Eagle's Glory

It was ruled by the Ottoman Turks for centuries, allowing itself to be dusted in obscurity.

It would be fine if he was just an ignorant sailor, but he learned so much knowledge from Father Faria, which aroused his feelings. He deeply felt that in this birthplace of science, civilization once bloomed of brilliance.

Just because he knew of its past glory, he became more and more indignant about its current situation and encounter.

After personally facing and experiencing the disaster here, he suddenly ignited the same anger as Byron.

Byron and so many dead did not complete the cause, but the torch they lit was not extinguished, it still burns, and now it is Edmond Dantès and his party who picked it up It's time.

Edmond Dantès has already firmly believed that their cause is just—even if the original motive is for profit, at least objectively they are fighting for a better world, and they have no regrets.

Of course, just being passionate is not enough. Edmond Dantès has already passed the age of passion. He is able to suppress his righteous indignation and calmly act according to circumstances.

He now belongs to a group, and he is burdened with the task entrusted by the Lord, and he must complete the task.

It was a hot summer at this time, and he was dressed in the clothes of an Arab businessman, with a white turban on his head, and walked through the dilapidated streets and alleys of Lavrion with two entourages and a local interpreter recruited with money.

It used to be a residential area with many fishermen's huts, but now most of them are dilapidated, crowded together like dead beetles, and most of the owners of the houses have disappeared, and through the gap between the houses In the small gap, from time to time, you can see a few beheaded unnamed corpses on the beach, silently telling the disasters that this place has encountered, and even the sea breeze that you breathe seems to have a bit of blood. Obviously, it is still here. Not peaceful.

Under the guidance of the middleman, they found a shack in the maze-like alleys, and closed the door behind them.

In the room, several people were gathering, and they raised their heads in unison at this moment, looking at Edmund Dantès who had just entered the door.

These people are all wearing blue jackets, white trousers, and red caps on their heads-this is the uniform of the Egyptian army.

They all held weapons in their hands and watched the people coming in warily.

Looking at their murderous eyes, Edmond Dantès knew in his heart that all of these people had definitely killed people, and not just one or two.

When he was running around on the merchant ship, he had seen many desperadoes, and they also looked at him with such contempt for life.

In order not to misunderstand them, he raised his hand to indicate that he was not hostile, and his actions also reduced the hostility of the group of people.

"I'm here to negotiate a deal!" he said in his half-baked Arabic.

The leading officer sized him up a few times, then waved his hand lightly, signaling the people around him to put down their weapons.

At the same time, Edmond Dantès also took the opportunity to look at the opponent.

This is a young military officer about 30 years old, with a dark face, a few short black curly hair exposed under the hat, clear facial features, and very energetic eyes. From the open front of his clothes, you can see a large piece of bronze-colored skin with very strong muscles. , full of explosive power.

He had a saber and a pistol pinned to his body, and he was obviously on alert at all times.

After carefully looking at Edmund Dantès, he nodded slightly, then pointed to a small wooden pier in front of him, signaling Edmond Dantès to sit down.

"Are you the merchant who wants to buy our goods this time?" He asked coldly.

As if to take care of Edmund, he spoke very slowly, so Edmond Dantès could understand it easily.

"Yes." He nodded emphatically, "I want to buy some... goods from you."

This is the result of his latest efforts.

Before being imprisoned, Edmond Dantès knew many smugglers, and after coming to Monte Cristo Island, he deliberately got in touch with this underground world.

Since he came to Greece, in order to fulfill the task entrusted by His Majesty, he began to use the network of smugglers to try to contact those who secretly sold arms in the Turkish and Egyptian armies.

As His Majesty said, if you want to buy military equipment, buying from an army is the easiest way - if the army is currently in a state of war, it would be even more ideal, the silverfish in the army can easily Some use "war damage" as an excuse to secretly resell military funds.

Edmond Dantès used the existing network to find reliable candidates, and after some twists and turns, he finally found a reliable transaction partner.

And today is the day they meet.

"I am Wilmo." Edmund Dantès reported the pseudonym he used for this transaction, and then continued in his not-so-fluent Arabic, "I hope to buy a lot of money from you. Ordnance, the more the better, and if there are cannons, the better..."

The officer didn't answer his question right away, but suddenly grinned.

Not only did his smile not make him look gentle, but it made him even more weird, like a ferocious beast that would choose someone to devour at any time.

"You are French," the officer asserted.

