madnovel Chapter 257 Robert's Confidence, Ivan's Ambush
Chapter 257 Robert's Confidence, Ivan's Ambush
Chapter 257 Robert's Confidence, Ivan's Ambush
"As I told you before, after becoming a favorite of the goddess, I was ordered to infiltrate the evil god's organization and become an outer member of the witch cult and the Gnostic Society."
Based on my previous investigation, I know that because of the first assassination attempt on Duke Negan, the high-sequence witches of the Witch Cult and the Gnostic Society were forced to temporarily evacuate Backlund.
However, through my sources, I learned that the high-sequence witches of both organizations have returned to Backlund, which means that George III's conspiracy has begun to restart.
Our current policy is to delay George III's preparations for the ceremony as much as possible to gain more time.
The alliance between the Augustus family and the Witch Cult was clearly intended to make them act as a black glove, doing the dirty work and taking the blame.
If Beckeron's death is eventually discovered to be the work of a witch, wouldn't that implicate them all?
Moreover, the Witch Cult's active area of operation in recent years has been Intis. It is the most troublesome secret organization for the two major churches and the official forces in Intis, and the conflict between the two sides is very serious.
Therefore, it is entirely possible that the Witch Cult will target Beckeron, the new ambassador, and even Gabriel!
Unless the Intis people can find solid evidence, these assassinations are destined to remain unsolved cases.
As long as the witch sent to assassinate Beckron leaves behind her unique mark, Intis will not let this opportunity pass and will put pressure on the Kingdom of Rune and the Augustus family.
Even if George III knew that the witch cult had been framed, as the king he could not openly defend the witch cult. In order to appease all parties, he could only continue to suppress the witch cult!
In this way, we delayed his plans, and thus achieved our goal of causing trouble for George III!
Evan rattled off his plans for dealing with the aftermath of killing Beckeron, which drew frequent nods of approval from Robert.
"Your plan is good, but there is one problem. Where are you going to find a witch who can kill Beckron and get away unscathed? If I remember correctly, Beckron is a Sequence 6 'Conspirator' in the 'Hunter' pathway, right?"
To ensure a successful kill of Beckron, we need at least a Sequence 5 "Witch of Pain" to intervene. Where are you going to find a Sequence 5 witch right now?
Robert astutely pointed out the biggest challenge in Evan's plan!
Evan couldn't tell Robert the truth about this, saying that she had essentially become a woman and was only able to maintain her male form by relying on a demigod-level sealing artifact from the "Hunter" path.
If Robert found out about this, he would probably immediately go after Prince Grove and the "ageless witch" Caterina Pelle and tear them apart.
This was something Evan didn't want to see, so he could only lie to Robert again, saying:
"I haven't been infiltrating the witch cult for nothing. Through tireless efforts, I've managed to turn two witches to my side. With my assistance, you don't need to worry about any problems with the operation!"
"What? Say that again? You turned two witches to the other side?"
Robert was stunned, feeling as if his worldview was being turned upside down. He had only ever heard of witches stealing people from other organizations.
When did I hear that someone was stealing people from the Witch Cult?
"It's my secretary, Miss Helen, and Viscount Morgan, the famous socialite of Backlund."
They are both witches from the Witch Cult and the Gnostic Society, respectively, and are my superiors in both organizations!
Evan said it casually, as if it were just a trivial matter!
Robert opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end he couldn't say anything.
He had some understanding of the Witch Cult, knowing that although it was called a cult, it was actually a family whose bloodline originated from the evil god of Sequence 0—the "Primordial Witch".
Blood ties have always been one of the most solid mystical connections, especially for witches who are skilled in curses and black magic.
Therefore, no organization has ever considered poaching people from within the Witch Cult, not because they couldn't think of it, but because they couldn't do it!
It's clear that either Evan was scammed, or he found a solution.
