"Yes."
Dalton replied, and at the same time his expression became a little subtle.
Although, in the new sailing age where sails are gradually replacing wood pulp, it is not so uncommon for nobles to secretly invest in privateers. The sailors and merchants that the queen wanted could be called "private ships" to be euphemistic, but pirates to be more straightforward. But... Before being sent back to the capital, Dalton was the governor of the port of Kehemia after all, barely counting as half of the navy.
The navy colluded with pirates, and it would be too scandalous to say so.
But apart from the support of "private ships", where can Dalton get sufficient funds to form an army
Adele didn't mean to blame him for this, on the contrary, she smiled kindly: "Some friends with a slightly notorious reputation?"
Dalton spread his hands, as acquiesced.
As the Queen speculated, Dalton did indeed have a secret cooperation with a group of "private ships"—to put it bluntly, a group of pirates.
It is difficult for a single or a small number of pirate ships to achieve long-term objective gains on the sea, and the status of pirates who are wanted and arrested by law is also doomed to make it difficult for them to dock and rest like ordinary merchant ships. Any pirate who wants to make a difference must learn to form an alliance, expand his size, and obtain some special channels.
Objectively, the best way is to reach a secret cooperation with the port official government. But before that, most of the major ports of the Roland Empire were controlled by the nobles, who also had their own merchant ships, and most of the pirates from poor backgrounds had feuds with the nobles... It was difficult for the two sides to reach a cooperation.
Until Dalton, a civilian alien, accepted the defense of Cohemia Port.
A larger group of pirates struck a deal with Dalton.
Dalton secretly provided them with anchorages and supplies. Pirates were free to come and go to the taverns and shops of Cohemia harbor—as long as they were a little decently disguised. The pirates will use the property they plundered to support the construction of the Dalton Musketeers.
When necessary, the musketeers will even quietly board the pirate ship to help them repel the more difficult enemies.
Adele listened to Dalton's brief talk about his cooperation with the pirates of Kehemia, thinking about other things.
Great pirates are often good sailors, and braver than average sailors. Their perseverance is enough to support them to complete a voyage across the entire sea of heaven. The only problem is that what Roland needs this time is not to establish a colony, but to open up a new market.
That is, they need not only sailors, but also merchants.
Dalton caught the queen's thoughts, he thought for a while, and said with a little reluctance: "In a way, they are both pirates and adventure merchants. If you want, I can write to you and let them Two guys are coming to see you."
As soon as the words came out of his mouth, Dalton immediately regretted it.
By the gods, he never wanted those two guys in the summer palace, whether it was the dark-haired psycho or another freak.
But... alas! What could he do? The Queen's gaze has already turned her attention.
Dalton had to sit down again, took out the paper and quill and began to write the letter.
As he was writing, he sincerely hoped that the sea would quickly turn into a storm, and it would be best if those two guys could be drowned in the sea. Anyway, changing to a new captain would not be a bad thing for the pirates.
…………………
When Dalton sincerely hoped that there would be a strong wind on the sea, some people were in the storm even though they were not at sea.
After the imperial meeting ended, the queen's attitude and what she wanted to do were immediately conveyed through various relationships and means, and a heavy boulder was thrown in the hearts of some people and some families.
The classicist buildings in Roland's capital were immersed in the reverberating church bells, and noble lords arrived at a mansion in the third block one after another. These people had faces of anger or surprise, each hurried into the hall.
The owner of the mansion, Heinrich, led the meeting.
Almost all the people who came had some relationship with the Heinrich family, some were followers of the Heinrich family, some were lords who had long-term and close cooperation with the Heinrich family, and some were related to the Heinrich family. There is an in-law relationship. This is why the queen forced Heinrich to bow his head at the imperial meeting.
The Heinrich family has now become the leader of a group of nobles. If they back down, it will be difficult for other families to have other choices.
Still, the meeting was not a pleasant one.
The peace was maintained for less than half an hour before the participating families quarreled. Some people felt that the private plunder license could bring them greater benefits—the value of a successful private plunder may be as high as tens of thousands of gold coins . Others ridiculed it.
"Are you going to give in like that girl?" Patriarch Nuo shouted loudly, his family is not far from the Heinrich family.
"Do you dare to stand in the street and shout 'I oppose the Queen's rule'?"
Families in favor of giving up control of the port have fought back equally sharply.
Just after the rainstorm, the imperial capital was shrouded in the majesty of the queen brought by miracles. At this time, which family dared to stand up against the queen, thousands of believers would dare to rush into the family's mansion that day, making them feel that they were from the mob. anger.
As the quarrel escalated, Heinrich, who had been silent all along, finally had to make a statement.
"...The Queen rejected the marriage with the Yager Kingdom and chose the Root Empire. The Yager Kingdom's revenge may arrive at any time." Heinrich's face looked a little cold under the light of the crystal candlestick above his head, "Once the Yager Kingdom cut off Roland’s trade route with the free commercial city, the income of the port will drop rapidly. Holding the control of the port firmly will not bring us more benefits, it will only tie their respective families in the royal family’s carriage against the Kingdom of Yager superior."
"Among you, who is willing to drive a warship to compete with the Yager fleet in order to open up the route?"
Heinrich's merciless words swayed those who had been slow to take a stand, and after a long, exhausting negotiation, they chose to support Heinrich.
