After choosing to leave, they regretted it.

Chapter 57 Conspiracy and the Starting Gun

The old man frowned slightly and focused his increasingly sharp eyes completely on Aize.

Then he shook his head, put on a half-smile, and said:

"Hasn't Duke Brian always been in your hands? I wrote to you before to ask for him, but you refused. What are you talking about now?"

"Do not."

Aize slowly shook his head.

He did not feel unhappy about the other party's attitude, and even pretended to be strange and surprised.

"He left Tafia a few days ago. Didn't you hear about it?"

"……What did you say?"

Such words made Bertram frown and become alert.

Aize likes to play tricks, and the kingdom's nobles are the group that understands this the most, except for the demons.

Faced with such performances and speeches, one naturally has to carefully consider their meaning.

"I have no status at the moment and am not qualified to deal with that guy. I have to deal with matters in the capital, so I will release him before leaving."

Aize's performance continues.

Then he pretended to remember something, covered his mouth, and said in surprise:

"Oh, speaking of which, it seems Duke Brian took a small path in order to return to his territory as quickly as possible."

"The path from Tafia to his territory is quite remote, and there are quite a few monsters and remnants of the demon clan. He's been gone for so many days and there's no news. Do you think he's met with an accident?"

This sentence, this statement, almost admitted that Brian was the one who killed him.

Of course, without evidence, that's beside the point.

The point was to let him know that Brian was dead.

And it is very likely that the corpse is left exposed in the wilderness.

If this news spreads, it will be like throwing a huge rock into the water for the kingdom's current stagnant situation.

Fearing that the old man would be slow to react, Aize thought for a moment, then put on a regretful expression and added:

"Come to think of it, when that guy left Tafia, he even changed into nice clothes and rode in a large carriage. If someone had discovered him... emmmm..."

As he spoke, he showed a meaningful smile.

Aize would not show even a little bit of good face to a traitor like Brian who was playing both sides.

The reason why they were so polite to him and even dressed him up respectfully to send him off, besides not wanting him to die in Tafia, was this.

He should die like a nobleman.

In today's kingdom, the various forces are in a delicate balance.

Although the three dukes each had their own strengths and weaknesses and were all extremely dissatisfied with the royal family, none of them could do anything to the other.

In the fight for the throne, the biggest opponents and obstacles are each other, not Heidi.

That's why Brian seems so important at this time.

As a traitor, he died.

The territories, properties, rights, etc. he owned instantly became a tempting big cake, waiting to be distributed among everyone.

Whoever can eat more will have a greater advantage in the subsequent fight.

This is much more valuable than wasting time in the royal capital staring blankly and getting no results.

Moreover, Aize was very cunning in adopting this method.

If he simply handed Brian over intact to the other party, both parties would be able to handle the matter more leisurely.

He could even calmly finish things in the royal capital first and then deal with the aftermath.

But now, Brian, dressed in gorgeous aristocratic clothes, died in the wilderness.

Once discovered by passers-by, their identity will be exposed immediately and the news will spread instantly.

In this situation, even Bertram, who was Aize's direct negotiating partner, actually had no advantage.

Even at this moment, the other two families and forces like the church may have already known about it.

The starting gun for the fight for the cake has been fired. If he wants to get more, he must set off immediately and leave the capital without staying for a moment.

At the same time, you cannot make it public, and you cannot be rude to Aize and his companions.

The consequence of his rudeness was that his subordinates left outside would immediately tell the same information to the other two families.

By then, Bertram would have lost even the last bit of initiative and would no longer have any advantage.

This combination of punches really caught people off guard.

Bertram knew exactly what Aize was planning.

Aize also knew that Bertram was well aware of his plans.

The result after the nesting dolls was that Bertram had no choice but to give in.

This is what a successful conspiracy is like.

Bertram stared at Aize for a while, then glanced at Heidi next to him.

Then, he smiled and shook his head as if admitting defeat:

"You're still as cunning as ever."

Ai Ze tilted his head innocently and said:

"Uh, I don't quite understand what Your Excellency the Duke means..."

