Rhett met Hogus's gaze and shrugged, "I don't know which White Hat you are talking about. Anyway, it's the guy that Riley met some time ago. Let's just call him White Hat."

Hogus showed a look of realization on his face and said with a smile: "Well, it really is fate..."

Rhett sensed something was wrong. It seemed that... the Third Prince and the White Hat knew each other?

So he asked, "Could the White Hat have another identity? Could he be someone in the palace?"

"That's not the case." Hogus shook his head and said thoughtfully: "Well...I wonder if Count Rhett has heard of Karina?"

It was a familiar name. Leiter remembered that when he was promoted to earl, Grand Duke Augustus of Blue Diamond came to his territory and presented him with a finely drawn map. He mentioned this name, so he replied thoughtfully: "It seems... a great magician of the water system? He is also a very skilled painter."

"Yes." Hogus nodded and said, "Karina is the chief painter of the palace. She joined the royal family halfway through. I have come into contact with her and heard her talk about her past experiences. She had an unforgettable experience when she was young. When she showed her passion for painting, she met an enlightenment teacher who taught her a lot of painting knowledge.

Unfortunately, she was deeply saddened when he left without saying goodbye one day.

Karina even said that not being able to find her mentor was a big regret in her life..."

"Hmm, so that's how it is. White Hat and Grand Mage Karina actually had this experience..." A flash of realization flashed across Rhett's eyes, and he sighed: "It seems that White Hat is indeed a great man. He teaches and imparts knowledge, and is selfless and dedicated."

Hogus looked at Leiter in surprise and gave him a thumbs up: "Very insightful summary!"

By the evening, the long dining table in Dark Rock Castle was already filled with a sumptuous dinner.

Because the Third Prince was such an important guest, Lei Te specially prepared a feast of aquatic monsters. Now the aquatic monsters in Hanjing Lake had begun to take shape, with the number reaching nearly a thousand, which was enough to satisfy an occasional sumptuous banquet.

Fire fish sashimi, steamed giant scallops, giant scallops with garlic sauce, shrimp and crab tender meat lasagna, white asparagus and crab roe soup, coconut milk fire fish pineapple balls, seafood pie, seafood salad...

There were more than 10 or 20 dishes in total, and Tucker's eyes sparkled! If it weren't for Leiter's repeated instructions and emphasis on maintaining aristocratic demeanor and not losing his composure in front of the guests, I'm afraid his saliva would have already flowed out.

Even Thales, who had not seen such a sumptuous seafood monster feast for a long time, licked his lips unconsciously and his appetite was whetted!

But for Hogus and his companions, this was just an ordinary meal, and it was the same for every meal in the palace.

Moreover, at this level, banquets and gatherings are just formalities; what is important is the communication during the banquet.

Amid the light and shadow and the clinking of glasses, Rhett and Hogus were chatting and laughing.

One of them wanted to attract talented people, while the other wanted to take refuge under a big tree for shade, and their conversation was harmonious and joyful.

The dinner was a great pleasure in a harmonious atmosphere.

Late at night, Hogus and Rhett came to a rooftop connecting the secondary castle and the main castle.

At first, it was Leiter who was driving around and watching the moon alone. Hogus came later and said with a smile: "Earl Leiter is very elegant. He is watching the moon at this time!"

Lei Te suddenly turned around and greeted, "Prince Hogus, good evening, are you satisfied with your dinner tonight?"

"I'm very satisfied. This is the best meal I've had since leaving the palace." Hogus said in a serious tone, although the taste was just average.

"Oh, this is really good news. I will give a bonus to Chef Maru later. This will be the highest praise she has ever received!" Rhett shrugged and smiled.

"You are a generous lord." Hogus walked leisurely to Leiter's side, looked up at the moon for a while, and suddenly said, "Count Leiter, I heard that you did not remarry after coming down from the battlefield?"

Rhett was stunned for a moment, then showed a hint of sadness and nodded slightly.

"I don't mean anything else. I just think that starting a new relationship may help you get out of the shadow. Your future is still long and exciting. You can try to find another person to accompany you..." Hogus persuaded. If Rhett agreed, he could introduce the most outstanding eldest daughter of the nobles in his faction, and in the future he might even be able to change the cage and replace the bird and absorb the power of a family.

