Chapter 23 Initial Trust

"Yes, I have to accept having a capable and loyal subordinate like you." Agatha took the tea brought by Luke and tasted an indescribable bitterness in her mouth, just like her current mood. "You asked me to prepare... what?"

Luke ate the snacks on the table and couldn't help but recall the scenes of Agatha's plot in the game. Following the tasks, he gradually cracked her hard shell and captured her warm and soft heart.

But the real Agatha in front of him was definitely not an NPC in the game whose favorability could be increased.

If the world had to choose a person who wanted to kill her the most, it would definitely be this princess. She took over the Imperial Secret Service at the age of 16, and she would never show mercy if there was a chance to eliminate this threat to her.

Luke said as he ate, "Be prepared to face this turbulent era and fulfill your historical responsibility. The fate of the empire is already on the table, but His Majesty still rejects you. If His Majesty asked you to preside over the war against the Tedega Hills, you would not have summoned me so low-key.

Is it the eldest prince who went to the south? Or is it the second prince?"

Agatha stared at Luke with eyes so sharp that it seemed as if she wanted to see through the man in front of her.

"How do you know? Father hasn't issued an order yet. Gabriel probably wouldn't dare to tell you such a confidential matter."

Luke picked up the teacup and took a sip of tea to swallow the snack.

He rudely wiped away the residue stuck to the corner of his mouth with his hand, and then answered: "The hereditary nobles are mainly concentrated in the south and west of the empire, among which the Celtic Duke of Tedega Hill is the strongest.

I think His Majesty should keep you in the imperial capital to watch over you personally and prevent your power from expanding due to war. The two princes have made contributions in suppressing rebellions in the south and the west respectively, and their prestige after returning will not be shaken by you.

At that time, it would be easy for Your Majesty to take over the Nutao City.

Your Highness, don't think that I am betting on the fate of the empire. I am also betting my Raging Waves City on the gambling table."

Agatha sneered and said, "Raging Waves City belongs to the Empire. When did it become yours?"

Luke replied, "Okay, you said Raging Waves is the Empire, and I'll give it to you now."

"Are you willing to do that?"

"Why would I be reluctant? I think with my fame, I will be valued in any country in the world. Isn't Rio at war? Your Highness, if I join the Lookout, how much land will Rio's royal family give me after the restoration of the country?"

Agatha finally realized that the meteor was not playing a joke on her.

The Golden Shield Empire regarded the City of Raging Waves as a treasure, and in Meteor's eyes, it was not necessarily something that could be abandoned. His ability in the City of Raging Waves had long been known to the world. If he now joined the Lookout and helped the Rio royal family to restore their country, he would definitely be a great enemy of the empire in the future.

After all, he was the person his father was willing to win over by using a royal princess. Wasn't it a bit too much for him to show such strong hostility towards him when they first met?

Agatha knew that her attitude made Meteorite unhappy.

“I’m… I’m sorry…” Although she was reluctant, Agatha still apologized to Luke: “Some of the things you did in Raging Waves City made me very passive in the palace, and I couldn’t vent my accumulated anger on others. In addition, the pressure these days is the most difficult situation I have ever experienced in my life.

I should have thanked you. Without your support, I would have been in jail long ago.

Thanks!"

Luke accepted Agatha's apology without any humility: "You're welcome. I accept your apology. Now let's talk business. What are your plans for this war, Your Majesty?"

Agatha, her heart knot untied, replied: "You are almost as expected. Father intends to let the eldest prince and the second prince lead the war on the southern and western fronts respectively. As for who will go to the southern front and who will go to the western front, it has not been decided yet. After all, the southern front has great merits and great risks. The Celtic Grand Duke's barbarian army is very strong, and has the assistance of the Abyss Temple.

But according to my understanding of my two brothers, they will only stay in the imperial capital in name only and will never leave. Father's health..."

Agatha did not continue.

Emperor Augustine's physical condition is the biggest hidden danger to the Golden Shield Empire.

Luke couldn't help but sigh: "It seems that the court in the imperial capital will continue to fight."

Agatha said: "I am not interested in court struggles. I wanted to go to the south, but my father refused. He didn't believe that I didn't covet the throne, especially after you did so many things in my name.

I have been hurt badly by you!"

Hearing Agatha's complaint, Luke reminded her, "Why are we talking about this again? If we have to say who is responsible, it's you... Xuelai is serving her sentence in prison, and you get her out and put her in the Cape District of Raging Waves City.