"Okay, stop pretending, I'll let you in!"

The old man stood up, put his hands behind his back, and walked in front of Aize with a serious expression.

"But on the other hand, this matter ends here. No one else is allowed to know about it. Do you understand?"

"I just want to go into the capital to deal with something. Once I'm in, I can't get out until I'm done. How can I let others know?"

Aize took advantage of the situation and continued to perform.

But he accepted Bertram's request and even gave some guarantees.

Bertram didn't hesitate any longer and nodded, then walked out of the tent, called his subordinates, and began to whisper orders.

Heidi, who had never expected things to develop this way, couldn't help but shake her head:

"It's so simple...it makes sense?"

Aize put away his performative smile and sighed softly.

Said:

"There's nothing we can do. The opportunity Brian offered was too great for them to refuse. Also, the choice of negotiation partner had its reasons."

"Oh?"

"Although the Dukes' Alliance is united in their efforts to force the throne, each family has its own unique ideas. Each of them has a different level of desire for the throne."

As the most active among them, Auchinleck did everything from assassinating to disgusting the princess.

Determined to win the throne.

There's no way to negotiate with a guy like that from the very beginning.

The reason for people like Bertram to participate in the fight for the throne is more because they are hawks and are dissatisfied with the weakness of the current royal family.

Also, the throne cannot be allowed to fall into the hands of others too easily.

Then we can talk.

Heidi had not thought much about this aspect before.

After all, in her opinion, all those who want to take her place are the same.

the difference?

nonexistent.

At this moment, when the princess discovered that Aize's grasp of the situation was even more detailed than her own, who was completely focused on it, her face couldn't help but blush.

His mood also sank, so he turned his eyes away, feeling a little embarrassed and not knowing what to say.

At this time, Bertram returned, followed by a general in gorgeous clothes.

"Lord Aize, I have something urgent to attend to and must leave immediately. I will not stay with you any longer. This is my general, he will be responsible for escorting you in."

Aize nodded:

"Well, I'm done."

Having said this, the old Duke paused and glanced at Heidi under her robe.

Then he continued to say to Aize:

"The vampire activities in the city have been getting more intense recently, and my people don't have a good grasp of the situation inside, so we can only escort you to the city gate. From then on, you have to walk on your own."

This is a kind reminder.

Aize just nodded:

"Of course, don't worry, I know what to do."

Thus, the negotiations ended.

Bertram left immediately with a group of his trusted men.

And Aize and his party, led by the general appointed by Bertram, passed through more than ten blockades and checkpoints and arrived at the city gate unhindered.

It was at this point that the atmosphere completely changed.

Once we entered the area affected by the Eternal Night, the temperature dropped several degrees in an instant.

It was a little after two in the afternoon, and the sun was right overhead, but this area was unusually dark, as if covered by a layer of fog, and visibility was extremely poor.

All that's left is the smell of blood.

The unbearable smell of blood could be clearly smelled even through the tall city walls and gates.

It’s hard to imagine what kind of hell the other side is like now.

Bertram's general instructed his men to open the city gate in front of them.

As the huge door slowly rose, a wide but dark and deep street appeared before their eyes.

It is like the mouth of an abyss, and it seems that if you take a step into it, you will be swallowed.

"Lord Aize, please hurry up."

The general spread his hands and gestured "please".

"In order to prevent the blood slaves from escaping, we have to seal the city gate after you go in."

Aize nodded and waved to Constantine behind him.

Constantine knew it well, so he led the vanguard of the Knights and entered first.

The remaining personnel were stationed on both sides of the team.

Escorting several crucial carriages and the supplies they carried, they crossed the city gate that was like a border line, and stepped from the human world into hell.

After the team completely entered, accompanied by the "clicking" sound of chains and friction, the general could hardly wait to have the city gate closed again.

Finally standing on the streets of the capital, Aize couldn't help but frown.

The boring political game ends here.

Next, let’s get to the point.

Is the one causing trouble in this city really the True Ancestor of the Blood Clan, or is it someone else?