they were doing the most inferior work. ”

"It is not the Northland invaders who are staring at the aristocracy that really have a deep hatred for them, but the upper class of society living in the Liberty Fort. ”

Tails frowned, he remembered that little Ronnie had hinted to him that the bitter people were one of the problems faced by the rule of Qiyuan City, but he never knew that the problems of the bitter people were not limited to the corner of Qiyuan City.

"It's kind of ...... Complicated?" Viscount Coney asked him.

"Nope. ”

Everyone straightened their chests and looked at the person who spoke.

"It's not complicated at all. ”

King Kessel stared at the ring on his hand, his gaze rolling over the brass-colored luster:

"It's like what happened last night. ”

Last night.

The Imperial Council fell silent.

Tails subconsciously tilted his head, avoiding everyone's intentional or unintentional eyes.

Gilbert's words rang out at the right time, attracting everyone's attention and easing the atmosphere:

"A hundred years ago, the Comas Alliance implemented the strategy of 'Hundred Nations Trade Road', and its power expanded eastward, and the entire Golden Corridor was in turmoil. ”

"Exeter was ruled by the newly succeeded Broken Steel 'Nunn VI', who went back and forth with the Commas, and finally reached a compromise: to establish a local power at the eastern end of the Golden Corridor and to establish a kingdom that had opened trade routes but still had Exeter as its suzerain. ”

Advisor Sordor frowned:

"Freedom League. ”

Kilbur nodded:

"As an intermediate product of the compromise between the two powers, the structure of the Liberal Alliance is already deformed: its source of power and the foundation of its rule are not inside but outside, and it is not subordinate but only superior, and it develops in the cracks of the great powers by virtue of the huge profits of the trade routes. ”

Gilbert turned the page with extra seriousness:

"After nearly a hundred years of rule, the dignitaries and senators in the Fort of Liberty and their powerful families, although they shed the same blood as the bitter people, are accustomed to being high, exploiting business, holding important positions, enjoying privileges, and have long ceased to regard themselves as part of the bitter people. ”

Tails was relieved.

I see.

The real reality is far more complex and concrete than the dry sentence in the book: "The Freedom Alliance lives in the far west, the good stream in the east, and enjoys business profits".

As for Selma, what she has to face is much more difficult than what I have to face.

"So, the lower class sufferers in the alliance are actually local forces that can be co-opted to fight against the upper echelons of the Liberty Fort. ”

Prime Minister Cullen scratched his chin and looked naïve:

"It's just that for the past few decades, the eyes of the Northlanders have been fixed on the nobles in the castle, on the regime they have supported by compromise with the Commas?"

Gilbert sighed:

"Don't talk about subdividing the bitter people and nobles...... To be precise, the entire Liberty League has gone unnoticed by the Northlanders for decades. ”

The Foreign Secretary frowned and said nothing: Didn't even we, after the war report came, be shocked and hurriedly update the information?

Tails restrained his good mood, but he couldn't stop another doubt.

But what about Selma......

"So, that girl pulled in the support of several waves of low-class sufferers, but ......"

"Money bag" Jucoe Man squinted and asked:

"We're talking about real wars, costly wars, not logging and cultivating fields. ”

"Can a bunch of ragged paupers really help her win?"

This question was asked to the point where everyone was most confused, and even though all the gentlemen here were very well cultivated, they couldn't help but lean forward in unison in order to find an answer.

"No, you can't. ”

Sodot's answer, as always, was resolute:

"But at least it can give her a way to sneak into Fort Liberty only the low-class sufferers who do the dirty work know. ”

Tails' eyelids jumped.

"According to our information, one night after the Freedom Alliance's victory, the Grand Duke of Longxiao City led her elite Grand Duke's personal guards, many of whom were white-bladed guards from the time of King Nunn, to quietly invade the inner city of Fort Liberty. ”

Tyers leaned forward unconsciously, joining the ranks of the ministers present, staring at the white chess piece.

Sodor Rader leaned down and pushed the special white queen against the momentum but also unstoppably towards the Liberty Castle on the battlefield where white had retreated and black had re-established.

It's like the sunlight that finally pierces through the clouds.

With the help of the Bitter Folk guides, she captured all the top leaders of the Freedom Alliance with a mere army of hundreds of soldiers. ”

"For the whole war, the curtain is drawn. ”

Sodot's voice fell.

There was a small exclamation from the Imperial Council.

Only Tails bit his lower lip.

He imagined what it would be like that night.

