Imperial Crown.

Chapter 300 Silent War Drums

Anthony's mount was a half-monster warhorse with 1/4 beholder bloodline - God knows how the royal magician put together two completely different creatures.

The Eye Demon's inherent floating properties can allow the warhorse to offset part of its own weight, allowing it to run at a very fast speed.

Although it barely maintains the shape of a horse, once it gallops at full speed, you can see that the high-raised tail mane is not hair, but dense fleshy tentacles.

Thanks to this good horse, Akori set out in the afternoon and arrived at Raven's territory in the evening of the next day.

Although he didn't know the content of the letter, Anthony asked him to deliver the letter to Raven and get a reply as soon as possible.

No matter what Raven asks for, you can agree to it first.

Anthony's serious attitude made Akori realize the urgency of the matter.

But as soon as he entered the Holo Territory that originally belonged to Baron Shufu, Akori had to slow down.

He was stopped by eagle-eyed guards and taken to Holo's castle.

When he came to the reception room, he saw a man with a very aristocratic temperament, his red bow tie was particularly eye-catching.

Just as Akori was about to take off his hat, the man showed a warm smile and bowed:
"I am Koulu, the political officer of Holo Territory, and I welcome you."

Unexpectedly, this man didn't even have the title of knight. Akori immediately stopped what he was doing and said straight to the point: "I have a letter from the Governor to deliver to Baron Raven. Please send someone to take me there immediately."

"Oh, so that's how it is." Kolu maintained his smile: "You can give me this letter, and I will send someone to forward it immediately."

Akori raised his voice slightly: "I told you that you need to hand it over to Baron Raven in person. Don't you understand?"

"Well... I'm really sorry." Kolu rubbed his hands: "It's not that I don't want you to go, but the Baron is preparing to go to the Principality of Eivor, and recently many nobles from the five northwestern counties have gone to Eagle City to wait."

"……so what?"

"Therefore, in order to prevent spies from the Principality of Eivor or other dangerous people from sneaking into Eagle City and causing chaos, all nobles who are not from the five northwestern counties must be examined before they can go to Eagle City."

"I'm here on behalf of Governor Anthony!" Akori took out the letter with Anthony's seal on it. "Does this still need to be reviewed? Do you think Governor Anthony will do something bad to Baron Raven?"

Looking at the seal that was almost hitting his face, Koulu still maintained a smile:

"Of course not, but rules are rules. You are a baron, so don't make things difficult for servants like us."

"I will send someone to deliver the message immediately. If nothing goes wrong, I will be able to give you permission to go to Eagle City in three days at most."

If Anthony knew what happened here, he would definitely pull Akori's ear and scold him, telling him not to care about Kolu's words and rush out to Eagle City.

Unfortunately, Anthony is not here, and Akori was warned by Anthony not to do anything that would provoke Raven.

Faced with this move that was clearly intended to delay time, Akori was not helpless. He stared into Kolu's eyes:
"I hope this matter can be done quickly, and in order to improve efficiency, if you don't get the permit one day, I will keep an eye on you for one day - not leaving your side at all."

There was a flash of panic in Kolu's eyes, and then he nodded: "I understand."

That night, Akori stayed in the castle, feeling extremely confident that he would be able to meet Raven the next day.

Although he didn't understand why Kolu wanted to stop him, it must have been at Raven's instruction.

Every political official's actions involve the secrets of Raven's territory.

If he didn't want to be seen by himself, Raven would have to let him into Eagle City.

But he miscalculated.

The next morning, before daybreak, someone knocked on his door and told him that Kolu had already started working.

In order to fulfill his promise, Akori had to put on his armor and follow Koru.

One follow-up lasts for 3 days.

During these three days, Kolu had lost all the panic he had shown before, and he did not avoid Akori. Everything he did was clearly displayed in front of Akori.

Holo's territory was running at full speed, and Koru was as tireless as a dummy.

He gets up at 4 o'clock every morning. The first thing he does is check how much supplies were shipped out of the warehouse yesterday and how much is left, and then he immediately arranges the escort for the day.

At 6 o'clock, Kolu would eat two pieces of bread and drink a glass of milk for breakfast, then pick up an awl and go to check the food shipped out of the warehouse in person, distinguishing the new food from the old food to prevent his men from filling the gaps.

8:12-: is the time to deal with official documents. Not only do you have to report and communicate with the Eagle City, but you also have to deal with all the big and small issues in the territory.

12:13-: p.m. is Koru's rare rest time of the day. He will sit down to have lunch, but even so, there will be a clerk beside him to report the situation - it is said that this is a precedent created by Baron Raven.

