Chapter 334: The end of each with their own evil intentions
As the night grew darker, the banquet came to an end, and the satisfied guests got on the luxurious carriage and left the manor one after another.
However, some people did not leave.
For example, the noble regent.
In the study room of Valencia Manor, Granville Botha sat on the armchair by the window, playing with a gold pocket watch set with diamonds in his hand.
That was a gift from Prince Colin.
It is said that in the distant United Kingdom of Gutav, diamonds symbolize unbreakable friendship. He looked carefully and saw that this thing was indeed quite hard.
There are also diamond mines in Osland, but the size of the output is far less than this one.
Albert Valencia stood beside him, quietly staring at the brightly lit Holy City in the distance and the carriages leaving the manor under the lights.
Especially the carriage with golden roses and scrolls printed on it, his eyes never left it, watching it disappear from the edge of his field of vision.
"Our Highness the Prince is really unexpected," Granville put down the pocket watch in his hand, with a playful smile on his lips, and said slowly, "At the age of only his early twenties, he can handle interpersonal relationships with everyone at such a banquet with grace and dignity without losing tact... It seems that the Gutav United Kingdom is not as barbaric as we thought."
Obviously, that continent also has its own nobles.
Otherwise, it is impossible to explain why this descendant of the Colin family was able to integrate into the upper class society of the Holy City so quickly as soon as he returned.
A person's self-cultivation is directly linked to his education and growth experience. Granville does not believe that there are people in this world who are naturally good at social interaction. This skill is even rarer than extraordinary power.
After all, there is no shortage of extraordinary beings in the Holy City. Nobles can become powerful extraordinary beings with a little effort, but there are only a handful of people who can unite extraordinary beings.
Abbott smiled faintly and said softly.
"The more savvy young people are, the easier it is for them to think highly of themselves and think that everything is under control. In fact, the joint-stock knighthood he proposed is an excellent opportunity for our Senate. After all, no one can compare with us in terms of financial resources and connections."
Glanville nodded slightly.
"Indeed, whether it is the outcome of a war or the rise or fall of a kingdom, money ultimately determines it. As long as we have enough funds, we can completely decide the future direction of the Knights... However, we must also beware of the secret alliance between the officer sect and the Holy See sect. After all, in the continent of Janna, they are far more free than in the Holy City."
Abbott chuckled and said softly.
"Of course, the desire for land is engraved in the bones of those guys who climbed up from the mud, and they would like to trade it with their lives. And the ambition of the Holy See is even more unfathomable. They stay increasingly restless in the church and start to meddle in secular affairs."
After a pause, he continued with a decision-making tone.
"I plan to get the Lambert and Castellon families to participate in formulating the charter of the Knights Templar. At this time, let's not worry about ourselves and our own people. The mistakes we made in the New World cannot be made again in this newer continent!"
"Great, what I am most worried about is them. The two families are fighting for the distribution of interests, and it will be much safer if you take action." Granville beamed with joy and nodded with satisfaction. "We can no longer underestimate our opponents as we did in the past. At least at this stage, we give priority to the interests of the Senate."
The interests of the Senate are the interests of the Valencia family.
Of course it is also in the interests of the Bota family.
The two looked at each other and smiled, knowing what they were going to do next.
…
On the other side, outside the window of the study room of Valencia Manor, Rako Aberg and Commander Julian were getting on the carriage returning to the Marshal's Mansion.
The carriage drove through the quiet streets. Julian was the first to break the silence and spoke with bright eyes.
"Your Majesty, Marshal, do you think the knighthood proposed by Prince Colin is feasible?"
It was not convenient for him to ask at the banquet before. Now that there is no one else around, it is the time to talk behind closed doors.
As for his own thoughts, they have already been written on his face!
Laco's eyes were deep and a faint smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, and his thoughts coincided with those of Commander Julian.
"Is it feasible? Oh, it's more than feasible, it's simply tailor-made for us."
General Hamelton's investment was not in vain, although this politically unwilling general may not have known what he was doing.
Seeing that the marshal's thoughts were the same as his own, Commander Julian's face was filled with joy, and there was unconcealable excitement in his eyes, and he immediately spoke.