A small number of elites, sneaking in, bloodless, capturing high-level ......

Sounds ......

It's familiar.

Tails was a little distracted.

It seems that he was not the only one who learned from Charman Rumba's madness six years ago.

"From the governors and senators, down to the bureaucratic generals. ”

Sodot methodically toppled the few black pieces left in Fort Libre one by one:

Among them are Josh Kenya, who is the most crucial, and Ivan Porrado, who became famous at a young age. ”

"None of them fall. ”

"All of them. ”

"Prisoner overnight. ”

Soudor withdrew his fingers, looked at the only white queen standing on the battlefield, and sighed:

"Just when they were basking in the big win and completely lost their vigilance. ”

There was a brief silence at the Imperial Council.

"What?"

After a while, Viscount Connie spoke out in disbelief, staring at the map with chess pieces:

"Dare to love this war is to set off each other, see who is stupider than whom?"

He laughed and laughed, not knowing whether it was mockery or exclamation.

The rest of the people felt the same way.

"If you look at the examples of wars, Your Excellency, you may find that this has been the case in many wars throughout history. ”

Soudor replied coldly, apparently in a bad mood:

"Many times, the outcome of the war is not because of how good the winning side is......"

"It's thanks to how stupid the losers are. ”

Sodot hung his head.

What's more, the factors involved in the war are complex, too much confusion, too much accident, and too much unknown.

Even if we sit here, we can only talk about it on paper.

If you end up in person, face the reality......

It's probably not much better.

"At least, the Northlanders take Fort Liberty," Gilbert sighed, playing the round intentionally or not:

"I didn't disgrace the name of 'frontal invincible'. ”

Tails let out a breath of indistinction.

Duke Cullen raised his voice and asked:

"So she captured the upper echelons and took control of the inner city, but the rest of the soldiers and civilians in Fort Liberty ......"

Sodor nodded, turning to the scar-faced man.

The person from the secret department stepped forward respectfully:

With Kierkegaard rescued, it was not long before the remnants of Longxiao City regrouped and the chain of command was restored. ”

"Coupled with the help of the bitter people, they entered the city in batches in a few days to join the command of the Grand Duchess. ”

"In the end, there was a thrilling attempt to take Fort Liberty. ”

Sodot took over:

In this way, when Qiyuan was defeated and retreated, and Exeter was gone, Longxiao City suddenly rose up and turned the tide of the battle. ”

"It shocked everyone. ”

The "GI" closed his mouth, and there was silence around the table.

Everyone was feeling the afterglow of the battle on the table, immersed in different emotions, and it was difficult to recover for a while.

"Hmph. ”

The gray-bearded treasurer, Jocco Mann snorted disdainfully:

"After a complete defeat on the battlefield, it is necessary to rely on a girl to steal chickens and dogs to save the situation. ”

"Even if he wins the war, Exeter will lose face, and he is afraid that he will become a laughing stock. ”

Everyone here had mixed feelings, and no one answered for a while.

Until a young voice sounded:

"Lord Man, this room is called the 'Ballard Room,' right?"

All the monarchs in front of the emperor turned their heads together, and they were surprised to find that the person who replied was the Duke of Xinghu, who had participated in the meeting for the first time, had always been cautious and had never taken the initiative to speak out.

Jucoe Man didn't dare to slack off, and sat up straight:

"Of course, Your Highness, this is the Great Ballard Room, so?"

Tails looked at him for a long time, then squinted and smiled:

"Nothing. ”

"Let's go back to the laughing stock country that relies on the girls to save the situation. ”

Jucole Man was confused.

The expressions of those present were different.

It was only when Gilbert coughed lightly and gestured to Tails with his eyes that the latter leaned back and said no more.

"That's not all that girl did. ”

Soduo's words brought everyone back into the fight.

The military advisor raised his head and motioned to the scar-faced man beside him, "The secret department has more detailed information. ”

The secret agent bowed and changed a file:

"Fort Liberty fell, the top brass was captured, the army disarmed ......"

"The Grand Duke of Longxiao City, who has the chance to win, then ordered: Starting from the governor of the Alliance, these prisoners, these renegades of the Freedom Alliance, the senators, the senior officials, the generals and soldiers, none of them will be ......left behind."

The scar-faced man's eyes lifted from the paper, revealing a fierce color:

"All of them will be guillotined. ”

Tails gasped.

What the?

The gentlemen at the meeting exchanged their heads for a while.

"Coming back?"

