Imperial Crown.

Chapter 389: Multiple parties are trying to win over each other and establish ties with each other

Additional chapters in February with monthly tickets, this chapter is worth 2.

……

The Farrell family's residence is located on Holy Moon Avenue in the city of Mingnagar.

This street is the entertainment center of Mingnagar City, where the most magnificent theater and the best bathhouse in the capital and even in the entire continent are located.

The already bustling Holy Moon Avenue is even more lively today.

Because everyone has heard that a grand cocktail party is about to be held, and Baron Raven, the empire's war hero who single-handedly destroyed the Duchy of Eivor, will also participate in it.

Most of the nobles could not receive invitations to the cocktail party, and could not even enter the door of the Farrell family, but this did not stop them from gathering on the streets and walking around aimlessly.

The men held their heads high and the women dressed up beautifully, and when they met each other, they would secretly comment and compare each other's makeup.

Everyone wants to have an "encounter" with Baron Raven, which will be a topic of conversation that can be used for a long time.

But to their disappointment, even though the blisters on his feet had rubbed his stockings apart, no one saw any sign of Raven.

"Count Domi is really thoughtful." In an empty alley, Raven whispered, "If they hadn't sent someone to greet me, I would have been surrounded for a while."

"This is what we should do." The servant who led the way smiled respectfully:

"As long as you are satisfied, Lord Raven."

The Farrell family of Count Domi is always welcoming and seeing off all kinds of top nobles. It is often inconvenient for them to show up in public, so they naturally have a way to avoid being seen.

And Raven also saw what "financial resources" meant.

Walking through the deserted alleys, you will come to a wide square where there is a castle with a large garden.

Even in winter, the garden is still as warm as spring, the grass is lush and green, and the air is fresh and charming.

When we arrived at the castle entrance, the heavy door opened and elegant yet cheerful music accompanied by a light fragrance flowed out.

Raven straightened his collar and walked into the hall under the guidance of the servant.

"Dear ladies and gentlemen, look who's here!" Count Domi was always paying attention to the movements in the hall. When he saw Raven coming, he immediately raised his voice:
"We are today's protagonist, Baron Raven!"

“Please let us give our warmest applause to this young man who has defended our peaceful life today!”

Although the name Raven was familiar, his image was very unfamiliar to most people. Amid the overflowing applause, all eyes fell on Raven.

"I've always heard that Baron Raven is young, but I didn't expect he's so handsome."

"As expected of a noble who fought his way through the battlefield, his temperament is different. I bet he has at least six pack abs!"

"It's a great achievement, but why is he so handsome? Why didn't I see it?"

"If you ask me, if there are any achievements, they are mostly just boasting."

"Oh? Really? Then why don't you go up and test his strength?"

There were all kinds of comments, some were praises and some were jealous, but everyone maintained an elegant smile on their faces, which allowed Raven to see the social etiquette of the royal capital's nobles.

"Welcome to my cocktail party." Count Domi came up to him warmly and gave Raven a gentle hug. "Baron Raven, please enjoy this cocktail party. If you need anything, please let me know. I still have some other things to deal with."

Lei Wen smiled and said, "Go ahead and do your work. I think with your thoughtfulness, you don't need me to make any requests."

Domi nodded and left. As the organizer, he indeed had a lot to do.

But the real reason why he was in a hurry to leave was that he knew that this cocktail party was just borrowing his name and venue.

There are many big shots who are interested in Raven, but it is not his turn to have a detailed discussion.

Now all he needs to do is leave an impression on Raven. Whether to make friends with him or distance himself from him is a matter for later.

Sure enough, as soon as he left, someone greeted him.

"Raven, this way!" Marquis Anthony waved at Raven.

Without the burden of a large army, although Anthony had only left Eivor about half a year ago, he returned to the capital three months earlier than Raven.

"Marquis Anthony." Raven came to Anthony and raised his glass.

Anthony smiled and said in a tone of introducing his younger generation:
"Let me just say that Raven is a very disciplined and polite noble."

"Come, Raven, let me introduce them to you. These people are all important figures in the capital and old acquaintances of mine. This is Uncle Valak, the Count of the Empire and a senior civil servant in the Ministry of Finance; this is Uncle Cornell, the Marquis of the Empire and the Director of the Ordnance Department of the Ministry of Military Affairs..."

"Raven, you are still young. Although you are strong in combat, you still have many shortcomings. You still need to be humble and learn from your elders."

"Thank you for your teachings, Marquis Anthony." Raven raised the wine glass in his hand. Although his tone was not distant, it was not at all intimate.

"It is a great honor to meet you all today, but I have already made an appointment, so it is not convenient for me to stay with you for long. I will host a banquet for you all separately another day when I have time."

After saying this, he drank the wine in the glass, placed the empty glass on the servant's tray, and turned to leave.

