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 is more orthodox and closer to the ancient Hiru language.

The members of the envoys are all elites from 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 who led them:

"Presumably... you are Mr. Gillan Iros, who is known as the youngest and best foreign minister in the history of Bremen, right?"

"It's just a compliment." Jilan replied humbly.

He reached out his hand.

But Mahas lowered his eyes and glanced, but just smiled and was indifferent to this.

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 all 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 Gillan's proactive overtures.

There is something strange in this.

"Dear foreign guests, the authorities have recently issued a document order, and border inspections will be strengthened for foreigners."

Mahas said expressionlessly.

"Even if you have a special status, you are not an exception. Therefore, please cooperate with our work and follow the staff to the secret room for inspection."

"Ha." Moody sneered 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, sir, you misunderstood."

Mahas raised his hands in a gesture of 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."

Jilan noticed the dissatisfaction and resistance of the members of the envoy group, so he chuckled and said:

"Inspector Mahas, what if we refuse?"

"Then I can only say sorry."

The bearded middle-aged man shook his head.

Jilan held his gray cane, adjusted his hat, and said calmly:

"This trip is part of the diplomatic charter negotiated in advance between the two countries. It was only delayed due to border inspection. Is Mr. Mahas willing to take responsibility for this?"

"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 do it as soon as possible."

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.

Moody on the side shook his head and said:

"It's not pedantic...he did it on purpose."

"To be able to serve as a border prosecutor, Mahas cannot be a fool. 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 those noble forces can naturally see that we are in urgent need of allies."

Jilan glanced at everyone and said softly.

He held his cane in his hand 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 blow."

"You said you were asking for instructions from your superiors, but I'm afraid they just deliberately left us hanging here."

"Sir, what should we do next?"

Another member of the female envoy asked with a frown.

Gillan shook his head.

"Let's wait and see what happens. After all, we have to rely on others and are passive."

Everyone also fell silent.

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 waiting impatiently, but there was nothing they could do.

Chief Gilan, on the other hand, 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.

Another moment passed.

In the closed room, there was a sudden knock on the door.

Tuk Tuk.

"Finally back." Moody sneered and shook his head. "A phone call takes so long?"

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.

"My lord, Hawks Barbaroche."

The man led two tall servants and walked straight in. He bowed humbly to Gilan and the envoys.

"It's a pleasure to meet all of you friends who have come from afar."

Gilan opened his eyes and slowly stood up from his chair.

A hint 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 be known by Foreign Minister Gilan. I'm really honored."

Hawks smiled, took the initiative to extend his hand, and shook hands with Gilan.

Gilan certainly knew this person.

In the intelligence files about Stuttgart, the 28 elders and 10 chief prosecutors of the "Iron Blood Court" were all recorded in detail.

He knew all this information.

Hawks Barbaroche was one of the elders, and also a duke of the Stuttgart Empire, with a high position and power.

And the moment the other party appeared, Gilan instantly understood.

In fact, the two kings of the "Iron Blood Court" were not as harmonious as the outside world rumored.

They might maintain a consistent position when facing the outside world, but they restrained and opposed each other internally.

As a result, the "Iron Blood Court" was divided into two factions. The moderates led by "Sky King" Russell and the hardliners led by "Ocean King" Amur.

According to intelligence, the hardliners currently have the upper hand in Stuttgart. "Ocean King" Amur's men have the support of 18 elders and 6 chief prosecutors.

The Duke of Hawkes in front of him is a member of the moderates 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 that the hardliners behind him are resistant to Bremen's solicitation. '

Gilan said secretly.

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. Gilan, and everyone else, Prosecutor Mahas's work is indeed a bit sloppy, and I'm sorry for neglecting you all."

As he said that, he stretched out his hand and pointed behind him.

"On behalf of His Majesty Russell, I cordially invite friends to enjoy a dinner in my territory to express my apology. After that, take a good rest, and tomorrow we will go to the royal city of Klein to meet and discuss with my king, how about it?"

"Thank you for the hospitality of the 'Sky King', and thank you for Duke Hawkes' willingness to come in person to receive you."

Gilan smiled and said in a gentle tone.

"We are happy to accept this invitation."

"That's great, haha."

Duke Hawkes laughed heartily.

Immediately, he held up a white jade cane and led the way in front of everyone, leading them out of the border inspection room.

The group walked out, but still did not see the figure of Inspector Mahas.

Gilan asked casually, intentionally or unintentionally.

Duke Hawkes tilted his head slightly and replied:

"I have ordered Mahas to be detained temporarily. His dereliction of duty has seriously affected the image of Stuttgart and damaged the relationship with your country..."

Hearing this, the originally bad mood of the envoys was relieved, and they also had a better impression of the Duke of Stuttgart.

However, Gilan thought of more in his heart.