"That's what I think! Although the nobles of the Senate may contribute the most money, it is our brothers who are actually fighting on the battlefield after all! And the continent of Janna is different from the New World. It is the land of the owner. We only need to support the local legal principles of the Colin family, and the Senate has no reason to send a governor there!"
Although money can affect the outcome of the war, it cannot affect who gets the fruits of victory!
Looking at the excited Julian, Laco reminded in a low voice: "We must be cautious. The Duke of Valencia and the Regent are not fools. They can also see what you can see. We must ensure that the officers of the Knights are absolutely loyal and reliable and will not be bribed by people in the Senate."
After a pause, he continued with a normal expression.
"In addition, we have to ensure that Prince Colin is always ours."
Although the Valencia family has not made any move, it is obvious that the Castellon family and the Lambert family can no longer bear to take action.
The favorite thing of these languid nobles is to collect ancient bloodlines and incorporate them into their own family trees.
Especially, the Colin family not only has ancient bloodline, but also has a claim to the continent of Janna that is tacitly approved by the three forces in the Holy City!
Using a dowry in exchange for the identity of "little Colin's grandfather" is simply too profitable for these long-standing families.
Humbling about Laco here, he couldn't help but feel a pang of regret.
It’s a pity.
His two children are both men, so they are destined to not be able to take this shortcut.
Hearing the marshal's reminder, Julian immediately stopped his expression of victory and said in a deep voice, "Don't worry, Marshal, I will hint to General Hamelton on Colin's side to work harder. I believe that enough benefits will lock him firmly with us!"
After a moment's pause, he continued.
"In addition, there are countless loyal and reliable reserve talents in the Red Shield Brotherhood. I will personally select the elites to go to the continent of Janna to ensure that the leaders who will determine the fate of the Knights in the future are all our own people!"
The future of the empire will eventually belong to those young men who have truly shed their blood for the empire.
As for those guys who hold on to the sweet dreams of a thousand years ago and refuse to wake up...
Let them take the glory into the coffin!
…
The carriage with golden roses and scriptures printed on it drove slowly along the Street of the Sages towards the Courtyard of the Sages. The magic crystal lamp in the carriage shed soft light, and it was extremely quiet and comfortable as it swayed.
Sitting opposite Roxsay Colin, Count Cassit Hilfin looked at the young and calm prince with a smile, his eyes full of admiration.
"...I didn't expect you to bring such a big surprise to the empire tonight. To be honest, I was shocked by you."
Luo Yan smiled gently and said calmly: "To be honest, I was inspired by Mr. Tuodewen to come up with this idea temporarily. I didn't discuss it with you in advance, so I hope you don't mind."
Kassite laughed, waved his hand and said: "Your Highness is serious, of course you have the final say on your territory. Besides, as a subject of the empire, why would I mind another loyal imperial minister serving the empire's heart?"
"What I want to say is... I am deeply impressed by your generous move! When However, if you have any special plans in the future, you might as well talk to me first. The Sylfen family will always be your partner. We can also provide you with what others can provide."
There was no hint of complaint in his voice. It was obvious that he did not believe that this huge plan was just a temporary thought of His Highness Colin.
Luo Yan smiled slightly and said calmly.
「Next time, definitely.」
The two continued to chat in a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere, and the topic soon flew away from business matters and turned into a discussion of philosophy and art.
It's just that tonight, Mr. Cassit was not as serious as usual and was obsessed with academics.
Especially when talking about the ball, Cassit's eyes became obviously ambiguous, and he said in a joking tone: "Speaking of which, I care more about your dancing skills than the idea of the Knights Templar that you proposed... I heard that you have a good relationship with the nobles of the Kingdom of Gutav, those lizards Do people often hold banquets like this? "
"They have their own unique culture, which is quite different from the empire," Luo Yan paused and continued with a smile, "As for my dancing skills, they are nothing compared to yours. The main reason is that the ladies I dance with are very patient and they guide me well."
Cassit said with a smile.
"Really? I think it's because you caught their eyes. Ballroom dancing itself is not about the dance, but about the communication between the dancers, especially the body language and eye contact."
"Mr. Count is joking, I don't have that ability... Maybe, it's because I have a higher understanding?" Of course Luo Yan would not say that the culture of hell is too similar to the empire, like two melons growing on a vine.
The dance he danced at Mia's birthday party was not essentially different from the ballroom dance in the Holy City, just like two pronunciations of the same word.