A gloomy look flashed across Anthony's face.

Even though Anthony is a marquis, the value of his title is not that high when the word "court" is added.

In the Nord Province, as the King's special envoy, he is naturally above everyone else, but in the royal capital where the powerful and wealthy gather, he is not considered the top one.

Therefore, after returning to the royal capital, he, who was domineering in the local area, had to rely on Raven to raise his own status.

Since returning to the capital, Anthony has been bragging about the relationship between him and Raven on various occasions, and today is no exception.

According to him, Raven's surprise attack on Eivor was at his instruction, and he was also the "secret guide" for every strategic move afterwards.

This was of course a joke to those who really knew the details of the entire war, but it was enough to fool most nobles who did not know the truth.

"Haha, young people are always busy." Anthony raised his glass and said to the others:

"This cup of wine from me is an apology for Raven's sin."

The wine tasted a bit bitter when it went down my throat.

Raven's behavior this time could not be said to be rude, but anyone with a discerning eye could see what he was trying to express.

That's Raven and Anthony - they're really unfamiliar!

The halo that Anthony had woven for himself with the help of Raven in the past was completely shattered.

Raven had no awareness of having cheated Anthony. After he left, he did not stay too far away from Anthony. He just found an empty table and sat down, then said to the maid who came up to him:

"A glass of water, thank you."

The maid was a little surprised, but the nobles' requests were always varied, so she nodded and turned to leave.

Anthony is just the beginning, Raven needs to keep a clear mind next.

Although he had some prejudice against Anthony, Raven didn't have to leave because of this.

The social interactions of the nobility always emphasize effectiveness.

Anthony's social circle is mostly composed of bureaucrats at all levels in the core of the empire. Of course, such people have power, but for Raven, it is meaningless.

Their radiation capacity is limited to the royal capital and, at most, the directly governed provinces. They cannot reach His Majesty the King upwards, nor can they affect the individual provinces downwards.

But Raven will still have to take root in the Nord Province in the future.

Of course, it wouldn't be a bad idea to communicate with them, get to know them, and take some time off.

But it is political to have to get close to others under the circumstances. If you know that others don't take you seriously but still try to get close to them, then you are being shameless.

"The clean water you requested has arrived."

The maid's voice woke Raven up, and she reached out to take the cup, and Raven was stunned.

Raven had been concentrating on dealing with Anthony before, but now he discovered that the maid serving him actually had a pair of furry animal ears.

She has a pretty face, a pink nose, and a few long wisps of whiskers on her cheeks.

You can tell at first glance that he has the bloodline of the "Slyfoot" orcs, or fox people.

"My lord, do you have any other requests?" The maid was a little overwhelmed by Raven's stare.

"No more, go down." Raven looked away.

It turned out that the maids at the entire banquet were so diverse.

In addition to the half-orcs, there are also elves and drow - these sworn enemies are able to live together in harmony.

And when Raven tasted the food on the table, he discovered the luxury hidden beneath the simple surface.

It looks like a roast chicken, but it's actually a griffin cub; the jelly-like roast meat is the hump of a rock moose; the perfectly grilled skewers are the belly of an earth bear.

These are delicacies that cannot be bought even with money.

Suddenly, the discussions around him became louder, and more and more eyes gathered around him. Raven stood up and saw a middle-aged noble in his early 40s walking towards him.

Not far away, Anthony also noticed this.

Because that person is the current head of the Queslan family, the Duke of the Empire, Serafinu.

It was no secret that there had been a conflict between Quetheran's people and Raven's people.

The Queslan family is one of the eight most powerful ducal families in the empire today.

Anthony smiled with a gloating smile, thinking:

There will be a good show to watch!

Seraphinu walked up to Raven, opened his arms, and gave Raven a hug.

Although he was not used to cuddling with men, Raven still completed an impeccable kiss on the cheek before separating.

"Nice to meet you, Baron Raven." Serafinu smiled.

"Are you used to the life in the capital these few days?"

"The capital is prosperous. It would be really inappropriate to say that you are not used to it." Raven said.

"That's good. I was worried that Baron Raven would be upset because of those idiots." Serafinu said:

"I have already transferred those three guys to the mines to do hard labor. If you are still not satisfied, I can hand them over to you and do whatever you want with them."

The tone was flat and the voice was not loud, but after it spread, it exploded like thunder in the hearts of the surrounding nobles.

This statement was certainly not meant to flatter, and as a powerful duke, Seraphinu had no reason to flatter Raven.

But the flavor of winning over and showing goodwill cannot be concealed.

Raven was also a little surprised. He thought that even if Seraphinu didn't pursue the matter, he should just let the matter go. How could he behave like this?
Suspicion was building in his heart, and he became more cautious in his words: "Your Excellency the Duke is too polite. It's just a small misunderstanding among my subordinates. It's fine after we talk about it. There's no question of whether to deal with it or not."

