Secret: Those years when I was a foreign aid for the Aurora Club

612

Irena stood alone in her dressing room, reaching out for the last time to adjust the position of her hairpins and hairnet.

Of course, people from the Aurora Society—which still needs to be called this before the church is officially renamed—don’t care what clothes their future saint wears to participate in the promotion ceremony today. She doesn’t care either, she just needs such an act to relieve her pain. Nervous emotions.

After the God War, the Intis Council had been silent on the change of gods, and it was not until yesterday that it became operational again.

The parliament, which was controlled by church leaders and business oligarchs, completely exposed its theocratic nature.

The war between gods and the change of ownership of the main god came and went quickly, and with the help of himself and others hidden in the Eternal Sun Church, most believers had not realized what happened, and this extremely small-scale religious war was over. .

She raised her head and glanced at the jeweled wall clock on the wall of the dressing room. The hour hand pointed to 9 o'clock. It was time for her to go to the church for the ceremony.

Irena took a deep breath, then calmed her expression, and walked out with her chest raised and her head raised.

The noisy mansion in the past was very quiet today. The servants along the road saluted the lady one after another, showing a rare sense of tranquility.

There was no extravagant banquet that lasted from last night to the morning, no lingering smell of wine and spices, no annoying guests who got drunk and started harassing the maids and maids, no drunken strangers, no hanging out with lovers. Parents and brothers who did not return home until early morning... Except for a few deviant lunatics, most of the Intis nobles have been trying to figure out God's will in the past week and have reduced their expenditure on banquets and dance parties. All of this makes Irena feel physically and mentally comfortable. , raised his chin a little more, and couldn't help but walk in an elegant straight line in the corridor.

Her relaxed mood remained until her eldest brother appeared at the corner in front. The eldest son of the Marquis with golden brown hair had sharp eyes that were reminiscent of a Marquis and some kind of bird. He was holding a glass of light sparkling wine for breakfast, as if he was waiting for his sister here.

"What's the matter?" Irena stopped two meters in front of her brother, "Dear Viscount Clovis?"

"Have you really decided to serve as the deacon of the Cathedral of Light?"

Taking advantage of the height difference, Clovis asked his sister condescendingly: "Your behavior is equivalent to showing that the noble Montemar family has a traitor who believes in evil gods. In addition, this position is now being stared at by many pairs of eyes at the same time." If you do, you will be hated beyond imagination."

After hearing the first half of the sentence, Irena rolled her eyes rudely, and Clovis also shrugged.

Clovis showed a smile: "I have to say, sister, because of you, the family has received some boring impeachments and rumors. Those idiots who can't understand the situation always like to show off their messy brains. Speaking of which, Yesterday, a duke showed his intention to intervene in your engagement, and he is willing to make you the betrothed to his eldest son."

Irena narrowed her golden eyes and asked with an elegant and sharp smile:

"Do you think I will stop at being an assistant priest or a chief priest?"

Clovis knew his smart and ambitious sister very well, and he laughed without surprise:

"of course not."

"That was an act of goodwill on the Duke's part, but it's not enough. Our marriage must be used for something more valuable, and I'm glad you don't really believe in that one, oh, now It is time to call Him the Great Creator, praise the Lord.”

Clovis spoke slowly in an aristocratic tone, and the way they talked was more like a collaborator than a brother and sister: "He wants to intervene in the marriage contract now, just to give you a relationship that you can inherit through marriage. It’s a blank check for the other party’s family’s property and title, but in fact, with your presence, the Montemar family has the possibility of becoming a ducal family, and I no longer need to exchange your marriage with the duke for status.”

Irena's smile became gentle again:

"What does father mean?"

Clovis couldn't help but laugh.

"The old Marquis has a sweet dream of becoming a royal family." He shook the sparkling wine in his hand leisurely, brought it to his lips and took a sip, "Haha, old people always have similar obsessions. But the Church of the Creator has gradually expanded. The scope of science popularization of Extraordinary Knowledge has reached its limit. The trial run of the "Extraordinary Management Regulations" went very smoothly. Anyone with a discerning eye can see the meaning of the Lord and the Church - they clearly want to impact the current order and expand Extraordinary influence. Once Extraordinary Knowledge is no longer Being in the hands of a few, more and more people will join the church. Now that the secular power has weakened, what else is there for the royal family and the royal family? We might as well go to parliament to fight for military power, or become a vital archbishop .”

He expressed his attitude and looked into his sister's eyes.

"I am happy that I have a wise brother."

When the meal maid passed by her, Irena took a bottle of sparkling wine from the tray in her hand and swayed it leisurely like her brother: "The church is God's shepherd dog. And the royal family is just The tool of the church, the royal family can be replaced at any time, and the destruction of the Sauron family has proved this. At the beginning, Eternal Sun probably thought that it was nothing more than the royal family or the lifelong ruler changing their surname to Gustav."