"Prince Hogus, I appreciate your kindness, but I don't want to do this." Leiter replied softly. Not only did he not want to do it, but his three sons would not be happy to see it either. Finding a strange woman would change the atmosphere of the whole family.

Hogus glanced at Rhett's profile and spread his hands: "Okay, everything is up to you. But I mean... even if you don't find a wife, if you need it, I can introduce you to some stunning maids with devilish figures. I guarantee that each one is top-notch. In your free time, it would be nice to have some fun and spice things up, what do you think?"

Lei Te was silent for a long time, then shook his head and said, "There's no need to talk about this again. Third Prince, it's already very late, I'm going to go back and rest."

"Well, it seems that Earl Rhett is really as devoted as the legend says." Hogus looked at Rhett's back as he turned around neatly, and smiled helplessly: "I was just testing him, I didn't mean anything else.

Actually, I have something else to ask you..."

Why didn't you say it earlier? Why did you have to drag it out for so long? With his back to Hogus, Lei Te's mouth twitched. When he turned around again, his expression returned to normal, and he showed a hint of doubt at the right time: "Prince Hogus, what else?"

Hogus took two steps forward and said, "I would like to invite you to become my secret confidant. You will be the most promising genius in my department!"

Rhett was already accustomed to this straightforward approach. During these moments of solitude, the more important the decision, the fewer twists and turns and nonsense there were.

Lei Te pretended to be surprised, opened his eyes slightly, and said:

"Prince Hogus is not joking?"

"Of course not!" Hogus asked in a serious tone, "Does Earl Rhett lack confidence? Or is he still not clear about his own value? With your potential, you are fully qualified to be wooed by anyone. Even my brothers and sisters would make the same choice if they knew what happened today.

But please believe me, I am more optimistic about you than any of them. Because I value not only your talent, but also your outstanding qualities. I believe that your joining us will give us the brightest future. "

Lei Te pondered for a long time, as if considering it carefully, and then said seriously:

"Prince Hogus, you have the bearing of a king!"

Hearing Leiter's words, Hogus was obviously stunned for a moment, and laughed dumbly:

"Haha, the king is too far away. My father is in his prime. The life span of the Holy Land is so long that there is no hope in the short term."

Rhett was silent. He couldn't say much about this topic.

Then, Hogus continued: "What does Earl Rhett think?"

Rhett remained silent. He couldn't reply too quickly, as it would arouse suspicion.

He looked thoughtful with a slightly frown on his face, as if he was seriously considering the other party's invitation. This state lasted for about ten minutes.

Hogus waited patiently on the side.

Finally, Leiter touched his chest, bowed and said, "Of course, I am honored to be favored by Prince Hogus!"

If he and his territory could get the help of a prince, the development would surely be greatly accelerated!

Hogus's eyes lit up: "Congratulations, Earl Rhett, you have made a choice that you will never regret in the future! You will be my most important subordinate in the southwest border."

"Really? I'm happy to serve you." Rhett said respectfully.

Hogus's face was filled with joy. He waved his hand and said boldly, "If you need anything, please let me know. I will find a way to satisfy you."

This was what Leiter had been waiting for. Although he had known it for a long time, he still pretended to be overjoyed. After thinking for a moment, he said:

"It would be great if we could have a few alchemy talents. The alchemy strength in my territory is still a little weak."

"Simple, when I return to the palace, I will send a few intermediate alchemists I trained here. I believe that working here for a few years will be enough to promote development!" Hogus responded very readily. On the one hand, he did intend to help Leiter. On the other hand, it was also to block Leiter's subsequent requests. Although the other party agreed to surrender, it would take time to verify how loyal he was. He believed in Leiter, but it was impossible for him to generously give a lot of benefits just by listening to the other party's words. The most reasonable choice is actually to deepen the relationship and then support him step by step...

Leiter showed a delighted look: "Thank you, Prince Hogus!"

"Haha, it's just a small matter." Hogus raised his lips and added, "Besides that, I will send someone to bring you some Aurora Potion after I return. You have such a great talent, you must cherish it. I hope to see you break through to the Grand Mage as soon as possible."

"Thank you!" Lei Te was even more grateful, but suddenly showed a hint of hesitation and asked: "Can you give me some more Moonlight Potion and Boiling Potion? I have three sons who also need to practice..."

