When they arrived at the shore, workers were moving heavy objects on the deck. The winter sun is no gentler than the flaming moon, and the snow reflects white light. However, in terms of dazzlingness, Lucia's brilliance may not be as bright as the contents of these boxes.
"Wealth," said the captain.
His summary is spot on. Dillon looked at the boxes of jewelry, silks, spices and wine, and could not imagine that anyone could monopolize such wealth. Mostly because I don’t come to the market often. As a palace knight, Dillon's mission is to guard Dragon's Cave Castle. Perhaps in the eyes of most people, this is a decent and honorable position, but in fact, only knights of noble origin can follow the royal family members around, and civilians can only guard the gate. His father and grandfather were farmers, and his grandfather's grandfather had a mill, but today it exists only in his mother's stories. When Dillon was drafted into the army with his father at the age of eleven, they sold their mill and most of their belongings and bought their son an old piece of mail and a sword.
Relying on the legacy of his ancestors and father, Dillon survived the first war, then the second, and the third. His companions who went into the battlefield together were already dead, and his father was nowhere to be found. But at this time he had taken refuge with a knight's attendant and became a non-commissioned officer with a slight status. When the squire's knight master dies on the battlefield, the squire strips off the corpse's armor and weapons to avenge his master. Sir Laurence Norman personally canonized him as a reward for his bravery. The squire became a knight, and so did Tillon.
Two years later, Dillon and his fellow knights participated in the Battle of the Gulf.
Different from the Lord's War, the Battle of the Bay broke out in Knight's Bay and was a Patriotic war in which the Eastman people resisted the invasion of the Naga fish people. The kingdom is in the throes of the "Broken Sword Revolution" and is unable to resist the Sea Clan's army. The defeat of the Royal Party and the Sword Legion affected the situation in the court. Under the shadow of the Western Party and the Crusaders, the Queen's Party supported by the Wiggins family of the South came to Eastman's political stage. In the battles between noble lords and lords, Dillon and his shrewd attendants have established a firm foothold in the Sword Legion.
But his luck ended there. Dillon came from a humble background, and his original protective gear and weapons had long since been destroyed, and he could no longer rely on them. There are brand new rules in Legion of Swords. Soon, his friend who had been through life and death was no longer willing to help him. "It is fate," he told Dillon. "The gods decide what you and I will achieve. He gave me the family crest, and gave you the wooden fork and the seed. Now that you have picked up the sword, what else could you be dissatisfied with?"
I don't have a sword for this. These words made Dillon furious, but if he really wanted to duel with the attendants, he would be a little less driven by humiliation and anger. Besides, what's the use of killing him? The gods won't grant me nobility for this. They wouldn't even give him a wooden fork... So Dillon betrayed his attendants in order to gain the attention of the Wiggins family.
Trading brings something new. Betrayal of the royal party was undoubtedly an evil act, and he spent some nights in fear. However, the timidity lasted for a while, and Dillon soon realized that the other party was just his second mill. In this way, he became the nightingale of the Wiggins family, and gained a bag of gold and a rope in his master's hand. But who cares about the rope? People care more about the former.
Only wealth can change destiny.
No matter how bad it is, it will improve my dinner. Dillon swallowed his saliva and tried not to keep his eyes on the box. In his eyes, even the wood had a metallic sheen. It is easy to change his destiny, but he must ensure that he still has a future destiny, otherwise the gods will not be able to do anything.
These riches all belong to the small lord of Knight's Bay, and Dillon needs to protect him in order to have a chance to carve them up. As a palace knight, he no longer has to resort to banditry to achieve his goals. When it comes to pleasing others, Dillon considers himself to be much more experienced than the captain.
"There will also be many pirates coveting the Lord's wealth." Dillon replied, "Before setting sail, these things should be covered with cloth."
"Are you afraid of pirates, Dillon?"
"They are an unnecessary nuisance."
"That's impossible to say." Dillon frowned and looked at him. "The Bay Lord needs us to give him a sense of security." The captain explained. A mantis jumped on his feet. "Earl Herne once had a knight guard like us, but the other party betrayed him and took away his property."