I am the one you hurt so badly."

Agatha looked at Luke, sorted out the cause and effect of the incident, and found that she was indeed the source.

"Well, let the past be the past, and we only look to the future.

Although I cannot leave the imperial capital, I will definitely have a lot of work to do in the future. The biggest potential rival of the empire in the east is the Rio Republic. You have been preparing for a military strike against Rio for some time. However, the main rival of the empire now is the rebellious nobles, and there cannot be a large-scale conflict with the Rio Republic.

Let's talk about Leo's current situation and whether the Eastern Front can be stabilized during the Empire's suppression of the rebellion."

Luke thought about it for a moment and then told Agatha his strategy against Leo.

The civil war in the Empire did indeed exceed Luke's expectations, but the preparations he had made beforehand accidentally helped stabilize the eastern waters for the Empire.

Now the Lookout has launched a war of national restoration in the territory of the Rio Republic. Faced with the old Rio royal family who are willing to tear their tendons and skin them alive, the Rio Parliament will definitely use all its energy to suppress its own rebellion.

Baron Jeff of Splendid Island is harassing Leo's shipping routes.

Lady Tasia of Fishbone Island training sailors.

The Cape District Shipyard is exploding an all-metal battleship.

As one gains, the other loses. Naval warfare is not a battle fought by large troop groups. Once the Cape District Anti-Smuggling Fleet forms a generational advantage over the Rio Republic Fleet, it can directly defeat the Rio Navy and force it to not dare to leave the port.

Therefore, there is no need to deploy heavy troops against Rio. The City of Raging Tides can use money to suppress the opponents on the eastern ocean of the empire.

Luke finally said: "I sent people to investigate the shipyards of the Rio Republic. Even if the 'Unit-01'-class all-metal battleship solved the design problems of this new type of battleship, Rio would not be able to build a battleship of the same level as the 'Unit-01' within a year.

If the Empire's spies cause trouble for them, and the Empire restricts their international purchases of related technical equipment, this period can be extended to two years.

And two years later...even if Leo builds a full-metal battleship, it will be outdated in front of our new battleships."

Agatha asked with great interest: "Your shipyard can complete the replacement of all-metal battleships within two years."

Luke said, "Your Highness, the technology of this era is developing very fast. And the technology to build a full-metal battleship has long been ready. Unit-01 just broke that window paper and provided all shipyards with a correct design and construction idea.

For a long time in the future, the replacement of all-metal warships will be very fast. I have an all-metal warship research institute in the Cape District jointly opened with the World Bank to ensure that the ships produced by my shipyard will always be ahead of the world.

The next generation of all-metal battleships will have a displacement of more than 10,000 tons."

"Ten thousand tons!" Agatha couldn't believe this number. There had never been a ten thousand ton battleship in history. "The displacement of Unit-01 was only 3,000 tons. Can the next generation of all-metal battleships reach ten thousand tons?"

"Evangelion Unit-01 has completely broken through the conventional thinking of wooden ships in ship design and manufacturing. It is inevitable that larger ships will appear in the future. Moreover, the development of all-metal warships will also lead to a rapid acceleration of the entire steam machinery technology.

Raging Waves City is in my hands, you should be happy...don't always think about how to get rid of me."

Luke's description triggered Agatha's endless reverie about future ships and steam technology, but after hearing the last sentence, she seemed to have been exposed and argued: "I never thought of getting rid of you."

"hehe……"

Agatha was even more flustered by Luke's scolding, and she suppressed her expression and changed the subject: "You have done very well on the Eastern Front, so the Empire has one less threat from another direction.

The northern border has long been fortified due to years of conflicts, and if it is strictly guarded, no major problems will arise in the short term.

The Empire has long been prepared for military operations in the south and west. There will be no unexpected events on the frontal battlefield, but the non-frontal battlefield is extremely dangerous. "

Luke agreed with Agatha's point of view: "Yes, the old nobles and the Brotherhood have long infiltrated every aspect of the empire. They have hidden very strong forces in the imperial capital, as well as the Abyss Temple and many expected and unexpected enemies.

Once war breaks out... sabotage, assassination, espionage and other incidents will surely increase."

