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In this elegantly decorated reception room, at one end of the conference table, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Duke Moretti, was already waiting.
"Dear Your Excellency Kaliera, and Her Royal Highness the Princess, I am deeply honored to meet you at such a critical moment. Please allow me, on behalf of my country and people, to express my most sincere welcome to you all. "
The figure of Duke Moretti came from the floor-to-ceiling window behind him. The thin morning light outside the window seemed to have gilded his silhouette with a layer of gold. He bowed.
His posture was steady and relaxed, and with a slight smile he invited the demons to take their seats.
"It's also an honor."
Kaliela responded without much rise in voice.
The other party seemed to be convinced that she was the real speaker, and even treated her as the main object of respect during greetings, while the princess was only a secondary one.
Kaliela can understand this kind of judgment. If it were placed a month ago, although it is not in line with etiquette, it can please the real people in power in the demon world.
Hyperion didn't say much, only maintaining the dignity that Caliella asked her to maintain, and followed Caliella to her seat.
She now found it good to have a strong demon like Kaliela who was willing to play with her. She didn't have to do anything and just let Kaliela do the work. Anyway, now that she thought about it, Kaliela was very good to her, almost like a personal bodyguard. After Talia and the Ice Witch, it was like she had a passive skill and could always find an adult female demon to take care of her.
The two delegations sat around the dark wooden round table and started a simple conversation. The table was soon filled with necessary documents and maps.
"Dear Lord Caliera, we all know that the current situation in the northern continent is full of uncertainty. The Polante Empire has always pursued peace and stability. If the Demon World is willing to help us achieve this goal, I believe it will It will be a mutually beneficial cooperation..."
Duke Moretti began to carefully elaborate on the Pollante Empire's position and expectations for the upcoming negotiations.
The interior is illuminated by carefully modulated light.
As the sound of rain outside the window became heavier and heavier, the voice was mixed with white noise.
The scenery outside the manor was blurred by the rain, but the shadows of the dancing trees and the green hills in the distance were still vaguely visible. They were green and dim in the rain, making the surrounding sky even more gloomy.
Hyperion looked out the window. Although the conversation in the conference room could be heard in her ears, she was only thinking about whether Lan Qi had brought an umbrella.
She then remembered that at the Cat Boss restaurant, after going downstairs to give Lan Qi an umbrella, he and she chatted for a long time under the rain eaves. She did not feel that those times were experienced when she experienced them, but now she thought of them inadvertently and thought they were wonderful.
"I wonder if Duke Moretti misunderstood our purpose?"
Kaliela's slightly unhappy words brought Hyperion back to her consciousness.
Hyperion looked sideways and found that Kaliela beside her had frowned after a brief conversation.
"That's it. The original intention of our Paulante Empire was not to seek confrontation, and we were simply unable to fight against the Horning Empire's pressing army. Before the Kingdom of Bliss fell, the cabinet had already actively discussed the possibility of peace talks with the Horning Empire. issue, now even the Prime Minister is no longer opposed to the possibility of seeking peace talks. I believe that through our joint efforts, unnecessary sacrifices can be avoided. Now it is the same with the Demon World, we prefer to use diplomacy and negotiation as a means, Let’s find a solution that works for everyone.”
Moretti continued to maintain a ceremonial smile and patiently and respectfully explained to Cagliera.
The light was pale and weak, unable to penetrate the haze of the sky, and could only barely outline the outlines of the objects in the room.
"Duke Moretti, may I understand that the Paulante Empire has given up on fighting against the Horning Empire and the Blood Tribe?"
Kaliera asked.
"You can't say that. After all, we still have to retain the last possibility of resistance instead of completely surrendering. Otherwise, we will have no leverage to negotiate peace with the other party."
Duke Moretti spread his hands easily.
"In that case, why not try to resist together with a greater chance of winning?"
"I don't think I can win."
"..."
Calliera felt like talking to this man was like hitting cotton wool.
He couldn't say a single useful word, but he was able to brush off the demons' real intention to form an alliance against the Horning Empire.
According to Kaliela's information, the Pollant Empire Council is still hesitant about the alliance proposed by the demons.
After all, in the eyes of the Polantes, the change in attitude of the demons is too illogical, and any alliance with the demons is undoubtedly a big gamble.
The Demon Realm is much stronger than their Paulante Empire.
What's more, some time ago, the Demon Clan has been showing signs of peace talks with the Vampire Clan, and even a Vampire Clan envoy went to the Demon Realm and received a grand welcome from the Demon Clan.
If the demons want to help the vampires test the Paulante Empire, give them a fatal blow from behind, and annex the Paulante Empire without any effort, the same possibility exists.
But Duke Moretti's personal attitude was very obvious. He almost told the demons clearly, asking them not to disrupt the peace talks between the Paulante Empire and the Horning Empire.
As a conservative, he has his own judgment and interests.
"Duke Moretti, could you please help me contact Prime Minister Wilford? I would like to have a brief communication with him."
Kaliera took a deep breath and continued.
Even Queen Kesia has the courage to resist, which shows that not everyone in the Pollante Empire now has Duke Moretti's attitude.
"I'm sorry, the prime minister has his job, and as the foreign minister, this is my responsibility. I can't put everything on the prime minister."
Duke Moretti shook his head regretfully.
"Then can you use communication magic to convey to Helsalem that I want to briefly communicate with the Prime Minister and let him decide whether to talk to me."
