With Fei Li, who was familiar with the local terrain, leading the way, after finishing the dry food to satisfy their hunger, the two of them returned directly to the place where they started.
After spending about ten minutes walking forward, Henry's eye-catching sword came into view as if he was taking a leisurely stroll. The latter seemed to have guessed the origin of all this and did not say anything. , just smiling slightly. Then, just as Mira said, the sage easily agreed to Feli's joining.
There was no pressure and everything came naturally, which made the young boy very happy. After that, the three of them walked back to the security post together. Vega looked at Ferry's expression and guessed what happened. He sighed helplessly, then turned around, and slowly climbed up to the second floor step by step. This time he reached the first cubicle on the far left, and then the people below listened. There was a sound of rummaging for something.
After about five minutes, the gray-haired police officer came down with something.
"This is what I used when I was young. Although it is a bit old, it is much better than the second-hand iron sword you have." Weijia handed Fei the one-handed sword with a simple overall style. Inside, the sharp-eyed Henry noticed that the weighted ball at the end had a rather unique style, but there were rough polishing marks on the surface - as if to remove some kind of mark that had existed on it in the past.
"...Thank you, Uncle Vega." Feli took the one-handed sword, looking a little embarrassed because of what happened before. Vega patted his head, then looked at Henry, and said solemnly: "This kid, please."
The sage nodded, as if he could tell from some details that the other party was probably a person in the past, and Vega could also see that Henry would not be very simple.
This kind of thing cannot be expressed by luxurious clothes or exquisite weapons. It is the innate intuition possessed by warriors who have experienced hundreds of battles - every word, every action, every look, whether the opponent is one of them. The same kind of people are clearly visible at a glance.
Ado. After undoing the buckle of the armed belt, taking off the broken iron sword that even showed signs of cracking in the scabbard, and replacing it with a beautifully crafted steel sword, Ferry shook his body with satisfaction and then waved to Vega. . He turned around and walked out together with Henry and Mira.
After arriving in Monroe in the morning, the two of them left the horses at the blacksmith's shop for shoe replacement. Several hours had passed, so they went to pick up the horses first, and then led Ferry to a nearby hotel. Go.
The war horses with excellent bloodlines naturally made the young mercenaries envious, and when they noticed that the saddle on one of the horses was smaller in size. He naturally turned his attention to Mira.
When I was in my teens, I met people of the same age who had a common topic.
Because of the sage's own knowledge base and experience, Mira always stood from the perspective of the person being taught. In many cases, Henry could understand the girl's thoughts without opening her mouth. On the one hand, this kind of thing made the relationship between the two very close, but on the other hand, the Luoan girl also longed for someone to talk to.
When she was with Henry, she was often in the role of a listener. Mira had nothing to say except nodding and learning. Ferri was different. Although he was a few years older than Mira, he was far inferior to the girl in terms of professional knowledge and various experiences.
The young girl talked endlessly about all kinds of knowledge she had been learning. The young man beside him nodded frequently, his eyes shining.
Henry, who was walking at the front, looked back at them calmly. He didn't say anything, he just stopped and waited for the two people who were so excited that they forgot to move forward.
The road from the blacksmith shop to the hotel was not long, but it took the three of them quite some time to get there.
Maybe it was because of happiness. Even though they had not eaten anything since noon and only ate a small amount of dry food, both children seemed to be full of energy.
The cost of staying in the hotel is not high. Although the boss, like other residents here, is dissatisfied with the mercenaries due to various problems, he is not someone who has trouble with money.
The room booked by the three of them was a triple room, and the hotel that Ferry led was a caravanserai. When Monroe was prosperous in the past, businessmen from all directions came in an endless stream every day. This kind of room is already the smallest here.
The hostility of Monroe residents toward mercenaries that she felt throughout the day, combined with the scrawled murals she saw when looking for Ferry, naturally aroused the girl's suspicion, and after helping to move the luggage of the war horse to the hotel and put it away, Mira asked just as she sat down to rest. Ferry started to complain out of control like a flash flood in the rainy season.
"It's all about the money!" the blond young mercenary shouted loudly, repeating this sentence for the third time.
"These people are all the lackeys of the Duke. They go around making trouble for just a few bucks. The Duke's soldiers also turn a blind eye!" When mentioning these lower-level mercenaries that he obviously hates, Ferry He wrote all his dissatisfaction on his face.
"Many of them are lower-level mercenaries from the central region, and some are from the south. As mercenaries, they don't come to the Monroe Guild to report and take tasks. Instead, they are no different from robbers and gangsters, disrupting public order every day." Ferry He smashed his thigh angrily: "The reason why the city is so chaotic now is not only the murders, but more because these people are causing trouble."
"The Duke of Monroe...what are you going to do if you let these guys disturb the peace of the city?" When it came to the lord above him, Ferry showed no respect at all, while Mira looked at Henry on the side. She guessed that the sage would There are answers to it all.