From 13:17 to :, Koulu will meet with the troops coming from the five northwestern counties.

As the date set by Raven approaches, more and more soldiers arrive and need to enter the Eagle Territory in batches, so Koulu has to allocate a temporary base for them here and clarify the time for entry.

17:21-:, cocktail party.

The knights representing the nobles of the five northwestern counties will gather here, and Kolu will not be absent. He will calm everyone's emotions well and make all the knights feel at home, but he will never reveal any useful information.

21:23-: is Koru's alone time. With the arrival of Akori, he and Akori are in the same room.

But the two of them basically didn't have any communication. Koru would make a simple summary of his entire day's itinerary and sort out the pros and cons. After doing this, he would take out a book "On War" published in 931 to study.

23:4 - : the next day, rest time.

Then continue to repeat the previous day's itinerary.

On the morning of the fourth day, Akori could wake up at 4 o'clock without being called.

He was numbed by Koru's daily routine and almost forgot his purpose.

Meeting Koru at the castle gate, the aristocratic civil servant straightened his bright red bow tie and handed over a wooden token with both hands: "Baron Akori, you can go to Eagle City now."

Akori didn't even react at first.

After a moment's pause, he took the sign and turned to leave, but couldn't help but said, "Mr. Kolu, I have a question for you."

"In the past three days, I have seen a lot - your self-discipline, your ability, and your responsibility."

"But even so, you haven't received any title. What drives you to do this?"

"Don't you think that the reward Baron Raven gave you is not worth this effort?"

Kolu didn't expect Akori to ask such a question. He thought about it carefully, then looked into Akori's eyes and said seriously:
"No, I don't think so at all."

"This may be difficult for you to understand, but Baron Acorri, in the Nord Province, hard work is not always rewarded."

"You think I'm having a hard time because you've been with me for the past few days, and these are the only days you've been with me."

At this point, Kolu wanted to stop several times, but perhaps because he saw Akori's confusion, or perhaps because he really needed to pour out his heart, he continued:

“If you looked at my entire life, you might come to a completely different conclusion.”

"My father was a freeman and my mother was a serf."

"You know, there is a bad custom in the Empire called 'right of first night', and our lord at that time liked to exercise this power."

"And through this power, he set his sights on my mother."

"So before my mother grew old and ugly, she went through a lot - and I, who inherited her looks, went through a lot too."

Akori looked reluctant: "I'm sorry, I..."

"Please let me finish." Kolu interrupted Akori, "Since I was young, I have always hoped to change my family's situation through my own efforts."

"I slept only three hours a day, studying the imperial laws and various books that I had no interest in. I would practice calligraphy using willow branches and wet rags to simulate the touch of parchment."

"At the age of 11, I was able to help my lord with official documents."

"But my lord still calls me into his chambers—sometimes with my mother."

At this point, Koru breathed a sigh of relief: "Sorry, I've gone off topic. Let me get back to your original question."

"I don't think Baron Raven has treated me unfairly."

"He didn't care about my past or my origins, and entrusted the Holo Territory to me."

"All my actions are based on my personal habits and gratitude to the Lord."

"Are you satisfied with this answer?"

Akori didn't know how to answer. If these words came from a stranger, he would just laugh it off. But after spending three days together and getting to know Kolu, the answer seemed extremely heavy.

So he simply didn't answer, got up, mounted his horse, and headed towards Eagle City.

Akori thought that since he had arrived in Eagle City, he would not encounter any more troubles and the letter could be handed over to Raven smoothly.

But the one who received him was old Gordon.

Old Gordon said that the Baron is now inspecting Xuefeng Territory to ensure the supply of military supplies.

This was purely an excuse - if military supplies needed to be reviewed at this time, then Raven should not have sent troops at all.

At this time, Akori was a little annoyed, knowing that he had been fooled by Raven.

But now that the matter has been settled, Akori will not be stupid enough to follow Raven.

Xue Feng's leader was not small, so when he rushed over, Lei Wen might have gone somewhere else.

So he decided to follow the previous strategy.

He suggested going to the riverside workshop to take a look, and was determined to break in if old Gordon disagreed.

This method did not work on Koulu because Koulu was responsible for peripheral events after all, while the Riverside Workshop contained Raven's real secrets.

Old Gordon actually allowed his action.

And considerately arranged for him to have Philip, the political officer of Shemhilling Town, as a guide.

That afternoon, Philip picked up Akori and took a carriage to the riverside workshop.

"Actually, the factory is very boring, Baron Acorri."

Fili's face was filled with fatigue that was difficult to conceal. Dark circles appeared under his eyes. He tried hard not to yawn in front of Akori.