Cailliera backed down again.
"I'm sorry, can you convey it to me first, or do you have some ulterior plot and must have a private meeting with the Prime Minister?"
Duke Moretti looked at her and smiled calmly and said,
"Please tell me your thoughts first, and I will convey them to the Prime Minister on your behalf."
Kaliela felt her blood pressure rise.
She tried her best and finally suppressed her anger.
The Foreign Minister no longer had any thoughts of resistance and only wanted to negotiate with the vampires. Although he did not have the power to refuse or decide on an alliance with the demons, Kaliela believed that if he was asked to help pass the message, the meaning of the words would definitely change when it reached Prime Minister Wilford.
Now she wanted to see the Prime Minister, but she was stuck in the middle by the Foreign Minister.
The more sincerely she begged the other party, the more easily the other party would shirk her away as if teasing her.
Caliera now has a strong need to suspect that Duke Moretti is already building bridges with the vampires.
"Sir Kaliela, I am fully aware of your hostility towards the Horning Empire and your firm determination to fight against it. However, in this long dark night, we must look for light, even if it is so weak that it is almost invisible."
He paused briefly to make sure his words gave everyone time to think,
"Our country, our people, are in the midst of uncertainty and fear, and we cannot allow them to head toward a future filled with bloodshed and destruction. Yes, compromising with the evil forces of the Horning Empire may seem like weakness, but if it can Isn’t it worth at least exploring how to save thousands of lives and allow our children to grow up without the shadow of war?”
Duke Moretti looked around, his gaze finally resting on Calliera across from him, and he spoke slowly, his voice steady and persuasive.
Kaliela's expression was a little stiff with anger, but she was still trying her best to suppress her anger.
"Don't you think you're being hypocritical?"
Before Caliera could think of how to speak, Hyperion finally couldn't help but ask.
She felt heartbroken when she saw that Kaliera had changed her temper and suffered alone in order to take the overall situation into consideration, especially since Kaliera now looked like Tata to her, and now she had turned Kaliera As friends, naturally I can't bear to see my friend feel so aggrieved.
Calliera raised her eyes and looked at Hyperian in surprise. Superlian shook his head at Calliera, meaning to tell Calliera to stop being patient, and we demons will not tolerate this.
"Oh? Your Highness, Princess, do you think I am not qualified to say such a thing? But you have to know that now, the choice we face is not just war or peace, but whether to give peace a chance, even if it seems out of reach. I’m not saying surrender, but I’m advocating wisdom and foresight – using negotiation as an extension of our strength, rather than seeing it as a weakness. I’m afraid you demons won’t understand this, right?”
Duke Moretti looked at Hyperion and asked without flinching.
"Just shut up, you useless Foreign Minister."
Kaliela could no longer bear it, and her eyes no longer concealed her natural hostility as a demon.
She now understands that this aristocratic lord is a pure waste among wastes. He is neither stupid nor bad, and his corpse is nothing.
The air in the reception room suddenly solidified, and the atmosphere of calm chatting turned into tense. The imperial guards were on alert for a moment.
"Oh, since the demon clan seems to have no intention of continuing the negotiation, does this negotiation end unilaterally?"
Duke Moretti still looked polite, and his eyes still had that smile that couldn't tell whether it was sincere or mocking.
He believed that Lord Fallen would not take action. After all, if he really did take action, the demons would have no chance of negotiating peace with the Polante Empire.
Then part of the deal he negotiated with the vampires would be completed.
Although he does not have the power to finalize the alliance between the Paulante Empire and the demons, he does have a way to prevent Kaliela from seeing Wilford.
Now that fool Wilford is still in Helsalem, he is kept in the dark and has no idea about the detailed information of the demon mission.
Just thinking about it, Duke Moretti felt that the way this ninth-level demon was groveling just now was ridiculous.
"Duke Moretti, I remember you, but I always have a way to contact the important people in the empire I want to find. After all, you can't stop the courageous Paulantes from forming an alliance with us."
Kaliela whispered deeply.
"I am looking forward."
Duke Moretti stood up and responded with a smile that was 100% formulaic.
It was as if he was telling her that the days ahead were long and he had plenty of ways to disgust her.
Kaliera breathed a long sigh of relief and felt panicked. If she hadn't come here sincerely to discuss an alliance, she needed to let the people of the Paulant Empire see the friendly intentions of their demons. According to her past temper, she would have been I want to kill this Duke ten thousand times.
But now she had to be patient.
at this time.
There was a rush of footsteps outside the conference room, and any guards who wanted to stop them were ordered to stop by another group of people as soon as they were about to take action.
With the sound of the door opening.
An imposing man walked into the conference room.
His figure is like the weight of history itself, and every step he takes is decisive.
He did not speak immediately. His eyes slowly moved around the room, finally settling on Duke Moretti, and then turned to the Fallen Lord.
"Duke Moretti, why didn't you inform me about this important diplomatic issue?"
he asked.
"..."
Duke Moretti's expression suddenly turned gloomy.
"Will Forte, how did you know?"
"That's not the key. The key is that you probably put a lot of effort into keeping me from knowing about the demon envoy's arrival and its detailed time and location. Thank you for your hard work."
Lanqi took off his top hat, put it on the table, leaned on his cane and smiled.
Duke Moretti stood up immediately, the shadows growing deeper and deeper on his face, and walked out of the conference room door without saying a word.
"Sir Moretti, won't you stay and listen?"