"You're saying that he wants to personally come to the battlefield and visit me?"
After sending Tangerine off, Naina immediately returned to the lord's mansion. She arrived at the study and crushed a communication crystal. After it resonated, she began to talk to Count Brendel.
"Yes, father."
Naina nodded. "I can see that he doesn't trust me and wants to talk to you face to face. It seems that he intends to sign an alliance with Lord Kaki."
"The nobles of the trading city-states. Ha, it seems that those fellows have dealt too much with the merchants. They seem to think that only things written on paper have binding effect."
Count Brendel laughed coldly, then turned to Roy beside him. "What do you think?"
"Unless we send people to the Free Trade City-States and the Unfallen Empire to verify that this person really exists and that his name and whereabouts are exactly the same, then we can trust him."
Roy's face was expressionless. "He said that he had met with Head of State Tamushan and Emperor Enrithir. This is not a small matter and should be known by everyone. It won't be difficult to find some evidence."
Naina had been in contact with them, so Roy and Count Brendel knew all the details of Count Tangerine's actions.
"But we have no friends in the south. Besides, even the teleportation spell of a great mage can't cross such a long distance. We would have to spend a lot of money to create a physical portal."
Naina explained. "We don't have the energy or time."
"Also, with that guy's actions, it's impossible for him to be a spy and assassin from the Laiyin Kingdom. My eyes can't be wrong, the Laiyin Kingdom can't hire such an orthodox noble."
Although he and his brother were not close, they were not at odds with each other. They were still harmonious and discussed problems more objectively.
"I know it can't be the Laiyin Kingdom. What I'm worried about is the Black Dragon."
Roy lowered his head and fiddled with his gloves. He said softly, "There's been no news from the Green Capital for so long. The contract with the Mother of Poison has long disappeared. The old Green Dragon of more than four hundred years old is now either imprisoned or dead."
"No matter what, the Black Dragon has really returned and won the battle against the Green Dragon."
Roy said and turned to Count Brendel: "Father, you said that smart people are always interested in benefits, and I agree with this point."
"But that black dragon, it's different."
"Seven years ago, I once allowed all my soldiers to fight to the death, causing the Mother of Poisons to come to the battlefield and personally take action. But in that battle, there was a scene that I remember very clearly. When the Black Dragon realized that its attacks were ineffective and that it couldn't even hurt me, it didn't abandon its kin and escape. Instead, it chose to stand with the Orcs and Gnolls."
Roy furrowed his brows as he tried to recall the incident. "What's even more puzzling is that it was standing in front of the orcs and gnolls."
"This means that if that old dog hadn't stood up in the end, once the Green Capital Army charged, the Black Dragon would have been the first to be surrounded and in danger."
"After that, the more I thought about it, the more I felt that something was wrong.
This kind of action is something that all the Pentashade Dragons and even most of the human nobles wouldn't be able to do. This is enough to prove that it's one of a kind. "
"Father, you said that under normal circumstances, a smart Black Dragon would never rashly attack and would choose to let us fight amongst ourselves. That's right, but I think that the Black Dragon doesn't belong to the category of normal circumstances. After dealing with the Green Capital, it's very likely that it would directly retaliate against us."
"What if this Tangerine is the Black Dragon using a transformation spell to disguise himself and sneak into the Northern Kingdoms?"
"If that's the case, then Count Tangerine's wealth is comparable to a country's, and the wealth of the Green Capital is enough to support his extravagance."
Roy concluded: "I don't trust him, and at this time, we have to be vigilant."
"But the Dragons are all greedy." Naina was anxious: "They can't … …"
"My foolish brother, nothing is impossible in the Airadia."
Roy looked into his brother's eyes and said word by word: "You haven't seen it, so you don't know how terrifying it is. But I have."
"Seven years later, it defeated the Mother of Poison, proving that its power has grown to an unimaginable level."
Roy did not hide his vigilance, and it could even be said that he was afraid: "If it's really the Black Dragon in disguise, we'll die as soon as we see it."
"I don't want to gamble with my life."
The Ancient God that her father worshipped had given the Brendel family many mysterious abilities, but it had never responded to them, nor did it give them any real power.
If it was really the Black Dragon, they would not be able to survive if their hiding place was found.
After receiving Roy's strong objection, Naina had no choice but to look at her father and wait for the count's decision.
"Well said."
Brendel looked at Roy with a smile and praised: "It seems that this war has made you grow a lot, and you'll be able to hold your own in the future."
"But."
He calmed down and knocked on the table lightly: "But you have to consider the current needs of the Brendel family. We're embarrassingly short on funds and urgently need a large sum of money, otherwise we won't be able to outlast Duke Lionheart."
"Remember, don't give up on this rare opportunity just because of a possible guess."
With that, Count Brendel nodded to his eldest son, "Naina, tell Count Tangerine that I agree to meet him."
"Father!"
Roy's eyes widened in disbelief, and his voice could not help but raise by two octaves. Before this, he had already explained the cause and effect clearly, and he had also laid out the interests clearly. He did not expect his father to make such a decision in the end.
Brendel did not turn around when he heard his second son's whisper, and only waved his hand in his direction to stop Roy. He continued to speak to Naina: "But tell him that in consideration of the need to maintain secrecy during the war, we will only allow him to come alone under your escort."
"Make this prerequisite clear, and then ask the Count of Tangerine if he agrees.
Then tell me his choice. "
That was the end of Brendel's instructions.
Naina was still a little confused, but Roy immediately understood and said: "Let's do it this way!"
A true noble of high status would never agree to such a harsh and unreasonable request. Regardless of whether he had the protection of a magical item, he would never hand over his freedom to others.
Moreover, under normal circumstances, nobles would feel that they were being looked down upon, and in order to maintain their dignity and status, they would reject such a request.
But if the so-called Count Tangerine's real identity was the Black Dragon who had snuck into the Northern Kingdoms to seek revenge, he would probably agree immediately and give himself away.
Whether it was real or fake, it would be clear after a try.