"What they do is just witchcraft. No one can understand it."

Looking at Fili's expression, Akori couldn't help but ask, "Are you tired?"

Fearing that he might accidentally annoy the other party, Philip quickly said, "No, I'm not tired. Being able to sit in the same carriage with you is even more pleasant than drinking the Angel's Tears. How could I be tired?"

As he said this, he forced a smile.

Looking at that smile that was uglier than crying, Akori sighed, and without the intention to continue asking questions, he turned his head and looked out the window.

Philip breathed a sigh of relief.

To be honest, receiving a baron, especially a baron representing the Governor, is really a chore. Recently, dealing with various matters alone is enough to make him exhausted.

Although the Goldshire Town ruled by Fili is not as big as Koru's Holo Territory and does not need to worry about food problems, the pressure brought by the war is also not small.

The soldiers from the five northwestern counties are not as well-trained as the Eagle Army. They flock to Shining Gold Town to have fun, which is bound to cause all kinds of trouble and chaos.

Most of these will be sent to his desk.

The soldiers are nothing, but the families behind them are more troublesome than each other. In order to deal with these things, Philip racked his brains.

We cannot punish him severely, but we cannot let him off lightly either. We must also try our best to avoid troubling the Baron.

Every little thing he has to deal with can make him feel tired for a long time.

Things outside are difficult to deal with, and things at home are also worrying.

His three sons were eager to arm themselves and join the army.

Indeed, joining the army can gain merit, and perhaps after returning from this trip, Philip can become the father of a knight by virtue of his son's status.

But there is no such thing as a war without death.

Philip didn't think his son was so lucky. Everyone else would die, but they wouldn't.

After a beating with a whip, the second and third brothers calmed down, but the eldest brother still held his neck high and refused to obey...

The carriage stopped, and Philip came back to his senses. He glanced out the window and said:

"Baron A'Kori, this is the Riverside Workshop. Even though it looks a bit gray now, it was very beautiful when it was first built."

After taking Acore out of the carriage, Philip watched the drawbridge being lowered and the workshop door opened. Poirot and his men were already waiting there.

"Where is the person in charge of the factory? Why doesn't he come out to see me?" Akori asked with a frown.

"It's me, Baron Acorre." Poirot stepped forward and saluted. "I am the person in charge here."

It's no wonder that Akori couldn't recognize him. No matter who it is, when they first saw the current Poirot, they would not have thought he was the supervisor.

Ever since Raven gave the order to prepare for war, Poirot has been staying in the riverside workshop and has never returned home.

Since the entire workshop was devoted to the production of "kerosene", Poirot had to be extremely alert at all times and inspect every workshop for fear of any mistakes.

This kind of thing is difficult to extinguish once it comes into contact with open flames and must be covered with sand. If it is not handled properly, it may cause a fire or even an explosion.

Even with Polo's high-intensity patrols, two accidents have occurred during this period. Fortunately, they were handled properly and no major disasters occurred.

Poirot was so busy that he had to take three naps at a time, so let alone take care of his appearance, he could only wipe his face when he was notified.

There were large and small flakes of dandruff in his hair, his beard was thick and messy, and he smelled of sweat.

"Uh..." Akori was hesitant, almost thinking that this was a disguise that Raven had specially arranged to keep him out.

What a vicious method!

But now that he was here, Akori would not back down. He just sniffed and said:
"Lead the way."

But just like Fili said before, there is really nothing to see in the workshop.

Each workshop looked dark and had a pile of sand at the door, which was said to be used for firefighting.

Inside the workshop, there were alchemy tables, with blazing flames and a stuffy atmosphere.

It's only early spring, but once you walk around inside your room, your sweat soaks through your clothes and your hair sticks to your forehead.

But what surprised Acorri was that Poirot, the "person in charge", was exhausted, but the workers were all energetic and there was no flaw in their movements.

Moreover, whenever he asked a question, Poirot's response was very slow and his sentences were very brief, as if he was afraid that people would understand him.

Philip would make some remarks from time to time, but he always missed the point.

Coming out of the workshop, Akori's face was gloomy: "This is not the way to treat guests, right?"

"I came to Eagle City, but it's fine if I didn't see Baron Raven. He could have just as easily not let me in."

"But since he allowed it, why did he send an outsider to fool me?"

Philip's heart shuddered.

When he received the order, old Gordon personally reminded him that core secrets - such as the formula of Angel's Tears - could not be given, but other requirements had to be fulfilled as much as possible if possible, and fulfilled even if not possible.

Just don't let Akori find any problems.