Agatha said: "They will also make moves in the court. The conflicts that are settled today will definitely be used again. These struggles are not like wars, where the merits are obvious. What we have to do, even if it is a contribution to the empire, may not be praised, but may be a knife stabbed from the back."

Agatha's words were full of helplessness.

My father is so suspicious that my worries may really come true.

Luke comforted the sad Agatha: "In the imperial capital, if anyone wants to touch one of us, you, me, or Miss Clear Sky, they must first consider the revenge of the other two.

Unless someone can attack all three of us at the same time, I would not dare to leave Raging Waves City and come here without being fully prepared.

Just tell me what you want me to do. I have nothing to do these days, and my people and I are so bored that our bones ache. "

"I want you to find Princess Dale."

Luke was confused: "I'm not familiar with the situation in the imperial capital. Why would you let me handle this case?"

Agatha recalled her search for Dale and said with a sad face: "If Dale was murdered, the murderer would not have kept her death a secret. If Dale is really dead and the murderer cannot be found, I will always be the biggest suspect.

Therefore, I think Dale is still alive, or has been captured, or cannot come back due to other reasons. I have almost searched the entire imperial capital, but there is no news of her. Maybe my method is wrong, or maybe the other party can grasp the whereabouts of the imperial spies.

I want to have a group of trustworthy people check it.

You and your people are from Raging Waves City. You are not familiar with the Imperial Capital, and the Imperial Capital is not familiar with you either. Perhaps you can see places that we tend to overlook, and perhaps you can bring your miracles here."

Luke considered whether to tell Agatha about Dale's time at the Clear Sky Museum, but ultimately decided not to.

Even if Agatha didn't assign this case to me, I would find out who attacked Dale. At present, Agatha doesn't seem to be the mastermind of the attack on Dale, but there is no guarantee that the people around her and the people from the Imperial Secret Service were not involved.

Until the truth comes out, the fewer people who know where Dai'er is, the better.

"Okay! Princess Dale was attacked more or less because of me. As long as she is still alive, I will definitely find her. But what identity should I use to handle this case?

I am the Chief Inspector of the Secret Service of Nutao City and I have no authority to investigate cases in the Imperial Capital."

Agatha said, "I've prepared everything for you. You are now the Chief Inspector of the Secret Service of Fury City, and concurrently the Director of the Sixth Special Service of the Imperial Secret Service. The Sixth Special Service is a department I set up specifically for you, and its office is located at 236 Copper Mulberry Avenue.

You will get the appointment letter and certificate when you leave, and all departments in the imperial capital will soon receive a notice from the Imperial Secret Service. From now on, the Secret Service's Sixth Division will be responsible to me alone. As long as you can find Dale, I will cover everything you do. "

The Imperial Secret Service has branches in various cities. Their main function is to collect intelligence and have a certain amount of military force. For general national security incidents, the local Secret Service branches are capable of handling them on their own, but when encountering vicious and highly dangerous incidents, the Imperial Secret Service's special agent department needs to be mobilized.

The Secret Service is home to the most elite Imperial spies of the Imperial Secret Service. It was once the backbone of the fight against the Assassin's Lodge of the Blade Brotherhood. Spies like Xuelai and Pisco were absolutely unable to enter.

Agatha set up a new office in the Secret Service and gave Luke full responsibility, and promised to provide a safety net, which shows how eager she is to find Dale.

Luke also needs this identity if he wants to move freely in the imperial capital.

"Thank you, Your Highness. I think we have established some initial trust in each other during this meeting. I hope we can have a more tacit cooperation in the future."

Agatha smiled rarely and said, "The impression you made on me far exceeded my expectations. Perhaps our future is not as bad as I initially thought."

Luke said, "I hope everything is as Your Highness thinks now. If there is nothing else, I will go back first. My people and I will immediately investigate the attack on Princess Dale."

“I hope you can find Dai’er as soon as possible and don’t let her suffer any more… She has never left the palace. I can’t imagine how she has been living these days.

goodbye.

Your father's appointment and reward to you should be arriving at your residence soon."

Luke couldn't help but laugh out loud: "From no one welcoming me to the imperial capital, to now His Majesty and the Princess Royal competing to reward me, the situation has changed so quickly!

goodbye.

I'll go back and see what surprise His Majesty has for me."

Luke bowed to Agatha, went out to meet Xuelai and the other two to leave Tulip Manor.

The convoy honked its horns all the way as it rushed back to No. 236 Tongsangshu Avenue.

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