Chapter 417 The Duke
“I am the border prosecutor, you can call me Mahas Dele.”
The bearded man said in pure Stuttgart.
This language is similar to Doro, but more orthodox and more inclined to ancient Xilu.
The members of the envoys are all elites of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They are proficient in many languages and can naturally understand them.
The middle-aged bearded man came to the envoys with his hands behind his back and said to the purple-eyed young man at the head:
"I guess... you are known as the youngest and best foreign minister in the history of Bremen, Kyrgyzstan." Mr. Lan Ilos?”
“That’s just a compliment,” Gillan replied humbly.
He reached out his hand.
But Mahas lowered his eyes and looked at it, but he just smiled and was indifferent to it.
Seeing this, Gilan still maintained a smile and silently retracted his hand, not angry or embarrassed.
But Lenis, Moody and the rest of the envoys behind him frowned.
As envoys from Bremen, they came from afar, but the other party did not even pay attention to the most basic etiquette... They turned a blind eye to Foreign Minister Gilan's proactive overtures.
There is something strange about this.
“Dear foreign guests, the superior authorities have recently issued a document order, and border inspections will be strengthened for foreigners.”
Mahas said expressionlessly.
"Even if your status is special, you are not an exception. Therefore, please cooperate with our work and follow the staff to the secret room for inspection."
"Heh." Moody sneered. He made a sound and said calmly: "I have never heard of such a high-pressure inspection of the envoys during a diplomatic visit between the two countries...Are you deliberately making things difficult and humiliating?"
"Oh, oh, Sir, you have misunderstood.”
Mahas raised his hands in surrender.
He looked surprised and innocent.
"We absolutely do not mean this. In fact, not only you, but all outsiders will undergo such inspections... This is by no means targeted, let alone making things difficult and humiliating."
Gilan noticed the dissatisfaction and resistance of the members of the envoy, so he chuckled and said:
"Prosecutor Mahas, what if we refuse?"
"That one I can say sorry.”
The bearded middle-aged man shook his head.
Gilan held his gray cane, adjusted his hat, and said lightly:
“This trip is a diplomatic charter negotiated in advance between the two countries. It is only because of the border inspection. Is Mr. Mahas willing to take responsibility for the delay? "
"No need to threaten me, Mr. Gillan."
Mahas shrugged.
"I'm just following the orders from above... Otherwise, I would like to ask you to wait here for a moment?"
"That's fine." Jilan said calmly. "Prosecutor Mahas, please hurry up."
The bearded middle-aged man nodded, turned around and led the people away, leaving everyone in the envoy group looking at each other.
“The border officials in Stuttgart are too pedantic and do not know how to adapt.”
At this time, a male member of the envoy wearing glasses spoke with an indignant tone.
But Moody on the side shook his head and said:
“It’s not pedantic...he did it on purpose.”
“It is impossible for Mahas to serve as a border prosecutor. He is a fool, and behind him he also represents the aristocratic power of the Iron-Blooded Royal Court."
Lenis adjusted her glasses and said calmly.
“I’m afraid this is not what he meant personally.”
"The war between Bremen and Owena has just begun, and we sent the envoy to Stuttgart. The royal family of Eugene and the noble forces can naturally see that we urgently need allies."
Gilan glanced at it Everyone said softly.
He held his cane and sat on the cold metal bench, his eyes deep.
“Lenis is right, this is unlikely to be Mahas’s personal attitude...but the forces behind him, who want to give us a showdown.”
“ He said that he was asking for instructions from his superiors, but he was just deliberately leaving us here.”
"Sir, what should we do next?"
Another member of the female envoy asked with a frown.
Gilan shook his head.
"Let's wait and see what happens. After all, we have to ask for help from others and are passive."
Everyone also fell into silence.
As envoys of the Bremen Empire, they rarely suffer such deficiencies. But facing Stuttgart, which is also one of the three overlords, most of the past aura and identity have lost most of their effect.
The other party has enough confidence to adopt a tough attitude.
More than an hour passed quickly.
Once Mahas left, he never came back.
Everyone was impatient to wait, but there was nothing they could do.
On the other hand, Chief Gilan was lying on the bench, closing his eyes and concentrating, with a calm look on his face. While the members of the envoy group secretly admired him, they were also deeply affected and gradually became calmer.