Clovis moved the goblet forward, and Irena gently clinked the glass with him.

"Everyone has different ideas. Some people are willing to be tools and enjoy the increasingly illusory worldly glory and wealth. Some people are willing to be ignorant sheep. But to be honest, it doesn't feel good to be a sheepdog for God, but you should It’s just the best.”

"yes."

"After your promotion ceremony is over, go to the cathedral immediately and continue to act like you are at odds with me because of our engagement."

Clovis drank less than half of the sparkling wine in his hand, and his squinting look was very similar to that of his sister: "It's easier for me to operate this way."

Irena agreed with her brother's words, and then asked: "The military power of the Parliament will inevitably fall into the hands of the Iron Cross. How are you going to compete with them?"

"Join them." Clovis shrugged disapprovingly, "They will need a big noble to take the lead in surrendering."

"...You are really willing to go out of your way."

After the restoration of Sauron's royal family failed, the nobles of Intis realized that being abandoned was only a thought of God, so they became more enthusiastic and pious than imagined in the nearly two hundred years that followed. Although it is related to interests, converting is not that easy. Irena can almost imagine the impact that the eldest son of the Marquis will have on Intis's aristocratic circle if he takes the lead in converting.

"By joining them, I can legitimately contact the military and train my subordinates. I no longer have to avoid suspicion and join the national army."

Clovis snorted: "It's a pity that my talent is not very good. I have only just touched the threshold of Sequence 5. It's so early that I have a smart and talented sister who can help me. It's not in vain that I have given you all this time." Cover up and fund.”

"It's not a bad thing to stop with demigods."

"I understand. Let the old Marquis and his worthless brother continue to be confused like this. I will delay your engagement with the Duke's family first. You can concentrate on doing your thing. Take advantage of the fact that there are few talents in the Church of the Creator, and quickly establish your Fame and power.”

Irena nodded slightly: "I know what to do."

Clovis raised his glass:

"The Montemar family will once again be honored in our hands."

They clinked glasses again and downed the sparkling wine in one gulp.

"By the way, sister, there may be times this year when you are needed to step forward." Clovis suddenly remembered something, "The scale of the battle between Feysac and Roen in the Amanda Mountains has tended to expand. It is estimated that Feysac A second war route will soon be opened from Jianhai.”

"Some of our distant relatives in Loen have already written to ask what the price will be for receiving them."

Irena couldn't help but raise her eyebrows: "Are you already looking for a way out?"

Although secular nobles are quite insignificant in the war, such behavior is a bit too spineless.

"Yes. You can contact their women in a more tactful way, ask them carefully, and find out how much property they have..."

…

Backlund, Loen Veterans Officers Club.

Councilor Macht took Dawn outside a larger room. The exquisitely carved mahogany door showed the user's high worth.

Before entering, Congressman Macht took a deep breath and lowered his voice and said to Dawn:

"I must apologize to you again."

"And the ones who didn't come here are families with survivors."

The mahogany door blocked the breathing and heartbeats of the guests inside, making it impossible for Klein to judge the number of people inside. He calmed down a little, nodded to Representative Macht, opened the door and entered.

Fewer people came than expected.

This was Klein's first reaction.

The second reaction was that almost everyone was wearing black, like a dark cloud. The gentlemen wore formal attire, and some even wore white flowers in front of their faces; the ladies had embroidered fine gauze covering their faces, and the atmosphere was as heavy as entering a large collective mourning meeting.

In fact, it is not far from a collective mourning meeting.

Klein's eyes swept across the men and women with heavy, serious, or sad expressions, and he used his extraordinary ability and memory to match each person with their name and identity. In a sense, the loss of a parent's child, the death of so many young people, or the outbreak of war are all events worthy of sadness.

But whenever Klein has similar thoughts, he can't help but think of the little girl with big and bright eyes he saw in the Southern Continent, and the little girl who was begging him to buy the teenage girl. Even a disabled man taken away as a mistress.

As a result, his sympathy for the noble people who have lost their family members will decrease, and in the end, there will almost only be mourning for the loss of life itself.

At least you still have dignity, money, noble status, a wealthy life, and other relatives... But it is wrong to be more painful, Klein thought silently, restraining such emotions.

He simply said hello and sat down on the empty sofa. This sofa should have been reserved for him. Facing all the clients, Klein felt as if he had arrived at a lecture meeting and should say something or become a success. The target of public criticism is waiting for everyone's verdict.

Councilor Macht sat down on the other couch within his reach.

The one closest to Dawn was Colonel Calvin, who single-handedly arranged the commissioning of the officers. His expression looked a little out of place, not as heartfelt as others'. He even winked at Dawn, but compared to the people around him, he seemed to be deliberately keeping a straight face.

It seems that his junior is still alive...