The white night war is like a flame on the other side of the river. Although the smoke rises into the sky, it has nothing to do with their lives. Iron Claw City is as stable as ever. After all, in the eyes of most people, stepping up patrols is not considered a war preparation measure. Only bards hang out in taverns and brothels, weaving rumors into stories. They sung love, chanted injustice and betrayal, seduced ignorant girls with the novelty of taboos, and even used the ancient legend of the Knight of the White Night as a basis. These babbling guys must be making a lot of money. That's all Dillon knew.
So when word of this came to Queen Flavia, who was furious and determined to stop it, Dillon happily climbed on his horse and began to count the minstrels' purses from house to house. This is His Majesty's order.
"Drow are the same kind," Dillon said. "Aliens cannot be trusted. Ser Laurence Norman can make mistakes."
The captain raised his feet nonchalantly. The little insect was frightened and fell into the reeds by the water. "Who can guess other people's thoughts? Anyway, I don't have that ability. When our lord is suspicious, he will inevitably lose confidence in the palace knights." He smiled slightly. "We are here to prove the difference between a shameless traitor and a true and loyal defender, Dillon."
It's unnecessary. Dillon thought. Be careful, I will report your plan to Duke Yotsuba first. If the rumors are true, Tracy Wiggins will not tolerate any transgressions by the palace knights towards her sister's son. Will I be captain? Seems worth a try.
But he wasn't sure he would succeed. The captain was not the squire back then. He had no background or wealth. He could only sneak into the palace knights as someone's informant. Am I not? As a veteran of the Sword Legion, Dillon only got a casual position after Sir Norman disbanded the Legion. Now he still has to be ostracized and sent to this hellish place called Knight's Bay. Although there is oil and water on the beach, it is dark and humid, and it is far away from the center of the royal city, so there is no future at all.
And Dillon had no idea who the captain worked for.
Iron Claw City is the heart of Eastman, and a large number of people circulate like blood and are transported to various places. During this period, there were so many nightingales mixed in that it was difficult to identify their origins. It's just that although the context is complicated, there are still traces to follow. Queen Flavia is from the Wiggins family, and Duke Yotsuba naturally supports her; Prince Easter is a descendant of the previous king, and Prime Minister Sir Laurence Norman and most of the old nobles naturally stand on his side; as for Gaia The church and the border princes headed by Tywin Messatori, whose territory is located to the west of Eastman, seems to be completely out of reach of Knights Bay on the east coast.
So the Western Party was the first to be eliminated. Even Dillon could see it. DeWitt Hearn is the son of the Queen. Although he does not have the status of a prince, it is completely impossible for him to be on good terms with Duke Tivin. Moreover, Knight's Bay and Eagle City are separated from each other, and the only connection is the Golden Bird River that crosses the kingdom. Distance makes contact pointless.
Maybe Queenie. Dillon thought. There is no need for Nightingale to know the existence of his colleagues, and there is no need for the Wiggins family to report to him if they have spies placed there. Maybe the captain is my companion whom I don't know about. Big shots always have chess pieces, aiming to grasp the changes in the world in the palm of their hands. After the assassination of the earl, it seems reasonable to send a few more guards...
What he suspected the most was the royal party.
The gods gave Dewt Hearne a noble birth, making him the son of Flavia and the shallow sea lord of Naga. At that time, Eastman was in the center of crisis. The king died in a foreign land. The Western Party and the Crusaders turned their attention. The Allied cavalry had swept to the Iron Claw City in an instant... But the birth of DeWitt changed everything. The Eastman Kingdom has a powerful ally, and the strength of both parties is combined through blood to guide the kingdom in an unknown direction. At least at that time, DeWitt's status was difficult to compare with that of Prince Ister Talbot, who was truly orthodox. In fact, the latter had to escape from the royal capital with the help of the royal party to stay away from Naga's clutches.