"That's good. Baron Raven is really broad-minded." Serafinu nodded approvingly:
"But some nobles may not be as broad-minded as you."

"Have you heard what the 8 Grand Dukes of the Empire said?"

Raven suddenly realized: "I've heard some of it."

The so-called Eight Great Dukes of the Empire refer to the eight most powerful duke families today, namely:
The Gustav family, based in the province of Schliheg;
The Bellenheim family, which controls the province of Venice;
The Vandoriya family inherited the province of Insayi;
The House of Heinholtz, who were granted the province of Montaigne;
The Queslan family, who multiplied and lived in the Westguard province;
The Irevonde family, whose territory is in the Southguard Province;
The Melodian family defending the Eastguard province;

Originated from the Losonville family in the province of Gamville.

This is not the only duke in the empire, but he is the most powerful duke in recent years.

Among them, the Gustav family, whose head is the Duke of Hamilton, serves as the Prime Minister of the Empire and is usually not listed alongside other families.

The Rosenville family is also extremely special. It is the only top noble family in the empire that has clearly sided with the Church of Light.

Its head, Morenzo, is one of the 12 cardinals in the Church of Light and the representative of the Church of Light in the Empire.

"Since Baron Raven understands, I won't waste my words on it." Serafinu nodded.

"Regardless of Gustav and Rosenville, do you know what the differences are between the other six major families?"

Sensing the undercurrent in Seraphinu's calm tone, Raven said:

"Your Excellency the Duke, this question really stumps me. I am far away in Nord, and I really don't know the answer to this question."

Seraphinu acted like a teacher:
"In fact, it can be seen from the fiefdom that we, Queslan, Irefond, and Melodian, are different from other dukes."

Raven's eyelids twitched slightly.

Of course it's different.

The Shuwei Province, named Shuwei, has always been directly governed by the royal family. Although there are feudal nobles, they are at most viscounts and barons.

Although these three families had already had titles, it was not until Keynes XVI came to power that he split the garrison province into four, three of which were given to these three families. Only then did they step into the core of power in the empire.

"Life is not easy for the three of us," Seraphinu sighed.
"I shouldn't have involved you, but now is a critical moment for the empire. It would be a waste if someone as capable as Baron Raven couldn't participate in the empire's affairs."

"What happened to you, Baron Raven, in the King's Square a few days ago is a microcosm of what has happened to our families over the years."

"Those old nobles, all talking about their family's history and honor, don't take us seriously at all. Whenever we want to do something, they try to stop us. And unfortunately, when it comes to doing something, they are completely incapable of doing it!"

Raven's face was tense, his expression didn't change, he just raised his glass and took a sip of water.

In my heart, I was secretly cursing Seraphinu for being so unfair. Didn't Julia and the others just beat up your people? Instead of asking for some gold coins, you had to drag me into the bottomless whirlpool of the royal capital?
But at this point, it's a little too late to leave, and Raven is not without ways to protect himself.

Now that he is here, let's hear what he has to say.

Raven showed a timely surprise: "There is such a thing?"

"Of course." Queslan's face was filled with obvious anger: "For example, Berenheim, a meritorious family of the Second Dynasty."

"They are obviously a powerful army, but in the previous war between the Empire and Insa, they stubbornly clung to the so-called 'rules'. Half of Brad Province was occupied, but they refused to send troops!"

"And the Heinholtz family. If Bellenheim is 'rigid', the Heinholtz family is simply stingy."

"Baron Raven, you also passed through their Mantine Province when you came here, and you know how rich it is. But when the war started, Heinholtz refused to even raise taxes. Apart from the taxes that should have been paid, he refused to take a single cent more!"

"The most annoying thing is the Vandoriya family."

At this point, Serafinu lowered his voice and said, "Their patriarch, Duke Ferdinand, was the commander of the previous war between the Empire and Insa. He boasted well before the war, but he revealed all his secrets once he got on the battlefield."

"We were pushed all the way back to Brad from Blackwater Province, losing our rights and humiliating our country. If it weren't for you, Baron Raven, who conquered Eivor, we would have been driven to the capital long ago!"

"Baron Raven, tell me, how can we govern the empire well with such nobles?"

If Raven was a passionate young man, he might really be instigated by him to board the pirate ship.

Unfortunately, Raven is not.

After so many years of aristocratic life, both in his past and present lives, Raven has long understood one truth - if you don't want to make mistakes, you have to do nothing.

The more you do, the more mistakes you make.

Even though Serafinu is always finding faults, the fact that he can point them out just shows that he is doing his job.

The Venadi Province controlled by Berenheim is adjacent to the Kingdom of Potomiche, and across a small stretch of territory to the south is the Orc Empire.

