This night of celebration is destined to be remembered by Istanians. Not only because appalling things like the 'Starfall' happened at the celebration, but also because they were about to welcome a new king.
Everything is just as it was nineteen years ago.
Fang Plover could imagine how what happened that night would spread. Soon, from Bein to Tansnir, from Idos to Nognis, everyone on this sandy sea, whether they are the chosen ones or the natives, will talk about the 'Starfall', about the new King, about everything that happened at this celebration.
Of course, not now.
Stepping into the bright morning light, he walked out of the palace. A faint red line in the east opened the dark blue sky. The stars disappeared and it was already dawn. The remaining groggy darkness still tried its best to retain the last steps of this night's carnival, but the jingling camel bells outside the palace had already brought a new page to this ancient city.
Fang Plover took a deep breath. The air was a little hot, like the smell of the desert.
Outside the palace gate was a small garden with a white pavilion, and an unexpected person was waiting for him there.
Afifa stood in the pavilion with her hands behind her back, looking at him from a distance with a complicated expression.
She was obviously hiding among the crowd and saw with her own eyes everything that happened at last night's celebration.
"Sister asked me to tell you, don't forget the agreement you made with her."
Fang Yu looked at the other party, not too surprised.
If something like that happened during the celebration, the eldest princess would definitely be worried that someone would ask him.
"I will remember it." Fang Yu only nodded. Although he was a little surprised by the performance of the Sand King during the celebration, he would still fulfill the agreement seriously.
But after hearing his answer, Afifah had no intention of leaving and seemed to still have something to say.
Fang Yu looked at the other party, and the little princess spoke quietly: "...I don't quite understand why my father asked you to appear on that occasion, even though you and Brother Aleph are friends and helped He repaired the magic furnace... I actually also know that my sister is investigating what happened during my mother's lifetime, although she didn't tell me much..."
She seemed to be just talking to herself.
"My sister has been grounded by my father, and the way people in the palace look at me has changed. Everything seems calm on the surface, but I think something must have happened behind the scenes." She bit her lower lip lightly. "And I guess you wouldn't tell me anything if I asked you, right?"
Fang Yu listened silently, then looked back at the white Kashan Palace.
The beautiful dome is hidden behind a canopy of palm trees, with a golden glow reflecting on the edges.
That is where the palace of the King of Sand is located, the king above the sea of sand. But just like this building, the royal power is only a mortal thing after all, and one day it will decay into gravel. People's imagination of the various things in the royal court is more or less based on wishful thinking, but after all, they are just human beings, and the masters here will also face the same troubles as ordinary people.
He thought for a moment and then said:
"Your sister wants to find out who was behind that attack."
"She didn't tell you, maybe she just wanted to protect you..."
"Your experience in Idos is the origin of all this, because everything ten years ago may be related to the blind followers."
"And the Seven Seas Brigade, because of some things that happened before, have always been at odds with these people, so this is the reason why we agreed to her."
"That's all."
"About the royal family..."
Fang Yu shook his head gently: "I have no say, but there is always a solution to everything. Your Highness Afifah, you don't have to worry too much."
The little princess did not interrupt Fang Plover.
Only at the end did he say softly:
"Thanks."
So Fang Yu nodded slightly to the little princess, then walked forward and passed by her.
Afifa turned around and looked at the other person's back as he receded.
At that moment she couldn't help but think of Luo Yu.
Afifah sighed softly.
The golden shadow of Kashan Palace used to be the pride in her heart, but now, it is a prison. She suddenly felt envious of Pasha, the boy she had never paid attention to in the past, the son of a slave, but he could finally take off his shackles and pursue his true freedom.
As for myself, can I really let go of this illusory prosperity and pursue everything I want?
In the palace, there was also a gaze watching Fang Plover's retreating back.
It wasn't until he saw the latter parting ways with the little princess that the owner of this gaze turned around, stepped into a carriage, and said calmly: "Go to White Maiden Street."
