Chapter 1081 — The Closed-Door Meeting
Blade of Dawn · Page 4 of 4
Frankly, for that instant Gaoyang felt a sudden twinge of worry. He had only thought that Amber's clever head might be of help at this meeting, and had overlooked whether this fellow's flighty temperament might produce some spectacle on such a serious occasion—but when he turned to look at the half-elf beside him, he was utterly astonished to see that this creature, who was always so careless and unruly, now wore an expression of the utmost professionalism and perfect propriety. She faced Luo Yan's praise with just the right smile, and from her tone to her bearing there was scarcely a flaw: "You flatter me—I am here solely to perform my duties. As for sincerity... I believe that since we are standing here, the sincerity of both you and our sovereign is naturally absolute."
"...That goes without saying," Luo Yan said with a slight nod, then added, as though it were a casual remark, "Dailan once praised Cecil's intelligence apparatus to me in the strongest terms. She even told me outright that 'operatives personally trained by the head of Cecil intelligence may well be the finest intelligence personnel in the world.' I used to be quite skeptical, but recently, as the situation in Aldernan has gradually stabilized and I have had a little leisure, I have indeed witnessed the excellence of their methods."
Amber immediately broke into a radiant smile. "Again you flatter me—in my view, your country's wanderers and agents are equally excellent, especially the batch doing 'business' in Tamdul."
Luo Yan's expression did not change in the slightest. He merely turned slightly and gestured for Gaoyang and Amber to be seated, saying offhandedly, "In future, situations like this need to be reduced somewhat, don't they? We have wasted too much energy prying into our neighbors' secrets."
"Of course. We came here today precisely to build further trust." Amber's smile remained radiant, and her tone was so sincere that even Gaoyang felt a little surprised.
But how much weight this "sincerity" truly carried was impossible to say, and Gaoyang's and Luo Yan's attention was clearly not on the matter either.
"Let us discuss the matters truly worthy of attention," Luo Yan said, taking the initiative to raise the topic once both sides were seated. "A war broke out between Typhon and Cecil, born of misunderstanding and deliberately guided by the enemy. Now everything should be brought to an end, should it not?"
"Of course—and in fact this war has already ended," Gaoyang nodded and said with perfect composure. "Our two sides have already signed a long-term ceasefire agreement at the border, and the general-level talks between our two militaries have gone very smoothly. Next we will undoubtedly issue a joint peace statement and explain the truth behind the scenes to the public. This affair will end in peace, trade will resume, and exchanges at both the state and popular levels will reopen. On this point our two sides should be in agreement."
"I have no doubts on this matter," Luo Yan said gravely, and a slowly tightening air finally began to spread around him. "Whether it is the restoration of diplomatic relations or the reopening of trade routes, the diplomats will naturally settle all of that afterward. But there is one thing—I want a direct answer from you.
"How much longer will the Cecil army at Winterwolf Keep remain stationed there?"