Prime Minister Cullen frowned and said:

"It is worthy of the blood of Nun and Suriel, with a ruthless heart and vicious methods, not inferior to his father. ”

"Woman, you know," exhaled Joccoe Man.

"The heart has always been small-minded, the pattern is narrow, the baht must be compared, and the eyes must be repaid. ”

"The loss is so great, and I do the same," sighed Viscount Connie.

"At least she was crisp and didn't torture them. ”

Tails didn't speak, he just frowned and pondered.

"How much?"

Gilbert turned his head and interrupted the discussion at the long table:

"How many people did she kill?"

The scar-faced weirdo of Mykoko glanced at the adults.

His face was expressionless, and he just changed a piece of paper and read out a surprising number:

"Zero. ”

The entire Ballard room fell silent for a moment.

The adults stared at each other in disbelief, and it took several seconds to digest the information.

From an angle that others couldn't see, Tails curled the corners of his mouth slightly.

"What, what?"

The scar-faced man nodded in acknowledgement.

"On the guillotine, when the blade is about to fall. ”

The Grand Duchess took off her helmet and her armor. ”

The scar-faced man's words were steady and natural, but there was a rare different power, telling a legend thousands of miles away:

The little girl left the army and walked to the front of the stage, announcing to the trembling people in the audience. ”

The secret department came to change a piece of paper, and the adults present were engrossed in surprise, doubt, disdain, vigilance, and so on.

She said there were enough dead people in this war. ”

"There is enough blood shed on both sides. ”

The ministers looked at each other, incomprehensible.

She said that the lives and livelihoods of thousands of people and the children of hundreds of people's families should not pay for the selfishness and self-mistakes of a few high-ranking people. ”

The scar-faced man looked up:

She said someone had told her. ”

"War does not bring peace, just as death does not pay for life. ”

Tails' face moved.

"And she, the ruler of Longxiao City, will not repeat the mistakes of her grandfather and father. ”

At the end of the long table, the king moved abruptly, and he raised his head to show his eyes in the backlit shadows.

"In the midst of the boiling of public opinion, in front of everyone, the Grand Duchess forgave and forgave the prisoners of war on the guillotine, and untied them one by one, and finally picked up Iván Bolado with her own hands and told him ......"

The scar-faced man changed the next document, and his tone was solemn:

"'On the battlefield, you have hurt my people, but in response, 'Ivan of surprise,' I will spare your life in exchange for an end to war and hatred. ’”

The voice of the secret agent fell.

There was silence in the conference room again.

A few seconds later, the emotional Tails sighed and said intentionally or unintentionally:

"Small heart, narrow pattern?"

Jucoe Man's expression became unnatural.

"Ridiculous!"

Viscount Connie couldn't help but speak:

"The benevolence of a woman, she dares to let the tiger return to the mountain in a foreign land, and the only thing waiting for her is ...... destruction"

But before he could finish speaking, the secret agent opened the next document:

"The Grand Duchess also issued a 'peace order' in public. ”

"The entire army of Longxiao City, whether generals or soldiers, shall not kill, injure or abuse prisoners of war, intrude or loot people's houses, obstruct public order, or affect the order of the people's livelihood during their stay at Fort Liberty. ”

The scar-faced man looked up:

"If there is a violator, in the name of killing souls with dragon spears, she will be severely punished. ”

As soon as these words came out, not only Viscount Connie, but also Duke Cullen was stunned.

"Won't it?"

The Prime Minister frowned and said:

"Then can her vassals and her army endure it? How can she satisfy their greed? What are they spending money and food for? Traveling to see the scenery? How can they be leveled down by countless casualties?"

"She really thinks that if she doesn't kill dozens of leaders as an example, the people of the Freedom League will be obedient?

The ministers whispered, and many were equally incomprehensible.

Soduo's words sounded steadily:

"After the previous fiasco, and in the face of the prestige of the Grand Duke's battle, I guess her men have little courage to oppose it. ”

Scarface nodded:

"As the lieutenant marshal, Kierkegaard, the highest-ranking Kierkegaard, was the first to kneel and obey the order. ”

The rest followed suit. ”

"Don't be suspicious. ”

Tails was in a trance, as if he had returned to the Hall of Heroes' Day, where Thelma shouted weakly, but her vassals were all cold and unmoved.