Robert believed it was the latter, because the mission to infiltrate the witch's cult was arranged by the Goddess of Night, and considering the title "Hidden Mother" in the Goddess of Night's name, Robert thought he had guessed the truth. It was precisely because he guessed what he thought was the truth that he hesitated to speak, because it involved the gods' plans.
"Be careful what you do, and don't let anyone see through your scheme!"
After holding it in for a long time, Robert could only give Evan a word of advice.
"I know, don't worry! By the way, I've found a ghost ship to use as my future vessel, but this ghost ship is a bit troublesome, and I might need your help to mediate in the future!"
Evan didn't want Robert to get bogged down in this matter, so he took the initiative to talk to him about the ghost ship.
"What? A ghost ship? What's going on?"
Robert knew that Evan had been trying to snatch an ironclad warship from the navy's shipbuilding program, but each ironclad warship was a major national asset. The kingdom's three major fleets couldn't even share one equally, so how could they possibly equip his newly formed force with such a powerful weapon?
He hadn't expected that Evan would turn to the ghost ship when he couldn't get the ironclad, and judging from his tone, it seemed that he still needed Evan's help.
"I contacted a pirate captain with a ghost ship through the underground trading market, and we even completed the transaction!"
Once the unit is fully assembled and training is complete, we can set sail to take possession of the ship. However, establishing ownership of the vessel won't be easy, and we'll need your help then!
Robert assumed Ivan was worried that the ghost ship would cause trouble for some people, so he waved his hand dismissively, indicating that he knew.
Robert was more curious about the pirate captain who agreed to sell the ghost ship than about that.
However, after thinking about the reports he had received, which mentioned that many pirates would go ashore to live out their old age, and that it was he who had established the policy of not holding retired pirates accountable, Robert felt relieved.
Looks like this pirate wants to go ashore and live out his retirement in peace! Oh well, let's just ignore him!
A few years ago, when Robert had just left the military to enter politics and become a newcomer to Parliament, he made a suggestion that pirates who came ashore should not be pursued too relentlessly, as this would also be beneficial for launching a political offensive against pirates.
Since this suggestion was put forward, it has yielded excellent results. Many pirates who have made a fortune have settled in the colonies of the Kingdom of Rune with their treasures, which has greatly helped the development of the Kingdom of Rune's colonies and the financial industry in Backlund!
Robert is now preparing to develop policies to continue attracting pirates who have a lot of "dirty money" but want a peaceful life, while protecting the privacy of their private property.
Robert's rise to become one of the most powerful figures in the Kingdom of Rune in just a few years is not only due to the Horn family's millennia-old reputation, the old count's tireless support, and his progress on the path of the extraordinary, but also to his influence on the Kingdom of Rune's policies, which has genuinely promoted the Kingdom of Rune's great development.
In short, the repeal of the Grain Act helped him rise to the rank of "Law Master," and the subsequent effects of other policies helped him digest all the potions in just one year, which is why he was so eager to obtain the subsequent potion recipes.
"I understand. Don't hesitate to ask for my help if you need it. Anything that can increase the unit's combat effectiveness is welcome; after all, this isn't just your responsibility!"
Evan nodded, then glanced at the large grandfather clock in the corner of the study and realized it was already eleven o'clock, only an hour away from the meeting time he had agreed upon with Becker.
"I recently met with the Mysterious Queen again, who told me that the Roselle exhibition in Intis was a great success, and now we need to step up our efforts to bring the exhibition to Backlund!"
Robert narrowed his eyes slightly upon hearing this news, nodded, and said:
"This matter is easy. If things go smoothly tonight, King George III will certainly convene a royal council tomorrow to discuss how to quell the anger of the Republic of Intis."
Regardless of the circumstances, both the previous and current ambassadors had incidents in Ruen, and Ruen must provide an explanation.
I will take the opportunity to propose holding this exhibition to strengthen cultural exchanges with Intis. This will be a test of Intis's attitude on this matter, to see if Intis will completely turn against the Kingdom of Rune for the sake of two ambassadors.