The wheels of the carriage rolled, passing a bush of dwarf roses, crossing a path, and exiting the gate of Kashan Palace from one side.
…
After leaving Afifa, Fang Pultru actually knew that someone would find him.
Therefore, when he saw this ghostly carriage parked in front of him on the square, looking at the carriage's open door and its owner, he was not surprised at all.
Sitting in the car was none other than Count Nurman.
The Governor of Bein only looked at him quietly, and then said:
"We meet again, young man."
He stretched out his hand:
"Come up and talk."
Fang Yu only paused for a moment, then nodded and got into the car without hesitation.
A servant closed the door from the outside, and just a moment later, Fang Plover felt the carriage move again, and the interior of the carriage was shaking slightly.
The interior of the carriage could not be said to be cramped, but it was not spacious either. It was smaller than the carriage he had ridden in Grande. However, the decoration inside the carriage is very luxurious, with velvet cushions, a thick layer of cushions sewn on the ceiling, and beautiful embroidered patterns. The low table between the two of them is made of black precious wood, inlaid with gold wire, pure gold.
A set of tea sets, with smoke rising from the white porcelain, and red liquid creating ripples.
Fang Yu sat opposite the count. This was the third time he had seen the Governor of Bein. The other person exuded a faint majesty. However, after the incident at Bein Fortress, this majesty also gradually changed. Time has diluted it a lot.
The curtains of the carriage were drawn down, and the light inside the carriage was a little dim - all kinds of rare and exotic animals are common in Istania, but horses are not produced locally - almost all of the war horses with excellent bloodlines come from the north of Kaolin-Istania. Xiulian, so carriages are also rare, and they are mostly belonging to nobles.
Numan didn't speak for the first time and just looked at him silently.
Fang Yu didn't speak, he only thought about these random things.
After a while, the earl replied calmly: "It seems that you have won the trust of Her Royal Highness."
"I am the Chosen One," Fang Yu shook his head. "It's impossible to stay in one place for too long. There's no trust. It's just a contractual relationship."
"...you should know more or less our plan, right?"
Seeing Fang Plover looking at him, Numan replied: "Not long after you left Bein, I guessed that the Marlan Temple helped you. After all, the miracle that night was clearly visible to half of the city. It’s not hard to guess.”
"Later I learned about your identity from Seschel, so I also understood their choice. I have also heard some legends about the choice of stars..."
"I guess Faris has told you something."
After he finished speaking, he raised his head.
Looking through the curling smoke, he looked at Fang Plover.
"Your Majesty, if you have anything to say, you may as well say it directly."
Everything that happened last night seemed like a fantasy.
During the celebration, neither the Sand King nor the Earl, nor anyone else, acted as if Bein's incident had never happened. But Fang Yu knew in his heart that this incident could not really be treated as if it never happened. After all, everything else was fine, but Afifah was still on his side.
Although he didn't know exactly where Luo Yu and his party went.
But Nuerman changed the topic: "Mr. Ed, what do you think of what we are doing?"
Fang Yu looked at the other party in surprise. How should he answer such a question?
But the earl did not shy away from it: "Your Majesty plans to resurrect the princess."
Fang Yu was stunned for a moment, but said bluntly: "From an alchemical point of view, this is a fantasy."
"But the alchemy of the Numerin elves—"
"The alchemy of the Numerin elves can't do it. The art of creation is just a beautiful wish."
"Mr. Ed really knows the art of creation."
Count Nulman replied calmly: "He is worthy of being the inheritor of Numelin alchemy."
The inheritor of Numelin alchemy?
Fang Yu was slightly startled when he heard this. When did he get such a title again. Or is it that he taught people ancient alchemy in the Elfendor Council and this has been spread? But what he taught was only a very small part with Ansel's permission. His understanding of ancient alchemy was nothing compared to the Tower of Silver.
He suddenly realized the other party's intention: "You're not going to let me get involved, are you?"