"Don't worry, I have thought about it and will send them all together. In fact, Moonlight Potion and Boiling Potion are not valuable in the Royal City, and the same goes for other inferior potions. The Royal City has gathered a large number of alchemy pharmacists, and the production capacity of inferior potions has already reached a very high level." Hogus said indifferently.

Rhett thanked him again.

Then, the two chatted for a while on various topics.

So as they were chatting, he suddenly thought of something that was closely related to the southwest border, so he asked:

"Count Leiter, I remember last year...you returned to the canyon defense battlefield?"

"That's true." Lei Te nodded.

Hogus was silent for a moment, then said, "I also heard...it seems that you discovered a traitor hiding on the human side?

Oh no, to be exact, was it the mysterious person who gave you the note who told you about the traitor hiding in the rear? "

As a prince, he did have some inside information. Without waiting for Leiter's reply, he continued, "Now there are only you and me here, and I want to know the real situation. Leiter, are you sure... that the mysterious man gave you the note?"

Lei Te showed a hint of surprise at the right time, and then frowned: "I'm sure, is there something wrong here?"

"Hmm." Hogus also frowned. "I heard that when the commander of the Coldstream Defense Line heard about this, he doubted you. He suspected that the orcs might have deliberately exposed the flaw in order to train a spy who could better infiltrate the interior!"

"What?" Lei Te's face changed slightly, and he couldn't help but exclaimed. Being labeled a traitor to humanity is no small matter! If this misunderstanding cannot be cleared up in time, it will be like a time bomb, which may explode one day and bring disaster.

"What happened next?" Lei Te asked, and then said firmly: "I can guarantee that I have absolutely no relationship with the orcs. Besides, I have fought on the front line for more than ten years, how could I be an orc spy?

Ridiculous, so ridiculous! "

"Don't worry. I think so too. In fact, the Coldstream Defense Commander's guess was quickly refuted by others. The original discussion unanimously agreed that the probability of you being a spy is extremely small." Hogus shook his head. "Especially after meeting you in person today, it is even more impossible. How could a genius like you do something as hopeless as a spy? And how could you be subdued by the orcs?"

Hearing this, Lei Te finally breathed a sigh of relief, "The royal family is wise!"

Then, he still said with concern: "Then, can I know how far the royal family's investigation into the traitor has progressed? What progress has been made? I am also very curious, who has the ability to develop a traitor behind our backs."

“I can tell you, but you have to remember to keep it a secret!

There are currently three speculations. The first is that the orcs' sanctuary masters are secretly developing spies within our human race. Such examples have happened in the past, but they have not been spread to the outside world. And it is not just the Kingdom of Jinlun, similar things have happened in other kingdoms as well!" Hogus frowned unconsciously when talking about the orcs, and then said: "The first possibility is the greatest, and it is also the main direction of the current investigation, but I am not responsible for this matter and I don't have access to first-hand information."

Rhett nodded thoughtfully. What Hogus said made sense, and they were all secrets that he had not been able to access in the past.

"The second possibility is that the Holy Domain monsters are causing trouble. Holy Domain monsters may also transform. Although our human kingdom does not provoke powerful Holy Domain monsters, many monsters die at the hands of humans every year, so the relationship between the two sides has never been harmonious."

This is the conspiracy theory, at least there are no clues or inferences... Lei Te thought to himself, and he also thought that the possibility of the Holy Land monsters playing tricks could not be ruled out! "Then what about the third possibility?" Lei Te asked again.

But Hogus did not respond quickly as he did just now.

When Rhett saw that Hogus fell silent, he suddenly had a bold guess in his mind. Even the orcs and the Warcraft had suspected him, but there was still one biggest force that had not been mentioned!

He blurted out: "Could it be possible that it appeared among humans..."

He couldn't continue speaking halfway through, and Rhett narrowed his eyes slightly.

"That's right, but the holy land of our Jinlun Kingdom can be ruled out. Even if there is something fishy going on, it can only be the holy land of other kingdoms..." A cold look flashed in Hogus's eyes.

Lei Te shared the same hatred and said: "No matter what, those traitors should die!"

"Yes, the most intolerable thing is the internal traitors. Every one of them will die." Hogus' voice was a little cold.

Then, he seemed to remember something, with a hint of hesitation on his face: "Rhett, that mysterious man, have you caught any clues, such as his figure, voice, features, etc."