If the troops are transferred rashly, once Potamiche or the Orc Kingdom takes action, the empire will be in a more passive position.

The province of Mantine under Heinholtz was indeed rich, but that was based more on commerce than on industry and agriculture.

Raven was fully aware of the impact that war had on the economy. When strategic materials, especially food, were in short supply, the prices of various commodities would skyrocket, and people would choose to reduce consumption and only buy daily necessities.

Under such circumstances, Lei Wen would not be surprised if the tax rate in Mangtain Province was reduced by 5% or even 7%. It was already very difficult to be able to pay the tax at the fixed amount.

As for Duke Ferdinand - looking back now, the empire's army at that time was inferior to others in combat effectiveness. That is to say, although the calm-tempered Ferdinand was always defeated, his losses were relatively limited.

If it were someone else, the outcome would probably be even worse.

But in front of Serafinu, these words certainly could not be said, let alone said:

"Duke Serafino is concerned about the country and the people. Raven has written down these words."

"It's just that I am just a noble from a remote area and I don't really understand the general situation of the empire. After I return, I will think about it carefully and give His Excellency the Duke a satisfactory answer."

Seraphinu's expression froze for a moment, then he smiled, and his eyes softened when he looked at Raven.

His purpose in talking to Raven this time was, of course, to represent the other two major families, to win over Raven and drag him into his own camp.

Now it seems that he has undoubtedly failed.

Raven's value is self-evident. Not to mention his extraordinary combat power, the Eagle Army under his command is also a rare powerful force in the empire.

But a true fisherman always knows how to cast a long line and catch big fish.

Seraphinu believed that as long as Raven remained in the capital, he would one day see the situation clearly and join their faction.

"Then I won't waste Baron Raven's time. Please enjoy this cocktail party." With that, Serafinu turned and left.

Anthony's eyes were still on Raven, his brows furrowed.

He saw the entire conversation between Raven and Seraphinu just now, and from their expressions, it seemed that both the host and the guest were having a great time.

Could it be that Raven was intentionally causing friction between his men and the people of the Queslan family in order to bring them closer?
He had just arrived in the capital and he had already found someone to cling to?

No wonder you don’t take me, the Marquis, seriously!
Just as Anthony was thinking about how to teach Raven a lesson next, his face suddenly froze, because he found that Raven actually took the initiative to take a step and walked towards Duke Ferdinand!
He's crazy?
As we all know, Ferdinand had suffered a great defeat on the front line before.

But Raven won another great victory on the battlefield of Eivor.

In the past two years, public opinion has often compared Raven and Ferdinand. Although Duke Ferdinand is steady and generous, he is not made of clay, and his dissatisfaction with Raven has been accumulated for a long time.

Otherwise, Pei Dinnan did not applaud before, and later he turned his back to Raven when drinking!
What's more, Raven had just had a pleasant conversation with Seraphinu.

What is Raven going to do? Is he really going to join Serafinu and the others to provoke Ferdinand?

Not only Anthony, but all the nobles' eyes fell on Raven at this time.

Some were confused, some were worried, and some were joking.

"Duke Ferdinand, nice to meet you. My name is Raven, Raven Ota Griffith." Raven came forward with a smile.

"Oh." Pei Dinan nodded indifferently, then stopped talking and just stared at his wine glass.

Raven was already prepared for this attitude and was not in a hurry: "My Lord Duke, on the way here, I studied the war reports of the Empire and Insa, and also did a sand table simulation."

"To be honest, many of your decisions are not perfect."

"For example, the battle of Whiterun Plains in Silverpine Province revealed many problems of yours, Your Excellency the Duke."

"Taking advantage of the enemy's blind spot that it is impossible to set an ambush on the plains, he first led the team to lure the enemy deep into the area, and then took advantage of the low water level of the Yinsong River in winter to ambush 2 troops in the riverbed, giving Insa a head-on blow."

"The overall decision was indeed brilliant, but you were too cautious and the number of ambushes was too small. As a result, although you won, you were unable to annihilate Insa's main force, and therefore failed to achieve the strategic goal of delaying the enemy."

"Ha." Pei Dinan frowned and became more and more angry.

What does this guy want? Can't he see that I don't want to talk to him?

After winning a few battles, you dare to point fingers at me!

Just when he was thinking about asking the person to leave, Raven's next words caught Pei Dinan's attention.

"...However, your tactical command in the Swamp Forest Basin is a classic case that can be included in the Imperial War textbook!"

"What did you say?" Pei Dinan's gray eyebrows stretched out and his expression was a little strange.

The Battle of the Swamp Basin was a thorn in Ferdinand's side.

The Empire's 7 elite troops were surrounded by Insa's 15 elite troops with superior forces. Although they finally broke out, they lost half of their men.

