Chapter 343 How Dare You!

A cocktail party was held at the Sighing Wall.

Those who participated in the cocktail party included not only a small number of nobles in the Nord Province, but also nobles from Iron Birch County and several surrounding counties.

As the news of Raven's three victories spread, especially after defeating Palmer and Faraday, the situation became clearer.

Anyone with a discerning eye could see that Eivor VIII and his cabinet were no longer able to interfere in the affairs of southern Eivor.

The Eivor people came to seek support and protection, and they were not even stingy about paying some money for this.

The Nord nobles finally dared to let go and bet on Raven to gain more benefits for themselves.

Of course, the premise is that they have to wait until the big guys have divided the cake before they are qualified to eat some leftovers.

There are limited big guys in the Nord Province.

After the fall of the Fox family, Earl Tyrone counted as one, Archbishop Thomas counted as one, and Anthony counted as one.

It's just that Anthony's actions since taking office have disappointed him, and he was not at the scene.

Therefore, the real big shots in this scene were only Tyrone, Thomas, and --

Raven.

He maintained his usual humble attitude, not showing any arrogance because of his achievements. He wore a decent and appropriate black dress, holding a silver goblet in his hand, and looked down at the noisy crowd in the hall.

The nobles gathered in groups of three or five, talking a lot. Occasionally, someone looked up and looked at Raven, and they would show a flattered attitude.

Whether viscounts or barons, whether they were from Nord or Eivor, they bowed and saluted at the first time.

Even though Raven had already looked away at this time.

They discussed Raven's achievements, and no one showed any dissatisfaction.

It seemed that everything should be like this, and Raven should sit at the table of big shots.

They completely forgot that just seven years ago, Raven was still a joke in the aristocratic circle.

And the attitudes of Thomas and Tyrone have quietly changed.

Especially Earl Tyrone.

Looking at the confident and calm Raven in front of him, as if everything was under control, Tyrone could not connect this man with the young man who appeared in Monen City 5 years ago.

At that time, also at the banquet, Raven took a piece of fat meat from him and Montreal and took advantage of the situation to enrich himself.

But it was just a small trick, a small trick, a conspiracy that was not presentable.

Even if it was done well, it would appear a bit slick.

But now, Raven really has a kind of majestic spirit of a high position.

That is not the nobility cultivated by the aristocratic family, but the calm confidence after fighting with swords and guns and settling down.

A 3rd-level magician with 13,000 elite armored soldiers and veterans under his command. This kind of power, let alone in the Nord Province, is enough to be called a considerable force even if it is in the entire empire.

"Lord Raven." At this time, it was meaningless to call Raven by his current title: "I wonder what your next strategy is?"

"Continue to the north." Raven said frankly: "Opportunities are rare and will never come back."

"Now is the time when the Principality of Eivor is the weakest. We must continue to expand the results of the war in one go and not give them any time to react or prepare."

"In two days, I will lead the army to set off."

"However, I still need Earl Tyrone to help me with the problems in the rear."

Tyrone felt a little relieved when he heard this.

It seems that Raven was not blinded by the victory.

Since Tyrone came here in person, of course he must obtain the benefits that match his status as an earl. If Raven does not speak and take the initiative to "help" him, Tyrone will naturally have a way.

But in that case, Anthony is likely to see through the flaws and take advantage of it, and without Raven's cooperation, his next move will be twice as effective.

"It's too much to say help." Tyrone has completely regarded Raven as an equal to him:

"Sir Raven has made such great contributions to the empire. Our Slater family must of course support and contribute to the empire."

"Your noble character deserves respect from everyone." Raven said with a smile:

"Then, next, in order to ensure the stability of my rear food supply and not be attacked from both sides, can you handle Ximu County, Nan Gordon River County, and the western part of Bolan County?"

Tyrone's heart was pounding.

Ximu County and Nan Gordon River County are two counties adjacent to the west of Tiehua County. They have always been very rich; not to mention Bolan County, there is the famous Bolan Gold Mine in the west.