After all, Acore represents Governor Anthony. Lord Raven is busy and cannot meet him, which is the same as deliberately making excuses. The result is the same, but the meaning is very different.

"Where did you get this from?" Fili forced a smile and said, "Baron Acorri, if you don't believe me, you can go ask someone. Fili has been in charge of the Riverside Workshop for five or six years. This is something everyone knows!"

Akori said angrily, "What a joke! Is there a person in charge in this world who knows nothing about anything? Call him out now, or let Raven explain it to me personally."

"Otherwise, I will tear down this factory!"

Upon hearing this, cold sweat broke out on Philip's forehead.

If Akori really were to demolish the factory, he would be committing a serious crime!

"I'm sorry, Baron Acorre, maybe my actions have misled you." Poirot showed great calmness and apologized respectfully: "But we did not deceive you."

This sentence made Akori calm down a little. Judging from Poirot's calm attitude, he didn't seem like a liar.

"Then why are you so absent-minded? And why do you seem clueless to all the questions? The workers are full of energy, but you are so exhausted!"

Poirot heard this and said, "Sir, because I am really the person in charge of this factory."

"The workers have the energy to work because this is a dangerous job and they must be allowed to rest well, otherwise it will lead to a major accident."

"As for me, I don't need to do anything myself. I just need to follow the regulations. So even if I am tired, I have to do it."

"As for my neglect of you, it was not my intention. There are some things that cannot be said, and some things are simply because I am too tired. If you want to punish me, please only punish me."

Acorre glanced at Poirot, who looked so tired that he couldn't fake it; then he looked at Philip, who was forcing himself to smile.

Then, he thought of Kolu, who worked around the clock and only slept five hours a day.

A question arises in my mind:

"Don't you, the people who serve Griffith, feel tired?"

"It was war, Monsignor Acorre," Philip and Poirot answered almost simultaneously.

The two looked at each other, and it was Fili who spoke first: "This will be a war. Facing the war of the principality of Eivor, everyone on the front line, whether knights or soldiers, is facing life-threatening danger. We must devote all our energy to prepare."

Poirot said, "I don't understand so much, but I know what I am doing. Many of the soldiers are children I have watched grow up. If I work harder here and get more kerosene, they will have a better chance of coming back alive."

Akori fell silent, said nothing, and turned away.

Over the next few days, Raven still did not return to Eagle City, and Akori no longer made any requests, but just waited silently.

On March 3, Raven finally returned and met with Akori immediately.

"Baron Raven, this is a letter from the Governor." Placing the letter on Raven's desk with both hands, Akori calmly returned to his seat.

Taking it, Raven put the letter under his arm and said, "I'm so sorry for keeping you waiting for so long."

Akori shook his head: "I should be the one to say sorry. If I hadn't come, you would have saved yourself a lot of trouble."

There was a hint of gunpowder in these words.

Raven smiled awkwardly but said nothing.

He has left Akori alone for more than ten days, so he should let him vent his anger.

But Akori was not angry, but asked:

“Where does your confidence in victory come from?”

During this period, Akori slowly figured things out.

Anthony sent him here simply to get Raven to give up the war against the Principality of Eivor, and Akori originally thought that there was room for discussion here.

But through the experiences during this period, from Koru to Fili, and then from Fili to Polo, Akori felt the atmosphere of war that permeated the Raven territory.

This made Akori realize that Raven was really determined to attack Eivor, and it was not just a show.

Raven's avoidance itself is a response to Anthony, and it is also the best response.

Because any direct answer, unless it was an agreement to give up the war, would cause a falling out between the two.

Perhaps it was because Anthony realized this that he did not send anyone to urge progress after not receiving a reply.

That's why Akori asked this question - purely out of his curiosity.

Raven smiled and said, "There is no war in the world whose outcome can be determined before it even starts."

"But you can come with me to the Principality of Eivor."

“Maybe you can find your own answer.”

"That would also be what the Governor would like to see, wouldn't it?"

Akori frowned: "When do we leave?"

“April 4, I’m not going to change.”

"……it is good."

Looking at Akori's leaving back, Raven smiled.

In fact, Raven didn't know whether Anthony would agree to let Akori stay.

Although this would allow him to keep spies around him, if Raven were Anthony, he would not do this.

Akori is too famous, and if he stays, the outside world will think that Anthony also supports Raven.

But Raven needs Akori to stay.

Not only did he want to give the outside world such an impression, but also because Akori, as a third-level strong man with awakened martial spirit, could play a miraculous role on the battlefield.

Thinking of this, Raven took Anthony's letter in his hand.

After staring at it for a while, he stuffed it into the drawer full of expired stationery.

……

(End of this chapter)