Blood Dragon

Chapter 160 The Fifth Dilemma

In the city of Fonoros, in Byron's meeting room, the atmosphere was solemn.

There was a depressing atmosphere in the air, and everyone was like clay sculptures and puppets, not even daring to make a slight sound.

Byron sat at the head of the conference room, his face livid.It wasn't because there were some topics that he didn't like at the meeting, but because during this period of time, his complexion hadn't gotten any better at all.As for the reason, the fool also knows.Essien and Cleo betrayed Byron and defected to the queen's camp.In order to express their position to the queen, these two traitors burned down the most critical grain warehouse in the city, and then captured the eldest son of the Duke of Byron, Beilheim.

The little queen is also really unambiguous.On the second day after the capture of Belheim, he was staked to death, and his body was displayed to the public for two days.This move also clearly expressed the queen's attitude: the entire Byron family must die, and there is no room for compromise.

Having said that, from the standpoint of the queen, this is also very normal.After each king successfully suppressed rebellion (especially those rebellions that had nothing to do with the royal family itself), [-]% of the rebels ended up being killed by the whole family.

"About the arrest of the traitor..." Seeing that his subordinates were silent, Byron had no choice but to speak. "How's it going?"

"Your Excellency, all have been...arrested and executed," replied an officer in armor.

This is an order from Byron.Because of Essien, he believed that the group of people brought from Falcon City was extremely unreliable and could cause turmoil at any time during this crisis, so he ordered everyone to be arrested.Because there was no time to carefully select and interrogate them, all such people were simply executed together.

In fact, everyone here knew in their stomachs that these people had nothing to do with Essien, and it was all because of Byron's anger.But who would dare to jump out to offer advice to Byron at this time?The fierce light flashing in Byron's eyes these days is quite obvious, it looks like he wants to swallow someone alive.

Although it is pitiful, it can only let those unlucky people be wronged souls.

Byron had only two legal heirs, and both are dead.Of course, he still has a grandson as an heir... But for a person, losing a son in middle age is a great blow.

Byron nodded, his face looked a little better.Those dead ghosts were all defected to him when he was the regent, but they can't share adversity with wealth, and they have become hidden dangers in this crisis.he thought so.But the idea turned in another direction-almost all of his original vassals also betrayed.None of these people speculated on his command halfway, but the courtiers of their family inherited from generation to generation.

hateful!Back then, didn't all these people wag their tails at his feet and compete for favor!But he was only defeated in one battle, and everyone immediately turned their backs on him!

Thinking of this in Byron's heart, his face that had just recovered a little became ugly again.His eyes swept across the subordinates present.From the point of view of the subordinates, this look was like turning a sharp knife, which made everyone tremble and feel cold all over.

Everyone knew that Byron was jealous at this time, otherwise he would not have issued the previous order.

But at least Byron was still rational, so he just looked around like this, but he didn't do anything special.

"How's the... food in the city?" he asked.

"Your Excellency." A subordinate got up and answered, but he didn't dare to face Byron. "According to current survey calculations, there are still three months of grain in the city. However, most of these grains are stored in private warehouses...mainly grain merchants..."

"During the war, I have the right to expropriate temporarily." Byron replied immediately. "I'll make it up to them when the war is over. What about the rest?"

"I'm sorry, the grain warehouse was completely burned before." The subordinate replied. "That traitor Essien must have piled up a lot of asphalt in the warehouse... all the food has been completely destroyed and can't be eaten. In addition, our meat reserves... have basically been lost... and ..."

Byron waved his hand and interrupted his subordinates. "Anyway, there are still three months." He said gloomily. "According to the usual logic, if you save food and drink, you should be able to last for four months. I can delay it for four months, but that little girl can't delay it for four months!"

Usually such a news would trigger a lot of discussion among the subordinates, or at least a chatter.But this time the situation was special. Although Byron revealed this important news, none of his subordinates dared to talk too much.

"Gentlemen, that little girl," said Byron.I don't know since when, he didn't mention the word "queen", and used "little girl" every time. "The finances have collapsed. The alliance for the commercial blockade of Falcon City has been formed. Now on the surface, she surrounds my city, but in fact she is surrounded by others. And it is a siege that she cannot break."

He said confidently.Some time ago, through the contact of the Chamber of Commerce, he already knew about the matter of demanding debt from the Queen.Although those businessmen do things in a secretive manner, leaving three points of leeway.But as long as the little queen turns her face and refuses to admit it, then an alliance will inevitably be formed.This is something he has been planning and promoting for a long time.In fact, from the very beginning, Byron hoped that the whole matter would not be resolved on the battlefield.