Edmund Tanteston was shocked at the fact that his origin was exposed after a single meeting, and what was even more surprising was that the officer spoke in French.

Although a little flustered, he maintained his superficial composure.

"I don't think it matters. Gold is gold wherever it is." He replied coldly in Arabic.

"Don't go around in circles, sir. Your Arabic is pretty good, but—a few syllables are clearly identifiable as French." The officer suddenly began to speak in fluent French, "Don't worry, Most people can't hear it, but I've lived in France for many years, so I know."

Edmund Dantès didn't speak anymore, just looked at the other party quietly, waiting for his next words.

"Don't worry, they don't understand French. It doesn't matter what we say." The officer continued, "Besides, I am their leader, and they all obey my orders very much."

Then he extended his hand to Edmond Dantès.

"Arslan Yusuf Naqif, my name."

[dragon set*1]

Although he didn't understand the other party's intentions, but judging from the other party's performance, Edmund Dantès didn't think he was hostile, so he raised his hand and held the other party's hand.

"Why is a Frenchman coming to buy our weapons?" Yusuf Naqif asked after shaking hands.

"I'm not French anymore, I'm a businessman now, and I want to run all profitable businesses." Edmond Dantès also replied in French. "The arms business is the most profitable, so I'm willing to take risks for it."

"To whom? Our enemies?" Yusuf-Nachif pressed.

"Do you care about this?" Edmond Dantès asked back.

Before the other party got angry, he slowed down his tone again, "But I can assure you, it's not. Because the Greeks can't afford big money now."

Yusuf Naqif froze for a moment, then grinned.

"Very good reason."

Then, he changed the subject again, "So, how much are you going to pay?"

"I can eat as much as you sell." Edmond Dantès replied proudly.

Then he took a money bag from his pocket and handed it to Yusuf Naqif.

Yusuf Naqif took it and opened it.

"Oh!" There was a commotion behind him. Although the soldiers next to him couldn't hear what they were saying, they clearly saw the golden light of the gold coins in the purse.

"These are deposits," Edmond Dantès whispered, "you can trust me now, can you?"

He knew that he was taking a risk now. These people might disappear after taking the bag of gold coins, making him lose the money in vain.

But he trusted his middleman, and besides, doing business meant taking risks, and especially in this kind of business, it was necessary to show a little sincerity.

Moreover, he was willing to trust the guy in front of him, because... from the other person's eyes, he saw the fire of ambition and the courage to act recklessly.

This guy must be restless about the status quo, he wants to do bigger things, so he won't ruin the business for such a small profit.

As he expected, after a moment of silence, the officer made another gesture to silence the soldiers next to him.

Then, Yusuf Naqif looked at Edmund Dantès with a falcon-like gaze, "You are very rich."

"Yes, but I don't have anything on me now, so I already gave it all to you." Edmund Dantès replied quickly, fearing that the other party would suddenly have the idea of ​​robbery. "As long as we start to cooperate, I will send money to you continuously."

The officer was silent again, looking at Edmond Dantès in silent meditation.

Under Edmund's nervous gaze, he nodded slowly.

"Okay, a few boxes of rifles will be delivered here tomorrow, you send someone to pick them up, and by the way, give my people the rest of the money."

Great... Edmond Dantès breathed a sigh of relief.

His hard work during this period was not in vain, and he finally found a partner he could cooperate with.

No doubt a few boxes of rifles were not enough to satisfy him and his master, but it was an excellent start, and he could get more out of it as long as the cooperation continued.

"Then wish us a happy cooperation in the future." He took the initiative to extend his hand to the other party, and the two shook hands again.

Next, the two discussed for a while, finalizing the details of the specific transaction and delivery.

Now, it was time to leave. He knew that the longer he stayed here, the more likely unforeseen accidents would happen.

"I think it's time for me to go back, sir." He said goodbye to the other party.

"Goodbye, sir." The other party replied, not intending to stop him.

Before parting, Edmond Dantès couldn't help being a little curious. "You said you lived in France before? How did you get there?"

"It's okay to tell you." Yousuf laughed again, with some aftertaste in his expression, "My father was a Mamluk cavalryman who served Napoleon and died in Spain. After his empire was over, my father and I His mother was forced to leave France, and I had to join Ali Pasha's army in order to earn a living—that's it."

Under the circumstances, it's no wonder he has no loyalty to the Egyptian Army...

"Understood." Edmond Dantès nodded, "Goodbye."　　