But what was surprising was that Count Nurman shook his head slightly.
"You are right. People cannot be resurrected after death. There can be no eternal existence in this world. The gods cannot be eternal, let alone mortals."
Fang Yu was completely stunned and looked at the other party: "The King of Sand..."
But Nuerman suddenly changed the subject:
"Mr. Ed, you must have known the princess's life about the matter that Her Royal Highness asked you to investigate, right?"
Fang Plover nodded.
The carriage seemed to have passed through a raised ground and bumped slightly.
Nuerman paused for a moment before continuing:
"In the past, His Majesty and the Princess had a deep relationship. The experience of their acquaintance and mutual understanding is one of the legends widely circulated on this sea of sand..."
"Her Royal Highness the Princess's biological mother worshiped her brother when she was young. Her brother was a famous explorer in their family and one of the prides of the Istanians. Therefore, she also loved adventure. When she was a girl, she even brought an accompanying knight with her. I had the experience of dressing up as an adventurer and going out, and even joined an unknown small adventure group.”
"These things seemed deviant to the people at the time, but His Majesty didn't care. Yesterday's celebration was held every year in Questac. About seventeen years ago, His Majesty and the Princess met at such a celebration. The two even agreed that one day Istania would also send an expedition team to the second world to explore the existence of the Bridge of Heaven like Kaulin-Ishulian-"
"And the leader of this fleet will be the princess's brother, Istania's most famous explorer in the past, Gayasi Aljuhan Raziz."
When Fang Yu heard this name, his eyes couldn't help but flash slightly.
Only then did he remember why he felt something familiar when he heard the surname of Her Royal Highness the Princess's grandmother. It turned out to be because of this person - it's just that most people prefer to use the name Sir Garcia to call this great explorer than the name Gayasi-Aljuhan-Raziz.
He is indeed the pride of the Istanians. Although he is not as world-famous as Sylvide's father, Sir Marwei, as the discoverer of the entrances to the three abyssal seas of Corin and Ithurion, he has made a great contribution to the world. Corrin-Ithurion and even the history of Aitalian geography will never remain unknown.
He didn't expect that the biological mother of Her Royal Highness the Princess was actually Garcia's sister.
No wonder she is so obsessed with adventure.
Having such an outstanding brother will probably be affected to some extent.
Just like Sylvester, with such an outstanding father, he has also subtly become an outstanding captain - if it weren't for him, Fang Plover believes that the noble daughter would be a better captain, even now, He does not think that he is much better than the other party in this regard.
This may be the reason for the familiarity.
However, when he heard that this princess had joined an unknown small adventure group, Fang Pultru suddenly felt a subtle feeling in his heart.
It can't be such a coincidence, right?
He couldn't help but asked tentatively: "Can I ask, what is the name of the adventure group that the princess joined?"
"It's not a well-known adventure group," Numan didn't care much about this question and replied casually: "It seems to be an adventure group called Tulip or something like that. It was an adventure group established by the Chosen One, but as early as seven years ago It was disbanded before because the founder left. I only know that the founder is a woman, and most of the members are also like this——"
Fang Plover breathed a sigh of relief.
Fortunately it's not Dawn Star, otherwise this would be too much of a coincidence.
Since the last time he spoke to Miss Scarpet, he has even become a little suspicious.
"What happens after that?" But Fang Yu couldn't help but be fascinated - he also loved adventure, so he naturally agreed with the princess's ideals.
"Mr. Garcia passed away due to illness seven years ago, and the princess died earlier than him."
The earl's tone was a little flat. After all, those are facts that have passed. People always have to look forward. "And His Majesty has fulfilled his promise to the Princess. He expressed his intention to pass on the throne at yesterday's Star Ceremony - twenty years, that is the time limit agreed between him and the Princess. After that, His Majesty should start to build a ship group and send people to lead it to the second world..."
Fang Yu was startled.
Why is this not the same thing as what he heard.
