Chapter 340: Chapter 289: Civilization Marvel: One Distinguished Guest, Council Members Please Proceed to VIP Seats_3
She herself had returned to Iris to report on her duties. Calculating the time, over three months had passed—more than enough for a round trip.
It’s my fault for scheming over the Newman family these past months; I’ve been too busy to pay attention to my cousin Jacqueline, that problem child. I never even realized this observant aunt had already returned. Not good!
Immediately, his first reaction was:
Oh no, the remaining payment for my child-watching task is gone!
Initially, his aunt had given a deposit of five thousand pounds, agreeing to give another five thousand upon her return. But now that a layer of his disguise had been shed, and they were, after all, relatives, Byron, a man who valued his dignity, found it quite difficult to broach the subject of the remaining payment.
Thankfully, my sister is now managing the Lancaster Party’s accounts. I’ll just allocate this money to this quarter’s rebellion fund and then send the bill to Aunt, asking her to transfer the money! The roads can be rough, but the accounts must be square. I’m such a smartass.
At this moment, Magnyra’s towering bosom was heaving dramatically; she was obviously furious with Fox, the new Governor of Havana. She couldn’t help but retort sharply, "Hmph, the former naval commander, [Conqueror] Cortes, died in the Aztec Royal City, and the former Governor Velazquez met his end on Silvergold Island. The royal port of Havana was breached by the native Emperor, and the previous Governor’s wife and her sisters have been taken by the natives to bear their children! Even the [May Wind] calamity was an accident caused by you People of Castilia. I simply cannot imagine what kind of shameless audacity it takes for you to still have the gall to spout such nonsense here!"
HAHAHA...
As the old saying goes, truth hurts the most. Magnyra’s words immediately drew a burst of laughter from the representatives behind her. Castilia always sought to monopolize colonial benefits, looking down on all other nations. But weren’t these other nations just the same towards Castilia?
Apart from a few minor nations present to make up the numbers, there were a total of six relatively powerful maritime nations or regions that followed the Creator and were currently involved: Castilia, Hightins, Iris, Netherland, the Rhein Alliance, and the Kalmar Union.
As for the most prestigious The Holy Silver Empire, it possessed the name of an empire and a crown ranking above all kings and below the Pope. However, due to its loose federal structure, it struggled with external expansion. At most, it merely dipped a toe in through commercial alliances between cities, such as the Rhein Alliance.
All nations coveted the position of the Maritime Hegemon, Castilia, which held the lion’s share of the benefits, and never hesitated to kick them when they were down. However, before the hunt could even begin, their own ranks were already at each other’s throats. How could anyone expect them to cooperate seamlessly to vanquish the [May Wind]?
Those assembled were mostly old acquaintances from the International Port. They had all had direct or indirect dealings with Byron; none were strangers. Forming another anti-Castilia alliance wasn’t entirely out of the question.
"Hmph!" The Fourth-Order Heroic Transcendent [Double-faced Person] Smith Robert stepped forward. He snorted coldly, ready to teach Magnyra, who had dared to stick her neck out, a lesson.
Just then, Delia had already led Byron and his party to the outskirts of the crowd.
An attendant from the Lighthouse Union had been standing by the door all along. He watched them argue heatedly over seating priority and operational leadership, yet he remained neutral, paying them no mind. But upon seeing Byron approach, his eyes suddenly lit up.
Bypassing the sharply contending national representatives, he strode briskly towards them. His indifferent expression vanished, replaced by a warm smile filled with genuine reverence. He rushed forward and grasped Byron’s hand, "Respected Member of Parliament, my sincere apologies for the delay. Please, come this way. Your... exclusive internal seat has long been prepared."
On the back of Byron’s tightly gripped right hand, a blue Whale Oil Lantern mark, visible only to them, had quietly emerged.
As the attendant gestured, Byron noticed a Brass Nameplate on the other side of the meeting room. It read, "Member of Parliament Access Channel—Unauthorized Personnel Prohibited," and a red carpet was laid out on the floor beneath it.
The chaotic meeting hall instantly fell silent. All eyes instinctively turned towards them.
This... Byron had initially intended to instinctively conceal himself, as usual.
But looking around, on his left was the petite Violet. On his right were his subordinates from Beret Tanya, who regarded him as a natural-born king. The three adventuring captains, those with the keenest sense of danger, had already taken cover behind him at the earliest opportunity.
Only then did Byron suddenly realize that throughout his journey to this point, he had already become a tall tree in the forest—too prominent to hide, with no one standing taller. The time had also come to test his mettle against the various powerhouses.
And so, the tall figure in the blue general’s uniform straightened up abruptly, like a spear. He extended his hand magnanimously, greeting the familiar faces still scrambling for seats, "Ladies and gentlemen, please, carry on. I shall take the liberty, if you’ll excuse me. My apologies!"