However, no one expected that the prosperity brought by the Naga Sea Tribe would disappear so quickly... After the "New Generation War" between the Tower and the Holy Council of Radiance ended, Naga withdrew from the Oath Keepers Alliance. Lord Asami left behind his seventeen-year-old newlywed wife and his demihuman son with fish scales, and led his people back to the Sea of Singing. The Eastmanians were ecstatic to regain the land on the east coast, but for DeWitt Hearne, his legitimate inheritance was also lost. The Talbot royal family reoccupied the court and brought the queen and the demihuman prince under their control.
But the good times didn't last long. Good things never last long. The Eastmans were dissatisfied with the rule of foreigners, and the royal family that was allied with foreigners was also questioned. The lords were very happy to drive away the fishmen with the fishy smell of the sea. The stubbornness brought about by their innate noble blood made them immediately set out to break the agreement regarding the royal heir. To make matters worse, the royal party lost track of the eldest son.
The secret is immediately revealed by Nightingale, and Eastman is plunged into terrible turmoil. From the hot land of Pulin in the north to the polar ice territory, from the Eagle City where the previous king died in the west to the "recovered" Knight's Bay, no one thinks that the kingdom needs to uphold its agreement with the Naga King. Soon, the coalition forces of the Western Party and the Church came back under the banner of Prince Ister, and the allies of the royal family disappeared. The queen hopes to crown her youngest son, but even the royal party himself does not believe that he can securely wear the crown. In fact, even the Sword Legion was unwilling to raise an army for "King Herne", let alone other nobles. The royal party is unable to support itself and can only pray for a miracle to happen.
Miracles are brought to you by Tracey Wiggins and her heroic army of Shadows.
The end of the war was so bizarre that neither side seemed to have truly come out in full force. After a brief battle, the Crusaders were dispatched by the School of Silence. The border princes only fought for their territory. When they received news that their hometown was under attack, they quickly dispersed. As for the Messatori family, the real main force of the Western Party, their knights traveled far away from their hometown, trekked along the Golden Bird River to the East, and were besieged under the Iron Claw City for several days. By this time, they had already lost their original will and were completely exhausted. The opponent is easily destroyed. The threat evaporated.
And the surprises brought by Grand Duke Yotsuba are not just these. Tracy Wiggins, the duchess of the southern kingdom, the middleman between the Oath Keepers Alliance and Eastman, the commander of the Quick Shadow Legion, and the contemporary patriarch of the Wiggins family, claimed that she had found the missing person. Jiu's nephew, and accused the Western Party's banner of being just lies. The Talbot family was saved by her, and the royal party had to recognize her achievements. Therefore, under the condition that the eldest son of the king was still young, Duke Tracy put a crown on his sister Flavia Wiggins, allowing her to rule the fragmented kingdom on the banks of the Plantage River. Historians say that the "Broken Sword Revolution" ended here.
…but not Eastman’s partisanship.
Dillon knew that in the eyes of most people, the Queen's party and the King's party were both absolute supporters of the royal family's orthodoxy. The border princes who had stirred up disputes and betrayed the previous king were the culprits who were ambitious. Bishop Payton Forrester and the Messatori family, especially the two of them. Of course, it's best if you say this in private.
Laurence Norman, leader of the Royal Party. This man had been a bodyguard of the late king, and after the revolution he personally placed the head of Birnas Messettori on the right side of the late king's tomb. He then asked the ice leader for the one on the left.
At first, his request was rejected. The Ice Leaders thought this was a disgrace to the royal family, but they should be forgiven for their rebellion. "Everything I do is for my people." Gavin Lancoster claimed in his reply. "I have no price to give you. My price has been collected by the night. If you are brave enough, go to Him, Norman. Go." His mocking voice seemed to be transmitted through handwriting. "I have given you loyalty, but when people cannot survive the Frost Moon, I don't guarantee whether loyalty will still be useful. Survival is above all else. You are believers in honor and power, and I am different from you."