65 Bandits

After leaving the dilapidated shack, Edmond Dantès felt a lot more relaxed.

Although he had maintained his composure and dignity just now, how could he have no fear in his heart?

After all, those soldiers who kill without batting an eye may suddenly shoot at any time, taking his life and money from him.

Although it was already summer, he found that his back was covered in cold sweat.

Fortunately... the adventure finally got the best result.

There might be safety, if not risk, but nothing else, so he would rather risk it.

He who has died once before, why should he be afraid of death?

It was already evening, and taking advantage of the increasingly dark sky, he quietly walked out of the small port of Lavrion. Then, he bid farewell to the translator and middleman he had brought, and disappeared into the night.

Then, with the help of the dim starlight, he came to an olive grove. He followed the route in memory to the grove, and then walked to a well-hidden tree house.

This is where I temporarily hid.

He stopped at the door, because he clearly found that there were signs of someone stepping in at the door.

Calmly, he reached into his pocket, gripped the pistol tightly, and then used alert eyes to check the situation inside through the gap.

"Oh, don't be nervous, it's me!"

A cry came from within.

Upon hearing this voice, Edmond Dantès finally relaxed his tense heart, let go of the gun in his hand, and opened the door.

And there was a person inside, sitting on a simple chair, looking at him with a flattering smile.

"Master Wilmore, have you finished your business?" He asked in a frivolous tone, crossing his legs.

This is a middle-aged man about 40 years old. Because of the year-round travel, his complexion is dark and there are long wrinkles on his forehead, but it can be seen that he is a white man.

He is not tall, and his brown hair is scattered on the top of his head in a mess like a rag, but his beard is neatly trimmed. His right eye was blinded by trauma, so he wore an eye patch, which made him smile even more. It looks a little more weird.

He is a smuggler who has been in Greece for many years, the French Syndicate de Mayne.

[dragon set*2]

He claimed to be a descendant of a nobleman, so he used the prefix De before his surname, but so far, no one knows the authenticity of this identity, and no one has seen other members of this family—of course, no one has Interested to get to the bottom of him.

He was a fairly reliable smuggler, and that was enough.

After being introduced by a smuggler, Edmond Dantès got to know him, and because of his good command of French, reliable reputation and good popularity, Edmond Dantès also intentionally wooed him. He temporarily got his cooperation for a sum of money and made him one of his agents.

In order to gain his trust, Edmond Dantès stated the purpose of his hard work-he planned to sponsor the Greeks' War of Independence.

However, he did not reveal the main messenger behind him, but played himself as a foreign nobleman who was obsessed with heroic career.

Syndicate de Meyne didn't care who he was or what he did, but for the price he paid, he happily chose to cooperate.

Therefore, during this period of time, Edmond Dantès was responsible for the task of purchasing arms, and arranged for him to be in charge of matchmaking. He wanted to use this well-connected smuggler to get acquainted with various forces in Greece. If he could recruit some It is even more ideal for people to use it for themselves.

"My business is over, so Mr. de Mayne..." Edmond Dantès called out the name of the other party in a reserved tone, and lit the oil lamp hidden under the chair, and then with the help of the dim The lights looked at each other. "How are things going with you over there?"

"It's not that easy, sir." Syndicate-de-Main spread his hands regretfully, and then sighed, "You also know that the current situation of the Greeks is very bad. They are all locked down, and some of my old friends either couldn't be contacted, or they had already gone to see God...I still can't get in touch for a while."

Edmond Dantès listened quietly without expressing any opinion.

He knew that Syndicate-de-Mayne was just an ordinary smuggler after all, and even if he had a lot of friends, it was impossible to really know a few big people, and under the current situation, it was impossible to contact the rebels too smoothly. Although the current result Helpless but acceptable.

However, this does not mean that he is satisfied.

Even in order to put a little pressure on the other party, he had to look disappointed.

"Then is there any good news for me?" He asked coldly.

"Yes, sir!" Seeing that the employer was unhappy, Syndicate-de-Maine restrained his smile and quickly answered seriously. "I got in touch with an old friend. He is working as a bandit a few miles away from here, and he has some younger brothers... He is very interested in serving you."

"Bandits?" Edmond Dantès frowned, "Are they really willing to join me?"

"As long as you give enough money, of course they are willing." Syndicate-de-Main smiled slyly, "You have also seen that this place is now in turmoil, no one can live well, and even bandits have more and more living space. The younger he is, the more he can barely support his subordinates, so of course he wants to find another way out."