He couldn't help but asked subconsciously: "What about the blind followers?"
Count Nurman raised his head and looked at him: "I may not have told you about the true identity of Seineman you met yesterday. He is one of the 'servers' of Istania's blind followers. .”
Server.
Fang Yu had heard of this concept, which was equivalent to the bishop of the Diocese of Orin Gods. It was rumored that the blind followers of Istania followed the instructions of four 'servers', but he did not expect that one of them was actually in In the palace. Fang Yu looked at the Earl. Since Nuerman knew this secret, the King of Sand would definitely know it.
He suddenly understood why the old guy had been tit for tat with him, because they were rivals, and the old man might have thought that he was the culprit who killed Tansnir's blind followers.
But what he didn't quite understand was why the Governor of Bein told him this?
He couldn't help but look towards the former.
But Nurman said calmly at this time: "Mr. Ed, let's continue to talk about Her Highness the Princess... Her Highness the Princess has doubts about the death of the Princess. This is understandable. After all, when everything happened ten years ago, , she is only nine years old. The tragic death of her mother will inevitably leave an indelible shadow in her soul——"
"But there are some things that are not necessarily correct as you see them." He paused, stretched out his hand to lift the curtain, and looked out the car window indifferently: "His Majesty did not intend the contractual relationship between you and His Royal Highness the Princess. Digging deeper...but Istania's peace and tranquility has lasted for many years, and I'm sure there are many people who wish it could continue forever."
The Earl turned back: "I'm not asking for anything, I just hope that Mr. Ed will act with his heart before acting. I believe that the savior of Dollifen and the hero of Van Rick will not understand that what is truly worth protecting is What."
Fang Yu was slightly surprised.
What does this have to do with everything happening now?
However, he had vaguely guessed something. After all, the eldest princess was quite famous in Istania. In the past, the King of Sand had been cultivating her as his heir. The eldest princess’s subordinates must also be very capable - from She is under house arrest within the palace, but is aware of everything that's going on in Questak.
If Her Royal Highness the Princess had a feud with the King of Sand because of this incident, Istania might really fall into an uncontrollable situation.
But is that likely?
Fang Yu always felt that with the eldest princess's rationality, she would definitely not act like this.
What's more, why didn't the King of Sand let the eldest princess investigate this matter? According to the earl, the King of Sand and His Royal Highness the Princess’ biological mother don’t have a deep relationship. If that’s the case, then he should also be worried about the attack ten years ago, right?
Where does the contradiction between this lie?
He was really thinking about it and couldn't figure it out. Judging from what the Earl meant, it seemed that he did not intend to explain this. In fact, Numan had already told him enough. Presumably, these were all with the permission of the King of Sand, otherwise the other party would also agree with him. 'Wu Ganren etc.' say these things.
He thought about it and felt a little headache. But all in all, a contract is a contract, and sensibility is sensibility. He decided to do the princess a favor in the end. After he went to Bein to find that person, everything here had nothing to do with him.
Bishop Faris is right, it is easier to deal with cultists, and getting involved in royal disputes is still too complicated for them.
Thinking of this, he relaxed.
At this moment, the carriage has arrived at the White Maiden Square, which is quite close to Marland's temple.
Only then did Count Nuerman bring up the subject with him. What surprised Fang Yu was that although the other party expressed concern for Miss Afifa, she didn't seem too nervous about the other party's presence on his side. Instead, she said:
"It's okay that Miss Afifa is not in the capital at the moment..."
"Then please ask Mr. Ed to take care of you first."
"Miss Afifah is somewhat related to His Majesty. I hope Mr. Ed can take good care of her during this period."
There was some kinship, which Fang Yu had some vague guesses about, but he couldn't help but think of another Princess Afifa, and he didn't know what the relationship between the two was.
It's just that he originally thought that this was the reason for the other party to meet him, but now that he saw it, it didn't seem to be the case.
…
Miaoshuwu
