Imperial Crown.

Chapter 116 I have no morals ( words updated today)

After all, no matter what your plans are, you still have to save face.

A team of six cavalrymen passed through Eagle Town, each of them wearing the Slater family's standard cloak "Typhon's Tooth". But looking with the Eye of Truth, except for the leader whose strength reached the second level, there was no other extraordinary person among the six.

Raven sneered inwardly.

It seems that the landlord has no surplus food at home.

The cavalry stopped in front of Eagle Castle. The leader dismounted, took off his hood, and nodded in greeting: "It is an honor to meet you, Baron Raven. I am Eberron, a knight of the Slater family."

If he didn't know his identity, Raven would have thought that the other party was a tutor or scholar at a university, or a white glove who specialized in doing accounting for others.

Because Eberron doesn't really look like a knight.

He looked to be about thirty years old, with brown-black hair, pale skin, and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses on his high nose, which made his already bookish face look even more feminine.

After introducing himself, Raven was about to say something polite, but Eberron spoke first: "Baron Raven, the situation is urgent. Let's get down to business as soon as possible."

Raven raised his eyebrows and said, "Please follow me."

"Volaf, entertain the Eberron Knights' servants."

Following Raven all the way into Eagle Castle, even the knowledgeable Eberron had to admit that this was indeed an excellent castle.

The whole is built of solid and beautiful granite, with towering walls and surrounded by moats. In terms of scale alone, it is almost as good as Viscount John's Snow Maple Castle and far exceeds many baronial castles.

No wonder Master Hyde can't forget this place.

Soon, both parties sat in the conference room.

After a brief greeting, Eberron stood up, pulled a scroll from his pocket, opened it, and read aloud.

The format is the official document commonly used in the Keynesian Empire. It is lengthy and boring. Eight out of ten words are adjectives and adverbs. It is not necessarily possible to extract useful information from listening to three sentences.

The useful content of the scroll that could be dragged from the chest of Eberron, who was 1.76 meters tall, to the table can be summarized in one sentence:
The city of Mon'en can't hold on any longer, please come and help!
"…Tyrone Shiva Slater."

After reading the information, Eberron rolled up the scroll and handed it to old Gordon next to him, who then walked over and handed it to Raven.

Raven didn't answer.

"Lord Raven, do you have any questions?" Eberron frowned slightly.

Raven shook his head and showed a long-lost aristocratic smile: "Indeed, there seems to be something missing from this scroll."

Eberron asked, "What is it?"

"The Governor's seal."

Hearing this, Eberron's pupils suddenly contracted and he stared at Raven's eyes, but Raven maintained his smile and looked up at him without any retreat.

This gesture made Eberron's heart tighten, and an ominous premonition loomed in his heart.

The power of the Nordic province is roughly divided into three parts.

The first are the local meritorious nobles, most of whom made contributions in the empire's foreign conquests in the early years and thus took root in the Nord province. The Slater family is the leader.

As one of the only two powerful earl families in the province, the Slater family has held the command of the "Iron Legion" for generations. Over the past hundreds of years, although the "Iron Legion" is called an imperial legion, it is actually no different from the Slater family's private army.

The second is the nobles who migrated from other places over the years. After the empire's territory was basically stabilized, they used various means to seize part of the land.

Because it is difficult for them to integrate into the local nobility, these people prefer to cooperate with the royal family, the most typical example being the Fox family.

As the only noble family in Nord Province that can compete with the Slater Family, the Fox Family has held the post of Governor of Nord Province for more than a hundred years.

The third is the Church of Light.

Although there are no troops stationed in the Nordic province, there are nearly a hundred priests and pastors who have penetrated into the various noble territories in the Nordic province. The churches in some large cities are also equipped with "Inquisitor" troops specifically used to fight against secret cults.

Its successive archbishops in the Nordic province were deeply involved in the political operations of the province, influencing all aspects of the Nordic province.

This effort was not without results. Today, even the most stubborn Nords will not reject the idea of ​​calling out "Lord of Light" while worshipping their ancestors.

Among these three parties, the Church of Light is above the mundane world, and the Slater family and the Fox family are at loggerheads with each other, but none of them can do anything to the other, and together they maintain the order and peace of the Nord province.

The governor's orders were limited to his fiefdom, but other nobles never paid less taxes to the king.

But now, this balance has been visibly broken.

Ever since the siege of Mon'en City, the Fox family has been sitting on the sidelines, and the Church of Light has remained strangely silent. It's obvious that they are all happy to see the Slater family suffer a defeat.

As a last resort, Earl Tyrone bypassed Governor Montreal and issued a so-called "transfer order" on his own.

This transfer order is not legally binding.

Although hundreds of years of accumulated prestige and the nobles' concerns about the danger of losing their own teeth and lips have successfully mobilized a number of nobles who are neutral or have already stood on the side of the Slater family, the overall number is actually not optimistic.

Fighting power is secondary. The Slater family needs more nobles to express their opinions.

Only by letting the Fox family and the Church of Light see the appeal of the Slater family, and letting the current king "Keynes XVI" see the appeal of the Slater family, can this crisis be fundamentally resolved.

Therefore, Eberron had been patient until today and arrived at Eagle Castle within the deadline on the invitation, just to show his sincerity as much as possible and win over Raven.

I have heard that the youngest daughter of the Fox family lives in Eagle Castle. Could it be that... the Griffith family has completely sided with the Fox family?

Taking a deep breath, Eberron suppressed his anger and uneasiness. "Baron Raven, there is indeed no seal of the Earl of Montreal on it, but Viscount John, Baron Angel, and many nobles from the Nord Province have already sent out their main forces!"