"As for the ...... of Fort Liberty"

Scarface reads his intel on:

"The Grand Duchess strongly advised the Governor of the League to let the League elders take out their savings, donate land, and help the poor people to relieve their difficulties. ”

"Even the laws and regulations were adjusted, the military tax was reduced or reduced, the courts were re-established, and the cases were retried. ”

"By the way, solve the 'food and housing problem' of the armies of Longxiao City. ”

As soon as these words came out, Gilbert, who was beside Tails, took a deep breath and looked at him with a complicated gaze.

"She?' 'advise' the Governor of the League, 'advise' the group of senators?"

Juke Man said twice:

"Ha, either the attitude of the Grand Duchess is sincere and moving, or the elders of the alliance are of noble character and listen to people's persuasion......"

"It's not clear," said Gilbert quietly.

"But I guess the sword in her hand and the chopping blade on the guillotine must be pretty sharp. ”

"At first, there were people who were not very enthusiastic, and the 'advice' was against the yin," the scar-faced man frowned.

"So later, the Grand Duke sent the Meteorite to have a sincere conversation with the patriarchs......"

Talk to the Meteorite......

Tails only felt a phantom pain in his left wrist.

"It is said that a few people were told by the eloquence of the meteorite that 'their conscience was found and they died of shame,' and the rest were ......"

The secret agent raised his head and stepped back respectfully:

"It's much more enthusiastic. ”

The monarchs exchanged an "oh" glance with each other.

"It's another law change, another court," said Connie, the Minister of Commerce and Trade, frowning.

"Why didn't she just plant the red dragon flag on a black background on the head of the city, and then seal it to a trustworthy Northlander, announcing that Fort Liberty would be part of Exeter from now on. ”

Tails smiled.

"Because she, or rather her men, are smart enough. ”

Gilbert's face was solemn:

"Know how to weigh the advance and retreat, and seek the advantages and avoid the disadvantages. ”

In this way, when she occupies, she does not have to bear the burden and pressure of domination. ”

"When you leave, you will only gain endless nostalgia and fame. ”

Boom.

The king's finger struck the long table, startling everyone.

But he didn't say anything, just continued to look at the military adviser.

Sodot got the signal and cleared his throat:

In short, at this fate, the bitter people all cheered. ”

"The elders of the alliance are generally in a stable mood. ”

"The armies of Longxiao City have also been appeased. ”

In this way, the Archduchess Walton's combination of soft and hard, coupled with the losses of the previous war, the Fort of Liberty, which was already at the end of the crossbow, lost the last bit of strength and will to resist. ”

With a complicated sigh, Soudor looked at the white chess piece that stood out from the crowd:

"The 'Lady of Blazing Blood' took the city peacefully without any difficulty. ”

Before he knew it, Tails pursed the corners of his mouth.

But he knew it must have been far from "effortless."

"Lady Blazing Blood?"

Viscount Connie frowned and said:

"Really?"

Soudor snorted softly:

"That's what everyone calls her, or do you want me to call her 'Lady True Dragon'?"

Connie smiled and didn't say anything more.

Sodot continues:

"With the capital in place and the people in distress, the other towns of the Liberty League have no fighting spirit and are looking down. ”

"The Exeters, just so dramatically. ”

The military adviser sat down slowly, no longer moving the chess pieces that had already set the big picture.

The "money bag" minister coughed:

"My question is, she lost the battlefield and was far away from her country, it was the most despondent time, she had no soldiers and no money, how did she get the support of those people in a foreign land?"

"You can't recommend a pillow and sleep them all over again, right?"

Tails gave Jucole Man a blank look.

This adult is really old......

Actually, you might as well retire early.

He thought so.

The spies of the secret department stepped forward again.

"I don't know, but we found out that the name 'Blazing Blood True Dragon' came from the mouths of these bitter people, and then spread to the people of the Northland. ”

Connie wondered:

"What's that nickname?"

"She set herself on fire, and then she rode into the city in a carriage?"

The scarface man shook his head.

"There are all versions of the story, some people say that they witnessed the flying dragon descending from the sky and took the city for her......"

Connie frowned:

"Dragons, really?"

But he noticed that many of the ministers present were shaking their heads at him.

"No way. ”

Thodor Rader spoke again, as if annoyed:

"You may have just entered the Imperial Council, Viscount Connie, so you don't know yet. ”

"But according to the secret agreement between John 'Blackeye' and the whole kingdom of Exeter hundreds of years ago," the military adviser snorted coldly:

"As an extraordinary being, the Queen of the Sky will only meddle in the affairs of the world when calamity returns. ”

"Otherwise, we would have been reduced to ashes five hundred years ago. ”

Gilbert coughed, reminding his old friend to be mindful of the words.