The Empire's special legion, the "Blood Rage Legion", was completely wiped out in that battle, and its commander, Count Zpenser, died for his country.

Because of this battle, Ferdinand was unanimously condemned by the government and the public.

When talking about the Battle of Swamp Basin at this time, is Raven going to praise him or scold him in a roundabout way?

Raven continued, "There are still too many people in the empire who just follow the crowd."

"In the heart of Insa, the enemy is familiar with the terrain and all of them are cavalry. It is also winter. It is not your mistake that you failed to discover their deployment."

"And the most criticized decision, to let the Blood Rage Legion stay behind to cover the rear, was the real highlight of this battle!"

Pei Dinan forgot to get angry and nodded repeatedly, indicating that he had completely understood.

Raven strikes while the iron is hot:

"If you view war as a game of chess, soldiers are chess pieces, and the number of chess pieces available to both sides is actually limited."

"The Blood Rage Legion is the chess piece that Insa wants to eat the most."

“Although the Blood Rage Legion is powerful, it is an infantry unit after all. It is impossible to escape Insa’s pursuit. If we lead the Blood Rage Legion to break through, I’m afraid that it will not be just half of the troops that are lost, but the whole army will be wiped out!”

Pei Dinan looked Raven up and down with curiosity in his eyes:

"You really think so?"

"But some people say that I was the first to break out, and that I was afraid of death and disregarded the lives of my subordinates."

"They are all idiots who don't understand warfare!" Raven said firmly: "The outcome of the war, apart from the army itself, depends on the commander!"

"If the coach doesn't value his own life, it would be a joke to say he can win the battle!"

Ferdinand's worries were gone, and he smiled and praised: "As expected of a famous general of the empire, Baron Raven's vision is indeed unique!"

"Before, someone told me that young people are arrogant, don't know how to respect the elderly, and are difficult to get along with. It seems that this is not credible." "Actually, I have also read your battle report in Eivor. It is really wonderful! But there are some details that you still need to pay attention to..."

Raven acted as if he was listening attentively.

After all, the veteran is a veteran with extraordinary knowledge. He pointed out many flaws in the details to Raven.

For example, the Wind King's troops, since they have the advantage in air power, they should make full use of it and harass the enemy as much as possible - even if it's just grabbing a few stones and throwing them down from a high altitude!

This is the experience summarized by Ferdinand after his fight with Insa.

Insa relied on his cavalry advantage and always sent a team of troops to harass Ferdinand's troops repeatedly at night, making them overwhelmed.

Regardless of something as intangible as morale, if the soldiers don't get enough rest, they will really feel weak in the battlefield.

The two became happier and happier as they talked, and as they drank each other's cups, they became like old friends.

Suddenly, Ferdinand asked, "Raven, when Serafinu came to see you before, he said a lot of bad things about us old guys, right?"

Raven was not thrown off by this sudden question. "No, we just exchanged some opinions. Most of the time, it was Duke Seraphino who taught me how to behave in the capital."

"Haha." Duke Ferdinand obviously didn't believe it, but he didn't expose it either: "The Griffith family's background can be said to be deeper than all the nobles present. They are also what they call 'stubborn' old guys."

"What Jeffrey said a few days ago may not sound nice, but it is true. Only families like us who have lived together with the empire through thick and thin are the foundation of the empire."

"In this case, we should help each other and work together to maintain the empire."

This was already a blatant attempt to win over the enemy, but Raven pretended not to understand:

"Of course, no matter what your identity is, as a member of the empire, you naturally have to consider the interests of the empire."

Many things cannot be forced. Pei Dinnan smiled slightly and did not bother about it anymore.

Anthony was even more surprised when he saw this scene.

Since returning to the capital, he has never seen his old friend Ferdinand so relaxed.

What tricks did Raven play?
Of the eight grand dukes of the empire, except for Gustav and Rosenville, the other six were roughly divided into two camps.

The first is the reformists headed by Duke Serafino of the Queslan family, also known as the "King's Faction", who are the trusted team promoted by His Majesty the King.

The second is the conservative faction headed by Duke Ejihard of Bellenheim, also known as the "aristocratic faction", which represents the interests of the empire's old nobles.

And Raven was able to establish good relations with both factions at the same time and get along well with both sides, which is not an easy thing to do.

At least Anthony himself can't do it.

Although he had a good personal relationship with Ferdinand, as the king's confidant, he could not integrate into the circle of old-school nobles; and he happened to be a genuine old-school noble, and was not accepted by the new-school nobles.

Otherwise, he would not have left the royal capital to take up a post in the remote Nord province.

"I still underestimated this kid." Anthony said secretly:
"This guy is simply a born politician!"

The cocktail party lasted from day to late at night, and Raven returned to the Emerald Hall under the escort of the Farrell family guards.