"No problem, I can guarantee that no Eivor soldier can cross my defense zone from the west and harass Sir Raven's flank."

Neither of them mentioned the distribution of several counties in the east, because they all knew tacitly that Anthony had not come yet.

Anthony must have a share of this cake.

Of course, compared to the western counties, the eastern part is slightly poorer, and the terrain is mountainous, making it more difficult to deal with.

But who can blame Anthony for not coming yet?

Raven smiled and raised his glass: "Then I'll leave it to Earl Tyrone."

"Besides, I have another unwelcome request."

"Can Sir Hyde go with me to the north?"

Tyrone's eyes shone, and a smile appeared on his lips:

"Since Sir Raven doesn't mind my useless son holding you back, there is no problem."

In fact, if the interests are maximized, Tyrone should take over Raven's work at this time and preside over all matters of the Northern Expedition.

But he can't do that.

Not to mention, that would also bring in Anthony, the hungry wolf.

The most fundamental reason is that the Slater family is an earl family, and it is an earl family in the corner of the empire, and it has reached the limit of promotion.

No matter how many merits he has made, his title will not be promoted, and his territory will not be substantially expanded.

Being too prominent will only make His Majesty the King suspicious.

Therefore, helping Raven and doing auxiliary work can not only fulfill his obligations as a member of the empire, but also bring some substantial benefits to the family.

The same is true for Anthony.

And now, Raven has taken the initiative to propose to take Hyde with him to continue his journey, and this credit can fall on Hyde himself, rather than the entire Slater family.

Having a strong branch is always a good thing for a big family.

The two have reached a tacit understanding. Archbishop Thomas, who had been silent all the time, finally spoke: "Sir Raven, after three consecutive wars, I believe that many of your soldiers must have suffered losses?"

"As the bishop of the Nordic Diocese, it really breaks my heart to see the Lord's believers suffer such a disaster."

"So, do you need some divine magicians to heal the pain of your army?"

Since Boser of the Eivor Diocese broke the tacit understanding between the two of them, Thomas doesn't have to worry about it now.

Compared to the Nordic Province, the development of the Church of Light in the Principality of Eivor is not smooth.

Especially with the previous experience of the Storm Dynasty and the current situation where the Church of the Kingdom of Lozeren dominates everything, small countries like Eivor are particularly wary of the Church of Light.

Even the cabinet of the Keynes Empire has church members, but the high-level meetings of the Principality of Eivor show that there is no trace of the church at all.

A more practical example is that the Principality of Eivor has a much larger economy and population than the Nord Province, but its tithe is less than 1/4 of that of the Nord Province.

If Raven's advance can popularize the Church of Light, then this will be another great achievement for Thomas.

In fact, after hearing about the atrocities committed by Palmer and Faraday in the Iron Birch Region, Thomas wanted to fly over with wings.

This devastated environment is the most suitable soil for the growth of the Church of Light.

Raven knew what Thomas was thinking, and he also knew that getting too close to the Church of Light was not what His Majesty the King wanted to see.

But he was not going to refuse.

In any case, he alone could not fight against the endless extraordinary people in the entire principality. It would be better to have the support of the Church of Light.

What's more, Anthony, a close minister of His Majesty the King, could seek help from the Church of Light. What's wrong with him, a small baron, cooperating with the Church of Light for the sake of the empire?

"I see the mercy of the Lord of Light in you." Raven stroked his chest with his hand: "As His believer, I certainly won't refuse your kindness."

Next, there are some details.

For example, how many soldiers will Hyde bring with him to the north, and how many clergy will Thomas take to join Raven's team.

The final result of the discussion made everyone very satisfied.

The soldiers under Hyde's command have expanded to as many as a legion, including 2,000 heavy armor.

The entire legion is made up of elite private soldiers of the Slater family, and is definitely not comparable to ordinary conscripted serfs.

Thomas provided Raven with a dozen priests, a total of 12 people.

Among them, there are 3 third-level divine magicians, 4 second-level divine magicians, and 5 first-level divine magicians.