"Mr. Dwayne Dantès, first of all I need to thank you for your efforts in the Southern Continent." Calvin did seem to have some good feelings for Dwayne, so he first emphasized Dwayne's risks and efforts, "In the chaotic war, During the period, you took the risk to go to sea with your bodyguards, and not only successfully brought our belongings to the Southern Continent, but also successfully crossed the war zone and plains and delivered them to Behrens."

"You played the most important role in this commission. No matter what, I..."

But before Calvin could finish speaking, an angry voice suddenly spoke from the gloomy black cloud:

"No matter the result? How can you ignore the result?"

The speaker was a middle-aged man with brown hair. He wore a white flower on his chest, and his hair and beard were trembling slightly with anger.

"Your Excellency, Baron!" Calvin said with a confused look on his face.

"Mr. Dantès, why are you able to come back with all your beard and tail? You have the connections of Behrens who entered the war, but you can't bring out even one more person?" The elderly baron stood up, not caring about the colonel. In order to save face, he almost lost control of his emotions and asked Klein, "You! I entrusted you to see my child, but you didn't even stay in Behrens for a little longer, and you didn't even bring my child's letter or message. Come back! I don’t even know if he saw the letter we sent him!”

His first sentence was the voice of almost everyone present. A dozen pairs of eyes looked at Dawn, waiting for his answer.

"...I have already explained this matter..."

There was no expression on Dawn Dantes' face: "Colonel Alfred Hall received your belongings and asked me to leave immediately on the grounds of danger. I believe that your son must have seen your letter." Otherwise, You are questioning the character of Alfred Hall.

The Conservative Baron was extremely angry, but he was unwilling to step into this obvious trap, let alone arouse the ill feeling of Earl Hall, an important supporter of the new party. He shut his mouth tightly and sat down angrily.

Immediately, another person in the crowd spoke sarcastically:

"Even the whereabouts of Major General Constantine, who is most likely to succeed His Excellency Emilius in the Levitt family, are missing. Who are you compared to the Levitt family? How can your child be alive?"

These words immediately opened up everyone's conversation. The old baron's face turned red, but he did not dare to refute these words.

"Major General Constantine's whereabouts are still unknown. What if he is still alive?"

Another shrill laughter burst out from the crowd: "Maybe they were just captured, maybe the major general took his people into hiding, and his whereabouts are unknown is hope, but your child is really dead!"

Low voices of ridicule and curses rang out from the gloomy black clouds. People who had lost their children mocked each other mercilessly, trying to sting others with sarcasm, and built their own little comfort on Above the pain of others,

In the midst of all the noise, Dwayne Dantès was once again the least important person.

Colonel Calvin exhaled softly and whispered to Klein: "Dawn, I am very grateful to you for conveying the news so that my second son could be captured and return to us alive."

Did you go out through the gap deliberately created by the Iron-Blooded Cross Society? Klein was not surprised, or rather he was surprised that only a few people left that place and were captured. Someone must have leaked the news. It seems that the enemy's open network is no match for the conflicts within the army. When only the children of nobles and rich people can survive, the hatred of civilian soldiers towards those in high positions will reach its peak.

After saying that, he paused, glanced at the big shots who were mocking each other in elegant accents with a hint of fear, and spoke again:

"There are still more than ten families who have received your help. I would like to thank you privately. I will try my best to maintain your connections."

Klein watched everything in front of him, tilted his head in the direction of Colonel Calvin, and nodded slightly:

"Thanks."

After finishing speaking, he turned his head again and stared at the nobles in front of him with a solemn gaze.

He had thought about what to write in the message to the Dark Saint this week, so he wrote: Some people in the aristocracy have lost crucial heirs, and some have lost their wealth and dignity. The overall strength of the aristocracy has not weakened significantly, but its cohesion and loyalty to the country have declined rapidly. They will treat the next war with a more negative attitude, which may even directly lead to the defeat of the war...

In addition, the internal conflicts in Loen's country are still intensifying.

Klein looked at his hands. He had been going to and from the Loen Student Aid Foundation frequently in the past two days, and he saw more unemployed people on the road.

They were supposed to be middle-class people with relatively decent jobs and savings. Others in their families also had jobs, so they did not go to the East District immediately after losing their jobs, and could still stay in Backlund and continue to look for jobs.

The price of food has increased slightly, and the price of cotton fabrics has also increased. The most obvious thing is that the cakes and breads of Feitus Food Processing Factory have increased by half a penny each. Although there is still an endless stream of buyers, from the large-scale laid-off female textile workers in the East District to the middle class who are gradually beginning to see unemployment, the obvious economic decline can already be seen by even a layman like Klein.

The lives of the nobles will not be affected in the short term, but Klein has begun to stock up on food, and has asked the housekeeper and the servants hired by his family to also start stocking up on food.

The next step seems to be wartime economic policy, but the country does not seem to have a more effective control.

After mentally drafting it, Klein suddenly felt that this period of history was strangely familiar. After a moment, he frowned slightly, leaned back slightly, and took a breath.

"This is a big war..."

TBC

——————

Well, airship bombing...