A while passed.
In the closed room, there was a sudden knock on the door.
Tuk Tuk.
"Finally back." Moody sneered and shook his head. "It takes so long to make a phone call?"
He made a gesture, and one of the members of the envoy stood up from his chair and went over to open the door.
However, the person who came was not the bearded prosecutor Mahas from before, but a strange middle-aged man wearing a white silk robe and a round hat.
This man has a beard and a white jade cane. He has a good temperament and is obviously a noble.
"I, Hawks Barbaroche."
The man led two tall servants and walked straight in. He bowed humbly to Gilan and the envoys. .
"I'm glad to see all of you friends who have come from afar."
Gilan opened his eyes and slowly stood up from the chair.
A flash of surprise flashed in his eyes, and he took off his hat in return.
“Hello, Duke Hawkes.”
“I didn’t expect that my name would also be known by Foreign Minister Gillan. I am really honored.”
Hawks smiled, reached out and shook hands with Gillan.
Of course Jilan knows this person.
In the intelligence documents about Stuttgart, all 28 elders and 10 chief prosecutors of the "Iron-Blooded Royal Court" are recorded in detail.
He knew all this information.
Hawkes Barbaroche is one of the elders and a Duke of the Stuttgart Empire, with a high position of authority.
The moment the other party showed up, Ji Lan instantly understood.
In fact, the two kings of the "Iron-Blooded Royal Court" are not as harmonious as the outside world rumored.
They may maintain a consistent stance externally, but internally, they restrict and oppose each other.
As a result, the "Iron-Blooded Royal Court" was divided into two factions. The moderates are led by "Sky King" Russell, and the hardliners are led by "Ocean King" Amul.
According to intelligence, hardliners currently have the upper hand in Stuttgart. "Ocean King" Amul's men are supported by 18 elders and 6 grand prosecutors.
The Duke of Hawkes in front of him is a member of the moderate faction and a loyal minister of "Sky King" Russell. ‘It seems that... the reason why Mahas responded indifferently to the arrival of the envoys may also represent the resistance of the hard-line party behind him to win over Bremen. ’
Jilan secretly thought.
At this time, Duke Hawkes, who had shaken hands with him, showed an apologetic look, and said with his cane:
"I'm really sorry, Mr. Gillan, and everyone, Ma Prosecutor Haas did make some omissions in his work, and I apologize for neglecting you.”
As he said that, he stretched out his hand and pulled back.
"On behalf of His Majesty Russell, I warmly invite friends to come to my territory to enjoy a dinner to express my apology. Afterwards, take a good bath and have a rest. Tomorrow, we will go to the royal city of Klein to gather and discuss with my king. How?”
“Thank you to the ‘Sky King’ for your hospitality, and thank you to Duke Hawks for coming to receive us in person.”
Gilan smiled and said in a gentle tone.
“We are happy to accept this invitation.”
"That's great, haha."
Duke Hawks laughed heartily.
Immediately, holding a white jade cane, he personally led the way and led everyone out of the border inspection room.
The group of people walked out, but Inspector Mahas was still nowhere to be seen.
Jilan asked casually, intentionally or unintentionally.
Duke Hawkes tilted his head slightly and replied:
"Mahas has been temporarily detained by my order. His dereliction of duty has seriously affected the image of Stuttgart and damaged the relationship with your country. The relationship..."
Hearing this, the bad mood of everyone in the envoys was relieved, and they also had a better impression of the Duke of Stuttgart.
However, Jilan thought of more.
Although the Duke's move can win their favor, it will intensify the conflict between the two factions within the "Iron-Blooded Royal Court".
Gillan always felt that the next action would fulfill Miss Menis' divination prediction.
It will not be so smooth...
…
…
The group got into the carriage specially prepared by Duke Hawkes and walked along the stone slabs The main road leads to the urban agglomeration in the northwest direction.
Gillan noticed that the horses pulling the cart were taller and stronger than those in Bremen. Its mane is long, its body is black and shiny, and its movements are powerful.
Through the description of the "Guidance Tips", he learned that the breed of this horse is called "Iron-Blooded War Horse". It is a unique horse bred by the palace breeders of the Stuttgart Empire through mysterious means. .
With just this glimpse, Gillan can see that although Stuttgart's technological level is not as good as Owena and Bremen, it is extremely unique in other fields, especially the mysterious side.