Of course, Raven also has to return the favor.

The interests of the Slater family have been divided. In addition to the priests, Thomas also sent hundreds of grassroots priests and nuns to join the army to prepare for missionary work.

Two days later, Raven led the army to set off on time.

…

At the same time.

Hu Xia finally arrived at Blue Castle, the capital of the Principality of Eivor, under the escort of Hoyaz.

Walking in the Posuo Palace, Hu Xia finally felt what the wealth brought by power was.

It is now mid-September. Although it is a little cool in the morning and evening, it is still very hot at noon.

But walking in the Posuo Palace, there is no sense of dryness.

And Hoyaz can clearly feel that the water element is flowing with the breeze in a certain regular way-that is obviously a trace of magic.

An entire palace that can accommodate 100,000 people is actually shrouded in a temperature control array.

The gold coins consumed every day are probably hundreds of them. Every year, it costs more than 100,000 gold coins just for this.

Being led to the side of the main hall by the palace eunuch, Hu Xia swallowed slightly, and he was inevitably a little nervous.

Seeing the calm face of Hoyaz beside him, he took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down.

But this did not work.

Soon, the eunuch came out and led them in.

The carpet was clean and smooth, even dotted with various small gems; the reliefs on the wall were outlined with gold and silver threads, not only full of artistic atmosphere, but also with a ray of magical light flowing in it upon closer inspection.

Compared to a formal diplomatic occasion, it was more like a private meeting.

Because there were too few people present.

Eivor VIII sat on a high-backed chair, his expression calm, majestic without anger, and somewhat with the majesty of a human king and landlord.

In front of him sat only one prime minister, Gatugen.

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Besides that, there was no one else. Even the eunuch who had led the way had left.

Eivor VIII propped his cheek with his hand and slowly said:

"Are you the messengers sent by Raven?"

It's strange.

The surrounding environment and the current mission brought great pressure to Hu Xia.

But when he heard Eivor VIII's question, Hu Xia's heart, which had been beating wildly, suddenly calmed down.

He touched his chest with his hand, bowed, and looked directly at Grand Duke Eivor VIII without being humble or arrogant.

Hu Xia knew why he was so calm.

As a lord, Lord Raven usually laughed and scolded, and never deliberately put on a stern face, but the victories he brought him shaped his aura.

That kind of confidence, high spirits and majesty cannot be pretended deliberately.

He can be as harmonious as the spring breeze, but when he frowns, no one can disobey him.

But the Grand Duke in front of him, although well maintained, does not look much more mature than Lord Raven at the age of 42.

However, Hu Xia saw a trace of weakness and cowardice in him.

Compared to Lord Raven, Eivor VIII was like a tiger kept by someone.

He only relied on his bones to hold up a decent appearance, but he did not have the ferocity and might of a beast.

"I am Hu Xia, Lord Raven's diplomatic envoy." Hu Xia calmly raised his left hand with four rings: "This is Hoyaz, my bodyguard."

This calm attitude made Eivor VIII a little angry:

"Haha, I have seen Raven's rudeness!"

"You killed Earl Wanda, Earl Dudo, and Earl Palmer a few days ago."

"Now, you two little guys who are not even knights appear in front of me."

"Aren't you two afraid of death!?"

The words echoed in the hall in a sinister way, as if dozens or hundreds of people were shouting and cursing in unison!

But both Hu Xia and Hoyaz showed complete calmness.

"Since we are human beings, how can we not fear death?" Hu Xia smiled slightly:

"But Your Highness, since we are the messengers of Lord Raven, we have already prepared for the worst when we received the order."

"Besides, you are the Grand Duke of a country, you are broad-minded. How could you punish us for our slight disrespect?"

Gatugan's expression was a little complicated.

He had seen that when Hu Xia and Hoyaz walked into the hall, there was curiosity and excitement in their eyes, but no fear.

Raven is a small baron, and any two of his subordinates are such talents, but looking at the Principality of Eivor... Alas!

Gatugan sighed silently.