Cassit shook his head and said.
"I'm not joking, I've actually been paying attention to you, and I found that all the girls in the room were looking at you alone."
ify
Luo Yan smiled in his heart but did not expose it. He was only confused as to why the earl kept insisting on this topic.
However, his confusion did not last long.
Kassite, who had detoured most of the way, quickly revealed his purpose in a "clear way" and tried it out in a pretending nonchalant tone.
"I just wonder which girl is lucky enough to be able to let your eyes stay on her?"
Luo Yan was startled slightly, coughed slightly and said, "Your Majesty, this topic is too early for me. I have no plans to start a family yet."
This is actually a flaw for the Colin family. Having no heir means instability. Many contracts in the old era were maintained by blood.
However, "Prince Colin" has his own specialness after all.
Him Currently, he has a good relationship with the three main factions in the Holy City, and the "empire" they form together all needs the chess piece of Prince Colin to knock on the door of the Gutav Kingdom, so he does not need to worry about anyone trying to overturn the table, both in public and private.
Flipping the table is something only a loser would do. At least everyone is still winning now, and what he has to do is to keep this balance going.
and——
Let everyone at the gambling table think that they are a "big win".
Hearing His Highness Colin's answer, Kassite breathed a sigh of relief, but still smiled calmly and calmly on the surface.
"That's true, Your Highness is still young, so there is no need to rush. The important thing is to find a partner who truly has the same interests as you."
He said it insincerely, but he was secretly glad in his heart.
He can certainly see that the nobles of the Senate have long been eyeing the Colin family, and once the prince really marries those families, the future layout of the Holy See in the empire will definitely be more difficult... especially since the Holy See and the Colin family have not yet established a strong enough bond of interest.
But now, it seems that I don’t have to worry anymore.
Hence the silence in the carriage for a moment, Kassite suddenly changed the topic and said with a smile.
The latest ⊥ little ⊥ talk ⊥ is first published in ⊥⊥⊥!
"By the way, Baron Medea mentioned to me the abstract art you talked about in the portrait before, and he praised your achievements in the field of art. You know that I am the president of the Imperial Academy, please allow me to take the liberty to propose an Your welcome... I hope you can take some time out of one class to share your views on abstract art with the teachers and students of the academy."
Luo Yan was stunned for a moment when he heard this. He was a little caught off guard by the suggestion, and then he said with a smile.
"Your Majesty, you have really misunderstood. I am a complete layman on art. I only had a few casual conversations with Baron Medea at that time, and there was no profound insight at all... The things he told you were probably understood by himself."
He doesn't know anything about abstract art, but he does know a little bit about abstraction.
· However——
· Count Hilfen did not listen to what he said at all. He still stubbornly believed that he was being modest and continued to persuade him in a sincere tone.
"Your Highness, you are so humble! Baron Medea has always had a very high vision. You can make him so impressed. This is not something that can be done with just a few casual words. And after all, even if he has understood something himself, it is because of your inspiration!"
Luo Yan smiled bitterly and said: "Your Majesty, you really overestimate me... It's okay to let me talk about other things. I really don't understand art."
Looking at the sincere and expectant expression, Luo Yan was silent for a moment, and finally sighed and nodded.
"Okay... If it's just a casual talk, I just hope that the young students at the Royal Academy of Arts will not be disappointed in me."
It seems that Count Hilfen has made up his mind to talk about abstraction.
Looking at the fact that the Sylfen family took great care of him, he couldn't deny the earl any face.
Besides, it doesn’t actually take much time.
The worst case scenario is to let players prepare lessons for themselves.
Hearing his promise, Cassit immediately beamed with joy and said happily: "Your Highness is serious! You can rest assured that the teachers and students in the college will be honored... The arrival of His Highness the Prince is already their biggest gain!"
There are many girls in the Royal Academy of Arts who are both knowledgeable and beautiful, and they are not comparable to just a dance!
Since His Highness Colin is not interested in family background, he must be more interested in a young and beautiful body—oh no, a holy soul!
There was a gleam of shrewdness in Cassit's eyes, which he hid behind an elegant smile.
As long as he can seize this opportunity and prevent the old foxes in the Senate from taking advantage of him, he will be able to live up to His Majesty the Pope's expectations.