"I mean, it appeared in Longxiao six years ago—"

Viscount Connie figured something out, and his face turned a little pale.

"Oh, oh, I see......"

Tails thought about the scene of dancing with dragons six years ago, remembered that the Queen of the Sky told him, "You have a nice dragon name", and couldn't help but glance at King Kessel in the distance.

But alas, the king is still as steady as a stone carving, and he does not move.

"Of course, Mistress Connie," the scar-faced man of Mykoko said knowingly:

"For hundreds of years, we have been on the lookout for the dragon to break its oath. ”

"But, so far, so good. ”

Connie nodded awkwardly.

The Scarface Man continued:

"As for the nickname of the Grand Duchess, some people say that she can burn enemies with blood and flames, and some say that she can spread dragon wings and fan the wind when she takes off her clothes, and even says that she can turn into a dragon when she howls twice at the sky on a full moon night......"

"The one on the night of the full moon, that's the legendary werewolf," Hearing these statements becoming more and more outrageous, Soudor couldn't help but interrupt:

"I was killed by the 'wolf enemy' with the immortal hunter. ”

The spies of the secret department understood the meaning of the military adviser, stopped reciting the information, and concluded:

"So none of this can be trusted. ”

Why this nickname came from is still puzzling. ”

The ministers exchanged words again, and Tails noticed that Gilbert gave Vice-Bishop Stylianides an inquiring look, who shook his head.

At this time.

"What kind of girl is that?"

A thunderous voice sounded, and the ministers stopped talking and looked at the end of the long table.

The scar-faced man bowed to the king's shadow:

"According to our intelligence, her parents ...... when she was one year old"

But he was immediately interrupted:

"Tails. ”

The king's voice came slowly, and Tails was excited:

"I'm asking you. ”

Juke Man's eyes lit up:

"That's right, His Royal Highness the Duke has lived in Longxiao City for six years, and he must be very familiar with her, maybe he is still a friend......"

But the treasurer then thought of the scene where the prince had interrupted him.

After figuring out the cause and effect, Qiu Ke's face turned pale suddenly, and he hurriedly lowered his head, not daring to speak again.

What kind of girl is that?

Is it the little girl in the library with her glasses and her eyes shining, or the ragged and shivering little girl in Valhalla?

Is it the little girl who gritted her teeth in the ruins and tried to drag herself? Or the archduchess in the Hall of Heroes?

Suddenly, Tails had mixed feelings.

Duke Xinghu took a deep breath before looking at the end of the long table and meeting those meaningful eyes.

"The girl seems calm and gentle, safe and harmless," said the prince quietly.

"There are even times when it looks a little ...... Stiff. ”

"But the little ...... Selma?"

Remembering the girl's refusal to go with him, Tails lowered his head and unconsciously curled the corners of his mouth.

Gilbert frowned.

"She's a real fighter. ”

After recalling the past, Tails raised his head and was extremely firm in his words:

"No matter what you're facing. ”

"Calamity, dragon, or...... King. ”

The whispers of ministers were heard all around.

Until the other side of the long table, the king said coldly:

"Yes. ”

Tails paused slightly: Gilbert's elbow touched him lightly.

The second prince reacted and coughed:

"Ahem...... I mean, she could be a tough enemy, and of course, a potential ally. ”

Facing the scrutiny of the whole table, Tails said solemnly:

"Fortunately, my relationship with her is not bad...... I mean, I can talk to her. ”

The gentlemen looked at each other.

The king was silent for a while, and then he spoke:

"Is there any trick you can use to deal with her?"

Tails' eyebrows skipped a beat.

"There should be," he said, keeping his face unchanged.

"I'll go back and think about it. ”

Tails couldn't see King Kessel's face clearly, but the other party's voice was still steady:

"Can she be our ally?"

Tails' eyes lit up:

"Of course. ”

"She holds real power in Longxiao City, not a puppet of her vassals?"

"Of course. ”

"Have you ever slept with her?"

"Of course—"

Well?

Tails' face changed before he finished speaking, and he hurriedly picked up the second sentence after reacting:

"—Nope. ”

There was a moment of silence on the long table.

For some reason, in the face of many unexplained stares in the conference room, Tails inexplicably felt a fever on his face.

After a few seconds, the king's scrutinizing gaze finally withdrew from him.

Only a strange nasal voice was left for the teenager:

"Hmph. ”