As expected, Eivor VIII was speechless. He coughed lightly and his expression became much softer:

"You are indeed quite courageous."

"Since you call yourself an envoy, why are you here this time?"

Hu Xia straightened up: "We are here for peace."

"The war has caused huge losses to both your country and us. Now it is time to stop the war."

"So, this time, we brought Lord Raven's handwritten letter and a gift for you."

Although he knew that Hu Xia's words were all polite, Eivor VIII felt much warmer in his heart.

It seems that Raven has also suffered losses!

After a cough, an old palace eunuch appeared from the shadows in the corner and walked to Hoyaz with a tray.

The wooden box and the letter were placed on the tray, and a magical light lit up, washing the two items.

After confirming that there was no magic mechanism, the old eunuch brought the plate to Eivor VIII.

The Grand Duke did not hesitate and picked up the letter and read it.

To be honest, with the defeat of Palmer and Faraday, Eivor VIII was not only unable to sleep, but also unable to eat and sleep.

If a ceasefire could be reached, it would be great!

At most, he could give more money - it would come from the treasury anyway.

"Tsk..."

Eivor VIII frowned, looking a little strange.

Raven's handwriting is really ugly!

Eivor VIII's homework when he was 3 years old was better than this!

But thinking that Raven was born as a pariah, just a "little bee", the Grand Duke "generously" let go of this section and continued reading.

The first part was all boring nonsense, but the later it was, the more messed up it was.

Eivor VIII's hand holding the letter became stronger and stronger, and his knuckles became paler and paler.

He seemed to see Raven's mean face that he had never met before!

"Your Highness, I know you are not a strong man. Although I can break through your defense and capture you alive, it would be too shameful for you, right?"

"Besides, if we really defeat Eivor, it will be a big problem in diplomacy. It is too much trouble for a small baron like me."

"So, please do not refuse the conditions I will offer next."

"But before you read on, please take a look at my gift - it can perfectly express my sincerity."

Eivor VIII was trembling.

This is the first time someone has communicated with him in this tone since he was a child!

But Raven's record is in front of him. If there is any possibility, he does not want the peace talks to collapse.

So, Eivor VIII had to reach out his hand to see what Raven had sent him.

Squeak.

The box opened, and a human head appeared in front of him.

A bloody head!

That was the head of Marquis Faraday!

"Ah——"

Eivor VIII, who had been pampered since childhood, had never seen such a scene. With a howl, he knocked the box away.

Faraday's round head swayed back and forth on the ground, and Gatugen was stunned.

Eivor VIII's eyes returned to the letter uncontrollably.

"Surprised? Your Highness."

"Faraday has the same blood as you. If I had kept him, I could have established another duchy, but I still killed him."

"This shows my sincerity."

"So, I hope you can agree to my next proposal-"

"The 18 counties of the Principality of Eivor are 'regions' as you say."

"I need you to cede control of the seven regions in the southern part of the Duchy, including Aofuwan, South Gordon River, Ximu, Iron Birch, Chaiqiao, Luoyeer, and Zhentowen, to me."

"In addition, the county of Bolan is bounded by the city of Bolan. The south will be handled by me; the north..."

Eivor VIII could no longer read the following content.

This was the first time in his life that he had been insulted like this!

Asking him to cede territory, does Raven really think he will be a king who loses his country! ?

Dong——

Kicking over the plate in the hands of the palace servant, Eivor VIII stood up from the high-back chair and roared:

"How dare you!!!"

"Gatugan, give me an order immediately, let Quentin lead the army and attack southward!"

"I don't care how much money he spends or how many people he dies, bring Raven's head back to me, bring it back!!!"

Before Gatugan could speak, Hu Xia said firmly:

"Your Highness, please think about it more, don't reject my Lord's sincerity so easily."

"The next peace talk will not be so lenient."

Eivor's eyes were filled with bloodshot, and he roared like a mad tiger:

"Conditions? Easier!?"

"Come on, come on!! Drag them down and behead them! I will use their skulls to decorate my palace!"

Gatugan quietly winked at the guards who rushed in.

...