- She's right, Henry thought. Although it was just a family comment, from the overall atmosphere to the overreaction of the businessman when he entered the city in the morning, he was able to paint a rough picture even though he had only been in Monroe for only half a day.
If according to the Sheriff's reasoning, these murders are related to the Duke's eldest son, then it will be obvious why the atmosphere in Monroe City is messed up. The security post itself is under the duke's banner, so it is naturally impossible for them to investigate the duke's eldest son. The same is true for the Monroe army, which is more directly responsible for the Duke family itself, so the functions of the security maintenance agencies of these two city-states have been basically abolished - but this is not the end, because Monroe is a city with a mercenary guild stationed there. .
The terms of the mercenary guild must be signed when agreeing to set up a branch. As long as someone is willing to go to the mercenary guild to issue a mission, most capable mercenaries will come here to investigate because of the temptation of money. .
In order to solve this problem, the Duke of Monroe openly and covertly promoted a large number of lower-level mercenaries to come here to carry out acts of destruction in the city that were no different from thieves and bandits, causing the image of the mercenaries in the eyes of the people to plummet. Ordinary Monroe residents instinctively became hostile when they saw strangers with mercenary badges because of this series of events. If a mercenary takes over the mission, the investigation will naturally be hampered.
Directly expelling the established mercenary guild branch will cause the mercenary guild to be at odds with the city of Monroe and the Duke of Monroe's family. The mercenary guild itself, known as a mobile military country, is not much weaker than these small kingdoms on the west coast. With the presence of the mercenary guild, Monroe's economic income will also increase. Therefore, the Duke will not directly choose to break the relationship.
In order to create a situation that is beneficial to themselves under such circumstances, they, like any great nobleman who knows how to play politics, chose to manipulate the people's hearts.
There is no way to hide the fact that the army is openly indulging the mercenaries' wanton behavior. However, the residents themselves already have a certain hostility towards the Duke's family, so this kind of self-inflicted injury is not serious, but it can be used by the mercenaries who come to investigate. The soldiers set up many obstacles. I have to say it was a good move.
More and more evidence and details show that everyone's reasoning all along is correct. The Duke's eldest son is the magician who uses witchcraft to kill people.
——There is only one thing that Henry can't figure out. If it were the mercenary members of the team he investigated a year ago, then forget it. According to the sheriff, the person who was killed by the magician again last night was also A mercenary.
Although the details are not clear, it is inferred from Vega's previous words that the female mercenary who died tragically last night was probably one of those members who disturbed the public order. And assuming that the Duke's eldest son is the murderer is the premise, what is the point of him killing "one of his own" who was supposed to be covering his activities?
Although it can be considered as a way to eliminate suspicion, this period of time - let's say half a year - has been caused by the trouble caused by these mercenaries. The public has turned their attention and stopped paying attention to this matter.
It is possible that these external lower-level mercenaries chose to evacuate due to indiscriminate killing, allowing the investigation activities of other mercenaries who received the mission to proceed smoothly. And because of this incident, the magician's murder case re-entered the public eye. No matter how you think about it, it is not like what a superb wizard who can kill many people in full view of the public without even being discovered would do it. s Choice--
Or not? Henry frowned, and Mira on the side waited for a long time but didn't get the answer, so she drooped her little head listlessly. The sage spoke to Feli, which was the first sentence he said since they met.
"Although the eldest son of the Duke's family has not been exposed in front of the common people, according to Crant's rules, when an heir is born, a noble of this level will hold a celebration, right?" He asked, and the young mercenary was stunned for a moment. Then he nodded: "Uh, yes, when the Duke's second son was born seven years ago, there was indeed a large-scale celebration in the city."
Ferry nodded and said this. And Henry then asked: "Then do you know how old the Duke's eldest son is?" he said. The young mercenary was stunned again. He thought carefully and then replied: "Same as me."
"Well..." Henry fell into silence again, Ferry seemed a little confused, and Mira on the side heard the sage murmuring in a low voice.
"Having achieved this kind of achievement at this age, does that mean you are showing off your strength? The psychology of a child in a rebellious period. Wanting to prove that you are powerful enough to dominate the city..."
"I know how to lure him out." Henry nodded, then stood up, but at this moment, a rhythmic knock on the door rang.
"Squeak." Mira stepped forward and opened the door. The person who came was the young clerk from the public security station. He glanced at the white-haired girl with calm eyes, and then looked straight past her towards Henry.
"The magician killed someone again. The Sheriff has rushed to the scene first. Please come with me now."
As the clerk said this, Feli stood up from the edge of the bed with a sudden movement behind him. The three of them didn't take off their weapons at all. They stood up and followed each other towards their destination.
Many civilians who heard about this incident had gathered on both sides of the bustling street. The four of them walked through the twisted alleys and soon arrived at the bottom of a residence surrounded by many civilians.
Mira frowned. Fei Li next to him took a deep breath.