"Brother!" Weisdong, who had been waiting for a whole day, came forward and said, "It's a pity that you are not here today. The Angel's Glory is selling very well..."

"Don't talk about this for now." Raven interrupted him: "Come in with me. I'll give you a lesson today."

Bringing Visdon back to the room, Raven began to tell him what he had seen and heard today.

To Visdon's disappointment, Raven did not mention the luxury of the banquet. Instead, he focused on breaking down the relationship between the old and new nobles, as well as the specific interactions with the two groups.

"Brother is really amazing. He can be won over by people from both factions at the same time." Weisdong praised sincerely:
"So, Brother, which side are you going to stand on?"

Raven smiled: "Guess."

"Is it... an old-school aristocrat?"

Raven shook his head.

"That's the new aristocracy!"

Raven still shook his head. Seeing Weisdon's confused expression, he smiled and said:
"You can't stand on either side!"

Weisdong became more and more confused: "But... why? Wouldn't it be good to have more allies?"

Raven said word for word:
"The most taboo thing in politics is to take sides."

"I don't need you to understand now, but you must remember it firmly."

Weisdong nodded in confusion, then couldn't help but ask:

"How good-looking is that Slyfoot hybrid?"

……

a few days later.

Royal High Court.

King Cairns XVI soaked naked in the hot spring, enjoying the gentle service of his maid.

Steam was rising, and Keynes XVI stretched out his white and tender arms and wiped his face:
"Piller."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Pile stood by the pool not far away, with his head lowered, looking respectful.

"Did you hear about what happened at the cocktail party a few days ago?"

"Have heard a little bit."

"You've met Raven in person, too. What kind of person do you think he is?"

Pierre's expression froze.

As a court jester, he knew the temper of King Keynes XVI very well. His Majesty always hated people in the court interfering in politics, let alone commenting on a future earl.

But since His Majesty asked, I had no choice but to answer, so I had to bite the bullet and say:
"Baron Raven is a rare handsome man. He is young, smart, brave, and effective in combat. He is a rare famous general in the empire in recent years."

"Moreover, he is warm and generous in his dealings with others."

"Oh..." Keynes XVI did not comment:
"I heard that you were doing business with Raven?"

Piler immediately broke out in a sweat and knelt on the ground with a thud: "It's... it's just a minor fight. If Your Majesty feels it's inappropriate, I, I will return those Angel's Glory cards right away!"

"No need to do that. It's not corruption or bribery. What's wrong with people around me making some money?" Keynes XVI stretched his body.

"But, your investment vision doesn't seem to be very good."

"I'm afraid I'll have to accompany Guang soon!"

Pierre was puzzled: "...Ah?"

"It seems you don't know yet." Cairns XVI said in a teasing tone: "Raven messed up this time."

"Go and check it out quickly. Otherwise, if Raven runs away, I don't want to see my people so poor that they can't even afford to eat!"

Pillar looked up and confirmed that Keynes XVI was not joking. He quickly stood up, respectfully took his leave, and headed towards the Emerald Hall.

By simply asking around on the way, I found out what had happened.

It turned out that just this morning, someone suddenly released the news that in fact, when Raven came, he brought a total of 80 large carts, of which 20 were pulled into the city, 10 were loaded with Angel's Glory, at least 500 pieces!
This thing is not as rare as Raven said.

Raven sold Angel's Glory in limited quantities in order to deliberately drive up the price.

As a result, the price plummeted, and many nobles who had bought at high prices rushed directly to the Emerald Hall to ask Raven for an explanation.

Bayle's heart was so cold.

He bought a total of 6 pieces of Angel's Glory, which is nearly 6 gold coins, which is his entire fortune. If he loses all this, he will have nothing to eat dirt!

When he arrived at the Emerald Palace and jumped off the carriage, Bale's eyes went dark.

There were so many people gathered outside, more than during the rush to buy, and the line was about to squeeze to the other end of the street!

"Get out of the way, everyone!" Biller shouted, jumping up and down.

As a famous person in the capital, most people knew Piler and therefore made way for him.

He rushed all the way to Raven's residence and kicked the door open. From his small body, an unprecedented roar erupted:
"Raven!!!!"

Suddenly, seven or eight heads turned around.

Piler knew them. They were all prominent nobles in the city. They were not among the eight major families, but they were also quite wealthy.

When these people saw Bayer, they were all stunned, and then they started talking at once.

"Lord Pierre, are you here to return goods or to buy some?"

"Returning is fine. If you want to return it, just sell it to me and I'll give you 3 gold coins!"

"You are so ungentlemanly. You were the one who spread the rumor this morning, right? Now that the misunderstanding has been cleared up, everyone knows that there are only 80 Angel's Glory pieces in total. You want to take such a small amount of money?"

"That's right, Lord Piler. If you want to sell it, I'll give you 4 gold coins!"

