Vienna, Schönbrunn Palace.
The commander of the Violet Knights had personally come to deliver a letter, which made Franz feel that the intelligence agency under him was far too unprofessional.
What kind of intelligence would require the highest-ranking person to act as a messenger?
"Asfeld, what matter is so important that you had to come yourself? During wartime, has the Knights' work grown this leisurely?"
Asfeld's public identity was that of a socialite who loved hosting art salons. Her figure and looks were beyond reproach, and her head of golden hair added even more charm to her.
People would instinctively slap the label of big-breasted and brainless onto such a woman, but the one before him was a genius. Her instantaneous memory was astonishing, and she knew eight languages as well as twenty-five dialects.
At this moment, Asfeld was wearing specially made clothing. Through the thick bulletproof glass, she spoke with a mixture of lip-reading cues and sign language.
"We found a great deal of gold in Spain. A tremendous amount!"
In reality, it was normally impossible for these intelligence agents to meet Franz directly. Before an audience, they all had to be carefully searched to ensure they carried no weapons, poison, or explosives.
Aside from the strict inspection, they also could not carry any items on their person, including their own clothing, which was why there were specially made clothes.
"Gold? A great deal?"
Franz found it boring. He knew perfectly well that the Kingdom of Spain was financially strapped. Aside from those officers, the others might not even necessarily receive their pay.
Isabella II's private treasury did have some money, but not that much—roughly ten or twenty million Reals.
To ordinary people, this sum was an astronomical figure, but to the Austrian Empire, it might not even be