Looking at Count Hilfen who was a little abnormally happy, Luo Yan had a slightly strange expression on his face, but in the end he said nothing.
It would not hurt him to have a good relationship with the Sylfen family.
In short——
This is also part of the plan.
…
Holy city, midnight.
An inconspicuous stone door slowly closed, cutting off the hustle and bustle on the ground.
In the dimly lit basement, a carefully carved obsidian statue stood in the shadows. The man in the statue had a beautiful and feminine face, his eyes were half-opened, and there was a half-smile at the corner of his mouth.
Under his gaze, a cloaked figure came from the door carrying a silver candlestick and gently placed the candle under the stone statue.
In the dim candlelight, the shadow cast by the hood covered his face as always, and only a pale chin and slightly pursed lips could be seen.
He knelt on one knee, his voice low and respectful.
"Dear Lord Kalamos, I have brought you the latest news."
After the air fell silent for a short time, a faint smile suddenly appeared on the corner of the statue's mouth, and he continued speaking slowly.
"Tell me, how did the banquet go? What new tricks did our Prince Colin have? And whose bed he is in now."
The voice of the statue is soft and playful, as if watching a stage play with ups and downs of plot, and the eyes made of obsidian can see the fun that ordinary people cannot see.
The man in the cloak was stunned for a moment, and did not turn around for a long time. After a while, he whispered.
"This... I don't know, but now he should return to the Court of the Sages in the carriage of the Sylfin family."
I don't know if Lord Calamos is satisfied with this answer, he continued speaking in a hurry.
"In addition, His Highness Colin proposed at the banquet to use land from an earldom to establish an organization called the Knights Templar, and successfully aroused the interest of the Senate, the imperial military and the Holy See."
"Knights Templar?" The statue said with obvious interest in its tone, wagging its tongue slightly, "This name sounds really pious..."
The man in the cloak nodded heavily and continued: "Yes, Sir. He proposed that the Knights should be established on the continent of Cana and run as a joint-stock company. The wealthy nobles would provide the money, the officers would be provided, and the Holy See would provide the priests and missionaries. From what I observed... both the regent and the marshal were very interested in this."
As for more details, they are beyond his level.
The Valencia family's banquet invited many people, but the family that could really get into the core of power in the Holy City could not even fill a single room.
"Huh," Karamos chuckled and commented as if it had nothing to do with him, "What a genius idea, actually twisting the three forces into a rope."
If the real Prince Colin knew that he had such a powerful "grandson", I wonder if he would not be able to sleep at night.
By the way, that guy didn’t have to sleep.
The man pursed his lips and cautiously tried to say: "But... Sir, if this knighthood can really be established, wouldn't it be a good thing for us in Hell?"
He didn't know the layout of Hell in the Janna continent, but he could feel something just by reading the information in the newspaper - the Hell that sent the demon king to the Janna continent was definitely not uninterested in that land.
The smile of the statue of Karamos deepened a little, and his voice was filled with unpredictable joy, and he spoke in a relaxed tone.
"Really? Then you are looking down on us too much."
The man quickly lowered his head and said in fear.
"I don't dare..."
Karamos smiled meaningfully and continued.
"I don't think this is a bad thing for us. Three people with different motives decided to do a big thing together, and the end result must be a pile of chicken feathers. Perhaps, this is the purpose of "Prince Colin", that guy is not a fuel-efficient lamp."
Speaking of this, a creepy laughter suddenly escaped from the stone statue's mouth——
I am more and more curious about what he will do. I really want to talk to him in person about his plan.
· People who sell their souls to the devil often end up like this in the end. He will sink deeper and deeper and lose the right to withdraw at a certain moment.
This is where the corruption from hell is terrifying.
They rarely win on the frontal battlefield, but they rarely lose when it comes to corroding the holy city.
Through the implication of Lord Karamos' words, he could vaguely sense that Prince Colin seemed to be this Lord's pawn, and he might have been caught by the devil like himself and became inseparable from them.
But——
Is it really that simple?
He had met that gentleman several times. He was obviously not a man easily manipulated, but a hidden chess player.
The voice of the statue gradually faded and began to become ethereal and distant.
"The news about him always makes me feel happy, keep observing——"
"I am extremely looking forward to the fact that you can bring me more joy."
h (End of this chapter)