"I'll give you 4!"

Pilar scratched his temple.

Ah? Am I behind the times again?
Now it’s not a return, it’s a grab? Didn’t Raven mess up?
Then what am I coming here for!
Raven smiled and asked, "Mr. Pillar, what are you doing here?"

Good question, I want to know too!

With a roll of his eyes, he exerted force on his feet and suddenly jumped high into the air. He turned three and a half circles in the air, landed on his hands, and then suddenly turned over and stood up:

"I have researched a new program for Your Majesty. Take a look. What do you think?"

"it is good!!!"

The nobles all applauded.

They didn't know what was good about it, but since His Majesty the King liked Pierre, they couldn't help but like him.

Raven looked at Piler meaningfully, causing his face to turn red, but he did not ask further questions: "I do have only so much Angel's Glory. Let's discuss how to distribute it."

A group of nobles started arguing again.

In the end, the price was set at 3 gold coins per side, and the remaining 9999 Angel's Glory were divided up.

This time, even Pile, who was used to seeing money, was shocked by Raven's ability to make money.

14 pieces of Angel's Glory, even if calculated at a cost of 9999 gold coins, the profit is still as high as 42 gold coins.

Although the previous Angel's Glory could not be sold at such a high price and had an upward curve, with a total of 60 sides, the average price would probably not be lower than 3 gold coins.

With this calculation, just from this batch of Angel's Tears, after deducting the cost, Raven earned at least 120 million gold coins.

120 million!
Even in the royal capital, it is enough to buy a mansion on the King's Avenue, or a large manor near the royal capital.

Although Piler was envious, he was not jealous. After all, Raven ate the meat and he also drank the soup.

He took advantage of the opportunity to sell 6 of the 5 Angel's Glories he had hoarded, making a huge profit of 15 gold coins. It can be said that he made a lot of money!
"Come on, we can't go to the Crystal Palace today. Let's go to the 'Back Garden'." Pierre said mysteriously, "The chefs there are all royal chefs, and they use ingredients specially provided by the palace. Most nobles will never get to taste them in their lifetime!"

Of course Raven would not refuse. He also wanted to take this opportunity to inquire about the specific time of his enthronement ceremony.

Just as I stood up and was about to leave, the door was suddenly pushed open.

Hyena and other guards walked backwards into the door, each holding a weapon in their hands.

Then, a group of soldiers in full helmets and armor rushed into the house.

You can also hear shouts such as "Surround this place!" and "Don't let them escape!"

"Black Feather Guards?" Pile frowned.

The Black Feather Guards are the elite guards of the royal capital. There are only 200 of them in total, but each and every one of them is at least a first-level transcendent.

"What's going on? Don't you know that Baron Raven lives here?" Pierre asked loudly:

"Who is leading the team today? Let him come and see me!"

Are you kidding? In the royal capital, would Pierre allow his friends to be bullied?

"I advise you not to meddle in other people's business, Mr. Pillar." Heavy footsteps sounded, and a middle-aged man wearing a full set of enchanted armor walked in.

He looked less than 50 years old, with a black feather representing the Black Feather Guard hanging on his chest. Next to the feather was a golden emblem.

Amid the indigo wave pattern, a golden three-masted ship is sailing against the waves.

This is the coat of arms of the Irevonde family, one of the eight great dukes and a member of the new-school nobility!
"Duke Witus, I haven't greeted you for a long time." Raven nodded and said, "I wonder why the Duke has led his army here?"

"You know what you did." Duke Witus said coldly, "I am here to arrest you on the orders of the Imperial Noble Council."

As he spoke, he raised a document with the seal of the Noble Council and shook it out.

Raven took a step forward.

With a clang sound.

Duke Witus had already drawn the long sword from his waist and pointed it at Raven:

"Raven, don't act rashly!"

"Today, I brought all 200 members of the Black Feather Guards, all of them are extraordinary!"

"Although I am only at level 5, there are four level 4 captains among them. They are not easy to deal with."

The veins on his hand holding the hilt were exposed, and Witus recalled Raven's terrible record.

In a one-on-one battle, with level 4 against level 5, a reincarnated angel was killed in the opponent's home court!
He swallowed his saliva dryly, and said in a somewhat timid tone:

"Let's capture him without mercy."

"Even if you can kill us all, you can't escape the capital!"

Raven smiled helplessly. He just wanted to confirm the contents of the document, but he didn't expect to scare a duke like this.

"Sir..." The hyena turned around and asked for Raven's opinion. As long as Raven nodded, he would launch an attack immediately.

Raven shook his head. "Since this is an order from the Noble Council, there is no reason for me to disobey."

As he spoke, he stretched out his hands and said, "Let's go."

Witusi winked at the Black Feather Guard next to him, and the man walked up to Raven with a pair of magic-sealing steel handcuffs.