Otherwise, it would be impossible to be ranked as one of the three overlords.
The most critical point is that Stuttgart’s military power is particularly fierce.
It is recorded in intelligence documents that the number of troops under the control of the "Iron-Blooded Royal Court" alone exceeds tens of millions.
And the overall quality of soldiers is undoubtedly the best in this era.
The honor of the "Warrior Nation" has continued since thousands of years ago and has been well inherited by Stuttgart.
Furthermore, the "Iron-Blooded Royal Court" also has a trump card in its hand, and that is the "Temple".
The "Temple" completely serves the royal family of Eugene. It is an institution dedicated to the "Gladiator" of March Sichen and the "Invincible" Tesser Eugene, the apostle of March and the ancestor of the empire.
There are an unknown number of elite warriors within it, and their strength generally exceeds that of mortals.
Through strict selection of newborns, they are then intensively trained. Let them receive mysticism and special training to master powerful bodies and mysterious powers.
The execution force of the "Temple" is also known as the "Bendou Samurai".
The "Temple" only obeys the orders of the two kings, thus establishing the royal family's supreme position in Stuttgart.
Of course, one point highlighted in the intelligence also surprised Gilan.
That is, although the "temple" obeys the royal family's orders, it also has the right not to execute them... This kind of confidence comes from the superiors of the world who have ascended.
The priests of the "temple" have special means to communicate with their ancestors and listen to the voices of superiors.
The entire Stuttgart Empire belongs to the earthly kingdom controlled by Si Chen's "Gladiator".
The will of the ancestors is naturally higher than that of the king.
These are the secret information that Ji Lan knows.
It's evening.
Everyone successfully arrived at the Dukedom of Hawkes.
This land is not far from the royal city of Klein, and is defended by the force of Hawks.
This system still follows the city-state system of Gudora. The aristocratic forces are like the Dukedom of Hawkes, and they surround the royal city like stars holding the moon.
Gilan got off the carriage with the envoys, and was personally led to a huge mountain manor by Duke Hawkes.
"Mr. Gillan, envoys, please follow me."
Duke Hawkes held his cane and, accompanied by his servants, led the envoys onto the cobblestone path surrounded by flowers and shrubs.
Not far ahead, a rather grand stone villa stands.
The tall stone wall is covered with ivy, and the bronze door is inlaid with exquisite patterns. On both sides, there are a row of statues of warriors wearing armor.
A group of fully armed guards, with long swords on their waists, stood upright beside the cobblestone path, and saluted Duke Hawkes with his breasts raised.
Along the way, Guillen and others saw lawned courtyards, sculptures and fountains. I saw no less than a hundred servants, all of whom were uniformly uniformed. They raised their hands and raised their feet, and the aura they showed was not that of ordinary people.
'They all have the strength above the teacher level...'
Jilan glanced at them and thought to himself.
These servants are very likely to have received professional military training, and can even be directly recruited into the army to serve as squad leaders.
Until they entered the villa, everyone was amazed by the magnificent hall.
It can be seen that Duke Hawkes' family must have a long history in the Stuttgart Empire.
The Duke arranged for everyone to sit down in the living room, and the attendants served snacks and tea.
But before long, the dinner carefully prepared by Duke Hawkes began.
The two sides chatted while eating, and their relationship continued to grow closer.
“...We, the Barbaroche family, have followed the royal family in battles since six hundred years ago and have made countless contributions.”
Duke Hawkes sat on the main seat and toasted to Gillan.
He had taken off his round hat at this time, revealing his gray hair. And his weathered face still had a friendly smile.
“And our family, like other nobles, believes in the ‘Church of Scars’ and abides by the Seven Commandments.”
“Duke Hawks, have you heard of ‘Heavenly Sin’? "The Order'?"
Gilan offered a glass of tea instead of wine.
He asked the Duke casually while eating the unique fried meatballs.
"Of course..." Hawks said and sighed. "This is a cult organization, which has the same origin as our beliefs. But they are too extreme and tamper with the gospel scriptures without authorization, which we do not approve of."
After some small talk, Gillan got some advice from the Duke. Little useful information.
What surprised him was that there was a doctrine within the "Scar Church" called "Firstborn Sacrifice"...
(End of Chapter)