"As long as King George III approves and the royal family issues an invitation, even the Church of Steam and Machinery cannot refuse, since they are the state religion of the Kingdom of Loen. The matter is thus settled!"
Robert cleverly used a "deer antlers hanging from a tree" tactic to definitively seal the deal, leaving Evan in awe.
"Oh, right, the 'Mysterious Queen' also reminded us of something: 'Tail-Eater' Urolius is lingering outside the outpost in Backlund."
Sooner or later, this will provoke a backlash from the three major churches and the Augustan royal family.
In this situation, it is highly likely that the Augustus Earth Chamber would cooperate with the Steam and Mechanical Church, which wants to expand its influence in the Kingdom of Rune.
Therefore, it cannot be ruled out that among the people who came with the Russell exhibition team were angels from the Church of Steam and Machinery!
You absolutely must pay attention to this! If it really doesn't work, let's just give up on this blasphemous card!
Evan's words to Robert were not meant as a "goading." The situation in Backlund is clearly much more chaotic than in the original story due to Evan's intrusion, with too many uncertainties, and a war between the angels could easily break out.
Robert, being only a Sequence 4 "Law Master," seemed somewhat inadequate in a game filled with angels fighting.
Robert sensed Evan's concern, smiled at him, and said:
"I understand. Don't worry about me. I'm not impulsive; I'll weigh the pros and cons. You don't need to get involved in this; I'll handle it!"
Evan hadn't expected Robert to have this attitude. Clearly, even in this complicated situation, he still maintained confidence in himself!
Moreover, he clearly sensed that Robert was not just "ignorant and fearless," but genuinely confident in himself!
He knew very well that Robert was not one to make empty promises. Since Robert didn't want him to interfere, Evan wouldn't be so foolish as to rush in and cause trouble.
The two brothers chatted for more than two hours. When the clock in the study struck 11 o'clock, the butler knocked on the study door.
"My lord, a telegram from Unit One!"
The butler, without regard for Evan sitting to the side, handed a telegram directly to Robert.
Evan had excellent eyesight; seeing that the telegram was covered in dense numbers, he knew it was encrypted and could only be cracked with a codebook!
After Robert took the telegram, he immediately signaled the old butler to leave. He glanced at it twice, then flicked his hand, "punishing" the telegram into irreparable powder.
"Intis needs to send a new ambassador—"
Before they could finish speaking, an envelope suddenly appeared on the coffee table in front of Robert and Evan.
Evan was shocked, because he had no idea how the letter had appeared, while Robert showed no surprise at all, simply picked up the envelope, opened it, and then smiled at Evan, saying:
"Those people succeeded. Because they did it secretly, it's estimated that it will be at least 8 hours before Intis realizes Gabriel's death in the eighth inning."
"I've finished my work. Now all that's left is Beckeron and that puppet master named Rosago!"
Evan downed his glass of red wine in one gulp, stood up, and said:
"My appointment with Becker is almost up, so I won't stay any longer."
"Be careful, don't be careless, don't let your guard down!"
Although he knew his younger brother was very capable and had many secrets, and that dealing with Beckeron shouldn't be a problem, Robert still instinctively gave him a word of advice.
Evan was taken aback by Robert's concern, but felt very warm inside. He nodded and left the Earl's mansion.
This time, Evan didn't bother going to the safe house to change clothes.
Since his destination was Queens, 47 Red Rose Street was only two blocks from Earl of Ahova's House, it would be foolish for him to go to the Joewood district to change clothes at this time.
Before long, Evan arrived at a villa. This villa was an asset under the name of the Intis Embassy and was used to entertain high-ranking political figures visiting the Kingdom of Rune.
Today, because of Beckeran's farewell dinner, all the relevant staff went to the embassy. Normally, lower-level staff are not required to attend, but Beckeran invited these people, leaving the huge villa completely empty.
After confirming through various means that there were no ambushes inside the villa, Evan blended into the shadows, releasing spider silk in various locations, and waited for Beckron's arrival.