With a click, the handcuffs closed, and Witus breathed a sigh of relief:

"take away!"

The Black Feather Guard who had put handcuffs on Raven came up and was about to push him, but was frozen in place by a cold look from Raven.

"I can walk by myself."

Raven was surrounded and taken to the Black Feather Guards' carriage, which drove away amid the gazes of many nobles.

……

That night.

Emerald Hall, the main hall of Raven's residence.

The hyena tore off his helmet and paced back and forth anxiously. The hideous, hairless scar on his head was filled with blood, making him look particularly terrifying.

"Damn it, what the hell is going on? You were taken away without knowing why!"

"The capital, the capital, doesn't even have the most basic laws?!"

He became more and more anxious as he spoke, and he grabbed his helmet and walked out the door.

Thor, who had been looking down, suddenly raised his head: "What are you doing?"

The hyena shouted, "What are you doing? I am the master's personal guard. Now that the master has been captured, of course I have to go and save him!"

"There are many people on the other side, and we have a lot of people too. I will bring those 500 brothers in and destroy those Black Feather Guards!"

"Are you crazy? This is the capital, do you know what a capital is?" Thor stood up, tiptoed and yelled at the hyena:

"You are bringing troops into the city without orders. Are you planning treason?!"

"What else? Just sit there and do nothing?!"

"That's better than you going crazy! If you really lead the troops into the city, the lord will be killed even if he is fine!"

"I think you are just afraid of death!"

"I……"

The two of them were arguing louder and louder, almost blowing the roof off the house, and as their tempers grew, they were on the verge of a physical fight.

"That's enough, stop arguing!"

Julia, who had been crying silently, screamed and stood up.

The crying was not because of fear, but once again, Julia felt her own weakness and powerlessness.

It was because she failed to protect Mrs. Nancy that Nancy died; now, she could only watch Raven being taken away by those damn guys!

"Is this the time to quarrel? Hyena, I understand your desire to rescue the adults. Everyone wants to do this, but the primary goal now is not to fight among ourselves, but to find out what happened!"

"We don't know what crime the master has committed; we still don't know where the master is imprisoned!"

"How can we save people in this situation?!"

The room suddenly became quiet, with only the sound of the wind whistling through the half-open window and the heavy breathing of several people coming from it.

boom!
The hyena threw his helmet on the table, sat on the chair with his iron tower-like body, and collapsed.

Squeak, squeak.

The footsteps came closer and closer. Weisdon, who had been keeping his head down and silent, looked up and there was some light in his eyes.

What caught my eye were four golden rings.

It was Hu Xia, the clerk and self-proclaimed historian who had accompanied Raven in his conquest of Eivor.

He held a belt in his hand: "Master Weisdong, everything you want is ready."

"The profits from these days total 157 million gold coins, and the gift list from the remaining goods is all here."

Weisdong stood up, took the belt with both hands, and put it around his waist: "Thank you for your hard work."

After that, he turned around and said to everyone, "Don't act rashly. I'm going to visit Pierre. He is a favorite of the King and must know what happened."

Julia suddenly realized that she had been wondering why Weston remained silent, but it turned out that he had already thought of a solution to the problem.

It was so chaotic this afternoon that no one noticed how Pillar left.

If there is anyone who can help Raven now, it is only him.

Unexpectedly, Weisdon noticed this.

It seems that under the Baron's teaching and example, the dude Visdon finally has some of his characteristics.

With the sound of thump thump footsteps, Visdon left.

Everyone fell into a long wait - with a tangled mood, every minute and every second was so torturous.

Later, Visdon returned.

Julia went to meet him with hope, but she only saw Weston's dead face.

"…Pierre is not here." Weisdong said, "Let's all take a rest first. I will think of other ways."

Julia returned to her room and lay on the bed. She was in a daze for an unknown amount of time before she fell asleep. It was as if she had had a nightmare. When she woke up in the morning, she remembered nothing.

She wanted to find Weisdon to discuss the next course of action, but was told by the servant that Weisdon had left before dawn.

In the next few days, Visdon searched all the nobles and even asked Anthony for help, but everyone refused to see him.

After meeting Visdon, Akori seemed to be hesitant to speak and just sighed.

In his desperate attempt to find a cure, Visdon was even defrauded of 1 gold coins.

All kinds of rumors started spreading.

Some people said that Raven offended Duke Ferdinand, some people said that Raven offended the Queslan family, some people said that Raven was actually a spy planted by the Insa Empire, and some people said that Raven was in collusion with the Hand of Death Cult.

After days of agony, there was finally reliable news.

June 1201, 12 in the Guangming calendar.

A notice issued in the name of the cabinet spread throughout the capital.

Raven has been charged with multiple felonies and the "Supreme Trial" is about to begin.

……

(End of this chapter)