I know, his name is Goldfinger... Leiter shrugged: "I have no clue at all. In fact, I am also curious about who he is. Has the royal family's investigation made any progress?"

"How is that possible? This is more difficult than finding a traitor, and it's even harder to understand. It's precisely because of the peculiarity of this mysterious man that you, Rhett, were suspected in the first place..." Hogus shook his head.

Perhaps realizing that he had said too much, Hogus let out a breath, glanced at the moon and the stars, raised his eyebrows and said, "Count Leiter, it's getting late, it's time to rest early. By the way, if that mysterious person contacts you, please be sure to report to me!"

"No problem!" Rhett stroked his chest and said, "Good night, Prince Hogus!"

"Good night, Earl Rhett!" Hogus waved and turned away.

After watching Hogus leave, Rhett looked up at the moon again and fell into deep thought: "Nothing was found out? That's a good thing, because it also makes it easier for the identity of the mysterious man to become truly 'mysterious'. I always have a hunch that perhaps, I will have to use this identity again in the future..."

Hogus stayed in the Rhett territory for only three days before he had to go back, which was slightly different from the simulation.

During this period, Rhett personally accompanied them on their tours around the territory.

Hogus had advised not to reveal the news of his arrival and to try to conceal the relationship between them.

On the third day, after bidding farewell to Hogus, Rhett rode on Heiger, whom he had not ridden for a long time.

When the group passed a clearing in the woods, Hogus stopped and turned to look at Leiter: "Count Leiter, I have something to tell you. Since you are staying in the southwest border, I have some hidden agents that I planted in the early years. Maybe they can help you."

When Rhett heard this, he showed curiosity.

"Actually, you know this person. It might surprise you if I tell you." Hogus smiled.

"Oh? I know him, but he can't be my family member." Rhett said jokingly.

"Well, barely..."

The words fell.

Rhett's smile froze instantly.

But before he could speak, Hogus shook his head and said, "Carol, you must know him, right?"

It turned out to be her... A strange look appeared on Lei Te's face: "Of course, I know Gary's wife, Klina's mother. Is she also your subordinate?"

Hogus smiled a little obscurely: "Yes, Gary's wife was trained by me more than ten years ago. Although she is not a very important role, she is also responsible for supervising and inquiring about the news of the noble circle in Brian..."

A hint of surprise flashed in Lei Te's eyes, and he thought that the secret was hidden very well. He asked curiously:

"How did Carol gather intelligence for you? Did she do it through gatherings of noble ladies?"

"I guess so. In the lower-class aristocratic circles, it is much easier for ladies to collect intelligence than men."

"Why do you say that?"

"Haha, they just need to develop some private relationships with more nobles, and it will be easy to achieve their goals." Hogus smiled playfully and said, "After all, all I want for the intelligence here is a wide coverage. It can be easily achieved by using physiological desires."

Rhett raised his eyebrows, calmed down, looked straight at Hogus, and said, "Could it be that Carol..."

"No, she is not included. Of course, if you need other services, that's fine." Hogus smiled playfully: "How is it, exciting?"

Exciting? Are all the royal family members so extravagant? Lei Te complained in his heart, and at the same time, he was glad for Gary, fortunately there was no green grassland above his head...

He shook his head and said, "No need. You know me. If possible, I even hope that you can give up Carol, the hidden chess piece, to avoid some accidents in the future. Klina will be heartbroken after learning the truth."

At this time, several guards around were listening to the conversation just now, and their thoughts were different.

Gerson was a little disdainful. "In life, you should enjoy yourself to the fullest. It's just sleeping with a woman, what's the big deal? Of course, you should do it as excitingly as possible. Count Rhett is not worthy of this talent if he is timid!"

The earth-type great mage Zelos had a glimmer of admiration in his eyes. "He is neither arrogant nor impatient, neither extravagant nor greedy. This Count Rhett has the excellent qualities of a man who can accomplish great things. People like Gerson who live for their crotch will just be like that for the rest of their lives. Perhaps the title of Crotch Knight is more suitable for him..."

Sorry for the long wait

Tomorrow is the next month, and I will ask for the next month 　's votes, my friends 　Thank you for the monthly votes from all the book friends, thank you very much 　　Thank you for the recommendation votes from all the book friends, thank you very much 　　 　 (end of this chapter)