Dillon remembers what Gavin Lancoste looked like before he died. Sir Norman came to Cloverland to watch the trial. The executioner waved his knife, and Earl Gavin's head rolled under the wooden support, and his body hung beside the execution platform. The crowd silently stared at the pool of blood, until they gradually cheered and clapped their hands under the stimulation of death. The palace knights, the original Sword Legion, finally returned to the capital with satisfaction. He and his attendants finally left the Four Leaf City and witnessed Tracy burying the bones of the Ice Land Earl.
In recognition of her kindness, Gavin's brother Alfonso Lancoste came to Clover City with the rose and silver eagle coat of arms, hoping to marry Duke Tracey Wiggins...and retrieve his brother's body at the same time.
After all, Dillon's opinion didn't matter anyway. Who cares about a powerless palace knight? He is neither an ice leader nor has any eye-catching charm. After all, this is what Nightingale should look like. The only benefit of understanding the past may be to seek good fortune and avoid misfortune, and to please Earl Herne. I might as well agree with the captain.
Things developed as expected. After hearing that pirates had attacked the fleet, Lord Herne personally came to the port to greet them. Dean looked at Tielong Port and saw that the spire of the signal tower was like a star, the waves were sparkling under the fence, and the sandy ground was dotted with tiny bright spots. He felt cold, wet, and slippery everywhere, and he frowned.
I wonder if the captain feels the same way. The leader of the Palace Knights stared intently at the West Bank Pier that was under construction. "The ice hasn't melted yet," he said.
"The Sea of Singing never freezes." Dillon didn't understand.
"Of course." He mused. "Of course not." His eyes still didn't move from where they were.
The Gulf civilians who greeted the fleet crowded the roadside. They didn't have gills or scales on their bodies, but Dillon always felt that there was a fishy smell. The fishman count was waiting under the umbrella. In the shadows, his expression seemed to be very reluctant. "Two hours late. The sun is setting."
The captain bowed deeply. "Bandits have been rampant in Jinque River recently, probably because of the lack of the Six Finger Fort level. The Garden of Flowing Water is now the territory of bandits, sir."
"Bandit or wizard?" the count snorted. Of course no one responded to this. He stepped onto the deck and his eyes fell on the blood-stained canvas. Dillon personally tied the captured attackers to the mast. These people had not eaten or drank during the journey, and there was no way they were still alive. Earl Herne waved his hands with satisfaction. "You are more capable than the fisherman. Bring the things up, my poor starving people are waiting for their help. Are you a palace knight?"
"It's true, my lord. I swear to defend your honor."
"You'll have to wait and see. Your ex put it better."
"I was not raised by Sir Norman, my lord. My father was a lord," answered the captain.
I didn’t expect him to have noble blood. Dillon had never heard him talk about it! In an instant, he realized that there were still some omissions in his Nightingale work. Since palace knights were not the target of my employer, I did not investigate the backgrounds of my colleagues at all and only relied on their self-introductions. This is stupid.
The count raised his eyebrows. Apparently, he was not so obtuse as to ignore the noble members of the court. Compared with his brother Ister, DeWitt could win over very few nobles. "what's your name?"
"Wittek Shazo."
…
The garden was very quiet until a pebble landed on the stone wall above the bird's head and made a tinkling sound. It's funny how it panics and flies away. Roma picked another one out of the flower pot and looked at the next target. Skylark or dove? The latter is protected, so I'm afraid I have only one choice.
If York Chaine knew her thoughts, he would definitely think this was unfair. But at the moment he was visiting Mr. Eds Haynes, and he probably wouldn't notice the movement on her side. After all, why should I care about them? As Sita, this person was so popular among Chloe's apprentices, Roma really didn't understand. Even she had never enjoyed the feeling of being welcome. To be precise, people would rather avoid her. It seems like you will be unlucky if you meet me! They simply regarded me as the second White Envoy.
Thinking about it this way, Dalton Shadowfang became less annoying. Although he is gloomy and suspicious, he is still a wanted criminal in the tower country...Roma suddenly found that there was something wrong with his mentality. I actually reduced myself to comparing myself with him?