Although the situation has become the worst one now, and because of the war, magic communication is basically cut off.But Byron believed that at this time in Falcon City, things were moving towards what he had originally planned.

Now, the prime minister that the little queen left behind in Falcon City, that dead old man named Ailin, definitely couldn't handle that situation.Ailin is the kind of person who attaches great importance to reputation and aristocratic traditions, and has a high self-esteem.Once he finds out that he can't pay the debt (the debt is 600 million, the little girl's treasury will never be able to get it out), and the gang from the chamber of commerce will keep pestering him, that old man will definitely become angry from embarrassment.He will directly arrest the person in charge of the chamber of commerce and put him in a cell.

Then he stabbed a hornet's nest!Businessmen are usually not united, but when it comes to critical moments, they will not be ambiguous.Especially this kind of thing.Once businessmen feel that their safety and interests are threatened, then...

Fornoros City can still last for four months, but how long can Falcon City last?At least before the start of this war, the little girl did not do anything to increase reserves.

He is very sure about this matter.Because he knew that Ellynn well.That's how things are bound to go.It was a big mistake for the little girl to choose Aileen to be Prime Minister.

Thinking of this, he was relieved a lot, and his complexion improved a little.

He looked at his subordinates again.At this moment, the subordinates still looked at each other carefully, which made him suddenly angry, because they didn't seem to believe what he said.

But as a monarch, Byron could not ignore his status, so he could only announce the end of the meeting.

When all his subordinates had left and he was the only one left in the huge meeting room, Byron came to the window of the meeting room.This is the highest point of Fornoros City, from the window, you can see the residential area below your feet.At this moment, because of the war, the whole city is under martial law, and groups of armed soldiers can be seen patrolling the streets.

For some reason, he felt an instinctive danger.This is not because of seeing any bad omen, but a kind of unreasonable panic from the heart.Because he suddenly remembered the consequences of losing the war.

For the traitors who raise troops, if they win, they can change the dynasty in good terms, and they can also separate one side in bad terms.But if it fails, at best it means wandering around the world, hiding its name, at worst it means exterminating the whole family and leaving no survivors.This is the ruthless rule of the human world, so in the case of treason, risks and benefits coexist.

No, I won't lose!He hurriedly threw this terrible thought out of his mind.I will win, I have such a big advantage...

"...Do you think that if you have a good hand of cards, you will definitely win at the gambling table?" Inexplicably, he remembered the wild words of the other party when he first met Ashuruffat.Byron now knows that Ashuruffat is not dead.Although the shell directly tore the armor off his body, it did not hurt him.This can only be said to be super lucky.

"You think I'm a gambler like you? Unfortunately, I'm not on the same level as you. I don't have good cards on the surface, but I can change my cards from the card mountain at any time. You can slip out of your seat to look at your hole cards at any time. As long as I want, I can even modify the gambling rules at any time. If you want to win me, the only chance is to keep me from playing the table. But as long as I get on the table, in In front of me, you are just a clown..."

When he first heard Ashuruffat's words, he only felt the arrogance of the other party, and was very angry because of it.But looking back now, I found myself trembling from the bottom of my heart.That Ashurfate...

"My lord duke." A voice sounded, bringing Byron's rationality back to reality.The one who spoke was one of his maids, who was coming in to clean the meeting room—after each meeting, the meeting room needed to be cleaned, the furniture arranged, and the tables and chairs cluttered.

This maid is just an ordinary servant.She had watched Byron watching from the window, so she greeted him.However, Byron turned around, looking pale and sweating profusely.

"Your Excellency..." She called again in surprise.

Byron didn't answer, he just walked towards the door.However, his footsteps were stiff, rather than saying that he was walking, it was better to say that he was moving his legs and feet a little bit.

……

"Dear friend, you have to understand one thing! This is not what the queen means, but what I mean personally." Cleo said with a smile. "The Queen sent me here to destroy the rebel forces! Do you understand? Suppress! I am not here to negotiate! I am sitting here negotiating, and this matter itself is a distortion of the Queen's order... If the Queen finds out, I'm afraid she will Would have ordered me to be hanged. In this case, you bargained with me?" He was laughing, but not just laughing. "Master Marduk, you probably don't know what happened to the former Earl of Ribas."