As soon as Fang Plover sat down, his eyes couldn't help but be attracted by the sneaky sand halfling at the door of the hotel.
The other party wore a dark green cloak with decorative leather strips embroidered on the edge. He carried a small horn-patterned bow and a dark copper-colored fourteenth-year-old magic furnace. Each copper pipe was covered with There are scuff marks, but it's polished to a smooth finish. A piece of 'reindeer armor' - a kind of magical leather armor that is very common in the market, with these little jingling objects hanging on the belt. And an 'Eagle' style short sword - a bit like a smaller elven scimitar.
The halfling had a thick, curly brown beard on his chin, slightly pointed ears, and was about a head taller than Parker. The other party noticed Fang Plover's gaze, glanced in this direction, and then walked over uninvited, smiling slightly, showing his white teeth.
He reached out from under his cloak and took out a shiny coin, placed it on the wooden table in front of Fang Plover, and pushed it over. "Sir, do you need information?" - There was a letter under the coin with scrawled words on it. The halfling raised his head and looked at him with bright eyes. Hanging from the right edge of his cloak is a colorful coat of arms with colorful markings, probably that of a bird.
Fang Yu glanced at the coin and the envelope underneath.
He reached out and collected the coins without touching the envelope. He raised his head and said calmly to the other party: "Let's talk about it."
It was a local fraternity guy.
They called themselves "woodpeckers", but the bird on the other side's coat of arms was a hummingbird...perhaps because the locals had never seen a real woodpecker. After all, there are not even trees in the sea of silver sand, so why not talk about woodpeckers. And this is almost certainly a word imported from the north, from Kaolin-Ithurion.
The name has a hint of cheapness and artyness.
Fang Yu couldn't help but have a little doubt about the other party's business ability.
Well-informed, operating in gray areas, not always law-abiding, but not going too far beyond, there are more or less such organizations everywhere. It's just that when they were in Elpaxin, it was the big cat man and Miss Attila who had to deal with these people, but he didn't expect that one day, it would be his turn.
Fang Yu was still quite curious.
This halfling is an aborigine. After listening to his words, his eyes showed a hint of joy, the kind of look he would have when he sees a businessman coming to look at his customers.
"Is it Mr. Ed who was introduced by the Bishop?"
Fang Plover nodded.
He was unfamiliar with the place in Cuestac, so naturally he had no contact with these brotherhood members, but it was different for a bishop of Malland - although a brotherhood member and a holy district bishop could not be related in any way. Come together, especially since the latter is also a believer in Malan, the holder of justice.
But there are always all kinds of people in a diocese. Believers come from all walks of life. There are always some people with different networks. Bishop Farris only needs to tell the matter, and naturally the people below can find the way.
Of course, he requested this meeting.
Because yesterday evening, he suddenly received a shocking news - the eldest princess returned to Questak from Tansnir and was placed under house arrest by Babartan, the King of Sand.
Although the authenticity of this news is unknown, it has a certain degree of credibility since it came out through the internal news channels of the temple. Lady Justice is not a big faith in Istania, but there are some high-level believers, especially knights and knight lords. It is almost the instinct of the temple to collect information about the parish, and these messages have been more or less screened. .
But precisely because of this, it was enough to make Fang Plover feel restless.
In fact, in Bein, he had already had a premonition about this. He originally planned to remind the other party to prepare early, but he did not expect that the Sand King and the Mystic would take action so quickly.
Although the eldest princess is only his employer, this is just a family matter of the Penelope royal family. In theory, it has nothing to do with him and there is no need for him to intervene. But the question is, what about Sylvide and others who stayed in Tansnir? Did everyone come with them? Where are they now?
With communications lost, he couldn't contact anyone and couldn't get an answer.
Moreover, the Seven Seas Traveler is still in the Wang family's shipyard. If something happens to the eldest princess, will there be any accidents there?
Whether it was due to his responsibilities as an employee or his own interests, he believed that it was necessary for him to meet the eldest princess. Even if everyone didn't follow, it would be good to get to know the situation in Tansnier, and there was obviously a deeper secret hidden behind Bein's incident, which always made him feel uneasy.
"Mr. Ed, have you ever heard of the 'creation technique' of the elves?"
The bishop's words not long ago flashed through his mind.
Fang Plover quickly shook his head and returned his attention to the matter at hand - the halfling pulled out the chair and sat down in front of him.
The hotel is full of people coming and going.
All kinds of adventurers came in and out. Because the wind and sand had not subsided, or simply because this was the royal capital, the business in the hotel was much better than what he had seen in Tansnir.
There was a thin layer of dust on the wooden table. Not far away sat a table of adventurers in strange costumes. A tall elf, two dwarves, and a human mage were leaning on their staffs. This was almost It must be the Chosen One. They were discussing in low voices when communications would be restored, but no one was sure.
Relatively speaking, the knights on the other side, who were almost all wearing desert robes, were much more formal. These people were almost identical to the desert knights he had seen in Bein. The aborigines seemed to like dressing up like this. The knights sipped the foaming ale and discussed this sandstorm, which was rare in ten years.