Although the Duke's move could win their favor, it would intensify the conflict between the two factions within the "Iron Blood Royal Court".

Gilan always felt that the next action would fulfill Miss Menis's divination.

It will not be so smooth...

...

...

The group got on the carriage specially prepared by Duke Hawkes and went along the main stone road towards the city group in the northwest.

Gilan noticed that the horses pulling the carriage were taller and stronger than those in Bremen. Their manes were long, their bodies were black and shiny, and they moved vigorously.

Through the description of the "Guide Tips", he learned that the breed of this horse is called "Iron Blood War Horse", which is a unique horse bred by the court breeders of the Stuttgart Empire through mysterious means.

Just from this glimpse, Jilan can see that although Stuttgart's technological level is not as good as Owena and Bremen, it has extremely unique features in other fields, especially the mysterious side.

Otherwise, it would not be listed as one of the three overlords.

The most critical point is that Stuttgart's military strength is particularly fierce.

It is recorded in the intelligence documents that the number of troops under the control of the "Iron Blood Royal Court" has exceeded tens of millions.

And the comprehensive quality of the soldiers is the best in that era.

The honor of the "Warrior Kingdom" has continued from thousands of years ago to the present, and has been well inherited by Stuttgart.

In addition, the "Iron Blood Royal Court" has another trump card in its hand, that is, the "Temple".

The "Temple" completely serves the Eugene royal family. It is an institution dedicated to the "Gladiators" of the March Hour, as well as the March Apostles and the ancestor of the Empire, "The Undefeated" Tessell Eugene.

There are an unknown number of elite warriors inside, and their strength generally exceeds that of mortals.

Through strict selection of newborns, they are then trained and trained intensively. They are allowed to receive mysticism and special training, so that they can master strong physiques and mysterious powers.

The executive force of the "Temple" is also known as the "Blade Hall Warriors".

The "Temple" only obeys the orders of the two kings, which also establishes the supreme position of the royal family in Stuttgart.

Of course, one point emphasized in the intelligence also surprised Gillan.

That is, although the "Temple" obeys the royal family, it also has the right not to execute... This confidence comes from the superiors who have ascended to the world.

The priests of the "Temple" have special means to communicate with the ancestors and listen to the voices of the superiors.

The entire Stuttgart Empire belongs to the earthly kingdom controlled by the "Gladiators" of Sichen.

The will of the ancestors is naturally higher than that of the king.

These are all secret information known to Gilan.

It was evening.

Everyone successfully arrived at the Duke of Hawks.

This land is not far from the royal city of Klein, and is guarded by the forces under Hawks.

This system still follows the city-state system of Gudoro. The noble forces are like the Duke of Hawks, surrounding the royal city like stars surrounding the moon.

Gilan got off the carriage with the envoys and was led by Duke Hawks himself to a huge mountain manor.

"Mr. Gilan, envoys, please follow me."

Duke Hawks, with a cane, accompanied by servants, led the envoys to the cobblestone path surrounded by flowers and shrubs.

Not far in front, a rather magnificent stone villa stood.

The tall stone walls were covered with ivy, and the bronze gate was inlaid with exquisite patterns. On both sides, there was a row of statues of warriors in armor and sharp weapons.

A team of fully armed guards, with long swords on their waists, stood upright beside the cobblestone path and saluted Duke Hawkes.

Jilan and others saw lawn courtyards, sculptures and fountains along the way. They saw no less than a hundred servants, who were uniformly dressed, and their aura was not like that of ordinary people.

'All of them have the strength of a teacher or above...'

Jilan glanced and said secretly.

These servants are very likely to have received professional military training, and can even be directly pulled into the army to serve as squad leaders.

Until entering the villa, everyone was amazed by the magnificent hall again.

It can be seen that the family of Duke Hawkes must have a long history in the Stuttgart Empire.

Everyone was arranged by the Duke to sit in the living room, and the servants served snacks and tea.

But it didn't take long before the dinner carefully prepared by Duke Hawkes began.

The two sides continued to get closer as they ate and talked.

"... Our Barbaroche family has followed the royal family in the wars since six hundred years ago and has made countless contributions."

Duke Hawkes sat in the main seat and toasted 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 'Scar Church' and abides by the seven commandments."

"Duke Hawkes, have you heard of the 'Tian Nie Cult'?"

Gillan used tea instead of wine and returned a glass.

He ate the fried meatballs with a unique flavor and asked the Duke casually.

"Of course..." Hawkes said, sighing. "This is a cult organization, with the same roots as our beliefs. But they are too extreme and have tampered with the gospel scriptures without authorization, so we do not approve of it."

After a chat, Gillan got a lot of useful information from the Duke.

What surprised him was that there was a doctrine within the "Scar Church" called "The Sacrifice of the Firstborn"...