At this moment, Zhuoer clung to the bench on the street like a shadow. She peeked over and saw that he was holding a bag in his hand.
The little lion froze in place. She had visited friends in Larson a dozen times, but never once had she thought of bringing a gift. In turn, the magic seeds given to her by Mr. Haynes helped her a lot when she snuck away to Eastman for adventure. Roma couldn't help but blush.
"Are you suffering from heatstroke? In the Frost Moon?" someone asked.
To hell with that. "Why didn't you remind me?" she asked in annoyance, staring at her pocket on the bench. "Are you taking revenge on me for quarreling with you?"
"Reminder of what?"
Roma suddenly became aware of Drow's voice coming from behind. She quickly turned around and found him standing behind her with empty hands and a look of surprise on her face. It's not like he's pretending at all. Who's on that chair? She saw shadows shaking in the wind. After all, I wasn’t wrong. "No. Who's there?"
Dalton glanced at him: "Someone is resting. Who else could it be? The City of Floating Clouds is a mysterious city, and dark elementalists are not uncommon, right?"
"That's the truth." But Roma always didn't want things to be so simple. Her life had been boring for too long and she just wanted to have some fun. "I figured he might have planned to visit Haines but found someone else had arrived first."
"Maybe we should take York away so that he won't be delayed," Zhuoer suggested, "and remember to bring some gifts next time instead of a walking trouble."
"Are you referring to those stupid female astrologer apprentices?"
"Send them love letters to the wrong address." Dalton took out a piece of paper from his pocket. The little lion curiously opened the letter and found that it contained an Elvish poem written to York, but the address filled in the cover was signed to Mr. Haines' herbal shop. "York told them that he was familiar with the owner of the store and would come and stay there often." Zhuoer told her.
How dare this bastard talk nonsense. Roma rolled her eyes. "Wouldn't Uriel's mailbox also...?" Since arriving in Brumnot, Dalton and York have lived in the tower messenger's house. Although the owner will soon go away again, it seems that they have no intention of changing their residence. "When Uriel comes back, we will have to consider moving."
"No. Don't worry. The addresses of the great astrologers and their apprentices are kept secret, and apparently so is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs."
Roma didn't know this. She and Sabina live in Croita. "How do you know?"
"I'm used to collecting intelligence, including local laws and regulations. Some things are public."
"Good habit. I don't need to explain anymore." Roma looked relaxed. She didn't want to be laughed at by him, saying that she didn't even know the rules of her own house. "I hope York will learn from you."
"That day won't come," Dalton asserted. "You might as well hope he gets into less trouble." He stuffed the papers together. "It's strange. What's so attractive about a candle face? Do they like to warm themselves by the fire?"
"The Frost Moon is here." Roma and Dalton were both overjoyed.
"Light and heat are people's lifelong pursuit. Soon the girls will turn their attention and aim at Uriel's mailbox. Just wait and see, it will be soon."
"They can't find it." The little lion pointed out.
"Don't underestimate women."
You have personal experience, right? Roma swallowed these words back. She thought of Ingrid and the fishtail island covered with tobacco leaves. "Indeed. Sabina said that a person who falls in love will do whatever it takes, like a nightingale. Maybe there really is a nightingale who can find out where he lives."
"Believe me, there are a lot of people who are curious about where the great astrologers live. They are offering high prices."
"High price?" Roma felt the hidden malice in it and couldn't help but stand on end.
"It's not a big deal to buy a few streets anyway. In fact, the bounty money from a few thieves can be used to hire war mercenaries to attack Anti-Angle City."
"Someone will be tempted."
"Of course. But before taking action, there are too many reasons to help them give up their thoughts. The local nightingale market is very depressed, which means that Blumnot is safe. By the way, this is thanks to Uriel's neighbor, she seems to be because of The crime detection rate has been in the newspapers..."
"Ms. Poirot is a master at solving crimes." But there was still uneasiness. Isn’t there also the church’s “inheritance” in the tower? Aiken's experience is not unique. "I'll go take a look at that guy." She walked towards the guest who brought the gift.