Almost all the barley in Istania comes from grain-producing areas in border areas such as Suqueta. Due to the developed trade, the brewing industry is not as declining as imagined.
Fang Yu listened carefully for a while. There was almost no news about the eldest princess. It seemed that the royal family had covered up the news very well. Many people didn't even know that Princess Rupert had returned to Questac. But the less information there is, the more disturbing it becomes. The eldest princess is very popular in Istania, so why should she conceal the information?
The halfling observed his expression, stretched out his hand and wiped it on the table, sweeping away the dust, and then asked:
"What do you want to know, Mr. Ed?"
"What's the price?"
Fang Plover withdrew his gaze and asked. He is no longer the young boy he was back then. Although he feels uneasy and anxious, there is no reason to let these people make another move.
The halfling rolled his eyes. "It depends on what you want to know."
"I want to know about Princess Rupert... Well, I have a deal with the royal family that is yet to be completed. I heard that she has returned to Questaq. Is this true?"
After hearing his words, the halfling took a breath and looked around cautiously. Then he carefully lowered his voice: "This matter cannot be discussed. Although we do have some... inside information, but... it is too unsafe. Yes, it is too unsafe."
"so?"
"Mr. Ed, you know that information is very important," the halfling carefully considered his words, "after all, talking nonsense will cause you to lose your head, especially in Istania... If you hadn't been Bishop Faris He was introduced, but I might have left with a sigh of relief now.”
"Is it important?"
"Quite urgent."
"To put it simply, you think I'm not trustworthy enough?" Fang Yu looked at the other party.
"Let's change places. Mr. Ed, would you trust a stranger who you've only met once? Well... although it may be rude to say this, I have to wonder if you are a spy for the royal family or something like that. .”
Fang Yu couldn't help but laugh. "If I were a spy for Penelope's royal family, would I still be talking nonsense to you?"
"It's hard to say."
"Isn't Bishop Faris's introduction not qualified enough?"
The halfling seemed a little embarrassed. "So I said, if it weren't for the sake of Bishop Faris."
Fang Yu was too lazy to talk nonsense with this guy, and said directly: "Let's make a price." If it were more than half a year ago, he might have really believed the other person's lies, but fortunately the person who brought him here reminded him before he came. Who are these people? They are well-informed, but people who walk in the gray area are greedy by nature.
Although the halfling acted hesitantly at first, he was very direct in this regard: "One hundred thousand lisels."
Fang Yu didn't even think about it, got up and left.
But before he could take a step, the other party quickly called him from behind. "Wait a minute, Mr. Ed, we can still discuss it."
Fang Plover turned around and glanced at this guy, put his hand under his cloak, took out a prepared bag, and threw it in front of him. "That's all. It's up to you whether to say it or not."
The halfling raised his eyebrows and immediately shook his head. "This is too little."
Fang Plover took out another money bag.
The halfling's eyes lit up, but he still looked at him expectantly.
However, Fang Plover was not fooled this time and remained unmoved. He just spread his hands and said that was all.
The halfling sighed and glanced at the two money bags greedily. However, the other party endured and did not move. He only withdrew his gaze and lowered his voice and said to the other party: "So, Mr. Ed, what do you want to know?"
Now that the money has been paid, Fang Yu stopped talking nonsense and said straight to the point: "First of all, I want to know how the eldest princess returned to Questac?"
The halfling glanced at him cautiously and replied: "Well, to tell you the truth, Her Majesty the Princess was actually invited back to Questac by someone sent by His Majesty the King."
"please?"
"It can also be said to be catching."
"From Tansniel?"
"From Tansnir," the halfling answered proactively: "His Majesty the King didn't send many people, so it's not a big mistake to say yes. Some people outside said that Her Royal Highness actually came back voluntarily. With our Istar According to Nia's custom, adult princesses and princes also have their own power. If she doesn't want to, it won't be that easy..."
"How many people did she bring back?"
"Some," the halfling thought for a moment: "Not many anyway, about twenty. I heard that there are still some who choose the swamp."
When he heard about the chosen one, Fang Plover's heart skipped a beat. He felt that his uneasy premonition had turned into reality, but what was puzzling was how could everyone in the Seven Seas Brigade go to Questak with the eldest princess? Could it be that Sylvide and the others thought he was also in this place, so they had no choice but to do this?
Moreover, the statement that Her Royal Highness the Princess came to Questak voluntarily is also a bit confusing. However, he frowned and thought of another possibility. Her Royal Highness the Princess may not be aware of the clues she discovered in Bein. The King of Sand, Babartan, invited her back, so she naturally had no reason to refuse.
But then, the Daoud did not return to Tansnir? The people on the airship should know everything that happened in the Bein Fortress. He also discussed this matter with Luo Hao and others.
In this case, where the Daoud went is a new question.