The place where people gathered was the alley where they had taken a break. The boy and the girl who had escaped from the crazy homeless man Mike more than two hours ago were sitting on the stone in the alley and started chatting. .
"Everyone, stay away, stay away!"
Mostly because of the salary, there usually seem to be only three people working in the police station, including the sheriff. And in such a situation, three people are naturally not enough.
As soon as Henry and the others came over, they discovered that the people who were shouting and pushing away the civilians were also dressed as civilians. Although the members of the security post also wore regular clothes, they would choose the attire of mercenaries and adventurers. The clothing of a combat professional is easy to move around, so it is easy to distinguish it from ordinary people.
"These are temporary members. We will only call them over if something happens." Vega stood outside, leaning on a cane. It seemed that he had just arrived, and he noticed Henry's questioning look, and he opened his mouth to explain.
"Okay, get out of my way!" The Sheriff, who was weak on his legs but had an extremely loud voice, roared, and the civilians who were watching retreated to both sides.
Henry noticed that they all looked at Vega with quite respectful expressions - this was unusual, because the civilians suspected that the real culprit of the murder was the Duke's eldest son, and Vega was the leader of the Duke's lackeys.
"Come here quickly, don't think too much about irrelevant things." The sheriff on crutches waved, and the clerk walked to the side and started to maintain order. The three mercenaries walked closer.
Perhaps a little worried, Vega looked at Feli and frowned. But in the end they didn't say anything, they just stood aside and started observing the deceased.
"I haven't had time to check the body yet, but I guess his heart is gone." The Sheriff said, and Henry knelt down and nodded in agreement.
The deceased was a male, about forty years old, of medium build, and bald. He was wearing the short-sleeved civilian clothes common to Monroe, and the frightened look on his face was still there.
"Ugh." Blood was everywhere. The tragic state of the corpse made Ferry next to him cover his mouth, and Mira's face turned a little pale, but she stood still and began to observe.
"The neck was cut open. There were also multiple sharp wounds on the arms. It was probably the short knife in his hand that caused death." Henry grabbed the other person's still warm wrist and turned it over, then moved his body again and checked He glanced at the other person's eyes.
"There are signs of congestion in both eyes, which is a manifestation of excessive pressure on the nerves eroded by magic power, combined with the location of the wound. Well, that's right, it was an interference spell that manipulated him to stab himself." The surrounding civilians had been dispersed by the sheriff and temporary workers. , Henry stood up and said this in a voice that was not too high. Vega next to him nodded: "You are very clear, little brother, you are indeed very capable."
"Then, this is just like what happened last night, it's all the work of the magician. Damn it, there's another murder case in less than a day, and this guy still doesn't take us seriously as before. "The gray-haired Sheriff stomped his cane hard and cursed with saliva flying, but Henry on the side did not confirm his conclusion.
"No, I don't think that's the case." The sage shook his head. The three people next to him were stunned for a moment, and then looked at him.
Not far away, the clerk stared at the tall man with calm eyes, and Vega, who had reacted, asked with a slight hesitation: "Do you think this was not done by a magician?"
He said this, but Henry nodded this time: "The magician did it."
"Isn't that the end?" The Sheriff looked confused.
"It was a magician who did it, but it was not the same person as the female mercenary who died last night." The sage's answer made the three people around him even more confused, and he squatted down again and turned his head. Looking directly at Vega, he said: "Your Majesty the Sheriff said before that the female mercenary who died last night died in a very miserable way, right?"
He asked, and Vega nodded: "Yes, even her hands were dislocated, and her entire neck was torn to pieces, and nearby residents also heard her screaming before she died. It was like he was begging for mercy, but no one went out to check because it was late at night.”
"Well, then if you look at this body and today's incident, how is it different?" Henry asked. The Sheriff frowned and started thinking, as did the other two.
"It's neater and quieter!" The clear voice sounded first. Feli and Vega turned their heads, and Mira, who had figured out the problem, continued: "Unlike at night, today's deceased is here. He died in an alley in broad daylight. This is not a particularly cold place, but no one heard him calling for help!"
"And the wounds are very neat. There is no trace of damage except the incisions on the neck and arms. The arms are intact without any bruises." The girl concluded. Henry nodded with satisfaction, and then stood up again.
"There was no cry for help because the magician not only interfered with the limbs, but also applied the same spell to the vocal cords. The neat and deadly knife edges also proved the proficiency of his techniques on another level."
"Only one wound above the neck can cause death. The multiple stab wounds on the arms are more like toying with prey."
"These are all very different from the death of the female mercenary last night. Screams, broken bones, and irregular wounds like shreds. Yesterday's incident was more like an emotional incident for a novice, while today's incident is Totally cold-blooded showoff." Henry turned around and glanced at everyone.
"If you ask me, we're either dealing with a madman with a dual personality."
"Either-"
"There are only two magicians." (To be continued.) xh:.218.204.13