"If you wait until the war is over and do nothing, how will the Griffith family survive among so many nobles?"

Raven nodded slowly. "That does make sense, but may I ask - what does this have to do with me?"

Eberron was stunned: "You are a member of the Griffith family, a member of the Nord Province nobles, how come..." "That's not what I'm talking about." Raven waved his finger: "I want to ask, what benefits will it bring to me, Raven, by participating in this operation?"

Aberlein said as a matter of course: "Only war can bring glory to the nobility. If you join this just struggle, the reputation of the Griffith family will be praised throughout the Nord Province, and your name will also be recorded in history!"

"On the contrary, if you do not participate in this war, aren't you afraid of being branded as a coward and a weakling, and bringing shame upon yourself?"

"Alas..." Raven sighed:
"I have no morals, so please don't use morality to hold me hostage."

Eberron's eyes widened when he heard this.

This is too shameless!

Seeing that the special envoy was still not getting the point, Raven had no choice but to get straight to the point: "Benefits, I want more practical benefits!"

"The Death Hand Cult is so powerful that they have trapped Earl Tyrone in the City of Mon'en. I am just a small baron with less than a hundred soldiers and less than a handful of extraordinary people. Joining this level of battle is tantamount to committing suicide!"

"Is the Slater family so stingy that they would ask someone to risk their lives for you, but they are unwilling to give them a little benefit?"

Eberron's face turned pale and blue.

Since leaving Mon'en City, he has seen dozens of nobles with all kinds of attitudes, but this is the first time he has seen a noble like Raven who asks for benefits like a street rogue!
This is simply ripping off the Slater family!
"Baron Raven, do you know how you are challenging the dignity of an earl family?!"

“Oh, don’t get excited.” Raven spread his hands, with a hint of sarcasm on his face: “You know, empty threats are always the most ridiculous.”

"'Typhon's Fang' is so majestic. When it was first mentioned, it was well-known in both the aristocratic circles and the underground world. But now, can it still leave the City of Grace?"

Eberron's words got stuck in his throat and he couldn't utter a single word.

When he left Mon City, the situation in the city was already quite bad. Due to the previous contempt, when the Death Hand Cult attacked the city, a sudden rebellion broke out in the lower city area of ​​Mon City, and the city gates were almost opened from the inside, causing Mon City to fall completely.

Typhon's Fang fought hard, and more than thirty extraordinary people were sent in to barely put out the upheaval.

However, the environment in the city was complicated. Although the leader was killed, the members of the Hand of Death in the city could not be wiped out in one fell swoop. In the chaotic situation, these people infiltrated every corner of the City of Mon'en.

The Fangs of Typhon also had to be scattered out in pieces to guard and put out fires everywhere.

If there was really no manpower available, he would not have been sent out as a second-level knight to seek help.

Eberron gritted his teeth and said, "Baron Raven, have you made up your mind to stand on the side of the Fox family?"

"I will stand by whoever can bring me more benefits," said Raven.

"So, Baron Raven, what do you want?" Eberron asked.

Raven spread his hands: "That depends on what the Slater family can give me."

Eberron fell silent: "...I can't make arbitrary decisions."

"It's okay. I understand." Raven said with a smile, "There are still guest rooms in Eagle Castle. Why don't you stay here for a while, Mr. Special Envoy? We can discuss and negotiate slowly."

Raven's smile was still warm, but in Eberron's eyes, he looked as greedy and shameless as a goblin. He snorted, "No need. I will come to visit you again when I have a conclusion."

"Please also think carefully about whether your choice is right or wrong, Mr. Baron!"

After saying that, he turned around and left.

"Wait." Raven suddenly called out to Eberron.

The envoy thought things had turned around, but when he turned around, he saw Lei Wen saying, "You forgot to take this transfer order."

Old Gordon walked up to Eberron holding the scroll.

Grabbing the scroll, Eberron slammed the door and left the meeting room with such force that the dust even shook off the door frame.

"My Lord Baron, do you really want to stand on the side of the Fox family?" Old Gordon hesitated.

Raven stopped smiling and shook his head, "Never."

Old Gordon's expression relaxed and he bowed his head and left.

Pouring himself a glass of Angel's Tears, Raven shook the glass, walked to the window, and looked at Eberron in the distance with a deep look in his eyes.

The reason for not choosing the Fox family is simple.

Although it is not known what role the Fox family played in this turmoil of the Hand of Death, one thing is certain, that is, the Fox family will definitely choose to sit on the mountain and watch the fight between the two tigers, and will enter the scene forcefully when the dust is almost settled to share the greatest benefits.

The Fox family has its own circle of interests, and Raven is just a small baron. If he follows them, he may not even get a sip of soup.

Raven was not naive enough to think that just because Nancy was in Eagle Territory, Count Montreal would look at him differently.

But this does not mean that Raven has to bow down to the Slater family.

On the contrary, only in such critical moments can Raven briefly get a relatively equal negotiation opportunity and gain the greatest benefits for himself.

After all, no matter what the outcome of this battle is, the Slater family will be seriously damaged. The weaker they are, the more they need allies. As long as they are not too greedy, they will not be suppressed and retaliated by them.

"It's up to you, Eberron Envoy." Raven raised his glass, made a toast from afar, and drank the Angel's Tears in one gulp.

For the next two days, Eagle Castle was busy and peaceful, and Raven's life was fulfilling, boring, and orderly.

It was not until January 1, the eighth day after Raven returned to Eagle Castle, that an unexpected visitor came to Eagle Territory.

Baron Ingres.

……

(End of this chapter)