Fang Yu couldn't help but rub the tip of his eyebrows, feeling a little headache. But in the final analysis, it is still because of this sandstorm. If there was no communication loss, why would it be so troublesome?
He sorted out the cause and effect, and asked the other party for some details. He had to say that although this organization called itself the "Woodpecker" Brotherhood, although its name was not very reliable, it was quite proficient in its business. In a few words, he had already outlined the entire plan. The general outline of the matter.
But this outline meant little to him. The real question was, how to meet Her Royal Highness the Princess?
He paused and asked the central question: "Where is Princess Rupert under house arrest?"
"In a palace north of Questac."
"Do you have a map of that place?"
The halfling was startled. "Mr. Ed, we are legal businessmen."
Fang Yu almost laughed. If you are also called a legal 'businessman', then there will be no gray areas in this world. "I will pay extra for this map."
"Okay, five thousand lisels."
Fang Plover shook his head in his mind, so Istania's laws are only worth five thousand Lisels? He nodded in agreement, and the halfling looked at him and reminded him: "With all due respect, Mr. Ed, you can't get into that place even with the map."
"I don't plan to break in, but I at least have to know where that place is. This is related to my business, so I have to be more cautious." Fang Yuan said with anger, but as for what he thought, the halfling Clearly disbelieving. But Fang Yu didn't care whether the other party believed it or not, he just certainly wouldn't reveal his true information to the other party.
God knows if these intelligence dealers have integrity, they might just sell him to the royal family for a second-hand deal.
But he really didn't plan to break in, or that was the worst plan. This was no different than Bein Fortress, when he had no choice but to do so. And the influence of breaking into Istania's palace privately is too bad. Before the other party catches him, once the news leaks out, Stargate Port will have to trouble him first.
So he asked again: "If I want to see Her Royal Highness, is there any way?"
Originally, he just asked casually, expecting that these characters would be unlikely to have any way for him to sneak into the palace. But he didn't expect that the halfling rolled his eyes and actually gave him a suggestion: "Mr. Ed, if you want to see Her Royal Highness, there is nothing we can do to help you. But if you just sneak into the palace, There are some ways to think of it.”
Fang Yu looked at the other party in surprise: "For example?"
"Through the Adventurer's Guild."
"Adventurers Guild?"
"The royal family sometimes releases some exclusive tasks. If you can try to complete these tasks, you might be able to meet the palace manager." The halfling smiled awkwardly: "But that's it. In any case, the other party is like this It is unlikely that you will see Her Royal Highness the Princess anytime soon. I would like to kindly remind you that it is better to prepare for your 'business' in advance..."
This suggestion made Fang Yu's heart move slightly.
He actually thought of this method at the same time because he remembered a rumor not long ago that was widely circulated in the community. That is to complete various tasks issued by the Kaolin royal family in the Grand Adventure Guild, and there will be a certain chance of entering the Tulip Palace.
The Tulip Palace is the royal palace of Kaulin-Ithurion. Although it was only a one-day trip, this discovery still aroused a lot of discussion in the community at the time. After all, the forbidden area of Kaolin-Ithurian's palace is still quite mysterious and fresh in the eyes of the selectors.
Although the situation in Istania may not be the same as that of Cowling, this aspect can indeed be used as an avenue for investigation. But he didn't expect that the people from the Woodpecker Brotherhood would also think of this.
After the transaction was completed, the halfling put away the money, bowed to him with his hat in his hands, and then turned and left.
Fang Yu watched the other party's leaving figure, then picked up the letter from the table, opened the letterhead, and found that there was only a thin piece of paper inside.
The name 'Hummingbird' was scrawled on it, but I guess it wasn't his real name, but a code name. And when he thought of the other party's chest emblem, he suddenly realized that it was not the other party who made a mistake, but himself.
The other party's coat of arms represents not the organization 'Woodpecker', but an individual.
There was also a scrawled address on the piece of paper, but I guess it wasn't the other person's address, but just the place where they would meet. If you want to find these people again, with this piece of paper, you won't need the people introduced by the bishop next time. Just take this piece of paper to the address connected above.
After the halfling disappeared from the door of the hotel, a young man came over, and the other person was the 'informant' who brought him to this place. As a believer in Malan, he was considered a half-temple servant. .
The young man looked at the direction the halfling left and said to him: "The money you gave him is still too much, Mr. Ed."
Fang Yu shook his head.
Of course he knew that the two bags of money totaled 10,000 riselles, and half of them was actually enough. But how can he care about this now, and he just made a fortune in Bein Fortress, so he doesn't need to worry about it too much. Besides, this news is indeed worth the price. Others may not know it. Wouldn't he be aware of this just after he left Bein Fortress?
"Where are you going now, Mr. Ed?" the young man asked him.
"You go back first, and tell Bishop Faris for me that I may have to stay here for a while and let him find a way to refund the ticket." Fang Pliance replied: "I have to do something later. Today Maybe I won’t go back to the temple.”
The young man looked at him and nodded.
…
Miaoshuwu