Still, the deal hasn't gone smoothly.
There is still a small group of people—such as Patriarch □□□No—who feel angrily that the Heinrich family must have betrayed the lords and secretly returned to the Queen.
When he finally left, the Patriarch Nuo spat on the ground resentfully, and sarcastically said: "Okay, some people will bow down under the pomegranate skirt, and they will drag everyone together to be women's lackeys."
What he said made the faces of the people present change.
Before Heinrich got angry, the heads of other families came over immediately and forcibly took Patriarch Nuo out.
The hall became empty again.
Only Heinrich and the person on the left side of the long table did not leave. That man was Sir Alvaro. He is also a member of the Heinrich family, Heinrich's uncle, he is the lord of Moonport and Moon River Valley.
Sir Avaro grabbed the wine glass on the table, took a sip, and then looked at Heinrich: "The queen is no longer willing to trust our family like in the past. My dear nephew, I hope you can tell frankly, in the end What's her idea? Is she trying to put a noose around the neck of a double-headed snake? Don't say you don't know how important the port is to us."
"The strength of the Templar Knights retained by Archbishop Rodrigues is not inferior to the family's assassins." Heinrich vaguely felt a little tired, "Unless you want the family to be expelled from the capital of the empire again, you'd better Do nothing."
"What an ungrateful fellow, she forgot who pushed her to the throne."
You also forgot whose trust it was that the family was able to return to the imperial capital.
Heinrich didn't want to say anything, he just thought he was as ridiculous as his uncle. So he took the agreements signed by those Patriarchs just now, and prepared to check them one by one.
However, Sir Avaro is still complaining non-stop: "...Look at what you have wasted ten years of time? You have so many opportunities, but you can't get her to take the initiative to sleep with you! If you were The person she mentors is your cousin, and now the Heinrich family may have become the king of Roland... "
"Shut up."
Heinrich roared angrily, and before he realized what he had done, he had already pulled out his Hidden Blade and threw it at Sir Avaro.
The Hidden Blade brushed past Jazz's shoulder, and blood gushed out almost instantly.
"Okay!" Sir Avaro's anger rose, "No wonder you were so slow to do what your father told you! You—a Heinrich—you fell in love with her? Did you fall in love with her?" She's gone, right?!"
"If you want the trade route of Yuegang to be cut off, then continue talking."
Heinrich's voice was cold.
The threat quickly worked on Sir Alvaro - his expression looked wonderful, as if someone had beaten him in the face for three days and three nights. He wanted to draw his sword and stab Heinrich, to curse him and send him to hell with that witch girl.
But he didn't have the courage to do so.
Under the candlelight, Heinrich's expression was unprecedentedly terrifying.
Sir Avaro pointed at him, his lips trembled for a long time, and his face turned blue and white.
Finally he kicked back the chair and walked off in a huff.
Heinrich was the only one left in the hall, and he slumped down on the chair, clutching the armrest tightly.
Avaro's words touched some memories that he didn't want to think about, and made him sick... His father had written to him countless times, urging him to reach a closer relationship with the princess as soon as possible... They hoped that he would become the princess' first love place, preferably last.
This disgusting thing often really happened in the court.
If the heirs of some families and even the crown prince were entrusted under the guardianship of nobles for unavoidable reasons when they were young, they are likely to be abused when they were young—especially sexual assault. The aggressor is not all out of lust, but more because he wants to dominate the victim through this childhood method.
This shadow will often accompany the victim's life.
sir, sir...
Heinrich's breathing became short of breath.
He closed his eyes vigorously, and the voice of sixteen-year-old Adele seemed to be heard again in his ears... She was sitting on a silver horse, smiling at him from the side, she jumped off the horse, and her red dress bloomed in the air. Her cheeks were rosy in the sunlight, when she trusted him completely...
Those letters, those stern or mitigating orders, were eventually burned one by one by Heinrich. Looking at those urges burning in the fire, he only felt uncontrollable hatred and nausea.
… Do you think this will make her appreciate you? What do you think you get by doing this
The pupils of the father's gray eyes were as cold as the two-headed snake of the family crest, and his voice seemed to be soaked in venom and full of cruelty.
… No, you get nothing but missed opportunities.
… do not forget.
"You're a Heinrich."
he murmured.
… You are a Heinrich, and you enjoy everything that this surname and family brings you, money, status, and glory. You must dedicate yourself to this family, and everything about you will be deeply branded by this family.
Everything has a price.
It wasn't until he caught the girlish princess in the flying dandelion bushes that he suddenly realized how chilling the family's simple motto was. However, everything came too late.
For the past two decades, he has become inseparable from the family.
What can a poisonous snake change even if it had a trace of conscience? What is a poisonous snake entitled to? What else can be done
Can't do anything, can't do anything, can't do anything.
Heinrich looked up.
The last chime of the bell has disappeared, and the night is heavy on the earth. The thin columns of the classical era rise vertically, the vaults are unattainable, and the interlaced ribs drop shadows obliquely. He spent his childhood and youth here, accompanied by the reliefs of double-headed snakes on the walls on the pillars.
In the candlelight, he seemed to see the two-headed snake in the ancient legend slowly coming to life, swimming towards him. He heard their pitiless whistling, their ludicrous, mournful jeers.
one…
Heinrich.